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Hesekiel 1

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1 Und es geschah im dreißigsten Jahre, im vierten Monat, am Fünften des Monats, als ich inmitten der Weggeführten war, am Flusse Kebar, da taten sich die Himmel auf, und ich sah Gesichte Gottes.

2 Am Fünften des Monats, das war das fünfte Jahr der Wegführung des Königs Jojakin (Vergl. 2. Kön. 24,15,)

3 geschah das Wort Jehovas ausdrücklich zu Hesekiel, dem Sohne Busis, dem Priester, im Lande der Chaldäer, am Flusse Kebar; und daselbst kam die Hand Jehovas über ihn.

4 Und ich sah: und siehe, ein Sturmwind kam von Norden her, eine große Wolke und ein Feuer, sich ineinander schlingend (Eig. zusammengeballtes Feuer; nur hier und 2. Mose 9,24,) und ein Glanz rings um dieselbe; und aus seiner Mitte, aus der Mitte des Feuers her, strahlte es wie der Anblick von glänzendem Metall.

5 Und aus seiner Mitte hervor erschien die Gestalt (Eig. eine Ähnlichkeit; so auch nachher) von vier lebendigen Wesen; und dies war ihr Aussehen: Sie hatten die Gestalt eines Menschen.

6 Und jedes hatte vier Angesichter, und jedes von ihnen hatte vier Flügel.

7 Und ihre Füße waren gerade Füße, und ihre Fußsohlen wie die Fußsohle eines Kalbes; und sie funkelten wie der Anblick von leuchtendem (Viell. geglättetem) Erze.

8 Und Menschenhände waren unter ihren Flügeln an ihren vier Seiten; und die vier hatten ihre Angesichter und ihre Flügel.

9 Ihre Flügel waren verbunden (Eig. sich verbindend; d. h. der rechte Flügel des einen Cherubs rührte an den linken Flügel des anderen (vergl. Kap. 3,13 und 1,23), indem die Cherubim paarweise einander gegenüber standen und ein Ganzes bildeten (Vergl. v 22; Kap. 9,3;10,2. 4.15.)) einer mit dem anderen; sie wandten sich nicht, wenn sie gingen: Sie gingen ein jeder stracks vor sich hin.

10 Und die Gestalt ihres Angesichts war eines Menschen Angesicht; und rechts hatten die vier eines Löwen Angesicht, und links hatten die vier eines Stieres Angesicht, und eines Adlers Angesicht (nämlich an ihrer Hinterseite) hatten die vier.

11 Und ihre Angesichter und ihre Flügel waren oben getrennt; jedes hatte zwei Flügel miteinander verbunden (Eig. sich verbindend; d. h. der rechte Flügel des einen Cherubs rührte an den linken Flügel des anderen (vergl. Kap. 3,13 und 1,23), indem die Cherubim paarweise einander gegenüber standen und ein Ganzes bildeten (Vergl. v 22; Kap. 9,3;10,2. 4.15.),) und zwei, welche ihre Leiber bedeckten.

12 Und sie gingen ein jedes stracks vor sich hin; wohin der Geist gehen wollte, gingen sie; sie wandten sich nicht, wenn sie gingen.

13 Und die Gestalt der lebendigen Wesen: ihr Aussehen war wie brennende Feuerkohlen, wie das Aussehen von Fackeln. Das Feuer (Eig. es) fuhr umher zwischen den lebendigen Wesen; und das Feuer hatte einen Glanz, und aus dem Feuer gingen Blitze hervor.

14 Und die lebendigen Wesen liefen hin und her wie das Aussehen von Blitzstrahlen (Eig. von Zickzack des Blitzes.)

15 Und ich sah die lebendigen Wesen, und siehe, da war ein ad auf der Erde neben den lebendigen Wesen, nach ihren vier Vorderseiten (d. h. neben der Vorderseite eines jeden Cherubs.)

16 Das Aussehen der äder und ihre Arbeit war wie der Anblick eines Chrysoliths (O. eines Topases; so auch nachher,) und die vier hatten einerlei Gestalt; und ihr Aussehen und ihre Arbeit war, wie wenn ein ad inmitten eines ades wäre.

17 Wenn sie gingen, so gingen sie nach ihren vier Seiten hin: sie wandten sich nicht, wenn sie gingen.

18 Und ihre Felgen, sie waren hoch und furchtbar; und ihre Felgen waren voll Augen ringsum bei den vieren.

19 Und wenn die lebendigen Wesen gingen, so gingen die äder neben ihnen; und wenn die lebendigen Wesen sich von der Erde erhoben, so erhoben sich die äder.

