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Ézéchiel 8

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1 Puis il arriva en la sixième année, au cinquième jour du sixième mois, comme j'étais assis dans ma maison, et que les Anciens de Juda étaient assis devant moi, que la main du Seigneur l'Eternel tomba là sur moi.

2 Et je regardai, et voici une ressemblance qui était comme une apparence de feu; depuis la ressemblance de ses reins jusqu'en bas c'était du feu, et depuis ses reins jusqu'en haut, [c'était] comme qui verrait une splendeur telle que la couleur du Hasmal.

3 Et il avança une forme de main, et me prit par la chevelure de ma tête, et l'Esprit m'éleva entre la terre et les cieux, et me transporta à Jérusalem, dans des visions de Dieu, à l'entrée de la porte [du parvis] de dedans, qui regarde vers l'Aquilon, où était posée l'idole de jalousie qui provoque à la jalousie.

4 Et voici, la gloire du Dieu d'Israël était là, selon la vision que j'avais vue à la campagne.

5 Et il me dit : fils d'homme, lève maintenant tes yeux vers le chemin qui tend vers l'Aquilon; et j'élevai mes yeux vers le chemin qui tend vers l'Aquilon, et voici du côté de l'Aquilon à la porte de l'autel [était] cette idole de jalousie, à l'entrée.

6 Et il me dit : fils d'homme, ne vois-tu pas ce que ceux-ci font, [et] les grandes abominations que la maison d'Israël commet ici, afin que je [me] retire de mon Sanctuaire? mais tourne-toi encore, [et] tu verras de grandes abominations.

7 Il me mena donc à l'entrée du parvis, et je regardai, et voici il y avait un trou dans la paroi.

8 Et il me dit : fils d'homme, perce maintenant la paroi; et quand j'eus percé la paroi, il se trouva là une porte.

9 Puis il me dit : Entre, et regarde les méchantes abominations qu'ils commettent ici.

10 J'entrai donc, et je regardai; et voici toute sorte de figures de reptiles, et de bêtes, [et] d'abominations, et tous les dieux de fiente de la maison d'Israël étaient peints sur la paroi, tout autour, tout autour.

11 Et soixante-dix hommes d'entre les Anciens de la maison d'Israël, avec Jaazanja fils de Saphan, qui était debout au milieu d'eux, se tenaient debout devant elles, et chacun avait en sa main un encensoir, d'où montait en haut une épaisse nuée de parfum.

12 Alors il me dit : fils d'homme, n'as-tu pas vu ce que les Anciens de la maison d'Israël font dans les ténèbres, chacun dans son cabinet peint? car ils disent : l'Eternel ne nous voit point; l'Eternel a abandonné le pays.

13 Puis il me dit : tourne-toi encore, [et] tu verras les grandes abominations que ceux-ci commettent.

14 Il m'amena donc à l'entrée de la porte de la maison de l'Eternel qui [est] vers l'Aquilon; et voici, il y avait là des femmes assises qui pleuraient Thammus.

15 Et il me dit : fils d'homme, n'as-tu pas vu? tourne-toi encore, [et] tu verras des abominations plus grandes que celles-ci.

16 Il me fit donc entrer au parvis du dedans de la maison de l'Eternel, et voici à l'entrée du Temple de l'Eternel, entre le porche et l'autel, environ vingt-cinq hommes qui avaient le dos tourné contre le Temple de l'Eternel, et leurs visages tournés vers l'Orient, qui se prosternaient vers l'Orient devant le soleil.

17 Alors il me dit : fils d'homme, n'as-tu pas vu? est-ce une chose légère à la maison de Juda de commettre ces abominations qu'ils commettent ici? car ils ont rempli le pays de violence, et ils se sont [ainsi] tournés pour m'irriter; mais voici ils mettent une écharde à leurs nez.

18 Et moi, j'agirai en ma fureur; mon œil ne [les] épargnera point, et je n'[en] aurai point de compassion; et quand ils crieront à haute voix à mes oreilles, je ne les exaucerai point.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #209

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209. Because thou hast a little power, and hast kept my Word, and hast not denied my name. That this signifies that they have power from the Lord against evils and falsities in proportion as they cause truths from the Word to enter their life and acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, is evident from the signification of thou hast a little power, as denoting power from the Lord against evils and falsities. And because the subject treated of is those who are in the faith of charity, it is said that they have a little power, of which we shall speak presently. And from the signification of and hast kept my word, as denoting the application of truths from the Word to life; for to keep truths, or precepts signifies not only to know and perceive them, but, also to will and do them; and those who thus will and do cause the truths which they know and perceive from the Word to enter into their life (see also n. 15). And from the signification of and hast not denied my name, as being to acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, concerning which see above (n. 135).

