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Hesekiel 40

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1 Im fünfundzwanzigsten Jahr unsers Gefängnisses, im Anfang des Jahres, am zehnten Tage des Monden, das ist das vierzehnte Jahr, nachdem die Stadt geschlagen war, eben am selbigen Tage kam des HERRN Hand über mich und führete mich daselbst hin

2 durch göttliche Gesichte, nämlich ins Land Israel, und stellete mich auf einen sehr hohen Berg, darauf war es wie eine gebauete Stadt vom Mittag herwärts.

3 Und da er mich daselbst hingebracht hatte, siehe, da war ein Mann, des Gestalt war wie Erz; der hatte eine leinene Schnur und eine Meßrute in seiner Hand und stund unter dem Tor.

4 Und er sprach zu mir: Du Menschenkind, siehe und höre fleißig zu und merke eben darauf, was ich dir zeigen will! Denn darum bist du hergebracht, daß ich dir solches zeige, auf daß du solches alles, was du hie siehest, verkündigest dem Hause Israel.

5 Und siehe, es ging eine Mauer auswendig am Hause ringsumher. Und der Mann hatte die Meßrute in der Hand, die war sechs Ellen lang; eine jegliche Elle war eine Handbreit länger denn eine gemeine Elle. Und er maß das Gebäude in die Breite eine Rute und in die Höhe auch eine Rute.

6 Und er kam zum Tor, das gegen Morgen lag, und ging hinauf auf seinen Stufen und maß die Schwellen am Tor, eine jegliche Schwelle eine Rute breit.

7 Und die Gemächer, so beiderseits neben dem Tor waren, maß er auch, nach der Länge eine Rute und nach der Breite eine Rute; und der Raum zwischen den Gemächern war fünf Ellen weit. Und er maß auch die Schwellen am Tor neben der Halle von inwendig eine Rute.

8 Und er maß die Halle am Tor von inwendig eine Rute.

9 Und maß die Halle am Tor acht Ellen und seine Erker zwo Ellen und die Halle von inwendig des Tors.

10 Und der Gemächer waren auf jeglicher Seite drei am Tor gegen Morgen, je eins so weit als das andere; und stunden auf beiden Seiten Erker, die waren gleich groß.

11 Danach maß er die Weite der Tür im Tor, nämlich zehn Ellen, und die Länge des Tors dreizehn Ellen.

12 Und vorne an den Gemächern war Raum auf beiden Seiten, je einer Elle; aber die Gemächer waren je sechs Ellen auf beiden Seiten.

13 Dazu maß er das Tor vom Dache des Gemachs bis zu des Tors Dach, fünfundzwanzig Ellen breit; und eine Tür stund gegen der andern.

14 Er machte auch Erker sechzig Ellen und vor jeglichem Erker einen Vorhof am Tor ringsherum.

15 Und bis an die Halle am innern Tor, da man hineingehet, waren fünfzig Ellen.

16 Und es waren enge Fensterlein an den Gemächern und Erkern hineinwärts, am Tor ringsumher. Also waren auch Fenster inwendig an den Hallen herum, und an den Erkern umher war Palmlaubwerk.

17 Und er führete mich weiter zum äußern Vorhof; und siehe, da waren Kammern und ein Pflaster gemacht im Vorhof herum und dreißig Kammern auf dem Pflaster.

18 Und es war das höhere Pflaster an den Toren, so lang die Tore waren, am niedrigen Pflaster.

19 Und er maß die Breite des untern Tors vor dem innern Hofe, auswendig hundert Ellen, beide, gegen Morgen und Mitternacht.

20 Also maß er auch das Tor, so gegen Mitternacht lag, am äußern Vorhofe, nach der Länge und Breite.

21 Das hatte auch auf jeder Seite drei Gemächer und hatte auch seine Erker und Hallen, gleich so groß wie am vorigen Tor, fünfzig Ellen die Länge und fünfundzwanzig Ellen die Breite.

