Hesekiel 22
1
Und das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir also:
2
Und du, Menschensohn, willst du richten, willst du richten die Stadt der Blutschuld? So tue ihr kund alle ihre Greuel
3
und sprich: so spricht der Herr, Jehova: Stadt, die Blut vergießt in ihrer Mitte, damit ihre Zeit komme, und welche sich (Eig. bei sich) Götzen macht, um sich zu verunreinigen!
4
durch dein Blut, das du vergossen, hast du dich verschuldet, und durch deine Götzen, die du gemacht, hast du dich verunreinigt; und du hast deine Tage herbeigeführt und bist zu deinen Jahren gekommen. Darum habe ich dich den Nationen zum Hohne gemacht und allen Ländern zum Spott.
5
Die Nahen und die von dir Entfernten werden dich verspotten als befleckten Namens (d. h. befleckten
ufes) und reich an Verwirrung. -
6
Siehe, in dir waren die Fürsten Israels, ein jeder nach seiner Kraft, um Blut zu vergießen.
7
Vater und Mutter verachteten sie (d. h. die ganze Bevölkerung; wie v 10. 12.) in dir, an dem Fremdling handelten sie gewalttätig in deiner Mitte, Waisen und Witwen bedrückten sie in dir.
8
Meine heiligen Dinge hast du verachtet und meine Sabbathe entweiht.
9
Verleumder waren in dir, um Blut zu vergießen; und auf den Bergen in dir haben sie (d. h. die ganze Bevölkerung; wie v 10. 12.) gegessen, sie haben in deiner Mitte Schandtaten verübt.
10
In dir hat man die Blöße des Vaters aufgedeckt, in dir haben sie die Unreine in ihrer Unreinigkeit geschwächt.
11
Und der eine hat Greuel verübt mit dem Weibe seines Nächsten, und der andere hat seine Schwiegertochter durch Schandtat verunreinigt, und ein anderer hat in dir seine Schwester, die Tochter seines Vaters, geschwächt.
12
In dir haben sie Geschenke genommen, um Blut zu vergießen; du hast Zins und Wucher (S. die Anm. zu Kap. 18,8) genommen und deinen Nächsten mit Gewalt übervorteilt. Mich aber hast du vergessen, spricht der Herr, Jehova.
13
Und siehe, ich schlage in meine Hand (als Zeichen der Entrüstung) wegen deines unrechtmäßigen Gewinnes, den du gemacht hast, und über deine Blutschuld, die in deiner Mitte ist.
14
Wird dein Herz feststehen, oder werden deine Hände stark sein an dem Tage, da ich mit dir handeln werde? Ich, Jehova, habe geredet und werde es tun.
15
Und ich werde dich versprengen unter die Nationen und dich zerstreuen in die Länder und deine Unreinigkeit gänzlich aus dir wegschaffen.
16
Und du wirst durch dich selbst entweiht werden vor den Augen der Nationen; und du wirst wissen (O. erkennen, erfahren; so auch nachher,) daß ich Jehova bin.
17
Und das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir also:
18
Menschensohn, das Haus Israel ist mir zu Schlacken geworden; sie alle sind Erz und Zinn und Eisen und Blei im Schmelzofen; Silberschlacken sind sie geworden.
19
Darum, so spricht der Herr, Jehova: Weil ihr alle zu Schlacken geworden seid, darum, siehe, werde ich euch in Jerusalem zusammentun.
20
Wie man Silber und Erz und Eisen und Blei und Zinn in einen Schmelzofen zusammentut, um Feuer darüber anzublasen zum Schmelzen, also werde ich euch in meinem Zorn und in meinem Grimm zusammentun und euch hineinlegen und schmelzen.
21
Und ich werde euch sammeln und das Feuer meines Grimmes über euch anblasen, daß ihr in Jerusalem (W. in ihr) geschmolzen werdet.
22
Wie Silber im Ofen geschmolzen wird, also werdet ihr in Jerusalem (W. in ihr) geschmolzen werden. Und ihr werdet wissen, daß ich, Jehova, meinen Grimm über euch ausgegossen habe.
