ბიბლია

 

Genesis 1:17

Სწავლა

       

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

სვედენბორგის ნაშრომებიდან

 

Arcana Coelestia # 499

შეისწავლეთ ეს პასაჟი.

  
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499. Verses 7-8 And Seth lived after he beget Enosh eight hundred and seven years; and he beget sons and daughters. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.

Here, as previously, the days and numbers of years mean periods of time and states. 'Sons and daughters' have the same meaning as previously, and so too does 'he died'.

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

კომენტარი

 

Miracles and signs

  
After, a photo of a bulb pushing up through the earth, by Brita Conroy

The Bible often speaks of signs and miracles as things that convinced people of the Lord's leading. "Signs" convince people to believe intellectually, and "miracles" convince people to believe emotionally. For instance, it was a "sign" for the shepherds that they would find the newborn Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. This was not something that defied explanation; there is nothing impossible about a baby being laid in a manger. On the other hand miracles such as the Nile turning into blood, the Red Sea parting or water being made wine were apparently impossible, striking awe and fear in the hearts of observers and thus compelling the emotions. Both signs and miracles, however, are external events that could only force people into compliance out of fear and awe, which is an external form of worship that has little to do with eternal life. The Lord used them in Biblical times because the people of that time were external in nature, and the Lord had to force them into forms of worship to preserve spiritual ideas and to allow for the Bible to be written. Through His advent and His teachings He opened the possibility that we could understand His spiritual meanings, which would allow us to believe and live internally, not just externally.