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Esekiel 11

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1 Og et vær løftet mig op og førte mig til den østre port i Herrens hus, den som vender mot øst, og ved inngangen til porten så jeg fem og tyve menn og midt iblandt dem Ja'asanja, Assurs sønn, og Pelatja, Benajas sønn, som var høvdinger blandt folket.

2 Og Herren sa til mig: Menneskesønn! Dette er de menn som tenker ut urett og gir onde råd i denne stad,

3 de som sier: Det blir ikke så snart tale om å bygge hus*; den** er gryten, og vi er kjøttet. / {* JE 29, 5.} / {** staden.}

4 Derfor, spå mot dem, spå du menneskesønn!

5 Og Herrens Ånd falt på mig, og han sa til mig: Si: Så sier Herren: Således har I sagt, I av Israels hus, og de tanker som stiger op i eders ånd, dem kjenner jeg.

6 Mange er de som I har drept i denne stad; I har fylt dens gater med drepte.

7 Derfor sier Herren, Israels Gud, så: De som I har drept og latt ligge midt i staden, de er kjøttet, og den er gryten; men I skal føres ut av den.

8 I frykter for sverdet, og sverdet vil jeg la komme over eder, sier Herren, Israels Gud.

9 Jeg vil føre eder ut av den og gi eder i fremmedes hånd, og jeg vil holde dom over eder.

10 For sverdet skal I falle; ved Israels grense vil jeg dømme eder, og I skal kjenne at jeg er Herren.

11 Den skal ikke være en gryte for eder, og I skal ikke være kjøttet i den; ved Israels grense vil jeg dømme eder.

12 Og I skal kjenne at jeg er Herren, hvis bud I ikke har fulgt, og hvis lover I ikke har holdt; men I har holdt eder efter de hedningefolks lover som bor rundt omkring eder.

13 Mens jeg holdt på å spå, døde Pelatja, Benajas sønn, og jeg falt på mitt ansikt og ropte med høi røst og sa: Akk, Herre, Herre! Vil du aldeles gjøre ende på det som er igjen av Israel?

14 Og Herrens ord kom til mig, og det lød så:

15 Menneskesønn! Dine brødre, dine brødre, dine nære frender og hele Israels hus, hele folket*, er det til hvem Jerusalems innbyggere sier: Hold eder langt borte fra Herren! Oss er landet gitt til eiendom. / {* Talen er om dem som med Jekonja var bortført til Babel; 2KG 24, 12 fg.}

16 Derfor skal du si: Så sier Herren, Israels Gud: Da jeg lot dem fare langt bort iblandt hedningefolkene, da jeg spredte dem i landene, blev jeg en kort tid en helligdom* for dem i de land de var kommet til. / {* JES 8, 14.}

17 Derfor skal du si: Så sier Herren, Israels Gud: Jeg vil samle eder fra folkene og sanke eder fra de land som I er spredt i, og jeg vil gi eder Israels land.

18 Og når de kommer dit, da skal de få bort derfra alle de avskyeligheter og vederstyggeligheter som finnes der.

19 Og jeg vil gi dem ett hjerte, og en ny ånd vil jeg gi i deres indre; jeg vil ta bort stenhjertet av deres kjød og gi dem et kjødhjerte,

20 så de skal følge mine bud og holde mine lover og gjøre efter dem; og de skal være mitt folk, og jeg vil være deres Gud.

21 Men de hvis hjerte følger deres avskyeligheter og vederstyggeligheter*, deres gjerninger vil jeg la komme over deres eget hode, sier Herren, Israels Gud. / {* deres avguder.}

22 Da løftet kjerubene sine vinger, og hjulene fulgte med, og Israels Guds herlighet var ovenover dem.

23 Og Herrens herlighet steg op fra staden, og den blev stående på det berg som er østenfor staden.

24 Og et vær løftet mig op og førte mig i synet ved Guds Ånd til Kaldea, til de bortførte; og synet som jeg hadde sett, steg op fra mig.

