Jeremias 3
1
Det heter: Når en mann lar sin hustru fare, og hun går fra ham og blir en annen manns, kan han da igjen komme tilbake til henne? Vilde ikke da landet bli vanhelliget? Og du, du har drevet hor med mange venner og skulde enda komme tilbake til mig igjen? sier Herren.
2
Løft dine øine til de bare hauger og se: Hvor er du ikke blitt vanæret? Ved veiene satt du og ventet på dem, som en araber i ørkenen, og du vanhelliget landet ved ditt hor og din ondskap.
3
Da blev regnbygene holdt tilbake, og vårregnet falt ikke; men du hadde en horkvinnes panne, du vilde ikke skamme dig.
4
Har du ikke nettop nu ropt til mig: Min far, du er min ungdoms venn?
5
Mon han vil holde fast ved sin vrede evindelig eller bevare sin harme til evig tid? Se, så talte du, og enda gjorde du det onde, og du maktet det.
6
Og Herren sa til mig i kong Josias' dager: Har du sett hvad Israel, den frafalne kvinne, har gjort? Hun gikk op på hvert høit fjell og inn under hvert grønt tre og drev hor der.
7
Og jeg sa: Når hun har gjort alt dette, vil hun vende tilbake til mig. Men hun vendte ikke tilbake, og det så hennes søster Juda, den troløse.
8
Og jeg så at enda jeg hadde latt den frafalne, Israel, fare og gitt henne hennes skilsmissebrev, fordi hun hadde drevet hor, fryktet allikevel ikke hennes søster Juda, den troløse, men gikk avsted og drev hor hun også;
9
og med sitt frekke hor vanhelliget hun landet, og hun drev hor med sten og med tre.
10
Og med alt dette vendte hennes søster Juda, den troløse, ikke tilbake til mig av hele sitt hjerte, men bare på skrømt, sier Herren.
11
Og Herren sa til mig: Den frafalne, Israel, har vist sig rettferdigere enn den troløse, Juda.
12
Gå avsted og rop ut disse ord mot nord og si: Vend tilbake, Israel, du frafalne, sier Herren; jeg vil ikke senke mitt åsyn i vrede mot eder; for jeg er miskunnelig, sier Herren, jeg vil ikke holde fast ved min vrede evindelig.
13
Bare erkjenn din misgjerning, at du er falt fra Herren din Gud og på forskjellige veier har løpet om til de fremmede guder, inn under hvert grønt tre, og på min røst har I ikke hørt, sier Herren.
14
Vend tilbake, I frafalne barn, sier Herren; for jeg er eders ekteherre, og jeg vil ta eder, en av en by og to av en ætt, og føre eder til Sion.
15
Og jeg vil gi eder hyrder efter mitt hjerte, og de skal røkte eder med forstand og visdom.
16
Og når I blir et stort og tallrikt folk i landet i de dager, sier Herren, da skal de ikke mere tale om Herrens pakts-ark eller tenke på den; de skal ikke komme den i hu og ikke savne den, og der skal ikke mere gjøres nogen slik ark.
17
På den tid skal de kalle Jerusalem Herrens trone, og alle folkene skal samle sig der, til Herrens navn i Jerusalem, og de skal ikke mere følge sitt onde, hårde hjerte.
18
I de dager skal Judas hus gå til Israels hus, og de skal komme sammen fra landet i nord til det land jeg gav eders fedre til arv.
19
Og jeg, jeg sa: Hvor høit vil jeg ikke sette dig blandt barna og gi dig et lystelig land, den herligste arv iblandt folkene! Og jeg sa fremdeles: I skal rope til mig: Min far! og ikke vende eder bort fra mig.
20
Men sannelig, som en kvinne er troløs mot sin venn, således har I vært troløse mot mig, Israels hus! sier Herren.
21
En røst høres på de bare hauger, Israels barns gråt og bønner; for de har gått på onde veier, de har glemt Herren sin Gud.
22
Vend tilbake, I frafalne barn! Jeg vil læge eders frafall. Se, vi kommer til dig; for du er Herren vår Gud.
23
Sannelig, fåfengt er det at I larmer på haugene*; sannelig, i Herren vår Gud er Israels frelse! / {* d.e. holde larmende avgudstjeneste på dem.}
24
Men den skammelige avgudsdyrkelse har fortært frukten av våre fedres arbeid helt fra vår ungdom av, deres småfe og storfe, deres sønner og døtre.
25
La oss ligge i vår vanære, og la vår skam dekke oss! For mot Herren vår Gud har vi syndet, vi og våre fedre, fra vår ungdom av like til denne dag, og vi har ikke hørt på Herrens, vår Guds røst.
