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Numbers 24

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1 And Balaam saw that it was·​·good in the eyes of Jehovah to bless Israel, and he went not, as at earlier times, to meet with foretellings*, but he set his faces toward the wilderness.

2 And Balaam lifted·​·up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding according·​·to his tribes; and the spirit of God was upon him.

3 And he lifted·​·up his enunciation, and said, Balaam the son of Beor has said, and the man whose eyes are·​·opened has said:

4 he has said, who heard the sayings of God, who beheld the vision of Shaddai, falling forward, but having his eyes uncovered;

5 How good·​·are thy tents, O Jacob, thy habitations, O Israel!

6 As the brooks are they stretched*, as gardens by the river, as the aloes which Jehovah has planted, as cedars by the waters.

7 He shall pour the water out·​·of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be made·​·higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be lifted·​·up.

8 God brought· him ·out from Egypt; he has as·​·it·​·were the powers of a unicorn; he shall eat·​·up the nations of his adversaries, and shall fracture their bones, and he shall strike with his arrows.

9 He stooped, he lay·​·down as a lion, and as an old·​·lion; who shall raise· him ·up? Blessed is he who blesses thee, and cursed is he who curses thee.

10 And the anger of Balak was·​·fierce toward Balaam, and he slapped the palms of his hands; and Balak said to Balaam, I called thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, blessing thou hast blessed them these three times.

11 And now for thyself run·​·away to thy place; I said glorifying I would glorify thee, and behold, Jehovah has withheld thee from glory.

12 And Balaam said to Balak, Spoke I not also to thy messengers whom thou didst send to me, saying,

13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go·​·beyond the mouth of Jehovah, to do good or evil of my own heart. What Jehovah speaks, I will speak.

14 And now, behold, I go to my people; go therefore, and I will counsel thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

15 And he lifted·​·up his enunciation, and said, Balaam the son of Beor has said, and the man whose eyes are·​·opened has said:

16 he has said, who heard the sayings of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most·​·High, who beheld the vision of Shaddai, falling forward, but having his eyes uncovered:

17 I shall see Him, but not now; I shall observe Him, but not near; there shall come a star* out·​·of Jacob, and a scepter shall arise out·​·of Israel, and shall strike the corners of Moab, and topple all the sons of Sheth.

18 And Edom shall be a possession, and Seir shall be a possession of his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

19 Out·​·of Jacob shall come He who shall have·​·dominion, and shall make· the survivor of the city ·perish.

20 And he saw Amalek, and he lifted·​·up his enunciation, and said, Amalek was the beginning of the nations; but his last is to perish forever.

21 And he looked on the Kenites, and lifted·​·up his enunciation, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou settest thy nest in a rock.

22 But the Kenite shall be swept·​·away, until when Assyria shall take· thee ·captive.

23 And he lifted·​·up his enunciation, and said, Woe! Who shall live when God does this!

24 And boats shall come from the hand of Kittim, and shall afflict Assyria, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish forever.

25 And Balaam rose·​·up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

   


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

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Gold

  
by Mask: anonymous, Photo: Andreas Praefcke

Gold means good, and just as gold was the most precious metal known to ancient mankind so it represents the good of the highest and wisest of the angels. These angels foremostly love the Lord, and because they do they act from that love at all times. So the things they do are from love or as the writings for the new church often say, their acts are "goods of love". This is what gold represents. As soon as God planted the garden of Eden, He created a river in it, to water it. This river went out and branched into four, the first branch mentioned, Pishon, encompassed the "…land of Havilah, where there is gold… and the gold…is good". Another mention of gold comes in Exodus where the Lord is telling Moses how to make the Tabernacle. If you pay attention you will see that inside the tabernacle the main thing you see is gold, the boards of the wall are covered with it and all the furniture is either wood covered completely with gold, or is made of solid gold. Then at the end of the Word the holy city descends from God and it is made of gold, "gold like unto clear glass" good of love that can be clearly and completely understood. And it has its river. This is a promise from the Lord that we can come into a state similar to that of the garden of Eden, if we follow Him so as to come into love for Him, and act from that love.