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Ezechiel 34

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1 I stalo se slovo Hospodinovo ke mně, řkoucí:

2 Synu člověčí, prorokuj proti pastýřům Izraelským. Prorokuj a rci jim, těm pastýřům: Takto praví Panovník Hospodin: Běda pastýřům Izraelským, kteříž pasou sami sebe. Zdaliž pastýři nemají stáda pásti?

3 Tuk jídáte, a vlnou se odíváte, což tučného, zabijíte, stáda však nepasete.

4 Neduživých neposilujete, a nemocné nehojíte, a zlámané neuvazujete, a zaplašené zase nepřivodíte, a zahynulé nehledáte, ale přísně a tvrdě panujete nad nimi,

5 Tak že rozptýleny jsou, nemajíce pastýře, a rozptýleny jsouce, jsou za pokrm všelijaké zvěři polní.

6 Bloudí stádo mé po všech horách, a na každém pahrbku vysokém, nýbrž po vší země širokosti rozptýleny jsou ovce stáda mého, a není žádného, kdo by se po nich ptal, ani žádného, kdo by jich hledal.

7 Protož ó pastýři, slyšte slovo Hospodinovo:

8 Živť jsem já, praví Panovník Hospodin, zajisté proto že stádo mé bývá v loupež, a ovce stáda mého bývají k sežrání všelijaké zvěři polní, nemajíce žádného pastýře, aniž se ptají pastýři moji po stádu mém, ale pasou pastýři sami sebe, stáda pak mého nepasou:

9 Protož vy pastýři, slyšte slovo Hospodinovo:

10 Takto praví Panovník Hospodin: Aj, já jsem proti pastýřům těm, a budu vyhledávati stáda mého z ruky jejich, a zastavím jim pasení stáda, aby nepásli více ti pastýři samých sebe. Vytrhnu zajisté ovce své z úst jejich, aby jim nebyly za pokrm.

11 Nebo takto praví Panovník Hospodin: Aj já, já ptáti se budu po ovcích svých a shledávati je.

12 Jakož shledává pastýř stádo své tehdáž, když bývá u prostřed ovec svých rozptýlených: tak shledávati budu stádo své, a vytrhnu je ze všech míst, kamž v den oblaku a mrákoty rozptýleny byly.

13 A vyvedu je z národů, a shromáždím je z zemí, a uvedu je do země jejich, a pásti je budu na horách Izraelských, při potocích i na všech místech k bydlení příhodných v zemi té.

14 Na pastvě dobré pásti je budu, a na horách vysokých Izraelských bude ovčinec jejich. Tamť léhati budou v ovčinci veselém, a pastvou tučnou pásti se budou na horách Izraelských.

15 Já pásti budu stádo své, a já způsobím to, že odpočívati budou, praví Panovník Hospodin.

16 Zahynulé hledati budu, a zaplašenou zase přivedu, a polámanou uvíži, a nemocné posilím, tučnou pak a silnou zahladím; nebo je pásti budu v soudu.

17 Vy pak, stádo mé, slyšte: Takto praví Panovník Hospodin: Aj, já soudím mezi dobytčetem a dobytčetem, mezi skopci a kozly.

18 Což jest vám málo pastvou dobrou se pásti, že ještě ostatek pastvy vaší pošlapáváte nohama svýma? a učištěnou vodu píti, že ostatek nohama svýma kalíte,

19 Tak aby ovce mé tím, což vy nohama pošlapáte, se pásti, a kal noh vašich píti musily?

20 Protož takto praví Panovník Hospodin k nim: Aj já, já souditi budu mezi dobytčetem tučným a mezi dobytčetem hubeným,

21 Proto že boky i plecemi strkáte, a rohy svými trkáte všecky neduživé, tak že je vyháníte i ven.

22 Protož vysvobodím stádo své, aby nebylo více v loupež, a souditi budu mezi dobytčetem a dobytčetem.

23 A vzbudím nad nimi pastýře jednoho, kterýž je pásti bude, služebníka svého Davida. Tenť je pásti bude, a ten bude jejich pastýřem.

24 Já pak Hospodin budu jejich Bohem, a služebník můj David knížetem u prostřed nich. Já Hospodin mluvil jsem.

25 A učině s nimi smlouvu pokoje, způsobím, že přestane zvěř zlá na zemi; i budou bydleti na poušti bezpečně, a spáti i po lesích.

26 K tomu obdařím je i okolí pahrbku svého požehnáním, a ssílati budu déšť časem svým; dešťové požehnání budou bývati;

27 Tak že vydá dřevo polní ovoce své a země vydá úrodu svou; i budou v zemi své bezpeční, a zvědí, že já jsem Hospodin, když polámi závory jha jejich, a vytrhnu je z ruky těch, jenž je v službu podrobují.

