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Josua 21

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1 Da traten herzu die obersten Väter unter den Leviten zu dem Priester Eleasar und Josua, dem Sohn Nuns, und zu den obersten Vätern unter den Stämmen der Kinder Israel

2 und redeten mit ihnen zu Silo im Lande Kanaan und sprachen: Der HERR hat uns geboten durch Mose, daß man uns Städte geben solle, zu wohnen, und ihre Vorstädte zu unserm Vieh.

3 Da gaben die Kinder Israel den Leviten von ihren Erbteilen nach dem Befehl des HERRN diese Städte und ihre Vorstädte.

4 Und das Los fiel auf die Geschlechter der Kahathiter, und wurden den Kindern Aarons, des Priesters, aus den Leviten durchs Los dreizehn Städte von dem Stamm Juda, von dem Stamm Simeon und von dem Stamm Benjamin.

5 Den andern Kindern Kahaths aber wurden durchs Los zehn Städte von den Geschlechtern des Stammes Ephraim, von dem Stamme Dan und von dem halben Stamm Manasse.

6 Aber den Kindern Gersons wurden durchs Los dreizehn Städte von den Geschlechtern des Stammes Isaschar, von dem Stamm Asser und von dem Stamm Naphthali und von dem halben Stamm Manasse in Basan.

7 Den Kindern Meraris nach ihren Geschlechtern wurden zwölf Städte von dem Stamm Ruben, von dem Stamm Gad und von dem Stamm Sebulon.

8 Also gaben die Kinder Israel den Leviten durchs Los diese Städte und Vorstädte, wie der HERR durch Mose geboten hatte.

9 Von dem Stamm der Kinder Juda und von dem Stamm der Kinder Simeon gaben sie diese Städte, die sie mit ihren Namen nannten,

10 den Kindern Aarons, vom Geschlecht der Kahathiter, aus den Kindern Levi; denn das erste Los ward ihnen.

11 So geben sie ihnen die Stadt des Arba, des Vaters Enaks, das ist Hebron auf dem Gebirge Juda und ihre Vorstädte um sie her.

12 Aber den Acker der Stadt und ihre Dörfer gaben sie Kaleb, dem Sohn Jephunnes, zu seinem Erbe.

13 Also gaben sie den Kindern Aarons, des Priesters, die Freistadt der Totschläger, Hebron, und seine Vorstädte, Libna und sein Vorstädte,

14 Jatthir und seine Vorstädte, Esthemoa und sein Vorstädte,

15 Holon und seine Vorstädte, Debir und seine Vorstädte,

16 Ain und seine Vorstädte, Jutta und seine Vorstädte, Beth-Semes und seine Vorstädte, neun Städte von diesen zwei Stämmen;

17 von dem Stamm Benjamin aber gaben sie vier Städte: Gibeon und seine Vorstädte, Geba und seine Vorstädte,

18 Anathoth und seine Vorstädte, Almon und seine Vorstädte,

19 daß alle Städte der Kinder Aarons, der Priester, waren dreizehn mit ihren Vorstädten.

20 Den Geschlechtern aber der andern Kinder Kahath, den Leviten, wurden durch ihr Los vier Städte von dem Stamm Ephraim;

21 sie gaben ihnen die Freistadt der Totschläger, Sichem und seine Vorstädte auf dem Gebirge Ephraim, Geser und seine Vorstädte,

22 Kibzaim und seine Vorstädte, Beth-Horon und seine Vorstädte.

23 Von dem Stamme Dan vier Städte: Eltheke und seine Vorstädte, Gibbethon und seine Vorstädte,

24 Ajalon und seine Vorstädte, Gath-Rimmon und seine Vorstädte.

25 Von dem halben Stamm Manasse zwei Städte: Thaanach und seine Vorstädte, Gath-Rimmon und seine Vorstädte,

26 daß alle Städte der Geschlechter der andern Kinder Kahath waren zehn mit ihren Vorstädten.

27 Den Kindern aber Gerson aus den Geschlechtern der Leviten wurden gegeben von dem halben Stamm Manasse zwei Städte: die Freistadt für die Totschläger, Golan in Basan, und sein Vorstädte, Beesthra und seine Vorstädte.

