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Hesekiel 43

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1 Und er führete mich wieder zum Tor gegen Morgen.

2 Und siehe, die HERRLIchkeit des Gottes Israels kam von Morgen und brausete, wie ein groß Wasser brauset; und es ward sehr licht auf der Erde von seiner HERRLIchkeit.

3 Und war eben wie das Gesicht, das ich gesehen hatte am Wasser Chebar, da ich kam, daß die Stadt sollte zerstöret werden. Da fiel ich nieder auf mein Angesicht.

4 Und die HERRLIchkeit des HERRN kam hinein zum Hause durchs Tor gegen Morgen.

5 Da hub mich ein Wind auf und brachte mich in den innern Vorhof; und siehe, die HERRLIchkeit des HERRN erfüllete das Haus.

6 Und ich hörete einen mit mir reden vom Hause heraus. Und ein Mann stund neben mir,

7 der sprach zu mir: Du Menschenkind, das ist der Ort meines Throns und die Stätte meiner Fußsohlen, darin ich ewiglich will wohnen unter den Kindern Israel. Und das Haus Israel soll nicht mehr meinen heiligen Namen verunreinigen, weder sie noch ihre Könige, durch ihre Hurerei und durch die Leichen ihrer Könige in ihren Höhen,

8 welche ihre Schwelle an meine Schwelle und ihre Pfosten an meine Pfosten gesetzt haben, daß nur eine Wand zwischen mir und ihnen war, und haben also meinen heiligen Namen verunreiniget durch ihre Greuel, die sie taten, darum ich sie auch in meinem Zorn verzehret habe.

9 Nun aber sollen sie ihre Hurerei und die Leichen ihrer Könige ferne von mir wegtun; und ich will ewiglich unter ihnen wohnen.

10 Und du, Menschenkind, zeige dem Hause Israel den Tempel an, daß sie sich schämen ihrer Missetat, und laß sie ein reinlich Muster davon nehmen.

11 Und wenn sie sich nun alles ihres Tuns schämen, so zeige ihnen die Weise und Muster des Hauses und seinen Ausgang und Eingang und alle seine Weise und alle seine Sitten und alle seine Weise und alle seine Gesetze und schreibe es ihnen vor, daß sie alle seine Weise und alle seine Sitten halten und danach tun.

12 Das soll aber das Gesetz des Hauses sein: Auf der Höhe des Berges, soweit es umfangen hat, soll es das Allerheiligste sein; das ist das Gesetz des Hauses.

13 Dies ist aber das Maß des Altars nach der Elle, welche einer Hand breit länger ist denn eine gemeine Elle: Sein Fuß ist eine Elle hoch und eine Elle breit; und der Altar reicht hinauf bis an den Rand, der ist eine Spanne breit umher; und das ist seine Höhe.

14 Und von dem Fuß auf der Erde bis an den untern Absatz sind zwo Ellen hoch und eine Elle breit; aber von demselben kleinem Absatz bis an den größern Absatz sind's vier Ellen hoch und eine Elle breit.

15 Und der Harel vier Ellen hoch und vom Ariel überwärts vier Hörner.

16 Der Ariel war aber zwölf Ellen lang und zwölf Ellen breit ins Gevierte.

17 Und der oberste Absatz war vierzehn Ellen lang und vierzehn Ellen breit ins Gevierte; und ein Rand ging allenthalben umher, einer halben Elle breit; und sein Fuß war eine Elle hoch, und seine Stufen waren gegen Morgen.

18 Und er sprach zu mir: Du Menschenkind, so spricht der HERR HERR: Dies sollen die Sitten des Altars sein des Tages, da er gemacht ist, daß man Brandopfer darauf lege und das Blut darauf sprenge.

19 Und den Priestern von Levi aus dem Samen Zadok, die da vor mich treten, daß sie mir dienen, spricht der HERR HERR, sollst du geben einen jungen Farren zum Sündopfer.

20 Und von desselben Blut sollst du nehmen und seine vier Hörner damit besprengen und die vier Ecken an dem obersten Absatz und um die Leisten herum; damit sollst du ihn entsündigen und versöhnen.

21 Und sollst den Farren des Sündopfers nehmen und ihn verbrennen an einem Ort im Hause, das dazu verordnet ist, außer dem Heiligtum.

22 Aber am andern Tage sollst du einen Ziegenbock opfern, der ohne Wandel sei, zu einem Sündopfer und den Altar damit entsündigen, wie er mit dem Farren entsündiget ist.

23 Und wenn das Entsündigen vollendet ist, sollst du einen jungen Farren opfern, der ohne Wandel sei, und einen Widder von der Herde ohne Wandel.

24 Und sollst sie beide vor dem HERRN opfern; und die Priester sollen Salz darauf streuen und sollen sie also opfern dem HERRN zum Brandopfer.

25 Also sollst du sieben Tage nacheinander täglich einen Bock zum Sündopfer opfern; und sie sollen einen jungen Farren und einen Widder von der Herde, die beide ohne Wandel sind, opfern.

