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Ezekiel 40

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1 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ πέμπτῳ καὶ εἰκοστῷ ἔτει τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ μηνὶ δεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς ἐν τῷ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει μετὰ τὸ ἁλῶναι τὴν πόλιν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐγένετο ἐπ' ἐμὲ χεὶρ κυρίου καὶ ἤγαγέν με

2 ἐν ὁράσει θεοῦ εἰς τὴν γῆν τοῦ ισραηλ καὶ ἔθηκέν με ἐπ' ὄρους ὑψηλοῦ σφόδρα καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ οἰκοδομὴ πόλεως ἀπέναντι

3 καὶ εἰσήγαγέν με ἐκεῖ καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνήρ καὶ ἡ ὅρασις αὐτοῦ ἦν ὡσεὶ ὅρασις χαλκοῦ στίλβοντος καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ ἦν σπαρτίον οἰκοδόμων καὶ κάλαμος μέτρου καὶ αὐτὸς εἱστήκει ἐπὶ τῆς πύλης

4 καὶ εἶπεν πρός με ὁ ἀνήρ ἑώρακας υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου ἰδὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὠσίν σου ἄκουε καὶ τάξον εἰς τὴν καρδίαν σου πάντα ὅσα ἐγὼ δεικνύω σοι διότι ἕνεκα τοῦ δεῖξαί σοι εἰσελήλυθας ὧδε καὶ δείξεις πάντα ὅσα σὺ ὁρᾷς τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ ισραηλ

5 καὶ ἰδοὺ περίβολος ἔξωθεν τοῦ οἴκου κύκλῳ καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς κάλαμος τὸ μέτρον πηχῶν ἓξ ἐν πήχει καὶ παλαιστῆς καὶ διεμέτρησεν τὸ προτείχισμα πλάτος ἴσον τῷ καλάμῳ καὶ τὸ ὕψος αὐτοῦ ἴσον τῷ καλάμῳ

6 καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν πύλην τὴν βλέπουσαν κατὰ ἀνατολὰς ἐν ἑπτὰ ἀναβαθμοῖς καὶ διεμέτρησεν τὸ αιλαμ τῆς πύλης ἴσον τῷ καλάμῳ

7 καὶ τὸ θεε ἴσον τῷ καλάμῳ τὸ μῆκος καὶ ἴσον τῷ καλάμῳ τὸ πλάτος καὶ τὸ αιλαμ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ θαιηλαθα πηχῶν ἓξ καὶ τὸ θεε τὸ δεύτερον ἴσον τῷ καλάμῳ τὸ πλάτος καὶ ἴσον τῷ καλάμῳ τὸ μῆκος καὶ τὸ αιλαμ πήχεων πέντε

8 καὶ τὸ θεε τὸ τρίτον ἴσον τῷ καλάμῳ τὸ πλάτος καὶ ἴσον τῷ καλάμῳ τὸ μῆκος

9 καὶ τὸ αιλαμ τοῦ πυλῶνος πλησίον τοῦ αιλαμ τῆς πύλης πηχῶν ὀκτὼ καὶ τὰ αιλευ πηχῶν δύο καὶ τὸ αιλαμ τῆς πύλης ἔσωθεν

10 καὶ τὰ θεε τῆς πύλης θεε κατέναντι τρεῖς ἔνθεν καὶ τρεῖς ἔνθεν καὶ μέτρον ἓν τοῖς τρισὶν καὶ μέτρον ἓν τοῖς αιλαμ ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν

11 καὶ διεμέτρησεν τὸ πλάτος τῆς θύρας τοῦ πυλῶνος πηχῶν δέκα καὶ τὸ εὖρος τοῦ πυλῶνος πηχῶν δέκα τριῶν

12 καὶ πῆχυς ἐπισυναγόμενος ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τῶν θεϊμ ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν καὶ τὸ θεε πηχῶν ἓξ ἔνθεν καὶ πηχῶν ἓξ ἔνθεν

13 καὶ διεμέτρησεν τὴν πύλην ἀπὸ τοῦ τοίχου τοῦ θεε ἐπὶ τὸν τοῖχον τοῦ θεε πλάτος πήχεις εἴκοσι πέντε αὕτη πύλη ἐπὶ πύλην

14 καὶ τὸ αἴθριον τοῦ αιλαμ τῆς πύλης ἑξήκοντα πήχεις εἴκοσι θεϊμ τῆς πύλης κύκλῳ

15 καὶ τὸ αἴθριον τῆς πύλης ἔξωθεν εἰς τὸ αἴθριον αιλαμ τῆς πύλης ἔσωθεν πηχῶν πεντήκοντα

