The Bible

 

Hesekiel 47

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1 Und er führete mich wieder zu der Tür des Tempels. Und siehe, da floß ein Wasser heraus unter der Schwelle des Tempels gegen Morgen; denn die Tür des Tempels war auch gegen Morgen. Und das Wasser lief an der rechten Seite des Tempels neben dem Altar hin gegen Mittag.

2 Und er führete mich auswendig zum Tor gegen Mitternacht vom äußern Tor gegen Morgen; und siehe, das Wasser sprang heraus von der rechten Seite.

3 Und der Mann ging heraus gegen Morgen und hatte die Meßschnur in der Hand; und er maß tausend Ellen und führete mich durchs Wasser, bis mir's an die Knöchel ging.

4 Und maß abermal tausend Ellen und führete mich durchs Wasser, bis mir's an die Kniee ging. Und maß noch tausend Ellen und ließ mich dadurch gehen, bis es mir an die Lenden ging.

5 Da maß er noch tausend Ellen, und es war so tief, daß ich nicht mehr gründen konnte; denn das Wasser war zu hoch, daß man darüber schwimmen mußte und konnte es nicht gründen.

6 Und er sprach zu mir: Du Menschenkind, das hast du ja gesehen. Und er führete mich wieder zurück am Ufer des Bachs.

7 Und siehe, da stunden sehr viel Bäume am Ufer auf beiden Seiten.

8 Und er sprach zu mir: Dies Wasser das da gegen Morgen herausfleußt, wird durchs Blachfeld fließen ins Meer und von einem Meer ins andere, und wenn es dahin ins Meer kommt, da sollen dieselbigen Wasser gesund werden.

9 Ja alles, was darin lebt und webt, dahin diese Ströme kommen, das soll leben, und soll sehr viel Fische haben; und soll alles gesund werden und leben, wo dieser Strom hinkommt.

10 Und es werden die Fischer an demselben stehen; von Engeddi bis zu En-Eglaim wird man die Fischgarne aufspannen; denn es werden daselbst sehr viel Fische sein, gleichwie im großen Meer.

11 Aber die Teiche und Lachen daneben werden nicht gesund werden, sondern gesalzen bleiben.

12 Und an demselben Strom, am Ufer auf beiden Seiten, werden allerlei fruchtbare Bäume wachsen; und ihre Blätter werden nicht verwelken noch ihre Früchte verfaulen; und werden alle Monden neue Früchte bringen, denn ihr Wasser fleußt aus dem Heiligtum. Ihre Frucht wird zur Speise dienen und ihre Blätter zur Arznei.

13 So spricht der HERR HERR: Dies ist die Grenze, nach der ihr das Land sollt austeilen den zwölf Stämmen Israels; denn zwei Teile gehören dem Stamm Joseph.

14 Und ihr sollt es gleich austeilen, einem wie dem andern; denn ich habe meine Hand aufgehoben, das Land euren Vätern und euch zum Erbteil zu geben.

15 Dies ist nun die Grenze des Landes gegen Mitternacht von dem großen Meer an, von Hethlon bis gen Zedad:

16 nämlich Hemath, Berotha, Sibraim, die mit Damaskus und Hemath grenzen; und Hazar-Tichon, die mit Haveran grenzet.

17 Das soll die Grenze sein vom Meer an bis gen Hazar-Enon; und Damaskus und Hemath sollen das Ende sein gegen Mitternacht.

18 Aber die Grenze gegen Morgen sollt ihr messen zwischen Haveran und Damaskus und zwischen Gilead und zwischen dem Lande Israel, am Jordan hinab bis ans Meer gegen Morgen. Das soll die Grenze gegen Morgen sein.

19 Aber die Grenze gegen Mittag ist von Thamar bis ans Haderwasser zu Kades und gegen das Wasser am großen Meer. Das soll die Grenze gegen Mittag sein.

20 Und die Grenze gegen Abend ist vom großen Meer an stracks bis gen Hemath. Das sei die Grenze gegen Abend.

21 Also sollt ihr das Land austeilen unter die Stämme Israels.

22 Und wenn ihr das Los werfet, das Land unter euch zu teilen, so sollt ihr die Fremdlinge, die bei euch wohnen und Kinder unter euch zeugen, halten gleich wie die Einheimischen unter den Kindern Israel;

23 und sollen auch ihren Teil am Lande haben, ein jeglicher unter dem Stamm, dabei er wohnet, spricht der HERR HERR.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10253

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10253. 'Five hundred [shekels]' means what is complete. This is clear from the meaning of the number 'five hundred' as what is complete. The reason why 'five hundred' has this meaning is that this number is the product of five multiplied by ten tens, or fives times a hundred; and 'five' means much, as do 'ten' and 'a hundred', and therefore 'five hundred' means what is complete.

