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Joshua 17

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1 και εγενετο τα ορια φυλης υιων μανασση οτι ουτος πρωτοτοκος τω ιωσηφ τω μαχιρ πρωτοτοκω μανασση πατρι γαλααδ ανηρ γαρ πολεμιστης ην εν τη γαλααδιτιδι και εν τη βασανιτιδι

2 και εγενηθη τοις υιοις μανασση τοις λοιποις κατα δημους αυτων τοις υιοις ιεζερ και τοις υιοις κελεζ και τοις υιοις ιεζιηλ και τοις υιοις συχεμ και τοις υιοις συμαριμ και τοις υιοις οφερ ουτοι οι αρσενες κατα δημους αυτων

3 και τω σαλπααδ υιω οφερ ουκ ησαν αυτω υιοι αλλ' η θυγατερες και ταυτα τα ονοματα των θυγατερων σαλπααδ μααλα και νουα και εγλα και μελχα και θερσα

4 και εστησαν εναντιον ελεαζαρ του ιερεως και εναντιον ιησου και εναντιον των αρχοντων λεγουσαι ο θεος ενετειλατο δια χειρος μωυση δουναι ημιν κληρονομιαν εν μεσω των αδελφων ημων και εδοθη αυταις δια προσταγματος κυριου κληρος εν τοις αδελφοις του πατρος αυτων

5 και επεσεν ο σχοινισμος αυτων απο ανασσα και πεδιον λαβεκ εκ της γαλααδ η εστιν περαν του ιορδανου

6 οτι θυγατερες υιων μανασση εκληρονομησαν κληρον εν μεσω των αδελφων αυτων η δε γη γαλααδ εγενηθη τοις υιοις μανασση τοις καταλελειμμενοις

7 και εγενηθη ορια υιων μανασση δηλαναθ η εστιν κατα προσωπον υιων αναθ και πορευεται επι τα ορια επι ιαμιν και ιασσιβ επι πηγην θαφθωθ

8 τω μανασση εσται και θαφεθ επι των οριων μανασση τοις υιοις εφραιμ

9 και καταβησεται τα ορια επι φαραγγα καρανα επι λιβα κατα φαραγγα ιαριηλ τερεμινθος τω εφραιμ ανα μεσον πολεως μανασση και ορια μανασση επι τον βορραν εις τον χειμαρρουν και εσται αυτου η διεξοδος θαλασσα

10 απο λιβος τω εφραιμ και επι βορραν μανασση και εσται η θαλασσα ορια αυτοις και επι ασηρ συναψουσιν επι βορραν και τω ισσαχαρ απ' ανατολων

11 και εσται μανασση εν ισσαχαρ και εν ασηρ βαιθσαν και αι κωμαι αυτων και τους κατοικουντας δωρ και τας κωμας αυτης και τους κατοικουντας μαγεδδω και τας κωμας αυτης και το τριτον της ναφετα και τας κωμας αυτης

12 και ουκ ηδυνασθησαν οι υιοι μανασση εξολεθρευσαι τας πολεις ταυτας και ηρχετο ο χαναναιος κατοικειν εν τη γη ταυτη

13 και εγενηθη και επει κατισχυσαν οι υιοι ισραηλ και εποιησαν τους χαναναιους υπηκοους εξολεθρευσαι δε αυτους ουκ εξωλεθρευσαν

14 αντειπαν δε οι υιοι ιωσηφ τω ιησου λεγοντες δια τι εκληρονομησας ημας κληρον ενα και σχοινισμα εν εγω δε λαος πολυς ειμι και ο θεος ευλογησεν με

15 και ειπεν αυτοις ιησους ει λαος πολυς ει αναβηθι εις τον δρυμον και εκκαθαρον σεαυτω ει στενοχωρει σε το ορος το εφραιμ

16 και ειπαν ουκ αρκεσει ημιν το ορος το εφραιμ και ιππος επιλεκτος και σιδηρος τω χαναναιω τω κατοικουντι εν αυτω εν βαιθσαν και εν ταις κωμαις αυτης εν τη κοιλαδι ιεζραελ

17 και ειπεν ιησους τοις υιοις ιωσηφ ει λαος πολυς ει και ισχυν μεγαλην εχεις ουκ εσται σοι κληρος εις

18 ο γαρ δρυμος εσται σοι οτι δρυμος εστιν και εκκαθαριεις αυτον και εσται σοι και οταν εξολεθρευσης τον χαναναιον οτι ιππος επιλεκτος εστιν αυτω συ γαρ υπερισχυεις αυτου

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 17

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Joshua 17: The tribe of Manasseh receives the western half of its territory.

