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Ezekiel 40

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1 In the twentieth and fifth year of our exile, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was smitten, in this same day the hand of Jehovah was on me, and brought me thither.

2 In the visions of God He brought me to the land of Israel, and caused me to rest in a very tall mountain, and upon it was as it were a building of a city on the south.

3 And He brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, and a strand of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

4 And the man spoke to me: Son of man, see with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thy heart to all that I shall cause thee to see; for in·​·order·​·that I might cause thee to see, thou art brought hither; tell all that thou seest to the house of Israel.

5 And behold, a wall on the outside of the house around and around, and in the hand of the man a measuring reed of six cubits, by the cubit and hand·​·breadth; and he measured the breadth of the building, one reed, and the height, one reed.

6 And he came to the gate which faced the way of the east, and went·​·up its stairs, and measured the doorway of the gate, one reed in breadth; and one doorway was one reed in breadth.

7 And the little·​·chamber was one reed in length, and one reed in breadth; and between the little·​·chambers were five cubits; and the doorway of the gate from beside the porch of the gate inside was one reed.

8 And he measured the porch of the gate inside, one reed.

9 Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its columns, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inside.

10 And the little·​·chambers of the gate on the way of the east were three from here, and three from here; one measure for the three, and one measure for the columns from here and from here.*

11 And he measured the breadth of the entrance of the gate, ten cubits, and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.

12 And the border before the little·​·chambers was one cubit, and the border was one cubit from here; and the little·​·chambers were six cubits from here, and six cubits from here.

13 And he measured the gate from the roof of one little·​·chamber to the roof of another; the breadth was five and twenty cubits, entrance in·​·front·​·of entrance.

14 And he made columns of sixty cubits, even to the column of the court of the gate around and around.

15 And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits.

16 And there were shutting windows to the little·​·chambers, and to their columns interior to the gate around and around, and thus for the arches; and windows were around and around for the interior; and to each column were palm·​·trees.

17 And he brought me to the outer court, and, behold, there were rooms, and a pavement made for the court around and around; thirty rooms were toward the pavement.

18 And the pavement at the shoulder of the gates alongside the length of the gates was the lower pavement.

19 Then he measured the breadth from the face of the lower gate unto the face of the inner court outside, a hundred cubits east and north.

20 And the gate of the outer court that faced the way of the north, he measured its length, and its breadth.

21 And its little·​·chambers were three from here and three from here; and its columns and its arches were according·​·to the measure of the first gate; its length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty in cubits.

22 And its windows, and its arches, and its palm·​·trees, were according·​·to the measure of the gate that faced the way of the east; and by seven stairs they went·​·up into it; and its arches were before them.

23 And the gate of the inner court was in·​·front·​·of the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate a hundred cubits.

24 And he caused me to go the way of the south, and behold there was a gate on the way of the south; and he measured its columns and its arches according·​·to these measures.

25 And there were windows for it and for its arches around and around, like those windows; fifty cubits was the length, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

26 And there were seven stairs going·​·up to it, and its arches were before them; and it had palm·​·trees, one from here, and one from here, to its columns.

27 And there was a gate for the inner court on the way of the south; and he measured from gate to gate on the way of the south a hundred cubits.

28 And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate; and he measured the south gate according·​·to these measures,

29 and its little·​·chambers, and its columns and its arches, according·​·to these measures; and there were windows for it and for its arches around and around; fifty cubits was the length, and the breadth twenty and five cubits.

30 And the arches were around and around, the length five and twenty cubits, and the breadth five cubits.

31 And its arches were toward the outer court; and palm·​·trees were at its columns; and its going·​·up had eight stairs.

32 And he brought me into the inner court, the way of the east; and he measured the gate according·​·to these measures.

33 And its little·​·chambers, and its columns, and its arches, were according·​·to these measures; and there were windows for it and for its arches around and around: the length was fifty cubits, the breadth five and twenty cubits.

34 And its arches were to the outer court; and palm·​·trees were toward its columns, from here and from here; and its going·​·up had eight stairs.

35 And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according·​·to these measures;

36 its little·​·chambers, its columns, and its arches, and the windows for it around and around; the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

37 And its columns were to the outer court; and palm·​·trees were toward its columns, from here and from here; and its going·​·up had eight stairs.

38 And the room and its entrances were by the columns of the gates, where they purged the burnt·​·offering.

39 And in the porch of the gate were two tables from here, and two tables from here, to slaughter on them the burnt·​·offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering.

40 And to the wing from outside going·​·up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other wing, which was to the porch of the gate, were two tables.

41 four tables were from here, and four tables from here, by the wing of the gate; eight tables, on which they slaughtered their sacrifices.

42 And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt·​·offering, the length one cubit and a half, and the breadth one cubit and a half, and one cubit tall; and they placed on it the instruments with which they slaughtered the burnt·​·offering and the sacrifice.

43 And what·​·was·​·set·​·on was of one hand·​·breadth prepared inside around and around; and at the tables was the flesh of the offering.

44 And outside the inner gate were the rooms of the singers in the inner court, which was at the wing of the north gate; and their face was the way of the south; one at the wing of the east gate facing the way of the north.

45 And he spoke unto me, This room, which is facing is the way of the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.

46 And the room whose face is the way of the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar; these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, who draw·​·near to Jehovah to minister to Him.

47 And he measured the court, the length a hundred cubits, and the breadth a hundred cubits, foursquare, and the altar that was before the house.

48 And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each column of the porch, five cubits from here, and five cubits from here; and the breadth of the gate was three cubits from here, and three cubits from here.

