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Matthew 13

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1 On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside.

2 Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.

3 He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, "Behold, a farmer went out to sow.

4 As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.

5 Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn't have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth.

6 When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away.

7 Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.

8 Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

10 The disciples came, and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

11 He answered them, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

12 For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he has.

13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don't see, and hearing, they don't hear, neither do they understand.

14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, 'By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive:

15 for this people's heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and should turn again; and I would heal them.'

16 "But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.

17 For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn't see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn't hear them.

18 "Hear, then, the parable of the farmer.

19 When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.

20 What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;

21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

22 What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

23 What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and brings forth, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty."

24 He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,

25 but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds also among the wheat, and went away.

26 But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then the darnel weeds appeared also.

27 The servants of the householder came and said to him, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where did this darnel come from?'

28 "He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and gather them up?'

29 "But he said, 'No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, "First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

31 He set another parable before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;

32 which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches."

33 He spoke another parable to them. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened."

34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn't speak to them,

35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world."

36 Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field."

37 He answered them, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,

38 the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the Kingdom; and the darnel weeds are the children of the evil one.

39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

40 As therefore the darnel weeds are gathered up and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age.

41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity,

42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

43 Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

44 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

45 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a merchant seeking fine pearls,

46 who having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

47 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind,

48 which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away.

49 So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among the righteous,

50 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth."

51 Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They answered him, "Yes, Lord."

52 He said to them, "Therefore, every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things."

53 It happened that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed from there.

54 Coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom, and these mighty works?

55 Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

56 Aren't all of his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these things?"

57 They were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house."

58 He didn't do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

   

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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.

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Arcana Coelestia # 9093

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9093. 'And divide the silver from it' means that its truth will be dispersed. This is clear from the meaning of 'dividing' as banishing and dispersing, dealt with in 6360, 6361; and from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, dealt with in 1551, 2048, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 7999. The reason why 'dividing' means dispersing is that if things existing in association are divided they are also scattered, as when a person destroys his mind by dividing it. For the human mind consists of two parts existing in association; one part is called the understanding, the other part is called the will. A person who divides these two parts scatters what belongs to each part individually; for one part must receive its life from the other, and therefore when one perishes, so does the other. It is similar when someone divides truth from good, or what amounts to the same thing, faith from charity; when anyone does this he destroys both. In short, all the things which ought to be a single whole perish if they are divided.

[2] This division is meant by the Lord's words in Luke,

No one can serve two masters; either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will prefer the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Luke 16:13.

That is, it is not possible to serve the Lord through belief in Him and at the same time serve the world by loving it, thus to acknowledge truth and at the same time to do evil. Anyone who behaves in this way has his mind divided, as a result of which it is destroyed. From all this it is evident why it is that 'dividing' means dispersing; and the same is clearly the meaning in Matthew also,

The master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and in an hour he does not know. And he will divide him and assign him his part with the hypocrites. Matthew 24:50-51.

'Dividing' here means separating and removing from forms of good and truths, 4424, thus dispersing them.

[3] In Moses,

Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is hard. 1 I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel. Genesis 49:7.

These words occur in Israel's prophetic utterance regarding Simeon and Levi. 'Simeon' and 'Levi' here represent those steeped in faith separated from charity, 6352; and 'Jacob' and 'Israel' represent the external and the internal Church, also the external and the internal man, 4286, 4598, 5973, 6360, 6361. 'Dividing them in Jacob' means banishing them from the external Church, and 'scattering them in Israel' from the internal Church, thus dispersing the Church's forms of good and its truths residing with them.

[4] It is also evident that 'dividing' has this meaning from the words written on the wall when Belshazzar king of Babel, together with his nobles, wives, and concubines, drank wine out of the vessels of gold and of silver that had belonged to the Temple in Jerusalem, Daniel 5:2-4, 25, 28. What was written said, 'Numbered, numbered, weighed, and divided,' 'divided' here meaning separated from the kingdom. Those verses show how all things at that time were representative. They describe the profanation of goodness and truth, which is meant by 'Babel'. Profanation is meant by 'Babel', see 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326. Forms of the good of love, also the truths of faith, received from the Lord, are meant by 'the vessels of gold and silver', 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917. Profanation is meant by drinking out of them, and by praising then the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone (as verse 4 says there), which are a string of evils and falsities, 4402 (end), 4544, 7873, 8941. 'The Temple in Jerusalem' from which the vessels had come means in the highest sense the Lord, and in the representative sense His kingdom and Church, 3720. Belshazzar's kingdom when it had been divided was a sign of the dispersion of goodness and truth, and his being killed that very night a sign of deprivation of the life of truth and good, which is damnation. For 'being divided' is being dispersed; 'king' is the truth of good, 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148, the same thing being meant by 'kingdom', 1672, 2547, 4691; 'being killed' means being deprived of the life of truth and good, 3607, 6767, 8902; and 'the night' in which he was killed is a state of evil and falsity, 2353, 7776, 7851, 7870, 7947. From this it is evident that all things there were representative.

[5] It says in David,

They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing cast lots. Psalms 22:18.

And in Matthew,

They divided the garments (the Lord's), casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was said by the prophet. Matthew 27:35.

Also in John,

The soldiers took the garments and made four parts; and the tunic. The tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said regarding it Let us not divide it, but cast lots for it, whose it may be - so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. John 19:23-24.

The person who reads these things, knowing nothing about the internal sense of the Word, is unaware of any arcanum that lies concealed within them, when in fact every detail holds a Divine arcanum. The arcanum was that Divine Truths had been dispersed by the Jews. For the Lord was Divine Truth, which is why He is called the Word in John 1:1 and the following verses, 'the Word' being Divine Truth. His garments represented truths in the outward form they take, His tunic truths in their inward form; and the dividing of the garments represented the dispersing of the truths of faith by the Jews. For the meaning of 'garments' as truths in the outward form they take, see 2576, 5248, 5954, 6918, and for that of 'tunic' as truth in its inward form, 4677. Truths in their outward form are truths as they exist in the literal sense of the Word, but truths in their inward form are truths as they exist in the spiritual sense of the Word. 'Dividing the garments into four parts' meant total dispersion, in the same way that dividing does in Zechariah 14:4, and elsewhere. Dividing into two parts - as it says in Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38, regarding the veil of the Temple - has a like meaning. The splitting apart of the rocks also at that time, Matthew 27:51, represented the dispersing of all matters of faith; for 'rock' means the Lord in respect of faith, and therefore means faith received from the Lord, 8581.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. i.e. cruel

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