[2] It must be known, that the two principal things that constitute the church are, to acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and to apply truths from the Word to life; nor can any person be in the one, unless he is at the same time in the other. For all truths which enter into the life, are from the Lord, and this with those who acknowledge His Divine in His Human; for the Lord flows into all, both in the heavens and on the earth, from His Divine Human, and not from the Divine separate from the Human, nor from the Human separate from the Divine. Those therefore who in their thought separate the Divine of the Lord from His Human, and look to the Divine of the Father, not as in the Human, but as near it, or above it, thus apart from it, do not receive any influx from the Lord, nor consequently from heaven, for all those who are in the heavens acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord (concerning which see also the work, Heaven and Hell 2-12, 59-72, 78-86, and 212).

From these considerations it is evident that all truths that enter into a man's life with those who acknowledge the Divine in His Human, that is, who acknowledge the Divine Human, are from the Lord. Truths enter into a man's life when he loves them, thus when he wills them and does them; for he who loves also wills and does. In a word, truths enter into the life, when a man lives according to them from affection. The reason why those truths are from the Lord is, that the Lord flows into a man's love, and so into the truths, and thus makes these enter into his life.

[3] Something shall now be said concerning the power which man has from the Lord against evils and falsities. All the power which angels and men have is from the Lord; and in proportion as they receive the Lord, in the same proportion they have power. He who believes that power against those things is from his proprium is much deceived; for it is evil spirits, conjoined with the hells, that induce evils and thence falsities in man. Those spirits are numerous, and every one of them is conjoined with many hells, in each of which also there are many other spirits, so that no one can avert them from man but the Lord alone, for the Lord alone has power over the hells, and man has no power at all from himself or from his proprium; in proportion, therefore, as man is conjoined to the Lord by love, in the same proportion he has power.

There are two loves that reign in the heavens, and that constitute the heavens - love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour: the former is called celestial love, and the latter spiritual love. Those who are in celestial love have much power or strength, but those who are in spiritual love have little power. And because in what is written to the angel of this church those are treated of who are in love towards the neighbour, or charity, and thence in faith, which love is spiritual love, it is therefore said, Thou hast a little strength.

[4] But it must be known that all the power which angels and men have from the Lord is from the good of love; and because the good of love does not act from itself, but by means of truths, therefore all power is from the good of love by means of truths, and, with those who are spiritual, from the good of charity by means of the truth of faith. For good clothes itself with a quality by means of truths, good without truths having no quality, and where there is no quality there is neither force nor power. It is therefore evident, that all power belongs to good by means of truths, or to charity by means of faith, and none to charity without faith, nor any to faith without charity. This is what is meant by the keys given to Peter; for by Peter is meant, in the spiritual sense, truth from good from the Lord, thus faith from charity; and by the keys given to him is signified power over evils and falsities. These things were said to Peter when he acknowledged the Divine of the Lord in His Human, by which is also meant that power is given to all who acknowledge this, and who from Him are in the good of charity and thence in the truths of faith. This is evident from these words in Matthew: Jesus said to the disciples,

"Whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus answering said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in the heavens. But I say also unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens" (16:15-19).

(But concerning Peter and the keys given to him, see what was said above, n. 9; also what is shown in the small work, The Last Judgment 57; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 122; and that all power is in truth from good which is from the Lord, in the work, Heaven and Hell 228-233, 539; and in Arcana Coelestia 3091, 3387, 3563, 4592, 4933, 6344, 6423, 7518, 7673, 8281, 8304, 9133, 9327, 9410, 10019, 10182.)

  
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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 #10365

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10365. 'That soul will be cut off from the midst of his people' means that not heaven and the Church but hell resides with that person. This is clear from the meaning of 'being cut off from the midst of his people' as separation from the Church and spiritual death, dealt with in 10288, so that not the Church but hell resides with him. When the Church does not reside with a person, neither does heaven; for heaven and the Church act as one. In the case of a person in whom the Church is present heaven, that is, the Lord by way of heaven, flows in and constitutes the Church there. So it is that when the Church does not reside with a person hell does so; and this is therefore meant by 'being cut off from the midst of his people'.

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