49 The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the stairs by which they went·​·up to it; and there were pillars by the columns, one from here, and one from here.

   


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

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Apocalypse Explained # 70

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70. The feet are said to be "like unto burnished brass," because burnished brass is polished brass, shining from something fiery; and "brass" in the Word signifies natural good. Metals are equally significative with the rest in the Word. "Gold" in the Word signifies celestial good, which is inmost good; "silver" signifies the truth thereof, which is spiritual good: "brass" natural good which is outmost good, and "iron" the truth thereof, which is natural truth.

Metals have such significations from correspondence; for in heaven many things are seen shining as if from gold and silver, and also many things as if from brass and iron; and it is there known that by these the goods and truths mentioned above are signified. It was from this that the ancients, who had a knowledge of correspondences, named the ages according to these metals; calling the first age the "golden," because innocence, love, and wisdom therefrom then ruled; but the second "silver," because truth from that good, or spiritual good, and intelligence therefrom then ruled; the third age "brazen" or "copper," because mere natural good, which is justness and sincerity of moral life, then ruled; but the last age they called "iron," because mere truth without good then ruled, and when that rules, falsity also rules. All this was from the spiritual signification of these metals.

[2] From this it can be known what is signified by the image seen in a dream by Nebuchadnezzar:

The head of which was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and sides of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay (Daniel 2:23, 33);

namely, the state of the church in respect to good and truth, from its first time to its last; its last time was when the Lord came into the world. When it is known that "gold" signifies celestial good, "silver" spiritual good, "brass" natural good, and "iron" natural truth, many arcana in the Word, where these metals are mentioned, can be understood. Thus what is signified by these words in Isaiah:

For brass I will bring gold, for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron; I will also make thy government peace, and thine exactors justice (Isaiah 60:17).

[3] But as the signification of "brass," as meaning natural good, is here treated of, I will cite only a few passages where "brass" is mentioned, as signifying that good. Thus in Moses:

Asher acceptable unto his brethren, and dipping his foot in oil. Thy shoe iron and brass, and as thy days thy fame (Deuteronomy 33:24-25).

"Asher," as one of the tribes, signifies the blessedness of life, and the delight of affections (See Arcana Coelestia 3938-3939, 6408); "to dip the foot in oil" signifies natural delight, "oil" is delight (See n. 9954), "foot" the natural (See just above, n. 69; "the shoe iron and brass" signifies the lowest natural from truth and good, "the shoe" is the lowest natural (See n. 1748, 1860, 6844), "iron" is its truth, and "brass" its good (as above). In the same:

Jehovah thy God will bring thee into a wealthy land; a land out of whose stones thou mayest hew out iron, and out of its mountains brass (Deuteronomy 8:7, 9).

In Jeremiah:

I will give thee unto this people for a fortified wall of brass, that they may fight against thee and not prevail against thee (Jeremiah 15:20).

And in Ezekiel:

Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy traffickers; with the soul of man and with vessels of brass they traded thy merchandise (Ezekiel 27:13).

In this chapter the traffickings of Tyre are treated of, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth; by the names "Javan," "Tubal," and "Meshech," are signified such things as are of good and truth, of which knowledges treat; the "soul of man" is truth of life; "vessels of brass" are scientifics of natural good. (What is signified by "Tyre" may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 1201; what by "traffickings," n. 2967, 4453; what by "Tubal and Meshech," n. 1151; what by "Javan," n. 1152, 1153, 1155; what by the "soul of man," n. 2930, 9050, 9281; what by "vessels," n. 3068, 3079, 3316, 3318) In the same:

The feet of the cherubs sparkled like the appearance of polished brass (Ezekiel 1:7).

What "cherubs" and "feet" signify, see above n. 69.

[4] In the same:

I saw and behold there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, and a line of flax was in his hand; and he was standing in the gate (Ezekiel 40:3).

It was because this angel measured the wall and the gates of the house of God, which signify the externals of the church, that his appearance was seen as the appearance of brass. He who knows that "brass" signifies the external of the church, which in itself is natural, can in some measure know why:

The altar of burnt-offering was overlaid with brass, and the grating about it was of brass, and the vessels of brass (Exodus 27:1-4);

as also why:

The great vessel, which was called the sea, with the twelve oxen under it, and the ten lavers with the bases, and also all the vessels of the tabernacle for the house of God, were made by Solomon of polished brass (1 Kings 7:43-47).

[5] He who knows what "brass" signifies may also enter into the arcanum why it was commanded that a serpent of brass be set up for the people to look at, of which it is thus written in Moses:

Jehovah sent serpents among the people, and they bit the people. And He said unto Moses, Make thee a serpent, and set it upon a standard, and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten, and looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon a standard; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, and he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived (Numbers 21:6, 8-9).

That this "serpent" signified the Lord, He Himself teaches in John:

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life (John 3:14-15).

By the "serpent" is signified that which is the ultimate of life with man, and is called the external sensual, which is the natural. Because this ultimate in the Lord was Divine, a serpent of brass was made among the sons of Israel, with whom all things were representative; and this signified that if they would look to the Divine Human of the Lord they would live again, that is, if they would believe in Him they would have eternal life, as the Lord Himself also teaches. (That to "see" is in the spiritual sense to believe, see above, n. 37, 68; and that the "serpent" is the external sensual, which is the ultimate of man's life, see Arcana Coelestia 195-197, 6398, 6949, 10313) That "brass" and "iron" in the Word also signify what is hard (as in Isaiah 48:4; Daniel 7:19 where), will be seen in what follows.

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