22 Und hatte auch seine Fenster und seine Hallen und sein Palmlaubwerk, gleichwie das Tor gegen Morgen; und hatte sieben Stufen, da man hinaufging, und hatte seine Halle davor.

23 Und es war das Tor am innern Vorhof gegen das Tor, so gegen Mitternacht und Morgen stund; und maß hundert Ellen von einem Tor zum andern.

24 Danach führete er mich gegen Mittag, und siehe, da war auch ein Tor gegen Mittag; und er maß seine Erker und Hallen, gleich als die andern.

25 Die hatten auch Fenster und Hallen umher, gleichwie jene Fenster, fünfzig Ellen lang und fünfundzwanzig Ellen breit.

26 Und waren auch sieben Stufen hinauf und eine Halle davor und Palmlaubwerk an seinen Erkern auf jeglicher Seite.

27 Und er maß auch das Tor am innern Vorhof gegen Mittag, nämlich hundert Ellen von dem einen Mittagstor zum andern.

28 Und er führete mich weiter durch das Mittagstor in den innern Vorhof; und maß dasselbe Tor gegen Mittag, gleich so groß wie die andern,

29 mit seinen Gemächern, Erkern und Hallen und mit Fenstern und Hallen daran, ebenso groß wie jene umher, fünfzig Ellen lang und fünfundzwanzig Ellen breit.

30 Und es ging eine Halle herum, fünfundzwanzig Ellen lang und fünf Ellen breit.

31 Dieselbige stund vorne gegen den äußern Vorhof und hatte auch Palmlaubwerk an den Erkern; es waren aber acht Stufen hinaufzugehen.

32 Danach führete er mich zum innern Tor gegen Morgen und maß dasselbige, gleich so groß wie die andern,

33 mit seinen Gemächern, Erkern und Hallen und ihren Fenstern und Hallen umher, gleich so groß wie die andern, fünfzig Ellen lang und fünfundzwanzig Ellen breit.

34 Und hatte auch eine Halle gegen den äußern Vorhof und Palmlaubwerk an den Erkern zu beiden Seiten und acht Stufen hinauf.

35 Danach führete er mich zum Tor gegen Mitternacht; das maß er, gleich so groß wie die andern,

36 mit seinen Gemächern, Erkern und Hallen und ihren Fenstern und Hallen umher, fünfzig Ellen lang und fünfundzwanzig Ellen breit.

37 Und hatte auch eine Halle gegen den äußern Vorhof und Palmlaubwerk an den Erkern zu beiden Seiten und acht Stufen hinauf.

38 Und unten an den Erkern an jedem Tor war eine Kammer mit einer Tür, darin man das Brandopfer wusch.

39 Aber in der Halle vor dem Tor stunden auf jeglicher Seite zween Tische, darauf man die Brandopfer, Sündopfer und Schuldopfer schlachten sollte.

40 Und herauswärts zur Seite, da man hinaufgehet zum Tor, gegen Mitternacht, stunden auch zween Tische und an der andern Seite unter der Halle des Tors auch zween Tische.

41 Also stunden auf jeder Seite vor dem Tor vier Tische; das sind acht Tische zuhauf, darauf man schlachtete.

42 Und die vier Tische, zum Brandopfer gemacht, waren aus gehauenen Steinen, je anderthalb Ellen lang und breit und einer Elle hoch, darauf man legte allerlei Geräte, damit man Brandopfer und andere Opfer schlachtete.

43 Und es gingen Leisten herum, hineinwärts gebogen, einer Querhand hoch. Und auf die Tische sollte man das Opferfleisch legen.

44 Und außen vor dem innern Tor waren Kammern für die Sänger im innern Vorhofe: eine an der Seite, neben dem Tor zur Mitternacht, die sah gegen Mittag; die andere zur Seite gegen Morgen, die sah gegen Mitternacht.

