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Ezekiel 16

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1 καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρός με λέγων

2 υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου διαμάρτυραι τῇ ιερουσαλημ τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῆς

3 καὶ ἐρεῖς τάδε λέγει κύριος τῇ ιερουσαλημ ἡ ῥίζα σου καὶ ἡ γένεσίς σου ἐκ γῆς χανααν ὁ πατήρ σου αμορραῖος καὶ ἡ μήτηρ σου χετταία

4 καὶ ἡ γένεσίς σου ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐτέχθης οὐκ ἔδησαν τοὺς μαστούς σου καὶ ἐν ὕδατι οὐκ ἐλούσθης οὐδὲ ἁλὶ ἡλίσθης καὶ σπαργάνοις οὐκ ἐσπαργανώθης

5 οὐδὲ ἐφείσατο ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἐπὶ σοὶ τοῦ ποιῆσαί σοι ἓν ἐκ πάντων τούτων τοῦ παθεῖν τι ἐπὶ σοί καὶ ἀπερρίφης ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τοῦ πεδίου τῇ σκολιότητι τῆς ψυχῆς σου ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐτέχθης

6 καὶ διῆλθον ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ εἶδόν σε πεφυρμένην ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου καὶ εἶπά σοι ἐκ τοῦ αἵματός σου ζωή

7 πληθύνου καθὼς ἡ ἀνατολὴ τοῦ ἀγροῦ δέδωκά σε καὶ ἐπληθύνθης καὶ ἐμεγαλύνθης καὶ εἰσῆλθες εἰς πόλεις πόλεων οἱ μαστοί σου ἀνωρθώθησαν καὶ ἡ θρίξ σου ἀνέτειλεν σὺ δὲ ἦσθα γυμνὴ καὶ ἀσχημονοῦσα

8 καὶ διῆλθον διὰ σοῦ καὶ εἶδόν σε καὶ ἰδοὺ καιρός σου καιρὸς καταλυόντων καὶ διεπέτασα τὰς πτέρυγάς μου ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ ἐκάλυψα τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην σου καὶ ὤμοσά σοι καὶ εἰσῆλθον ἐν διαθήκῃ μετὰ σοῦ λέγει κύριος καὶ ἐγένου μοι

9 καὶ ἔλουσά σε ἐν ὕδατι καὶ ἀπέπλυνα τὸ αἷμά σου ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ ἔχρισά σε ἐν ἐλαίῳ

10 καὶ ἐνέδυσά σε ποικίλα καὶ ὑπέδησά σε ὑάκινθον καὶ ἔζωσά σε βύσσῳ καὶ περιέβαλόν σε τριχάπτῳ

11 καὶ ἐκόσμησά σε κόσμῳ καὶ περιέθηκα ψέλια περὶ τὰς χεῖράς σου καὶ κάθεμα περὶ τὸν τράχηλόν σου

12 καὶ ἔδωκα ἐνώτιον περὶ τὸν μυκτῆρά σου καὶ τροχίσκους ἐπὶ τὰ ὦτά σου καὶ στέφανον καυχήσεως ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν σου

13 καὶ ἐκοσμήθης χρυσίῳ καὶ ἀργυρίῳ καὶ τὰ περιβόλαιά σου βύσσινα καὶ τρίχαπτα καὶ ποικίλα σεμίδαλιν καὶ ἔλαιον καὶ μέλι ἔφαγες καὶ ἐγένου καλὴ σφόδρα

14 καὶ ἐξῆλθέν σου ὄνομα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐν τῷ κάλλει σου διότι συντετελεσμένον ἦν ἐν εὐπρεπείᾳ ἐν τῇ ὡραιότητι ᾗ ἔταξα ἐπὶ σέ λέγει κύριος

15 καὶ ἐπεποίθεις ἐν τῷ κάλλει σου καὶ ἐπόρνευσας ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου καὶ ἐξέχεας τὴν πορνείαν σου ἐπὶ πάντα πάροδον ὃ οὐκ ἔσται

16 καὶ ἔλαβες ἐκ τῶν ἱματίων σου καὶ ἐποίησας σεαυτῇ εἴδωλα ῥαπτὰ καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσας ἐπ' αὐτά καὶ οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃς οὐδὲ μὴ γένηται