'Five' means much, see 5708, 5956, 9102, as likewise does 'ten', 3107, 4638, and also 'a hundred', 4400, 6582, 6594.

All numbers in the Word mean spiritual realities, see in the places referred to in 9488.

Compound numbers have a similar meaning to the simple ones that give rise to them through multiplication, 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973.

[2] The fact that numbers mean spiritual realities is perfectly clear in Ezekiel, where the house of God, together with everything there inside and outside, and also the new earth or land, are measured and are described by numbers pertaining to measure, in Chapters 40-48. By the new land there the Church should be understood, and by the house of God its holiness. The same is so in John, in the Book of Revelation, where also a new Jerusalem is described by the numbers where measurements are given, by which too a new Church should be understood. Unless the numbers had meant spiritual realities all those measurements would have been pointless.

[3] 'Five hundred' means the whole from one end to the other, thus what is complete. This is clear from those chapters in Ezekiel,

He measured outside the house (or the temple), to the east quarter five hundred rods round about, to the north quarter five hundred rods round about, to the south quarter five hundred rods, and to the west quarter 1 five hundred rods. Its wall round about, the length was five hundred rods, and the breadth five hundred rods, to distinguish between the holy and the profane. Ezekiel 42:15-20.

From these words it is evident that 'five hundred' means the whole in its entirety, or everything holy from one end to the other, thus what is complete; for it says that the wall, which - according to this account of its length and breadth - formed a square, served to distinguish the holy from the profane.

[4] 'Five hundred' also means much, while a tenth of that number or fifty means some. This is clear from the Lord's words addressed to Simon, in Luke,

Jesus said, There were two debtors who had a certain creditor. One owed five hundred denarii, but the other fifty. When they did not have [anything with which] to repay, he forgave them both. Which of the two loves him more? Simon answered, The one to whom he forgave more. Jesus said, So have the many sins of the woman been forgiven, because she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, [that person] loves little. Luke 7:41-end.

The reason why the Lord used those numbers was that they meant much and some; for He spoke from a Divine [perspective], thus used words carrying a spiritual meaning, in accord with correspondences. The same is so everywhere else, as when He spoke about the virgins, of whom - He said - there were ten, and that five were wise and five were foolish. He spoke of ten because that number means all, that is to say, all who belong to the Church, and of five because this number means some, see 4637, 4638.

Footnotes:

1. literally, the quarter of the sea

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

The Bible

 

Exodus 30

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1 "You shall make an altar to burn incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood.

2 Its length shall be a cubit, and its breadth a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.

3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding around it.

4 You shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and they shall be for places for poles with which to bear it.

5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

6 You shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you.

7 Aaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn it.

8 When Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.

9 You shall offer no strange incense on it, nor burnt offering, nor meal offering; and you shall pour no drink offering on it.

10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once in the year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once in the year he shall make atonement for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh."

11 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

12 "When you take a census of the children of Israel, according to those who are numbered among them, then each man shall give a ransom for his soul to Yahweh, when you number them; that there be no plague among them when you number them.

13 They shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; (the shekel is twenty gerahs;) half a shekel for an offering to Yahweh.

14 Everyone who passes over to those who are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering to Yahweh.

15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls.

16 You shall take the atonement money from the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the Tent of Meeting; that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls."

17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

18 "You shall also make a basin of brass, and its base of brass, in which to wash. You shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.

19 Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in it.

20 When they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to Yahweh.

21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they not die: and it shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their generations."

22 Moreover Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

23 "Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty;

24 and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary; and a hin of olive oil.

25 You shall make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.

26 You shall use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the testimony,

27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense,

28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its base.

29 You shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.

30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest's office.

31 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.

32 It shall not be poured on man's flesh, neither shall you make any like it, according to its composition: it is holy. It shall be holy to you.

33 Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.'"

34 Yahweh said to Moses, "Take to yourself sweet spices, gum resin, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be an equal weight;

35 and you shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy:

36 and you shall beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be to you most holy.

37 The incense which you shall make, according to its composition you shall not make for yourselves: it shall be to you holy for Yahweh.

38 Whoever shall make any like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people."