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Hosea 2

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1 Sagt euren Brüdern, sie seien mein Volk, und zu eurer Schwester, sie sei in Gnaden.

2 Sprecht das Urteil über eure Mutter-sie sei nicht mein Weib, und ich will sie nicht haben! -,heißt sie ihre Hurerei von ihrem Angesichte wegtun und ihre Ehebrecherei von ihren Brüsten,

3 auf daß ich sie nicht nackt ausziehe und darstelle, wie sie war, da sie geboren ward, und ich sie nicht mache wie ein dürres Land, daß ich sie nicht Durstes sterben lasse

4 und mich ihrer Kinder nicht erbarme, denn sie sind Hurenkinder;

5 denn ihre Mutter ist eine Hure, und die sie getragen hat, hält sich schändlich und spricht: Ich will meinen Buhlen nachlaufen, die mir geben Brot, Wasser, Wolle, Flachs, Öl und Trinken.

6 Darum siehe, ich will deinen Weg mit Dornen vermachen und eine Wand davorziehen, daß sie ihren Steig nicht finden soll;

7 und wenn sie ihren Buhlen nachläuft, daß sie dich nicht ergreifen, und wenn sie dich sucht, sie nicht finden könne und sagen müsse: Ich will wiederum zu meinem vorigen Mann gehen, da mir besser war, denn mir jetzt ist.

8 Denn sie will nicht wissen, daß ich es sei, der ihr gibt Korn, Most und Öl und ihr viel Silber und Gold gegeben hat, das sie haben Baal zu Ehren gebraucht.

9 Darum will ich mein Korn und meinen Most wieder nehmen zu seiner Zeit und ihr meine Wolle und meinen Flachs entziehen, damit sie ihre Blöße bedeckt.

10 Nun will ich ihre Schande aufdecken vor den Augen ihrer Buhlen, und niemand soll sie von meiner Hand erretten.

11 Und ich will ein Ende machen mit allen ihren Freuden, Festen, Neumonden, Sabbaten und allen ihren Feiertagen.

12 Ich will ihre Weinstöcke und Feigenbäume wüst machen, weil sie sagt: "Das ist mein Lohn, den mir meine Buhlen gegeben." Ich will einen Wald daraus machen, daß es die wilden Tiere fressen sollen.

13 Also will ich heimsuchen über sie die Tage der Baalim, denen sie Räuchopfer tut und schmückt sich mit Stirnspangen und Halsbändern und läuft ihren Buhlen nach und vergißt mein, spricht der HERR.

14 Darum siehe, ich will sie locken und will sie in die Wüste führen und freundlich mit ihr reden.

15 Da will ich ihr geben ihre Weinberge aus demselben Ort und das Tal Achor zum Tor der Hoffnung. Und daselbst wird sie singen wie zur Zeit ihrer Jugend, da sie aus Ägyptenland zog.

16 Alsdann spricht der HERR, wirst du mich heißen "mein Mann" und mich nicht mehr "mein Baal" heißen.

17 Denn ich will die Namen der Baalim von ihrem Munde wegtun, daß man ihrer Namen nicht mehr gedenken soll.

18 Und ich will zur selben Zeit ihnen einen Bund machen mit den Tieren auf dem Felde, mit den Vögeln unter dem Himmel und mit dem Gewürm auf Erden und will Bogen, Schwert und Krieg vom Lande zerbrechen und will sie sicher wohnen lassen.

19 Ich will mich mit dir verloben in Ewigkeit; ich will mich mit dir vertrauen in Gerechtigkeit und Gericht, in Gnade und Barmherzigkeit.

20 Ja, im Glauben will ich mich mit dir verloben und du wirst den HERRN erkennen.

21 Zur selben Zeit, spricht der HERR, will ich erhören, ich will den Himmel erhören und der Himmel soll die Erde erhören,

22 und die Erde soll Korn, Most und Öl erhören, und diese sollen Jesreel erhören.