45 Und er sprach zu mir: Die Kammer gegen Mittag gehört den Priestern, die im Hause dienen sollen;

46 aber die Kammer gegen Mitternacht gehört den Priestern, so auf dem Altar dienen. Dies sind die Kinder Zadoks, welche allein unter den Kindern Levi vor den HERRN treten sollen, ihm zu dienen.

47 Und er maß den Platz im Hause, nämlich hundert Ellen lang und hundert Ellen breit ins Gevierte; und der Altar stund eben vorne vor dem Tempel.

48 Und er führete mich hinein zur Halle des Tempels und maß die Halle, fünf Ellen auf jeder Seite, und das Tor drei Ellen weit auf jeder Seite.

49 Aber die Halle war zwanzig Ellen lang und elf Ellen weit und hatte Stufen, da man hinaufging; und Pfeiler stunden unten an den Erkern, auf jeder Seite eine.

   

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Arcana Coelestia #9741

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9741. 'And you shall make the court of the dwelling-place' means the lowest heaven. This is clear from the meaning of 'the court of the dwelling-place' as the external part of heaven, thus the lowest heaven; for there are three heavens, the inmost, the middle, and the lowest. The inmost was represented by the inmost part of the dwelling-place, where the ark of the Testimony was; the middle one by the dwelling-place outside the veil; and the lowest by the court, which is the subject now. This heaven is called the court because they who are there are those who are governed by the good of faith and not as yet by the good of charity towards the neighbour - they who are governed by the good of charity being those who are in the middle heaven. Those in the lowest heaven, which is called the court, are called angelic spirits; those in the middle heaven are called spiritual angels; but those in the inmost heaven are called celestial angels.

[2] The good of faith itself too, which is the good of the lowest heaven, is meant by 'the court', because it is through this good that a person is led on into the good of charity towards the neighbour, which is the good of the middle heaven. It should be remembered that the good present with a person constitutes his heaven and that the kind of heaven that is his is determined by the kind of good that is his. There are three kinds of good that follow one another in order - the good of faith, the good of charity towards the neighbour, and the good of love to the Lord. The good of faith constitutes the lowest or first heaven, as stated above; the good of charity towards the neighbour constitutes the middle or second heaven; and the good of love to the Lord constitutes the inmost or third heaven.

[3] A little more needs to be said to give people an even better knowledge of the arrangement of the heavens. The heavens are divided into two kingdoms, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom; and in each kingdom there is an internal part and an external. The internal part of the celestial kingdom is inhabited by those who are governed by the good of love to the Lord, and the external part of it by those who are governed by the good of mutual love; but the internal part of the spiritual kingdom is inhabited by those who are governed by the good of charity towards the neighbour, and the external part of it by those who are governed by the good of faith, see 9680. The external part of each kingdom 1 is what is called the lowest or first heaven and was represented by the court. This explains why there were two courts around the temple, an outer and an inner, the outer court standing for those who inhabit the external parts of the spiritual kingdom and the inner court for those inhabiting the external parts of the celestial kingdom.

[4] Regarding these two courts of the temple in Jerusalem, see 1 Kings 6:3, 36; 2 Kings 21:5. Regarding the outer court of the new temple in Ezekiel, see Ezekiel 40:17, 31, 34; Ezekiel 42:1-end; and regarding the inner court there, Ezekiel 40:23, 28, 32, 44; 42:3; 43:5. From all this it is evident that the lowest heaven which was represented by the outer court of the temple is composed of the good of faith, and the lowest heaven which was represented by the inner court is composed of the good of mutual love. Those governed by the good of mutual love are governed by an affection for good for goodness' sake, whereas those governed by the good of faith are governed by an affection for truth for truth's sake. For good has dominion in the celestial kingdom, whereas truth has it in the spiritual kingdom.

[5] The fact that the lowest heaven is meant by 'the courts' is evident from places in the Word where they are mentioned, as in Ezekiel,

The glory of Jehovah rose 2 from above the cherub over the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud; and the cloud filled the inner court. 3 And the court was full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah, and the sound of the wings of the cherubs was heard as far as the outer court. Ezekiel 10:3-5.