28 Von dem Stamme Isaschar vier Städte: Kisjon und seine Vorstädte, Dabrath und seine Vorstädte,

29 Jarmuth und seine Vorstädte, En-Gannim und seine Vorstädte.

30 Von dem Stamm Asser vier Städte: Miseal und seine Vorstädte, Abdon und seine Vorstädte,

31 Helkath und seine Vorstädte, Rehob und seine Vorstädte.

32 Von dem Stamm Naphthali drei Städte: die Freistadt für die Totschläger, Kedes in Galiläa, und seine Vorstädte, Hammoth-Dor und seine Vorstädte, Karthan und seine Vorstädte,

33 daß alle Städte des Geschlechts der Gersoniter waren dreizehn mit ihren Vorstädten.

34 Den Geschlechtern aber der Kinder Merari, den andern Leviten, wurden gegeben von dem Stamm Sebulon vier Städte: Jokneam und seine Vorstädte, Kartha und seine Vorstädte,

35 Dimna und seine Vorstädte, Nahalal und seine Vorstädte.

36 Von dem Stamm Ruben vier Städte: Bezer und seine Vorstädte, Jahza und seine Vorstädte,

37 Kedemoth und seine Vorstädte, Mephaath und seine Vorstädte.

38 Von dem Stamme Gad vier Städte: die Freistadt für die Totschläger, Ramoth in Gilead, und seine Vorstädte,

39 Mahanaim und seine Vorstädte, Hesbon und seine Vorstädte, Jaser und seine Vorstädte,

40 daß alle Städte der Kinder Merari nach ihren Geschlechtern, der andern Leviten, nach ihrem Los waren zwölf.

41 Alle Städte der Leviten unter dem Erbe der Kinder Israel waren achtundvierzig mit ihren Vorstädten.

42 Und eine jegliche dieser Städte hatte ihre Vorstadt um sich her, eine wie die andere.

43 Also gab der HERR Israel alles Land, das er geschworen hatte ihren Vätern zu geben, und sie nahmen es ein und wohnten darin.

44 Und der HERR gab ihnen Ruhe von allen umher, wie er ihren Vätern geschworen hatte, und stand ihrer Feinde keiner wider sie, sondern alle ihre Feinde gab er in ihre Hände.

45 Und es fehlte nichts an allem Guten, das der HERR dem Hause Israel verheißen hatte. Es kam alles.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 21

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Joshua 21: The cities of the Levite priests and the end of the settlement.

In this chapter, the last remaining part of the settlement was completed: the provision for the Levites, the priests of Israel. This tribe had been appointed priests because only they had answered the call, “Who is on the side of the Lord?” when the Israelites had been worshipping the golden calf in the wilderness (see Exodus 32:26).

Much of the chapter is spent listing the cities given to the three sons of Aaron, who was appointed high priest. Each extended family of Aaron’s sons was given about sixteen cities. It seems very significant that a lot of these cities were the same ones given to the other tribes, and were also the cities of refuge.

Levi’s name means ‘joined’, which is very suitable for the Levite priests, who received cities in every tribal territory. This meant that the presence of priests was everywhere (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 342).

Spiritually speaking, this distribution is a wonderful illustration that our spirit lives throughout our whole body. Every part of us is alive! Every single thing in our body, from one blood cell to our heart and lungs, is maintained by our spirit, which itself is maintained by the influx of the Lord’s life. The function of everything in our body is in a perfect correspondence with the kingdom of heaven.

So, spiritually, the Levites stand for the presence of the Lord everywhere, in everything. This underlines the point that everything in the natural world - even the cities and territories described in this chapter of Joshua - reflect something about God and heaven (see Swedenborg’s Apocalypse Revealed 194). But there is another important meaning for the distribution of the priestly Levites in cities all through the tribal territories: we must keep on acknowledging that everything is a blessing from the Lord, that everything we do is for God, and that the Lord alone does what is truly good (see Swedenborg’s work, Divine Providence 91).

After the distribution of cities to the Levites, Israel was fully established in the land of Canaan. The rest of this chapter is a consolidating statement which is worth including in full:

v43. “So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.

v44. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that he had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.

v45. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”

These are words of fulfillment, culmination, assurance and blessing. Everything here traces back to the Lord. The Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, granted them victory over their enemies, and gave them the Land of Canaan; the Lord had spoken in complete truth. “All came to pass.”