26 Und sollen also sieben Tage lang den Altar versöhnen und ihn reinigen und seine Hände füllen.

27 Und nach denselben Tagen sollen die Priester am achten Tage und hernach für und für auf dem Altar opfern eure Brandopfer und eure Dankopfer, so will ich euch gnädig sein, spricht der HERR HERR.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #71

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71.And his voice as the voice of many waters. That this signifies Divine truth in ultimates, is evident from the signification of a voice, when it is from the Lord, as denoting Divine truth (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia 219, 220, 3563, 6971, 8813, 8914, and above, n. 55), and from the signification of the waters, as denoting the truths of faith, and also the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth (concerning which see n. 2702, 3058, 5668, 8568, 10238); and because the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth are in ultimates, therefore by His voice as the voice of many waters, because it relates to the Lord, is signified Divine truth in ultimates. (That knowledges (cognitiones) and scientifics (scientifica) belong to the external or natural man, because they are in the light of the world, thus, in ultimates, may be seen,Arcana Coelestia 5212, and in general from what is said in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 51.) As it is not yet known that waters in the Word signify the truths of faith and the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth, and, perhaps, because it appears far-fetched, I wish here briefly to show that such things are meant by waters in the Word. This is also necessary because without a knowledge of the signification of waters, it cannot be known what is signified by baptism, nor what by the washings observed in the Israelitish Church, of which mention is so frequently made. Waters signify the truths of faith, because bread signifies the good of love; the reason why waters and bread have such a signification is that the things that pertain to spiritual nourishment are expressed, in the sense of the letter, by those things that have reference to natural nourishment. For bread and water, by which are meant all food and drink in general, nourish the body, and the truths of faith and the good of love nourish the soul. This is also from correspondence; for when bread and water are read in the Word, the angels, being spiritual, understand those things which nourish them; these are the goods of love and the truths of faith.

[2] But some passages shall be here adduced, whence it may be known that waters signify the truths of faith, likewise the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth.

Thus in Isaiah:

"The earth shall be full of the knowledge (scientia) of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea" (11:9).

Again:

"With joy shall ye draw water out of the fountains of salvation" (12:3).

Again:

"He that walketh in justice, and speaketh uprightnesses, bread shall be given him, and sure waters" (33:15, 16).

Again:

"The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none; their tongue faileth for thirst. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of waters, and the dry land springs of waters. That they may see, and know, and hearken, and understand" (41:17, 18, 20).

Again:

"I will pour out waters upon him that is thirsty; and, floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring" (44:3).

Again:

"Thy light shall arise in obscurity, and thy darkness as the noon-day; that thou mayest be as a watered garden, and as the going forth of waters, whose waters shall not lie" (58:10).

In Jeremiah:

"My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, to hew out for themselves pits that hold no water" (2:13).

Again:

"Their nobles sent their little ones for water; they came to the pits, and found no waters; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded" (14:3).

Again:

"They have forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living waters" (17:13).

Again:

"They shall come with weeping, and with weeping will I lead them; I will lead them to fountains of waters, in a way of rectitude" (31:9).

And in Ezekiel:

"I will break the staff of bread, and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment. That they may want bread and water, and be desolated, a man and his brother, and consume away for their iniquities" (4:16, 17; 12:18, 19; Isaiah 51:14).

And in Amos:

"Behold, the days come, in which I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for waters, but for hearing the Word of Jehovah. They shall wander from sea to sea, they shall run to and fro, to seek the Word of Jehovah, and shall not find it; in that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst" (8:11-13).

And in Zechariah;

"In that day living waters shall go out from Jerusalem" (14:8).

And in David:

"Jehovah is my shepherd, I shall not want. He will lead me to the waters of rest" (Psalm 23:1, 2).

In Isaiah:

"They shall not thirst; he will make waters to flow for them out of the rock, and he will cleave the rock, that the waters may flow out" (48:21).

In David:

"O God, early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth, weary without waters" (Psalm 63:1).

Again:

Jehovah "sendeth his Word, he maketh the wind to blow, that the waters may flow" (Psalm 147:18).

Again:

"Praise Jehovah, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters which are above the heavens" (148:4).

In John:

Jesus came to the fountain of Jacob; "A woman of Samaria came to draw water, to whom Jesus said, Give me to drink; - if thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest ask of him, and he would give thee living water. The woman said unto him, Whence hast thou that living water? Jesus said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a fountain of water, springing up into everlasting life" (4:7-15).

Again:

Jesus said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (7:37, 38).

And in the Apocalypse:

"Unto him that is athirst shall be given of the fountain of the water of life freely" (21:6).

And in another place:

The angel showed him "a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb" (22:1).

And again:

"The spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (22:17).

[3] These passages are adduced, that it may be known that by waters in the Word are signified the truths of faith, and hence what is signified by the water of baptism, concerning which the Lord thus teaches in John:

"Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (3:5);

where water denotes the truths of faith, and the spirit a life according to them (as may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 202-209, and the following numbers). Because it has not hitherto been known that waters signify the truths of faith, and that all things that were instituted amongst the sons of Israel were representative of spiritual things, it has therefore been believed, that by the washings commanded them their sins were wiped away, although they were in no sense wiped away; those washings only represented purification from evils and falsities, by means of the truths of faith and a life according to them (as may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 3147, 5954, 10237, 10240). From these considerations it is now clear, that by His voice as the voice of many waters, is meant Divine truth; as also in Ezekiel:

"Behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east, and his voice was as the voice of many waters; and the earth was enlightened by his glory" (43:2).

And in David:

"The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters, Jehovah is upon many waters" (Psalms 29:3).

And in the following words in the Apocalypse:

"I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters" (14:2).

[4] I know that some will wonder why waters are mentioned in the Word, and not the truths of faith, although the purpose of the Word is to teach man about his spiritual life; and if the truths of faith had been mentioned instead of waters, men would have known that the waters of baptism and of washings contribute nothing to his purification from evils and falsities. But it must be noted, that the Word, to be Divine, and at the same time to be for heaven and the church, must be altogether natural in the letter; for unless this were the case, it could not be the medium of effecting the conjunction of heaven with the church; for it would be like a house without a foundation, and like a soul without a body; for the ultimates include all the interiors, and are their foundation (as may be seen above, n. 41). Man also is in ultimates, and heaven has its foundation upon the church in him. This is why the style in which the Word is written is of such a character; therefore, when man thinks spiritually from the natural things which are in the sense of the letter of the Word, he is conjoined with heaven which could not otherwise be the case.

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