Arcana Coelestia # 6524
6524. 'The elders of his house' means the things that would accord with good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the elders' as the chief characteristics of wisdom, thus things that accord with good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'house' as good, dealt with in 2559, 3652, 3720, 4982. The reason why 'elders' means the chief characteristics of wisdom is that in the Word 'old people' means those who are wise, and - in a sense detached from persons - wisdom. Since 'the twelve tribes of Israel' meant all truths and forms of good in their entirety, they had princes and also elders set over them. 'Princes' meant the leading truths constituting intelligence, and 'elders' the chief characteristics of wisdom, thus those of good.
[2] For the meaning of 'princes' as the leading truths constituting intelligence, see 1482, 2089, 5044. But as regards the meaning of 'elders' as the chief characteristics of wisdom, and of 'old people' as wisdom, this is evident from the following places: In David,
They will extol Jehovah in the congregation of the people, and in the assembly of the old they will praise Him. Psalms 107:32.
'The congregation of the people' stands for those who are ruled by truths constituting intelligence, since 'congregation' is used with reference to truths, 6355, as also is 'people', 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581; 'the assembly of the old' stands for those who are ruled by good, which belongs to wisdom since wisdom is concerned with life, thus with what is good, whereas intelligence is concerned with knowing, thus with what is true, 1555. In the same author,
I am wiser than the old, because I have kept Your commands. Psalms 119:100.
'The old' plainly stands for one who is wise. Likewise in Job,
In the old there is wisdom, in length of days intelligence. Job 12:12.
In Moses,
You shall rise before grey hair and respect the face of an old person. Leviticus 19:32.
This command was given because 'old people' represented wisdom.
[3] In John,
On the thrones I saw twenty-four elders seated, clad in white garments, who had on their heads crowns of gold. Revelation 4:4.
'Elders' stands for aspects of wisdom, thus of good. That these are meant by the elders is evident from the description of the elders - they sat on thrones, were clad in white garments, and had crowns of gold on their heads. 'Thrones' are truths constituting intelligence which are derived from good belonging to wisdom, 5313. 'White garments' has a similar meaning, 'garments' being truths, 1073, 4545, 4763, 5248, 5954, and 'white' that which has reference to truth, 3301, 5319. 'Crowns of gold on their heads' are forms of the good of wisdom; for 'gold' is the good of love, 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, and 'head' is the celestial, the seat of wisdom, 4938, 4939, 5328, 6436. Those who are in the third or inmost heaven, thus who are nearest the Lord, are called the wise, whereas those in the middle or second heaven, thus who are not as near the Lord, are called intelligent.
[4] In the same book,
All the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures. Revelation 7:11.
Again 'the elders' stands for aspects of wisdom, as it does in the following places: In Isaiah,
The boy will uplift himself against the old man, and the despised against the honourable. Isaiah 7:5.
In the same prophet,
Jehovah Zebaoth will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders, glory. Isaiah 24:23.
In Jeremiah,
My priests and my elders breathed their last in the city, for they sought food for themselves, with which they would renew their soul. Lamentations 1:19.
In the same prophet,
Her king and her princes are among the nations; the law is no more. The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground, they become silent. Lamentations 2:9-10.
In the same prophet,
They have ravished women in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah. Princes have been hung up by their hands, the faces of the old men have not been honoured, the elders have ceased from the gate. Lamentations 5:11-12, 14.
In Ezekiel,
Misery will come upon misery, and rumour will be upon rumour. Therefore they will seek a vision from the prophet, but the law has perished from the priest, and counsel from the elders. The king will mourn, and the prince will be wrapped in stupidity. Ezekiel 7:26-27.
In Zechariah,
Old men and women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. 1 Zechariah 8:4.
So that 'the elders' might represent things that constitute wisdom, some of Moses' spirit was taken and imparted to them, by which they prophesied, Numbers 11:16 and following verses.
In the contrary sense 'elders' stands for the things that are the opposites of the aspects of wisdom, Ezekiel 8:11-12.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. literally, for multitude of days
Ezekiel 7
1
Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
2
You, son of man, thus says the Lord Yahweh to the land of Israel, An end: the end is come on the four corners of the land.
3
Now is the end on you, and I will send my anger on you, and will judge you according to your ways; and I will bring on you all your abominations.
4
My eye shall not spare you, neither will I have pity; but I will bring your ways on you, and your abominations shall be in the midst of you: and you shall know that I am Yahweh.
5
Thus says the Lord Yahweh: An evil, an only evil; behold, it comes.
6
An end has come, the end has come; it awakes against you; behold, it comes.
7
Your doom has come to you, inhabitant of the land: the time has come, the day is near, [a day of] tumult, and not [of] joyful shouting, on the mountains.
8
Now will I shortly pour out my wrath on you, and accomplish my anger against you, and will judge you according to your ways; and I will bring on you all your abominations.
9
My eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will bring on you according to your ways; and your abominations shall be in the midst of you; and you shall know that I, Yahweh, do strike.
10
Behold, the day, behold, it comes: your doom is gone forth; the rod has blossomed, pride has budded.
11
Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; none of them [shall remain], nor of their multitude, nor of their wealth: neither shall there be eminency among them.
12
The time is come, the day draws near: don't let the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for wrath is on all its multitude.
13
For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they be yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude of it, none shall return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.
14
They have blown the trumpet, and have made all ready; but none goes to the battle; for my wrath is on all its multitude.
15
The sword is outside, and the pestilence and the famine within: he who is in the field shall die with the sword: and he who is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him.
16
But those of those who escape shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, every one in his iniquity.
17
All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.
18
They shall also clothe themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be on all faces, and baldness on all their heads.
19
They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be as an unclean thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Yahweh: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels; because it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity.
20
As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations [and] their detestable things therein: therefore have I made it to them as an unclean thing.
21
I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall profane it.
22
My face will I turn also from them, and they shall profane my secret [place]; and robbers shall enter into it, and profane it.
23
Make the chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.
24
Therefore I will bring the worst of the nations, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pride of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be profaned.
25
Destruction comes; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.
26
Mischief shall come on mischief, and rumor shall be on rumor; and they shall seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders.
27
The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I will do to them after their way, and according to their own judgments will I judge them; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.
