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Danijel 4

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1 Ja, Nabukodonozor, življah mirno u svojoj kući i sretno u svojoj palači,

2 kad vidjeh sanju koja me uplašila. Utvare i viđenja što su mi se na mom ležaju vrzla po glavi uznemiriše me.

3 I naredih: neka mi pozovu sve mudrace babilonske da mi kažu što sanja znači.

4 Dođoše gataoci, čarobnici, zvjezdari i tumači znakova: ja im rekoh svoju sanju, a oni mi ne znadoše reći njezino značenje.

5 Tada dođe preda me Daniel, koji je nazvan Baltazar prema imenu moga boga, i u komu prebiva duh Boga Svetoga. Ja mu pripovjedih svoju sanju:

6 "Baltazare, starješino gatalaca, znam da u tebi prebiva duh Boga Svetoga i da ti nijedna tajna nije preteška: evo sanje što je imah: daj mi njezino značenje.

7 Evo viđenja što mi se na postelji vrzlo po glavi: Pogledam, kad evo jedno stablo usred zemlje vrlo veliko.

8 Stablo poraste, postade snažno, visina mu doseže nebo, vidjelo se s krajeva zemlje.

9 Krošnja mu bijaše lijepa, plodovi obilni; na njemu je bilo hrane za sve, u njegovoj sjeni počivaše zvijerje poljsko, na njegovim se granama gnijezdile ptice nebeske i svako se tijelo hranilo od njega.

10 Ja promatrah viđenja što su mi se na mojoj postelji vrzla po glavi kad, evo, Stražar, Svetac, silazi s neba,

11 silnim glasom viče: 'Posijecite stablo, okrešite mu grane, počupajte mu lišće, pobacajte plodove! Neka se životinje razbjegnu ispod njega i ptice s grana njegovih!

12 U zemlji ostavite panj i korijenje u gvozdenim i mjedenim okovima, u travi poljskoj! Neka ga pere rosa nebeska, i travu zemaljsku neka dijeli sa zvijerjem poljskim!

13 Neka mu se promijeni srce čovječje, srce životinjsko nek' mu se dade! Sedam vremena neka prođe nad njim!

14 Tako su presudili Stražari, tako su odlučili Sveci, da sve živo upozna kako Svevišnji ima vlast nad kraljevstvom ljudskim: on ga daje kome hoće i postavlja nad njim najnižega od ljudi!'

15 Ovo je sanja što je vidjeh ja, kralj Nabukodonozor. A ti, Baltazare, reci mi njezino značenje, jer mi nijedan od mudraca moga kraljevstva to ne može reći; ti možeš, jer u tebi je duh Boga Svetoga."

16 Tada se Daniel, nazvan Baltazar, načas smete i prestraši u svojim mislima. Kralj reče: "Baltazare, ne daj se zbuniti ovom sanjom i njezinim značenjem!" Baltazar odgovori: "Gospodaru moj, ova sanja neka bude tvojim dušmanima i njezino značenje tvojim mrziteljima!

17 Stablo koje si vidio, veliko i snažno, koje seže sve do neba i vidi se po svoj zemlji,

18 krošnje lijepe i plodova obilnih na kojem bijaše hrane za sve i pod kojim počiva zvijerje poljsko, a na njegovim se granama gnijezde ptice nebeske:

19 to si ti, o kralju, koji si velik i moćan, veličina ti se povećala i dosegla do neba, a tvoja vlast do krajeva zemlje.

20 A što je vidio kralj kako Stražar, Svetac, silazi s neba te govori: 'Posijecite stablo, raskomadajte ga, no njegov panj i korijenje ostavite u zemlji, u gvozdenim i mjedenim okovima, u travi poljskoj, neka ga pere rosa nebeska i dio neka mu bude sa zvijerjem poljskim dok ne prođe sedam vremena nad njim' -

21 ovo je značenje, o kralju, odluka Svevišnjega što će se ispuniti na mom gospodaru kralju:

22 Izagnat će te iz društva ljudi i sa životinjama ćeš poljskim boraviti; hranit ćeš se travom kao goveda, tebe će prati rosa nebeska; sedam će vremena proći nad tobom dok ne upoznaš da Svevišnji ima vlast nad kraljevstvom ljudskim i da ga daje kome on hoće.

