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Ézéchiel 28

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1 La parole de l'Eternel me fut encore [adressée], en disant :

2 Fils d'homme, dis au conducteur de Tyr : ainsi a dit le Seigneur l'Eternel : parce que ton cœur s'est élevé et que tu as dit : je suis le [Dieu] Fort, et je suis assis dans le siège de Dieu, au cœur de la mer, quoique tu sois un homme, et non le [Dieu] Fort, et parce que tu as élevé ton cœur comme si tu étais un Dieu.

3 Voici, tu es plus sage que Daniel, rien de caché ne t'a été rendu obscur.

4 Tu t'es acquis de la puissance par ta sagesse et par ta prudence; et tu as assemblé de l'or et de l'argent dans tes trésors.

5 Tu as multiplié ta puissance par la grandeur de ta sagesse dans ton commerce, puis ton cœur s'est élevé à cause de ta puissance.

6 C'est pourquoi le Seigneur l'Eternel dit ainsi : parce que tu as élevé ton cœur, comme si tu étais un Dieu :

7 A cause de cela voici, je m'en vais faire venir contre toi des étrangers les plus terribles d'entre les nations, qui tireront leurs épées sur la beauté de ta sagesse, et souilleront ton lustre.

8 Ils te feront descendre en la fosse, et tu mourras au cœur de la mer, de la mort des blessés à mort.

9 Iras-tu disant devant celui qui te tuera, je suis Dieu? vu que tu [te trouveras] homme, et non le [Dieu] Fort, dans la main de celui qui te blessera mortellement.

10 Tu mourras de la mort des incirconcis par la main des étrangers; car j'ai parlé, dit le Seigneur l'Eternel.

11 La parole de l'Eternel me fut encore [adressée], en disant :

12 Fils d'homme, prononce à haute voix une complainte sur le Roi de Tyr, et lui dis : ainsi a dit le Seigneur l'Eternel : toi à qui rien ne manque, plein de sagesse, et parfait en beauté;

13 Tu as été en Héden le jardin de Dieu; ta couverture était de pierres précieuses de toutes sortes, de Sardoine, de Topaze, de Jaspe, de Chrysolithe, d'Onyx, de Béryl, de Saphir, d'Escarboucle, d'Emeraude, et d'or ; ce que savaient faire tes tambours et tes flûtes [a été] chez toi; ils ont été tous prêts au jour que tu fus créé.

14 Tu [as été] un Chérubin, oint pour servir de protection; je t'avais établi, [et] tu as été dans la sainte montagne de Dieu; tu as marché entre les pierres éclatantes.

15 Tu as été parfait en tes voies dès le jour que tu fus créé, jusqu'à ce que la perversité a été trouvée en toi.

16 Selon la grandeur de ton trafic on a rempli le milieu de toi de violence, et tu as péché; c'est pourquoi je te jetterai comme une chose souillée hors de la montagne de Dieu, et je te détruirai d'entre les pierres éclatantes, ô Chérubin! qui sers de protection.

17 Ton cœur s'est élevé à cause de ta beauté, tu as perdu ta sagesse à cause de ton éclat; je t'ai jeté par terre, je t'ai mis en spectacle aux Rois, afin qu'ils te regardent.

18 Tu as profané tes Sanctuaires par la multitude de tes iniquités, en usant mal de ton trafic; et j'ai fait sortir du milieu de toi un feu qui t'a consumé, et je t'ai réduit en cendre sur la terre, en la présence de tous ceux qui te voient.

19 Tous ceux qui te connaissent entre les peuples ont été désolés à cause de toi; tu es cause qu'on est tout étonné de ce que tu ne seras plus à jamais.

20 Puis la parole de l'Eternel me fut [adressée], en disant :

21 Fils d'homme, tourne ta face vers Sidon, et prophétise contre elle.

22 Et dis : ainsi a dit le Seigneur l'Eternel : voici j'en veux à toi, Sidon, et je serai glorifié au milieu de toi; et on saura que je suis l'Eternel, quand j'aurai exercé des jugements contre elle, et que j'y aurai été sanctifié.

23 J'enverrai donc dans elle la mortalité, et le sang dans ses places, et les blessés à mort tomberont au milieu d'elle par l'épée qui viendra de toutes parts sur elle; et ils sauront que je suis l'Eternel.

24 Et elle ne sera plus une ronce piquante à la maison d'Israël, ni une épine causant plus de douleur qu'aucun de ceux qui sont autour d'eux, et qui les pillent; et ils sauront que je suis le Seigneur l'Eternel.

25 Ainsi a dit le Seigneur l'Eternel : quand j'aurai rassemblé la maison d'Israël d'entre les peuples parmi lesquels ils auront été dispersés, je serai sanctifié en eux, les nations le voyant, et ils habiteront sur leur terre que j'ai donnée à mon serviteur Jacob.