16 καὶ θυρίδες κρυπταὶ ἐπὶ τὰ θεϊμ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ αιλαμ ἔσωθεν τῆς πύλης τῆς αὐλῆς κυκλόθεν καὶ ὡσαύτως τοῖς αιλαμ θυρίδες κύκλῳ ἔσωθεν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ αιλαμ φοίνικες ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν

17 καὶ εἰσήγαγέν με εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἐσωτέραν καὶ ἰδοὺ παστοφόρια καὶ περίστυλα κύκλῳ τῆς αὐλῆς τριάκοντα παστοφόρια ἐν τοῖς περιστύλοις

18 καὶ αἱ στοαὶ κατὰ νώτου τῶν πυλῶν κατὰ τὸ μῆκος τῶν πυλῶν τὸ περίστυλον τὸ ὑποκάτω

19 καὶ διεμέτρησεν τὸ πλάτος τῆς αὐλῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰθρίου τῆς πύλης τῆς ἐξωτέρας ἔσωθεν ἐπὶ τὸ αἴθριον τῆς πύλης τῆς βλεπούσης ἔξω πήχεις ἑκατόν τῆς βλεπούσης κατ' ἀνατολάς καὶ εἰσήγαγέν με ἐπὶ βορρᾶν

20 καὶ ἰδοὺ πύλη βλέπουσα πρὸς βορρᾶν τῇ αὐλῇ τῇ ἐξωτέρᾳ καὶ διεμέτρησεν αὐτήν τό τε μῆκος αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ πλάτος

21 καὶ τὰ θεε τρεῖς ἔνθεν καὶ τρεῖς ἔνθεν καὶ τὰ αιλευ καὶ τὰ αιλαμμω καὶ τοὺς φοίνικας αὐτῆς καὶ ἐγένετο κατὰ τὰ μέτρα τῆς πύλης τῆς βλεπούσης κατὰ ἀνατολὰς πηχῶν πεντήκοντα τὸ μῆκος αὐτῆς καὶ πηχῶν εἴκοσι πέντε τὸ εὖρος αὐτῆς

22 καὶ αἱ θυρίδες αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ αιλαμμω καὶ οἱ φοίνικες αὐτῆς καθὼς ἡ πύλη ἡ βλέπουσα κατὰ ἀνατολάς καὶ ἐν ἑπτὰ κλιμακτῆρσιν ἀνέβαινον ἐπ' αὐτήν καὶ τὰ αιλαμμω ἔσωθεν

23 καὶ πύλη τῇ αὐλῇ τῇ ἐσωτέρᾳ βλέπουσα ἐπὶ πύλην τοῦ βορρᾶ ὃν τρόπον τῆς πύλης τῆς βλεπούσης κατὰ ἀνατολάς καὶ διεμέτρησεν τὴν αὐλὴν ἀπὸ πύλης ἐπὶ πύλην πήχεις ἑκατόν

24 καὶ ἤγαγέν με κατὰ νότον καὶ ἰδοὺ πύλη βλέπουσα πρὸς νότον καὶ διεμέτρησεν αὐτὴν καὶ τὰ θεε καὶ τὰ αιλευ καὶ τὰ αιλαμμω κατὰ τὰ μέτρα ταῦτα

25 καὶ αἱ θυρίδες αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ αιλαμμω κυκλόθεν καθὼς αἱ θυρίδες τοῦ αιλαμ πηχῶν πεντήκοντα τὸ μῆκος αὐτῆς καὶ πηχῶν εἴκοσι πέντε τὸ εὖρος αὐτῆς

26 καὶ ἑπτὰ κλιμακτῆρες αὐτῇ καὶ αιλαμμω ἔσωθεν καὶ φοίνικες αὐτῇ εἷς ἔνθεν καὶ εἷς ἔνθεν ἐπὶ τὰ αιλευ

27 καὶ πύλη κατέναντι πύλης τῆς αὐλῆς τῆς ἐσωτέρας πρὸς νότον καὶ διεμέτρησεν τὴν αὐλὴν ἀπὸ πύλης ἐπὶ πύλην πήχεις ἑκατὸν τὸ εὖρος πρὸς νότον

28 καὶ εἰσήγαγέν με εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἐσωτέραν τῆς πύλης τῆς πρὸς νότον καὶ διεμέτρησεν τὴν πύλην κατὰ τὰ μέτρα ταῦτα

29 καὶ τὰ θεε καὶ τὰ αιλευ καὶ τὰ αιλαμμω κατὰ τὰ μέτρα ταῦτα καὶ θυρίδες αὐτῇ καὶ τῷ αιλαμμω κύκλῳ πήχεις πεντήκοντα τὸ μῆκος αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ εὖρος πήχεις εἴκοσι πέντε

