The Bible

 

Ezekiel 1

Study

1 I det tredivte År på den femte dag i den fjerde Måned da jeg var bandt de landflygtige ved Floden Kebar, skete det, at Himmelen åbnede sig, og jeg skuede Syner fra Gud.

2 Den femte Dag i Måneden - det var det femte År efter at Kong Jojakin var bortført -

3 kom HE ENs Ord til Præsten Ezekiel, Buzis Søn, i Kaldæernes Land ved Floden Kebar, og HE ENs Hånd kom over ham der.

4 Jeg skuede og se, et Stormvejr kom fra Nord, og en vældig Sky fulgte med, omgivet af Stråleglans og hvirvlende Ild, i hvis Midte det glimtede som funklende Malm.

5 Midt i Ilden var der noget ligesom fire levende Væsener, og de så således ud: De havde et Menneskes Skikkelse;

6 men de havde hver fire Ansigter og fire Vinger;

7 deres Ben var lige og deres Fodsåler som en Kalvs; de skinnede som funklende Kobber, og deres Vingeslag var hurtigt;

8 der var Menneskehænder under Vingerne på alle fire Sider.

9 De fire levende Væseners Ansigter vendte sig ikke, når de gik, men de gik alle lige ud".

10 Ansigterne så således ud: De havde alle fire et Menneskeansigt fortil, et Løveansigt til højre, et Okseansigt til venstre og et Ørneansigt bagtil;

11 Vingerne var på dem alle fire udbredt opad, således at to og to rørte hinanden, og to skjulte deres Legemer.

12 De gik alle lige ud; hvor Ånden vilde have dem hen gik de; de vendte sig ikke, når de gik.

13 Midt imellem de levende Væsener var der noget som glødende Kul at se til, som Blus, der for hid og did imellem dem, og Ilden udsendte Stråleglans, og Lyn for ud derfra.

14 Og Væsenerne løb frem og tilbage, som Lynglimt at se til

15 Videre skuede jeg, og se, der var et HjulJorden ved Siden af hvert af de fire levende Væsener;

16 og Hjulene var at se til som funklende Krysolit; de så alle fire ens ud, og de var lavet således, at der i hvert Hjul var et andet Hjul;

17 de kunde derfor gå til alle fire Sider; de vendte sig ikke, når de gik.

18 Videre skuede jeg, og se, der var Fælge på dem, og Fælgene var på dem alle fire rundt om fulde af Øjne.

19 Og når de levende Væsener gik, gik også Hjulene ved Siden af, og når Væsenerne løftede sig fra Jorden, løftede også Hjulene sig;

20 hvor Ånden vilde have dem hen, gik Hjulene, og de løftede sig samtidig, thi det levende Væsens Ånd var i Hjulene;

21 når Væsenerne gik, gik også de; når de standsede, standsede også de, og når de løftede sig fra Jorden, løftede også Hjulene sig samtidig, thi det levende Væsens Ånd var i Hjulene.

22 Oven over Væsenernes Hoveder var der noget ligesom en Himmelhvælving, funklende som Krystal, udspændt oven over deres Hoveder;

23 og under Hvælvingen var deres Vinger udspændt, den ene mod den anden; hvert af dem havde desuden to, som skjulte deres Legemer.

24 Og når de gik, lød Vingesuset for mig som mange Vandes Brus, som den Almægtiges øst; det buldrede som en Hær.

25 Det drønede oven over Hvælvingen over deres Hoveder; men når de stod, sænkede de Vingerne.

26 Men oven over Hvælvingen over deres Hoveder var der noget som Safir at se til, noget ligesom en Trone, og på den, ovenover, var der noget ligesom et Menneske at se til.

27 Og jeg skuede noget som funklende Malm fra det, der så ud som hans Hofter, og opefter; og fra det, der så ud som hans Hofter, og nedefter skuede jeg noget som Ild at se til; og Stråleglans omgav ham.

28 Som egnbuen, der viser sig i Skyen på en egnvejrsdag, var Stråleglansen om ham at se til. Således så HE ENs Herlighedsåbenbarelse ud. Da jeg skuede det, faldt jeg på mit Ansigt. Og jeg hørte en øst, som talede.


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #775

Study this Passage

  
/ 962  
  

775. "Every vessel of precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble." This symbolically means that these Roman Catholics no longer have these because they do not have any knowledge of the goods and truths in ecclesiastical affairs to which such things correspond.

