The Bible

 

Ezechiel 13

Study

   

1 I stalo se slovo Hospodinovo ke mně, řkoucí:

2 Synu člověčí, prorokuj proti prorokům Izraelským, kteříž prorokují, a rci prorokujícím z srdce svého: Slyšte slovo Hospodinovo:

3 Takto praví Panovník Hospodin: Běda prorokům bláznivým, kteříž následují ducha svého, ješto však nic neviděli.

4 Podobni jsou liškám na pustinách proroci tvoji, Izraeli.

5 Nevstupujete k mezerám, aniž děláte hradby okolo domu Izraelského, aby ostáti mohl v boji v den Hospodinův.

6 Vídají marnost a hádání lživé. Říkají: Praví Hospodin, ješto jich neposlal Hospodin, a troštují lidi, aby jen utvrdili slovo své.

7 Zdaliž vidění marného nevídáte, a hádání lživého nevypravujete? A říkáte: Praví Hospodin, ješto jsem já nemluvil.

8 Pročež takto praví Panovník Hospodin: Proto že mluvíte marnost, a vídáte lež, protož aj, já jsem proti vám, praví Panovník Hospodin.

9 Nebo bude ruka má proti prorokům, kteříž vídají marnost a hádají lež. V losu lidu mého nebudou, a v popisu domu Izraelského nebudou zapsáni, aniž do země Izraelské vejdou. I zvíte, že já jsem Panovník Hospodin,

10 Proto, proto že v blud uvedli lid můj, říkajíce: Pokoj, ješto nebylo žádného pokoje. Jeden zajisté ustavěl stěnu hliněnou, a jiní obmítali ji vápnem ničemným.

11 Rciž těm, kteříž obmítají vápnem ničemným: I však to padne. Přijde příval rozvodnilý, a vy, kamenové krupobití velikého, spadnete, a vítr bouřlivý roztrhne ji.

12 A aj, když padne ta stěna, zdaliž vám nebude řečeno: Kdež jest to obmítání, jímž jste obmítali?

13 Protož takto praví Panovník Hospodin: Roztrhnu ji, pravím, větrem bouřlivým v prchlivosti své, a příval rozvodnilý v hněvě mém přijde, a kamení krupobití velikého v prchlivosti mé k vyhlazení jí.

14 Nebo rozbořím stěnu tu, kterouž jste obmetali vápnem ničemným, a porazím ji na zem, tak že odkryt bude grunt její. I padne, a zkaženi budete u prostřed ní, a zvíte, že já jsem Hospodin.

15 A tak vykonaje prchlivost svou na té stěně, a na těch, kteříž ji obmítají vápnem ničemným, dím vám: Není více té stěny, není ani těch, kteříž ji obmítali,

16 Totiž proroků Izraelských, kteříž prorokují Jeruzalému, a ohlašují jemu vidění pokoje, ješto není žádného pokoje, praví Panovník Hospodin.

17 Ty pak, synu člověčí, obrať tvář svou k dcerám lidu svého, kteréž prorokují z srdce svého, a prorokuj i proti nim.

18 A rci: Takto praví Panovník Hospodin: Běda těm, kteréž šijí polštáříky pod všeliké lokty rukou lidu mého, a dělají kukly na hlavu všeliké postavy, aby lovily duše. Zdaliž loviti máte duše lidu mého, abyste se živiti mohly?

19 Nebo zlehčujete mne u lidu mého pro hrst ječmene a pro kus chleba, umrtvujíce duše, kteréž neumrou, a obživujíce duše, kteréž živy nebudou, lhouce lidu mému, kteříž poslouchají lži.

20 Protož takto praví Panovník Hospodin: Aj, já dám se v polštáříky vaše, jimiž vy lovíte tam duše, abyste je oklamaly. Nebo strhnu je s ramenou vašich, a propustím duše, duše, kteréž vy lovíte, abyste je oklamaly.

21 I strhnu kukly vaše, a vytrhnu lid svůj z ruky vaší, tak abyste jich nemohly více loviti, i zvíte, že já jsem Hospodin;

22 Proto že kormoutíte srdce spravedlivého lžmi, ješto jsem já ho nekormoutil, a posilujete rukou bezbožného, aby se neodvrátil od zlé cesty své, obživujíce jej.

23 Protož nebudete vídati marnosti, a s hádáním nebudete se obírati více; nebo vytrhnu lid svůj z ruky vaší, i zvíte, že já jsem Hospodin.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #343

Study this Passage

  
/ 962  
  

343. Holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. This symbolizes the Lord's holding back and restraining a closer and thus stronger influx into the lower regions where good people were attached to evil ones.

It must be known that a last judgment takes place when evil people multiply below the heavens in the world of spirits, and this to such a degree that angels in the heavens cannot continue in the state of their love and wisdom, as they are then without a support and foundation. Since this results from a multiplication of evil people below, therefore in order to preserve the angels' state, the Lord flows in more and more strongly with His Divinity, and this continually until no influx can preserve them unless the evil people below are separated from the good. This is accomplished by a subsidence and closing in of the heavens, with a consequently stronger influx, until the evil cannot bear it. And at that point the evil flee away and cast themselves into hell.

This, too, is what is symbolized in the preceding chapter by the statement, "They said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'" (Revelation 6:16-17)

[2] Now for the exposition:

The four winds symbolize an influx of the heavens. The earth, the sea, and every tree symbolize all the lower regions and all that they contain - the earth and sea symbolizing all the lower regions, and every tree all that they contain.