The court was representative of the lowest heaven, and that was why it was filled, as was the house itself, with the cloud and the brightness of the glory of Jehovah, for 'the cloud' and 'the glory' mean Divine Truth. As regards 'the cloud', that it has this meaning, see 5922, 6343 (end), 6752, 8106, 8443, and also 'the glory', 8267, 8427, 9429. 'The sound of the wings' means the truth of faith derived from good, 8764, 9514.

[6]In the same prophet,

The spirit lifted me up and led me into the inner court of the temple; and behold, the glory of Jehovah filled the house. And I heard Him speaking to me from the house, saying, Son of man, [this is] the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I shall dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. Ezekiel 43:4-7.

Here the temple and the court are called 'the place of Jehovah's throne, and the place of the soles of His feet' because the temple and the court represented heaven, 'Jehovah's throne' being the spiritual heaven, 5313, 8625, 'the place of the soles of His feet' the lowest heaven.

[7] The lowest heaven is also meant by 'court' and 'courts' in the following places: In David,

Blessed is [anyone] whom You choose and cause to come near; he will dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, with the holiness of Your temple. Psalms 65:4.

'Dwelling in those courts', as is self-evident, means dwelling in heaven. In the same author,

A day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I have chosen to stand at the door in the house of My God rather than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Psalms 84:10.

In the same author,

Planted in the house of Jehovah, they will flourish in the courts of our God. Psalms 92:13.

In the same author,

Give to Jehovah the glory of His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. Psalms 96:8.

In the same author,

Praise the name of Jehovah, praise [Him], O servants of Jehovah who are standing in the house of Jehovah, in the courts of the house of our God. Psalms 135:1-2.

In Isaiah,

They will collect the grain and new wine, they will eat [it] and praise Jehovah; and those who will have gathered it together will drink [it] in the courts of My holiness. Isaiah 62:9.

In these places 'courts' stands for the lowest heavens; for the more internal heavens are called Jehovah's house and His temple, 3720.

[8] In John,

The angel said, Rise and measure the temple and the altar, and those who worship in it. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations, 4 who will trample the holy city for forty-two months. Revelation 11:1-2.

'The temple and the altar, and those who worship in it' are the Church and its worship. 'The court outside the temple' is the good of mutual love, as stated above. 'The nations to whom the holy city has been given to trample' are the evils of self-love and love of the world, which destroy the Church, 6306. 'Forty-two months' is similar in meaning to six weeks, and 'six weeks' is similar in meaning to six days of a week; for six multiplied by seven makes forty-two. A week means a whole period, long or short, 2044, 3845; the six days which come before the seventh or sabbath mean a former Church through to its end, and the establishment of a new Church. For 'the sabbath' means goodness and truth joined together, and so means the Church, 8495, 8510, 8890, 8893, 9274.

Note a piè di pagina:

1. The word used in the printed edition of the Latin means heaven but that in Swedenborg's rough draft means kingdom.

2. literally, lifted itself up

3. The final words of verse 3 are misplaced here, within verse 4.

4. or the gentiles

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

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Arcana Coelestia #3862

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3862. In 3858 above it was shown that 'the twelve tribes' meant all things forming part of truth and good, or of faith and love. In this present paragraph, now that the sons of Jacob individually after whom the tribes were named are the subject, a second arcanum is to be brought to light, namely the meaning which each son carries. In heaven all celestial and spiritual warmth, or love and charity, is in its external form felt as the glow from the sun, and in heaven all celestial and spiritual light, or faith, is in its external form seen as the light from the sun. Also that celestial and spiritual warmth holds wisdom within itself, and the light from that source holds intelligence, and they do so because they flow from the Lord, who is the Sun of heaven, see 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2441, 2495, 2776, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3338, 3339, 3341, 3413, 3485, 3636, 3643.