17 καὶ ἔλαβες τὰ σκεύη τῆς καυχήσεώς σου ἐκ τοῦ χρυσίου μου καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἀργυρίου μου ἐξ ὧν ἔδωκά σοι καὶ ἐποίησας σεαυτῇ εἰκόνας ἀρσενικὰς καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσας ἐν αὐταῖς

18 καὶ ἔλαβες τὸν ἱματισμὸν τὸν ποικίλον σου καὶ περιέβαλες αὐτὰ καὶ τὸ ἔλαιόν μου καὶ τὸ θυμίαμά μου ἔθηκας πρὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν

19 καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους μου οὓς ἔδωκά σοι σεμίδαλιν καὶ ἔλαιον καὶ μέλι ἐψώμισά σε καὶ ἔθηκας αὐτὰ πρὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας καὶ ἐγένετο λέγει κύριος

20 καὶ ἔλαβες τοὺς υἱούς σου καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας σου ἃς ἐγέννησας καὶ ἔθυσας αὐτὰ αὐτοῖς εἰς ἀνάλωσιν ὡς μικρὰ ἐξεπόρνευσας

21 καὶ ἔσφαξας τὰ τέκνα σου καὶ ἔδωκας αὐτὰ ἐν τῷ ἀποτροπιάζεσθαί σε ἐν αὐτοῖς

22 τοῦτο παρὰ πᾶσαν τὴν πορνείαν σου καὶ οὐκ ἐμνήσθης τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς νηπιότητός σου ὅτε ἦσθα γυμνὴ καὶ ἀσχημονοῦσα καὶ πεφυρμένη ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου ἔζησας

23 καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ πάσας τὰς κακίας σου λέγει κύριος

24 καὶ ᾠκοδόμησας σεαυτῇ οἴκημα πορνικὸν καὶ ἐποίησας σεαυτῇ ἔκθεμα ἐν πάσῃ πλατείᾳ

25 καὶ ἐπ' ἀρχῆς πάσης ὁδοῦ ᾠκοδόμησας τὰ πορνεῖά σου καὶ ἐλυμήνω τὸ κάλλος σου καὶ διήγαγες τὰ σκέλη σου παντὶ παρόδῳ καὶ ἐπλήθυνας τὴν πορνείαν σου

26 καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσας ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αἰγύπτου τοὺς ὁμοροῦντάς σοι τοὺς μεγαλοσάρκους καὶ πολλαχῶς ἐξεπόρνευσας τοῦ παροργίσαι με

27 ἐὰν δὲ ἐκτείνω τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ σέ καὶ ἐξαρῶ τὰ νόμιμά σου καὶ παραδώσω σε εἰς ψυχὰς μισούντων σε θυγατέρας ἀλλοφύλων τὰς ἐκκλινούσας σε ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ σου ἧς ἠσέβησας

28 καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσας ἐπὶ τὰς θυγατέρας ασσουρ καὶ οὐδ' οὕτως ἐνεπλήσθης καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσας καὶ οὐκ ἐνεπίπλω

29 καὶ ἐπλήθυνας τὰς διαθήκας σου πρὸς γῆν χαλδαίων καὶ οὐδὲ ἐν τούτοις ἐνεπλήσθης

30 τί διαθῶ τὴν θυγατέρα σου λέγει κύριος ἐν τῷ ποιῆσαί σε ταῦτα πάντα ἔργα γυναικὸς πόρνης καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσας τρισσῶς

31 ἐν ταῖς θυγατράσιν σου τὸ πορνεῖόν σου ᾠκοδόμησας ἐπὶ πάσης ἀρχῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ τὴν βάσιν σου ἐποίησας ἐν πάσῃ πλατείᾳ καὶ ἐγένου ὡς πόρνη συνάγουσα μισθώματα

32 ἡ γυνὴ ἡ μοιχωμένη ὁμοία σοι παρὰ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς λαμβάνουσα μισθώματα

33 πᾶσι τοῖς ἐκπορνεύσασιν αὐτὴν προσεδίδου μισθώματα καὶ σὺ δέδωκας μισθώματα πᾶσι τοῖς ἐρασταῖς σου καὶ ἐφόρτιζες αὐτοὺς τοῦ ἔρχεσθαι πρὸς σὲ κυκλόθεν ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ σου