This statement is similar to the ones explained in nos. 772, 773, and 774 above. The difference is that the valuables here are various forms of knowledge, which are the lowest ones in a person's natural mind. And because they differ in character owing to the essence that lies within them, they are called vessels of precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble. For vessels symbolize forms of knowledge, here forms of knowledge in ecclesiastical affairs. Because various forms of knowledge are the containing vessels of goodness and truth, they are like vessels containing oil or wine.

Forms of knowledge are also found in great variety, and their recipient vessel is the memory. They are of great variety because they contain the interior elements of a person. They are also introduced into the memory either by intellectual deliberation or by hearing or reading them, according to the varying perception then of the rational mind. All of these things are present in forms of knowledge, as is apparent when they are reproduced, which is the case when a person speaks or thinks.

[2] But we will briefly say what vessels of precious wood, bronze, iron and marble symbolize. A vessel of precious wood symbolizes something known as the result of rational goodness and truth. A vessel of bronze symbolizes something known as the result of natural goodness. A vessel of iron symbolizes something known as the result of natural truth. And a vessel of marble symbolizes something known as the result of an appearance of goodness and truth.

That wood symbolizes goodness may be seen just above in no. 774. That precious wood here symbolizes both rational goodness and rational truth is due to the fact that wood symbolizes goodness, and preciousness is predicated of truth. For one variety of goodness is symbolized by the wood of the olive tree, another by the wood of the cedar, of the fig tree, of the fir tree, of the poplar and of the oak.

A vessel of bronze and iron symbolizes something known as the result of natural goodness and truth, because all metals, such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead, in the Word symbolize goods and truths. They symbolize because they correspond, and because they correspond they are also found in heaven. For everything in heaven is a correspondent form.

[3] However, this is not the place to confirm from the Word what each kind of metal symbolizes owing to its correspondence. We will cite only some passages to confirm that bronze symbolizes natural goodness, and iron, therefore, natural truth, as can be seen from the following: That the feet of the Son of Man looked like bronze, as though fired in a furnace (Revelation 1:15). That Daniel saw a man whose feet were like the gleam of burnished bronze (Daniel 10:5-6).

That the feet of cherubim were seen sparking as with the gleam of burnished bronze (Ezekiel 1:7). (Feet symbolize something natural, as may be seen in nos. 49, 468, 470, 510.) That an angel appears whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze (Ezekiel 40:3). And that the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw was as to its head golden, as to its breast and arms silver, as to its belly and sides bronze, and as to its legs iron (Daniel 2:32-33). The statue represented the successive states of the church which the ancients called the golden age, silver age, bronze age, and iron age.

Since bronze symbolizes something natural, and the Israelite people were purely natural, therefore the Lord's natural humanity was represented by the bronze serpent, which people bitten by serpents had only to look at to be cured (Numbers 21:6, 8-9).

That bronze symbolizes natural goodness may also be seen in Isaiah 60:17, Jeremiah 15:20-21, Ezekiel 27:13, Deuteronomy 8:7, 9, 33:24-25

  
/ 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

 

Revelation 18

Study

   

1 After these things, I saw another angel coming down out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was illuminated with his glory.

2 He cried with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and she has become a habitation of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird!

3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury."

4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don't receive of her plagues,

5 for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities.

6 Return to her just as she returned, and repay her double as she did, and according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix to her double.

7 However much she glorified herself, and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, 'I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see mourning.'

8 Therefore in one day her plagues will come: death, mourning, and famine; and she will be utterly burned with fire; for the Lord God who has judged her is strong.

9 The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived wantonly with her, will weep and wail over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning,

10 standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, Woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your judgment has come in one hour.'

11 The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more;

12 merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, all expensive wood, every vessel of ivory, every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;

13 and cinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, sheep, horses, chariots, and people's bodies and souls.

14 The fruits which your soul lusted after have been lost to you, and all things that were dainty and sumptuous have perished from you, and you will find them no more at all.

15 The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand far away for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning;

16 saying, 'Woe, Woe, the great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls!

17 For in an hour such great riches are made desolate.' Every shipmaster, and everyone who sails anywhere, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood far away,

18 and cried out as they looked at the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like the great city?'

19 They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, Woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!' For in one hour is she made desolate.

20 "Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on her."

21 A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and will be found no more at all.

22 The voice of harpists, minstrels, flute players, and trumpeters will be heard no more at all in you. No craftsman, of whatever craft, will be found any more at all in you. The sound of a mill will be heard no more at all in you.

23 The light of a lamp will shine no more at all in you. The voice of the bridegroom and of the bride will be heard no more at all in you; for your merchants were the princes of the earth; for with your sorcery all the nations were deceived.

24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth."