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Numeri 19

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1 Wijders sprak de HEERE tot Mozes en tot Aaron, zeggende:

2 Dit is de inzetting van de wet, die de HEERE geboden heeft, zeggende: Spreek tot de kinderen Israels, dat zij tot u brengen een rode volkomen vaars, in welke geen gebrek is, op welke geen juk gekomen is.

3 En gij zult die geven aan Eleazar, den priester; en hij zal haar uitbrengen tot buiten het leger, en men zal haar voor zijn aangezicht slachten.

4 En Eleazar, den priester, zal van haar bloed met zijn vinger nemen, en hij zal van haar bloed recht tegenover de tent der samenkomst zevenmaal sprengen.

5 Voorts zal men deze vaars voor zijn ogen verbranden; haar vel, en haar vlees, en haar bloed, met haar mest, zal men verbranden.

6 En de priester zal nemen cederhout, en hysop, en scharlaken, en werpen ze in het midden van den brand dezer vaars.

7 Dan zal de priester zijn klederen wassen, en zijn vlees met water baden, en daarna in het leger gaan; en de priester zal onrein zijn tot aan den avond.

8 Ook die haar verbrand heeft, zal zijn klederen met water wassen, en zijn vlees met water baden, en onrein zijn tot aan den avond.

9 En een rein man zal de as dezer vaars verzamelen, en buiten het leger in een reine plaats wegleggen; en het zal zijn ter bewaring voor de vergadering van de kinderen Israels, tot het water der afzondering; het is ontzondiging.

10 En die de as dezer vaars verzameld heeft, zal zijn klederen wassen, en onrein zijn tot aan den avond. Dit zal den kinderen Israels, en den vreemdeling, die in het midden van henlieden als vreemdeling verkeert, tot een eeuwige inzetting zijn.

11 Wie een dode, enig dood lichaam van een mens, aanroert, die zal zeven dagen onrein zijn.

12 Op den derden dag zal hij zich daarmede ontzondigen, zo zal hij op den zevenden dag rein zijn; maar indien hij zich op den derden dag niet ontzondigt, zo zal hij op den zevenden dag niet rein zijn.

13 Al wie een dode, het dode lichaam eens mensen, die gestorven zal zijn, aanroert, en zich niet ontzondigd zal hebben, die verontreinigt den tabernakel des HEEREN; daarom zal die ziel uitgeroeid worden uit Israel; omdat het water der afzondering op hem niet gesprengd is, zal hij onrein zijn; zijn onreinigheid is nog in hem.

14 Dit is de wet, wanneer een mens zal gestorven zijn in een tent: al wie in die tent ingaat, en al wie in die tent is, zal zeven dagen onrein zijn.

15 Ook alle open gereedschap, waarop geen deksel gebonden is, dat is onrein.

16 En al wie in het open veld een, die met het zwaard verslagen is, of een dode, of het gebeente eens mensen, of een graf zal aangeroerd hebben, zal zeven dagen onrein zijn.

17 Voor een onreine nu zullen zij nemen van het stof des brands der ontzondiging, en daarop levend water doen in een vat.

18 En een rein man zal hysop nemen, en in dat water dopen, en sprengen het aan die tent, en op al het gereedschap, en aan de zielen, die daar geweest zijn; insgelijks aan dengene, die een gebeente, of een verslagene, of een dode, of een graf aangeroerd heeft.

19 En de reine zal den onreine op den derden dag, en op den zevenden dag besprengen; en op den zevenden dag zal hij hem ontzondigen; en hij zal zijn klederen wassen, en zich met water baden, en op den avond rein zijn.

20 Wie daarentegen onrein zal zijn, en zich niet zal ontzondigen, die ziel zal uit het midden der gemeente uitgeroeid worden; want hij heeft het heiligdom des HEEREN verontreinigd, het water der afzondering is op hem niet gesprengd, hij is onrein.

21 Dit zal hunlieden zijn tot een eeuwige inzetting. En die het water der afzondering sprengt, zal zijn klederen wassen; ook wie het water der afzondering aanroert, die zal onrein zijn tot aan den avond.

