A Brief Exposition of New Church Doctrine #85
85. That no others than those described above are meant by the he-goats was made clear to me by experience in the spiritual world. In that world appear all things that are in the natural world, such as houses and palaces, paradises and gardens, and in them trees of every kind; likewise fields and cultivated lands, also plains and green pastures together with flocks and herds. All these resemble those upon our earth; nor is there any other difference than that the latter are from a natural, and the former from a spiritual, origin. I have often seen sheep and he-goats there, also combats between them, like the combat described in Daniel, chapter viii. I have seen he-goats with horns bent forwards and backwards, rushing with fury upon the sheep. I have seen some he-goats with two horns, and others with four, with which they vehemently struck at the sheep; and, when I looked to see what this meant, I saw some persons disputing together concerning faith united to charity, and concerning faith separated from charity. From this it plainly appeared that the present day belief in justification by faith alone, which considered in itself is faith disjoined from charity, is the he-goat, and that faith united with charity is the sheep.
Ezekiel 34:1-16
1
The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
2
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and tell them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn't the shepherds feed the sheep?
3
You eat the fat, and you clothe yourself with the wool, you kill the fatlings; but you don't feed the sheep.
4
You haven't strengthened the diseased, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was broken, neither have you brought back that which was driven away, neither have you sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor you have ruled over them.
5
They were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the animals of the field, and were scattered.
6
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill: yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth; and there was none who searched or sought.
7
Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh:
8
As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely because my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and didn't feed my sheep;
9
therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh:
10
Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.
11
For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.
12
As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13
I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14
I will feed them with good pasture; and on the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie down in a good fold; and on fat pasture shall they feed on the mountains of Israel.
15
I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord Yahweh.
16
I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but the fat and the strong I will destroy; I will feed them in justice.
