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Ezékiel 12

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1 És lõn az Úrnak szava énhozzám, mondván:

2 Embernek fia! pártos ház közepette lakol, kiknek szemeik vannak a látásra, de nem látnak, füleik vannak a hallásra, de nem hallanak, mert õk pártos ház.

3 És te, embernek fia, készíts magadnak vándorútra való eszközöket, és vándorolj ki nappal szemeik elõtt, és vándorolj ki helyedrõl más helyre szemök láttára; talán meglátják! mert õk pártos ház.

4 És vidd ki eszközeidet, úgy, mint vándorútra való eszközöket, nappal szemök láttára, te pedig menj ki estve szemök láttára, úgy a hogy a vándorok szoktak.

5 Szemök láttára lyukaszd át a falat, és azon át vidd ki.

6 Szemök láttára emeld válladra, a sötétben vidd ki, orczádat fedd be, hogy ne lásd a földet, mert csodajelül rendeltelek az Izráel házának.

7 Úgy cselekedtem azért, a mint parancsolva vala nékem; eszközeimet kihordám nappal, mint vándorútra való eszközöket, és este átlyukasztám a falat kezemmel; a sötétben kivivém, vállamra emelém szemök láttára.

8 És lõn az Úr beszéde én hozzám reggel, mondván:

9 Embernek fia! Nem mondta-é néked Izráel háza, ez a pártos ház: mit cselekszel?

10 Mondjad nékik: Így szól az Úr Isten: a fejedelemnek szól ez a próféczia, ki Jeruzsálemben van, és Izráel egész házának, a mely ott lakozik.

11 Mondjad: Én csodajeletek vagyok; a mint én cselekedtem, úgy történik velök: fogságba, rabságra mennek.

12 És a fejedelem, ki közöttök van, vállát megrakván a sötétben, kimegyen; a falat átlyukasztják, hogy így vigyék ki õt, orczáit befedi, hogy ne lássa szemeivel [épen] õ a földet.

13 És kiterjesztem hálómat ellene, és megfogatik varsámban, és elviszem õt Bábelbe a Káldeusok földére, de azt nem fogja látni, és ott fog meghalni.

14 És mindeneket, kik körülte vannak az õ segítségére, és minden seregeit szélnek szórom mindenfelé, és kardot vonok utánok.

15 És megtudják, hogy én vagyok az Úr, mikor eloszlatom õket a pogányok közé, és szétszórom õket a tartományokba.

16 De meghagyok közülök kevés férfiakat a fegyvertõl, éhségtõl s döghaláltól, hogy elbeszéljék minden útálatosságukat a pogányok közt, a kik közé mennek, s hogy megtudják, hogy én vagyok az Úr.

17 És lõn az Úr beszéde hozzám, mondván:

18 Embernek fia! kenyeredet rettegéssel egyed, és vizedet reszketéssel és félelemmel igyad.

19 És szólj a föld népének: Ezt mondja az Úr Isten Jeruzsálem lakóiról, Izráel földjérõl: kenyeröket félelemmel eszik és vizöket ájulással iszszák, hogy pusztaságra [vetkõzzék] földje bõségébõl minden lakói álnoksága miatt.

20 És a lakott városok elpusztulnak s a föld pusztaság lesz és megtudjátok, hogy én vagyok az Úr.

21 És lõn az Úr beszéde hozzám, mondván:

22 Embernek fia! micsoda közmondástok van néktek Izráel földjén? hogy azt mondják: a napok csak haladnak, ám semmivé lesz minden látás.

23 Ezokért mondd nékik: Ezt mondja az Úr Isten: Megszüntetem e közmondást és nem mondogatják azt többé Izráelben, sõt inkább mondd nékik: elközelgettek a napok, és minden látás teljesül.

24 Mert nem lesz többé semmi hiábavaló látás és hizelgõ jövendölgetés Izráel házának közepette.

25 Mert én szólok, az Úr; s a mely szót szólok, meglészen, nem halad tovább. Mert a ti napjaitokban, pártos ház, szólok egy szót és megcselekszem, ezt mondja az Úr Isten!

26 És lõn az Úr beszéde hozzám, mondván:

27 Embernek fia! ímé, Izráel háza ezt mondja: A látás, melyet ez lát, sok napra való, és messze idõkre prófétál õ.

28 Ezokért mondjad nékik: Így szól az Úr Isten: Nem halad tovább semmi én beszédem; a mit szólok, az a szó meglészen, ezt mondja az Úr Isten.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #64

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64. Clothed with a garment down to the foot, signifies Divine truth proceeding from Him. This is evident from the signification of "garments" as being truths that clothe good (See Arcana Coelestia, n. 1073, 2576, 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9952, 10536). Here is only mentioned "a garment down to the foot," which is a general covering; by which, as the Lord is treated of, all Divine truth in general is meant. Since the Lord is here described in respect to the Divine Human, which is here the "Son of man seen in the midst of the lampstands," and it is said that He was "clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the paps with a golden girdle," and afterwards that "His face shone as the sun in his power," I wish to give an explanation of what is said in the Evangelists about the Lord when He was transfigured, where some similar expressions are used; and afterwards of what is said about the soldiers dividing His garments, and casting the lot upon His tunic.

