The Bible

 

以西结书 1

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1 三十初五日,以西结(原文是我)在迦巴鲁边被掳的人中,开了,得见的异象。

2 正是约雅斤王被掳去第五年四初五日,

3 迦勒底人、迦巴鲁边,耶和华的特特临到布西的儿子祭司以西结;耶和华的灵(原文是)降在他身上。

4 我观,见狂北方,随着有一朵包括闪烁,周围有光辉;从其中的内发出好像光耀的精金;

5 又从其中显出个活物的形像来。他们的形状是这样:有人的形像,

6 各有个脸面,翅膀

7 他们的腿是直的,掌好像犊之蹄,都灿烂如光明的铜。

8 面的翅膀有人的。这个活物的脸和翅膀乃是这样:

9 翅膀彼此相接,行走并不转身,俱各直往前行。

10 至於脸的形像:前面各有人的脸,右面各有狮子的脸,左面各有牛的脸,後面各有鹰的脸。

11 各展开上边的两个翅膀相接,各以下边的两个翅膀遮体。

12 他们俱各直往前行。灵往哪里去,他们就往那里去,行走并不转身

13 至於四活物的形像,就如烧着炭的形状,又如把的形状。在四活物中间上去下来,这有光辉,从中发出闪电

14 这活物往来奔走,好像电光一闪。

15 我正观活物的时候,见活物的脸旁各有上。

16 的形状和颜色(原文是作法)好像水苍玉。都是个样式,形状和作法好像中套

17 轮行走的时候,向方都能直行,并不掉

18 至於轮辋,而可畏;个轮辋周围满有眼睛

19 活物行走,也在旁边行走;活物从上升,也都上升。

20 灵往哪里去,活物就往那里去;活物上升,也在活物旁边上升,因为活物的灵在中。

21 那些行走,这些也行走;那些站住,这些也站住;那些从上升,也在旁边上升,因为活物的灵在中。

22 活物的以上有穹苍的形像,看着像可畏的水晶,铺张在活物的以上。

23 穹苍以,活物的翅膀直张,彼此相对;每活物有两个翅膀遮体。

24 活物行走的时候,我翅膀的响声,像大水的声音,像全能者的声音,也像军队哄嚷的声音。活物站住的时候,便将翅膀垂下。

25 在他们以上的穹苍之上有声音。他们站住的时候,便将翅膀垂下。

26 在他们以上的穹苍之上有宝座的形像,彷佛蓝宝;在宝座形像以上有彷佛人的形状。

27 我见从他腰以上有彷佛光耀的精金,周围都有的形状,又见从他腰以下有彷佛的形状,周围也有光辉。

28 下雨的日子,中虹的形状怎样,周围光辉的形状也是怎样。这就是耶和华荣耀的形像。我一见就俯伏在地,又见一位说话声音

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #830

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830. 19:16 And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written: "King of kings and Lord of lords." This symbolically means that the Lord teaches in the Word who He is, that He is the Divine truth of Divine wisdom and the Divine goodness of Divine love, thus that He is God of the universe.

The Lord's garment symbolizes the Word in respect to Divine truth, as in no. 825 above. The Lord's thigh symbolizes the Word in respect to Divine goodness. Because thighs and loins symbolize married love, and because that love is the fundamental love of all loves, therefore thighs and loins symbolize the goodness of love. That this is due to its correspondence may be seen in no. 213 above. Therefore, when a thigh is mentioned in reference to the Lord, it symbolizes the Lord in respect to the goodness of love, and here the Word as well in that respect. Having a name written symbolizes the character of the Lord, as in no. 824 above. "King of kings" means the Lord in respect to the Divine truth of His Divine wisdom, and "Lord of lords" means the Lord in respect to the Divine goodness of His Divine love. The Lord's kingdom and His dominion have the same symbolic meaning in places where both are mentioned (see no. 664 above).

[2] Because the Lord is called King of kings and Lord of lords, and this means the Lord in respect to both Divine truth and Divine good, therefore the name is said to have been written on His garment and on His thigh; and the name written on His garment symbolizes the Word in respect to Divine truth, while the name written on His thigh symbolizes the Word in respect to Divine goodness, both being contained in the Word. The Word's Divine truth is found in its spiritual sense, which is intended for angels of the intermediate or second heaven, who possess intelligence stemming from Divine truths; and the Word's Divine goodness is found in its celestial sense, which is intended for angels of the highest or third heaven, who possess wisdom stemming from Divine goods. But this latter sense is deeply hidden, being perceptible only to people who possess love toward the Lord from the Lord.

That the one on the white horse here is the Lord is explicitly said above in the book of Revelation:

These will do battle with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings. (Revelation 17:14)

[3] That a thigh symbolizes the goodness of love, and in reference to the Lord, the Divine goodness of His Divine love, is clear from the following passages in the Word:

Righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and truth the girdle of His thighs. (Isaiah 11:5)

...over (the cherubim's) heads was... the appearance of a man (on a throne).... From the appearance of His loins and upward..., and from the appearance of His loins and downward..., (there was) the appearance of fire and of brightness all around. (Ezekiel 1:26-28)

The man on the throne means the Lord. The appearance of fire from His loins upward and downward symbolizes His Divine love, and the brightness all around symbolizes the Divine wisdom emanating from it.

(Daniel saw a man) whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz. (Daniel 10:5)

The man was an angel having the Lord in him. Gold of Uphaz symbolizes the goodness of love.

The thighs or loins have the same symbolic meaning in Isaiah 5:27, Psalms 45:3, and elsewhere.

Regarding the correspondence of the thighs or loins with married love, which is the fundamental love of all loves, see Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), nos. 5050-5062.

  
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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.