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Hesekiel 37

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1 Und des HERRN Wort kam über mich, und er führte mich hinaus im Geist des HERRN und stellte mich auf ein weites Feld, das voller Totengebeine lag.

2 Und er führte mich allenthalben dadurch. Und siehe, des Gebeins lag sehr viel auf dem Feld; und siehe, sie waren sehr verdorrt.

3 Und er sprach zu mir: Du Menschenkind, meinst du auch, daß diese Gebeine wieder lebendig werden? Und ich sprach: HERR HERR, das weißt du wohl.

4 Und er sprach zu mir: Weissage von diesen Gebeinen und sprich zu ihnen: Ihr verdorrten Gebeine, höret des HERRN Wort!

5 So spricht der HERR HERR von diesen Gebeinen: Siehe, ich will einen Odem in euch bringen, daß ihr sollt lebendig werden.

6 Ich will euch Adern geben und Fleisch lassen über euch wachsen und euch mit Haut überziehen und will euch Odem geben, daß ihr wieder lebendig werdet, und ihr sollt erfahren, daß ich der HERR bin.

7 Und ich weissagte, wie mir befohlen war; und siehe, da rauschte es, als ich weissagte, und siehe, es regte sich, und die Gebeine kamen wieder zusammen, ein jegliches zu seinem Gebein.

8 Und ich sah, und siehe, es wuchsen Adern und Fleisch darauf, und sie wurden mit Haut überzogen; es war aber noch kein Odem in ihnen.

9 Und er sprach zu mir: Weissage zum Winde; weissage, du Menschenkind, und sprich zum Wind: So spricht der HERR HERR: Wind komm herzu aus den vier Winden und blase diese Getöteten an, daß sie wieder lebendig werden!

10 Und ich weissagte, wie er mir befohlen hatte. Da kam Odem in sie, und sie wurden wieder lebendig und richteten sich auf ihre Füße. Und ihrer war ein großes Heer.

11 Und er sprach zu mir: Du Menschenkind, diese Gebeine sind das ganze Haus Israel. Siehe, jetzt sprechen sie: Unsere Gebeine sind verdorrt, und unsere Hoffnung ist verloren, und es ist aus mit uns.

12 Darum weissage und sprich zu ihnen: So spricht der HERR HERR: Siehe, ich will eure Gräber auftun und will euch, mein Volk, aus denselben herausholen und euch ins Land Israel bringen;

13 und ihr sollt erfahren, daß ich der HERR bin, wenn ich eure Gräber geöffnet und euch, mein Volk, aus denselben gebracht habe.

14 Und ich will meinen Geist in euch geben, daß ihr wieder leben sollt, und will euch in euer Land setzen, und sollt erfahren, daß ich der HERR bin. Ich rede es und tue es auch, spricht der HERR.

15 Und des HERRN Wort geschah zu mir und sprach:

16 Du Menschenkind, nimm dir ein Holz und schreibe darauf: Des Juda und der Kinder Israel, seiner Zugetanen. Und nimm noch ein Holz und schreibe darauf: Des Joseph, nämlich das Holz Ephraims, und des ganzen Hauses Israel, seiner Zugetanen.

17 Und tue eins zum andern zusammen, daß es ein Holz werde in deiner Hand.

18 So nun dein Volk zu dir wird sagen und sprechen: Willst du uns nicht zeigen, was du damit meinst?

19 So sprich zu ihnen: So spricht der HERR HERR: Siehe, ich will das Holz Josephs, welches ist in Ephraims Hand, nehmen mit samt seinen Zugetanen, den Stämmen Israels, und will sie zu dem Holz Juda's tun und ein Holz daraus machen, und sollen eins in meiner Hand sein.

20 Und sollst also die Hölzer, darauf du geschrieben hast, in deiner Hand halten, daß sie zusehen,

21 und sollst zu ihnen sagen: So spricht der HERR HERR: Siehe, ich will die Kinder Israel holen aus den Heiden, dahin sie gezogen sind, und will sie allenthalben sammeln und will sie wieder in ihr Land bringen

22 und will ein Volk aus ihnen machen im Lande auf den Bergen Israels, und sie sollen allesamt einen König haben und sollen nicht mehr zwei Völker noch in zwei Königreiche zerteilt sein;

23 sollen sich auch nicht mehr verunreinigen mit ihren Götzen und Greueln und allerlei Sünden. Ich will ihnen heraushelfen aus allen Örtern, da sie gesündigt haben, und will sie reinigen; und sie sollen mein Volk sein, und ich will ihr Gott sein.