20 Wohin der Geist gehen wollte, gingen sie, dahin, wohin der Geist gehen wollte; und die äder erhoben sich neben ihnen (Eig. gleichlaufend mit ihnen,) denn der Geist des lebendigen Wesens war in den ädern.

21 Wenn sie gingen, gingen auch sie, und wenn sie stehen blieben, blieben auch sie stehen; und wenn sie sich von der Erde erhoben, so erhoben sich die äder neben ihnen (Eig. gleichlaufend mit ihnen;) denn der Geist des lebendigen Wesens war in den ädern.

22 Und über den Häuptern des lebendigen Wesens war das Gebilde (Eig. eine Ähnlichkeit; so auch nachher) einer Ausdehnung (O. eines Firmaments; d. h. einer dem Himmelsgewölbe ähnlichen Wölbung,) wie der Anblick eines wundervollen (O. erschreckenden) Krystalls, ausgebreitet oben über ihren Häuptern.

23 Und unter der Ausdehnung waren ihre Flügel gerade (d. h. waagerecht) gerichtet, einer gegen den anderen; ein jedes von ihnen hatte zwei Flügel, welche ihre Leiber bedeckten (Eig. ein jedes von ihnen hatte zwei, bedeckend, und ein jedes von ihnen hatte zwei, bedeckend ihre Leiber; hieraus erhellt, daß die Cherubim in zwei Paare geteilt waren.)

24 Und wenn sie gingen, hörte ich das auschen ihrer Flügel wie das auschen großer Wasser, wie die Stimme des Allmächtigen, das auschen eines Getümmels, wie das auschen eines Heerlagers. Wenn sie still standen, ließen sie ihre Flügel sinken.

25 Und es kam eine Stimme (O. ein Donner) von oberhalb der Ausdehnung, die über ihren Häuptern war. Wenn sie still standen, ließen sie ihre Flügel sinken.

26 Und oberhalb der Ausdehnung, die über ihren Häuptern war, war die Gestalt eines Thrones wie das Aussehen eines Saphirsteines; und auf der Gestalt des Thrones eine Gestalt wie das Aussehen eines Menschen oben darauf.

27 Und ich sah wie den Anblick von glänzendem Metall, wie das Aussehen von Feuer innerhalb desselben ringsum; von seinen Lenden (Eig. von dem Aussehen seiner Lenden) aufwärts und von seinen Lenden (Eig. von dem Aussehen seiner Lenden) abwärts sah ich wie das Aussehen von Feuer; und ein Glanz war rings um denselben.

28 Wie das Aussehen des Bogens, der am egentage in der Wolke ist, also war das Aussehen des Glanzes ringsum. Das war das Aussehen des Bildes der Herrlichkeit Jehovas. -Und als ich es sah, fiel ich nieder auf mein Angesicht; und ich hörte die Stimme eines edenden.

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Apocalypse Explained #279

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279. And the second animal like a calf, signifies the appearance in ultimates of Divine good in respect to protection. This is evident from the signification of a "calf," or "bullock," as being the good of the natural man, and specifically his good of innocence and charity; and because it is the good of the natural man it also is the good of the lowest heaven, for this heaven is spiritual natural (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 29-31); and as this good is there, there is a guard or protection that the higher heavens be not approached except through the good of love and charity; this is why one cherub was like a calf. That this appearance was in ultimates, see just above n. 278. A "calf" or "bullock" signifies the good of the natural man, because animals from the herd signified the affections of good and truth in the external or natural man; and those from the flock signified the affections of good and truth in the internal or spiritual man. Those from the flock were lambs, she-goats, sheep, rams, and he-goats; those from the herd were oxen, bullocks, and calves.

[2] That "bullocks" and "calves" signify the good of the natural man is evident from the passages of the Word where they are mentioned. First from the description of the feet of the cherubim in Ezekiel:

Their foot was straight and the sole of their feet like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of burnished brass (Ezekiel 1:7).

Their foot thus appeared "straight" because the cherubim represented the Divine guard of the Lord, and the feet and the soles of the feet represented the same in ultimates or in the spiritual natural heaven and the natural world; for "feet" in general signify the natural; a "straight foot" the natural in respect to good; "the sole of the foot" the ultimate of the natural; "burnished brass" also signifies good in the natural. From this it is clear that good in the natural is signified by a "calf," and that in this is the ultimate good that guards and protects lest the heavens be approached except through the good of love and charity. (That "feet" signify the natural, see Arcana Coelestia 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952, 5327, 5328; that that which is to the right signifies good from which is truth, n. 9604, 9736, 10061; therefore a "straight foot" signifies the natural in respect to good. That "palms," "soles," and "hoofs," signify the ultimates in the natural, see n. 4938, 7729; and that "burnished brass" signifies natural good, see above, n. 70)

[3] In Hosea:

Return ye to Jehovah; say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and accept good, and we will pay back the bullocks of our lips (Hosea 14:2).

