ახალი ქრისტიანული ბიბლიის შესწავლა

ბიბლია

 

ലേവ്യപുസ്തകം 20

Სწავლა

   

1 യഹോവ പിന്നെയും മോശെയോടു അരുളിച്ചെയ്തതു

2 നീ യിസ്രായേല്‍മക്കളോടു പറയേണ്ടതു എന്തെന്നാല്‍യിസ്രായേല്‍മക്കളിലോ യിസ്രായേലില്‍ വന്നു പാര്‍ക്കുംന്ന പരദേശികളിലോ ആരെങ്കിലും തന്റെ സന്തതിയില്‍ ഒന്നിനെ മോലെക്കിന്നു കൊടുത്താല്‍ അവന്‍ മരണശിക്ഷ അനുഭവിക്കേണം; ദേശത്തിലെ ജനം അവനെ കല്ലെറിയേണം.

3 അവന്‍ തന്റെ സന്തതിയെ മോലെക്കിന്നു കൊടുത്തതിനാല്‍ എന്റെ വിശുദ്ധമന്ദിരം മലിനമാക്കുകയും എന്റെ വിശുദ്ധനാമം അശുദ്ധമാക്കുകയും ചെയ്തതുകൊണ്ടു ഞാന്‍ അവന്റെ നേരെ ദൃഷ്ടിവെച്ചു അവനെ അവന്റെ ജനത്തില്‍നിന്നു ഛേദിച്ചുകളയും.

4 അവന്‍ തന്റെ സന്തതിയെ മോലെക്കിന്നു കൊടുക്കുമ്പോള്‍ ദേശത്തിലെ ജനം അവനെ കൊല്ലാതെ കണ്ണടെച്ചുകളഞ്ഞാല്‍

5 ഞാന്‍ അവനും കുടുംബത്തിന്നും നേരെ ദൃഷ്ടിവെച്ചു അവനെയും അവന്റെ പിന്നാലെ മോലെക്കിനോടു പരസംഗം ചെയ്‍വാന്‍ പോകുന്ന എല്ലാവരെയും അവരുടെ ജനത്തിന്റെ നടുവില്‍നിന്നു ഛേദിച്ചുകളയും.

6 വെളിച്ചപ്പാടന്മാരുടെയും മന്ത്രവാദികളുടെയും പിന്നാലെ പരസംഗം ചെയ്‍വാന്‍ പോകുന്നവന്റെ നേരെയും ഞാന്‍ ദൃഷ്ടിവെച്ചു അവനെ അവന്റെ ജനത്തില്‍നിന്നു ഛേദിച്ചുകളയും.

7 ആകയാല്‍ നിങ്ങള്‍ നിങ്ങളെത്തന്നേ ശുദ്ധീകരിച്ചു വിശുദ്ധന്മാരായിരിപ്പിന്‍ ; ഞാന്‍ നിങ്ങളുടെ ദൈവമായ യഹോവ ആകുന്നു.

8 എന്റെ ചട്ടങ്ങള്‍ പ്രമാണിച്ചു ആചരിപ്പിന്‍ ; ഞാന്‍ നിങ്ങളെ ശുദ്ധീകരിക്കുന്ന യഹോവ ആകുന്നു.

9 അപ്പനെയോ അമ്മയെയോ ശപിക്കുന്നവന്‍ മരണശിക്ഷ അനുഭവിക്കേണം; അവന്‍ അപ്പനെയും അമ്മയെയും ശപിച്ചു; അവന്റെ രക്തം അവന്റെ മേല്‍ ഇരിക്കും.

10 ഒരുത്തന്റെ ഭാര്യയുമായി വ്യഭിചാരം ചെയ്യുന്നവന്‍ , കൂട്ടുകാരന്റെ ഭാര്യയുമായി വ്യഭിചാരംചെയ്യുന്ന വ്യഭിചാരിയും വ്യഭിചാരിണിയും തന്നേ, മരണശിക്ഷ അനുഭവിക്കേണം.