23 A što se reklo 'Ostavite panj i korijenje stabla' - tvoje će se kraljevstvo obnoviti čim spoznaš da Nebesa imaju svu vlast.

24 Zato, kralju, neka ti bude mio moj savjet: iskupi svoje grijehe pravednim djelima i svoja bezakonja milosrđem prema siromasima, da bi ti potrajala sreća."

25 Sve se to dogodi kralju Nabukodonozoru.

26 Dvanaest mjeseci kasnije, šetajući babilonskim kraljevskim dvorom,

27 kralj govoraše: "Nije li to taj veliki Babilon što ga ja sagradih da mi bude kraljevskom prijestolnicom - snagom svoje moći, na slavu svoga veličanstva?"

28 Još bijahu te riječi u ustima njegovim kad s neba dođe glas: "Tebi se objavljuje, kralju Nabukodonozore! Kraljevstvo ti se oduzelo;

29 bit ćeš izagnan iz društva ljudi, sa životinjama ćeš poljskim boraviti; hranit ćeš se travom kao goveda, i sedam će vremena proći nad tobom dok ne spoznaš da Svevišnji ima vlast nad kraljevstvom ljudskim, i da ga on daje kome hoće."

30 I smjesta se riječ izvrši na Nabukodonozoru: bi izagnan iz društva ljudi, jeđaše travu kao goveda, prala ga rosa nebeska; vlasi mu narastoše poput orlova perja, a njegovi nokti kao ptičje pandže.

31 "Pošto se navršiše određeni dani, ja, Nabukodonozor, podigoh oči prema nebu, razum mi se vrati, tada blagoslovih Svevišnjega hvaleći i uzvisujući onoga koji živi dovijeka: njegovo je kraljevstvo - kraljevstvo vječno, njegova je vlast za sva pokoljenja.

32 Stanovnici zemlje - upravo kao da ih i nema: po svojoj volji postupa on s vojskom nebeskom i sa žiteljima zemaljskim. Nitko ne može zaustaviti njegovu ruku ili mu kazati: 'Što to radiš?'

33 U isti čas razum mi se vrati, i na slavu moje kraljevske časti vrati mi se veličanstvo i sjaj; moji me savjetnici i velikaši potražiše, bih uspostavljen u kraljevsku čast i moja veličina još poraste.

34 Sada ja, Nabukodonozor, hvalim, uzvisujem i slavim Kralja nebeskoga, čija su sva djela istina, svi putovi pravda i koji može poniziti one koji hode u oholosti."

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3301

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3301. 'A hairy garment' means the truth of the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tunic' as something that clothes another thing - that something being in this case truth because this serves to clothe good (for truth is like a garment, 1073, 2576, or what amounts almost to the same, truth is the recipient vessel for good, 1469, 1496, 1832, 1900, 2063, 2261, 2269); and also from the meaning of 'hairy' as the natural as regards truth. Hair, or the hair on the head, is mentioned several times in the Word, and in those places means that which is natural, the reason being that hairs are outgrowths on the most exterior parts of a person, as also is the natural in relation to its rational and to the interior parts of the rational. During his lifetime it seems to everyone as though the natural within him is all there is to him, but this is so far from being true, that the natural is rather an outgrowth from the internal parts of him, like hairs from the parts of the body. They also stem from internal parts in almost the same way. This also is why people who have been wholly natural during their lifetime are seen in the next life to have faces covered almost entirely with hair when a visual presentation is made of that state. What is more, man's natural is represented by 'the hair'. When it is an outgrowth from good it is represented by attractive and neatly arranged hair, but when it is not the outgrowth from good by unattractive and dishevelled hair.

