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Ezekiel 20

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1 And it was, in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Jehovah, and sat before me.

2 And the word of Jehovah was unto me, saying,

3 Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus says the Lord Jehovih*; Are you come to inquire of Me? As I live, says the Lord Jehovih, I will not be inquired of by you.

4 Wilt thou judge them, wilt thou judge, son of man? Make them to know the abominations of their fathers;

5 and say unto them, Thus says the Lord Jehovih; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted·​·up My hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made· Myself ·known unto them in the land of Egypt, then I lifted·​·up My hand unto them, saying, I am Jehovah your God;

6 in that day that I lifted·​·up My hand to them, to bring· them ·out from the land of Egypt to a land that I had explored for them, flowing with milk and honey; it is the elegance for all the lands:

7 and I said to them, Cast· ye ·away each·​·man the detestable thing of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am Jehovah your God.

8 But they rebelled against Me, and were· not ·willing to hearken to Me; they did not each·​·man cast·​·away the detestable things of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: and I said, I will spill·​·out My fury on them, to complete My anger among them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

9 But I did so·​·that My name should not be profaned before the eyes of the nations, among whom they were, before whose eyes I made· Myself ·known unto them, in bringing· them ·forth out·​·of the land of Egypt.

10 And I caused them to go·​·out from the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.

11 And I gave them My statutes, and caused them to know My judgments, that man shall do them, and shall live by them.

12 And I also gave to them My Sabbaths, to be for a sign between Me and them, so·​·that they might know that I am Jehovah who sanctifies them.

13 But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they walked not in My statutes, and they rejected My judgments, which if man do, he shall even live in them; and My Sabbaths they profaned exceedingly: and I said I would spill My fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume· them ·all.

14 But I made for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the nations, in whose eyes I brought· them ·out.

15 But also I lifted·​·up My hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey; it is the elegance for all the lands;

16 because they rejected My judgments, and walked not in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.

17 But My eye spared them from their destroying, and I did not make a complete end with them in the wilderness.

18 But I said unto their sons in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:

19 I am Jehovah your God; walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them;

20 and hallow My Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am Jehovah your God.

21 But the sons rebelled against Me; they walked not in My statutes, neither kept My judgments to do them, which man should do, and live in them; they profaned My Sabbaths; and I said I would spill·​·out My fury upon them, to complete My anger on them in the wilderness.

22 But I turned·​·back My hand, and made for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations, in whose eyes I brought· them ·out.

23 I lifted·​·up My hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the lands;

24 because they had not made My judgments, but had rejected My statutes, and had profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathersidols.

25 And I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;

26 and I defiled them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass·​·through the fire all that opens·​·up the womb, so·​·that I might make· them ·desolate, so·​·that they might know that I am Jehovah.

27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus says the Lord Jehovih; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me, in that they have trespassed a trespass against Me.

28 And I had brought them into the land, for which I lifted My hand to give it to them, and they saw every high hill, and all the intertwined trees, and they sacrificed their sacrifices there, and there they gave the provocation of their offering; and there they set their restful smell, and there poured·​·out their poured·​·offerings.

29 And I said to them, What is the high·​·place into which you are coming? And its name is called Bamah* even·​·to this day.

30 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Jehovih: Are you defiled after the way of your fathers, and do you commit·​·harlotry after their detestable things?

31 And when you lift·​·up your gifts, when you make your sons to pass·​·through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols, even·​·to this day; and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I am alive, says the Lord Jehovih, I will not be inquired of by you.

32 And that which goes·​·up into your spirit shall not be at all, that you say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the lands, to minister wood and stone.

33 As I live, says the Lord Jehovih, surely with a firm hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury spilled·​·out, will I reign over you;

34 and I will bring· you ·out from the peoples, and will bring· you ·together from the lands in which you are scattered, with a firm hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury spilled·​·out.

35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

36 As I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, says the Lord Jehovih.

37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the commitment of the covenant;

38 and I will purify you from those who revolt, and from those who transgress against Me; I will bring· them ·out from the land of their sojournings, and they shall not come to the ground of Israel; and you shall know that I am Jehovah.

39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord Jehovih; Go ye, serve ye each·​·man his idols, and afterwards also, if you will not hearken unto Me; but profane you not My holy name any·​·more with your gifts, and with your idols.

40 For in My holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord Jehovih, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve Me; there will I be·​·well·​·pleased in them, and there will I require your upliftings, and the firstfruits of your portions, with all your holy things.

41 I will be·​·well·​·pleased with you with your restful smell, when I bring· you ·out from the people, and bring· you ·together from the lands in which you have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the eyes of the nations.

