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Jonah 2

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1 (H2-2) E Giona pregò l’Eterno, il suo Dio, nel ventre del pesce, e disse:

2 (H2-3) Io ho gridato all’Eterno dal fondo della mia distretta, ed egli m’ha risposto; dalle viscere del soggiorno dei morti ho gridato, e tu hai udito la mia voce.

3 (H2-4) Tu m’hai gettato nell’abisso, nel cuore del mare; la corrente mi ha circondato e tutte le tue onde e tutti i tuoi flutti mi son passati sopra.

4 (H2-5) E io dicevo: Io son cacciato via lungi dal tuo sguardo! Come vedrei io ancora il tuo tempio santo?

5 (H2-6) Le acque m’hanno attorniato fino all’anima; l’abisso m’ha avvolto; le alghe mi si son attorcigliate al capo.

6 (H2-7) Io son disceso fino alle radici dei monti; la terra con le sue sbarre mi ha rinchiuso per sempre; ma tu hai fatto risalir la mia vita dalla fossa, o Eterno, Dio mio!

7 (H2-8) Quando l’anima mia veniva meno in me, io mi son ricordato dell’Eterno, e la mia preghiera è giunta fino a te, nel tuo tempio santo.

8 (H2-9) Quelli che onorano le vanità bugiarde abbandonano la fonte della loro grazia;

9 (H2-10) ma io t’offrirò sacrifizi, con canti di lode; adempirò i voti che ho fatto. La salvezza appartiene all’Eterno.

10 (H2-11) E l’Eterno diè l’ordine al pesce, e il pesce vomitò Giona sull’asciutto.

   

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Apocalypse Explained # 219

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219. Verse 12. He that overcometh I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, signifies that those who are steadfast will be in Divine truth in heaven. This is evident from the signification of "overcoming," as being to be steadfast in the genuine affection of truth (See above n. 128); here in faith from charity, since that faith is treated of in what is written the angel of this church see 203; also from the signification of "pillar" as being Divine truth sustaining; also from the signification of "the temple of God" as being in the highest sense, the Lord's Divine Human, and in the relative sense, the Lord's spiritual kingdom, thus the heaven that constitutes that kingdom (of which presently). "A pillar in the temple" means Divine truth sustaining, because "temple" signifies heaven, and heaven is heaven from the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord; for by heaven all angels are meant, because heaven is made up of angels, and from them is called heaven: and angels are angels in the measure in which they receive the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord; and for this reason angels in the Word also signify Divine truths (See above, n. 130, 200).

Now as heaven is Divine truth, and "temple" signifies heaven, it follows that all things of the temple signify such things as pertain to Divine truth, and that the "pillars" therein signify Divine truths sustaining. Divine truths sustaining are in general lower truths, because these sustain the higher; for there are lower and higher Divine truths, as there are lower and higher heavens. (There are degrees of these, on which see in the work on Heaven and Hell 38, 208, 209, 211.) The heavens that belong to a lower degree sustain those that belong to a higher degree; here, therefore, by the Lord's making him that overcometh "a pillar in the temple" is meant that such will be in a lower heaven. They who are in the faith of charity are also in the lower heaven, which is called the spiritual heaven; while those who are in love to the Lord are in the higher heaven, which is called the celestial heaven, and this is sustained by the lower or spiritual heaven. (But a clearer idea can be had of these things from what is shown in three chapters in the work on Heaven and Hell, namely, in the chapter where it is shown that The Divine of the Lord in Heaven is Love to Him and Charity towards the Neighbor, n. 13-19; in another where it is shown that Heaven is distinguished into Two Kingdoms, Celestial and Spiritual, n 20-28; and in a third where it is shown that There are Three Heavens, n. 29-40.)

[2] "Pillars" are here and there mentioned in the Word, and they signify lower truths, because they sustain the higher. That lower truths are signified by "pillars" in the Word can be seen from the following. In Jeremiah:

Behold I have given thee this day for a fenced city, and for a pillar of iron, and for walls of brass against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes and against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land, that they may fight against thee and not prevail (Jeremiah 1:18-19).

These things were said to the prophet, because all prophets signify the doctrines of Divine truth, and because the church in which Divine truths are falsified is here treated of it is therefore said, "Behold I have given thee this day for a fenced city, for a pillar of iron, and for walls of brass against the whole land;" "a fenced city" signifies the doctrine of truth; "a pillar of iron" truth sustaining it; "walls of brass" good defending, and "land" the church. It is said, also, "against the kings of Judah, against the princes, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land;" and "the kings of Judah," and "princes," signify truths falsified; "priests," goods adulterated, and "the people of the land," falsities in general; of these it is said, that they will fight against truths themselves, but shall not prevail.

[3] In the same:

Set thee up signs, place for thee high pillars, set thine heart to the highway, the way thou mayest go; return, O virgin of Israel, return to thy cities (Jeremiah 31:21).

The restoration of the church is here treated of. "The virgin of Israel" signifies the church; "to set up signs, and to place high pillars," signifies instruction in such things as are the fundamentals of the church, which are called "high pillars" because they sustain: "to set the heart to the highway, the way thou mayest go," signifies the affection of truth leading to life.

[4] In David:

I will judge in uprightness; the earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved; I will make firm the pillars of it (Psalms 75:2-3).

