Bible

 

Mooseksen kirja 32

Studie

   

1 Kuulkaat te taivaat, minä puhun, ja maa kuulkaan minun suuni sanoja.

2 Minun oppini tiukkukaan niinkuin sade, minun puheeni vuotakaan niinkuin kaste, niinkuin sade vihannon päälle ja niinkuin pisarat ruohon päälle.

3 Sillä minä ylistän Herran nimeä: antakaat meidän Jumalallemme suuri kunnia.

4 Hän on kallio, hänen työnsä ovat laittamattomat, sillä kaikki hänen tiensä ovat oikiat; vakaa on Jumala, ilman kaikkea vääryyttä, hän on vanhurskas ja oikia.

5 Onko hän hänen turmellut? Ei, vaan hänen lapsensa ovat heidän häpiäpilkkunsa; se on nurja ja sekaseurainen suku.

6 Niinköstä te Herralle maksatte, hullu ja tyhmä kansa? Eikö hän ole sinun Isäs ja sinun Lunastajas, joka sinun luonut ja valmistanut on?

7 Muista muinaisia aikoja, ymmärrä vuosikaudet suvusta sukuun; kysy isältäs, ja hän ilmoittaa sinulle, ja vanhimmiltas, niin he sinulle sanovat.

8 Kuin kaikkein korkein jakoi pakanat ja hajoitti ihmisten lapset, silloin hän laski kansain maan rajat, Israelin lasten luvun jälkeen.

9 Sillä Herran osa on hänen oma kansansa, Jakob on hänen perimisensä nuora.

10 Hän löysi hänen erämaassa ja hirmuisessa suuressa itkukorvessa. Hän vei hänen ympäri, hän opetti hänen ymmärtämään ja varjeli häntä niinkuin silmäteräänsä,

11 Niinkuin kotka kehoittelee pesäänsä ja laukuilee poikainsa päällä, levittää siipensä, ottaa kunkin heistä ja kantaa siipeinsä päällä,

12 Niin Herra yksinänsä talutti häntä, ja ei ollut hänen kanssansa muuta Jumalaa.

13 Hän vei hänen hamaan maan korkeuteen, ja ruokki hänen pellon hedelmällä, ja antoi hänen imeä hunajaa kalliosta ja öljyä kovasta kivestä,

14 Voita lehmistä, ja rieskaa lampaista, ynnä karitsain lihavuuden kanssa, ja Basanin oinaat, ja lihavat kauriit, ja parhaan nisun, ja juotti hänen parhaalla viinamarjan verellä.

15 Ja Israel lihoi, tuli vikuriksi, lihavaksi, paksuksi ja väkeväksi, ja hylkäsi Jumalan, joka hänen teki, ja katsoi autuutensa kallion ylön.

16 He yllyttivät hänen kiivauteen muukalaisten kautta, kauhistusten kautta vihoittivat he hänen.

17 He uhrasivat perkeleille, eikä Jumalalle, jumalille, joita ei he tunteneet, vasta-uutisille, jotka ei ennen olleet, joita isänne ei peljänneet.

18 Kallion, joka sinun siitti, sinä hyljäsit, ja unhotit Jumalan, joka sinun loi.

19 Ja Herra näki sen, ja vihastui, poikainsa ja tyttäriensä kehoituksen tähden,

20 Ja sanoi: minä peitän kasvoni heidän edestänsä, ja katson mitä heidän viimeiseltä tapahtuu; sillä se on nurja suku ja senkaltaiset lapset, joissa ei ole uskoa.

21 He härsyttelivät minua sen kautta, joka ei ole jumala, epäjumaluutensa kautta ovat he minun vihoittaneet ja minä vihoitan heitä jälleen sen kautta, joka ei ole kansa, tyhmällä kansalla minä heitä vihoitan.

22 Sillä tuli on syttynyt minun vihassani, ja polttaa hamaan alimaiseen helvettiin, ja kuluttaa maan, ynnä hänen hedelmänsä kanssa, ja polttaa vuorten perustukset.

23 Minä kokoon kaiken onnettomuuden heidän päällensä, minä ammun kaikki nuoleni heihin.

24 Nälästä heidän pitää hiukahtuman ja poltetaudilla kulutettaman, ja äkillisellä kuolemalla; minä lähetän metsän petoin hampaat heidän keskellensä, ja kyykärmeen myrkyn.

25 Ulkona pitää miekan heitä hävittämän ja sisällä huoneessa pelvon, sekä nuorukaiset että neitseet, imeväiset ja harmaapäät.

