2
אִם־זָרְחָה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ עָלָיו דָּמִים לֹו שַׁלֵּם יְשַׁלֵּם אִם־אֵין לֹו וְנִמְכַּר בִּגְנֵבָתֹו׃
Shemot 22:2
Apocalypse Explained # 28
28. The first-born from the dead. That this signifies from whom is all good in heaven, is evident from the signification of first-born, when said of the Lord, as denoting the Divine good in heaven, thus all good there. The reason why this is signified by first-born, is, because by generations, in general and in particular, are signified spiritual generations, which are those of good and truth, or of love and faith. Therefore, by father, mother, sons, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, and sons' sons, are signified the goods and truths which generate, and which are generated, in their order (Arcana Coelestia 10490). For in heaven there are no other nativities; and, this being the case, by first-born is not meant first-born, but the good of heaven and the church, because this is in the chief place. Now, because all good in heaven exists from the Lord, therefore He is called the First-born.
[2] The reason why He is called the first-born from the dead, is because, when He rose from the dead, He made His Human Divine Good by union with the Divine which was in Him from conception. This is why He is called the first-born from the dead; and why He says of Himself in David,
"I will make him the first-born, higher than the kings of the earth" (Psalm 89:27).
What is meant by His being higher than the kings of the earth, will be seen in the subsequent article. (That the Lord, when He departed out of the world, made His Human Divine Good, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3194, 3210, 6864, 7499, 8724, 9199, 10076, thus that He came forth from the Father and returned to the Father, n. 3194, 3210; and that after the union, the Divine truth, which is the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, goes forth from Him, n. 3704, 3712, 3969, 4577, 5704, 7499, 8127, 8241, 9199, 9398, 9407. But this mystery may be seen more fully explained in the small work, The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-295; and in the passages from Arcana Coelestia there cited, n. 303-305.)
Since the Lord as to His Divine Human is called the first-born, because all good goes forth from Him, therefore all the first-born in the Israelitish church were holy to Jehovah; and therefore also the Levites were taken in the place of all the first-born in Israel. For by the sons of Levi were represented those of the church who are in the good of charity. On this account, also, a double portion of the inheritance fell to the first-born. All this, because the first-born signified good from the Lord, and, in the highest sense, the Lord Himself as to the Divine Human, from which all good comes; for all the things commanded in the Israelitish church were representative of spiritual and celestial Divine things.
[3] That all the first-born in the Israelitish church were holy to Jehovah is evident from Moses, in the following passages:
"Sanctify unto me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the sons of Israel, in man and in beast; it is mine" (Exodus 13:2).
"Thou shalt cause to pass over unto Jehovah all that openeth the womb, and every firstling that cometh of a beast as many as thou hast, the males shall be Jehovah's" (13:12).
"Thou shalt not delay the first fruits of thy produce, and the first fruits of thy wine; the first-born of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen and with thy sheep; seven days it shall be with its dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me. And ye shall be men of holiness unto me" (Exodus 22:29-31).
The reason why they were to give also the first-born of beasts, was, because these also were representative; on which account, also, they were made use of in burnt-offerings and sacrifices. (What the various beasts in these services represented, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 1823, 3519, 9280, 10042.) The Levites were accepted in place of all the first-born in Israel (concerning which, see Numbers 3:12, 13, 41, 45; 8:15-19), because, as observed above, the sons of Levi represented, and thence signified, the good of charity, and Levi, in the highest sense, represented the Lord as to that good (as may be seen, n. 3875, 3877, 4497, 4502, 4503, 10017). The reason why a double portion of the inheritance fell to the first-born (Deuteronomy 21:17), was, because a double portion signified the good of love (n. 720, 1686, 5194, 8423).
Numbers 7
1
It happened on the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it, with all its furniture, and the altar with all its vessels, and had anointed and sanctified them;
2
that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes. These are they who were over those who were numbered:
3
and they brought their offering before Yahweh, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they presented them before the tabernacle.
4
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
5
"Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the service of the Tent of Meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service."
6
Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites.
7
He gave two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, according to their service:
8
and he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
9
But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonged to them; they carried it on their shoulders.
10
The princes gave offerings for the dedication of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes gave their offerings before the altar.
11
Yahweh said to Moses, "They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedication of the altar."
12
He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah,
13
and his offering was: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
14
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
15
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
16
one male goat for a sin offering;
17
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
18
On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, gave his offering.
19
He offered for his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
20
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
21
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
22
one male goat for a sin offering;
23
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.
24
On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun
25
gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
26
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
27
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
28
one male goat for a sin offering;
29
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.
30
On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben
31
gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
32
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
33
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
34
one male goat for a sin offering;
35
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.
36
On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon
37
gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
38
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
39
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
40
one male goat for a sin offering;
41
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old: this was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
42
On the sixth day, Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad
43
gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
44
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
45
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
46
one male goat for a sin offering;
47
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
48
On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim
49
gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
50
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
51
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
52
one male goat for a sin offering;
53
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.
54
On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh
55
gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
56
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
57
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
58
one male goat for a sin offering;
59
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
60
On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin
61
gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
62
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
63
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
64
one male goat for a sin offering;
65
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.
66
On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan
67
gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
68
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
69
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
70
one male goat for a sin offering;
71
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
72
On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ochran, prince of the children of Asher
73
gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
74
one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;
75
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
76
one male goat for a sin offering;
77
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.
78
On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali
79
gave his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;
80
one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;
81
one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
82
one male goat for a sin offering;
83
and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.
84
This was the dedication of the altar, on the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, twelve golden ladles;
85
each silver platter weighing one hundred thirty shekels, and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the vessels two thousand four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary;
86
the twelve golden ladles, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary; all the gold of the ladles weighed one hundred twenty shekels;
87
all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs a year old twelve, and their meal offering; and the male goats for a sin offering twelve;
88
and all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the male lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after it was anointed.
89
When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Yahweh, he heard his voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim: and he spoke to him.
