The Bible

 

Ezekiel 10

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1 Then looking, I saw that on the arch which was over the head of the winged ones there was seen over them what seemed like a sapphire stone, having the form of a king's seat.

2 And he said to the man clothed in linen, Go in between the wheels, under the winged ones, and get your two hands full of burning coals from between the winged ones and send them in a shower over the town. And he went in before my eyes.

3 Now the winged ones were stationed on the right side of the house when the man went in; and the inner square was full of the cloud.

4 And the glory of the Lord went up from the winged ones and came to rest over the doorstep of the house; and the house was full of the cloud and the open square was full of the shining of the Lord's glory.

5 And the sound of the wings of the winged ones was clear even in the outer square, like the voice of the Ruler of all.

6 And when he gave orders to the man clothed in linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the winged ones, then he went in and took his place at the side of a wheel.

7 And stretching out his hand to the fire which was between the winged ones, he took some of it and went out.

8 And I saw the form of a man's hands among the winged ones under their wings.

9 And looking, I saw four wheels by the side of the winged ones, one wheel by the side of a winged one and another wheel by the side of another: and the wheels were like the colour of a beryl stone to the eye.

10 In form the four of them were all the same, they seemed like a wheel inside a wheel.

11 When they were moving, they went on their four sides without turning; they went after the head in the direction in which it was looking; they went without turning.

12 And the edges of the four wheels were full of eyes round about.

13 As for the wheels, they were named in my hearing, the circling wheels.

14 And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a winged one, and the second was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

15 And the winged ones went up on high: this is the living being which I saw by the river Chebar.

16 And when the winged ones went, the wheels went by their side: and when their wings were lifted to take them up from the earth, the wheels were not turned from their side.

17 When they were at rest in their place, these were at rest; when they were lifted up, these went up with them: for the spirit of life was in them.

18 Then the glory of the Lord went out from the doorstep of the house, and came to rest over the winged ones.

19 And the winged ones, lifting up their wings, went up from the earth before my eyes, with the wheels by their side: and they came to rest at the east doorway of the Lord's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them on high.

20 This is the living being which I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and it was clear to me that they were the winged ones.

21 Every one had four faces and Every one had four wings; and hands like a man's hands were under their wings.

22 As for the form of their faces, they were the faces whose form I saw by the river Chebar; when they went, every one of them went straight forward.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Conjugial Love #26

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26. Again I swear in truth that these events and words occurred as I have related them, the first ones in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and the subsequent ones in a society of heaven, the society from which came the angel with the trumpet, who acted as guide.

Who in the Christian world would know anything about heaven and the joys and happiness there - knowledge of which is also knowledge of salvation - unless it pleased the Lord to open to someone the sight of his spirit and to show him and teach him?

Corroboration that things like these occur in the spiritual world appears plainly from the things seen and heard by the apostle John, as described in the book of Revelation. For example, he describes having seen the following:

The Son of Man in the midst of the seven lampstands. 1

A tabernacle, temple, ark, and altar in heaven. 2

A book sealed with seven seals. The book opened, and horses going out of it. 3

Four living creatures around a throne. 4

Twelve thousand taken from each tribe. 5

Locusts arising out of the abyss. 6

A dragon and its fight with Michael. 7

A woman giving birth to a male child and fleeing into the wilderness because of the dragon. 8

Two beasts, one rising up out of the sea, the other out of the earth. 9

A woman sitting on a scarlet beast. 10

The dragon cast into a lake of fire and brimstone. 11

A white horse, and a great supper. 12

A new heaven and a new earth, and the holy Jerusalem coming down, described as to its gates, wall, and foundations. 13

Also a river of water of life, and trees of life yielding fruits every month. 14

Besides many other things, all of which were seen by John, and seen when he was in the spirit 15 in the spiritual world and in heaven. In addition, those things which were seen by the apostles after the Lord's resurrection. 16 And which were later seen by Peter (Acts of the Apostles 11). 17 Also which were then seen and heard by Paul. 18

Moreover, there were the things seen by the prophets. For example, Ezekiel saw the following:

Four living creatures, which were cherubs. (Ezekiel 1 and 10)

A new temple and a new earth, and an angel measuring them. (Ezekiel 40-48)

Being carried off to Jerusalem, he saw the abominations there. (Ezekiel 8) And he was also carried off into Chaldea, to those in captivity. (Ezekiel 11) 19

Something similar happened with Zechariah:

He saw a man riding among myrtle trees. (Zechariah 1:8 ff.)

He saw four horns, and then a man with a measuring line in his hand. (Zechariah 1:18 ff., 2:1 ff.)

He saw a lampstand and two olive trees. (Zechariah 4:1 ff.)

He saw a flying scroll, and an ephah. (Zechariah 5:1, 6)

He saw four chariots coming from between two mountains, with horses. (Zechariah 6:1 ff.)

Likewise with Daniel:

He saw four beasts come up from the sea. (Daniel 7:1 ff.)

Also the combats of a ram and a goat. (Daniel 8:1 ff.)

He saw the angel Gabriel, who spoke at length with him. (Daniel 9) 20

Moreover, Elisha's young man saw fiery chariots and horses around Elisha, and he saw them when his eyes were opened. 21

From these and many other passages in the Word, it is evident that the things which exist in the spiritual world have appeared to many, before and after the Lord's Advent. Why should it be surprising for them to appear also now, when the Church is beginning and the New Jerusalem is coming down from the Lord out of heaven

Footnotes:

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.