What it is to "pay back the bullocks of the lips" no one can know unless he knows what "bullocks" and what "lips" signify; they mean evidently confession and thanksgiving from a good heart; but it is thus expressed because "bullocks" signify external good, and "lips" doctrine; therefore "paying back the bullocks of the lips" signifies to confess and give thanks from the goods of doctrine. (That "lips" signify doctrine, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 1286, 1288.)

[4] In Amos:

Ye cause the habitation of violence to draw near; they lie upon beds of ivory, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall (Amos 6:3, 4).

Here those who have an abundance of the knowledges of good and truth and yet lead an evil life are treated of; "to eat the lambs out of the flock" signifies to imbibe the knowledges of internal good or of the spiritual man; and "to eat the calves out of the midst of the stall" signifies to imbibe the knowledges of external good or of the natural man; and "to cause the habitation of violence to draw near" is to live a life contrary to charity.

[5] In Malachi:

Unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise and healing in His wings; that ye may go forth, and grow up as fatted calves (Malachi 4:2).

The "Sun of righteousness that shall arise to them that fear the name of Jehovah" signifies the good of love; and "healing in His wings" signifies the truth of faith; therefore "to go forth, and grow up as fatted calves," signifies the increase of all good, "fatted" and "fat" also signifying good.

[6] In Luke:

The father said of the prodigal son who returned penitent in heart, Bring forth the first robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, that we may eat and be glad (Luke 15:22, 23).

He who is acquainted only with the sense of the letter believes that no deeper meaning is contained in this than appears in that sense, when yet every particular involves heavenly things; as that they should "put on him the first robe," that they should "put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet," that they should "bring forth the fatted calf, that they might eat and be merry." By "the prodigal son" those who are prodigal of spiritual riches, which are the knowledges of truth and good, are meant; "his returning to his father, and his confession that he was not worthy to be called his son," signifies penitence of heart and humiliation; "the first robe with which he was clothed," signifies general and primary truths; "the ring on the hand" signifies the conjunction of truth and good in the internal or spiritual man; "the shoes on the feet" signify the same in the external or natural man, and both signify regeneration; "the fatted calf" signifies the good of love and charity; and "to eat and be glad" signifies consociation and heavenly joy.

[7] In Jeremiah:

I will give the men that have transgressed My covenant, who have not established the words of the covenant which they made before Me, that of the calf, which they cut in twain that they might pass between the parts thereof, the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the royal ministers and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf, I will even give them into the hands of their enemies, that their carcass may be for food to the bird of the heavens (Jeremiah 34:18-20).

What is meant by "the covenant of the calf," and by "passing between its parts," no one can know without knowing what a "covenant" signifies, and a "calf," and its being "cut in twain;" then what is meant by "the princes of Judah and Jerusalem," by "the royal ministers," "the priests," and "the people of the land." Some heavenly arcanum is evidently meant; and it can be understood when it is known that a "covenant" means conjunction; a "calf" good, a "calf cut in twain" good proceeding from the Lord on the one hand, and good received by man on the other, whence is conjunction; and that "the princes of Judah and of Jerusalem, the royal ministers, the priests, and the people of the land," mean the goods and truths of the church; and that "to pass between the parts" means to conjoin. When these things are known, the internal sense of these words can be seen, namely, that there was no conjunction by the goods and truths of the church with that nation, but disjunction.

[8] Like things are involved in the "covenant of the calf" with Abram, of which in Genesis:

Jehovah said to Abram, Take to thee an heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. And he took him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each part over against the other; but the birds divided he not. And the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses; and Abram drove them away. And the sun was at its going down, and a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, a terror of great darkness fell upon him. And in that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram (Genesis 15:9-12, 18).

The "terror of great darkness" that fell upon Abram signified the state of the Jewish nation, which was in the greatest darkness in respect to the truths and goods of the church. This state of that nation is what is described in the prophet by "the covenant of the calf which they cut into two parts, between which they passed." Since a "calf" signifies the good of the natural man and its truth, which is knowledge [scientificum]; and since the natural man and its knowledge [scientificum] is signified by "Egypt," therefore in the Word Egypt is called a "she-calf," and a "he-calf;" moreover, when they applied the knowledges [scientifica] of the church to magical and idolatrous purposes they turned the calf into an idol; this was why the sons of Israel made to themselves a he-calf in the wilderness, and worshiped it, and also why they had a calf in Samaria.