[2] Of the Lord's transfiguration it is thus written:

Jesus took Peter, James, and John, into a very high mountain, and He was transfigured before them; and His face did shine as the sun, and His garments became white as the light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah speaking with Him. And behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him (Matthew 17:1-5; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36).

The Lord took Peter, James, and John, because by them the church in respect to faith, charity, and the works of charity was represented; He took them "into a high mountain," because "mountain" signifies heaven; "His face did shine as the sun," because "face" signifies the interiors, and it did shine as the sun because His interiors were Divine, for the "sun" is Divine love; "His garments became white as the light," because "garments" signify Divine truth proceeding from Him; the like is signified by "light." "Moses and Elijah" appeared, because the two signify the Word, "Moses" the historical Word, and "Elijah" the prophetical Word; "a bright cloud overshadowed them," because "a bright cloud" signifies the Word in the letter within which is the internal sense; "a voice out of the cloud said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him," because "a voice out of the cloud" signifies Divine truth out of the Word, and "beloved Son," the Lord's Divine Human. And because Divine truth is from Him, and thence all truth of the church, it was said out of the cloud, "in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him."

[3] It was plainly the Divine Human of the Lord that was thus seen, for the Divine Itself cannot be seen by anyone, except through the Divine Human. This the Lord also teaches in John:

No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath brought Him forth to view (John 1:18).

And in another place:

Ye have neither heard the voice of the Father at any time, nor seen His shape (John 5:37).

(That such things are signified by these words in the Evangelists, can be seen in the Arcana Coelestia where the particulars are made known, namely, that by "Peter," "James," and "John," in the Word, are signified faith, charity, and the works of charity, n. 3750, and above, n. 8-9; by "high mountain" is signified heaven, n. 8327, 8805, 9420, 9422, 9434, 10608; by "face," the interiors which are of the mind, n. 1999, 2434, 3527, 4066, 4796, 5102, 9306, 9546; and by "the face of the Lord," mercy, peace, and every good, n. 222-223, 5585, 9306, 9546, 9888; by "the sun," Divine Love, n. 2495, 4060, 7083; and in the work on Heaven and Hell 116-125; by "garments," when the Lord is treated of, Divine truth, n. 9212, 9216; and the like by "light," n. 3195, 3222, 5400, 8644, 9399, 9548, 9684; and in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 126-140. That "Moses and Elias" signify the Word; "Moses," see Arcana Coelestia 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 9372, 10234; and "Elias," see n. 2762, 5247. That "clouds" signify the Word in the letter, see above, n. 36; that "beloved Son" is the Divine Human of the Lord is evident.) From the fact that the "Lord's garments" signify Divine truth, it may be known what is signified by the soldiers dividing the garments of the Lord among them, and casting a lot upon His tunic, of which it is thus written in John:

The soldiers took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part, also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore one to another, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for whose it shall be; that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith, They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did (John 19:23-24).

[4] He who is not aware that in every particular of the Word there is an internal sense which is spiritual, cannot see any arcanum in these things; he knows only that the soldiers divided the garments and not the tunic; and beyond this he knows nothing; when not only in this fact is there a Divine arcanum, but also in every particular of what is recorded concerning the passion of the Lord. The arcanum in this fact is that the garments of the Lord signified Divine truth, thus the Word, because the Word is Divine truth; the "garments" that they divided, the Word in the letter, and the "tunic" the Word in the internal sense; to "divide them" signifies to disperse and falsify; and "the soldiers" signify those that are of the church, who should fight in behalf of Divine truth. This is why it is said, "These things therefore the soldiers did." From this it is clear that the meaning of these words in the spiritual sense is that the Jewish Church dispersed the Divine truth which is in the sense of the letter, but could not disperse the Divine truth which is in the internal sense. That the "garments of the Lord" signified Divine truth, thus the Word, was shown above; that His "tunic" signified Divine truth, or the Word, in the internal sense, see Arcana Coelestia n.9826, 9942; that to "divide" is to disperse and separate from good and truth, thus to falsify, see n. 4424, 6360, 6361, 9094; that "the soldiers" signify those that are of the church, here of the Jewish church, who should fight in behalf of Divine truth, is clear from the spiritual sense of "warfare" and of "war;" that "war" signifies spiritual combats, which are of truth against falsity, see n. 1659, 1664, 8295, 10455; it is therefore said of the Levites, whose function pertained to such things as are of the church, that they were discharging military duty and were serving in war, when they were exercising their ministry in the tent of the assembly (Numbers 4:23, 35, 39, 43, 47; 8:23, 24).