24 Und mein Knecht David soll ihr König und ihrer aller einiger Hirte sein. Und sie sollen wandeln in meinen Rechten und meine Gebote halten und darnach tun.

25 Und sie sollen wieder in dem Lande wohnen, das ich meinem Knecht Jakob gegeben habe, darin ihre Väter gewohnt haben. Sie sollen darin wohnen ewiglich, und mein Knecht David soll ewiglich ihr Fürst sein.

26 Und ich will mit ihnen einen Bund des Friedens machen, das soll ein ewiger Bund sein mit ihnen; und will sie erhalten und mehren, und mein Heiligtum soll unter ihnen sein ewiglich.

27 Und ich will unter ihnen wohnen und will ihr Gott sein, und sie sollen mein Volk sein,

28 daß auch die Heiden sollen erfahren, daß ich der HERR bin, der Israel heilig macht, wenn mein Heiligtum ewiglich unter ihnen sein wird.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1888

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1888. To illustrate that the sense of the letter of the Word is representative of Divine arcana and is the receptacle of, and thus the storehouse containing, celestial and spiritual things which are the Lord's, let two examples be taken, which will consequently reveal the position with all else The first example shows that David is not used to mean David but the Lord, the second that names mean nothing other than real things. Of David the following is said in Ezekiel,

My servant David will be King over them, and they will all have one Shepherd. They will dwell in the land, they, and their sons, and their sons' sons even for ever. And David my servant will be their Prince for ever. Ezekiel 37:24-25.

And in Hosea,

The children of Israel will return and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king. Hosea 3:5.

These promises were written by prophets who lived later than David, yet it is explicitly stated by them that he 'will be' their king and prince. From this it may become clear to anyone that in the internal sense David means the Lord. The same applies in all other places, including the historical descriptions, where David is referred to by name.

[2] As regards the names of kingdoms, regions, cities, and men meaning real things, this becomes quite clear in the Prophets. Take this single example in Isaiah,

Thus said the Lord, Jehovih Zebaoth, Do not be afraid - O My people, inhabitant of Zion - of Asshur; he will smite you with a rod, and he will lift up the staff over you in the way of Egypt. Jehovah Zebaoth will lift up the scourge over him, as when Midian was smitten in the rock of Horeb, and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up in the way of Egypt. He will come against Aiath; he will pass over into Migron; he will command his arms towards Michmash. They will cross the Mabarah. Geba will be a lodging-place for us. Hormah 1 will tremble. Gibeah of Saul will flee. Make a noise with your voice, O daughter of Gallim. Hearken, O Laish. Wail, O Anathoth. Madmenah will wander about. The inhabitants of Gebim will gather themselves together. This very day he is in Nob to stay. The mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, will shake her fist. He will cut down the entangled boughs of the wood with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by a majestic one. Isaiah 10:24, 26-34.

[3] These verses include little more than mere names, which would not make any sense at all if, without exception, those names did not mean real things; and if the mind remained fixed on those names, no acknowledgement that it was the Word of the Lord would ever be made. But who is going to believe that all those names in the internal sense contain arcana of heaven? Or that through them the state of people is described who endeavour by means of reasonings based on facts to penetrate the mysteries of faith? Or that by means of each name some particular aspect of that state is described? Or that those reasonings are dispersed by the Lord by means of the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith? That 'Asshur' means reasoning, which is the subject in these verses from Isaiah, becomes quite clear from what has been shown regarding 'Asshur' in 119, 1186; and that 'Egypt' means factual knowledge, from what has been shown in 1164, 1165, 1462. See these paragraphs and consider whether or not this is true. It is the same with all other names, and with individual expressions.

