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Ιεζεκιήλ 37

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1 Χειρ Κυριου εσταθη επ' εμε· και με εξηγαγεν ο Κυριος δια πνευματος και με εθεσεν εν μεσω πεδιαδος και αυτη ητο πληρης οστεων.

2 Και με εκαμε να διελθω πλησιον αυτων κυκλω· και ιδου, ησαν πολλα σφοδρα επι το προσωπον της πεδιαδος· και ιδου, ησαν καταξηρα.

3 Και ειπε προς εμε, Υιε ανθρωπου, δυνανται τα οστα ταυτα να αναζησωσι; Και ειπα, Κυριε Θεε, συ εξευρεις.

4 Και ειπε προς εμε, Προφητευσον επι τα οστα ταυτα και ειπε προς αυτα, Τα οστα τα ξηρα, ακουσατε τον λογον του Κυριου·

5 Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος προς τα οστα ταυτα· Ιδου, εγω θελω εμβαλει εις εσας πνευμα και θελετε αναζησει·

6 και θελω βαλει εφ' υμας νευρα και αναγαγει σαρκα εφ' υμας και περισκεπασει υμας με δερμα, και θελω εμβαλει εις εσας πνευμα και θελετε αναζησει και θελετε γνωρισει οτι εγω ειμαι ο Κυριος.

7 Και προεφητευσα, ως προσεταχθην· και καθως προεφητευσα, εγεινεν ηχος, και ιδου, σεισμος, και τα οστα συνηλθον ομου, οστουν μετα του οστου αυτου.

8 Και ειδον και ιδου, νευρα και σαρκες ανεφυησαν επ' αυτα και δερμα περιεσκεπασεν αυτα επανω· πνευμα ομως δεν ητο εν αυτοις.

9 Και ειπε προς εμε, προφητευσον επι το πνευμα, προφητευσον, υιε ανθρωπου, και ειπε προς το πνευμα, Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Ελθε, πνευμα, εκ των τεσσαρων ανεμων και εμφυσησον επι τους πεφονευμενους τουτους και ας αναζησωσι.

10 Και προεφητευσα, ως προσεταχθην· και το πνευμα εισηλθεν εις αυτους και ανεζησαν και εσταθησαν επι τους ποδας αυτων, στρατευμα μεγα σφοδρα.

11 Και ειπε προς εμε, Υιε ανθρωπου, τα οστα ταυτα ειναι πας ο οικος Ισραηλ· ιδου, ουτοι λεγουσι, τα οστα ημων εξηρανθησαν και η ελπις ημων εχαθη· ημεις ηφανισθημεν.

12 Δια τουτο προφητευσον και ειπε προς αυτους, Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Ιδου, λαε μου, εγω ανοιγω τους ταφους σας και θελω σας αναβιβασει εκ των ταφων σας, θελω σας φερει εις την γην του Ισραηλ.

13 Και θελετε γνωρισει οτι εγω ειμαι ο Κυριος, οταν, λαε μου, ανοιξω τους ταφους σας και σας αναβιβασω εκ των ταφων σας.

14 Και θελω δωσει το πνευμα μου εις εσας και θελετε αναζησει και θελω σας θεσει εν τη γη υμων, και θελετε γνωρισει οτι εγω ο Κυριος ελαλησα και εξετελεσα, λεγει Κυριος.

15 Και εγεινε λογος Κυριου προς εμε, λεγων,

16 Και συ, υιε ανθρωπου, λαβε εις σεαυτον ραβδον μιαν και γραψον επ' αυτην περι του Ιουδα και περι των υιων Ισραηλ των συνακολουθων αυτου· λαβε και αλλην ραβδον και γραψον επ' αυτην περι του Ιωσηφ, της ραβδον του Εφραιμ, και παντος του οικου Ισραηλ των συνακολουθων αυτου.

17 Και συναψον αυτας εις σεαυτον μιαν προς μιαν εις ραβδον μιαν και θελουσι γεινει μια εν τη χειρι σου.

18 Και οταν οι υιοι του λαου σου ειπωσι προς σε, λεγοντες, Δεν θελεις απαγγειλει εις ημας τι δηλουσιν εις σε ταυτα;

19 ειπε προς αυτους, Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Ιδου, εγω θελω λαβει την ραβδον του Ιωσηφ, την εν τη χειρι του Εφραιμ, και των φυλων του Ισραηλ των συνακολουθων αυτου, και θελω βαλει εκεινας μετα ταυτης, της ραβδου του Ιουδα, και καμει αυτας μιαν ραβδον, και θελουσιν εισθαι μια εν τη χειρι μου.

20 Και αι ραβδοι, επι τας οποιας εγραψας, θελουσιν εισθαι εν τη χειρι σου ενωπιον αυτων.

21 Και ειπε προς αυτους, Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Ιδου, εγω θελω λαβει τους υιους Ισραηλ εκ μεσου των εθνων οπου υπηγον, και θελω συναξει αυτους πανταχοθεν και φερει αυτους εις την γην αυτων.