34 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν σοὶ διεστραμμένον παρὰ τὰς γυναῖκας ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ σου καὶ μετὰ σοῦ πεπορνεύκασιν ἐν τῷ προσδιδόναι σε μισθώματα καὶ σοὶ μισθώματα οὐκ ἐδόθη καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν σοὶ διεστραμμένα

35 διὰ τοῦτο πόρνη ἄκουε λόγον κυρίου

36 τάδε λέγει κύριος ἀνθ' ὧν ἐξέχεας τὸν χαλκόν σου καὶ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ἡ αἰσχύνη σου ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ σου πρὸς τοὺς ἐραστάς σου καὶ εἰς πάντα τὰ ἐνθυμήματα τῶν ἀνομιῶν σου καὶ ἐν τοῖς αἵμασιν τῶν τέκνων σου ὧν ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς

37 διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπὶ σὲ συνάγω πάντας τοὺς ἐραστάς σου ἐν οἷς ἐπεμίγης ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ πάντας οὓς ἠγάπησας σὺν πᾶσιν οἷς ἐμίσεις καὶ συνάξω αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ σὲ κυκλόθεν καὶ ἀποκαλύψω τὰς κακίας σου πρὸς αὐτούς καὶ ὄψονται πᾶσαν τὴν αἰσχύνην σου

38 καὶ ἐκδικήσω σε ἐκδικήσει μοιχαλίδος καὶ ἐκχεούσης αἷμα καὶ θήσω σε ἐν αἵματι θυμοῦ καὶ ζήλου

39 καὶ παραδώσω σε εἰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν καὶ κατασκάψουσιν τὸ πορνεῖόν σου καὶ καθελοῦσιν τὴν βάσιν σου καὶ ἐκδύσουσίν σε τὸν ἱματισμόν σου καὶ λήμψονται τὰ σκεύη τῆς καυχήσεώς σου καὶ ἀφήσουσίν σε γυμνὴν καὶ ἀσχημονοῦσαν

40 καὶ ἄξουσιν ἐπὶ σὲ ὄχλους καὶ λιθοβολήσουσίν σε ἐν λίθοις καὶ κατασφάξουσίν σε ἐν τοῖς ξίφεσιν αὐτῶν

41 καὶ ἐμπρήσουσιν τοὺς οἴκους σου πυρὶ καὶ ποιήσουσιν ἐν σοὶ ἐκδικήσεις ἐνώπιον γυναικῶν πολλῶν καὶ ἀποστρέψω σε ἐκ τῆς πορνείας σου καὶ μισθώματα οὐ μὴ δῷς οὐκέτι

42 καὶ ἐπαφήσω τὸν θυμόν μου ἐπὶ σέ καὶ ἐξαρθήσεται ὁ ζῆλός μου ἐκ σοῦ καὶ ἀναπαύσομαι καὶ οὐ μὴ μεριμνήσω οὐκέτι

43 ἀνθ' ὧν οὐκ ἐμνήσθης τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς νηπιότητός σου καὶ ἐλύπεις με ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις καὶ ἐγὼ ἰδοὺ τὰς ὁδούς σου εἰς κεφαλήν σου δέδωκα λέγει κύριος καὶ οὕτως ἐποίησας τὴν ἀσέβειαν ἐπὶ πάσαις ταῖς ἀνομίαις σου

44 ταῦτά ἐστιν πάντα ὅσα εἶπαν κατὰ σοῦ ἐν παραβολῇ λέγοντες καθὼς ἡ μήτηρ καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ

45 θυγάτηρ τῆς μητρός σου σὺ εἶ ἡ ἀπωσαμένη τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς καὶ ἀδελφὴ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου τῶν ἀπωσαμένων τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἡ μήτηρ ὑμῶν χετταία καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν αμορραῖος

46 ἡ ἀδελφὴ ὑμῶν ἡ πρεσβυτέρα σαμάρεια αὐτὴ καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες αὐτῆς ἡ κατοικοῦσα ἐξ εὐωνύμων σου καὶ ἡ ἀδελφή σου ἡ νεωτέρα σου ἡ κατοικοῦσα ἐκ δεξιῶν σου σοδομα καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες αὐτῆς

47 καὶ οὐδ' ὧς ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν ἐπορεύθης οὐδὲ κατὰ τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῶν ἐποίησας παρὰ μικρὸν καὶ ὑπέρκεισαι αὐτὰς ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς σου