The previous chapter (Joshua 16) dealt with the territory given to Ephraim, Manasseh’s younger brother; this one covers the western half of Manasseh (the other half tribe of Manasseh was bound to live across the Jordan).

Interestingly, this chapter mentions many people by name, instead of only describing locations as we’ve seen before. Verses 1 and 2 list all seven of Manasseh’s sons and their families. Then verse 3 mentions Zelophehad, the great-grandson of Manasseh, who had had five daughters, but no sons. When Zelophehad died on the journey through the wilderness, his daughters came to Joshua to claim the inheritance Moses had promised them (see Numbers 27). So, both the sons and daughters of Manasseh’s family received land.

After the area given to Manasseh was outlined, the people of Ephraim and Manasseh came to Joshua and complained that they deserved more land, because of their important standing among the tribes of Israel (verse 14). They claimed that they had been specially blessed, and should receive much more.

Joshua told them that if they were such a great people, they should go to the forest country and seize land from the Perrizites and the giants living there. The people were not pleased, and told Joshua that the Canaanites who still roamed there were strong, and had chariots of iron. Even so, Joshua told them again to cut down the wood and use it, because they would eventually be able to drive out the Canaanites.

The spiritual meaning of this story is all about the relationship between good and truth. Again, there are many names to indicate the geography of the area of “West Manasseh”, and the meaning of these names very often links in with the spiritual meaning of the tribe. Beyond that, the specific area in Canaan given to a tribe is spiritually important. Ephraim and Manasseh are right in the middle of the land because they stand for truth and good, for truth leading to good, for good coming from truth.

The story about Zelophehad’s five daughters also relates to the place of truth and good. This is because sons stand for truths, often for truths which fight for us during our temptations, while daughters stand for the good in our spiritual life which bears ‘children’ (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 8993 [3,4]).

Verses 5 and 6 describe this union of good and truth very beautifully: “Ten portions were given to Manasseh because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons; and the rest of Manasseh’s sons had the land of Gilead.” It is worth noting here that the spiritual meaning of the number ‘ten’ has to do with wholeness, and also ‘remains,’ or memories, which the Lord imparts to us when we are very young (Arcana Caelestia 4638).

When the people of Ephraim and Manasseh complained to Joshua, it is much like us wanting our spiritual life to be easy. We want it to be something given to us, and not something which we will need to work on and even fight for in ourselves.

Finally, the meaning of using wooden chariots to fight the Canaanites means to fight from our love of what is good. This is because wood corresponds to good, since it is alive and has grown. ‘Iron’ here stands for the harshness of truth without any good, which appears invincible, but in reality is weaker than the power of goodness and love (Arcana Caelestia 426[3]).

Bible

 

Revelation 11

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1 A reed like a rod was given to me. Someone said, "Rise, and measure God's temple, and the altar, and those who worship in it.

2 Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and don't measure it, for it has been given to the nations. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months.

3 I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."

4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, standing before the Lord of the earth.

5 If anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. If anyone desires to harm them, he must be killed in this way.

6 These have the power to shut up the sky, that it may not rain during the days of their prophecy. They have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.

8 Their dead bodies will be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

9 From among the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations people will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.

10 Those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and they will be glad. They will give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

11 After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them.

12 I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here!" They went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies saw them.

13 In that day there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly.

15 The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!"

16 The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God's throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

17 saying: "We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power, and reigned.

18 The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

19 God's temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord's covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.