11 അപ്പന്റെ ഭാര്യയോടുകൂടെ ശയിക്കുന്നവന്‍ അപ്പന്റെ നഗ്നത അനാവൃതമാക്കുന്നു; ഇരുവരും മരണ ശിക്ഷ അനുഭവിക്കേണം; അവരുടെ രക്തം അവരുടെമേല്‍ ഇരിക്കും.

12 ഒരുത്തന്‍ മരുമകളോടുകൂടെ ശയിച്ചാല്‍ ഇരുവരും മരണശിക്ഷ അനുഭവിക്കേണം; അവര്‍ നികൃഷ്ട കര്‍മ്മം ചെയ്തു; അവരുടെ രക്തം അവരുടെ മേല്‍ ഇരിക്കും.

13 സ്ത്രീയോടുകൂടെ ശയിക്കുന്നതു പോലെ ഒരുത്തന്‍ പുരുഷനോടുകൂടെ ശയിച്ചാല്‍ ഇരുവരും മ്ളേച്ഛത ചെയ്തു; അവര്‍ മരണശിക്ഷ അനുഭവിക്കേണം; അവരുടെ രക്തം അവരുടെമേല്‍ ഇരിക്കും.

14 ഒരു പുരുഷന്‍ ഒരു സ്ത്രീയെയും അവളുടെ അമ്മയെയും പരിഗ്രഹിച്ചാല്‍ അതു ദുഷ്കര്‍മ്മം; നിങ്ങളുടെ ഇടയില്‍ ദുഷ്കര്‍മ്മം ഇല്ലാതിരിക്കേണ്ടതിന്നു അവനെയും അവരെയും തീയില്‍ ഇട്ടു ചുട്ടുകളയേണം.

15 ഒരു പുരുഷന്‍ മൃഗത്തോടുകൂടെ ശയിച്ചാല്‍ അവന്‍ മരണശിക്ഷ അനുഭവിക്കേണം; മൃഗത്തെയും കൊല്ലേണം.

16 ഒരു സ്ത്രീ യാതൊരു മൃഗത്തോടെങ്കിലും ചേര്‍ന്നു ശയിച്ചാല്‍ സ്ത്രീയെയും മൃഗത്തെയും കൊല്ലേണം; അവര്‍ മരണശിക്ഷ അനുഭവിക്കേണം; അവരുടെ രക്തം അവരുടെമേല്‍ ഇരിക്കും.

17 ഒരു പുരഷന്‍ തന്റെ അപ്പന്റെ മകളോ അമ്മയുടെ മകളോ ആയ തന്റെ സഹോദരിയെ പരിഗ്രഹിച്ചു അവളുടെ നഗ്നത കാണുകയും അവള്‍ അവന്റെ നഗ്നത കാണുകയും ചെയ്താല്‍ അതു ലജ്ജാകരം; അവരെ അവരുടെ ജനത്തിന്റെ മുമ്പില്‍വെച്ചു തന്നേ സംഹരിച്ചുകളയേണം; അവന്‍ സഹോദരിയുടെ നഗ്നത അനാവൃതമാക്കി; അവന്‍ തന്റെ കുറ്റം വഹിക്കും.

18 ഒരു പുരുഷന്‍ ഋതുവായ സ്ത്രീയോടുകൂടെ ശയിച്ചു അവളുടെ നഗ്നത അനാവൃതമാക്കിയാല്‍ അവന്‍ അവളുടെ സ്രവം അനാവൃതമാക്കി; അവളും തന്റെ രക്തസ്രവം അനാവൃതമാക്കി; ഇരുവരെയും അവരുടെ ജനത്തിന്റെ ഇടയില്‍നിന്നു ഛേദിച്ചുകളയേണം.

19 നിന്റെ അമ്മയുടെ സഹോദരിയുടെയോ അപ്പന്റെ സഹോദരിയുടെയോ നഗ്നത അനാവൃതമാക്കരുതു; അങ്ങനെത്തവന്‍ തന്റെ അടുത്ത ചാര്‍ച്ചക്കാരത്തിയെ അനാവൃതയാക്കുന്നുവല്ലോ; അവര്‍ തങ്ങളുടെ കുറ്റം വഹിക്കും.