[9] That Egypt was called a he-calf and a she-calf can be seen in Jeremiah:

A very fair she-calf is Egypt; destruction cometh out of the north, her hirelings in the midst of her are like he-calves of the stall (Jeremiah 46:20-21).

Respecting the calf that the sons of Israel made to themselves in the wilderness, see Exodus 32; and respecting the "calf of Samaria" (1 Kings 12:28-32), about which is the following in Hosea:

They have made a king, but not by Me; they have made princes, and I knew it not; of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. Thy calf, O Samaria, hath forsaken thee. For it was from Israel; the workman made it, and it is not God; the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces (Hosea 8:4-6).

This treats of the corrupt explanation of the Word, when the sense of its letter is turned to favor self-love, and the principles of religion derived therefrom. "They have made a king, but not by Me, and they have made princes, and I knew it not," signifies doctrines from self-intelligence, which in themselves are falsities, but which they make to appear as truths; for "king" signifies truth, and in a contrary sense, falsity; "princes" signify primary truths, or falsities, which are called principles of religion. "To make idols of their silver and their gold" signifies to pervert the truths and goods of the church, and still to worship them as holy, although as they are from self-intelligence they are destitute of life; "silver" is the truth, and "gold" the good, which are from the Lord; "idols" signify worship from doctrine that is from self-intelligence; "the workman made it, and it is not God," signifies that is from the selfhood [ex proprio], and not from the Divine; "to be broken in pieces" signifies to be dispersed; which makes clear what is signified by the "calf of Samaria." Because "calves" signified the good of the natural man, calves were also sacrificed (See Exodus 29:11, 12 seq.; Leviticus 4:3, 13; 8:15 seq.; 9:2; 16:3; 23:18; Numbers 8:8 seq.; 15:24; 28:19, 20; Judges 6:25-29; 1 Samuel 1:25; 16:2; 1 Kings 18:23-26, 33); for all the animals that were sacrificed signified the goods of the church of various kinds.

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

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The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Teachings #1

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1. The New Heaven and the New Earth, and What Is Meant by "the New Jerusalem"

It says in the Book of Revelation,

I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and on the gates were twelve angels, and names written that are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The city was laid out as a square; its length was as great as its breadth.

And [the angel who talked with me] measured the city with a reed: twelve thousand stadia. 1 Its length, breadth, and height were equal.

Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, 2 which is the measure of a human being, that is, of an angel. 3

Its wall was made of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 4 The foundations of the wall of the city were made of precious stones of every kind.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

The glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb was its light.

The nations of those who are saved will walk in its light, and the monarchs of the earth will bring their glory and honor into it. (Revelation 21:1, 2, 12-24)

When people read this, they understand it only in literal terms. 5 They think that the visible heavens are going to be destroyed along with the earth and that new heavens are going to come into being and come down onto the new earth in the form of a holy city, a Jerusalem with the dimensions given in the description.

[2] Angels understand it in a completely different way, though. They understand in a spiritual way the details that we understand in an earthly way, 6 and they understand what those details really mean. This is the inner or spiritual meaning of the Word. 7 In the deeper or spiritual meaning that angels are engaged in, a new heaven and a new earth mean a new church both in heaven and on earth (both will be discussed later [§§2-5]). The holy city coming down from God out of heaven means its heavenly teachings. Its length, breadth, and height, which were equal, mean everything in those teachings that is good and true, all gathered together. Its wall means the truths that protect it. The measure of the wall, being one hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a human being, that is, of an angel means all those protective truths gathered together, as well as the nature of those truths. The twelve gates, which were pearls, mean introductory truths, as do the twelve angels on the gates. The foundations of the wall, which were made of precious stones of every kind, mean the knowledge on which the teachings are based. The twelve tribes of Israel mean all elements of the church in general and in particular, as do the twelve apostles. The gold like clear glass that the city and streets were made of means good actions done out of love, 8 which cause the teachings and their truths to shine. The nations of those who are saved and the monarchs of the earth who will bring their glory and honor into it mean everyone in the church who is devoted to what is good and true. 9 God and the Lamb mean the Lord's 10 divine nature itself and his divine-human nature. 11

[3] This is what the spiritual meaning of the Word is like; the earthly or literal meaning serves as its foundation. All the same, these two meanings, the spiritual and the earthly, are bound together by their correspondence. 12 I will not take the time here to show that this kind of spiritual meaning is present throughout because that is not my current task, but the reader may see what is presented in the following passages of Secrets of Heaven. 13

On earth in the Word as meaning the church, especially where earth means the land of Canaan: Secrets of Heaven §§662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1413, 1607, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 8011, 9325, 9643. This is because earth, spiritually understood, means the people who live there and their worship: 1262. The people of the earth [or the land] mean those who are part of the spiritual church: 2928. The new heaven and the new earth mean whatever is new in the heavens and on earth in terms of what is good and true, which means in matters of the church in both realms: 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535, 10373. On the meaning of the first heaven and the first earth that had passed away, see the booklet The Last Judgment and Babylon Destroyed 14 from beginning to end, especially §§65-72.

