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Leviticus 6

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1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

2 `When any person doth sin, and hath committed a trespass against Jehovah, and hath lied to his fellow concerning a deposit, or concerning fellowship, or concerning violent robbery, or hath oppressed his fellow;

3 or hath found a lost thing, and hath lied concerning it, and hath sworn to a falsehood, concerning one of all [these] which man doth, sinning in them:

4 `Then it hath been, when he sinneth, and hath been guilty, that he hath returned the plunder which he hath taken violently away, or the thing which he hath got by oppression, or the deposit which hath been deposited with him, or the lost thing which he hath found;

5 or all that concerning which he sweareth falsely, he hath even repaid it in its principal, and its fifth he is adding to it; to him whose it [is] he giveth it in the day of his guilt-offering.

6 `And his guilt-offering he bringeth in to Jehovah, a ram, a perfect one, out of the flock, at thy estimation, for a guilt-offering, unto the priest,

7 and the priest hath made atonement for him before Jehovah, and it hath been forgiven him, concerning one thing of all that he doth, by being guilty therein.'

8 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

9 `Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This [is] a law of the burnt-offering (it [is] the burnt-offering, because of the burning on the altar all the night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar is burning on it,)

10 that the priest hath put on his long robe of fine linen, and his fine linen trousers he doth put on his flesh, and hath lifted up the ashes which the fire consumeth with the burnt-offering on the altar, and hath put them near the altar;

11 and he hath stripped off his garments, and hath put on other garments, and hath brought out the ashes unto the outside of the camp, unto a clean place.

12 `And the fire on the altar is burning on it, it is not quenched, and the priest hath burned on it wood morning by morning, and hath arranged on it the burnt-offering, and hath made perfume on it [with] the fat of the peace-offerings;

13 fire is continually burning on the altar, it is not quenched.

14 `And this [is] a law of the present: sons of Aaron have brought it near before Jehovah unto the front of the altar,

15 and [one] hath lifted up of it with his hand from the flour of the present, and from its oil, and all the frankincense which [is] on the present, and hath made perfume on the altar, sweet fragrance -- its memorial to Jehovah.

16 `And the remnant of it do Aaron and his sons eat; [with] unleavened things it is eaten, in the holy place, in the court of the tent of meeting they do eat it.

17 It is not baken [with] any thing fermented, their portion I have given it, out of My fire-offerings; it [is] most holy, like the sin-offering, and like the guilt-offering.

18 Every male among the sons of Aaron doth eat it -- a statute age-during to your generations, out of the fire-offerings of Jehovah: all that cometh against them is holy.'

19 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

20 `This [is] an offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they bring near to Jehovah in the day of his being anointed; a tenth of the ephah of flour [for] a continual present, half of it in the morning, and half of it in the evening;

21 on a girdel with oil it is made -- fried thou dost bring it in; baked pieces of the present thou dost bring near, a sweet fragrance to Jehovah.

22 `And the priest who is anointed in his stead, from among his sons, doth make it, -- a statute age-during of Jehovah: it is completely perfumed;

23 and every present of a priest is a whole burnt-offering; it is not eaten.'

24 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

25 `Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, This [is] a law of the sin-offering: in the place where the burnt-offering is slaughtered is the sin-offering slaughtered before Jehovah; it [is] most holy.

26 `The priest who is making atonement with it doth eat it, in the holy place it is eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting;

27 all that cometh against its flesh is holy, and when [any] of its blood is sprinkled on the garment, that on which it is sprinkled thou dost wash in the holy place;

28 and an earthen vessel in which it is boiled is broken, and if in a brass vessel it is boiled, then it is scoured and rinsed with water.

29 `Every male among the priests doth eat it -- it [is] most holy;

30 and no sin-offering, [any] of whose blood is brought in unto the tent of meeting to make atonement in the sanctuary is eaten; with fire it is burnt.

   

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Apocalypse Explained # 548

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548. But that they should torment them five months, signifies that the understanding would be darkened and drawn away by the falsities of evil from seeing truth, so long as they were in that state. This is evident from the signification of "to torment," as being to have the understanding darkened and withdrawn from seeing truth (of which presently); also from the signification of "five months," as being so long as they are in that state. "To torment" here signifies to have the understanding darkened and drawn away from seeing truth, because this is said of the locusts and their power to hurt like scorpions, and "locusts" mean the ultimate of man's life, which is called the sensual, and the power to hurt like scorpions signifies a persuasiveness that can take away from the understanding the light of truth and induce infernal darkness; therefore it now follows that "their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when it striketh a man," for a "scorpion" signifies such persuasiveness (See above, n. 544). This is said "to torment," because it is said above that "the locusts should hurt men, but should not kill them;" and that which hurts but does not kill, torments; and the persuasiveness also, which is of the sensual man that is in the falsities of evil, hurts the understanding by darkening it and drawing it away from seeing truth, although it does not deprive it of the faculty to understand and perceive; and because it is compared with the pain from a scorpion "when it striketh a man," it is said "to torment."

