22
וְעָשִׂיתִי אֹתָם לְגֹוי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ בְּהָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמֶלֶךְ אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּם לְמֶלֶךְ וְלֹא [כ= יִהְיֶה] [ק= יִהְיוּ]־עֹוד לִשְׁנֵי גֹויִם וְלֹא יֵחָצוּ עֹוד לִשְׁתֵּי מַמְלָכֹות עֹוד׃
Yechezchial 37:22
Apocalypse Explained # 946
946. For Thy judgments have been made manifest, signifies that Divine truths have been revealed to them. This is evident from the signification of "judgments," as being Divine truths (of which presently); also from the signification of "made manifest," as being to be revealed. That Divine truths are revealed at the end of the church, and that they have been revealed, will be shown in what follows in this chapter, because this is there treated of. "Judgments" signify Divine truths because the laws of government in the Lord's spiritual kingdom are called "judgments;" while the laws of government in His celestial kingdom are called "justice." For the laws of government in the Lord's spiritual kingdom are laws from the Divine truth; while the laws of government in the Lord's celestial kingdom are laws from the Divine good. This is why "judgment" and "justice" are mentioned in the Word, in the following passages. In Isaiah:
Of peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David, to establish it, and to uphold it in judgment and in justice from henceforth and to eternity (Isaiah 9:7).
This is said of the Lord and His kingdom. His spiritual kingdom is signified by "the throne of David;" and because this kingdom is in Divine truths from Divine good it is said, "in judgment and in justice."
In Jeremiah:
I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign King, and He shall act intelligently, and shall do judgment and justice (Jeremiah 23:5).
This, too, is said of the Lord, and of His spiritual kingdom. And as this kingdom is in Divine truths from Divine good it is said, "He shall reign king, and shall act intelligently, and He shall do judgment and justice." The Lord is called "King," from Divine truth; and as Divine truth is also Divine intelligence it is said that "He shall act intelligently." And as the Divine truth is from the Divine good it is said that "He shall do judgment and justice."
[2] In Isaiah:
Jehovah is exalted, for He dwelleth on high, He hath filled Zion with judgment and justice (Isaiah 33:5).
"Zion" means heaven and the church, where the Lord reigns by the Divine truth; and as all the Divine truth is from the Divine good it is said, "He hath filled Zion with judgment and justice."
In Jeremiah:
I Jehovah doing judgment and justice in the earth; for in these things I am well pleased (Jeremiah 9:24).
Here, too, "judgment and justice" signify the Divine truth from the Divine good.
In Isaiah:
They ask of me the judgments of justice, they long for an approach unto God (5 Isaiah 58:2).
The "judgments of justice" are Divine truths from the Divine good, as are "judgment and justice;" for the spiritual sense conjoins things that the sense of the letter separates.
In Hosea:
I will betroth thee unto Me forever; and I will betroth thee unto Me in justice and in judgment and in mercy and in truth (Hosea 2:19, 20).
This treats of the Lord's celestial kingdom, which consists of those who are in love to the Lord; and as the Lord's conjunction with such is comparatively like the conjunction of a husband with a wife, for so does the good of love conjoin, it is said, "I will betroth thee unto Me in justice and in judgment," "justice" being put here in the first place, and "judgment" in the second, because those who are in the good of love to the Lord are also in truths; for they see truths from good. As "justice" is predicated of good, and "judgment" of truth, it is also said, "in mercy and in truth," "mercy" belonging to good, because it is of love.
[3] In David:
Jehovah is in the heavens. Thy justice is like the mountains of God, and Thy judgments are like the great deep (Psalms 36:5-6).
"Justice" is predicated of the Divine good, and is therefore compared to "the mountains of God;" for "mountains of God" signify the goods of love (See above, n. 405, 510, 850); and "judgments" are predicated of Divine truths, and are therefore compared to "the great deep;" for "the great deep" signifies the Divine truth. From this it can now be seen that "judgments" signify Divine truths.