26 Minä sanoin: minä hävittäisin heitä, minä lakkauttaisin heidän muistonsa ihmisistä,

27 Ellen minä vihollisteni vihaa karttaisi, ettei heidän vainollisensa ylpeilisi, ja lähes sanoisi: meidän oikia kätemme on kaikki nämät tehnyt, eikä Herra.

28 Sillä se on kansa, jossa ei mitään neuvoa ole, eikä ymmärrystä.

29 Jospa he taitavaiset olisivat, niin he ymmärtäisivät ja huomaitsisivat, mitä heille viimeiseltä tapahtuu.

30 Kuinka yksi ajais tuhatta takaa ja kaksi karkottaisi kymmenentuhatta heistä? Eikö sentähden, että heidän kallionsa on heidät myynyt? ja Herra on heidät sulkenut?

31 Sillä ei ole meidän kalliomme niinkuin heidän kallionsa, ja meidän vihollisemme ovat meidän tuomarimme.

32 Sillä heidän viinapuunsa on Sodoman viinapuusta ja Gomorran pelloista, heidän viinamarjansa myrkylliset viinamarjat, heillä ovat karvahimmat marjat.

33 Heidän viinansa on lohikärmeen kiukkuvahto, ja kyykärmetten hirmullinen myrkky.

34 Eikö se liene kätketty minun tykönäni? ja sinetillä lukittu minun tavaroissani?

35 Minun on kosto, minä kostan, heidän jalkansa pitää ajallansa kompastuman; sillä heidän kadotuksensa aika on läsnä, ja mikä heille tarjontelee, se rientää.

36 Sillä Herra tuomitsee kansansa, ja armahtaa palveliaansa; sillä hän näkee, että käsi on poissa, ja ei ole mitään tallella pidetty eikä jätetty.

37 Ja pitää sanottaman: kussa heidän Jumalansa ovat? heidän kallionsa, johonka he uskalsivat?

38 Joiden lihavimmat uhrit he söivät, ja joivat viinan heidän juomauhristansa, nouskaan ne ja auttakaan teitä ja varjelkaan teitä.

39 Nähkäät nyt, että minä itse olen, ja ei ole jumalia minun kanssani. Minä kuoletan ja teen eläväksi, minä lyön ja minä parannan, ja ei kenkään ole, joka minun käsistäni vapahtaa.

40 Sillä minä nostan käteni taivaasen ja sanon: minä elän ijankaikkisesti.

41 Kuin minä hion miekkani niinkuin pitkäisen leimauksen, ja minun käteni rupee rangaistukseen, niin minä koston maksan minun vihollisilleni, ja niille palkitsen, jotka minua vihaavat.

42 Minä juotan nuoleni verellä, ja miekkani pitää lihaa syömän tapettuiden verestä, ja vangittuiden ja vihollisten paljastetusta päästä.

43 Riemuitkaat te kaikki, jotka olette hänen kansansa; sillä hän kostaa palveliainsa veren. Ja kostaa vihollisillensa, ja sovittaa maansa ja kansansa.

44 Ja Moses tuli ja puhui kaikki nämät veisun sanat tämän kansan kuullen, hän ja Josua Nunin poika.

45 Ja Moses päätti kaikki nämät sanat koko Israelille,

46 Ja sanoi heille: pankaat sydämeenne kaikki ne sanat, jotka minä teille tänäpänä todistin, että te käskisitte teidän lapsianne, tekemään ja pitämään kaikki tämän lain sanat.

47 Sillä ei siinä ole teille yhtään turhaa sanaa, vaan se on teidän elämänne; ja ne sanat pitentävät teidän ikänne maan päällä, johon te menette Jordanin ylitse, omistamaan sitä.

48 Ja Herra puhui Mosekselle sinä päivänä, ja sanoi:

49 Mene tälle Abarimin vuorelle, Nebon vuorelle, joka on Moabin maalla Jerihon kohdalla, ja katsele Kanaanin maata, jonka minä Israelin lapsille omaksi annan.

50 Sinun pitää kuoleman vuorella, johonkas menet, ja koottaman kansas tykö, niinkuin veljeskin Aaron kuoli Horin vuorella, ja koottiin kansan tykö,

51 Että te olette rikkoneet minua vastaan Israelin lasten seassa, riitaveden tykönä Kadeksessa Sinin korvessa: ettette minua pyhittäneet Israelin lasten seassa.