20 ഒരു പുരുഷന്‍ ഇളയപ്പന്റെ ഭാര്യയോടുകൂടെ ശയിച്ചാല്‍ അവന്‍ ഇളയപ്പന്റെ നഗ്നത അനാവൃതമാക്കി; അവര്‍ തങ്ങളുടെ പാപം വഹിക്കും; അവര്‍ സന്തതിയില്ലാത്തവരായി മരിക്കേണം.

21 ഒരുത്തന്‍ സഹോദരന്റെ ഭാര്യയെ പരിഗ്രഹിച്ചാല്‍ അതു മാലിന്യം; അവന്‍ സഹോദരന്റെ നഗ്നത അനാവൃതമാക്കി; അവര്‍ സന്തതിയില്ലാത്തവര്‍ ആയിരിക്കേണം.

22 ആകയാല്‍ നിങ്ങള്‍ കുടിയിരിക്കേണ്ടതിന്നു ഞാന്‍ നിങ്ങളെ കൊണ്ടുപോകുന്ന ദേശം നിങ്ങളെ ഛര്‍ദ്ദിച്ചുകളയാതിരിപ്പാന്‍ എന്റെ എല്ലാചട്ടങ്ങളും സകലവിധികളും പ്രമാണിച്ചു ആചരിക്കേണം.

23 ഞാന്‍ നിങ്ങളുടെ മുമ്പില്‍ നിന്നു നീക്കിക്കളയുന്ന ജാതിയുടെ ചട്ടങ്ങളെ അനുസരിച്ചു നടക്കരുതു; ഈ കാര്യങ്ങളെ ഒക്കെയും ചെയ്തതുകൊണ്ടു അവര്‍ എനിക്കു അറെപ്പായി തീര്‍ന്നു.

24 നിങ്ങള്‍ അവരുടെ ദേശത്തെ കൈവശമാക്കും എന്നു ഞാന്‍ നിങ്ങളോടു കല്പിച്ചുവല്ലോ; പാലും തേനും ഒഴുകുന്ന ആ ദേശം നിങ്ങള്‍ കൈവശമാക്കേണ്ടതിന്നു ഞാന്‍ അതിനെ നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കു തരും; ഞാന്‍ നിങ്ങളെ ജാതികളില്‍നിന്നു വേറുതിരിച്ചവനായി നിങ്ങളുടെ ദൈവമായ യഹോവ ആകുന്നു;

25 ആകയാല്‍ ശുദ്ധിയുള്ള മൃഗവും ശുദ്ധിയില്ലാത്ത മൃഗവും തമ്മിലും, ശുദ്ധിയില്ലാത്ത പക്ഷിയും ശുദ്ധിയുള്ള പക്ഷിയും തമ്മിലും നിങ്ങള്‍ വ്യത്യാസം വെക്കേണം; ഞാന്‍ നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കു അശുദ്ധമെന്നു വേറുതിരിച്ചിട്ടുള്ള മൃഗത്തെക്കൊണ്ടും പക്ഷിയെക്കൊണ്ടും നിലത്തു ഇഴയുന്ന യാതൊരു ജന്തുവിനെക്കൊണ്ടും നിങ്ങളെത്തന്നേ അറെപ്പാക്കരുതു.

26 നിങ്ങള്‍ എനിക്കു വിശുദ്ധന്മാരായിരിക്കേണം; യഹോവയായ ഞാന്‍ വിശുദ്ധനാകകൊണ്ടു നിങ്ങളും എനിക്കു വിശുദ്ധന്മാരായിരിക്കേണം; നിങ്ങള്‍ എനിക്കുള്ളവരായിരിക്കേണ്ടതിന്നു ഞാന്‍ നിങ്ങളെ ജാതികളില്‍ നിന്നു വേറുതിരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.