[4] On Jerusalem meaning the church in regard to its teachings, see Secrets of Heaven 402, 3654, 9166. On cities meaning the teachings that are part of a church and a religion, see 402, 2451, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493. On the wall of the city meaning the protective truth of the teachings, see 6419. On the gates of the city meaning truths that lead us to a body of teaching and through that teaching into the church, see 2943, 4477, 4492, 4493. On the twelve tribes of Israel as representing and therefore symbolizing 15 everything good and true in the church both in general and in particular, and therefore all aspects of faith and love, see 3858, 3926, 6335, 6640. The meaning of the twelve apostles of the Lord is much the same: 2129, 3272, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397. When it says that the apostles will sit on twelve thrones and will judge the twelve tribes of Israel [Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30], it means that everyone will be judged according to the true and good principles of the church and therefore by the Lord who is their source: 2129, 6397. Twelve means everything taken together: 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913.

[5] The same holds true for one hundred and forty-four because this is twelve times twelve: 7973. It holds true also for twelve thousand: 7973. All the numbers in the Word have definable meanings: 482, 487, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 6175, 9488, 9659, 10217, 10253. Multiples mean much the same as the individual factors that are multiplied to produce them: 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973. The measure means what a given thing is like in regard to its truth and goodness: 3104, 9603, 10262. The foundations of the wall mean the knowledge of truth on which elements of the teachings are based: 9643. Square means complete: 9717, 9861. Length means goodness and its extent, and breadth means truth and its extent: 1613, 9861. Precious stones mean true perceptions that arise from what is good: 114, 9863, 9865. On the precious stones in the Urim and Thummim, 16 both in general and specifically, see 3862, 9864, 9866, 9891, 9905. On the jasper of which the wall was made, see 9872.

[6] The street of the city means the truth of the teachings that arises from what is good: 2336. Gold means good actions that come from love: 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881. Glory means divine truth as it exists in heaven and the intelligence and wisdom that result from it: 4809, 5922, 8267, 8427, 9429, 10574. Nations mean the people in the church who are committed to what is good, and in an abstract sense the good actions that are taught by the church: 1159, 1258, 1260, 1285, 1416, 1849, 4574, 7830, 9255, 9256. Monarchs mean the people in the church who are committed to what is true, and in an abstract sense the truths that are taught by the church: 1672, 2015, 2069, 4575, 5044. The rituals involved in royal coronations have to do with matters of divine truth, but nowadays awareness of this symbolism has vanished: 4581, 4966 (which contain further discussion about divine truth).

Bilješke:

1. A stadium ("stadia" is the plural) was an ancient Greek unit of distance. It was always equal to 600 feet in the local measuring units, but since that local value varied, the value of the stadium itself cannot be stated definitively. By one common estimate, it can be taken to equal about 607 (United States customary) feet, or 185 meters. A distance of twelve thousand stadia would then be approximately 1380 miles, or 2220 kilometers. See the Oxford Classical Dictionary, under "measures"; for examples of the variation in this unit in just one ancient Greek author, see the article cited there, Bauslaugh 1979, 5-6, with note 6 in New Jerusalem 2. [SS, JSR]

2. A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow, approximately seventeen to eighteen inches (43. 18 to 45. 72 centimeters). The extent in question is presumably the height of the wall surrounding the city (which is far less than the height of the entire city), though some interpreters hold that the measurement refers to the thickness of the walls. In any case, the measurement would equate with approximately 204 to 216 feet (62. 18 to 65. 8 meters). [GFD, RS, SS]