23
Und das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir also:
24
Menschensohn, sprich zu ihm: Du bist ein Land, das nicht beschienen, (And. üb.: gereinigt) nicht beregnet wird (O. ist) am Tage des Zornes.
25
Verschwörung seiner Propheten (And. l.: seiner Fürsten) ist in ihm; gleich einem brüllenden Löwen, der Beute zerreißt, fressen sie Seelen, nehmen
eichtum und Kostbarkeiten, mehren (Eig. haben sie gefressen
nahmen
haben gemehrt usw., bis Schluß von v 29) seine Witwen in seiner Mitte.
26
Seine Priester tun meinem Gesetze Gewalt an und entweihen meine heiligen Dinge; zwischen Heiligem und Unheiligem unterscheiden sie nicht, und den Unterschied zwischen Unreinem und
einem tun sie nicht kund; und vor meinen Sabbathen verhüllen sie ihre Augen, und ich werde in ihrer Mitte entheiligt.
27
Seine Fürsten in ihm sind wie Wölfe, die Beute zerreißen, indem sie Blut vergießen, Seelen vertilgen, um unrechtmäßigen Gewinn zu erlangen.
28
Und seine Propheten bestreichen ihnen (den Priestern und den Fürsten) alles mit Tünche, indem sie Eitles schauen und ihnen Lügen wahrsagen und sprechen: So spricht der Herr, Jehova! und doch hat Jehova nicht geredet.
29
Das Volk des Landes (d. i. das gemeine Volk) verübt Erpressung (O. Gewalttat) und begeht
aub; und den Elenden und Dürftigen bedrücken sie, und den Fremdling übervorteilen (O. vergewaltigen) sie widerrechtlich.
30
Und ich suchte einen Mann unter ihnen, der die Mauer zumauern und vor mir in den
iß treten möchte für das Land, auf daß ich es nicht verderbte; aber ich fand keinen.
31
Und ich gieße meinen Zorn über sie aus, vernichte sie durch das Feuer meines Grimmes; ich bringe ihren Weg auf ihren Kopf, spricht der Herr, Jehova.
Apocalypse Explained # 948
948. Verse 5. And after these things I saw, and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the Testimony in heaven was opened, signifies the interior Divine truth in the Word revealed by the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "temple," as being the Divine truth from the Lord (See n. 220, 391, 915); also from the signification of "the tabernacle of the Testimony," as also being the Divine truth, but interior, for "tabernacle" and "temple" have a similar signification; but when it is said "the temple of the tabernacle of the Testimony" interior Divine truth is signified. "He saw that this was opened in heaven" means that this truth has been revealed. The interior Divine truth that was revealed means the Word in its internal sense; because the Word is the Divine truth, and the internal or spiritual sense is interior Divine truth. The "Testimony" means the law that was placed in the ark, which was therefore called "the ark of the Testimony." (What "Testimony" further signifies in a broad and in a strict sense may be seen above, n. 10, 392, 635, 649, 749)
[2] What now follows in this chapter treats of the Word interiorly revealed, before the church has been wholly devastated. For the following chapter treats of its full devastation, which is described by "the seven angels having seven vials full of the anger of God," and by their "casting them unto the earth." The Word is revealed interiorly, that is, as to the spiritual sense, before the church has been fully devastated, because then the New Church will be established into which those who are of the former church are invited; and for the New Church interior Divine truth is revealed; and this could not have been revealed before for reasons that will be given in what follows. A like thing is now done as was done at the end of the Jewish Church; for at its end, which was when the Lord came into the world, the Word was opened interiorly; for when the Lord was in the world He revealed interior Divine truths that were to be for the use of a New Church about to be established by Him and that did serve that church. For like reasons the Word has been opened interiorly at this day, and still more interior Divine truths have been revealed therefrom for the use of the New Church, that will be called the New Jerusalem.
