48
Kaj se enlogxigxos cxe vi aligentulo kaj li volos fari Paskon al la Eternulo, tiam cirkumcidu cxe li cxiujn virseksulojn, kaj tiam li povas prepari sin, por fari gxin, kaj li estos kiel indigxeno de la lando; sed neniu ne cirkumcidita mangxu gxin.
706. "The Lord's blood" means the divine truth that belongs to him and to the Word, because the spiritual meaning of his flesh is the divine goodness of his love; these two are united in the Lord.
It is well known that the Lord is the Word. There are two things to which all the details in the Word relate: divine goodness and divine truth. Therefore if we substitute "the Word" for "the Lord," it is clear that his flesh and blood mean divine goodness and divine truth.
There are many passages that establish that blood means the divine truth that belongs to the Lord or the Word. For example, his blood is called "the blood of the covenant," and a covenant means a partnership. It is by means of his divine truth that the Lord forges a partnership with us. See, for example, Zechariah: "By the blood of your covenant I will release the prisoners from the pit" (Zechariah 9:11). In Moses, "After Moses had read the book of the Law in the hearing of the people, he sprinkled half the blood upon the people and said, 'Behold, the blood of the covenant that Jehovah has forged with you through all these words'" (Exodus 24:3-8). "And Jesus took the cup and gave it to them and said, 'This is my blood of the new covenant'" (Matthew 26:27-28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20).
[2] The "blood of the new covenant" or "testament" means the Word, which is called a Covenant and a Testament, both the Old and the New; therefore it means the divine truth that is there. Because blood has this meaning, the Lord gave his disciples wine and said, "This is my blood" [Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24]; wine means divine truth. Therefore wine is also called "the blood of grapes" (Genesis 49:11; Deuteronomy 32:14).
The Lord's words make this clearer still:
Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Humankind and drink his blood, you will not have life within you. My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me and I in them. (John 6:50-58)
Blood here means the divine truth of the Word, as is very clear because it says that those who drink it have life within them and live in the Lord and he lives in them. As people within the church are capable of knowing, divine truth and a life according to it are what allow the Lord to be in us and us in the Lord; the Holy Supper strengthens these effects.
[3] Since blood means the Lord's divine truth, which is also the divine truth of the Word, and this is the Old and New Covenant or Testament itself, therefore blood was the holiest symbolic substance in the church that existed among the children of Israel - a church whose every detail was a correspondence of something earthly with something spiritual. For example, they took the blood of the Passover lamb and put it on the doorposts and the lintel of their houses, to keep the plague from coming upon them (Exodus 12:7, 13, 22). The blood of the burnt offering was sprinkled on the altar, on its base, and on Aaron and his sons and on their garments (Exodus 29:12, 16, 20-21; Leviticus 1:5, 11, 15; 3:2, 8, 13; 4:25, 30, 34; 8:15, 24; 17:6; Numbers 18:17; Deuteronomy 12:27). Blood was also sprinkled in front of the veil that was before the ark, on the mercy seat there, and on the horns of the altar of incense (Leviticus 4:6-7, 17-18; ).
The "blood of the Lamb" mentioned in the Book of Revelation has the same meaning: "They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14). So does the following statement in the same book: "War broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and conquered it by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony" (Revelation 12:7, 11).
[4] There is no basis for thinking that Michael and his angels were able to conquer the dragon through anything other than the Lord's divine truth in the Word.
The angels in heaven are unable to think about any blood or about the Lord's suffering; they think instead about the divine truth and about his resurrection. When we think about the Lord's blood, angels think instead about the divine truth of the Lord's Word; when we think about the Lord's suffering, they think instead about the Lord's glorification, focusing exclusively on his resurrection. A great deal of experience has allowed me to know that this is the case.
[5] The fact that blood means divine truth is also clear from the following statements in David: "God will save the souls of the needy; their blood will be precious in his sight. And they will live; and he will give them some of the gold of Sheba" (Psalms 72:13-15). The blood that is precious in the sight of God stands for the divine truth that is among the people [meant by "the needy"]; the gold of Sheba is the wisdom they develop as a result.
In Ezekiel: "Gather yourselves to a great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel, so that you will eat flesh and drink blood. You will drink the blood of the leaders of the earth, and drink blood until you are drunk. This is how I will present my glory among the nations" (Ezekiel 39:17-21). This passage deals with the church that the Lord is going to establish among the nations. (On the point that the word "blood" here cannot mean blood, but must mean the truth from the Word that exists among them, see just above [705].)
1
"Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.
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Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
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Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,
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but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
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Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
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But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!'
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Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
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The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
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But the wise answered, saying, 'What if there isn't enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'
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While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.
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Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.'
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But he answered, 'Most certainly I tell you, I don't know you.'
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Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
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"For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them.
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To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.
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Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
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In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two.
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But he who received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
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"Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them.
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He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents besides them.'
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"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
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"He also who got the two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.'
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"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
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"He also who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter.
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I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.'
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"But his lord answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn't sow, and gather where I didn't scatter.
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You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.
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Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
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For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn't have, even that which he has will be taken away.
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Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
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"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
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Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
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He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
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Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
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for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.
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I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.'
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"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?
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When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?
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When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?'
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"The King will answer them, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
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Then he will say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;
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for I was hungry, and you didn't give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;
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I was a stranger, and you didn't take me in; naked, and you didn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'
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"Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn't help you?'
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"Then he will answer them, saying, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of the least of these, you didn't do it to me.'
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These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
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