27 വെളിച്ചപ്പാടോ മന്ത്രവാദമോ ഉള്ള പുരുഷന്‍ ആകട്ടെ സ്ത്രീയാകട്ടെ മരണശിക്ഷ അനുഭവിക്കേണം; അവരെ കല്ലെറിഞ്ഞു കൊല്ലേണം; അവരുടെ രക്തം അവരുടെ മേല്‍ ഇരിക്കും.

   

სვედენბორგის ნაშრომებიდან

 

Apocalypse Explained # 204

შეისწავლეთ ეს პასაჟი.

  
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204. These things saith He that is Holy, He that is True, signifies from whom is that faith. This is evident from the signification of "He that is Holy, He that is True," as being, in reference to the Lord, He from whom are charity and faith. He is called "holy" because charity is from Him, and "true" because faith is from Him. That the Lord is called "holy" because charity is from Him, and consequently that "holy" in the Word is predicated of charity and of faith therefrom will be seen presently. But the Lord is called "true" because faith is from Him, and consequently "true" in the Word is predicated of faith, for the reason that all truth is of faith; for that is called "true" which is believed; other things are not of faith because they are not believed. But because the faith of charity is here treated of, something shall first be said about faith and what it is.

[2] There is spiritual faith, and there is faith merely natural. Spiritual faith is wholly from charity, and in its essence is charity. Charity, or love towards the neighbor, is to love truth, sincerity, and what is just, and to do them from willing them. For the neighbor in the spiritual sense is not every man, but it is that which is with man; if this be truth, sincerity, and what is just, and the man is loved on account of these, then the neighbor is loved. That this is what charity means, in the spiritual sense, anyone may know if he will but reflect. Everyone loves another, not for the sake of his person, but for the sake of what is with him; this is the ground of all friendship, all favor, and all honor. From this it follows, that to love men for the sake of what is true, sincere, and just in them is spiritual love; for what is true, sincere, and just are spiritual things, because they are out of heaven from the Lord. For no man thinks, wills, and does any good thing that is good in itself, but it is all from the Lord; and what is true, sincere, and just are good things that are good in themselves when they are from the Lord. These things, then, are the neighbor in the spiritual sense; from which it is clear what is meant in that sense by loving the neighbor, or by charity. From that is spiritual faith; for whatever is loved is called truth when it is thought. Everyone can see that this is so if he will reflect upon it, for everyone confirms that which he loves by many things in the thought, and all things by which he confirms himself he calls truths; no one has truth from any other source. From this it follows, that the truths a man has are such as is the love with him; consequently, if the love with him is spiritual, the truths will also be spiritual, since the truths act as one with his love. All truths, because they are believed, are called in one complex, faith. From this it is clear that spiritual faith in its essence is charity. So far concerning spiritual faith.

[3] But faith merely natural is not a faith of the church, although it is called faith, but is merely knowing [scientia]. It is not a faith of the church, because it does not proceed from love to the neighbor, or charity, which is the spiritual itself from which faith comes, but proceeds from some natural love that has reference either to love of self or to love of the world, and whatever proceeds from these loves is natural. Love forms the spirit of man; for man in respect to his spirit is wholly as his love is; from that he thinks, from that he wills, and from that acts; therefore he makes no other truth to be of his faith than that which is of his love; and truth that is of the love of self or the world is merely natural, because it comes from man and from the world, and not from the Lord and from heaven; for such a man loves truth, not from a love of truth but from a love of honor, of gain and of fame, which he serves; and as his truth is such, his faith also is such. This faith, therefore, is not a faith of the truth of the church, or faith in a spiritual sense, but only in a natural sense which is a mere knowing [scientia]. And again because nothing of this is in man's spirit but only in his memory, together with other things of this world, therefore also after death it is dissipated. For only that which is of man's love remains with him after death, for (as has been said) it is love that forms man's spirit, and man in respect to his spirit is wholly such as his love is. (Other things respecting charity and faith therefrom may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, where charity and faith are treated of, n. 84-106, 108-122; also in the small work on The Last Judgment, where it is shown that there is no faith where there is not charity, n. 33-39)