This final statement is a promise of our own capacity for regeneration and spiritual progress. We are able to overcome our natural desires and selfish states; we have been established in our life with the ability to understand and do what is good. In devoting ourselves to the Lord, we find strength to see that He will never fail us, and will change us for the better. ‘All came to pass’ is our affirmation that our life is always under God’s care and providence (Arcana Caelestia 977).

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Apocalypse Revealed # 194

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194. "'And the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem.'" This symbolically means that they will have the doctrine of the New Church engraved on their hearts.

The New Jerusalem symbolizes the New Church, and when it is called a city, it symbolizes the New Church in respect to its doctrine. Therefore to "write on him the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem," means, symbolically, that they will have the doctrine of the New Church engraved on their hearts.

To be shown that Jerusalem symbolizes the church, and that as a city it means the church in respect to its doctrine, see nos. 880, 881, below.

A city symbolizes doctrine because a land, and particularly the land of Canaan, symbolizes a church in its entirety; and the inheritances into which the land of Canaan was divided consequently symbolized various components of the church, and the cities in it doctrines. Because of this, when cities are mentioned in the Word, the angels understand them to mean nothing else. I have also had this attested for me through a good deal of experience.

The case with this is the same as with the symbolic meanings of mountains, hills, valleys, springs, and rivers, all of which symbolize such things as have to do with the church.

[2] That cities symbolize doctrines can be seen to some extent from the following passages:

The land shall be... emptied..., the land shall be turned upside down..., the land shall be profaned... The empty city shall be broken down... What is left in the city shall be waste, and the gate shall be stricken even to its destruction. (Isaiah 3; 4; 5; 10; 11; 12)

The lion has come up from his thicket..., to make your land a wasteland. Your cities will be destroyed... I beheld... Carmel a wilderness, and all its cities desolate... ...the land shall mourn... The whole city shall flee..., forsaken... (Jeremiah 4:7, 26-29)

The land there is the church, and the city is its doctrine. The devastation of the church by doctrinal falsities is described in this way.

The despoiler shall come upon every city, so that no city escapes. The valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed... (Jeremiah 48:8)

Likewise:

Behold, I have made you this day as a fortified city... against the whole land... (Jeremiah 1:18)

This was addressed to the prophet because a prophet symbolizes the doctrine of the church (no. 8).

On that day they will sing... in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks." (Isaiah 26:1-2)

...the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. (Revelation 16:18-19)

(The prophet saw) on a very high mountain... the structure of a city to the south... (And an angel measured the wall, the gates, their chambers, and the vestibule of the gate,) and the name of the city... shall be JEHOVAH IS THERE. (Ezekiel 40:1ff., 48:35)

There is a river whose streams have made glad the city of God? (Psalms 46:4-5)

I will embroil Egypt with Egypt, so that... city (fights) against city, and kingdom against kingdom. (Isaiah 19:2)

Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city... divided against itself will not stand. (Matthew 12:25)

Cities in these passages mean, in the spiritual sense, doctrines, as is the case also in Isaiah 6:11; 14:4, 17, 21; 19:18-19; 25:1-3; 33:8-9; 54:3; 64:10, and elsewhere.

[3] From the symbolic meaning of a city it can be seen what cities mean in this parable of the Lord:

A... nobleman (going) into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom..., delivered to (his servants) minas (with which to) do business... ...when he returned..., he (called the) servants... The first came, saying, ."..your mina has earned ten minas," and he said to him, ."..good servant..., you shall have authority over ten cities." And the second came, saying, ."..your mina has earned five minas." And he said... to him, "You also be over five cities." (Luke 19:12-19)

Cities here likewise symbolize doctrines or doctrinal truths, and to be over them is to be intelligent and wise. Thus to give power over them is to impart intelligence and wisdom. Ten symbolizes much, and five some. It is apparent that to do business and earn a profit means to acquire intelligence for oneself by making use of one's abilities.

[4] That the holy city Jerusalem symbolizes the doctrine of the New Church is clearly apparent from its description in chapter 21 of the book of Revelation, for it is described in respect to its dimensions, its gates, and its wall and foundations, and inasmuch as Jerusalem symbolizes the church, these can symbolize nothing other than matters having to do with its doctrine. Neither is the church a church on any other basis.

Because the city Jerusalem means the church in respect to doctrine, it is therefore called the City of Truth (Zechariah 8:3-4), and in many places a holy city, and this because holiness is predicated of truths derived from the Lord (no. 173).

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.