42 And you shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall bring you to the ground of Israel, to the land for which I lifted My hand to give to your fathers.

43 And there shall you remember your ways, and all your actions, wherein you have been defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves to your own face in all your evils that you have done.

44 And you shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have done with you for the sake of My name, not according·​·to your evil ways, nor according·​·to your corrupt actions, O ye house of Israel, says the Lord Jehovih.

45 21:1 And the word of Jehovah was unto me, saying,

46 21:2 Son of man, set thy face toward the way of the south, and drop·​·down thy word toward the south, and prophesy to the forest of the field of the south;

47 21:3 and say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of Jehovah; Thus says the Lord Jehovih; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every fresh tree in thee, and every dry tree; the flame of a grievous·​·flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned in her.

48 21:4 And all flesh shall see that I, Jehovah, have burned it; it shall not be quenched.

49 21:5 And I said, Alas Lord Jehovih! they are saying of me, Does he not prophetically·​·enunciate prophetic·​·enunciation?

   


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

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Apocalypse Revealed # 546

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546. Then the woman fled into the wilderness. (12:6) This symbolizes the church, namely, the New Jerusalem, being at first among few.

The woman symbolizes the New Church (no. 533), and the wilderness symbolizes a circumstance in which there are no longer any truths. The church is symbolized as being at first among few because the statement follows, "Where she has a place prepared by God, that they may feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days," which symbolizes the state of that church then, that in the meantime provision may be made for it to exist among more people until it grows to its appointed state (no. 547).

A wilderness in the Word symbolizes:

1. A church devastated, or one in which the Word's truths have all been falsified, as was the case with the Jews at the time of the Lord's advent.

2. A church without truths, because it does not have the Word, as was the case with upright gentiles at the time of the Lord's advent.

3. A state of temptation or trial, in which a person is seemingly without truths, being surrounded by evil spirits who induce the temptation or trial and appear to rob him of his truths.

[2] 1. That a wilderness symbolizes a church devastated, or one in which the Word's truths have all been falsified, as was the case with the Jews at the time of the Lord's advent: This is apparent from the following passages:

Is this the man who shook the earth, who made kingdoms tremble, who made the world as a wilderness...? (Isaiah 14:16-17)

This said in reference to Babylon.

On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers...; ...the palace will be deserted... (Isaiah 32:13-14)

I beheld, and lo, Carmel was a wilderness... "The whole land shall be a wasteland." (Jeremiah 4:26-27)

The land is the church (no. 285).

...shepherds have destroyed My vineyard..., they have made the field of My desire a desolate wilderness... The devastators are coming... in the wilderness. (Jeremiah 12:10, 12)

...(the vine) is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. (Ezekiel 19:13)

...fire has devoured the habitations of the wilderness. (Joel 1:19-20)

...the day of Jehovah is coming... The land is like the Garden of Eden before it, but after it a desolate wilderness. (Joel 2:1, 3)

...see the word of Jehovah! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of darkness? (Jeremiah 2:31)

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God." (Isaiah 40:3)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 33:9; Jeremiah 3:2; 23:10; Lamentations 5:9; Hosea 2:2-3; 13:15; Joel 3:19; Malachi 1:3; Matthew 24:26; Luke 13:35.

That such is the state of the church today may be seen in no. 566 below.

[3] 2. That a wilderness symbolizes a church without truths, because it does not have the Word, as was the case with upright gentiles at the time of the Lord's advent: This is apparent from these passages:

...the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high, then the wilderness shall become a fertile field...; and judgment will dwell in the wilderness... (Isaiah 32:15-16)

(I will put) fountains in the midst of the valleys, [and turn] the wilderness into a pool of water... I will put in the wilderness the shittim cedar... and the oil tree. (Isaiah 41:18-19)

He will turn a wilderness into a pool of water, and dry land into springs of water. (Psalms 107:35-36)

I will make a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert... to give drink to My people, My chosen. (Isaiah 43:19-20)

...Jehovah... will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah; gladness and joy will be found in her... (Isaiah 51:3)

The habitations of the wilderness drip... (Psalms 65:12-13)

Let the wilderness... lift up (its) voice... Let the inhabitants of the rock sing... (Isaiah 43:10-11)

[4] 3. That a wilderness symbolizes a state of temptation or trial, in which a person is seemingly without truths, being surrounded by evil spirits who induce the temptation or trial and appear to rob him of his truths: This is apparent from Matthew 4:1-3, Mark 1:12-13.

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.