26 Ils y habiteront en sûreté, ils bâtiront des maisons, ils planteront des vignes; ils [y] habiteront, dis-je, en sûreté, lorsque j'aurai exercé des jugements contre ceux qui les auront pillés de toutes parts; et ils sauront que je suis l'Eternel leur Dieu.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #196

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196. And they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. That this signifies the spiritual life which they have procured by means of the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, is evident from the signification of walking, as being to live (concerning which see above, n. 97), and from the signification of in white, as being in truths, for whiteness and brightness in the Word are said of truths, concerning which we shall speak presently. By walking with Me in white, is signified spiritual life for spiritual life is the life of truth, that is, life according to truths, or according to the precepts of the Lord in the Word; also from the signification of for they are worthy, as being because they have spiritual life from the Lord. In the measure that any one receives from the Lord, in the same measure he is worthy, but in the measure that he receives from himself, that is, from his own, or from his proprium, in the same measure he is not worthy. Nothing else constitutes spiritual life with man but the knowledge of truth and good from the Word applied to life; and these are applied to life when a man makes them the laws of his life; for thus he looks to the Lord in everything and the Lord is present with him, and gives him intelligence and wisdom, with their affection and delight. For the Lord is in His own truths with man, because every truth proceeds from Him; and what proceeds from the Lord is His, so that it is Himself; therefore the Lord says,

"I am the truth and the life" (John 14:6).

"He that doeth truth cometh to the light, because [his works] are wrought in God" (John 3:21).

"The Word was with God, and God was the Word. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. He was the true light which lighteth every man. And the Word was made flesh" (John 1:1, 2, 4, 9, 14).

The Lord is called the Word because the Word signifies Divine truth, and He is also called the light, because Divine truth is the light of heaven; He is also called the life, because everything that lives, lives from that light; this also is the source of intelligence and wisdom to angels, in which their life consists. He who supposes that life is from any other source than the Divine which proceeds from the Lord, which in heaven is called Divine truth, and appears there as light, is much deceived. It is therefore evident how it is to be understood that God was the Word, that in Him was life, and that the life was the light of men.

[2] The reason why white in the Word is said of truths, is, because Divine truth is the light of heaven, as just said, and from the light of heaven arise whiteness and brightness. This is why,

When the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, "His face appeared as the sun, and His garments were white as the light" (Matthew 17:2), and as "white, and glistering" (Luke 9:29), "shining white as snow, so as no fuller on earth could whiten them" (Mark 9:3).

Also why

The raiment of the angels at the sepulchre of the Lord was white as snow (Matthew 28:3), and shining (Luke 24:4);

Why there appeared to John seven angels out of the temple clothed in linen clean and shining (Apoc. 15:6);

Why those who stood before the throne of the Lamb were arrayed in white robes (Apoc. 6:11; 7:9, 13, 14; 19:8)

Why the army of Him who sat on the white horse followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (Apoc. 14:14);

And why also the garments of Aaron were of linen, and he put them on when he went within the veil to the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:1-5, 32).

Linen, from its whiteness, also signifies truth (see Arcana Coelestia 7601, 9959). Because white signifies truth, and truths reveal falsities and evils in man, and so purify him, it is therefore said in David,

"Behold thou desirest truth in the reins, and in the hidden part thou makest me to know wisdom. Thou shalt purify me with hyssop that I may be clean; thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalms 51:6, 7).

[3] Because the Nazarite represented the Lord as to Divine truth in ultimates, which upon earth is the Word in the sense of the letter, and this was falsified and perverted with the Jews, therefore it is said concerning them in the Lamentations,

"Her Nazarites were whiter than snow, they were brighter than milk, their bones were more ruddy than pearls, their polishing was of sapphire; but their form is obscured, that they are not known in the streets" (4:7, 8).

(That the Nazarites represented the Lord as to Divine truth, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 6437; that the crown of the head of the Nazarite denotes Divine truth in ultimates, or the Word in the letter, n. 6437, 9407. That the hair which was of the Nazariteship, and was called the crown of the head of the Nazarite, denotes Divine truth in ultimates, n. 3301, 5247, 10044. That Divine truth in ultimates has strength and power, n. 9836; that hence the strength of Samson was in his hair, n. 3301.)

[4] Hence it is evident what is signified by the Nazarites being whiter than snow, and brighter than milk, and by the sapphire being the polishing of their bones, but that their form was obscured, so that they were not known in the streets. For whiteness and brightness signify Divine truth in its light, as said above; and bones, because they are the ultimates in man, being the supports of his whole body, correspond to the ultimates in heaven. For all things in man corresponding to all things in heaven (see the work, Heaven and Hell 87-102. Bones therefore signify the ultimates in the spiritual world, which are also the ultimates of Divine truth or the Word, Arcana Coelestia 5560-5564, 8005. Sapphire signifies what is translucent from truth, see n. 9407; and, not being known in the streets signifies Divine truth no longer appearing; for streets signify where the truths of doctrine are, n. 2336).

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

The Bible

 

Luke 5:36-38

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36 He also told a parable to them. "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.

37 No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.

38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.