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Hesekiel 11

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1 Siis Vaim tõstis minu üles ja viis mu Issanda koja Idaväravasse, mis on ida poole; ja vaata, värava suus oli kakskümmend viis meest ja ma nägin nende keskel Jaasanjat, Assuri poega, ja Pelatjat, Benaja poega, rahva ülemaid.

2 Ja ta ütles mulle: 'Inimesepoeg, need on mehed, kes kavatsevad nurjatust ja peavad kurja nõu selle linna vastu;

3 nad ütlevad: 'Aeg ei ole käes, et ehitada kodasid. See linn on pott ja meie oleme liha.'

4 Seepärast kuuluta neile prohvetlikult, kuuluta prohvetlikult, inimesepoeg!'

5 Siis langes mu peale Issanda Vaim ja ütles mulle: 'Räägi: Nõnda ütleb Issand: Nii te ütlete, Iisraeli sugu, ja mis teil mõttes on, seda ma tean!

6 Palju on teie poolt mahalööduid selles linnas ja te olete mahalöödutega täitnud selle tänavad.

7 Seepärast ütleb Issand Jumal nõnda: Teie mahalöödud, keda te olete pannud selle keskele, on liha, ja see linn on pott, aga ma viin teid sellest välja.

8 Mõõka te kardate, aga mina toon mõõga teie kallale, ütleb Issand Jumal.

9 Ma viin teid välja selle keskelt ja annan teid võõraste kätte; otsused teie kohta viin ma täide.

10 Te langete mõõga läbi, Iisraeli piiril mõistan ma kohut teie üle ja te saate tunda, et mina olen Issand.

11 See linn ei ole teile potiks ja teie ei ole lihaks selle sees: Iisraeli piiril mõistan ma kohut teie üle.

12 Ja te saate tunda, et mina olen Issand, sest te ei ole käinud mu määruste järgi ega ole teinud mu seaduste järgi, vaid olete teinud nende paganate seaduste järgi, kes asuvad teil ümberkaudu.'

13 Aga kui ma prohvetlikult kuulutasin, suri Pelatja, Benaja poeg; siis ma langesin silmili ja kisendasin suure häälega ning ütlesin: 'Oh Issand Jumal! Kas sa teed lõpu Iisraeli jäägile?'

14 Ja mulle tuli Issanda sõna; ta ütles:

15 'Inimesepoeg, su vennad, su vennad, sugulased ja kogu Iisraeli sugu üheskoos on need, kelle kohta Jeruusalemma elanikud ütlevad: 'Nad on Issandast kaugel, maa on antud omandiks meile!'

16 Seepärast ütle: Nõnda ütleb Issand Jumal: Kuigi ma olen nad viinud kaugele paganate sekka ja kuigi ma olen nad pillutanud mööda maid, olen ma siiski pisut olnud neile pühamuks maades, kuhu nad on sattunud.

17 Seepärast ütle: Nõnda ütleb Issand Jumal: Mina kogun teid rahvaste seast ja korjan teid maadest, kuhu teid on pillutatud, ja ma annan teile Iisraeli maa.

18 Siis nad tulevad sinna ja kõrvaldavad sealt kõik selle põlastusväärsused ja kõik selle jäledused.

19 Mina annan neile ühesuguse südame ja annan nende sisse uue vaimu: ma kõrvaldan nende ihust kivise südame ja annan neile lihase südame,

20 et nad käiksid mu määruste järgi ning peaksid mu seadusi ja täidaksid neid; siis on nad mulle rahvaks ja mina olen neile Jumalaks.

21 Aga kelle süda käib nende põlastusväärsuste ja nende jäleduste meele järgi, nende eluviisid panen ma nende oma pea peale, ütleb Issand Jumal.'

22 Siis tõstsid keerubid oma tiivad ja üheaegselt nendega tõusid rattad ning ülal nende kohal oli Iisraeli Jumala auhiilgus.

