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Ιεζεκιήλ 19

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1 Και συ αναλαβε θρηνον δια τους ηγεμονας του Ισραηλ,

2 και ειπε, Τι ειναι η μητηρ σου; Λεαινα· κειται μεταξυ λεοντων, εθρεψε τα βρεφη αυτης εν μεσω σκυμνων.

3 Και ανεθρεψεν εν εκ των βρεφων αυτης και εγεινε σκυμνος και εμαθε να αρπαζη το θηραμα· ανθρωπους ετρωγε.

4 Και τα εθνη ηκουσαν περι αυτου· επιασθη εν τω λακκω αυτων, και εφεραν αυτον με αλυσεις εις την γην της Αιγυπτου.

5 Και ιδουσα οτι η ελπις αυτης εματαιωθη και εχαθη, ελαβεν εν αλλο εκ των βρεφων αυτης και εκαμεν αυτο σκυμνον.

6 Και αναστρεφομενον εν μεσω των λεοντων εγεινε σκυμνος και εμαθε να αρπαζη θηραμα· ανθρωπους ετρωγε.

7 Και εγνωρισε τα παλατια αυτων και ερημονε τας πολεις αυτων· και ητο ηφανισμενη η γη και το πληρωμα αυτης απο του ηχου του βρυχηματος αυτου.

8 Και τα εθνη παρεταχθησαν εναντιον αυτου κυκλοθεν εκ των επαρχιων και ηπλωσαν κατ' αυτου τα βροχια αυτων, και επιασθη εν τω λακκω αυτων.

9 Και εβαλον αυτον με αλυσεις εις κλωβιον και εφεραν αυτον προς τον βασιλεα της Βαβυλωνος· εν δεσμωτηριω εισηγαγον αυτον, δια να μη ακουσθη πλεον φωνη αυτου επι τα ορη του Ισραηλ.

10 Η μητηρ σου, καθ' ομοιωσιν σου, ητο ως αμπελος πεφυτευμενη πλησιον των υδατων· εγεινε καρποφορος και πληρης κλαδων δια τα πολλα υδατα.

11 Και εγειναν εις αυτην ραβδοι ισχυραι δια σκηπτρα των κρατουντων· και ο κορμος αυτης υψωθη εν μεσω των πυκνων κλαδων, και εγεινε περιβλεπτος κατα το υψος αυτης μεταξυ του πληθους των βλαστων αυτης.

12 Απεσπασθη ομως μετα θυμου, ερριφθη κατα γης, και ανατολικος ανεμος κατεξηρανε τον καρπον αυτης· αι ισχυραι αυτης ραβδοι συνεθλασθησαν και εξηρανθησαν· πυρ κατεφαγεν αυτας.

13 Και τωρα ειναι πεφυτευμενη εν ερημω, εν ξηρα και ανυδρω γη.

14 Και εξηλθε πυρ απο ραβδου τινος εκ των κλαδων αυτης και κατεφαγε τον καρπον αυτης, ωστε δεν υπηρχε πλεον εν αυτη ραβδος ισχυρα δια σκηπτρον ηγεμονιας· ουτος ειναι ο θρηνος και θελει εισθαι εις θρηνον.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Conjugial Love #119

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119. That the church is called mother is apparent from the following passages:

(Jehovah said,) "Contend with your mother...; ...she is not My wife, and I am not her Husband." (Hosea 2:2)

"You are the daughter of your mother, who loathes her Husband...." (Ezekiel 16:45)

"Where is the certificate of your mother's divorce, whom I have put away?" (Isaiah 50:1)

Your mother was like a vine..., planted by the waters, fruitful.... (Ezekiel 19:10)

"Mother" in those places refers to the Jewish Church.

(Jesus, stretching out His hand toward His disciples, said,) "My mother and My brothers are they who hear the word of God and do it." (Luke 8:21, cf. Matthew 12:48-50, Mark 3:33-35)

The church is meant by the Lord's disciples.

By the cross of Jesus stood His mother.... (And) Jesus...seeing His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, (also) said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" And He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" (Therefore) from that hour the disciple took her into his own [home]. (John 19:25-27)

The meaning here is that the Lord did not acknowledge Mary but the church as His mother. That is why He calls her "woman" and names her the mother of the disciple. He named her the mother of this disciple, John, because John represented the church in respect to its good acts of charity. These good acts are the church in actual practice. Therefore it is said that the disciple took Mary into his own [home].

(We explained in The Apocalypse Revealed that Peter represented truth and faith, James charity, and John works of charity - see nos. 5, 6, 790, 798, 879 - and that the twelve disciples together represented the church in all its elements - see nos. 233, 790 [798?], 903, 915.)

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.

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