52 Sillä sinä näet maan kohdastansa; vaan ei sinun pidä siihen maahan tuleman, jonka minä Israelin lapsille annan.

   


SWORD version by Tero Favorin (tero at favorin dot com)

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 9780

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

9780. 'And let them bring to you olive oil' means the good of charity and faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'olive oil' as the good of celestial love, dealt with in 886, but in the present verse the good of spiritual love, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour and the good of faith. The reason why the good of charity and faith is meant here by 'olive oil' is that it was for the light or lampstand, and 'the lampstand' means the spiritual heaven, 9548, the spiritual heaven on earth being the spiritual Church. 'Oil' and 'the olive tree' mean in the Word both celestial good and spiritual good, celestial good when the celestial kingdom or Church is the subject, and spiritual good when the spiritual kingdom or Church is the subject. What makes these kingdoms or Churches different from each other is the types of good. The celestial kingdom or Church's types of good are the good of love to the Lord and the good of mutual love, and the spiritual kingdom or Church's types of good are the good of charity towards the neighbour and the good of faith, 9741. These types of good and the types of truth that spring from them are the subject throughout the Word; for the Word consists wholly of teachings about good. It does so because it consists wholly of teachings about love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, Matthew 22:35-40, and all good is an attribute of love, including the good of faith since this comes into being from the good of love and does not exist without it.

[2] Since the Word consists of teachings about good, people need to know what good is if they are to have any understanding of the Word. But no one can know what good is unless he tries to lead a good life in accordance with the Word. For when someone tries to lead a good life in accordance with the Word the Lord instills good into that person's life. The person then comes to perceive that good and has a feeling for it, and as a result recognizes the essential nature of it. In no other circumstances does it appear, because it does not come to be perceived. All this makes clear what the condition is of those who merely know the things contained in the Word, convince themselves that they are true, yet fail to act on them. They are people with no real awareness of good, nor consequently of truth, for truth is known from good, and never exists without good except as some piece of lifeless knowledge which passes away in the next life.

[3] The fact that 'oil' and 'olive' mean good is clear from places in the Word where they are mentioned, as in Zechariah,

I saw a lampstand of gold, two olive trees beside it, one on the right of the bowl and one to the left of it. These are the two sons of oil, standing beside the Lord of the whole earth. Zechariah 4:2-3, 14.

'Two olive trees' and 'the two sons of oil' are the good of love to the Lord, which is on His right, and the good of charity towards the neighbour, which is to His left. Something similar occurs in John,

The two witnesses prophesied one thousand two hundred and sixty days. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. Revelation 11:3-4.

'The two olive trees and the two lampstands' are the same two types of good, which, since they come from the Lord, are called 'the two witnesses'.

[4] In the same book,

I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, Do no harm to oil and wine. Revelation 6:6.

'Oil' stands for the good of love and charity, 'wine' for the good and truth of faith. In Isaiah,

I will plant 1 in the wilderness the cedar of shittah, and the myrtle, and the oil tree. 2 Isaiah 41:19.

In Jeremiah,

They will come and sing on the height of Zion, and converge towards the goodness of Jehovah, towards wheat, and towards new wine, and towards oil. Jeremiah 31:12.

In Joel,

The field has been devastated, the land has been mourning because the grain has been laid waste, the new wine has failed, the oil languishes. Joel 1:10.

In the same prophet,

The threshing-floors are full of clean grain, and the presses overflow with new wine and oil. Joel 2:24.

In Moses,

I will give the rain for your land in its season, that you may gather your grain, your new wine, and your oil. Deuteronomy 11:14.

[5] This verse speaks of grain, new wine, and oil, but it becomes clear to anyone who stops to consider the matter that it is not these actual products that are meant. For being Divine the Word is spiritual, not worldly, so that what it says does not have to do with grain, new wine, or oil of the land, inasmuch as they serve the body as forms of food, only inasmuch as they serve the soul. For all forms of food in the world mean, when mentioned in the Word, heavenly kinds of food, as also the bread and wine in the Holy Supper do. What it is that 'grain' and 'new wine' mean in the places quoted above, see 3580, 5295, 5410, 5959, from which it is evident what 'oil' means.

[6] The same applies to all those things spoken by the Lord when He was in the world, such as those regarding the Samaritan - that he went near the one wounded by the robbers, bound his wounds, and poured in oil and wine, Luke 10:33-34. In this instance oil and wine are not what is meant but the good of love and charity, the good of love by 'oil' and the good of charity and faith by 'wine'. For the subject is the neighbour, thus charity towards him. As regards this meaning of 'wine', see 6377.