3. The statement in Revelation 21:17 that "one hundred and forty-four cubits" is "the measure of a human being, that is, of an angel" is somewhat obscure. Given the reference to a measuring rod used by the angel in the preceding verses (Revelation 21:15-16), the natural inclination is to interpret this passage about the measurement of the wall as indicating that a cubit is the human standard of measurement that the particular angel in question was using, as many modern translations do; see, for example, the New Revised Standard Version, the New International Version, and the International Standard Version. However, Swedenborg interprets the wording nonidiomatically as indicating that both a human and an angel have the same measure; and since according to Swedenborg the inner meaning of "measure" is the quality of a thing (in the case of a person, the quality of her or his goodness and truth), the statement, he says, indicates that humans and angels have the same spiritual quality. See, for example, Secrets of Heaven 8988[4], 9603:2, 10217:9; Heaven and Hell 73; Revelation Unveiled 910; Revelation Explained (= Swedenborg 1994-1997a) §430:4. In the last cited section especially, Swedenborg states that the words in this verse mean specifically that one hundred and forty-four cubits (which has its own inner meaning), and not just a single cubit, is the measurement of a human being and also of an angel. In several of the passages cited he also says that this verse is unintelligible if the New Jerusalem is understood as a literal city. See also the similar line of argument in New Jerusalem 6. [LSW]

4. The literal meaning of the phrase "pure gold, like clear glass" in the biblical text here (Revelation 21:18), like the meaning of "pure gold, like transparent glass" in a later verse (Revelation 21:21), is not certain, but it probably is meant to suggest an idealized gold so free of opaque impurities as to take on the transparent qualities of crystalline glass. Compare 1 Kings 6:20-22, 28, 30, 32, in which the interior of Solomon's temple is said to be covered with pure gold. [SS]

5. Literal interpretations of the Book of Revelation are more common than allegorical or esoteric interpretations of the text. One of the earliest attestations of a literal interpretation can be found in the writings of the church father Justin Martyr (around 100-around 165 C. E.): "A man among us, named John, one of Christ's apostles, received a revelation and foretold that the followers of Christ would dwell in Jerusalem for a thousand years, and that afterward the universal and, in short, everlasting resurrection and judgment would take place" (Justin Martyr Dialogue with Trypho, §81 [= Justin Martyr 2003, 127]). Whether literal or otherwise, interpretations of Revelation have been broadly grouped into three categories: the eschatological, which see the text as dealing explicitly with the end times; the historical, which see it as reflecting current events at the time of the work's composition in the late first century of the Christian era; and the mythological, which view it as a compendium of earlier legendary material (McGinn 1979, 13). Swedenborg's interpretation does not fall into any of these categories. For more discussion, see the introduction, pages 70-72. [RS]

6. The Latin word here translated "in an earthly way" is naturaliter, traditionally translated "naturally. " In Swedenborg's terminology, the concept of "the natural" denotes a range of things from what is purely physical and material to what is earthly in the minds or preoccupations of angels and spirits, who are themselves nonmaterial beings. (On angels and spirits in Swedenborg's works, see note 2 in New Jerusalem 25.) [JSR]

7. By "the Word" Swedenborg generally means the Bible-a terminology that was prominent in the world of his Lutheran upbringing. However, though he does at times use the term in that general sense, especially in his later theological works, his predominant use of it refers to a biblical canon that is a subset of the Protestant canon. His canon is defined and listed in three parallel passages in his earlier theological works: Secrets of Heaven 10325, New Jerusalem266, and White Horse 16. In these passages Swedenborg defines "the Word" as those books of the Bible "that have an inner meaning" (more on this below), and provides a list of the books that qualify. In New Jerusalem 266 the relevant passage reads: "In the Old Testament, the books of the Word are the following: the five books of Moses, the Book of Joshua, the Book of Judges, the two books of Samuel, the two books of Kings, the Psalms of David, and the prophets-Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. In the New Testament: the four Gospels-Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John-and the Book of Revelation. " The books in the Protestant and Catholic canons of the Bible that are not on this list-namely, Ruth, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) in the Old Testament; all the books now included in the Apocrypha; and Acts and the Epistles in the New Testament-are not part of "the Word" as Swedenborg most commonly uses the term. However, in his last theological works and manuscripts, which seem to be addressed more specifically to a traditional Christian audience, he often uses the term "the Word" to refer to the more familiar Protestant canon of Scripture, including Acts and the Epistles; see, for example, True Christianity 158, 176, 601, 675:2, 730:1; Draft for "Coda to True Christianity" (= Swedenborg 1996a) §§2:3, 23:2; Draft Invitation to the New Church (= Swedenborg 1996c) §Draft Invitation to the New Church 47. In one of these passages, for example, he cites a phrase that is "frequently mentioned in the Word of the New Testament, both in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles and their Epistles" ( True Christianity 158). In two other passages, he apparently refers to Acts and the Epistles as "the Apostolic Word" (Draft for "Coda True Christianity" 1, 59:5; compare True Christianity 730:1). By contrast, he never overtly quotes or cites Acts or the Epistles in his earlier works, such as Secrets of Heaven and the works of 1758, although there are allusions to them. The first explicit reference to Acts or the Epistles in his published theological writings occurs in his 1764 work Divine Providence 115, in which he quotes Romans 3:28 and Romans 3:31. However, in his earlier works there are scattered explicit references to several books in the Protestant canon of the Old Testament that are not included in Swedenborg's canon: 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Job, and Song of Solomon. References to the Book of Job, in particular, are occasionally included in lists of references to passages from "the Word" (see, for example, Secrets of Heaven 46, 737, 3901, 9125, 9818), indicating that even in his earlier works Swedenborg sometimes uses that term in its more generally accepted meaning. Still, he is careful to point out that although Job and the Song of Solomon, in particular, are ancient books containing deeper meanings, they do not have the same kind of inner meaning that is contained in the books he defines more specifically as "the Word" (see, for example, Secrets of Heaven 1756:2, 3540:4, 9942:5; Sacred Scripture 20). The inner meaning of the books he includes in his canon of Scripture, he says, is characterized by a "vertical" series of layers of meaning that extend inward and upward all the way to the Lord, and whose subject is the Lord, his kingdom, and the church, which is the Lord's kingdom on earth (see Secrets of Heaven 1-4, 2343:2, 4442:2, 5275:2, 7417). He also describes that inner meaning as being "horizontally" continuous in the sense of extending seamlessly from one word, verse, and chapter to the next, without break or interruption (see Secrets of Heaven 1659:1-2, 2102:2, 4987, 7933:3, 9022). Without this type of "vertical" and "horizontal" series and continuity of deeper meaning, Swedenborg says, a book is not a book of "the Word" in the fullest and most proper sense of the term-which is the sense in which he most commonly uses that term in his theological writings. [JSR, LSW]