23 Und ich will sie mir auf Erden zum Samen behalten und mich erbarmen über die, so in Ungnaden war, und sagen zu dem, das nicht mein Volk war: Du bist mein Volk; und es wird sagen: Du bist mein Gott.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9961

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9961. 'From the loins even to the thighs they shall be' means the range of those things, that is to say, of those composing that more external level of conjugial love, meant by 'the linen undergarments'. This is clear from the meaning of 'the loins' and 'the thighs' as those things which constitute conjugial love, 'the loins' those that belong to the more internal levels of conjugial love, 'the thighs' those that belong to the more external levels, so that the range of that love from internal to external levels is meant. The reason why the more internal levels of that love are meant by 'the loins' is that these are above; and the reason why the more external levels are meant by 'the thighs' is that these are below. For parts of a person that are above mean things which are more internal, and parts that are below mean those which are more external; this is why in the Word more internal things are meant by higher ones, and more external by lower ones, see 3084, 4599, 5146, 8325. The higher parts of a person correspond to celestial and spiritual things, which are the more internal ones, and the lower parts correspond to natural things, which are the more external. This is why natural things are meant by 'the feet', 2162, 3147, 3986, 4382, 4938-4952. And since the lower part of the loins which leads down towards the feet is understood by 'the thighs' the more external or lower levels of conjugial love are meant by them, see 4277, 4280.

[2] The loins in general however mean conjugial love, 3021, 3294, 4575, 5050-5062; they have this meaning by virtue of their correspondence. Regarding the correspondence with heaven of everything present with a human being, see what has been shown abundantly in the places referred to in 9276(end), 9280. The words 'range of conjugial love from internal to external levels' are used because all aspects of love and all matters of faith, or what amounts to the same thing, all those of good and all those of truth, have a wide range in the heavens; for all who are there are joined together in accord with the degree of similarity between the truths of their faith and the forms of good of their love. A range such as this exists in each separate heaven. But the range in each heaven also extends into heavens that are below, because all the heavens make one. Indeed they extend right down to mankind, in order that mankind also may make one with the heavens. This range is what is meant by the range from higher or more internal levels to lower or more external ones. The higher or more internal levels are called celestial and spiritual, and the lower or more external ones are called natural or worldly.

[3] As regards conjugial love specifically, whose range is the subject here, this love is fundamental to all other kinds of love; it descends from the marriage of good and truth in the heavens. And since the marriage of good and truth exists in and makes the heavens, truly conjugial love constitutes heaven itself with a person. But the marriage of good and truth in the heavens descends from the joining of the Lord to the heavens; for what emanates from the Lord and flows into the heavens is the good of love, and what is received there by the angels is the truth springing from it, thus truth which originates in good or in which there is good. This is why in the Word the Lord is called bridegroom and husband, and heaven together with the Church is called bride and wife.

[4] All this makes clear how holy marriages are in heaven, and how profane adulterous relationships are there. For in themselves marriages are so holy that there is nothing holier, and are so for the added reason that they are the seed-bed of the human race, and the human race is the seed-bed of heaven, since all people who have led an angelic life in the world go there. On the other hand adulterous relationships are so profane that nothing is more profane, because they are destructive of heaven and the Church with a person. For the truth of all this, see what has been stated and shown in 2727-2759 regarding marriages and regarding adulterous situations.

[5] All this once again makes it clear why foul and hellish things are meant by the kinds of 'nakedness' dealt with in 9960 above, and why it was commanded so strictly that when they ministered Aaron and his sons should be wearing the undergarments covering the loins, and that if they did not they would die, for it says,

Make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh; from the loins even to the thighs they shall be. And they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, that they may not bear iniquity and die. It shall be the statute of an age 6 for him and his seed after him.

[6] It should be recognized therefore that by conjugial love all celestial and spiritual love is meant, because truly conjugial love, as has been shown above, is fundamental to all other kinds of love. People therefore in whom that fundamental love is present have all other loves belonging to heaven and the Church present in them; for as has been stated, it descends from the marriage of good and truth in the heavens, the marriage that makes heaven. This also explains why heaven is compared in the Word to a marriage, and is also actually called a marriage. From this too it is evident why precautions were taken to prevent the nakedness of Aaron or his sons from being visible while they ministered; for their nakedness served to mean all loves contrary to heavenly loves, which in general are called self-love and love of the world when they are the ends in view, and are foul and hellish loves. People at the present day have no knowledge that all this is so because they are steeped in these loves and take delight in nothing except that which arises from them. So it is that when spiritual love and celestial love are mentioned they are perplexed, not knowing what they may be, nor consequently what heaven may be; and perhaps they are astonished when they hear and consider that spiritual and celestial love separated from self-love and love of the world holds eternal happiness within it that is indescribable.

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

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Revelation 16:15

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15 "Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn't walk naked, and they see his shame."