[7] The same applies to the things spoken by the Lord regarding the ten virgins, five of whom took their lamps without at the same time any oil, and five who took theirs with oil as well - that the latter five were admitted into heaven, whereas the former five were turned away, Matthew 25:3-4ff. 'Oil in the lamps' is the good of love and charity within the truths of faith; 'the virgins who took lamps but no oil' are those who hear the Word, read it, and say that they are believers, yet do not on that account perform any good deed at all, or who if they do, are not moved by a love of good or of truth but by selfish and worldly love.

[8] Since oil was a sign of the good of charity the sick were also anointed with oil and healed, as it says about the Lord's disciples, that when they went out they cast out demons, and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them, Mark 6:13. In David,

You will make my head fat with oil, my cup will overflow. Psalms 23:5.

'Making the head fat with oil' stands for endowing with heavenly good. In Moses,

Jehovah fed [the people] with the produce of the fields; He caused them to suck honey out of the crag and oil out of the stony rock. Deuteronomy 32:13.

This refers to the Ancient Church. 'Sucking oil out of the stony rock' stands for being imbued with good through the truths of faith.

[9] In Habakkuk,

The fig tree will not blossom, neither will there be any produce on the vines; the olive crop will fail, 3 and the fields will not yield food. Habakkuk 3:17.

Neither the fig tree, vines, olives, nor fields should be understood here but the heavenly sources of food to which they correspond. This is also something which all who acknowledge that the Word has to do with such things as belong to heaven and the Church, and so to the soul, can recognize for themselves. But people who have no thought of anything other than worldly, earthly, and bodily things do not see it, indeed have no wish to see it. They say to themselves, What are spiritual things? What are heavenly realities? and so say, What are heavenly sources of food? They indeed know, when they are told, that these are the kinds of things which contribute to intelligence and wisdom, but they have no wish to know that they are what contribute to faith and love. They have no wish to know because they do not let such things enter into their life and as a result do not go far enough to attain intelligence and wisdom in heavenly truths and forms of goodness.

[10] In Ezekiel,

I washed you with water, and washed away the blood 4 from upon you, and anointed you with oil. I clothed you with embroidered cloth. Your garments were fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, and honey, and oil. But you took your embroidered garments and covered the images, and you set My oil and My incense before them. Ezekiel 16:9-10, 13, 18.

Is there anyone who cannot see that garments made of embroidered cloth, fine linen, or silk are not meant here, nor oil, honey, or fine flour, but Divine things belonging to heaven and the Church? For these words refer to Jerusalem, by which the Church is meant, and therefore the matters that are mentioned mean such things as have to do with the Church. Each detail clearly means something specific about the Church, for in the Word, which is Divine, not a single word is devoid of meaning. For the meaning of Jerusalem as the Church, see 3654; and as regards what anything further means, for 'embroidered cloth', 9688; 'fine linen', 5319, 9469; 'fine flour', 2177; 'honey', 5620, 6857; 'washing with water', 3147, 5954 (end), 9088; and 'washing away the blood', 4735, 9127.

[11] In Hosea,

Ephraim feeds the wind; they make a covenant with the Assyrian, and oil is carried down into Egypt. Hosea 12:1.

These words are altogether unintelligible unless one knows what is meant by 'Ephraim', 'the Assyrian', and 'Egypt'. They describe the understanding part in the mind of a member of the Church when that part is perverted by means of mere reasonings based on factual knowledge. For 'Ephraim' is that understanding part, 3969, 5354, 6222, 6238, 6267; 'the Assyrian' reasoning, 1186; and 'Egypt' factual knowledge, 9391. Consequently 'carrying oil down into Egypt' means defiling the Church's good in that manner.

[12] The reason why the Lord went so often up to the Mount of Olives, Luke 21:37; 22:39, was that 'oil' and 'olive' were signs of the good of love, as also was 'a mountain', 6435, 8758. This was so because while the Lord was in the world all things in Him were representative of heaven; through them the whole of heaven was linked to Him. Therefore whatever He did and whatever He spoke was Divine and heavenly, and the last and lowest things were representative. The Mount of Olives represented heaven in respect of the good of love and charity, as also becomes clear in Zechariah,

Jehovah will go out and fight against the nations; His feet will stand on that day upon the Mount of Olives, which faces 5 Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will be split, that part of it [may lean] towards the east and towards the sea, 6 with a large valley; and part of the mountain will move away towards the north, and part of it towards the south. Zechariah 14:3-4.

