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Mateus 8

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1 Quando Jesus desceu do monte, grandes multidões o seguiam.

2 E eis que veio um leproso e o adorava, dizendo: Senhor, se quiseres, podes tornar-me limpo.

3 Jesus, pois, estendendo a mão, tocou-o, dizendo: Quero; sê limpo. No mesmo instante ficou purificado da sua lepra.

4 Disse-lhe então Jesus: Olha, não contes isto a ninguém; mas vai, mostra-te ao sacerdote, e apresenta a oferta que Moisés determinou, para lhes servir de testemunho.

5 Tendo Jesus entrado em Cafarnaum, chegou-se a ele um centurião que lhe rogava, dizendo:

6 Senhor, o meu criado jaz em casa paralítico, e horrivelmente atormentado.

7 Respondeu-lhe Jesus: Eu irei, e o curarei.

8 O centurião, porém, replicou-lhe: Senhor, não sou digno de que entres debaixo do meu telhado; mas somente dize uma palavra, e o meu criado há de sarar.

9 Pois também eu sou homem sujeito à autoridade, e tenho soldados às minhas ordens; e digo a este: Vai, e ele vai; e a outro: Vem, e ele vem; e ao meu servo: Faze isto, e ele o faz.

10 Jesus, ouvindo isso, admirou-se, e disse aos que o seguiam: Em verdade vos digo que a ninguém encontrei em Israel com tamanha .

11 Também vos digo que muitos virão do oriente e do ocidente, e reclinar-se-ão à mesa de Abraão, Isaque e Jacó, no reino dos céus;

12 mas os filhos do reino serão lançados nas trevas exteriores; ali haverá choro e ranger de dentes.

13 Então disse Jesus ao centurião: Vai-te, e te seja feito assim como creste. E naquela mesma hora o seu criado sarou.

14 Ora, tendo Jesus entrado na casa de Pedro, viu a sogra deste de cama; e com febre.

15 E tocou-lhe a mão, e a febre a deixou; então ela se levantou, e o servia.

16 Caída a tarde, trouxeram-lhe muitos endemoninhados; e ele com a sua palavra expulsou os espíritos, e curou todos os enfermos;

17 para que se cumprisse o que fora dito pelo profeta Isaías: Ele tomou sobre si as nossas enfermidades, e levou as nossas doenças.

18 Vendo Jesus uma multidão ao redor de si, deu ordem de partir para o outro lado do mar.

19 E, aproximando-se um escriba, disse-lhe: Mestre, seguir-te- ei para onde quer que fores.

20 Respondeu-lhe Jesus: As raposas têm covis, e as aves do céu têm ninhos; mas o Filho do homem não tem onde reclinar a cabeça.

21 E outro de seus discípulos lhe disse: Senhor, permite-me ir primeiro sepultar meu pai.

22 Jesus, porém, respondeu-lhe: Segue-me, e deixa os mortos sepultar os seus próprios mortos.

23 E, entrando ele no barco, seus discípulos o seguiram.

24 E eis que se levantou no mar tão grande tempestade que o barco era coberto pelas ondas; ele, porém, estava dormindo.

25 Os discípulos, pois, aproximando-se, o despertaram, dizendo: Salva-nos, Senhor, que estamos perecendo.

26 Ele lhes respondeu: Por que temeis, homens de pouca fé? Então, levantando-se repreendeu os ventos e o mar, e seguiu-se grande bonança.

27 E aqueles homens se maravilharam, dizendo: Que homem é este, que até os ventos e o mar lhe obedecem?

28 Tendo ele chegado ao outro lado, à terra dos gadarenos, saíram-lhe ao encontro dois endemoninhados, vindos dos sepulcros; tão ferozes eram que ninguém podia passar por aquele caminho.

29 E eis que gritaram, dizendo: Que temos nós contigo, Filho de Deus? Vieste aqui atormentar-nos antes do tempo?

30 Ora, a alguma distância deles, andava pastando uma grande manada de porcos.

31 E os demônios rogavam-lhe, dizendo: Se nos expulsas, manda- nos entrar naquela manada de porcos.

32 Disse-lhes Jesus: Ide. Então saíram, e entraram nos porcos; e eis que toda a manada se precipitou pelo despenhadeiro no mar, perecendo nas águas.

33 Os pastores fugiram e, chegando à cidade, divulgaram todas estas coisas, e o que acontecera aos endemoninhados.

34 E eis que toda a cidade saiu ao encontro de Jesus; e vendo- o, rogaram-lhe que se retirasse dos seus termos.

   

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Apocalypse Explained # 373

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373. And he that sat upon him had a balance in his hand, signifies the estimation of truth from the Word in that state of the church. This is evident from the signification of "he that sat upon the horse," as being the Word (See above, n. 355, 356, 365); also from the signification of "balance in his hand," as being the estimation of truth from the Word; for all measures and weights mentioned in the Word, signify the estimation of the thing treated of in respect to good and in respect to truth, the numbers adjoined determining the estimation in respect to the quality and quantity thereof; as here "a measure of wheat for a denarius, and three measures of barley for a denarius" (of which presently).