[3] What the Divine providence of the Lord was in revealing Divine truths can be seen from the successive establishment of churches. There have been several churches on our globe one after another. There was the Most Ancient, that was before the flood; there was the Ancient, that was after the flood; then the Hebrew; and then the Israelitish; after this the Christian; and now the New Church is beginning. Inmost Divine truths were revealed to those who were of the Most Ancient Church; more external Divine truths were revealed to those of the Ancient Church; and most external or ultimate Divine truths to the Hebrew Church, and afterwards to the Israelitish, with which church all Divine truth finally perished, for at last there was nothing in the Word that had not been adulterated. But after the end of the Israelitish Church interior Divine truths were revealed by the Lord for the Christian Church, and now still more interior truths for the church that is to come. These interior truths are such as are in the internal or spiritual sense of the Word. All this makes clear that there has been a progression of Divine truth from inmosts to ultimates, thus from wisdom to mere ignorance; and that now there is a progression of it from ultimates to interiors, thus from ignorance again to wisdom.
[4] Religion with man consists in a life according to the Divine commandments, which are contained in a summary in the Decalogue. He that does not live according to these can have no religion, since he does not fear God, still less does he love God; nor does he fear man, still less does he love him. Can one who steals, commits adultery, kills, bears false witness, fear God or man? Nevertheless everyone is able to live according to these commandments; and he who is wise does so live as a civil man, as a moral man, and as a natural man. And yet he who does not live according to them as a spiritual man cannot be saved; since to live according to them as a spiritual man means to so live for the sake of the Divine that is in them, while to live according to them as a civil man means for the sake of justice and to escape punishments in the world; and to live according to them as a moral man means for the sake of honesty, and to escape the loss of reputation and honor; while to live according to them as a natural man means for the sake of what is human, and to escape the repute of having an unsound mind. All laws, civil, moral, and natural, prescribe that one must not steal, must not commit adultery, must not kill, must not bear false witness; and yet a man is not saved by shunning these evils from these laws alone, unless he also shuns them from spiritual law, thus unless he shuns them as sins. For with such a man there is religion, and a belief that there is a God, a heaven and a hell, and a life after death; with such a man there is a civil life, a moral life, and a natural life; a civil life because there is justice, a moral life because there is honesty, and a natural life because there is manhood. But he who does not live according to these commandments as a spiritual man is neither a civil man, nor a moral man, nor a natural man; for he is destitute of justice, of honesty, and even of manhood, since the Divine is not in these. For there can be nothing good in and from itself, but only from God; so there can be nothing just, nothing truly honest or truly human in itself and from itself, but only from God, and only when the Divine is in it. Consider whether anyone that has hell in him, or who is a devil, can do what is just from justice or for the sake of justice; in like manner what is honest, or what is truly human. The truly human is what is from order and according to order, and what is from sound reason; and God is order, and sound reason is from God. In a word, he who does not shun evils as sins is not a man. Everyone who makes these commandments the principles of his religion becomes a citizen and an inhabitant of heaven; but he who does not make them the principles of his religion, although in externals he may live according to them from natural, moral, and civil law, becomes a citizen and an inhabitant of the world, but not of heaven.
[5] Most nations know these commandments, and make them the principles of their religion, and live according to them because God so wills and has commanded. Through this they have communication with heaven and conjunction with God, consequently they also are saved. But most in the Christian world at this day do not make them the principles of their religion, but only of their civil and moral life; and they do this that they may not appear in external form to act fraudulently and make unlawful gains, commit adulteries, manifestly pursue others from deadly hatred and revenge, and bear false witness, and do not refrain from these things because they are sins and against God, but because they have fears for their life, their reputation, their office, their business, their possessions, their honor and gain, and their pleasure; consequently if they were not restrained by these bonds they would do these things. Because, therefore, such form for themselves no communication with heaven or conjunction with the Lord, but only with the world and with self, they cannot be saved. Consider in respect to yourself, when these external bonds have been taken away, as is done with every man after death, if there are no internal bonds, which are from fear and love of God, thus from religion, to restrain and hold you back, whether you would not rush, like a devil, into thefts, adulteries, murders, false witnesses, and lusts of every kind, from a love of these thus from a delight in them. That this is the case I have both seen and heard.