[13] This refers to the Lord and His Coming. 'The Mount of Olives' means the good of love and charity, and so means the Church, for those forms of good make the Church. The fact that the Church would depart from the Jewish nation and be established among gentile nations is meant by the description that this mountain would be split towards the east, towards the sea, and towards the north and south. Something similar is meant by the Lord's words in Luke,

You yourselves will be thrown out of doors. On the other hand people will come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. Luke 13:28-29.

The overall meaning of the statement that Jehovah will go out and fight against the nations, and His feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem, is that the Lord would fight from Divine Love against the hells; for evils springing from the hells are meant by 'the nations', 1868, 6306, and Divine Love by 'the Mount of Olives' on which His feet will stand.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, give

2. literally, the wood of oil

3. literally, the work of the olive will lie (i.e. prove false)

4. literally, your bloods

5. literally, which is before the face of

6. i.e. the west

  
/ 10837  
  

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

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 6752

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

6752. 'And she called his name Moses' means the essential nature of the state then. This is clear from the meaning of 'name' and 'calling the name as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2714, 3006, 3421, 6674, at this point the essential nature of a state because when someone's name is mentioned, that particular name used then means the state, 1946, 2643, 3422, 4298. This essential nature of a state that is meant is the nature of the state of the law of God as it was in the beginning with the Lord, and the nature of the state of God's truth as it is in the beginning with a person who is being regenerated. There are two people primarily who represent the Lord with respect to the Word, namely Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the Lord with respect to the historical books, Elijah with respect to the Prophets. In addition to those two there is Elisha, and lastly John the Baptist, who is therefore the one who is meant by 'the Elijah who is to come', Matthew 17:10-13; Luke 1:17. But before one can show that Moses represents the law of God, one must say what the law of God is. In a broad sense God's law means the whole Word; in a narrower sense it means the historical section of the Word; in a restricted sense it means what was written through Moses; and in a very restricted sense it means the Ten Commandments written upon Mount Sinai on tablets of stone. Moses represents the law in the narrower sense as well as in the restricted sense and also in the very restricted.

[2] In a broad sense the Law is the whole Word, both the historical section and the prophetical part. This is clear in John,

We have heard from the Law that the Christ (the Messiah) remains forever. John 12:34.

The fact that 'the Law' here is used to mean the prophetical part as well is self-evident, for this is a reference to what is written in Isaiah 9:6-7; in David, Psalms 110:4; and in Daniel 7:13-14. In the same gospel,

In order that the Word written in the Law might be fulfilled, They hated Me without a cause. John 15:25.

Much the same applies here, for it is a reference to what is written in David, Psalms 35:19. In Matthew,

Truly I say to you, Even until heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one small part of a letter will not pass from the Law till all things are done. Matthew 5:18.

Here 'the Law' in a broad sense stands for the whole Word.

[3] The Law in a narrower sense is the historical section of the Word. This is clear in Matthew,

All things whatever you wish people to do to you, do also to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12.

Here the Word is divided into 'the Law' and 'the Prophets'; and as the Word has been divided into the historical section and the prophetical part, it follows that 'the Law' is used to mean the historical section of the Word, and 'the Prophets' to mean the prophetical part. A similar example occurs in the same gospel,

On these two commandments hang the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 22:40.

And in Luke,

The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God is proclaimed. Luke 16:16; Matthew 11:13.

[4] In a restricted sense the Law is the Word that was written through Moses. This is clear in Moses,

When Moses had finished writing the words of this Law in a book, even until he had completed them, Moses commanded the Levites carrying the ark of Jehovah, saying, Take the book of this Law, and put it at the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God. Deuteronomy 31:14-26.

'The book of the Law' stands for the Books of Moses. In the same book,

If you do not take care to do all the words of this Law which are written in this book, Jehovah will send 1 upon you every sickness and every plague that is not written in the book of this Law, until you are destroyed. Deuteronomy 28:58, 61.

The meaning is similar here. In David,

In the Law of Jehovah is his delight, and in His Law he meditates day and night. Psalms 1:2.

'The Law of Jehovah' stands for the Books of Moses, for the prophetical books had not yet been written; nor had the historical books apart from the Book of Joshua and the Book of Judges. In addition this restricted meaning of 'the Law' occurs in places containing the expression 'the Law of Moses', which are dealt with immediately below.

