Bible

 

Esodo 36

Studie

   

1 E Betsaleel e Oholiab e tutti gli uomini abili, nei quali l’Eterno ha messo sapienza e intelligenza per saper eseguire tutti i lavori per il servizio del santuario, faranno ogni cosa secondo che l’Eterno ha ordinato".

2 Mosè chiamò dunque Betsaleel e Oholiab e tutti gli uomini abili ne’ quali l’Eterno avea messo intelligenza, tutti quelli che il cuore moveva ad applicarsi al lavoro per eseguirlo;

3 ed essi presero in presenza di Mosè tutte le offerte recate dai figliuoli d’Israele per i lavori destinati al servizio del santuario, affin di eseguirli. Ma ogni mattina i figliuoli d’Israele continuavano a portare a Mosè delle offerte volontarie.

4 Allora tutti gli uomini abili ch’erano occupati a tutti i lavori del santuario, lasciato ognuno il lavoro che faceva, vennero a dire a Mosè:

5 "Il popolo porta molto più di quel che bisogna per eseguire i lavori che l’Eterno ha comandato di fare".

6 Allora Mosè dette quest’ordine, che fu bandito per il campo: "Né uomodonna faccia più alcun lavoro come offerta per il santuario". Così s’impedì che il popolo portasse altro.

7 Poiché la roba già pronta bastava a fare tutto il lavoro, e ve n’era d’avanzo.

8 Tutti gli uomini abili, fra quelli che eseguivano il lavoro, fecero dunque il tabernacolo di dieci teli, di lino fino ritorto, e di filo color violaceo, porporino e scarlatto, con dei cherubini artisticamente lavorati.

9 La lunghezza d’un telo era di ventotto cubiti; e la larghezza, di quattro cubiti; tutti i teli erano d’una stessa misura.

10 Cinque teli furono uniti assieme, e gli altri cinque furon pure uniti assieme.

11 Si fecero de’ nastri di color violaceo all’orlo del telo ch’era all’estremità della prima serie di teli; e lo stesso si fece all’orlo del telo ch’era all’estremità della seconda serie.

12 Si misero cinquanta nastri al primo telo, e parimente cinquanta nastri all’orlo del telo ch’era all’estremità della seconda serie: i nastri si corrispondevano l’uno all’altro.

13 Si fecero pure cinquanta fermagli d’oro, e si unirono i teli l’uno all’altro mediante i fermagli; e così il tabernacolo formò un tutto.

14 Si fecero inoltre dei teli di pel di capra, per servir da tenda per coprire il tabernacolo: di questi teli se ne fecero undici.

15 La lunghezza d’ogni telo era di trenta cubiti; e la larghezza, di quattro cubiti; gli undici teli aveano la stessa misura.

16 E si unirono insieme, da una parte, cinque teli, e si uniron insieme, dall’altra parte, gli altri sei.

17 E si misero cinquanta nastri all’orlo del telo ch’era all’estremità della prima serie di teli, e cinquanta nastri all’orlo del telo ch’era all’estremità della seconda serie.

18 E si fecero cinquanta fermagli di rame per unire assieme la tenda, in modo che formasse un tutto.

19 Si fece pure per la tenda una coperta di pelli di montone tinte di rosso, e, sopra questa, un’altra di pelli di delfino.

20 Poi si fecero per il tabernacolo le assi di legno d’acacia, messe per ritto.

21 La lunghezza d’un’asse era di dieci cubiti, e la larghezza d’un’asse, di un cubito e mezzo.

22 Ogni asse aveva due incastri paralleli; così fu fatto per tutte le assi del tabernacolo.

23 Si fecero dunque le assi per il tabernacolo: venti assi dal lato meridionale, verso il sud;

24 e si fecero quaranta basi d’argento sotto le venti assi: due basi sotto ciascun’asse per i suoi due incastri.

25 E per il secondo lato del tabernacolo, il lato di nord,

26 si fecero venti assi, con le loro quaranta basi d’argento: due basi sotto ciascun’asse.