There were many measures in the representative church, as the omer, the homer, the ephah, the bath, the hin (about which see Arcana Coelestia 10262); and besides there were balances and scales, by which weighings and balancings were made, and these in a particular sense signified the estimations of anything in respect to truth. For this reason also the weights of the scales were stones, or made of stones, "stones" in the Word signifying truths. That the weights were stones, or made of stone, appears from Leviticus 19:36; Deuteronomy 25:13; 2 Samuel 14:26; Isaiah 34:11; Zechariah 4:10. (That "stones" in the Word signify truths, see Arcana Coelestia 643[1-4], 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376.) Here, therefore, "a balance in the hand of him that sat upon the black horse" signifies the estimation of truth from the Word.

[2] It has been shown above that "he that sat upon the horses"-the white, the red, the black, and the pale horse-signifies the Word, and the "horses," according to their colors, signify the understanding of the Word, "the red horse" the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to good, and "the black horse" the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to truth. But as it is difficult to comprehend that "he that sat upon the horses" signifies the Word, in consequence of the red and the black horses signifying the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to good, and in respect to truth, it shall be explained how it is. The Word in itself is Divine truth, but the understanding of it is according to the state of the man who reads it. A man who is not in good perceives nothing of the good in it, and a man who is not in truths sees nothing of the truth in it; the cause of this, therefore, is not in the Word, but in him who reads it. This makes clear that "he that sat upon the horses" signifies the Word, although the horses themselves signify the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to good and in respect to truth. That "he that sat upon the white horse" signifies the Word is plainly evident in Revelation, where it is said:

The name of the one sitting upon that horse is called the Word of God (Revelation 19:13).

[3] That "a balance" or "scales" signify estimation, and also a just arrangement, which is effected by truths, is evident in Daniel:

A writing appeared upon the wall before Belshazzar the king of Babylon when he was drinking out of the vessels of gold and silver belonging to the temple of Jerusalem. Mene, Mene, Tekel, Perezin, that is, numbered, numbered, weighed, divided. This is the interpretation of these words: Mene, God hath numbered thy kingdom and brought it to an end. Tekel, Thou art weighed in the balance and art found wanting. Peres, Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Mede and the Persian (Daniel 5:25-28).

This history describes in the internal sense the profanation of good and truth, which is signified by "Babylon," for Belshazzar was king in Babylon, and a "king" in the Word signifies the same as the nation or kingdom itself over which he reigns. The profanation of the good and truth of the church is signified by "his drinking out of the vessels of gold and silver belonging to the temple at Jerusalem, and at the same time praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone" (verses 3 and 4). "The gold and silver vessels belonging to the temple at Jerusalem," signify the good and truth of heaven and the church, "gold" meaning good, and "silver" truth; and "praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone," signifies idolatrous worship of every kind, thus external worship without any internal, such as is with those who are meant by Babylon. That there is no church at all with such, because there is nothing of the good and nothing of the truth of the church in them, is signified by the writing from heaven; for "numbered, numbered," signifies exploration in respect to good and in respect to truth; "weighed in the balance," signifies estimation in accordance with their quality, and judgment; "divided," signifies dispersion and expulsion from the good and truth of the church and separation therefrom; and "kingdom" signifies the church; from which it is clear that "weighed in the scale or balance," signifies estimation in accordance with their quality. (That "to divide" signifies to disperse, to expel, and to separate from good and truth, see Arcana Coelestia 4424, 6360, 6361, 9093.) "Kingdom" means the church, because the Lord's kingdom is where the church is, therefore those who are of the church are called "sons of the kingdom" (Matthew 8:12; 13:38).

[4] In Isaiah:

Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out the heavens with a span, and embraced the dust of the earth in a measure [of three fingers]; and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in scales? (Isaiah 40:12).

These measures describe the just arrangement and estimation of all things in heaven and in the church according to the quality of good and truth. The measures here are, "the hollow of the hand," "the span of the hand," "the measure [of three fingers]," "the balance" and "the scales:" "waters" signify truths; "the heavens" interior or spiritual truths and goods; "the dust of the earth" exterior or natural truths and goods, both of heaven and of the church; "mountains" the goods of love; "hills" the goods of charity; and "to weigh" means to estimate and arrange in accordance with their quality. That such is the signification of these words, no one can see except from a knowledge of correspondences.

[5] As a just estimation and exploration of good and truth are signified in the Word by "measures," it was commanded that the measures should be just, with no fraud about them. In Moses:

Ye shall not do perversity in judgment, in measure, in weight, or in dimension. Just balances, just stones, a just ephah, and a just hin shall ye have (Leviticus 19:35-36).

So justice, where it means the estimation and exploration of men in accordance with the quality of good and truth in them, is everywhere in the Word expressed by scales and balances of various kinds, and by "ephahs," "omers," "homers," "seas," "hins" (as in Job 6:2; 31:6); and injustice is expressed by "scales and balances of fraud and deceit" (as in Hosea 12:7; Amos 8:5; Micah 6:11).

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.