[5] In a very restricted sense the Law is the Ten Commandments written upon Mount Sinai on the tablets of stone, as is well known, see Joshua 8:32. This Law is also called the Testimony, Exodus 25:16, 21.

[6] Moses represents the Law in the narrower sense, which is the historical section of the Word, also the Law in the restricted sense, and in the very restricted sense too. This is clear from those places in the Word in which the name Moses is used instead of the Law, and those in which the Law is called the Law of Moses, as in Luke,

Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them. If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead. Luke 16:29, 31.

Here 'Moses and the Prophets' has the same meaning as 'the Law and the Prophets', which is the historical section and the prophetical part of the Word. From this it is evident that 'Moses' is the Law or historical section of the Word. In the same gospel,

Jesus beginning at Moses and all the prophets explained in all the scriptures the things that concerned Himself. Luke 24:27.

In the same chapter,

All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. Luke 24:44.

In John,

Philip said, We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the Law - Jesus. John 1:45.

In the same gospel,

In the Law Moses commanded us. John 8:5.

In Daniel,

The curse and the oath which was written in the Law of Moses the servant of God has come down onto us, because we have sinned against Him. As it is written in the Law of Moses, All this evil has come upon us. Daniel 9:11, 13.

In Joshua,

Joshua wrote on the stone of the altar a copy of the Law of Moses. Joshua 8:32.

[7] The expression 'the Law of Moses' is used because Moses represents the Lord with respect to the Law, that is, the Word, and in a narrower sense the historical section of the Word. This explains why what is the Lord's is ascribed to Moses, as in John,

Moses gave you the Law, Moses gave you circumcision. If a man (homo) receives circumcision on the sabbath, so that the Law of Moses may not be broken... John 7:19, 22-23.

In Mark,

Moses said, Honour your father and your mother. Mark 7:10.

In the same gospel,

Jesus answering said to them, What did Moses command you? They said, Moses permitted him to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away. Mark 10:3-4.

And because what is the Lord's is ascribed to Moses on account of his representation, both 'the Law of Moses' and 'the Law of the Lord' are used in Luke,

When the days of their purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it has been written in the Law of the Lord, that every male opening the womb is to be called holy to the Lord) and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Law of the Lord, A pair of turtle doves and two young pigeons. Luke 2:22-24, 39.

[8] Because Moses represented the Law he was allowed to go in to the Lord on Mount Sinai, not only to receive there the tablets containing the Law but also to hear the statutes and judgements belonging to the Law, and to enjoin these commands on the people. It is also said that the people should therefore believe in Moses forever,

Jehovah said to Moses, Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak to you, and also may believe in you forever. Exodus 19:9.

The expression 'in a thick cloud' is used because 'cloud' means the letter of the Word. Here also is the reason why it says, when Moses went in to the Lord on Mount Sinai, that he went 'into the cloud', Exodus 20:21; 14:2, 18; 34:2-5. For the meaning of 'the cloud' as the literal sense of the Word, see the Preface to Genesis 18, and also 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343 (end).

[9] And since Moses represented the Law or the Word, it also says that when he came down from Mount Sinai the skin on his face shone whenever he spoke, and so he would put a veil over his face, Exodus 34:28-end. 'The shining of his face' meant the inner spirit of the Law, for this dwells in the light of heaven and is therefore called the glory, 5922. While 'the veil' meant the outward form of the Law. The reason why he veiled his face whenever he spoke to the people was that the inner spirit was concealed from them, and had become so obscure to that people that they could not bear any light from it. For the meaning of 'the face' as that which is internal, see 1999, 2434, 3527, 7577, 4066, 4796-4805, 5102, 5695. Since 'Moses' represented the Lord with respect to the historical section of the Word and 'Elijah' represented the Lord with respect to the prophetical part, Moses and Elijah were therefore seen talking to the Lord at His transfiguration, Matthew 17:3. No others except those who represented the Word could have talked to the Lord when He manifested His Divinity in the world; for talking to the Lord is done through the Word. Regarding Elijah's representation of the Lord with respect to the Word, see 1762, 5247 (end).

[10] And since these two together, both Moses and Elijah, represented the whole Word, both are mentioned in Malachi where the sending of Elijah before the Lord is referred to,

Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel - the statutes and judgements. Lo, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrifying day of Jehovah comes. Malachi 4:4-6.

These words imply that one was to go before who was to announce the [Lord's] Coming, in accordance with the Word.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. Following the Latin version of Sebastian Schmidt Swedenborg adds a word meaning secretly, which does not represent any word in the Hebrew.

  
/ 10837  
  

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