The Bible

 

Ezekiel 8

Study

   

1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.

2 Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.

3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.

5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

6 He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.

7 And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.

8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.

9 And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.

10 So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.

11 And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.

12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; The LORD hath forsaken the earth.

13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.

14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.

16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.

18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Coronis (An Appendix to True Christian Religion) #60

Study this Passage

  
/ 60  

60. Now follow some things concerning the Coming of the Lord collected from the prophecies of the Old Word; namely:

Jehovah God said, Lo, I come; in the roll of the Book it is written of Me (Psalm 40:7).

Jehovah God said to the serpent,... Be thou cursed;... I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; and He shall trample thy head, but thou shalt injure the heel (Gen. 3:14-15).

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh come: to Him shall the cleaving of the peoples be (Gen. 49:10)- the prophecy of the father, Israel, concerning his sons.

A Star shall rise out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise up out of Israel (Num. 24:17).

Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet out of the midst of thy brethren, like unto Me; Him ye shall obey,... and I will put My words in His mouth;... whence it shall come to pass, that the man who will not obey His words, I will require it of him (Deut. 18:15-19).

The Lord Himself giveth you a sign, Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name, God with us (Isa. 7:14).

Unto us a Boy is born, unto us a Son is given, on whose shoulder shall be the government; His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace: of the increase of His government... there shall be no end (Isa. 9:6-7).

There shall come forth a shoot out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch out of his root shall bear fruit;... upon Him shall rest the spirit of wisdom and intelligence, the spirit of counsel and might (Isa. 11:1-2).

In that day the nations shall seek the Root of Jesse, which standeth for an ensign of the peoples, and His rest shall be glory (Isa. 11:10).

Send ye the lamb of the Ruler of the land, from the rock toward the wilderness:... His throne is established in mercy, and one shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hastening justice (Isa. 16:1, 5).

It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God for whom we have waited that He may deliver us; this is Jehovah for whom we have waited: we will exult and rejoice in His salvation (Isa. 25:9; 26:8-9).

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make plain in the desert a path for our God.... The glory of Jehovah shall be revealed; and all flesh shall see it together (Isa. 40:3, 5).

O Zion, thou evangelizer, get thee up upon the high mountain; O Jerusalem,... thou that evangelizest, lift up thy voice with strength; say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God. Behold, the Lord Jehovih cometh in strength, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold His reward is with Him.... He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs in His arm, and carry them in His bosom; He shall gently lead the sucklings (Isa. 40:9-11).

My people shall know My name in that day; for I am He that doth speak; Behold Me. How delightful upon the mountains are the feet of Him that evangelizeth, that causeth them to hear peace, that evangelizeth good, that causeth them to hear salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy King reigneth.... They shall lift up the voice and sing; they shall see eye to eye that Jehovah is returned to Zion. He hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem:... all the ends of the land shall see the salvation of our God (Isa. 52:6-10).

Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; His reward is with Him, and the recompense of His work before Him (Isa. 62:11).

Shout for joy and rejoice, O daughter of Zion; behold, I come, that I may dwell in the midst of thee;... then many nations shall cleave to Jehovah (Zech. 2:10-11).

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh to thee, just (Zech. 9:9).

Behold, the days come... when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, who shall reign a King and prosper, and He shall execute judgment and justice in the land;... and this is His name,... Jehovah our Righteousness (Jer. 33:5-6; 23:15-16).

Behold, I send My angel, who shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple, and the Angel of the covenant whom ye desire, behold, He shall come (Mal. 3:1).

Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, it is little that thou art among the thousands of Judah; out of thee shall One go forth unto Me, who will be Ruler in Israel, and whose goings forth are from of old, from the days of eternity.... He shall stand and feed the flock in the strength of Jehovah,... and shall increase even to the ends of the land (Micah 5:2, 4).

I anoint My king upon Zion.... I will proclaim concerning the statute, Jehovah saith unto Me, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee; ask of Me, and I will give the nations for Thine inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Thy possession.

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way; . . . Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him (Psalm 2:6-12).

Behold, the God of my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid. . . . Cry out and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee (Isa. 12:2, 6).

In that day a man shall look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have regard to the Holy One of Israel (Isa. 17:7).

My Beloved had a vineyard in a horn of [the son of] oil (Isa. 5:1). Jehovah Zebaoth, Him shall ye sanctify.... He shall be for a sanctuary, although for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence,... and for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitant of Jerusalem (Isa. 8:13-14; Matt. 21:42-44; Luke 20:17-18).

The people that walked in darkness shall see a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them shall the light shine (Isa. 9:2).

Out of Zion... God shall shine forth; our God shall come, and shall not keep silence (Psalm 1 2, 3).

The vision is yet for the appointed time, and speaketh out to the end; yet it shall not lie: though He tarry, wait for Him; because He will surely come, He will not delay (Hab. 2:3).

O Jehovah, I have heard Thy fame; I have revered, O Jehovah, Thy work,... make it present in the midst of the years. . . . God shall come from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. His brightness shall be as the light; rays [coming forth] from His hand; and there is the hiding of His strength (Hab. 3:2-3, 4).

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I will lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-[stone] of well-established foundation;... then I will set judgment to the rule, and righteousness to the plummet (Isa. 28:16-17).

The Lord, appearing above the mercy-seat (Ezek. 1:26-28), is described as to the Word, and is called "Lord Jehovih" (Ezek. 2:4; 3:11, 27; 4:14; 5:7, 11; 6:3, 11; 7:2, 5; 8:1). In Isaiah liii, throughout, the Lord is treated of, and the state of His life in the world is described by the following expressions:

That He had no form nor comeliness; He was despised and not esteemed; He was wounded on account of our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; Jehovah caused the iniquities of us all to meet in Him; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; He was cut off out of the land of the living; because He placed their guilt on His soul His days should be prolonged; also, for them He poured out His soul even unto death; He was numbered with the transgressors, and interceded for the transgressors (Isa. 53:1-12).

I have called Him forth in righteousness.... He shall build My city; and He shall send away My captivity, not for price nor for reward.... Verily, Thou art a God that hidest Thyself, O God of Israel the Saviour (Isa. 45:13, 15).

I have caused My righteousness to draw near,... and My Salvation shall not tarry (Isa. 46:13).

As for our Redeemer, Jehovah Zebaoth is His Name, and the Holy One of Israel (Isa. 47:4).

O Jehovah, our Lord, how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth! giving to it honour above the heavens.... Thou hast caused Him to lack little compared with the angels, but Thou hast crowned Him with glory and honour; Thou hast made Him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands, Thou hast put all things under His feet (Psalm 8:1, 5-6, 9).

God... shall come down like rain among the herb.... He shall have dominion also from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. The barbarians shall bow themselves before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust; the kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring their present; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer their gift; all kings shall bow themselves to him, all nations shall serve him; for he shall deliver the wretched, who hath no helper.... He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence:... His name shall be to eternity; he shall have the name of a son 1 before the sun, and men shall be blessed in him.

Blessed be God, the God of Israel:... blessed be the name of his glory... the whole earth shall be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen (Psalm 72:6, 8, 10, 12, 18-19).

I have made a covenant with My chosen.... Thy seed will I establish even to eternity, and I will build up Thy throne from generation to generation;... and the heavens shall confess Thy wonders (Psalm 89:3-4, 5).

Footnotes:

1. See for the word "son" A.V. margin.

[The rest is missing.]

  
/ 60  

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