These paragraphs show that all good is a product of the warmth which flows from the Lord as the Sun, and that all truth is a product of the light from that source. They also show that all affections which go with love or good are variations of that celestial and spiritual warmth flowing from the Lord, and that this is the origin of changes of state. They show too that all thoughts which go with truth or faith are variations of that celestial and spiritual light which flows from the Lord, and that this is the origin of intelligence. All angels in heaven are bathed in that warmth and light. Their affections and thoughts have no other source, nor are they anything else. This is evident from the different forms of communication employed by the angels, in that because those forms of communication have their origin in heavenly warmth and light, they consist of variations and modifications of heavenly light containing heavenly warmth, and are therefore indescribable and so varying and complete as to be quite beyond one's comprehension, 3342, 3344, 3345.

[2] So that these things might be manifested in a representative way in the world names were given to each of the sons of Jacob which meant the universal divisions of good and truth, or of love and faith, and so the universal manifestations of variation in celestial and spiritual warmth and of variation in light from that source. What determines the intensity of the flame and the brightness from it is the actual order of those universal manifestations. When love comes first in such order, everything which follows within genuine order from that love is flaming, but when faith comes first everything which follows within genuine order is full of light, yet with all the differences that the things which follow entail. If however they do not follow according to genuine order everything is obscure, and in ever differing ways. But this order and resulting differences will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. This then is how the Lord gave answers by means of the Urim and Thummim and how according to the state of the actual thing in question they received answers by means of lights and their flashes from the precious and transparent stones on which the names of the twelve tribes had been inscribed. For as has been stated, inscribed on the names were the universal divisions of love and faith which exist in the Lord's kingdom and so the universal manifestations of flame and light by which those divisions of love and faith are represented in heaven.

[3] First therefore let evidence from the Word be presented to confirm that the order of the names in which the tribes are mentioned varies in the Word, and that each variation of their order is determined by the particular state of the subject under discussion there. And from such evidence one may see that the answers from the Lord given by means of the Urim and Thummim were radiations of light determined by the particular states of the thing - such variations being due to the order of all that was involved. For the entire light of heaven is made to vary by the different states which that thing passes through, and those states are made to vary by the order in which good and truth come. But which aspect of truth or good is meant by each name will be evident from the explanation that is being given. That is to say, Reuben means faith from the Lord; Simeon faith possessed by the will which is received from the Lord; Levi spiritual love, which is charity; Judah the Divinity of love, and the Lord's heavenly kingdom. What the other eight mean will be stated in the next chapter. Described here is the order in which they were born, which was as follows: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin - see verses 32-35 of the present chapter, and then Genesis 30:6, 8, 11, 13, 18, 20, 24; 35:18. This order is determined by the state of the subject that is being dealt with at this point, which is that of the regeneration of man, for this starts with the truth of faith, meant by 'Reuben', progresses from this towards the willing of truth, meant by 'Simeon', and from this to charity, meant by 'Levi', and so on to the Lord, who is meant in the highest sense by 'Judah'. The progression of spiritual conception and birth, or regeneration, from what is external to what is internal has been stated immediately above in 3860; that is, the progression is from the truth of faith to the good of love.

[4] Before Jacob came to Isaac his father in Mamre, or Kiriath Arba, his sons are mentioned in Genesis 35:23-26 in the following order: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher. In this case those by Leah and Rachel come first, and those by the servant-girls last, this being determined by the state of the subject dealt with at that point. They are listed in yet another order when they travelled and came into Egypt, in Genesis 46:9-19; in another when before his death they were blessed by Jacob, who by then was Israel, in Genesis 49:3-27; and in another again when blessed by Moses, in Deuteronomy 33:6-24. And when they encamped around the Tent of Meeting they did so in the following order: To the east Judah, Issachar, Zebulun; to the south Reuben, Simeon, Gad; to the west Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin; to the north Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Numbers 2:1-end. In what order they stood on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, or on Mount Ebal to curse them, see Deuteronomy 27:12-13. When the princes chosen from each tribe were sent to spy out the land they are listed in Numbers 13:4-16 in the following order: Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Ephraim, Benjamin, Zebulun, Joseph or Manasseh, Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Gad. But there is a different order to the princes who were to divide the land for inheritance, Numbers 34:19-29. In what order the lot fell when it was cast, at the time that the land was divided for inheritance, see Chapters 13 - 19 of Joshua.

