The Bible

 

Ezekiel 3

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1 sagde han til mig: "Menneskesøn, slug hvad du her har for dig, slug denne Bogrulle og gå så hen og tal til Israels Hus!"

2 Så åbnede jeg Munden, og han lod mig sluge Bogrullen

3 og sagde til mig: "Menneskesøn! Lad din Bug fortære den Bogrulle, jeg her giver dig, og fyld dine Indvolde dermed!" Og jeg slugte den, og den var sød som Honning i min Mund.

4 sagde han til mig: "Menneskesøn, gå til Israels Hus og tal mine Ord til dem!

5 Thi du sendes til Israels Folk, ikke til et Folk med dybt Mål og tungt Mæle,

6 ikke til mange Hånde Folkeslag med dybt Mål og tungt Mæle, hvis Tale du ikke fatter, hvis jeg sendte dig til dem, vilde de høre dig.

7 Men Israels Hus vil ikke høre dig, thi de vil ikke høre mig; thi hele Israels Hus har hårde Pander og stive Hjerter.

8 Se, jeg gør dit Ansigt hårdt som deres Ansigter og din Pande hård som deres Pander;

9 som Diamant, hårdere end Flint gør jeg din Pande. Frygt ikke for dem og vær ikke ræd for deres Ansigter, thi de er en genstridig Slægt!"

10 Videre sagde han til mig: "Menneskesøn, alle mine Ord, som jeg taler til dig, skal du optage i dit Hjerte og høre med dine Ører;

11 og gå så hen til dine landflygtige Landsmænd og tal til dem og sig: Så siger den Herre HE EN! - hvad enten de så hører eller ej!"

12 Så løftede Ånden mig, og jeg hørte bag mig Larmen af et vældigt Jordskælv, da HE ENs Herlighed hævede sig fra sit Sted,

13 og Suset af de levende Væseners Vinger, der rørte hverandre, og samtidig Lyden af Hjulene og Larmen af Jordskælvet.

14 Og Ånden løftede mig og førte mig bort, og jeg vandrede bitter og gram i Hu, idet HE ENs Hånd var over mig med Vælde.

15 kom jeg til de landflygtige i Tel-Abib, de, som boede ved Floden Kebar, og der sad jeg syv Dage iblandt dem og stirrede hen for mig.

16 Syv Dage senere kom HE ENs Ord til mig således:

17 Menneskesøn! Jeg sætter dig til Vægter for Israels Hus; hører du et Ord af min Mund, skal du advare dem fra mig.

18 Når jeg siger til den gudløse: "Du skal visselig !" og du ikke advarer ham eller for at bevare hans Liv taler til ham om at omvende sig fra sin gudløse Vej, så skal samme gudløse for sin Misgerning, men hans Blod vil jeg kræve af din Hånd.

19 Advarer du derimod den gudløse, og han ikke omvender sig fra sin Gudløshed og sin Vej, så skal samme gudløse for sin Misgerning, men du har reddet din Sjæl.

20 Og når en retfærdig vender sig fra sin etfærdighed og gør Uret, og jeg lægger Anstød for ham, så han dør, og du ikke har advaret ham, så dør han for sin Synd, og den etfærdighed, han har øvet, skal ikke tilregnes ham, men hans Blod vil jeg kræve af din Hånd.

21 Har du derimod advaret den retfærdige mod at synde, og han ikke synder, så skal samme retfærdige leve, fordi han lod sig advare, og du har reddet din Sjæl.

22 Siden kom HE ENs Hånd over mig der, og han sagde til mig: "Stå op og gå ud i dalen, der vil jeg tale med dig!"

23 stod jeg op og gik ud i Dalen, og se, der stod HE ENs Herlighed, som jeg havde set denved Floden Kebar. Da faldt jeg på mit Ansigt.

24 Men Ånden kom i mig og rejste mig på mine Fødder. Så taIede han til mig og sagde: Gå hjem og luk dig inde i dit Hus!

25 Og du, Menneskesøn, se, man skal lægge Bånd på dig og binde dig, så du ikke kan gå ud iblandt dem;

26 og din Tunge lader jeg hænge ved Ganen, så du bliver stum og ikke kan være dem en evser; thi de er en genstridig Slægt.