Footnotes:

1. Swedenborg appears to have copied Hormah from the Schmidius Latin Bible. The Hebrew is Haramah which is generally rendered Ramah in Latin and English versions.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1164

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1164. That 'Cush' or Ethiopia means interior cognitions of the Word by which people confirm false assumptions is clear in Jeremiah,

Egypt comes up like the river, and like the rivers the waters are tossed about; and he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those who dwell in it. Go up, O horses, and rage, O chariots, and let the mighty men go forth, Cush and Put that handle the shield. Jeremiah 46:8-9.

In this case 'Egypt' stands for people who believe nothing they do not grasp through facts. As a result everything is subject to doubt, denial and falsification, meant by 'rising up, covering the earth, and destroying the city'. Here 'Cush' stands for the more universal and interior cognitions of the Word by which they confirm accepted false assumptions. 'Put' stands for cognitions drawn from the literal sense of the Word which are based on sensory appearances.

[2] In Ezekiel,

A sword will come upon Egypt, and there will be grief in Cush when the slain 1 falls in Egypt; and they will take her multitude, and her foundations will be destroyed. Cush and Put and Lud and all of Ereb 2 and Kub, and the sons of the land of the covenant will fall with them by the sword. Ezekiel 30:4-6.

Except from the internal sense nobody could possibly know what these statements mean. And if the names did not mean real things, these verses would have practically no meaning at all. In this case however 'Egypt' means the knowledge by means of which they wish to enter into the mysteries of faith. 'Cush and Put' are called 'her foundations' because they are cognitions drawn from the Word.

[3] In the same prophet,

On that day messengers will go forth from before Me in ships to terrify overconfident Cush, and there will be grief among them as in the day of Egypt. Ezekiel 30:9.

'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word which confirm falsities hatched out of facts. In the same prophet,

I will make the land of Egypt into waste places, an utter desolation, from the tower of Seveneh as far as the border of Cush. Ezekiel 29:10.

In this case 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Cush' for cognitions of the interior things of the Word, which are 'the borders' beyond which knowledge does not go.

[4] In Isaiah,

The king of Asshur will lead away the captives of Egypt and the captives of Cush, boys and old men, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. And they will be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope, and because of Egypt their glory. Isaiah 20:4-5.

Here 'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word by which falsities obtained through facts are confirmed. 'Asshur' is reasoning which carries away those who are captive. In Nahum,

Cush was her strength, Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were your help. Nahum 3:9.

This refers to a vastated Church where in a similar way 'Egypt' stands for facts and 'Cush' for cognitions.

[5] 'Cush' and 'Egypt' stand simply for cognitions and knowledge which are truths useful to people whose faith is grounded in charity. 'Cush and Egypt' is used in this good sense in Isaiah,

Jehovah said, The labour of Egypt, and the wares of Cush and of the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours. They will follow after you in fetters, they will come over and bow down to you. To you they will make the supplication, God is with you only, and there is no other besides God. Isaiah 45:14.

'The labour of Egypt' stands for knowledge, 'the wares of Cush and the Sabeans' for cognitions of spiritual things which serve those who acknowledge the Lord, for all knowledge and every cognition are theirs.

[6] In Daniel,

The king of the north will have dominion over the secret hoards of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans (Put) and the Cushites will follow in his 3 steps. Daniel 11:3.

'Put and Cush' here stands for cognitions drawn from the Word, 'Egypt' for facts. In Zephaniah,

From beyond the rivers of Cush are those who adore Me. Zephaniah 3:10.

This stands for those who are beyond the range of cognitions, and so for gentiles. In David,

Noblemen will come out of Egypt, Cush will hasten [to stretch out] her hands to God. Psalms 68:31.

Here 'Egypt' stands for knowledge, and 'Cush' for cognitions.

[7] In the same author,

I will mention Rahab and Babel among those who know Me; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush. The latter was born here (in the city of God). Psalms 87:4.

'Cush' stands for cognitions drawn from the Word, hence the statement that he was 'born in the city of God'. Since 'Cush' means interior cognitions of the Word and intelligence acquired from these, it is therefore said that the second river going out of the garden of Eden encompassed the whole land of Cush. On this see what has appeared already in 117.

Footnotes:

1. literally, the pierced

2. the Hebrew word rendered Ereb here is usually regarded not as a proper but as a common noun which means a mixed company.

3. The Latin means your but the Hebrew means his, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.

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