The Bible

 

Ezechiel 2

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1 Kterýž řekl ke mně: Synu člověčí, postav se na nohy své, ať mluvím s tebou.

2 I vstoupil do mne duch, když promluvil ke mně, a postavil mne na nohy mé, a slyšel jsem, an mluví ke mně.

3 Kterýž řekl mi: Synu člověčí, já tě posílám k synům Izraelským, k národům zpurným, kteříž zpurně se postavovali proti mně; oni i otcové jejich zpronevěřovali se mi, až právě do tohoto dne.

4 K těch, pravím, synům nestydaté tváři a zatvrdilého srdce já posílám tě, a díš k nim: Takto praví Panovník Hospodin,

5 Již oni slyšte neb nechte: Že dům zpurný jsou. Ať vědí, že prorok byl u prostřed nich.

6 Ty pak synu člověčí, neboj se jich, aniž se boj slov jejich, že zpurní a jako trní jsou proti tobě, a že mezi štíry bydlíš. Slov jejich neboj se, a tváři jejich se nestrachuj, proto že dům zpurný jsou.

7 Ale mluv slova má k nim, již oni slyšte neb nechte: Že zpurní jsou.

8 Ty pak synu člověčí, slyš, co já pravím tobě: Nebuď zpurný jako ten dům zpurný. Otevři ústa svá, a sněz, co já tobě dám.

9 I viděl jsem, a aj, ruka vztažena byla ke mně, a aj, v ní svinutá kniha.

10 Kteroužto rozvinul přede mnou, a byla popsaná s předu i z zadu, a bylo v ní psáno naříkání, kvílení a běda.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #1037

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1037. (Verse 3) And he carried me away into a wilderness, in the spirit. That this signifies into a place appearing in vision, which corresponded to the state of that religious persuasion, is evident from the signification of a wilderness, as denoting a state of the church in which there is no longer any good and truth (concerning which see n. 730); but whereas the church in which there is no longer any good and truth is not a church, therefore it is called a religious persuasion (religiosum); and from the signification of, in the spirit, as denoting in vision; for what John saw in the spirit he saw in vision. To see in vision is to see such things as exist with the angels in heaven, which are representative and thence significative of things spiritual. These, when they appear to a man, do not appear before the sight of his body, but before the sight of his spirit. For his spirit has eyes equally as his body; but the eyes of his spirit see the things in the spiritual world, because all the things that appear there are from a spiritual origin; and the spiritual man sees spiritual things with the understanding, and with the eyes the same things in a form like the natural. But the eyes of the body see those things that are in the material world, because all the things that appear there are from a natural origin, and the material man sees natural things with the understanding, and with the eyes the same things in a material form. When, therefore, the eyes of their spirits were opened in the case of the prophets, they then saw such things, as represented and thence signified the Divine-celestial and Divine-spiritual things of the church, and also sometimes such things as represented and thence signified what was to take place in the churches in the future. These are the things that John saw.

The reason why he now saw a wilderness is, that by a wilderness is signified a state of the church devastated of all good and truth; and this state corresponds to the church which was become Babylon. Therefore also Babel, in many passages in the Word, is described as a wilderness. As in the following:

Art thou "he who hath made the world into a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof?" (Isaiah 14:17).

Babel shall be "as the overthrowing of Sodom and Gomorrah; it shall not be inhabited for ever; it shall not be dwelt in even to generation and generation; so that the Arab shall not tarry there. The daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there" (Isaiah 13:19-22).

And also in Jeremiah (50:37-40; 51:2, 25, 26, 37, 41-43), and elsewhere.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #362

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362. I heard the second animal saying. That this signifies out of the inmost heaven from the Lord, is clear from what was said above (n. 353); for by the animals are meant the cherubim, and the cherubim signify, in the highest sense, the Lord as to Providence, and as to defence, that He may not be approached except by means of the good of love; and in a respective sense, the inmost heaven (see above, n. 152, 277, 313, 322). The reason why the cherubim also signify the inmost heaven, is, because this heaven is in the good of love to the Lord, and the Lord cannot be approached except through the heavens, and into the inmost or third heaven there is not anything admitted which does not savour of the good of that heaven. The reason there were four animals or cherubim, is, because four signifies conjunction into one, and such is the conjunction with those who are there; for the Lord thus conjoins them by love to Him from Him. Hence it is that four were seen. From these things it is also evident, that the same is here meant by the second animal as by the first, and also by the third and fourth in the verses following. (That four signifies conjunction, may be seen in n. 1686, 8877, 9601, 9674.)

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.