25 Og jeg talte til de bortførte alle de ord som Herren hadde latt mig se.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 2921

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2921. 'My lord, you are a prince of God in the midst of us' means the Lord as regards Divine good and truth with them. This is clear from the meaning of 'a lord' and of 'a prince of God', and from the meaning of 'in the midst of us'. The fact that the expression 'lord' is used when good is the subject is clear from the Old Testament Word, for there Jehovah is sometimes called Jehovah, sometimes God, sometimes Lord, sometimes Jehovah God, sometimes Lord Jehovih, sometimes Jehovah Zebaoth, and always for a hidden reason which cannot be known except from the internal sense. In general when the celestial things of love, that is, when good, are dealt with, the name Jehovah is used, but when the spiritual things of faith are dealt with, the name God is used. And when both together are dealt with, the names Jehovah God are used. When however the Divine power of good, that is, when omnipotence is the subject, Jehovah Zebaoth (or Jehovah of Hosts), and also the Lord, are used; so that the names Jehovah Zebaoth and the name the Lord have the same sense and meaning. From this also, that is to say, from the power of good, men and angels are called 'lords', and in the contrary sense those are called servants or slaves who have no power at all or else have a power received from their lords. From these considerations it becomes clear that here 'my lord' in the internal sense means the Lord as regards good, which in what follows below will be illustrated from the Word. 'A prince of God' however means the Lord as regards the power of truth, that is, as regards truth, as becomes clear from the meaning of 'a prince' or 'princes' as first and foremost truths, dealt with in 1482, 2089, and from the fact that the phrase 'a prince of God' is used, for the name God is used when truth is dealt with but the name Jehovah when good is dealt with, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822. As regards 'in the midst of us' meaning among them or present with them, this is clear without explanation.

[2] That in the Old Testament Word the names Jehovah Zebaoth and the name Lord have the same sense and meaning is clear in Isaiah,

The zeal of Jehovah Zebaoth will do this; the Lord has sent a word into Jacob, and it has fallen on Israel. Isaiah 9:7-8.

Elsewhere in the same prophet,

A mighty king will have dominion over them, said the Lord, Jehovah Zebaoth. Isaiah 19:4.

In Malachi,

Behold, suddenly there will come to His temple the Lord whom you are seeking and the angel of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming, says Jehovah Zebaoth. Malachi 3:1.

More plainly, in Isaiah,

I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up. Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings. One called to another, Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah Zebaoth. Woe is me! For I am cut off; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah Zebaoth. And I heard the voice of the Lord. Isaiah 6:1-3, 5, 8.

From these places it is evident that Jehovah Zebaoth and the Lord have the same meaning.

[3] But 'the Lord Jehovih' is used more particularly when the help of omnipotence is sought and prayed for, as in Isaiah,

Say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord Jehovih will come with might, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will pasture His flock like a shepherd. Isaiah 40:9-11.

For further examples of this use of 'the Lord Jehovih', see Isaiah 25:8; 40:10; 48:16; 50:4-5, 7, 9; 61:1; Jeremiah 2:22; Ezekiel 8:1; 11:13, 17, 21; 12:10, 19, 28; 13:8, 13, 16, 18, 20; 14:4, 6, 11, 18, 20-21; Micah 1:2; Psalms 71:5, 16; and many other places.

[4] What is more, in the Old Testament Word 'the Lord' entails the same as 'Jehovah', that is to say, 'the Lord' is used when good is dealt with, and therefore also the Lord is distinguished from God in the same way as Jehovah is from God; as in Moses,

Jehovah your God, He is God of gods, and Lord of lords. Deuteronomy 10:17.

In David,

Confess the God of gods, for His mercy is for ever; confess the Lord of lords, for His mercy is for ever. Psalms 136:1-3.