48 ζῶ ἐγώ λέγει κύριος εἰ πεποίηκεν σοδομα ἡ ἀδελφή σου αὐτὴ καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες αὐτῆς ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησας σὺ καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες σου

49 πλὴν τοῦτο τὸ ἀνόμημα σοδομων τῆς ἀδελφῆς σου ὑπερηφανία ἐν πλησμονῇ ἄρτων καὶ ἐν εὐθηνίᾳ οἴνου ἐσπατάλων αὐτὴ καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες αὐτῆς τοῦτο ὑπῆρχεν αὐτῇ καὶ ταῖς θυγατράσιν αὐτῆς καὶ χεῖρα πτωχοῦ καὶ πένητος οὐκ ἀντελαμβάνοντο

50 καὶ ἐμεγαλαύχουν καὶ ἐποίησαν ἀνομήματα ἐνώπιόν μου καὶ ἐξῆρα αὐτάς καθὼς εἶδον

51 καὶ σαμάρεια κατὰ τὰς ἡμίσεις τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν σου οὐχ ἥμαρτεν καὶ ἐπλήθυνας τὰς ἀνομίας σου ὑπὲρ αὐτὰς καὶ ἐδικαίωσας τὰς ἀδελφάς σου ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἀνομίαις σου αἷς ἐποίησας

52 καὶ σὺ κόμισαι βάσανόν σου ἐν ᾗ ἔφθειρας τὰς ἀδελφάς σου ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις σου αἷς ἠνόμησας ὑπὲρ αὐτὰς καὶ ἐδικαίωσας αὐτὰς ὑπὲρ σεαυτήν καὶ σὺ αἰσχύνθητι καὶ λαβὲ τὴν ἀτιμίαν σου ἐν τῷ δικαιῶσαί σε τὰς ἀδελφάς σου

53 καὶ ἀποστρέψω τὰς ἀποστροφὰς αὐτῶν τὴν ἀποστροφὴν σοδομων καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων αὐτῆς καὶ ἀποστρέψω τὴν ἀποστροφὴν σαμαρείας καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων αὐτῆς καὶ ἀποστρέψω τὴν ἀποστροφήν σου ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν

54 ὅπως κομίσῃ τὴν βάσανόν σου καὶ ἀτιμωθήσῃ ἐκ πάντων ὧν ἐποίησας ἐν τῷ σε παροργίσαι με

55 καὶ ἡ ἀδελφή σου σοδομα καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες αὐτῆς ἀποκατασταθήσονται καθὼς ἦσαν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς καὶ σαμάρεια καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες αὐτῆς ἀποκατασταθήσονται καθὼς ἦσαν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς καὶ σὺ καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες σου ἀποκατασταθήσεσθε καθὼς ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἦτε

56 καὶ εἰ μὴ ἦν σοδομα ἡ ἀδελφή σου εἰς ἀκοὴν ἐν τῷ στόματί σου ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ὑπερηφανίας σου

57 πρὸ τοῦ ἀποκαλυφθῆναι τὰς κακίας σου ὃν τρόπον νῦν ὄνειδος εἶ θυγατέρων συρίας καὶ πάντων τῶν κύκλῳ αὐτῆς θυγατέρων ἀλλοφύλων τῶν περιεχουσῶν σε κύκλῳ

58 τὰς ἀσεβείας σου καὶ τὰς ἀνομίας σου σὺ κεκόμισαι αὐτάς λέγει κύριος

59 τάδε λέγει κύριος καὶ ποιήσω ἐν σοὶ καθὼς ἐποίησας ὡς ἠτίμωσας ταῦτα τοῦ παραβῆναι τὴν διαθήκην μου

60 καὶ μνησθήσομαι ἐγὼ τῆς διαθήκης μου τῆς μετὰ σοῦ ἐν ἡμέραις νηπιότητός σου καὶ ἀναστήσω σοι διαθήκην αἰώνιον

61 καὶ μνησθήσῃ τὴν ὁδόν σου καὶ ἐξατιμωθήσῃ ἐν τῷ ἀναλαβεῖν σε τὰς ἀδελφάς σου τὰς πρεσβυτέρας σου σὺν ταῖς νεωτέραις σου καὶ δώσω αὐτάς σοι εἰς οἰκοδομὴν καὶ οὐκ ἐκ διαθήκης σου