That a wind symbolizes influx - properly speaking, the influx of truth into the intellect - can be seen from the following passages:

Thus says the Lord Jehovih, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." (Ezekiel 37:9-10)

(There appeared four chariots to which were harnessed four horses.) These are the four winds of the heavens... (Zechariah 6:1-5)

You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and... cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. (John 3:7-8)

The Maker of the earth... prepares the world by His wisdom... He brings the wind out of His treasuries. (Jeremiah 10:12-13; 51:15-16, cf. Psalms 135:7)

He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. He declares His Word..., His statutes and His judgments... (Psalms 147:18-19)

It praises Jehovah..., the stormy wind, doing His Word... (Psalms 148:7-8)

(Jehovah) makes His angels winds... (Psalms 104:4)

(Jehovah) rode... upon the wings of the wind. (Psalms 18:10, cf. 104:3)

The wings of the wind are Divine truths that flow in. The Lord is therefore called "the breath of our nostrils" (Lamentations 4:20), and we are told that He "breathed into (Adam's) nostrils the breath of life" (Genesis 2:7); moreover, that "He breathed on (the Disciples) and said..., "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:21-22). The Holy Spirit is the Divine truth emanating from the Lord, the influx of which into the Disciples was represented and thus symbolized by the Lord's breathing on them.

[3] A wind and breathing symbolize the influx of Divine truth into the intellect, owing to the correspondence of the lungs with the intellect, a treatment of which may be seen in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom, nos. 371-429.

Since a closer and stronger Divine influx through the heavens dispels truths in the case of evil people, therefore a wind symbolizes the dispersion of truth in them, and thus their conjunction with hell and perishing - as may be seen from the following passages:

I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four ends of heaven and scatter him. (Jeremiah 49:36)

You shall scatter them, that the wind may carry them away and the storm disperse them. (Isaiah 41:16)

The breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, sets them on fire. (Isaiah 30:33)

The workers of iniquity... perish by the breathing of God, and by the breath of His nostrils they are consumed. (Job 4:8-9)

...the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke (of Jehovah), at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. (Psalms 18:15)

I saw in my vision..., and behold, the four winds... were rushing upon the Great Sea. And four beasts came up... (Daniel 7:2-3ff.)

...from a storm of Jehovah has gone forth fury... It will rush upon the head of the wicked. (Jeremiah 23:19; 30:23)

O my God..., ...pursue them with Your storm, ...frighten them with Your tempest. (Psalms 83:13, 15)

(Jehovah's) way in the storm and in the tempest... (Nahum 1:3)

And so also elsewhere, as in Jeremiah 25:32, Ezekiel 13:13, Hosea 8:7, Amos 1:14, Zechariah 9:14, Psalms 11:6; 50:3; 55:8, and Psalms 107, where we read:

...He commands the stormy wind to blow... (God) causes the storm to subside, so that its waves are still. (Psalms 107:25, 29)

[4] It is apparent from this what is symbolically meant in the spiritual sense by the following:

(Jesus in the boat) rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ."..be still!" And... there was a... calm. (Mark 4:39, cf. Luke 8:23-24)

The sea here symbolizes hell, and the wind an influx from it.

A strong influx, too, is symbolically meant by the east wind in Ezekiel 17:10, Jeremiah 18:17, Ezekiel 19:12, Hosea 13:15, Psalms 48:7. And by that same wind which dried up the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), regarding which Moses said:

At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were heaped up... You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them. (Exodus 15:8, 10)

It can now be seen from this that holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, symbolizes the holding back and restraining of a closer and thus stronger influx into the lower regions.

  
/ 962  
  

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

The Bible

 

Isaiah 41

Study

   

1 "Keep silent before me, islands, and let the peoples renew their strength. Let them come near, then let them speak. Let's meet together for judgment.

2 Who has raised up one from the east? Who called him to his foot in righteousness? He hands over nations to him, and makes him rule over kings. He gives them like the dust to his sword, like the driven stubble to his bow.

3 He pursues them, and passes by safely, Even by a way that he had not gone with his feet.

4 Who has worked and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last, I am he."

5 The islands have seen, and fear. The ends of the earth tremble. They approach, and come.

6 Everyone helps his neighbor. They say to their brothers, "Be strong!"

7 So the carpenter encourages the goldsmith. He who smoothes with the hammer encourages him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, "It is good;" and he fastens it with nails, that it might not totter.

8 "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend,

9 You whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from its corners, and said to you, 'You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you away;'

10 Don't you be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

11 Behold, all those who are incensed against you will be disappointed and confounded. Those who strive with you will be like nothing, and shall perish.

12 You will seek them, and won't find them, even those who contend with you. Those who war against you will be as nothing, as a non-existent thing.

13 For I, Yahweh your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Don't be afraid. I will help you.'

14 Don't be afraid, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel. I will help you," says Yahweh, "and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

15 Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills like chaff.

16 You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away, and the whirlwind will scatter them. You will rejoice in Yahweh. You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17 The poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

18 I will open rivers on the bare heights, and springs in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

19 I will put cedar, acacia, myrtle, and oil trees in the wilderness. I will set fir trees, pine, and box trees together in the desert;

20 that they may see, know, consider, and understand together, that the hand of Yahweh has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

21 Produce your cause," says Yahweh. "Bring forth your strong reasons," says the King of Jacob.

22 "Let them announce, and declare to us what shall happen. declare the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come.

23 Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and see it together.

24 Behold, you are of nothing, and your work is of nothing. He who chooses you is an abomination.

25 "I have raised up one from the north, and he has come; from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name; and he shall come on rulers as on mortar, and as the potter treads clay.

26 Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know? And before, that we may say, 'He is right?' Surely, there is no one who declares. Surely, there is no one who shows. Surely, there is no one who hears your words.

27 I am the first to say to Zion, 'Behold, look at them;' and I will give one who brings good news to Jerusalem.

28 When I look, there is no man; even among them there is no counselor who, when I ask of them, can answer a word.

29 Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nothing. Their molten images are wind and confusion.