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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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Apocalypse Revealed # 114

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114. "'Because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.'" This symbolically means that they have among them people who perform hypocritical works, by which the worship of God in the church is defiled and adulterated.

That this means people who perform works which defile and adulterate worship is apparent from the stories in the Word about Balaam and Balak, king of Moab. For Balaam was a hypocrite and sorcerer. He spoke favorably, indeed, from Jehovah regarding the children of Israel, and yet at heart he harbored a wish to destroy them, and also did destroy them by the counsel he gave Balak. It is apparent from this that his works were hypocritical.

We are told that he was a sorcerer (Joshua 13:22, Numbers 22:7; 24:1). That he spoke favorably on behalf of the children of Israel by blessing them (Numbers 23:7-10, 18-24; 24:3-9, 15-19. That at heart he harbored a wish to destroy them, and also did destroy them by the counsel he gave Balak (Numbers 31:16). The counsel that he gave is found in Numbers 25:1-3. The latter was the stumbling block that he put before the children of Israel, which is described in this way:

...in Shittim... the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab, and they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods. Israel (especially) was joined to Baal of Peor... (Therefore there were killed of Israel) twenty-four thousand. (Numbers 25:1-3, 9)

The children of Israel symbolize the church. Eating of their own sacrifices symbolizes an assimilation of what is holy. Consequently eating of the sacrifices of other gods or of things sacrificed to idols symbolizes a defiling and profanation of what is holy. To commit sexual immorality means, symbolically, to adulterate and corrupt worship. Moab and thus its king and its women also symbolize people who defile and adulterate worship, as may be seen in Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), published in London, no. 2468.

It is apparent from this now that the spiritual meaning of these words is as stated.

  
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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.