62 καὶ ἀναστήσω ἐγὼ τὴν διαθήκην μου μετὰ σοῦ καὶ ἐπιγνώσῃ ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος

63 ὅπως μνησθῇς καὶ αἰσχυνθῇς καὶ μὴ ᾖ σοι ἔτι ἀνοῖξαι τὸ στόμα σου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ἀτιμίας σου ἐν τῷ ἐξιλάσκεσθαί μέ σοι κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησας λέγει κύριος

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9127

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9127. 'There shall be no bloodguilt for him' means that he is not guilty of the violence done. This is clear from the meaning of 'blood' in the highest sense as Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, and in the internal sense springing from this as the truth of good, dealt with in 4735, 6378, 6978, 7317, 7326, 7846, 7850, 7877. Consequently 'shedding blood' means doing violence to God's truth or the truth of good, and also to good itself. For anyone who does violence to truth does it also to good, since truth is wedded so closely to good that one is never without the other. Therefore if violence is done to one it is also done to the other. From all this it is evident that 'there shall be no bloodguilt for him' means not being guilty of the violence done to truth or to good.

[2] A person who has no knowledge of the internal sense of the Word can only think that 'blood' in the Word means blood, and that 'shedding blood' simply means killing someone. But the internal sense does not deal with the life of a person's body, only with that of his soul, that is, with his spiritual life, which will go on living forever. This life is described in the Word, in the sense of the letter, by means of such things as constitute the life of the body, namely flesh and blood. And since a person's spiritual life springs from and is maintained by the good that belongs to charity and the truth that belongs to faith, the good belonging to charity is meant in the internal sense of the Word by 'flesh' and the truth belonging to faith by 'blood'. In an even more internal sense the good belonging to love to the Lord is meant by 'flesh' and the good belonging to love towards the neighbour by 'blood'. In the highest sense however, in which solely the Lord is the subject, 'flesh' is the Lord's Divine Good, thus the Lord Himself in respect of Divine Good, while 'blood' is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, thus the Lord in respect of Divine Truth. These things are understood in heaven by flesh and blood when a person reads the Word. And the same things are understood when the person attends the Holy Supper, though in this the bread is the flesh and the wine is the blood; for 'the bread' has exactly the same meaning as flesh and 'the wine' exactly the same meaning as blood.

[3] But those who think only on the level of the senses, as most people in the world do at the present day, do not understand any of this. Therefore let them keep to the faith they have, so long as they believe that the Holy Supper and the Word have a holiness within them because they come from God. Maybe they do not know where that holiness lies; even so, let those who are endowed with some inner degree of perception, that is, who can think on a level above the senses, consider whether 'blood' is used to mean blood and 'flesh' to mean flesh in Ezekiel,

Son of man, thus said the Lord Jehovih, Say to every bird of the air, to every wild animal of the field, Assemble and come, gather yourselves from all around to My sacrifice which I am sacrificing for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, so that you may eat flesh and drink blood. You will eat the flesh of the mighty, and [drink] the blood of the princes of the earth. And you will drink blood till you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I will sacrifice for you. You will be glutted at My table with horse and chariot, and with the mighty, and with every man of war. Thus will I set My glory among the nations. Ezekiel 39:17-21.

Also in John, in Revelation,

I saw an angel standing in the sun, who called out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in the middle of heaven, Gather yourselves together to the supper of the great God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and those seated on them, and the flesh of all, free men and slaves, small and great. Revelation 19:17-18.

It is obvious that in these places 'flesh' is not used to mean flesh or 'blood' to mean blood.

The same applies then to the Lord's 'flesh' and 'blood' in John,

The bread which I shall give is My flesh. Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you will have no life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. This is the bread which came down from heaven. John 6:50-58.

The Lord's flesh is the Divine Good of His Divine Love, and His blood is Divine Truth emanating from His Divine Good. This may be recognized from the consideration that they are the food which nourishes a person's spiritual life.

[4] This explains why He goes on to say, 'My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink', and also, 'This is the bread which came down from heaven'. And since a person is joined to the Lord through love and faith, He also says, 'He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him'. But as stated above, this matter can be understood only by those who are able to think on a level above the bodily senses, in particular by those who believe in and love the Lord, because the Lord raises them from the life of their bodily senses up to the life of their spirit. That is, He raises them from the light of the world into the light of heaven, the light in which conceptions of things that are material, that is, impressions in the mind that are acquired by the body fade from view.

