Bibliorum

 

Hesekiel 13:8

Study

       

8 Darum spricht der Herr, Jehova, also: Weil ihr Eitles redet und Lüge schauet, darum, siehe, will ich an euch, spricht der Herr, Jehova;

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #9817

Studere hoc loco

  
/ 10837  
  

9817. 'And you shall speak to all the wise at heart' means an influx from the Lord through the Word into all who are governed by the good of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as influx, dealt with in 2951, 5481, 5743, 5797, 7270; and from the meaning of 'the wise at heart' as those who are governed by the good of love, dealt with below. The reason why influx from the Lord through the Word is meant is that for members of the Church the main channel by which the Lord flows in is the Word. This is so because the nature of the Word is such that all things without exception there correspond to the Divine spiritual and Divine celestial realities that exist in the heavens; and as a result of this a person shares affections and thoughts with angels, in so complete a manner that he and they are seemingly one. So it is that the world has been joined to heaven through the Word, but only among those who are governed by the good of faith and love. From all this it becomes clear that for members of the Church the Lord flows in through the Word; for the Lord is the all in the heavens, since what is Divine and emanates from the Lord, and is received by angels, composes heaven.

[2] The reason why 'the wise at heart' means those who are governed by the good of love is that the presence of wisdom in a person is attributable to the life of heaven in him, also that 'heart' means the good of love. In the Word 'spirit' and 'heart' are expressions that have regard to the life of heaven present with a person, 'spirit' being used to mean that life in the understanding part of the person's mind and 'heart' that life in the will part. To the understanding part belongs truth, but to the will part belongs good; the former has to do with faith, but the latter with love. For the understanding receives truths that constitute faith, and the will forms of good that are aspects of love. From this it is evident that by 'the wise at heart' those governed by the good of love received from the Lord are meant. The good of love is celestial good, through which spiritual good comes into being; and spiritual good is that which covers celestial good, like garments the body. And since Aaron's garments represented the Lord's spiritual kingdom lying adjacent to His celestial kingdom, and the former comes into being through the latter, the present verse goes on to say that 'the wise at heart', that is, those governed by the good of love received from the Lord, should make the garments for Aaron and his sons. As regards 'heart', that it means the good of love or celestial good, see 3635, 3880, 3883-3896, 9050; and that it therefore means the will, 2930, 3888, 7542, 8910, 9113, 9300, 9495.

  
/ 10837  
  

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

from the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

 

Arcana Coelestia #8051

Studere hoc loco

  
/ 10837  
  

8051. 'And nothing made with yeast shall be eaten' means that they shall not make anything that has been falsified their own. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in 3168, 3513 (end), 3596, 4745; and from the meaning of 'yeast' as falsity, dealt with in 2342, 7906, so that 'something made with yeast' is something falsified. So far as making falsity and making something falsified one's own are concerned, it should be recognized that no falsity as such or anything falsified as such can be made his own by anyone who is governed by good and therefore wishes to know the truth, only by someone who is ruled by evil and therefore has no wish to know the truth. The reason why one who is governed by good and therefore wishes to know the truth cannot make falsity as such his own is that he thinks in a proper way about God, about God's kingdom, and about spiritual life, and therefore uses falsity in such a way that it is not at odds with them but somehow in agreement. Thus he softens it, and none of its harshness or hardness enters his ideas. If this were not so scarcely anyone could be saved, for falsities are more prevalent than truths. Yet it should be recognized that people governed by good also have a love of truth, and therefore in the next life, when instructed by angels, they cast falsities aside and embrace truths. They do this according to the degree of the love of truth they had in the world.

  
/ 10837  
  

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