Bible

 

Ezekiel 10

Studie

   

1 And I saw, and, behold, in the expanse that was above the head of the cherubim there was seen over them as·​·it·​·were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

2 And He said unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go·​·in between the rolling wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thy fist with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and sprinkle them over the city. And he came·​·in before my eyes.

3 And the cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man came·​·in; and the cloud filled the inner court.

4 And the glory of Jehovah lifted·​·up from on the cherub over the threshold of the house; and the house was·​·filled with the cloud, and the court was·​·full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah.

5 And the voice of the cherubim wings was heard even·​·to the outer court, as the voice of God Shaddai when He speaks.

6 And it was, that when He had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the rolling wheels, from between the cherubim; and he came·​·in, and stood beside the wheels.

7 And the cherub put·​·forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire that was between the cherubim, and took· it ·up, and put it into the fists of him that was clothed with linen; who took it, and went·​·out.

8 And there appeared in the cherubim the shape of a human hand under their wings.

9 And I saw, and behold the four wheels beside the cherubim, one wheel beside the one cherub, and one wheel beside the one cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was as the aspect of a tarshish* stone.

10 And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if the wheel had been in the midst of the wheel.

11 When they went, they went to their four fourths; they turned· not ·around when they went, for to the place whither the head faced they went after it; they turned· not ·around when they went.

12 And all their flesh, and their backs*, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes all around, even the wheels that the four of them had.

13 Their wheels were called Galgal* in my ears.

14 And every one had four faces; the first face was the face of the cherub, and the second face a human face, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

15 And the cherubim were exalted. This is the living thing that I saw by the river of Chebar.

16 And when the cherubim went, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim exalted their wings to lift·​·up from on the earth, the wheels, even they turned· not ·around from beside them.

17 When they stood, these stood; and when they were exalted, these exalted themselves; for the spirit of the living thing was in them.

18 And the glory of Jehovah went·​·out from upon the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.

19 And the cherubim lifted·​·up their wings, and were exalted from the earth before my eyes; when they went·​·out, and the wheels were alongside them, and every one stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of Jehovah’s house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

20 This is the living thing that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubim.

21 Four, even Four faces for each one, and four wings for each one; and the likeness of human hands was under their wings.

22 And the likeness of their faces, they were the faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, as to their appearance and as to themselves; each to across his face they went.*

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Arcana Coelestia # 9872

Prostudujte si tuto pasáž

  
/ 10837  
  

9872. 'A tarshish, and a shoham, and a jasper' means the spiritual love of truth, in which higher things terminate. This is clear from the meaning of these stones, which they derive from their colours; for the colour of all the stones in this row is on the white side tinged with blue. The fact that tarshish means the spiritual love of truth is clear from places in the Word where it is mentioned, as in Ezekiel,

Behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubs; the appearance of the wheels was like that of tarshish stone. Ezekiel 1:16; 10:9.

The cherubs' wheels are similar in meaning to a person's arms and feet, which is the power to act and go forward, this power being that of truth springing from good, see 8215. This explains why the appearance of those wheels was like that of tarshish stone; for 'tarshish' means truth springing from spiritual good, which possesses power.

[2] In Daniel,

I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a man clothed in linen whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz, and his body was like tarshish; and his face was like [the appearance] of lightning, and his eyes were like fiery torches. Daniel 10:5-6.

'A man clothed in linen' was an angel from heaven. 'Linen' means truth that is the clothing of good, 7601. By 'loins' conjugial love, which belongs to goodness and truth, is meant, 3021, 4280, 5050-5062. This is why the man's loins are said to have been 'girded with gold of Uphaz', for 'gold' means the good of love, 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 9490, 9510. 'The body' however, by virtue of its correspondence, means the good of celestial love and also the good of spiritual love, 6135, while the surface of the body means the truth that springs from that good, which is why the man's body looked like tarshish. So it is that 'tarshish' means the truth that spiritual love desires.

[3] For the meaning of a shoham, the second stone in this row, as the truths of faith that spring from love, see what has been shown in 9476, 9841. As for a jasper, the third and last stone belonging to this row, that it means the truth of faith, this is clear in John's Revelation,

The light of the city, the holy Jerusalem, was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, shining like crystal. Revelation 21:11.

'The holy Jerusalem' means the Church that is going to take the place of the one that is ours at the present day. Its 'light' is the truth of faith and resulting intelligence, 9548, 9551, 9555, 9558, 9561, 9684. Therefore it is likened to 'a jasper stone, shining like crystal'. 'Crystal' as well means the truth of faith springing from good, in the same book,

The construction of the wall of the holy Jerusalem was jasper, and the city was pure gold, like pure glass. Revelation 21:18.

The wall of the city is described as jasper because 'the wall' means the truth of faith protecting the Church, 6419. And since 'the wall' has this meaning, verse 19 of that chapter says that the first stone constituting its foundations was jasper. For by 'foundation' is meant the truth of faith springing from good, see 9643.

  
/ 10837  
  

Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.