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #2760

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2760. PREFACE 1

How deluded those people are who confine themselves to the sense of the letter and do not look for the internal sense in other places where this is explained in the Word becomes quite clear from the great number of heresies there are, each one of which confirms its own doctrinal position from the literal sense of the Word. It is particularly clear from that great heresy which insane and hellish self-love and love of the world have made out of the Lord's words to Peter,

I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:15-19.

[2] People who keep rigidly to the sense of the letter imagine that these words refer to the man Peter and that such great power was given to him. Although they know that Peter was just an ordinary simple human being who by no means exercised such power, and that the exercise of that power is contrary to the Divine, they nevertheless adopt and stoutly defend a literal interpretation of what the Lord said, because of the insane and hellish self-love and love of the world which fill them with the desire to arrogate such power to themselves on earth and in heaven and to make gods of themselves. But the internal sense of those words is that faith itself in the Lord, which exists solely with those in whom love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour are present, possesses that power, yet not faith but the Lord, the Source of faith. In the words addressed to Peter 'rock' is used to mean that faith, as it is everywhere else in the Word. It is on this faith that the Church is built, and against this faith that the gates of hell do not prevail. It is that faith also which holds the keys of the kingdom of heaven, for that faith closes heaven to prevent evils and falsities entering in, and it opens heaven to goods and truths. This is the internal sense of these words.

[3] Like the twelve tribes of Israel the twelve apostles represented nothing else than all aspects of such faith, 577, 2089, 2129, 2130 (end). Peter represented faith itself, James charity, and John the good works that flow from charity - see the Preface to Genesis 18 - as in a similar way did Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, Jacob's three eldest sons, in the Jewish and

Israelitish representative Church, a point that is clear from a thousand places in the Word. And it was because Peter represented faith that those words were addressed to him. From all these considerations one may recognize what darkness it is into which people plunge themselves, and others with them, who explain everything literally, as they do who, taking literally the words addressed to Peter, use them to take the power of saving the human race away from the Lord and arrogate it to themselves.

2 2760. In John - in the Book of Revelation - the Word as to its internal sense is described as follows,

I saw heaven standing open, and, behold, a White Horse; and He who sat on it was called faithful and true, and in righteousness He judges and goes into battle. His eyes a flame of fire, and on His head many jewels, He has a name written which nobody knows but He Himself, and He is clothed in a garment dyed with blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies that are in heaven were following Him on white horses and were clothed in linen, white and clean. And on His garment and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:11-14, 16.

What each individual part of this description embodies nobody can know except from the internal sense. Plainly, each one is representative and carries a spiritual meaning, such as 'heaven standing open'; 'the horse which was white'; 'He who sat on it was called faithful and true, and in righteousness He judges and goes into battle'; 'His eyes a flame of fire'; 'on His head many jewels'; 'He has a name which nobody knows but He Himself'; 'He is clothed in a garment dyed with blood'; 'the armies in heaven following Him on white horses'; 'clothed in linen, white and clean'; 'on His garment and on His thigh He has a name written'. It is stated openly that the One sitting on the White Horse is the Word, and that He is the Lord who is the Word, for it is said, 'His name is called the Word of God', and after that, 'on His garment and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords'.

[2] From the interpretation of each individual expression it is evident that the Word as to the internal sense is described here. 'Heaven standing open' represents and means that the internal sense of the Word is not seen except in heaven and by those to whom heaven stands open, that is, those in whom love to the Lord and faith in Him-derived from that love are present. 'The horse which was white' represents and means the understanding of the Word as regards its interior contents. The next paragraph shows that 'a white horse' has this representation and meaning. 'He who sat on it' is, it is clear, the Word and the Lord who is the Word. He is called 'faithful' and 'one who judges out of righteousness' by virtue of good, and 'true' and 'one who goes into battle out of righteousness' by virtue of truth; for the Lord Himself is righteousness. 'His eyes a flame of fire' means Divine Truth glowing from the Divine Good that issues from His Divine Love. 'On His head many jewels' means all things of faith. 'He has a name written which nobody knows but He Himself' means that nobody sees the essential nature of the Word in the internal sense except the Lord Himself and he to whom He reveals it. 'Clothed in a garment dyed with blood' means the Word in the letter. 'The armies in heaven that were following Him on white horses' means people who have an understanding of the Word as regards its interior contents. 'Clothed in linen, white and clean' means that in these same persons love and faith derived from love are present. 'On His garment and on His thigh a name written' means truth and good. From these verses in Revelation and from those which come before and after them it is evident that around the last period [of the Church] the internal sense of the Word will be opened. But what is going to happen in that last period is also described in verses 17-21 of that chapter.

Footnotes:

1. i.e. to Volume Three of the Latin

2. The preface to the third volume of the Latin edition has been included here in section 2760. The text of section 2760, as Swedenborg numbered it, starts where this footnote has been inserted.

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