27 E per la parte posteriore del tabernacolo, verso occidente, si fecero sei assi.

28 Si fecero pure due assi per gli angoli del tabernacolo, dalla parte posteriore.

29 E queste erano doppie dal basso in su, e al tempo stesso formavano un tutto fino in cima, fino al primo anello. Così fu fatto per ambe due le assi, ch’erano ai due angoli.

30 V’erano dunque otto assi, con le loro basi d’argento: sedici basi: due basi sotto ciascun’asse.

31 E si fecero delle traverse di legno d’acacia: cinque, per le assi di un lato del tabernacolo;

32 cinque traverse per le assi dell’altro lato del tabernacolo, e cinque traverse per le assi della parte posteriore del tabernacolo, a occidente.

33 E si fece la traversa di mezzo, in mezzo alle assi, per farla passare da una parte all’altra.

34 E le assi furon rivestite d’oro, e furon fatti d’oro i loro anelli per i quali dovean passare le traverse, e le traverse furon rivestite d’oro.

35 Fu fatto pure il velo, di filo violaceo, porporino, scarlatto, e di lino fino ritorto con de’ cherubini artisticamente lavorati;

36 e si fecero per esso quattro colonne di acacia e si rivestirono d’oro; i loro chiodi erano d’oro; e per le colonne, si fusero quattro basi d’argento.

37 Si fece anche per l’ingresso della tenda una portiera, di filo violaceo porporino, scarlatto, e di lino fino ritorto, in lavoro di ricamo.

38 E si fecero le sue cinque colonne coi loro chiodi; si rivestiron d’oro i loro capitelli e le loro aste; e le loro cinque basi eran di rame.

   

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Apocalypse Explained # 1143

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 1232  
  

1143. And fine linen and crimson.- That these signify truths and goods from a celestial origin, profaned, is evident from the signification of fine linen, which denotes truths from a celestial origin, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of crimson, which denotes goods from a celestial origin (concerning which see above, n. 1042), but in this case those truths and goods profaned, because the fine linen and crimson are called the merchandise of Babylon, and Babylon as a harlot and the mother of the whoredoms and abominations of the earth, signifies profanations of truth and good. Truths and goods from a celestial origin are the truths and goods with those who are in love to the Lord, which are called celestial, and are distinguished from the truths and goods from a spiritual origin, signified by the silk and scarlet, which we shall refer to presently. They profane truths and goods from a celestial origin, especially in this, that they have arrogated to themselves the Lord's Divine Power of saving mankind, and thus also love to Him they have diverted [to the pope] as his vicar and to his ministers. But the Lord cannot be loved when the power of salvation is taken away from Him, and a man is loved instead of Him. They say, indeed, that the Lord is loved for giving that power to man, and that he is loved, and also reverently honoured by those who have received that power, and is worshipped by the rest. But love to the Lord cannot exist with such, the love of ruling over heaven and the Church being altogether contrary to it; for that love is the love of self, which is diabolical love, and from this the Lord cannot be loved. Such love, regarded in itself, is rather hatred against the Lord, into which also it is changed when they become spirits, and domination is taken away from them then they also persecute all those who are in love to the Lord. From these things it is evident how they profane truths and goods which are from a celestial origin.

[2] That fine linen signifies truths from a celestial origin, is evident from the following passages.

Thus in Ezekiel:

"I clothed thee with broidered-work, I shod thee with badger's skin (taxus), and I girded thee with fine linen, and covered thee with silks; thus wast thou adorned with gold and silver, and thy garments were fine linen, silk, and broidered-work" (16:10, 13).

This is said of Jerusalem, by which the Church is meant, in this case, at its first establishment. Broidered-work and badger's skin there signify the knowledges of truth and good from the Word. Fine linen and silk signify truths from a celestial origin and truths from a spiritual origin; these are described as garments, because garments signify truths, with which good is clothed or invested.