31 καὶ αιλαμμω εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἐξωτέραν καὶ φοίνικες τῷ αιλευ καὶ ὀκτὼ κλιμακτῆρες

32 καὶ εἰσήγαγέν με εἰς τὴν πύλην τὴν βλέπουσαν κατὰ ἀνατολὰς καὶ διεμέτρησεν αὐτὴν κατὰ τὰ μέτρα ταῦτα

33 καὶ τὰ θεε καὶ τὰ αιλευ καὶ τὰ αιλαμμω κατὰ τὰ μέτρα ταῦτα καὶ θυρίδες αὐτῇ καὶ τῷ αιλαμμω κύκλῳ πήχεις πεντήκοντα μῆκος αὐτῆς καὶ εὖρος πήχεις εἴκοσι πέντε

34 καὶ αιλαμμω εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἐσωτέραν καὶ φοίνικες ἐπὶ τοῦ αιλευ ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν καὶ ὀκτὼ κλιμακτῆρες αὐτῇ

35 καὶ εἰσήγαγέν με εἰς τὴν πύλην τὴν πρὸς βορρᾶν καὶ διεμέτρησεν κατὰ τὰ μέτρα ταῦτα

36 καὶ τὰ θεε καὶ τὰ αιλευ καὶ τὰ αιλαμμω καὶ θυρίδες αὐτῇ κύκλῳ καὶ τῷ αιλαμμω αὐτῆς πήχεις πεντήκοντα μῆκος αὐτῆς καὶ εὖρος πήχεις εἴκοσι πέντε

37 καὶ τὰ αιλαμμω εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἐξωτέραν καὶ φοίνικες τῷ αιλευ ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν καὶ ὀκτὼ κλιμακτῆρες αὐτῇ

38 τὰ παστοφόρια αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ θυρώματα αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ αιλαμμω αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τῆς πύλης

39 τῆς δευτέρας ἔκρυσις ὅπως σφάζωσιν ἐν αὐτῇ τὰ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας καὶ ὑπὲρ ἀγνοίας

40 καὶ κατὰ νώτου τοῦ ῥόακος τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων τῆς βλεπούσης πρὸς βορρᾶν δύο τράπεζαι πρὸς ἀνατολὰς καὶ κατὰ νώτου τῆς δευτέρας καὶ τοῦ αιλαμ τῆς πύλης δύο τράπεζαι κατὰ ἀνατολάς

41 τέσσαρες ἔνθεν καὶ τέσσαρες ἔνθεν κατὰ νώτου τῆς πύλης ἐπ' αὐτὰς σφάξουσι τὰ θύματα κατέναντι τῶν ὀκτὼ τραπεζῶν τῶν θυμάτων

42 καὶ τέσσαρες τράπεζαι τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων λίθιναι λελαξευμέναι πήχεος καὶ ἡμίσους τὸ πλάτος καὶ πήχεων δύο καὶ ἡμίσους τὸ μῆκος καὶ ἐπὶ πῆχυν τὸ ὕψος ἐπ' αὐτὰς ἐπιθήσουσιν τὰ σκεύη ἐν οἷς σφάζουσιν ἐκεῖ τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ τὰ θύματα

43 καὶ παλαιστὴν ἕξουσιν γεῖσος λελαξευμένον ἔσωθεν κύκλῳ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς τραπέζας ἐπάνωθεν στέγας τοῦ καλύπτεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ ὑετοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ξηρασίας

44 καὶ εἰσήγαγέν με εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἐσωτέραν καὶ ἰδοὺ δύο ἐξέδραι ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τῇ ἐσωτέρᾳ μία κατὰ νώτου τῆς πύλης τῆς βλεπούσης πρὸς βορρᾶν φέρουσα πρὸς νότον καὶ μία κατὰ νώτου τῆς πύλης τῆς πρὸς νότον βλεπούσης δὲ πρὸς βορρᾶν

45 καὶ εἶπεν πρός με ἡ ἐξέδρα αὕτη ἡ βλέπουσα πρὸς νότον τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τοῖς φυλάσσουσι τὴν φυλακὴν τοῦ οἴκου

46 καὶ ἡ ἐξέδρα ἡ βλέπουσα πρὸς βορρᾶν τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τοῖς φυλάσσουσι τὴν φυλακὴν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἐκεῖνοί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοὶ σαδδουκ οἱ ἐγγίζοντες ἐκ τοῦ λευι πρὸς κύριον λειτουργεῖν αὐτῷ