[2] It is from this representation that in the Word 'hair', or 'the hair on the head' is used to mean the natural, especially as regards truth, as in Zechariah,

It will happen on that day, that the prophets will be ashamed, [every] man on account of his vision when he has prophesied. And he will not put on a hairy garment in order to deceive. Zechariah 13:4.

'The prophets' stands for people who teach truths, here for those who teach falsities, 2534. 'Vision' stands for truths, here for falsities, 'hairy garment' for the natural as regards truth. But because it was not truth but falsity the phrase 'in order to deceive' is used. Such clothing was worn by the prophets so that truth, being external, might be represented by them. This also was why, dressed in a similar way, Elijah the Tishbite is called a hairy man, 2 Kings 1:8, and why John, the last of the prophets, had a garment of camel hair, Matthew 3:4 - 'camels' being facts in the natural man, see 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145, and facts being the truths of the natural man, 3293.

[3] That 'the hair' meant the natural as regards truth is quite clear from the Nazirites who were commanded not to shave their heads with a razor all the days of their Nazirite vow, not until their days of abstinence to Jehovah had been completed. Then they were to let down the hair on their heads and at the door of the Tent of Meeting were to shave the head of their Naziriteship and put the hair on to the fire which was beneath the eucharistic sacrifice, Numbers 6:5, 18-19. They represented the Lord's Divine Human, and from this the person belonging to the celestial Church, who was a likeness of the Lord, 51 - representing that person's natural man by 'the hair'. When they were being sanctified therefore they were to lay aside their old or previous natural man into which they had been born and were to assume the new. This was meant by the requirement, when the days of abstinence to Jehovah had been completed, to let down the hair on their heads and to put it on to the fire beneath the sacrifice. For the state of the celestial man is a state in which good is present in him and from that good he has a knowledge of all truths. He never thinks and talks from truths about good, still less from facts about good, see 202, 337, 2715, 2718, 3246. Furthermore those who are celestial are of such a nature that before they lay aside that state into which they were born their natural has become so powerfully equipped with truth that they are capable of fighting with the hells; for it is truth, never good, that goes into battle. The hells cannot make even the remotest approach towards good. That truth is of such a nature, and good of such a nature, see 1950, 1951.

[4] From this it is evident how it was that Samson had strength from his hair, referred to as follows,

The angel of Jehovah appeared to Samson's mother, saying, Behold, you will conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come up over his head; the boy shall be a Nazirite of God from the womb. Judges 13:3, 5.

Later on he revealed to Delilah that if he were shaved his strength would leave him and he would be rendered powerless. And immediately he had been shaved, his strength did leave him and the Philistines seized him. And when subsequently the hair on his head started to grow again, where he had been shaved, his strength returned to him, enabling him to dislodge the pillars of the house, Judges 16:1-end. Who does not see that this description holds a heavenly arcanum within it, and that nobody knows what that arcanum is unless he has been taught regarding representatives, that is to say, that a Nazirite portrayed the celestial man, and as long as he had his hair he portrayed the natural part of that man, with whom, as has been stated, such strong and powerful truth was present? And Samson had such strength because at that period of time all representatives which the Lord had commanded had such force and effect. But he was not a consecrated Nazirite like those mentioned above, that is to say, someone who had put on a state of good instead of truth. The chief reason why the ultimate existence of his strength lay in his hair was so that he might represent the Lord who from the natural man as regards truth was to fight the hells and overcome them. This He did before putting on Divine Good and Truth even as regards the natural man.

[5] From this it is also evident why the high priest, on whose head the anointing oil had been poured and who had been consecrated 1 to wear the garments, was commanded not to shave his head or to rend his garments, Leviticus 21:10. And in a similar way where the new Temple is referred to the Levitical priests were commanded not to shave their head or to let their hair grow long, Ezekiel 44:20; that is to say, they represented the Lord's Divine Natural as regards truth that is derived from good and is called truth grounded in good. That 'hair' or the hair on the head means the natural as regards truth is clear also from the prophetical parts of the Word, as in Ezekiel,

I gave you to be like the seed of the field, from which you grew up and became tall to full beauty; your breasts were formed and your hair had grown. Ezekiel 16:7.