22 Ja, al wat die onreine aangeroerd zal hebben, zal onrein zijn; en de ziel, die dat aangeroerd zal hebben, zal onrein zijn tot aan den avond.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 7918

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7918. 'And you shall take a bunch of hyssop' means the outward means by which purification is effected. This is clear from the meaning of 'hyssop' as outward truth, the means by which purification is effected, dealt with below. It says that they were to take a bunch of hyssop because 'a bunch' is used to refer to truths and the arrangement of them, 5530, 5881, 7408. The reason why 'hyssop' means outward truth, the means of purification, is that all spiritual purification is effected by means of truths. For the earthly and worldly types of love from which a person has to be purified are not recognized except by means of truths. When these truths are instilled by the Lord a horror of those types of love, as of things unclean and damnable, is also at the same time instilled. The effect this horror has is that when something similar enters the person's thinking the feeling of horror returns, producing a loathing of those types of love. That is how a person is purified by truths, which serve as outward means. This was the reason why it was laid down that knives or 'small swords' made of flint should be used when circumcision took place, 'small swords' or knives made of flint being the truths of faith by means of which purification is effected, see 2799, 7044, and 'circumcision purification from filthy types of love, 2039, 2632, 3412, 3413, 4461, 7045.

[2] Since 'hyssop' had that meaning it was used in cleansings, which in the internal sense meant purifications from falsities and evils, as in the cleansing of leprosy in Moses,

The priest shall take for cleansing a leper two living clean birds, and cedarwood, and scarlet, and hyssop; and he shall dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird, and sprinkle over the one to be cleansed. Leviticus 14:4-7.

Hyssop was likewise used in the cleansing of the house, if leprosy was in it, Leviticus 14:49-51. The preparation of the water of separation by which cleansings were accomplished also involved the use of cedarwood and hyssop, Numbers 19:6, 18. 'Cedarwood' meant inward spiritual truth, whereas 'hyssop' meant outward [spiritual] truth. Thus 'cedarwood' is the means effecting purification more internally, 'hyssop' the means effecting it more externally. That 'hyssop' is a means of purification is plainly evident in David,

You will purge me with hyssop and I shall become clean; You will wash me and I shall be made whiter than snow. Psalms 51:7.

'Purging with hyssop and becoming clean' stands for external purification, 'washing and being made whiter than snow' for internal purification, 'snow' and 'whiteness' having reference to truth, 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319. 'Hyssop' means a very low kind of truth and 'cedar' a superior kind of truth, as is evident from the following words in the first Book of Kings, Solomon spoke about trees, from the cedar which is in Lebanon even to the hyssop which comes out of the wall. 1 Kings 4:33.

Here 'the cedar' stands for the internal kind of truth and 'hyssop' for the external kind of truth that belong to intelligence.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Arcana Coelestia # 5319

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5319. 'And clothed him in robes of fine linen' means an outward sign denoting the celestial of the spiritual, 'robes of fine linen' being truths going forth from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'robes' as truths, dealt with in 1073, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248. The reason 'robes of fine linen' means truths going forth from the Divine is that a robe made of fine linen was absolutely white and at the same time shining, and truth going forth from the Divine is represented by robes which have that kind of brightness and splendour. And the reason for this is that heaven derives its brightness and splendour from the light that flows from the Lord; and the light that flows from the Lord is Divine Truth itself, 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 1776, 3195, 3222, 3339, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862, 4415, 4419, 4526, 5219. This explains why, when the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His clothing appeared as the light, Matthew 17:2; glistening, intensely white like snow, as no fuller on earth could bleach them, Mark 9:3; and dazzling, Luke 9:29. It was Divine Truth itself going forth from the Lord's Divine Human that was represented in this manner. But they are exterior truths that are represented in heaven by the brightness of robes, whereas interior truths are represented by the brightness and splendour of the face. This is why 'being clothed in robes of fine linen' at this point means an outward sign denoting truth going forth from the celestial of the spiritual, for this was what the Lord's Divine consisted in at this time.