[5] But nowhere in the New Testament Word, neither in the Gospels nor in the Book of Revelation, is Jehovah used. Instead of Jehovah the name the Lord occurs - for hidden reasons to be dealt with below. The fact that in the New Testament Word the Lord is used instead of Jehovah is quite clear in Mark,

Jesus said, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your thought, and with all your strength. Mark 12:29-30.

The same is expressed in Moses as follows,

Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah; and you shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5.

Here it is evident that the name 'the Lord' is used instead of Jehovah. Likewise in John,

I looked, and behold, a throne had been set in heaven, with one seated upon the throne. Around the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. Each had for himself six wings round about him, and was full of eyes within. They were saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God omnipotent. Revelation 4:2, 6, 8.

This is described in Isaiah as follows,

I saw the Lord seated upon a throne, high and lifted up. Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings. One called to another, Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah Zebaoth. Isaiah 6:1-3, 5, 8.

In this case 'the Lord' is used instead of 'Jehovah', that is, 'the Lord God omnipotent' instead of 'Jehovah Zebaoth'. The fact that the four living creatures are the seraphim or cherubs is evident in Ezekiel 1:5, 13-15, 19 and following verses; 10:15. That in the New Testament 'the Lord' is Jehovah is also clear from many other places, as in Luke,

An angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah. Luke 1:11.

'An angel of the Lord' is used instead of 'an angel of Jehovah'. In the same chapter the angel told Zechariah regarding his son,

He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. Luke 1:16.

'To the Lord their God' is used instead of 'to Jehovah their God'. Also in the same chapter, the angel told Mary regarding Jesus,

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of David. Luke 1:32.

'The Lord God' is used instead of 'Jehovah God'. Still in the same chapter,

Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour. Luke 1:46-47.

Here also 'the Lord' is used instead of 'Jehovah'. And again in the same chapter, Zechariah prophesied, saying,

Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. Luke 1:68.

'The Lord God' is used instead of 'Jehovah God'. In the same gospel,

An angel of the Lord stood before the shepherds, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Luke 2:9.

'An angel of the Lord' and 'the glory of the Lord' are used instead of 'an angel of Jehovah' and 'the glory of Jehovah'. In Matthew,

Blessed is He coming in the name of the Lord. Matthew 21:9; 23:39; Luke 13:35; John 12:13.

'In the name of the Lord' is used instead of 'in the name of Jehovah'. There are many other places besides all these, such as Luke 1:28; 2:15, 22-24, 29, 38-39; 5:17; Mark 12:10-11.

[6] Among the hidden reasons why people called Jehovah the Lord were the following: If when the Lord was in the world they had been told that He was the Jehovah mentioned so many times in the Old Testament, see 1736, they would not have accepted it because they would not have believed it. And there is the further reason that as regards the Human the Lord did not become Jehovah until He had in every respect united the Divine Essence to the Human Essence, and the Human Essence to the Divine Essence, see 1725, 1729, 1733, 1745, 1815, 2156, 2751. These became fully united after the final temptation, which was that of the Cross; and it was for this reason that after the Resurrection the disciples always called Him Lord, John 20:2, 13, 15, 18, 20, 25; 21:7, 12, 15-17, 20; Mark 16:19-20; and Thomas said,

My Lord and my God. John 20:28.

And as the Lord was the Jehovah mentioned so many times in the Old Testament, therefore He also told the disciples,

You call Me Master and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If therefore I your Lord and Master have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one anothers' feet. John 13:13-14, 16.

These words mean that He was Jehovah God, for in this instance He is called 'Lord' as regards good, but 'Master' as regards truth. That the Lord was Jehovah is also meant by the angel's words to the shepherds,

To you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11.

'Christ' is used instead of 'Messiah', 'Anointed One', and 'King', 'the Lord, instead of 'Jehovah' - 'Christ' having regard to truth, 'the Lord' to good. Anyone who does not examine the Word carefully cannot know this, for he believes that our Saviour was called Lord because this was an everyday expression that was used to offer respect to Him, as to others, when in reality He was so called by virtue of His being Jehovah.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Revelation 21:23-24

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23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.