23 Ja Issanda auhiilgus tõusis üles linna keskelt ning jäi seisma mäele, mis on ida pool linna.

24 Aga Vaim tõstis mind üles ja viis mind Kaldeasse vangide juurde nägemuses, Jumala Vaimus; siis kadus mul nägemus, mida ma olin näinud.

25 Ja ma jutustasin vangidele kõigist Issanda sõnadest, mis ta mulle oli ilmutanud.

   

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Pot

  

Pots" and other large vessels in the Bible represent facts and factual ideas, which serve as containers for truth the same way pots serve as containers for water or wine. Pots fill their function because they are hard, strong and impervious; facts are also absolute and unchanging, filling their function the same way. And pots must be filled to serve any use, just as facts must be filled with truth to serve any purpose. To some extent this meaning also applies to cups, bowls and other smaller vessels, though it is a little more immediate. Generally you don't fill a cup so you can store a liquid; you fill it to drink it. Smaller vessels then often take more of their meaning from the substance they contain, and in many cases ("cup" and "wine" especially) actually mean the same thing.

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Looking for Good in Other People

Napsal(a) Rev. Donald L. Rose

It is not angelic to seek for the evils with a person unless we at the same time seek for the goods. (Arcana Coelestia 10381).

In this world we should aspire to be like the angels, to have an angelic attitude. The Heavenly Doctrine for the New Church tells us that "No one becomes an angel, that is, comes into heaven, unless he carries with him from the world something of the angelic character" (Divine Providence 60). Now, a notable hallmark of the angelic character is speaking and thinking well of others. People in this world who think and speak well of others "are like the angels" (Arcana Coelestia 1088). These people are contrasted with those who see only evil. Only evil? Can't they see good in other people when it is there? Apparently not, for "If they see anything good they either perceive it as nothing, or put a bad interpretation upon it" (Arcana Coelestia 1079).

Instead we are to look for the good in others. We should look for the qualities and virtues that make someone useful, rather than considering mere externals. "If you were to choose a helper or servant from those in your neighborhood, and ten were brought before your eyes from whom you were to choose one, would you choose from the face alone? Would you not choose from some quality that you love, [such] as integrity, modesty, piety, uprightness? These you would consider as you looked upon them" (Apocalypse Explained 834). Even when good is not evident in someone, we should look for the potential of good. Especially when dealing with children we should look upon them as good, or look for the good in them. For they are potentially good, and of such is the kingdom of heaven.

But what about seeing evil? What kind of judgments do we need to make in the course of our lives? We do have to look for faults in decisions we make. And we will find that some people are simply not suited for certain uses. We put little value on them in this context, "because they are of no ability or endowment, or aptitude to this or that use" (Spiritual Experiences 4347). Even so, we must bear in mind that they are of value in other respects. According to the Sermon on the Mount we are not to say "Raca" of anyone (Matthew 5:21-22), as if they were worthless. "Raca" implies an emptiness (Apocalypse Explained 746:18) is translated in one modern version as "good-for-nothing." We are never make this kind of judgment about others, but we do need be able to when someone's actions are not useful in a certain situation. In a cynical world we could easily fall into the illusion that it is wise be critical of others, pick out their errors to be suspicious of any good in them. But someone who does not look for good who does not look from good is not really wise. The Heavenly Doctrine says that such a person "regards everybody as being in falsity, is ready rebuke, chastise to punish; has no pity does not apply or adapt himself others" (Arcana Coelestia 1949). If our "prudence" goes to the extreme, we will make the mistake of thinking that the angelic way of looking at others is naive and dangerous. And yet, in this very effort to avoid danger, we may alienate the spirit of charity and open ourselves to the dangers of infernal influence (see Arcana Coelestia 1088). Let us not forget that it is not angelic to seek for the faults of others unless at the same time, we are seeking for the good in them.

(Odkazy: Apocalypse Explained 21; Divine Providence 60-67)