17
καὶ ποιήσεις ἱλαστήριον ἐπίθεμα χρυσίου καθαροῦ δύο πήχεων καὶ ἡμίσους τὸ μῆκος καὶ πήχεος καὶ ἡμίσους τὸ πλάτος
Exodus 25:17
Arcana Coelestia # 9553
9553. 'And its flowers' means factual knowledge of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'flowers' as factual knowledge of truth. Such knowledge is meant by 'flowers' because flowers are stages of growth which come before and in their own way lead on to fruit and seeds; for trees and young plants come into flower before they bear fruit, as is well known. The situation is similar with the intelligence and wisdom present in a person. Factual knowledge of truth comes first and in its own way leads on to the insights that constitute wisdom with the person; for that knowledge provides his rational mind with objects of thought and so the means to attain wisdom. This is why factual knowledge of truth is like the flowers, and goodness of life, which is the good of wisdom, is like the fruit. Since all realities in the spiritual world bear resemblance to such things as exist with a human being, for the reason that heaven resembles one complete human being and has a correspondence with every single aspect of the human being, therefore also all things in the natural world, according to their similarity to such things as exist with a human being, have a correspondence, a representation, and carry a spiritual meaning, 9496. From all this it now becomes clear why it is that factual knowledge of truth, and truths in general, are meant by 'flowers', and forms of good by 'the fruit' and also 'seeds'.
[2] The fact that factual knowledge of truth, and truths in general, are meant by 'flowers' is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,
Their root will be like rottenness, and their flower [will rise] like dust, because they have rejected the law of Jehovah Zebaoth, and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 5:24.
In the same prophet,
Those who are to come Jacob will cause to take root. Israel will blossom and flower, so that the face of the earth (orbis) may be filled with produce. Isaiah 27:6.
In the same prophet,
Woe to the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the falling flower of glory 1 and of his beauty! Isaiah 28:1.
'The drunkards' stands for those whose reasoning is based on falsities, 1072; 'Ephraim' stands for the Church's understanding, in this instance when it has been perverted, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267; and 'glory' stands for God's truth, 4809, 5922, 8267, 8427, 9429, from which it is evident that 'the flower' means factual knowledge through which truth comes forth. In the same prophet,
The grass withers, the flower falls; the people are grass. But the Word of our God remains forever. Isaiah 40:6-8.
In Nahum,
The flower of Lebanon languishes. Nahum 1:4.
Here also 'the flower' stands for factual knowledge serving as a means to the attainment of wisdom.
[3] In Daniel,
Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream. Behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; its height was great, its leaf beautiful, and its flower much. Under it the beast of the field had shade, and in its branches dwelt the birds of the air; and all flesh was fed [from it]. But the Holy One from heaven crying out said, Hew down the tree, cut off its branches, get rid of its leaves, scatter its blossom. Let the beast of the field flee [from] under it, and the birds from its branches. Daniel 4:10-14.
'The tree' and 'its height' means the increase in the semblance of religion which is meant by 'Babel', a kind of religion that is holy outwardly but unholy inwardly, 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326. 'Leaf' stands for factual knowledge of truth in general, 885, 'blossom' for factual knowledge of truth when it serves to lead to wisdom, but at this point when it serves to lead to stupidity since it says that they were to be scattered. 'The beast of the field' means those with affections for good, and in the contrary sense those with affections for evil, 45, 46, 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 719, 776, 1823, 2179, 2180, 3218, 3519, 5198, 7523, 9090, 9280; but 'the birds of the air' are those with affections for truth, and in the contrary sense those with affections for falsity, 3219, 5149, 7441. This is why it says that the beast of the field dwelt under the shade of that tree, the birds of the air dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed [from it], and then that the beast of the field should flee [from] under it and the birds from its branches.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. Reading flori decidenti gloriae (the falling flower of glory) for flori decidentis gloriae (the flower of falling glory)
Genesis 9
1
God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
2
The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that the ground teems with, and all the fish of the sea are delivered into your hand.
3
Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As the green herb, I have given everything to you.
4
But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat.
5
I will surely require your blood of your lives. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother, I will require the life of man.
6
Whoever sheds man's blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image.
7
Be fruitful and multiply. Bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it."
8
God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,
9
"As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you,
10
and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth.
11
I will establish my covenant with you: all flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, neither will there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth."
12
God said, "This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13
I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.
14
It will happen, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud,
15
and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16
The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."
17
God said to Noah, "This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth."
18
The sons of Noah who went forth from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan.
19
These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, the whole earth was populated.
20
Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard.
21
He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.
22
Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
23
Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn't see their father's nakedness.
24
Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him.
25
He said, "Canaan is cursed. He will be servant of servants to his brothers."
26
He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.
27
May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant."
28
Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood.
29
All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, then he died.
