Apocalypse Revealed # 671
671. Clothed in clean bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden sashes. This symbolically means, this [a preparation by the Lord for influx into the church] 1 in accordance with the pure and genuine truths and goods in the Word.
Clean bright linen symbolizes pure, genuine truth, as we will show below. A golden sash about the breast symbolizes the emanating Divinity that at the same time conjoins, namely Divine good (no. 46 above). To be clothed and girded means, symbolically, to appear and be seen in this truth and goodness, for garments symbolize truths that clothe goodness (no. 166). Sashes or girdles then symbolize truths and goods that hold everything in their order and connection (no. 46).
It is apparent from this that angels clothed in clean bright linen and girded about their breasts with golden sashes symbolize pure and genuine truths and goods, and because these come only from the Word, they symbolize truths and goods in the Word.
[2] That linen symbolizes Divine truth can be seen from the following, as that Aaron wore linen breeches when he entered the Tabernacle or approached the altar (Exodus 28:42-43). That the priests wore linen ephods (1 Samuel 22:18). That when Samuel as a child ministered before Jehovah, he wore a linen ephod (1 Samuel 2:18). That when David was transporting the Ark into his city he was girded with a linen ephod (2 Samuel 6:14).
It can be seen from this why, when the Lord washed the disciples' feet, He girded Himself in linen and wiped their feet with linen 2 (John 13:4-5).
Moreover, the angels seen in the Lord's sepulcher appeared in dazzling bright white clothing (Matthew 28:3 [cf. Luke 24]).
[4]. The angel who measured the new temple had in his hand a line of linen (Ezekiel 40:3). In order that he might represent the state of the church with respect to truth, Jeremiah was told to buy a linen sash and hide it in a hole in the rock by the Euphrates, and later he found it ruined (Jeremiah 13:1-7). We read, too, in Isaiah:
A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking linen He will not quench; He will bring forth justice in truth. (Isaiah 42:3)
By linen in these places nothing else is meant but truth.
სქოლიოები:
1. I.e., a preparation by the Lord for influx from the inmost of heaven into the church, to expose its evils and falsities in their entirety and so to separate evil people from the good (no. 670 above).
2. The writer here follows the Latin translation of Sebastian Schmidt, who mistakes the Greek lention (levntion, a towel) to have the same meaning as the Latin linteum (linen).
1 Samuel 22
1
David therefore departed there, and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.
2
Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered themselves to him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
3
David went there to Mizpeh of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother come out with you, until I know what God will do for me."
4
He brought them before the king of Moab; and they lived with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.
5
The prophet Gad said to David, "Don't stay in the stronghold. Depart, and go into the land of Judah." Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.
6
Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.
7
Saul said to his servants who stood about him, "Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give everyone of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,
8
that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none who discloses to me when my son makes a treaty with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?"
9
Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, answered and said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10
He inquired of Yahweh for him, gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."
11
Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
12
Saul said, "Hear now, you son of Ahitub." He answered, "Here I am, my lord."
13
Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?"
14
Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, "Who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and is taken into your council, and is honorable in your house?
15
Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me! Don't let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knows nothing of all this, less or more."
16
The king said, "You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father's house."
17
The king said to the guard who stood about him, "Turn, and kill the priests of Yahweh; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and didn't disclose it to me." But the servants of the king wouldn't put forth their hand to fall on the priests of Yahweh.
18
The king said to Doeg, "Turn and attack the priests!" Doeg the Edomite turned, and he attacked the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod.
19
He struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing babies, and cattle and donkeys and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20
One of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
21
Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Yahweh's priests.
22
David said to Abiathar, "I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of all the persons of your father's house.
23
Stay with me, don't be afraid; for he who seeks my life seeks your life. For with me you shall be in safeguard."