[5] When the boundaries of the new or holy land which the tribes were to inherit are referred to in Ezekiel the tribes are mentioned in the following order: Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad. All are described from the corner pointing east to the corner pointing to the sea or west, except Gad which was situated at the south corner pointing towards the south, Ezekiel 48:1-7, 23-26. And where the gates of the new or holy city are referred to they are mentioned in the following order: Facing north the three gates of Reuben, Judah, and Levi; facing east the three gates of Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan; facing south the three gates of Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun; facing west the three gates of Gad, Asher, and Naphtali, Ezekiel 48:31-34. For the order of those sealed, twelve thousand from each tribe, see Revelation 7:5-8. In all these places the listing of the tribes depends completely on the state of the subject dealt with, to which the order corresponds. That particular state is evident from what comes before and after.

[6] The order of the precious stones in the Urim and Thummim is mentioned and described in the Word, but which tribes individual stones corresponded to is not mentioned. For those stones represented all things belonging to the light shed by heavenly flame, that is, all aspects of truth originating in good, or of faith originating in charity. And because they represented these things heavenly light itself shone through them in a miraculous way in accordance with the state of the subject concerning which a question was asked and an answer was given. Flashing and bright light stood for a positive answer concerning good and truth, which light was accompanied by variations of the stones' colours according with the differences of the state of good and truth, as in heaven where all celestial and spiritual things are expressed by means of lights and their differences, and in a way beyond description and completely incomprehensible to man. For as has been shown frequently, heavenly light includes life from the Lord, and so includes wisdom and intelligence. Consequently the differences in light include everything that constitutes the life, that is, everything that constitutes wisdom and intelligence, while the differences in flaming, flashing, and shining include everything that constitutes the life of good and the life of truth received from good, that is, of love to the Lord and of faith derived from that love. Such then were the Urim and Thummim which were on the breastplate of the ephod and were over Aaron's heart. The nature of them is also evident from the fact that the terms Urim and Thummim mean lights and perfections, and that the breastplate in which they were set is called the breastplate of judgement, because judgement consists in intelligence and wisdom, 2235. The reason it was worn over Aaron's heart was that 'the heart' means Divine love, see 3635 and the section at the end of the present chapter. For this reason also those precious stones were placed in settings of gold, for 'gold' in the internal sense means good which is an attribute of love, 113, 1551, 1552, and 'precious stone' truth which shines through from good, 114.

[7] The Urim and Thummim are spoken of in Moses as follows,

You shall make the breastplate of judgement, the work of designing, like the work of the ephod you shall make it; out of gold, violet, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and of fine-twined linen you shall make it. It shall be square when doubled. And you shall set within it stone-settings, four rows of stones shall there be. There shall be sockets of gold in their settings. And the stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names. The engravings of a signet, each one according to its name, there shall be for the twelve tribes. Exodus 28:15-21; 39:8-14.

Which stones had to be set in each row is also specified in those chapters. And further,

The breastplate shall not come away from the ephod. And Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgement over his heart when he goes into the holy place, for a remembrance before Jehovah continually. And you shall put into the breastplate of judgement the Urim and Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before Jehovah. And Aaron shall bear the judgement of the sons of Israel over his heart before Jehovah continually. Exodus 28:28-30; Leviticus 8:7-8.

The fact that Jehovah or the Lord was inquired of and gave answers by means of the Urim is seen in Moses,

Jehovah said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun. You shall place some of your glory on him, so that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, and he shall inquire for him in the judgement of the Urim before Jehovah. Numbers 27:18, 20-21.

And in Samuel,

Saul inquired of Jehovah, but Jehovah did not answer him by dreams, or by the Urim, or by prophets. 1 Samuel 28:6.

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