This refers to Jerusalem, which is the Ancient Church here and which in process of time became perverted. 'Breasts were formed' stands for natural good, 'hair which has grown' for natural truth.

[6] In Daniel,

I saw, until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was a flame of fire. Daniel 7:9.

And in John,

In the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and surrounded by a golden girdle around the breasts. His head however and hair were white, like white wool, like snow; but His eyes were like a flame of fire. Revelation 1:13-14.

'Hair white like pure wool' stands for the Divine Natural as regards truth. In the Word, and in the religious observances of the Jewish Church, truth itself was represented by 'white', and because truth is derived from good is called 'pure wool'. The reason why truth was represented by 'white' and good by 'red' was that truth is akin to light and good to fire, the source of the light.

[7] As with everything else in the Word 'the hair' also has a contrary sense and means the natural as regards truth when perverted, as in Isaiah,

On that day the Lord will shave by means of a razor hired at the crossing-places of the River - by means of the King of Asshur - the head and the hair of the feet; and it will consume the beard also. Isaiah 7:20.

In Ezekiel,

Son of man, take for yourself a sharp sword, use it as a barber's razor which you shall run over your head and over your beard. Then you are to take balances and you are to divide it. A third you are to burn with fire in the midst of the city; a third you are to strike with the sword round about it; and a third you are to scatter to the wind. You shall take from it a small number, and bind it in your skirts. Finally you are to take from these again and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them with fire, and from this, fire will come forth to the whole house of Israel. Ezekiel 5:1-4.

All this, by the use of representatives, describes how natural truth, interior and exterior, meant by 'the hair' and 'the beard', ceased to exist any longer. Its destruction by lusts is meant by its being burned with fire, by reasonings by its being struck with the sword round about the city, by false assumptions by its being scattered to the wind. These statements are similar in content to what the Lord teaches in Matthew about some seed, which is the truth, falling among thorns, some on stony ground, and some along the path, Matthew 13:1-9.

[8] That 'the heir' means the unclean truths and the falsities belonging to the natural man was also represented by the requirement that when a woman from among enemies who had been taken captive was to be married to [an Israelite], she was to be brought to his home, the hair on her head was to be shaved off, her nails were to be pared, and the garments of her captivity were to be removed, Deuteronomy 21:12-13. Also when Levites were consecrated, the water of expiation was to be sprinkled over them, they were to pass a razor over their entire flesh, and to wash their clothes, and so be pure, Numbers 8:7. Also, Nebuchadnezzar was driven from among men so that he ate grass like oxen, and his body was wet from the dew of heaven, till his hair grew to be like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws, Daniel 4:33. In the case of leprosy they were required to note the colours of hair and beard, whether these were white, reddening, yellow, or black. They were to look for the same in garments. And the person who was cleansed from leprosy was required to shave all the hair on his head, his beard, and his eyebrows, Leviticus 13:1-59; 14:8-9. The latter meant the unclean falsities that result from unholiness, which is leprosy in the internal sense.

[9] 'Baldness' however meant the natural when no truth at all is present in it, as in Isaiah,

He is going up to Bayith, and to Dibon, the high places, to weep over Nebo; and Moab will howl over Medeba. On all their heads is baldness; every beard is shaved off. Isaiah 15:2.

In the same prophet, Instead of well-set hair there will be baldness, branding instead of beauty. Isaiah 3:24

The children who said to Elisha, Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead! and who were torn apart by the bears out of the forest, 2 Kings 2:23-24, represent people who blaspheme the Word as though it had no truth within it; for Elisha represented the Lord as regards the Word, 2762. From this it is also evident how prevalent representatives were at that period of time.

Footnotes:

1. literally, whose hand had been filled

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