8. The Latin words here translated "good actions done out of love" are bonum amoris, literally, "the good of love," or "the good that arises from love. " The Latin word bonum (literally, "good thing"), as used by Swedenborg, very often has the sense of "goodness, or a good, that arises specifically out of an action performed," or "a good action," or "a good thing done. " See Chadwick and Rose 2008, under bonum, definition 4, and under bonus, definition 6. This use of the word is much in keeping with Swedenborg's focus on the importance of "doing" truth, goodness, and love rather than merely knowing or acknowledging the importance of those things. See, for example, Secrets of Heaven 4538:4-5, 5595:1, 9282; New Jerusalem 23:1 and note 1 in New Jerusalem 23 there. [SS]

9. "What is good" (Latin bonum) and "what is true" (Latin verum) and their respective equivalents "goodness," "good," or "the good," and "truth" are the most frequently occurring terms in Swedenborg's theological works. Echoing ancient philosophical and ethical traditions, in Swedenborg's theology these concepts stand in a complementary relationship to all things: that is, absolutely everything, whether physical, psychological, or spiritual, relates to goodness or truth or to a "marriage" of both (or to their opposites, evil and falsity). Their complementarity is so all-encompassing that in the relevant chapter in this work (New Jerusalem 11-19, with further references to Secrets of Heaven in §§20-27), Swedenborg defines them only in terms of each other. In Swedenborg's system, goodness encompasses affective qualities such as love, affection, desire, and caring, and corresponds to physical heat, while truth encompasses cognitive qualities such as wisdom, thought, perception, and faith, and corresponds to physical light (on "caring," see note 3 in New Jerusalem 2; on "correspondences," see note 12 in New Jerusalem 1). Swedenborg uses these terms almost algebraically to stand in for things ranging from the sublimely abstract to the utterly concrete. [JSR]

10. In Swedenborg's works, "the Lord" (Latin Dominus) generally refers to Jesus Christ as God, though sometimes to God previous to the Incarnation. A core concept in Swedenborg's theology is that there are not three persons in the Trinity; there is one person, whose soul is the unknowable Divine, whose human manifestation is Jesus Christ, and whose operative influence is the Holy Spirit. Of the many names and terms from philosophical and biblical backgrounds that Swedenborg uses to denote God (the Divine Being, the Divine, the Divine-Human One, the One, the Infinite, the First, the Creator, the Redeemer, the Savior, Jehovah, God Shaddai, and many more), "the Lord" is the most frequently met with. It is a title rather than a name, meaning "the one in charge," and referring to Jesus Christ as the manifestation of the one and only God. For Swedenborg's brief explanation of his reasons for using "the Lord," see Secrets of Heaven 14. See also chapter 2 of True Christianity. [JSR]