"The earth dissolving" signifies those of the church who are not in truths but yet long for them; "to make firm the pillars" of it signifies to sustain the church by those truths upon which it is founded. Again, in Job:

Who causeth the earth to shake out of its place, so that the pillars thereof tremble (Job 9:6).

"The earth" here signifies the church, and "pillars" the truths that sustain it. That:

The pillars of the court of the tabernacle (mentioned in Exodus 27:10-12, 14-17);

also signify the ultimate truths sustaining the higher ones, see Arcana Coelestia, in the explanation of that chapter and those verses. Like truths are signified by:

The pillars of the house of the forest of Lebanon built by Solomon (mentioned in 1 Kings 7:2, 6).

[5] Similar also is the signification of:

The two pillars that Solomon set up in the porch of the temple, and that are described in the first book of Kings. He fashioned two pillars of brass, eighteen cubits was the height of each pillar; and a line of twelve cubits compassed the second pillar. And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars; seven chains for the one chapiter, and seven chains for the other chapiter. And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple; and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar and called the name thereof Boaz (1 Kings 7:15-21).

Since "the temple" signified heaven (as will be shown presently), therefore all things of the temple signified such things as are of heaven, thus of Divine truth there; for, as said above, heaven is heaven from the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord; therefore "the porch of the temple" signified the things pertaining to the ultimate heaven, and as this sustains the two higher heavens, those two pillars were placed in the porch.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.

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Ezekiel 40

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1 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth [day] of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was struck, in the same day, the hand of Yahweh was on me, and he brought me there.

2 In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the frame of a city on the south.

3 He brought me there; and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

4 The man said to me, Son of man, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I shall show you; for, to the intent that I may show them to you, you are brought here: declare all that you see to the house of Israel.

5 Behold, a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man's hand a measuring reed six cubits long, of a cubit and a handbreadth each: so he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.

6 Then came he to the gate which looks toward the east, and went up its steps: and he measured the threshold of the gate, one reed broad; and the other threshold, one reed broad.

7 Every lodge was one reed long, and one reed broad; and [the space] between the lodges was five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate toward the house was one reed.

8 He measured also the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed.

9 Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its posts, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was toward the house.

10 The lodges of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side.

11 He measured the breadth of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits;

12 and a border before the lodges, one cubit [on this side], and a border, one cubit on that side; and the lodges, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.

13 He measured the gate from the roof of the one lodge to the roof of the other, a breadth of twenty-five cubits; door against door.

14 He made also posts, sixty cubits; and the court [reached] to the posts, around the gate.

15 [From] the forefront of the gate at the entrance to the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits.

16 There were closed windows to the lodges, and to their posts within the gate all around, and likewise to the arches; and windows were around inward; and on [each] post were palm trees.

17 Then brought he me into the outer court; and behold, there were rooms and a pavement, made for the court all around: thirty rooms were on the pavement.

18 The pavement was by the side of the gates, answerable to the length of the gates, even the lower pavement.

19 Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate to the forefront of the inner court outside, one hundred cubits, [both] on the east and on the north.

20 The gate of the outer court whose prospect is toward the north, he measured its length and its breadth.

21 The lodges of it were three on this side and three on that side; and its posts and its arches were after the measure of the first gate: its length was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits.

22 The windows of it, and its arches, and the palm trees of it, were after the measure of the gate whose prospect is toward the east; and they went up to it by seven steps; and its arches were before them.

23 There was a gate to the inner court over against the [other] gate, [both] on the north and on the east; and he measured from gate to gate one hundred cubits.

24 He led me toward the south; and behold, a gate toward the south: and he measured its posts and its arches according to these measures.

25 There were windows in it and in its arches all around, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits.

26 There were seven steps to go up to it, and its arches were before them; and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, on its posts.

27 There was a gate to the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south a hundred cubits.

28 Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;

29 and its lodges, and its posts, and its arches, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in its arches all around; it was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits broad.

30 There were arches all around, twenty-five cubits long, and five cubits broad.

31 The arches of it were toward the outer court; and palm trees were on its posts: and the ascent to it had eight steps.

32 He brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures;

33 and its lodges, and its posts, and its arches, according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in its arches all around; it was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits broad.

34 The arches of it were toward the outer court; and palm trees were on its posts, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.

35 He brought me to the north gate: and he measured [it] according to these measures;

36 its lodges, its posts, and its arches: and there were windows therein all around; the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth twenty-five cubits.

37 The posts of it were toward the outer court; and palm trees were on its posts, on this side, and on that side: and the ascent to it had eight steps.

38 A room with its door was by the posts at the gates; there they washed the burnt offering.

39 In the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to kill thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering.

40 On the [one] side outside, as one goes up to the entry of the gate toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side, which belonged to the porch of the gate, were two tables.

41 Four tables were on this side, and Four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they killed [the sacrifices].

42 There were four tables for the burnt offering, of cut stone, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high; whereupon they laid the instruments with which they killed the burnt offering and the sacrifice.

43 The hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened within all around: and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.

44 Outside of the inner gate were rooms for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south; one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.

45 He said to me, This room, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the duty of the house;

46 and the room whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the duty of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok, who from among the sons of Levi come near to Yahweh to minister to him.

47 He measured the court, one hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar was before the house.

48 Then he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side.

49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; even by the steps by which they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.