Again in the same:

"Fine linen in broidered-work [from Egypt] was thine expansion, and crimson from the isle of Elisha was thy covering" (27:7).

This refers to Tyre, which signifies the Church as to the knowledges of good and truth; those knowledges are signified by broidered-work from Egypt, truths by fine linen, and good by crimson, both from a celestial origin.

So in Luke:

"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in crimson and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day" (16:19).

The rich man here means the Jewish race, which is said to be clothed in crimson and fine linen, because they possessed the Word, from which they were in possession of goods and truths; goods are there meant by crimson, and truths by fine linen, both from a celestial origin. By Lazarus, who lay at the rich man's porch, are meant the nations who had not the Word.

[3] Because fine linen (byssus), which also is xylinum, signified truths from a celestial origin, and the garments of Aaron represented Divine truths, he himself representing the Lord, therefore fine linen and xyhinum were interwoven in his mitre and belt (Exodus 28:39; 39:27); they were also interwoven in the curtains of the tabernacle and its coverings, because they represented those things of the Church which inclose, and these are truths (Exodus 26:1; 27:9, 18; 36:8; 38:9, 16).

The signification of fine linen (byssus) in the following passages of the Apocalypse is similar:

"The time of the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready; and it was given unto her that she should be clothed in fine linen, clean and shining" (19:7, 8);

The armies of him that sat upon the white horse "followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (19:14).

The reason why fine linen signifies truth from a celestial origin is, because that kind of linen was a species of very white flax, of which garments are made. Flax, and also whiteness, signify truth, and a garment made from it signifies according to its brightness, truth pure and clean.

[4] Continuation of the Athanasian Creed.- The hell where those are who are called devils is the love of self; and the hell where those who are called satans is the love of the world. The reason why the diabolical hell is the love of self, is, that that love is the opposite of celestial love, which is love to the Lord; and the reason why the satanical hell is the love of the world, is, that this love is the opposite of spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbour.

Now, since the two loves of hell are the opposite of the two loves of heaven, therefore hell and the heavens are in opposition to each other. For all who are in the heavens have regard to the Lord and to the neighbour, but all who are in the hells have regard to themselves and the world. All who are in the heavens love the Lord and the neighbour, but all who are in the hells love themselves and the world, and hence bear hatred to the Lord and to the neighbour. All who are in the heavens think what is true and will what is good, because they think and will from the Lord; but all who are in the hells think what is false and will what is evil, because they think and will from themselves. It is for this reason that all who are in the hells appear averted, their faces being turned away from the Lord, they also appear inverted, their feet being upwards and their heads downwards; this appearance arises from their loves being the opposite of the loves of heaven.

[5] Since hell is the love of self, it is also fire; for all love corresponds to fire, and in the spiritual world is so presented as to seem at a distance like fire, yet still it is not fire but love. For this reason the hells appear within as if they were on fire, and without like ejections of fire in the midst of smoke rising from furnaces or conflagrations; sometimes the devils themselves also appear like fires of charcoal. The heat which they have from that fire is like an effervescence from impurities, which is lust, and the light which they receive from that fire is merely an appearance of light from phantasies, and from confirmations of evils by falsities; but yet, it is not light, for whenever the light of heaven enters by influx it becomes thick darkness to them, and when the heat of heaven enters it becomes cold to them. They see, however, from their own light, and live from their own heat; but their sight is like that of owls, birds of night, and bats, whose eyes are dim to the light of heaven, and they live in a semi-torpid state. The living principle pertaining to them consists merely in their ability to think and will, to speak and act, and hence to see, hear, taste, smell, and feel. It is merely a faculty derived from that life which is God acting upon them from without, according to order, and continually impelling them to order. It is from this faculty that they live for ever. The dead principle pertaining to them is from the evils and falsities derived from their loves; hence it is, that their life, viewed from their loves, is not life, but death; and therefore hell, in the Word is called "death," and its inhabitants are called "dead."

  
/ 1232  
  

Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.