[4] In many passages in the Word, "judgments," "commandments," and "statutes" are mentioned; and "judgments" there signify civil laws, "commandments" the laws of spiritual life, and "statutes" the laws of worship. That "judgments" signify civil laws, is evident from Exodus (21, 22, 23), where the things commanded are called "judgments" because according to them the judges gave judgments in the gates of the city; nevertheless they signify Divine truths, such as are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom in the heavens, for they contain these in the spiritual sense; as can be (Arcana Coelestia 8971-9103) seen (Arcana Coelestia 9124-9231) from (Arcana Coelestia 9247-9348) the explanation of them in the Arcana Coelestia 8971-9103, 9124-9231, 9247-9348). That the laws given to the sons of Israel were called "judgments, "commandments," and "statutes," can be seen from the following passages.
In Moses:
I will speak unto thee all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them (Deuteronomy 5:31).
In the same:
These are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which Jehovah your God commanded to teach you (Deuteronomy 6:1).
In the same:
Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them (Deuteronomy 7:11).
In David:
If his sons forsake My law and walk not in My judgments, if they profane My statutes and keep not My commandments, then will I visit their transgression with the rod (Psalms 89:30-32).
So in many other places, as Leviticus 18:5; 19:37; 20:22; 25:18; 26:15; Deuteronomy 4:1; 5:1, 6, 7; 17:19; 26:17; Ezekiel 5:6, 7; 11:12, 20; 18:9; 20:11, 13, 25; 37:24. In these passages "commandments" mean the laws of life, especially those contained in the Decalogue, which are therefore called the Ten Commandments; while "statutes" mean the laws of worship which related especially to sacrifices and holy ministrations; and "judgments" mean civil laws; and as these laws were representative of spiritual laws, they signify such Divine truths as are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom in the heavens.
[5] It follows from this that when man shuns and turns away from evils as sins and is raised up into heaven by the Lord, he is no longer in what is his own (proprium), but in the Lord, and thus he thinks and wills goods. Again, since man acts as he thinks and wills, for every act of man proceeds from the thought of his will, it follows that when he shuns and turns away from evils, he does goods from the Lord and not from self; and this is why shunning evils is doing goods. The goods that a man then does are meant by good works; and good works in their whole complex are meant by charity. Man cannot be reformed unless he thinks, wills, and does as if from himself, since that which is done as if by the man himself is conjoined to him and remains with him, while that which is not done by the man as if from himself, not being received in any life of sense, flows through like ether; and this is why the Lord wills that man should not only shun and turn away from evils as if of himself, but should also think, will, and do as if of himself, and yet acknowledge in heart, that all these things are from the Lord. This he must acknowledge because it is the truth.
Jeremiah 3
1
"They say, 'If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and become another man's, will he return to her again?' Wouldn't that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me," says Yahweh.
2
"Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been lain with? You have sat for them by the ways, as an Arabian in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your wickedness.
3
Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain; yet you have a prostitute's forehead, you refused to be ashamed.
4
Will you not from this time cry to me, 'My Father, you are the guide of my youth?'
5
"'Will he retain [his anger] forever? Will he keep it to the end?' Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way."
6
Moreover, Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah the king, "Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the prostitute.
7
I said after she had done all these things, 'She will return to me;' but she didn't return; and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8
I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, didn't fear; but she also went and played the prostitute.
9
It happened through the lightness of her prostitution, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10
Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense," says Yahweh.
11
Yahweh said to me, "Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
12
Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, 'Return, you backsliding Israel,' says Yahweh; 'I will not look in anger on you; for I am merciful,' says Yahweh. 'I will not keep [anger] forever.
13
Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against Yahweh your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,' says Yahweh."
14
"Return, backsliding children," says Yahweh; "for I am a husband to you. I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
15
I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16
It shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days," says Yahweh, "they shall say no more, 'The ark of the covenant of Yahweh!' neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.
17
At that time they shall call Jerusalem 'The throne of Yahweh;' and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem. Neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18
In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers.
19
"But I said, 'How I would put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!' and I said, 'You shall call me "My Father," and shall not turn away from following me.'
20
"Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel," says Yahweh.
21
A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping [and] the petitions of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Yahweh their God.
22
Return, you backsliding children, I will heal your backsliding. "Behold, we have come to you; for you are Yahweh our God.
23
Truly in vain is [the help that is looked for] from the hills, the tumult on the mountains. Truly the salvation of Israel is in Yahweh our God.
24
But the shameful thing has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25
Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against Yahweh our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh our God."