[2] There are other places too in the Word where truth going forth from the Divine is meant by 'fine linen' and 'robes of fine linen', as in Ezekiel,

I clothed you with embroidered cloth, and shed you with badger, and swathed you in fine linen, and covered you in silk. Thus were you adorned with gold and silver, and your robes were fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth. Ezekiel 16:10, 13.

This refers to Jerusalem, which is used in these verses to mean the Ancient Church. The truths of this Church are described by robes made of embroidered cloth, fine linen, and silk, and by being adorned with gold and silver. 'Embroidered cloth' means truths existing as facts, 'fine linen' natural truths, and 'silk' spiritual truths.

[3] In the same prophet,

Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign; violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. Ezekiel 27:7.

This refers to Tyre, which too is used to mean the Ancient Church, but so far as cognitions of good and truth are concerned. 'Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, which was its sail' means truth obtained from factual knowledge, which was the outward sign of that Church.

[4] In John,

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over Babylon, since no one buys their wares any more, wares of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and bronze, and iron, and marble. Revelation 18:11-12.

All the specific commodities mentioned here mean the kinds of things that have to do with the Church and so truth and goodness. Here however they are used in the contrary sense because they are spoken of in reference to Babylon. Anyone may see that such commodities would never have been listed in the Word which has come down from heaven unless each one held something heavenly within it. What other reason can there be for a list of worldly wares when Babylon, meaning an unholy Church, is the subject? Similarly in the same book,

Woe, woe, the great city, you that were clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, covered 1 with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. Revelation 18:16.

[5] The fact that each commodity means something Divine and heavenly is quite evident in the same book where it states what fine linen is, namely the righteous acts of the saints,

The time of the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. At that time she was given fine linen, clean and shining, to wear; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Revelation 19:7-8.

'Fine linen' is 'the righteous acts of the saints' for the reason that all those with whom truth received from the Divine exists are clothed with the Lord's righteousness. For their robes which are bright and shining are products of the light which flows from the Lord. Therefore in heaven truth itself is represented by 'brightness', 3301, 3997, 4007; and people who are being raised to heaven from a state of vastation are seen to be clothed with brightness because they are at this point casting off the robe of their own righteousness and putting on that of the Lord's righteousness.

[6] So that truth from the Divine might be represented in the Jewish Church, they were commanded to use cotton or fine linen in Aaron's vestments, and also in the curtains around the Ark, referred to in Moses as follows,

You shall make in chequered pattern for Aaron a tunic of cotton, and you shall make a turban of cotton. Exodus 28:39.

They made tunics of cotton, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and his sons. Exodus 39:27.

You shall make the Dwelling-place, ten curtains - fine-twined cotton, violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet. Exodus 26:1; 36:8.

You shall make the court of the Dwelling-place. The hangings for the court shall be of fine-twined cotton. Exodus 27:9, 18; 38:9.

The screen for the gate of the court, the work of an embroiderer, violet and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined cotton. Exodus 38:18.

Cotton is fine linen, which they were commanded to use because each object in the Ark and around the Ark, also every detail of Aaron's vestments, were representative of spiritual and celestial realities. From this one may see that a person has only a meagre understanding of the Word if he does not know what such things represent, and scarcely any understanding at all if he thinks that the Word possesses no holiness other than that which presents itself in the letter.

[7] When angels with whom truth from the Divine is present are seen by anyone they are clothed so to speak in fine linen, that is, in shining brightness, as is evident in John where 'a white horse' is referred to,

The One seated on a white horse was clothed in a garment dyed with blood, and His name is called the Word. His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses; they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Revelation 19:11, 13-14.

These words show quite plainly that 'fine linen' is an outward sign denoting truth from the Divine, for 'the One seated on a white horse' is the Lord as to the Word; indeed those words state quite explicitly that He is the Word. The Word is truth itself received from the Divine, and 'a white horse' is the internal sense of the Word, see 2760-2762. Consequently truths received from the Divine are meant by 'white horses', for such truths constitute the whole of the internal sense of the Word. This was why His armies were seen 'on white horses' and why 'they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean'.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, gilded

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.