27 Men når jeg taler til dig, vil jeg åbne din Mund, og du skal sige til dem: Så siger den Herre HE EN! Så får den, der vil høre, høre, og den, der ikke vil, får lade være; thi de er en genstridig Slægt.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

Commentary

 

Today

  

In Genesis 19:37; 21:26; 30:32; 40:7; Matthew 6:30; Luke 12:28, this signifies the perpetuity and eternity of a state. (Arcana Coelestia 2838)

In Psalm 2:7, this signifies in time; for with Jehovah the future is present. (True Christian Religion 101)

The expression 'even to this day' or 'today' sometimes appears in the Word, as in Genesis 19:37-38, 22:14, 26:33, 32:32, 35:20, and 47:26. In a historical sense, these expressions have respect to the time when Moses lived, but in an internal sense, 'this day' and 'today' signify the perpetuity and eternity of a state. 'Day' denotes state, and likewise 'today,' which is the current time. Anything related to time in the world is eternal in heaven, and to represent this, 'today' or 'to this day' is added. Although, in the historical sense, this appears as if the expressions only have a literal meaning, just like it says in other parts of the Word, such as Joshua 4:9, 6:25, 7:20, Judges 1:21, 26, etc. 'Today' means something perpetual and eternal in Psalms 2:7, 119:89-91, Jeremiah 1:5, 10, 18, Deuteronomy 29:9-14, Numbers 28:3, 23, Daniel 8:13, 11:31, 12:11, Exodus 16:4, 19, 20, 23, John 6:31, 32, 49, 50, 58, Matthew 6:11, and Luke 11:3.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 2838 [1-4], Genesis 47:26)

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2838

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2838. 'As it is said today' means that which is perpetual. This is clear from the meaning of 'today' in the Word, dealt with below. One frequently reads in the Word the phrase 'even to this day (or today)', as in what has gone before,

He is the father of Moab even to this day, and the father of Ammon even to this day. Genesis 19:37-38; and in what appears later on,

The name of the city is Beersheba even to this day. Genesis 26:33; also,

The children of Israel do not eat the sinew of that which was displaced, which is on the hollow of the thigh, even to this day. Genesis 32:32; as well as,

This is the pillar of Rachel's grave even to [this] day. Genesis 35:20.

Joseph made it a statute even to this day. Genesis 47:26.

In the historical sense 'to this day' and 'today' refer to the time when Moses was alive, but in the internal sense these expressions mean perpetuity and eternity of state. 'Day' means state, see 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, and so therefore does 'today', which is the present time. That which in the world is temporal is in heaven eternal. To give the meaning of that which is eternal, the expression today or else to this day has been added, though to those who are aware only of the historical sense it does not appear to embody anything further. Similar usages of these expressions occur elsewhere in the Word, such as Joshua 4:9; 6:25; 7:26; Judges 1:21, 26; and in other places.

[2] That 'today' means that which is perpetual and eternal may be seen in David,

I will tell of the statute: Jehovah has said to me, You are My Son; today I have begotten You. Psalms 2:7.

Here 'today' plainly stands for that which is eternal. In the same author,

For ever, O Jehovah, Your Word is fixed in the heavens, Your truth to generation after generation. You have established the earth and it stands. As for Your judgements they stand [even] today. Psalms 119:89-91.

Here also 'today' plainly stands for that which is eternal. In Jeremiah,

Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. I have set you this day (today) over nations and over kingdoms; and I have made you today into a fortified city, and into a pillar of iron, and into walls of bronze. Jeremiah 1:5, 10, 18.

This refers in the sense of the letter to Jeremiah, but in the internal sense the Lord is meant. 'I have set you this day (or today) over nations and over kingdoms, and I have made you today into a fortified city' means from eternity. In regard to the Lord one can only speak of that which is eternal.

[3] In Moses,

You are standing today, all of you, before Jehovah your God, so that you may enter into the covenant of Jehovah your God, and into His oath, which Jehovah your God is making with you today, that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He will be God to you. Not indeed with you alone [do I make it], but with those who stand with us here today before Jehovah our God, and with those who are not with us today. Deuteronomy 29:10, 12-15.

Here in the sense of the letter 'today' means that present time when

Moses addressed the people. Yet it is clear that it nevertheless implies subsequent times and what is perpetual; for making a covenant with anyone, and with those who were there and with those who were not, implies that which is perpetual. Perpetuity itself is what is meant in the internal sense.

[4] That 'daily' and 'today' mean that which is perpetual is clear also from the sacrifice that was offered each day. This sacrifice, because of what is meant by day, daily, and today, was called the continual, or perpetual, sacrifice, Numbers 28:3, 23; Daniel 8:13; 11:31; 12:11. This may be even more plainly evident from the manna which rained from heaven, spoken of in Moses as follows,

Behold, I am causing bread to rain from heaven, and the people shall go out and gather a portion day by day. And they shall not leave any of it until the morning. That which they did leave until the morning bred worms and went rotten, except that gathered on the day before the Sabbath. Exodus 16:4, 19-20, 23.

This happened because 'the manna' meant the Lord's Divine Human, John 6:31-32, 49-50, 58, and because the Lord's Divine Human meant heavenly food, which is nothing other than love and charity, together with the goods and truths of faith. In heaven the Lord imparts this food to angels moment by moment, thus perpetually and eternally, see 2193. This is also what is meant in the Lord's Prayer by the petition, Give us today our daily bread, Matthew 6:11; Luke 11:3, that is, in every moment for evermore.

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