[4] That "holy" in the Word is predicated of Divine truth, and therefore of charity and its faith, is evident from the passages where it is spoken of. There are two things that proceed from the Lord and are received by angels, Divine good and Divine truth. These two proceed united from the Lord, but they are received by angels variously; some receive Divine good more that Divine truth, and some receive Divine truth more than Divine good. Those who receive Divine good more than Divine truth constitute the Lord's celestial kingdom and are called celestial angels, and in the Word are called "the righteous" [or "just"]; but those who receive Divine truth more than Divine good constitute the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and are called spiritual angels, and in the Word "holy" [or "saints"]. (Of these two kingdoms and their angels, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28.) From this it is that "the righteous" [or "just"] and "righteousness" [or "justice"] in the Word mean the Divine good and what proceeds therefrom, and that "the holy" and "holiness" mean Divine truth and what proceeds therefrom. From this can be seen what is meant in the Word by "being justified" [or "made righteous"], and "being made holy." As in Revelation:

He that is righteous let him be made righteous still, and he that is holy let him be made holy still (Revelation 22:11).

And in Luke:

To serve Him in holiness and righteousness (Luke 1:74-75

[5] Since Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is meant by "holy," therefore the Lord is called in the Word "the Holy One," " the Holy One of God," "the Holy One of Israel," "the Holy One of Jacob;" and it is also from this that angels are called "holy," and also the prophets and apostles; and it is from this that Jerusalem is called "holy." That the Lord is called "the Holy One," "the Holy One of God," "the Holy One of Israel," and "the Holy One of Jacob," may be seen inIsaiah 29:23; 31:1; 40:25; 41:14, 16; 43:3; 49:7; Daniel 4:13; 9:24; Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34. He is also called "King of the holy ones [of saints]" in Revelation:

Righteous [or just] and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints (Revelation 15:3).

The Lord is called "the Holy One," "the Holy One of God," "the Holy One of Israel," and "the Holy One of Jacob" because He alone, and no one else, is holy, which is also declared in Revelation:

Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy (Revelation 15:4).

[6] Angels, prophets, and apostles are called "holy" because by them, in the spiritual sense, is meant Divine truth; and Jerusalem is called "the holy city," because by that city, in the spiritual sense, is meant the church in respect to the doctrine of truth. That angels in the Word are called "holy," see Matthew 25:31; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; the prophets, Mark 6:20; Luke 1:70; Revelation 18:20; the apostles, Revelation 18:20; that Jerusalem is called "the holy city," Isaiah 48:2; 66:20, 22; Daniel 9:24; Matthew 27:53; Revelation 21:2, 10. (That by "angels" in the Word Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is meant, see above, n. 130, 200; the like by "prophets," see Arcana Coelestia 2534, 7269; likewise by "apostles," see above, n. 100; that by "Jerusalem" in the Word the church in respect to the doctrine of truth is meant, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 6.) From this it can be seen why it is that Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is called "the Spirit of truth," and "the Holy Spirit" (See above, n. 183), so also why heaven is called the "habitation of holiness" (Isaiah 63:15; Deuteronomy 26:15); and why the church is called "the sanctuary" (Jeremiah 17:12; Lamentations 2:7; Psalms 68:35).

[7] That "holiness" is predicated of Divine truth is evident from the following passages. In John:

Jesus when praying said, Father, sanctify them [make them Holy] in Thy truth, Thy Word is truth, and for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified in the truth (John 17:17, 19).

Here "being made holy" is plainly said in respect to truth, and "those made holy" in respect to those who receive Divine truth from the Lord. In Moses:

Jehovah came from Sinai, out of the myriads of holiness; from His right hand the fire of the law unto them; even He who loveth the peoples; in Thy hand are all His saints, and they are prostrated at Thy foot; he shall receive of Thy words (Deuteronomy 33:2-3).