47 καὶ διεμέτρησεν τὴν αὐλὴν μῆκος πήχεων ἑκατὸν καὶ εὖρος πήχεων ἑκατὸν ἐπὶ τὰ τέσσαρα μέρη αὐτῆς καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἀπέναντι τοῦ οἴκου

48 καὶ εἰσήγαγέν με εἰς τὸ αιλαμ τοῦ οἴκου καὶ διεμέτρησεν τὸ αιλ τοῦ αιλαμ πηχῶν πέντε τὸ πλάτος ἔνθεν καὶ πηχῶν πέντε ἔνθεν καὶ τὸ εὖρος τοῦ θυρώματος πηχῶν δέκα τεσσάρων καὶ ἐπωμίδες τῆς θύρας τοῦ αιλαμ πηχῶν τριῶν ἔνθεν καὶ πηχῶν τριῶν ἔνθεν

49 καὶ τὸ μῆκος τοῦ αιλαμ πηχῶν εἴκοσι καὶ τὸ εὖρος πηχῶν δώδεκα καὶ ἐπὶ δέκα ἀναβαθμῶν ἀνέβαινον ἐπ' αὐτό καὶ στῦλοι ἦσαν ἐπὶ τὸ αιλαμ εἷς ἔνθεν καὶ εἷς ἔνθεν

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #775

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775. "Every vessel of precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble." This symbolically means that these Roman Catholics no longer have these because they do not have any knowledge of the goods and truths in ecclesiastical affairs to which such things correspond.

This statement is similar to the ones explained in nos. 772, 773, and 774 above. The difference is that the valuables here are various forms of knowledge, which are the lowest ones in a person's natural mind. And because they differ in character owing to the essence that lies within them, they are called vessels of precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble. For vessels symbolize forms of knowledge, here forms of knowledge in ecclesiastical affairs. Because various forms of knowledge are the containing vessels of goodness and truth, they are like vessels containing oil or wine.

Forms of knowledge are also found in great variety, and their recipient vessel is the memory. They are of great variety because they contain the interior elements of a person. They are also introduced into the memory either by intellectual deliberation or by hearing or reading them, according to the varying perception then of the rational mind. All of these things are present in forms of knowledge, as is apparent when they are reproduced, which is the case when a person speaks or thinks.

[2] But we will briefly say what vessels of precious wood, bronze, iron and marble symbolize. A vessel of precious wood symbolizes something known as the result of rational goodness and truth. A vessel of bronze symbolizes something known as the result of natural goodness. A vessel of iron symbolizes something known as the result of natural truth. And a vessel of marble symbolizes something known as the result of an appearance of goodness and truth.

That wood symbolizes goodness may be seen just above in no. 774. That precious wood here symbolizes both rational goodness and rational truth is due to the fact that wood symbolizes goodness, and preciousness is predicated of truth. For one variety of goodness is symbolized by the wood of the olive tree, another by the wood of the cedar, of the fig tree, of the fir tree, of the poplar and of the oak.

A vessel of bronze and iron symbolizes something known as the result of natural goodness and truth, because all metals, such as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead, in the Word symbolize goods and truths. They symbolize because they correspond, and because they correspond they are also found in heaven. For everything in heaven is a correspondent form.

[3] However, this is not the place to confirm from the Word what each kind of metal symbolizes owing to its correspondence. We will cite only some passages to confirm that bronze symbolizes natural goodness, and iron, therefore, natural truth, as can be seen from the following: That the feet of the Son of Man looked like bronze, as though fired in a furnace (Revelation 1:15). That Daniel saw a man whose feet were like the gleam of burnished bronze (Daniel 10:5-6).

That the feet of cherubim were seen sparking as with the gleam of burnished bronze (Ezekiel 1:7). (Feet symbolize something natural, as may be seen in nos. 49, 468, 470, 510.) That an angel appears whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze (Ezekiel 40:3). And that the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw was as to its head golden, as to its breast and arms silver, as to its belly and sides bronze, and as to its legs iron (Daniel 2:32-33). The statue represented the successive states of the church which the ancients called the golden age, silver age, bronze age, and iron age.

Since bronze symbolizes something natural, and the Israelite people were purely natural, therefore the Lord's natural humanity was represented by the bronze serpent, which people bitten by serpents had only to look at to be cured (Numbers 21:6, 8-9).

That bronze symbolizes natural goodness may also be seen in Isaiah 60:17, Jeremiah 15:20-21, Ezekiel 27:13, Deuteronomy 8:7, 9, 33:24-25

  
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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.