Arcana Coelestia # 5319
5319. 'And clothed him in robes of fine linen' means an outward sign denoting the celestial of the spiritual, 'robes of fine linen' being truths going forth from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'robes' as truths, dealt with in 1073, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248. The reason 'robes of fine linen' means truths going forth from the Divine is that a robe made of fine linen was absolutely white and at the same time shining, and truth going forth from the Divine is represented by robes which have that kind of brightness and splendour. And the reason for this is that heaven derives its brightness and splendour from the light that flows from the Lord; and the light that flows from the Lord is Divine Truth itself, 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 1776, 3195, 3222, 3339, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862, 4415, 4419, 4526, 5219. This explains why, when the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His clothing appeared as the light, Matthew 17:2; glistening, intensely white like snow, as no fuller on earth could bleach them, Mark 9:3; and dazzling, Luke 9:29. It was Divine Truth itself going forth from the Lord's Divine Human that was represented in this manner. But they are exterior truths that are represented in heaven by the brightness of robes, whereas interior truths are represented by the brightness and splendour of the face. This is why 'being clothed in robes of fine linen' at this point means an outward sign denoting truth going forth from the celestial of the spiritual, for this was what the Lord's Divine consisted in at this time.
[2] There are other places too in the Word where truth going forth from the Divine is meant by 'fine linen' and 'robes of fine linen', as in Ezekiel,
I clothed you with embroidered cloth, and shed you with badger, and swathed you in fine linen, and covered you in silk. Thus were you adorned with gold and silver, and your robes were fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth. Ezekiel 16:10, 13.
This refers to Jerusalem, which is used in these verses to mean the Ancient Church. The truths of this Church are described by robes made of embroidered cloth, fine linen, and silk, and by being adorned with gold and silver. 'Embroidered cloth' means truths existing as facts, 'fine linen' natural truths, and 'silk' spiritual truths.
[3] In the same prophet,
Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign; violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. Ezekiel 27:7.
This refers to Tyre, which too is used to mean the Ancient Church, but so far as cognitions of good and truth are concerned. 'Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, which was its sail' means truth obtained from factual knowledge, which was the outward sign of that Church.
[4] In John,
The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over Babylon, since no one buys their wares any more, wares of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and bronze, and iron, and marble. Revelation 18:11-12.
All the specific commodities mentioned here mean the kinds of things that have to do with the Church and so truth and goodness. Here however they are used in the contrary sense because they are spoken of in reference to Babylon. Anyone may see that such commodities would never have been listed in the Word which has come down from heaven unless each one held something heavenly within it. What other reason can there be for a list of worldly wares when Babylon, meaning an unholy Church, is the subject? Similarly in the same book,
Woe, woe, the great city, you that were clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, covered 1 with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. Revelation 18:16.
[5] The fact that each commodity means something Divine and heavenly is quite evident in the same book where it states what fine linen is, namely the righteous acts of the saints,
The time of the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. At that time she was given fine linen, clean and shining, to wear; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Revelation 19:7-8.
'Fine linen' is 'the righteous acts of the saints' for the reason that all those with whom truth received from the Divine exists are clothed with the Lord's righteousness. For their robes which are bright and shining are products of the light which flows from the Lord. Therefore in heaven truth itself is represented by 'brightness', 3301, 3997, 4007; and people who are being raised to heaven from a state of vastation are seen to be clothed with brightness because they are at this point casting off the robe of their own righteousness and putting on that of the Lord's righteousness.
[6] So that truth from the Divine might be represented in the Jewish Church, they were commanded to use cotton or fine linen in Aaron's vestments, and also in the curtains around the Ark, referred to in Moses as follows,
You shall make in chequered pattern for Aaron a tunic of cotton, and you shall make a turban of cotton. Exodus 28:39.
They made tunics of cotton, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and his sons. Exodus 39:27.
You shall make the Dwelling-place, ten curtains - fine-twined cotton, violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet. Exodus 26:1; 36:8.
You shall make the court of the Dwelling-place. The hangings for the court shall be of fine-twined cotton. Exodus 27:9, 18; 38:9.
The screen for the gate of the court, the work of an embroiderer, violet and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined cotton. Exodus 38:18.
Cotton is fine linen, which they were commanded to use because each object in the Ark and around the Ark, also every detail of Aaron's vestments, were representative of spiritual and celestial realities. From this one may see that a person has only a meagre understanding of the Word if he does not know what such things represent, and scarcely any understanding at all if he thinks that the Word possesses no holiness other than that which presents itself in the letter.
[7] When angels with whom truth from the Divine is present are seen by anyone they are clothed so to speak in fine linen, that is, in shining brightness, as is evident in John where 'a white horse' is referred to,
The One seated on a white horse was clothed in a garment dyed with blood, and His name is called the Word. His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses; they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Revelation 19:11, 13-14.
These words show quite plainly that 'fine linen' is an outward sign denoting truth from the Divine, for 'the One seated on a white horse' is the Lord as to the Word; indeed those words state quite explicitly that He is the Word. The Word is truth itself received from the Divine, and 'a white horse' is the internal sense of the Word, see 2760-2762. Consequently truths received from the Divine are meant by 'white horses', for such truths constitute the whole of the internal sense of the Word. This was why His armies were seen 'on white horses' and why 'they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean'.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. literally, gilded