"Sinai" signifies heaven where the Lord is, from whom is Divine truth, or from whom is the "law," both in a strict and in a broad sense; "myriads of holiness" signifies Divine truths; "the law" signifies, in a strict sense, the ten commandments of the Decalogue, and in a broad sense, the whole Word, which is Divine truth; those are called "peoples" in the Word who are in truths, and those of them that are in truths are called "saints." "Being prostrated at Thy foot," and "receiving of Thy words," is the holy reception of Divine truth in ultimates, which is the Word in the sense of the letter, and being instructed therefrom. From this it can be known what the particulars in that prophecy signify in the spiritual sense. (That "Sinai" in the Word signifies heaven where the Lord is, from whom is Divine truth, or from whom is the law, both in a strict and a broad sense, see Arcana Coelestia n. 8399, 8753, 8793, 8805, 9420. That "the law" signifies, in a strict sense, the ten commandments of the Decalogue, and in a broad sense, the whole Word, n. 2606, 3382, 6752, 7463. That those are called "peoples" who are in truths, and "nations" who are in goods, n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581, 6451, 6465, 7207, 10288. That "foot," a "place of feet," and "footstool," signify, in reference to the Lord, Divine truth in ultimates, thus the Word in the letter, n. 9406[1-7].) From this it is clear that "myriads of holiness" are Divine truths, and that those here called "holy [saints]" are those who are in Divine truths.

[8] In Moses:

Speak unto all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy, for I Jehovah [God] of Israel am holy (Leviticus 19:2).

This chapter treats of the statutes, judgments, and precepts which they were to keep; and as these signify Divine truths, it is said that those who keep them "shall be holy." Moreover, "Israel" signifies the spiritual church, which is the church that is in Divine truths, therefore it is said, "I Jehovah [God] of Israel am holy." In the same:

Ye shall sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy. And ye shall keep My statutes that ye may do them (Leviticus 20:7-8).

Here also the statutes, judgments, and precepts which are to be kept are treated of.

In the same:

If they have kept thy statutes and judgments, they shall be a holy people unto Jehovah (Deuteronomy 26:16-19).

In David :

We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, with the holiness of Thy temple (Psalms 65:4).

It is said "to be satisfied with the goodness of Jehovah's house and with the holiness of His temple," because the "house of God" in the highest sense signifies the Lord in respect to Divine good, and "temple" in respect to Divine truth (See Arcana Coelestia 3720). In Zechariah:

In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness unto Jehovah (Zechariah 14:20).

The establishment of a new church is here treated of, and "bells" signify knowledges [scientifica] which are from the intellectual. (That "bells" signify such truths, see Arcana Coelestia 9921, 9926; and that "horse" signifies the intellectual, see in the small work onThe White Horse 1-4.)

[9] From this it can be seen what is represented and signified by this:

That upon the miter which was upon the head of Aaron was placed a plate, upon which was engraved Holiness to Jehovah (Exodus 28:36-38; 39:30-31);

for the "miter" signifies wisdom, which is of Divine truth (See Arcana Coelestia 9827, 9949); so also what it represented and signified by:

That Aaron, his sons, their garments, the altar, the tabernacle, with everything there, were anointed with oil, and thus made holy (Exodus 29:1-36; 30:22-30; Leviticus 8);

for "oil" signified the Divine good of the Divine love, and "sanctification" the proceeding Divine; for it is Divine good that makes holy, and Divine truth is what is holy therefrom.

[10] That the word "holy" is predicated of charity can be seen from what was said above respecting the angels of heaven, namely, that there are some who receive Divine good more than Divine truth, and some who receive Divine truth more than Divine good; the former constitute the Lord's celestial kingdom, and are those who are in love to the Lord, and because they are in love to the Lord are called "righteous" [or "just"]; but the latter constitute the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and are those who are in charity towards the neighbor, and because these are in charity towards the neighbor, they are called "holy [or saints]." (That there are two loves that make heaven, namely, love to the Lord, and love towards the neighbor or charity, and that the heavens are thereby distinguished into two kingdoms, namely, a celestial kingdom and a spiritual kingdom, see in the work on Heaven and Hell. n (Heaven and Hell 13-19) 13-19; 20-28)

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

სვედენბორგის ნაშრომებიდან

 

The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Teachings # 1

შეისწავლეთ ეს პასაჟი.

  
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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).

სქოლიოები:

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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