6
ο δε ειπεν εις αυριον ειπεν ουν ως ειρηκας ινα ειδης οτι ουκ εστιν αλλος πλην κυριου
Arcana Coelestia # 7418
7418. And smite the dust of the land. That this signifies that he should remove the things in the natural that had been damned, is evident from the signification of “smiting,” as being to remove; from the signification of “dust,” as being that which is damned (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “the land,” here the land of Egypt, as being the natural mind (n. 7409). That “dust” denotes that which is damned is because the places where evil spirits are, at the sides beneath the soles of the feet, appear as land, and in fact as land untilled and dry, under which are certain hells. This land is called “damned land,” and the dust there signifies that which is damned. It has sometimes been granted me to see that the evil spirits shook off the dust there from their feet, when they desired to give anyone to damnation. This was seen to the right a little in front, in the border toward the hell of the magicians, where spirits are cast into their hell who during their life in the world have been in the knowledge of faith, and yet have led a life of evil. From this then it is that by “dust” is signified what is damned, and by “shaking off the dust” damnation.
[2] It was from this signification that the Lord commanded His disciples to shake off the dust of their feet if they were not received, as in Matthew:
Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city (Matthew 10:14-15; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5; 10:10-12);
by the “disciples” here are not meant disciples, but all things of the church, thus all things of faith and charity (n. 2089, 2129, 2130, 3354, 3858, 3913, 6397); by “not receiving, and not hearing,” is signified to reject the truths of faith and the goods of charity; and by “shaking off the dust of the feet,” damnation. That “it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city,” is because by “Sodom and Gomorrah” are meant those who are in evil of life, but who have known nothing of the Lord and the Word, and thus could not receive. From this it can be seen that there is not meant a house or city which would not receive the disciples, but those who are within the church and do not live the life of faith. Everyone can see that a whole city could not be damned because they did not receive the disciples and at once acknowledge the new doctrine which they preached.
[3] By the “dust” also which was formerly put on the head when in grief and repentance, is signified that which is damned, as in these passages:
The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the earth, they keep silence; they have made dust come up upon their head; they have girded themselves with sackcloth; the virgins of Jerusalem have made their head come down to the earth (Lam. 2:10).
They shall cry bitterly, and shall make dust come up upon their heads, they shall roll themselves in the ashes (Ezekiel 27:30).
Weeping weep not in the house of Aphrah; roll thyself in the dust (Micah 1:10).
They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing (Revelation 18:19);
and also in the historical parts of the Word throughout. By dust upon the heads, and also by the casting down of the body and of the head to the earth, and there rolling in the dust, was represented humiliation, which when genuine is such that the person acknowledges and perceives himself to be damned, but to be received from damnation by the the Lord, (n. 2327, 3994, 4347, 5420, 5957).
[4] By the “dust” into which the golden calf which they made in the wilderness was beaten and ground, is also signified what is damned, of which we read thus in Moses:
I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire and I beat it, grinding it well, even until it was reduced unto dust; and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mountain (Deuteronomy 9:21).
By “dust” is also signified what is damned in the following passages:
Jehovah God said unto the serpent, Upon thy belly shalt thou walk, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life (Genesis 3:14).
Feed Thy people as in the days of eternity, the nations shall see, and blush at all their power, they shall lick the dust like a serpent (Micah 7:14, 16-17).
Dust shall be the serpent’s meat (Isaiah 65:25).
Come down, and sit upon the dust, O virgin daughter of Babel (Isaiah 47:1).
Our soul is bowed down to the dust, our belly hath cleaved to the earth (Psalms 44:25).
My soul cleaveth to the dust, quicken Thou me (Psalms 119:25).
“Dust” in the Word signifies also the grave, likewise what is lowly, and what is numerous.
Ezekiel 48
1
Now these are the names of the tribes: From the north end, beside the way of Hethlon to the entrance of Hamath, Hazar Enan at the border of Damascus, northward beside Hamath, (and they shall have their sides east [and] west), Dan, one [portion].
2
By the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, Asher, one [portion].
3
By the border of Asher, from the east side even to the west side, Naphtali, one [portion].
4
By the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west side, Manasseh, one [portion].
5
By the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, Ephraim, one [portion].
6
By the border of Ephraim, from the east side even to the west side, Reuben, one [portion].
7
By the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west side, Judah, one [portion].
8
By the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the offering which you shall offer, twenty-five thousand [reeds] in breadth, and in length as one of the portions, from the east side to the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in its midst.
9
The offering that you shall offer to Yahweh shall be twenty-five thousand [reeds] in length, and ten thousand in breadth.
10
For these, even for the priests, shall be the holy offering: toward the north twenty-five thousand [in length], and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south twenty-five thousand in length: and the sanctuary of Yahweh shall be in its midst.
11
[It shall be] for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have kept my instruction, who didn't go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.
12
It shall be to them an offering from the offering of the land, a thing most holy, by the border of the Levites.
13
Answerable to the border of the priests, the Levites shall have twenty-five thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be twenty-five thousand, and the breadth ten thousand.
14
They shall sell none of it, nor exchange it, nor shall the first fruits of the land be alienated; for it is holy to Yahweh.
15
The five thousand that are left in the breadth, in front of the twenty-five thousand, shall be for common use, for the city, for dwelling and for suburbs; and the city shall be in its midst.
16
These shall be its measures: the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred.
17
The city shall have suburbs: toward the north two hundred fifty, and toward the south two hundred fifty, and toward the east two hundred fifty, and toward the west two hundred fifty.
18
The remainder in the length, answerable to the holy offering, shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward; and it shall be answerable to the holy offering; and its increase shall be for food to those who labor in the city.
19
Those who labor in the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it.
20
All the offering shall be twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand: you shall offer the holy offering foursquare, with the possession of the city.
21
The residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy offering and of the possession of the city; in front of the twenty-five thousand of the offering toward the east border, and westward in front of the twenty-five thousand toward the west border, answerable to the portions, it shall be for the prince: and the holy offering and the sanctuary of the house shall be in its midst.
22
Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, it shall be for the prince.
23
As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, Benjamin, one [portion].
24
By the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon, one [portion].
25
By the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar, one [portion].
26
By the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun, one [portion].
27
By the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad, one [portion].
28
By the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, to the brook [of Egypt], to the great sea.
29
This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their several portions, says the Lord Yahweh.
30
These are the exits of the city: On the north side four thousand and five hundred [reeds] by measure;
31
and the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel, three gates northward: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one.
32
At the east side four thousand and five hundred [reeds], and three gates: even the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one.
33
At the south side four thousand and five hundred [reeds] by measure, and three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one.
34
At the west side four thousand and five hundred [reeds], with their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one.
35
It shall be eighteen thousand [reeds] around: and the name of the city from that day shall be, Yahweh is there.