[5] Anyone therefore who knows that 'blood' means God's truth coming from the Lord can also see that 'shedding blood' in the Word does not mean killing or taking a person's physical life but killing or taking the life of his soul, that is, destroying his spiritual life, which consists of faith in and love to the Lord. When 'blood' is used to refer to blood shed unlawfully it means God's truth destroyed by falsities arising from evil, as is evident in the following places: In Isaiah,

When the Lord will have washed the excrement of the daughters of Zion and washed away the blood 1 of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgement and by a spirit of purging ... Isaiah 4:4.

In the same prophet,

Your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. Isaiah 59:3, 7.

In Jeremiah,

Yes, in your skirts the blood of poor innocent souls is found. Jeremiah 2:34.

In the same prophet,

... for the sins of the prophets, the iniquities of the priests who shed in the midst of Jerusalem the blood of the righteous. They went astray blind in the streets, they are defiled with blood. Things which have no power they touch with their garments. Lamentations 4:13-14.

In Ezekiel,

I passed by you and saw you weltering in your blood, 1 and I said, Live in your blood; 1 I indeed said to you, Live in your blood. 1 I washed you with water and washed away your blood 1 from upon you, and anointed you with oil. Ezekiel 16:6, 9.

In the same prophet,

You, son of man, will you dispute with the city of blood? 1 Declare to her all her abominations. By your blood which you have shed you have become guilty, and by the idols which you have made you are defiled. Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power, 2 have been among you and have shed blood. Men of intrigue have been among you, [ready] to shed blood, and among you have eaten on the mountains. Ezekiel 22:2-4, 6, 9.

In Joel,

I will give portents in heaven and on earth, blood and fire, and a column of smoke. The sun will be turned into thick darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day [of Jehovah] comes. Joel 2:30-31.

And in John,

The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became like blood. Revelation 6:12.

In the same book,

The second angel sounded, and so to speak a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third part of the sea became blood. Revelation 8:8.

In the same book,

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of one dead, from which every living soul died in the sea. The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and into the fountains of water, and blood was made. Revelation 16:3-4.

[6] In these places 'blood' is not used to mean the life-blood of the human body when it has been shed, but the blood of spiritual life, which is God's truth, when violence has been done to it by falsity arising from evil. 'Blood' has a similar meaning in Matthew,

On you will come the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel even to the blood of Zechariah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. Matthew 23:35.

These words mean that from earliest times down to the present the Jews had been doing violence to the truths of the Word, to such an extent that they were unwilling to accept any inner, heavenly truth at all. Therefore they did not accept the Lord either. The shedding of His blood by them was a sign of their total rejection of God's truth; for the Lord was Divine Truth itself, which is the Word made flesh, John 1:1, 14. Their total rejection of God's truth that came from the Lord and was the Lord is meant by the following in Matthew,

Pilate washed his hands before the people, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person; you yourselves see [to it]. And answering, all the people said, His blood be on us and on our children. Matthew 27:24-25.

This accounts for the following incident described in John,

One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. He who has seen has testified, and the testimony is true; and he knows that he is saying things that are true, so that you may believe. John 19:34-35.

The reason why water also came out is that 'water' means God's truth in its outward form, the kind of truth that the letter consists of. For the meaning of 'water' as truth, see 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8568.

[7] All this also shows what is meant by being made pure by the Lord's blood, namely accepting the truth of faith from Him, 7918, 9088. Thus it also shows what is meant by the following in John, in Revelation,

They conquered the dragon by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their 3 testimony. Revelation 12:11.

'The blood of the Lamb' is Divine Truth that comes from the Lord, as also is 'the word of their testimony'. 'The blood of the lamb' is innocent blood, for 'a lamb' means innocence, 3519, 3994, 7840. God's truth emanating from the Lord in heaven has innocence at the centre of it; for none other than those possessing innocence have any feeling for it, 2526, 2780, 3111, 3183, 3495, 3994, 4797, 6013, 6107, 6765, 7836 (end), 7840, 7877, 7902.

Footnotes:

1. literally, bloods

2. literally, arm

3. The Latin means His but the Greek means their, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.

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

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