[2] "Five months" signify so long as men are in that state, because a "month" signifies a state, and "five" signifies somewhat, and thus so long as "months" signify states, because all times in the Word, as "ages," "years," "weeks," "days," and "hours," signify the states of life (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 162-169), so likewise "months." That "five" signifies somewhat can be seen from the passages in the Word where that number occurs; for the numbers ten, one hundred, one thousand, signify much and all, therefore "five" signifies somewhat; for the numbers that signify much arise from the number five, which signifies somewhat, and composite and derived numbers take their signification from the simple numbers of which by multiplication they are composed, and from which they are derived (See above, n. 429, 430). "Five" also signifies so long as, because it is said "five months," and "months" here signify a state of duration. This signification of "five months" seems remote, because so long as man lives in the world he is in natural thought, and natural thought derives its ideas from spaces and times and also from numbers and measures; for these are proper to nature, because all things in nature are determined by them; while spiritual thought is without any determinate idea of space, time, number, and measure. For this reason it seems remote and strange to a man in the world, that "five months" should signify so long as that state, that is, a state of the persuasion of falsity continues, for so long the understanding is darkened and drawn away from seeing truth; but when the persuasion of falsity is removed man comes into the faculty to see truth if he wishes to see it, for every man has this faculty.

[3] That "five" signifies in the Word somewhat and some, likewise all such, and like things, can be seen from the following passages. In Matthew:

Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins, five of whom were prudent, and five foolish (Matthew 25:1, 2).

The Lord compared the kingdom of the heavens to ten virgins, because "the kingdom of the heavens" signifies the church, as does a "virgin;" and "ten virgins" signify all who are of the church; it is said that "five were prudent and five foolish," because "five" signifies some of them, or all who are such on the one part. That a "virgin" signifies the church can be seen from many passages in the Word where mention is made of "the virgin of Zion," "the virgin of Jerusalem," "the virgin of Israel," by whom the church is signified.

[4] "Ten" and "five" have a like signification in the Lord's parable of the nobleman who gave to his servants pounds to trade with:

And one from a pound gained ten pounds; and another from a pound gained five pounds; and they were therefore to have authority over so many cities (Luke 19:13-20).

The numbers "ten" and "five" are mentioned by the Lord, because "ten" signifies much, and "five" somewhat; while "their trading" signifies gaining or purchasing heavenly intelligence; and "authority over cities" signifies intelligence and wisdom, for "city" in the Word signifies doctrine, and "to have authority over it" signifies to be intelligent and wise; and "over ten cities" signifies much, and "over five" some.

[5] Again, some and all who are such, are signified by "five" in the Lord's parable of the rich man and Lazarus:

That the rich man told Abraham that he had five brethren, and asked that Lazarus might be sent to them (Luke 16:27, 28).

The rich man said that he had "five brethren" because "five" signifies all who are such. Likewise in the Lord's parable of those who were invited to the great supper:

That one excused himself because he had bought five yoke of oxen, and must go to prove them (Luke 14:19).

"Oxen" signify in the Word natural affections, and "five yoke of oxen" signify all those affections or desires that lead away from heaven; heaven and the church in regard to spiritual nourishment or instruction are signified by "the great supper" to which they were invited. Who cannot see that the number "five" in these four parables involves an arcanum, since it was employed by the Lord?

[6] Likewise in Isaiah:

In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak with the lips of Canaan, and that swear to Jehovah of Hosts. In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt (Isaiah 19:18, 19).

"In that day" signifies the Lord's coming; and "five cities in the land of Egypt speaking with the lips of Canaan" signifies that then some who are natural will become spiritual, and will acknowledge the truths of genuine doctrine, and will worship the Lord from the good of charity (this may be seen particularly explained above, n. 223. So here it is said "five cities," to mean some at that time, and also some truths of doctrine.

[7] In the same:

There shall be left in it gleanings, as in the shaking of an olive-tree, two three berries in the top of the bough, four five in the branches of the fruitful one (Isaiah 17:6).

And in Luke:

Jesus said, From henceforth there shall be five in one house divided three against two, and two against three (Luke 12:52).

That in these passages "five" signifies some, and all who are such, may be seen above (n. 532), where these passages are explained. There was a law given with the sons of Israel:

That whoever had stolen an ox, and had either killed it or sold it, should pay back five oxen (Exodus 22:1).