28 I nebudou více loupeží národům, a zvěř zemská nebude jich žráti, ale bydliti budou bezpečně, aniž jich kdo přestraší.

29 Nadto vzbudím jim výstřelek k slávě, a nebudou více mříti hladem v té zemi, aniž ponesou více potupy od pohanů.

30 I zvědí, že já Hospodin Bůh jejich jsem s nimi, a oni lid můj, dům Izraelský, praví Panovník Hospodin.

31 Vy pak ovce mé, ovce pastvy mé, jste vy lidé, a já Bůh váš, praví Panovník Hospodin.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #67

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67. White as white wool, as snow. That this signifies as to good and truth therein, is evident from the signification of white wool, as being good in ultimates, concerning which we shall speak presently, and from the signification of snow, as denoting truth in ultimates. Snow denotes truth in ultimates from the water of which it is composed, and from its whiteness and brightness. (That water signifies truth, may be seen below, n.71, and that whiteness and brightness signify truth, from the transparency of light, see Arcana Coelestia 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319, 8459.) The reason why white wool signifies good in ultimates, is, that the wool upon lambs and sheep has a signification similar to that of the hair upon man; and lambs and sheep signify good, lambs celestial good (Arcana Coelestia 3519, 3994, 10132), and sheep spiritual good (n. 4169, 4809). This is why hairs, by which is signified Divine truth in ultimates, are said to be white, as white wool, and as snow; as also concerning the Lord, when He was transfigured:

"His raiment became shining, exceeding shining white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can whiten them" (Mark 9:3).

And concerning the Ancient of Days, in Daniel:

"I saw until the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as white wool" (7:9).

Garment also signifies the Divine in ultimates (as may be seen above, n. 64); and the Ancient of Days, the Lord from eternity.

[2] Because wool signifies good in ultimates, therefore good is sometimes described in the Word by wool, and truth by linen and by snow, as in Hosea:

"She said, I will go after my lovers, who give my bread and my waters, my wool and my flax. Therefore I will return and will take my corn in its time, and I will take away my wool and my flax" (2:5, 9);

and in Ezekiel:

"Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe yourselves with the wool; ye kill that which is the best, ye feed not the flock" (34:3).

In David:

"Jehovah sendeth forth his word upon earth; he giveth snow like wool" (Psalms 147:15, 16).

And in Isaiah:

"If your sins were as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; if they were red as crimson, they shall be as wool" (1:18).

The reason why snow is spoken of in reference to sins which were as scarlet, and wool of sins which were red as crimson, is because scarlet signifies truth from good, and, in an opposite sense, falsity from evil (see Arcana Coelestia 4922, 9468) and red and crimson signify good, and, in an opposite sense, evil of every kind (Arcana Coelestia 3330, 9467, 9865).

  
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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

 

Arcana Coelestia #9865

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9865. 'A ruby, a topaz, a carbuncle' means the celestial love of good. This is clear from the meaning of these stones as the good of celestial love, celestial love being love to the Lord, received from the Lord. Those stones mean that love on account of their red and flaming colour; for 'red' means love, 3300, and so does 'flaming', 3222, 6832, 7620-7622, 9570. But here celestial love is meant because those stones are in the first row; and those in the first row correspond to the realities that exist in the inmost heaven, where celestial love, which is love to the Lord, reigns. Since the twelve stones in the breastplate represented all the truths that spring from good they also represented the whole of heaven; for heaven is heaven by virtue of the Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, the angels there who constitute heaven being recipients of that Truth. So it is that the three stones which are in the first row represent the inmost heaven, consequently the love that reigns there, which is called the celestial love of good and celestial love of truth. The stones in the first row represent the celestial love of good, those in the second row the celestial love of truth. These stones represent that love, as has been stated, on account of their colour; for what precious stones represent is determined by their colours.

[2] In heaven colours of indescribable beauty appear; for they are modifications of heavenly light, and heavenly light is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord. From this it is evident that colours present themselves there in accord with variations of goodness and truth; thus they are modifications of the light emanating from the Lord, through the angels. The light emanating from the Lord appears in the inmost heaven as a flame; therefore the colours resulting from it are red and flashing. But the same light appears in the middle heaven as a brilliantly white light; therefore the colours resulting from it are brilliant, and to the extent that they have good within them they are gleaming. This explains why there are two basic colours to which all others are related, namely the colour red and the colour white; and the colour red is representative of good, while the colour white is representative of truth, see 9467.

[3] From all this it is now clear why it was that stones of so many colours were set in rows in the breastplate, namely in order that they might represent all the forms of good and the truths that exist in heaven in their proper order, and consequently represent the whole of heaven. The reason why the stones in the first row - a ruby, a topaz, and a carbuncle - represented the celestial love of good is that they are different hues of red. Furthermore the noun used in the original language for 'a ruby', the first in the row, is derived from a word that means 'redness'; and that for 'a carbuncle', the third in the row, is derived from a word meaning 'flashing', as if from fire. But as for the derivation of 'a topaz', the middle one in the row, this is unknown, though it very probably comes from something describing a red and flaming colour. This may be why in Job something similar is said of a topaz as is said of gold,

With wisdom the topaz of Ethiopia will not compete, it cannot be valued in pure gold. Job 28:19.

'Gold' too means the good of love, 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 8932, 9490, 9510.

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