22 Και θελω καμει αυτους εν εθνος εν τη γη, επι των ορεων του Ισραηλ· και εις βασιλευς θελει εισθαι βασιλευς επι παντας αυτους· και δεν θελουσιν εισθαι πλεον δυο εθνη και δεν θελουσιν εισθαι του λοιπου διηρημενοι πλεον εις δυο βασιλεια·

23 και δεν θελουσι μιαινεσθαι πλεον εν τοις ειδωλοις αυτων ουδε εν τοις βδελυγμασιν αυτων ουδε εν πασαις ταις παραβασεσιν αυτων· αλλα θελω σωσει αυτους εκ πασων των κατοικησεων αυτων, εν αις ημαρτησαν, και θελω καθαρισει αυτους· και θελουσιν εισθαι λαος μου και εγω θελω εισθαι Θεος αυτων.

24 Και Δαβιδ ο δουλος μου θελει εισθαι βασιλευς επ' αυτους· και θελει εισθαι επι παντας αυτους εις ποιμην· και θελουσι περιπατει εν ταις κρισεσι μου και θελουσι φυλαττει τα διαταγματα μου και εκτελει αυτα.

25 Και θελουσι κατοικει εν τη γη, την οποιαν εδωκα εις τον δουλον μου τον Ιακωβ, οπου κατωκησαν οι πατερες σας· και εν αυτη θελουσι κατοικει, αυτοι και τα τεκνα αυτων και τα τεκνα των τεκνων αυτων, εως αιωνος· και Δαβιδ ο δουλος μου θελει εισθαι αρχων αυτων εις τον αιωνα.

26 Και θελω καμει προς αυτους διαθηκην ειρηνης· αυτη θελει εισθαι διαθηκη αιωνιος προς αυτους· και θελω στηριξει αυτους και πληθυνει αυτους, και θελω θεσει το αγιαστηριον μου εν μεσω αυτων εις τον αιωνα.

27 Και η σκηνη μου θελει εισθαι εν μεσω αυτων, και θελω εισθαι Θεος αυτων και αυτοι θελουσιν εισθαι λαος μου.

28 Και θελουσι γνωρισει τα εθνη οτι εγω ο Κυριος ειμαι ο αγιαζων τον Ισραηλ, οταν το αγιαστηριον μου ηναι εν μεσω αυτων εις τον αιωνα.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3441

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3441. 'For the sake of Abraham My servant' means because of the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine, and also His Divine Human, dealt with in 2833, 2836, 3251, and from the meaning of 'My servant', when used in reference to the Lord, as the Divine Human. Not that the Divine Human is a servant, for the Divine Human also is Jehovah, 1736, 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035, but 'My servant' means the Divine Human because by means of that Divine Human the Lord serves the human race. Indeed it is by means of the Divine Human that a person is saved, for unless the Lord had united the Human to the Divine so that man could with his mind behold and worship the Lord's Human, and in so doing approach the Divine, he could not possibly be saved. The joining of man to the Divine Himself, called the Father, is effected through the Divine Human, called the Son, and so through the Lord, by whom one who is spiritual understands the Human, but one who is celestial understands the Divine Himself.

[2] From these considerations it is evident why the Divine Human is called a servant, namely that it serves the Divine for the purpose of giving man access to Himself, and it serves the human race in their salvation. This then is what is meant by 'Abraham My servant', as also in David, Remember His marvellous acts that He has done, the signs and the judgements of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, O sons of Jacob His chosen ones. He sent Moses His servant, Aaron whom He had chosen. He remembered His Holy word, with Abraham His servant. Psalms 105:5-6, 26, 42.

Here 'Abraham His servant' is used to mean the Lord's Divine Human. In a similar way the Lord's Divine Human is also meant in the highest sense by 'servant Israel', 'servant Jacob', and 'servant David':

SERVANT ISRAEL

In Isaiah,

You, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend, you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from the extremities 1 of it, and said to you, You are My servant, I have chosen you. Isaiah 41:8-9.

Here, in the highest sense, 'Israel My servant' is the Lord in relation to the internal aspects of the spiritual Church, and 'Jacob' to the external aspects of that Church. In the same prophet,

He said to me, You are My servant Israel in whom I will be rendered glorious. It is a light thing that You should be a servant to Me to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel. And I have given You as a light of the nations, that You may be My salvation right to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49:3, 6.

Here 'servant Israel in whom I will be rendered glorious' clearly stands for the Lord's Divine Human. Plainly He is called 'a servant' from the service He performs, for it is said 'that You may be a servant to Me to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel'.

[3] SERVANT JACOB

In Isaiah,

I will give you the treasures of darkness and the secret riches of hiding-places for the sake of My servant Jacob, and of Israel My chosen. Isaiah 45:3-4.

Here 'servant Jacob' and 'Israel the chosen' are used to mean the Lord - 'servant Jacob' in relation to the external Church, 'Israel the chosen' in relation to the internal Church.

[4] SERVANT DAVID

In Ezekiel,

I will gather the children of Israel from all around. My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will dwell in the land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell in it, they and their sons, and their sons' sons even for ever. And David My servant will be their pence for ever. Ezekiel 37:21, 24-25.

'Servant David' clearly stands for the Lord's Divine Human, 1888, and does so by virtue of Divine Truth which is meant by 'the king', who is David in this case, 1728, 2015, 3009. Also, in relation to good truth itself is the servant, see 3409. This being so the Lord calls Himself one who serves or ministers, in Mark,

Whoever would be great among you must be your minister; and anyone who would be first among you must be the servant of all, even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to but to minister. Mark 10:43-45; Matthew 20:26-28.

And in Luke,

Who is the greater, one who sits at table or one who ministers? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am in the midst of you as one who ministers. Luke 22:27.

Footnotes:

1. literally, wings

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