Here an "ox" means in the spiritual sense the good of the natural man; "to pay back five oxen for an ox" signifies that one should make sufficient amends for what he had perverted and extinguished; "to steal" means to take away, "to kill" to extinguish, and "to sell" to pervert.

[8] "The fifth part" also signifies as much as is sufficient, in Leviticus 5:16; 6:5; 22:14; 27:13, 15, 19, 27, 31; Numbers 5:6-8. Likewise:

The fifth part that Pharaoh took from the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty (Genesis 41:34; 47:24).

Likewise:

At the fifth [rib] at which Abner smote Asahel with the hinder end of his spear (2 Samuel 2:23);

"at the fifth" signifying as much as was sufficient for death; for the same number that signifies somewhat, and all on the one part, signifies also as much as is sufficient, when it is predicated of quantity, and so long as, when it is predicated of time.

[9] As this number signifies somewhat, and all of one part, so it signifies also a little and a few whenever a great quantity that is also designated by numbers follows or precedes; for then all of one part is relatively a few. Thus in Isaiah:

One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee (Isaiah 30:17).

And in Moses:

Among the curses it was said that five should chase an hundred, and an hundred, ten thousand (Leviticus 26:8).

And in the Gospels:

That the Lord fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes (Matthew 14:15-22; Mark 6:38-43; Luke 9:13-16; John 6:9-13).

That they then took up "twelve baskets of fragments" signifies fullness, thus full instruction and full blessing.

[10] Again, "five" signifies few in Luke:

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Fear not, therefore, ye are better than many sparrows (Luke 12:6, 7).

It is said "five sparrows" because fewness and what is of little value in comparison with men are meant, for it is afterwards said, "Ye are better than many sparrows." Anyone can see that this number would not have been mentioned so often by the Lord unless it had been significative. Because "five" signifies all of one part, it was commanded:

That over the tabernacle they should make ten curtains, and the five curtains should be coupled together one to another, and the other five curtains should be coupled one to another (Exodus 26:1, 3.

That "ten" signifies all in the whole complex, and "five" all of one and of the other part, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 9595, 9604).

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

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Luke 12

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1 Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

2 But there is nothing covered up, that will not be revealed, nor hidden, that will not be known.

3 Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light. What you have spoken in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

4 "I tell you, my friends, don't be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5 But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him, who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

6 "Aren't five sparrows sold for two assaria coins? Not one of them is forgotten by God.

7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don't be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.

8 "I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God;

9 but he who denies me in the presence of men will be denied in the presence of the angels of God.

10 Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11 When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, don't be anxious how or what you will answer, or what you will say;

12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say."

13 One of the multitude said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

14 But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"

15 He said to them, "Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man's life doesn't consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses."

16 He spoke a parable to them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth abundantly.

17 He reasoned within himself, saying, 'What will I do, because I don't have room to store my crops?'

18 He said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

19 I will tell my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry."'

20 "But God said to him, 'You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared--whose will they be?'

21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

22 He said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, don't be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.

23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

24 Consider the ravens: they don't sow, they don't reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!

25 Which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his height?

26 If then you aren't able to do even the least things, why are you anxious about the rest?

27 Consider the lilies, how they grow. They don't toil, neither do they spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28 But if this is how God clothes the grass in the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith?

29 Don't seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.

30 For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.

31 But seek God's Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.

32 Don't be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

33 Sell that which you have, and give gifts to the needy. Make for yourselves purses which don't grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn't fail, where no thief approaches, neither moth destroys.

34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

35 "Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning.

36 Be like men watching for their lord, when he returns from the marriage feast; that, when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord will find watching when he comes. Most certainly I tell you, that he will dress himself, and make them recline, and will come and serve them.

38 They will be blessed if he comes in the second or third watch, and finds them so.

39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into.

40 Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don't expect him."

41 Peter said to him, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?"

42 The Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?

43 Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.

44 Truly I tell you, that he will set him over all that he has.

45 But if that servant says in his heart, 'My lord delays his coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken,

46 then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn't expecting him, and in an hour that he doesn't know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful.

47 That servant, who knew his lord's will, and didn't prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes,

48 but he who didn't know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whoever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.

49 "I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled.

50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

51 Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.

52 For from now on, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53 They will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

54 He said to the multitudes also, "When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming,' and so it happens.

55 When a south wind blows, you say, 'There will be a scorching heat,' and it happens.

56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you don't interpret this time?

57 Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?

58 For when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

59 I tell you, you will by no means get out of there, until you have paid the very last penny."