The Inner Meaning of the Prophets and Psalms # 140
140. Internal Meaning of Ezekiel, Chapter 17
How the Ancient Church was instituted by the Lord, and what it became among the Jewish nation (the eagle meaning the understanding, and Lebanon the rational of the church).
1-3 Those who were in the capacity to understand were brought to the church. (11, 2)
4-5 They were brought into the Lord's spiritual church, and instructed. (11, 2)
6 They became the church. (11, 2)
7-8 Others succeeded, who had not the rational of the understanding, of whom the church was to consist, and to whom all Divine truths were given, because the Word was given them, (11, 2)
9-10 but they utterly rejected all things of the church, so that they could not but be devastated of them. (2)
11-13 They destroyed them by reasonings from the natural man, (2)
14 excepting as yet a few, (2)
15-16 who, however, were natural external without an internal. (2)
17-18 Therefore they have destroyed those things which were of the church. (2)
20 They will perish by means of reasonings from the natural man, and will therefore be dispersed. (2)
22-24 The Lord will establish a new church of others, in their place. (11)
Ezekiel 17:22-24
22
Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain:
23
in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all birds of every wing; in the shade of its branches shall they dwell.
24
All the trees of the field shall know that I, Yahweh, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish; I, Yahweh, have spoken and have done it.