11. The Latin here translated "divine-human nature" is Divinum Humanum, in which two adjectives are put together to form a noun, meaning "that which is both divine and human. " The Latin is a term of neuter grammatical gender. Swedenborg also uses a parallel phrase made up of two nouns, Deus Homo, "God-Human. " In Swedenborg's theology, the divine-human nature generally refers to God existing and appearing in human form, and more specifically to the Lord (Jesus Christ) when fully "glorified" (see note 113) or made divine. For more on the divine-human nature as compared to the divine nature itself, see New Jerusalem 282-297; Secrets of Heaven 3061, 6280, 6880, 10579; True Christianity 82-84, 92-94, 101-102. See also the extensive references to Secrets of Heaven in New Jerusalem 298-306. [GFD, LSW]

12. The concept of correspondence is briefly defined in Divine Love and Wisdom 71as "the mutual relationship between spiritual and earthly things. " In its full formulation, it holds that there are two separate "universes" or worlds, one spiritual and one material, that are related to each other through similarity but not through any shared matter or direct continuity. The material world is caused by God through the spiritual world and therefore reflects that constantly changing world; physical phenomena and events offer images of-that is, are "responsive to" or "correspond to"-spiritual phenomena and events. Swedenborg sees his canon of "the Word" (see note 7 in New Jerusalem 1) as "written in pure correspondences" (Heaven and Hell 114), and so understands the earthly circumstances, characters, and events it describes as reflections or images of spiritual ones. [JSR, SS, GFD]

13. Secrets of Heaven was published by Swedenborg in London in eight volumes between 1749 and 1756. [Editors]

14. In this edition, the work Swedenborg mentions here is referred to by the short title Last Judgment. It was published by Swedenborg in London in 1758. [Editors]

15. The Latin word here translated "representing" is a form of the verb repraesentare; the Latin word translated "symbolizing" is a form of the verb significare. These terms are heavily used in Swedenborg's theology, and they have related but distinguishable meanings. Both indicate the presence of an inner meaning in an object, person, name, or action, but symbolism directs our attention to the meaning itself (especially as communicated by words), whereas representation generally directs our attention to the living enactment of that meaning (especially by persons). A typical example occurs in Secrets of Heaven 3131, which expounds a phrase in Genesis 24:29, "And Laban ran to the man outside at the spring. " Swedenborg describes this as symbolizing the predisposition that goodness has toward truth; running symbolizes predisposition, and a man symbolizes truth, as does a spring, but Laban represents a desire for what is good. These distinctions apply only where Swedenborg is using the word symbolize in a technical sense. Often he uses it much more broadly. For more on these distinctions in inner meaning in relation to various modes of biblical writing, see Secrets of Heaven 66. On representations in general, see Secrets of Heaven 4044. [LHC, GHO]

16. "Urim" and "Thummim" are transliterations of two plural Hebrew words, אוּרִים ('ûrîm) and תּוּמִּים (tummîm), meaning "the lights" and "the perfections," respectively. (Swedenborg adds that Thummim means "radiance" in the language of angels; see True Christianity 218.) The Urim and Thummim were associated with the breastplate of the high priest of the Israelites (Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8). Their exact nature and function are unknown. Swedenborg equates them with the breastplate itself (as seems to be the case here), and also with the stones in it (see Secrets of Heaven 3858:9, 3862, 6335:2, 9905; True Christianity 218; Revelation Explained [= Swedenborg 1994-1997a] §431:3, 15). The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (37 or 38-after 93 C. E.) states: "God declared beforehand, by those twelve stones which the high priest bare on his breast, and which were inserted into his breastplate, when [the Israelites] should be victorious in battle; for so great a splendor shone forth from [the stones] before the army began to march, that all the people were sensible of God's being present for their assistance" (Flavius Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 3. 8. 9 = Josephus 1997, 105). Hence the common view that the Urim and Thummim were themselves the twelve stones and grew bright or dimmed in response to questions. This view is reflected in Swedenborg's discussions of them, as seen in the references above, and in Secrets of Heaven 6640:2. A comprehensive recent study (Van Dam 1997) does conclude that "Urim and Thummim" should be translated as "perfect light" and that they were believed to authenticate inspired prophecy. According to Van Dam's reconstruction of Jewish belief about their usage, military or political questions with existential significance for the kingdom of Israel would be ritually posed to the high priest; the high priest would then respond in the form of an ecstatic or prophetic utterance, and the Urim and Thummim on his breastplate would shine with "perfect light" if his words had been sent by Jehovah. Nevertheless, 1 Samuel 14:41-42, the most specific description of their use, suggests that they were a kind of lot. Other references in the Hebrew Bible give little indication of what they were or how they were used: Numbers 27:21; Deuteronomy 33:8; 1 Samuel 28:6; Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65. [LHC, RS, JSR, DNG, LSW]

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