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Ezekiel 44

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1 καὶ ἐπέστρεψέν με κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς πύλης τῶν ἁγίων τῆς ἐξωτέρας τῆς βλεπούσης κατ' ἀνατολάς καὶ αὕτη ἦν κεκλεισμένη

2 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρός με ἡ πύλη αὕτη κεκλεισμένη ἔσται οὐκ ἀνοιχθήσεται καὶ οὐδεὶς μὴ διέλθῃ δι' αὐτῆς ὅτι κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ ισραηλ εἰσελεύσεται δι' αὐτῆς καὶ ἔσται κεκλεισμένη

3 διότι ὁ ἡγούμενος οὗτος καθήσεται ἐν αὐτῇ τοῦ φαγεῖν ἄρτον ἐναντίον κυρίου κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν αιλαμ τῆς πύλης εἰσελεύσεται καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἐξελεύσεται

4 καὶ εἰσήγαγέν με κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς πύλης τῆς πρὸς βορρᾶν κατέναντι τοῦ οἴκου καὶ εἶδον καὶ ἰδοὺ πλήρης δόξης ὁ οἶκος κυρίου καὶ πίπτω ἐπὶ πρόσωπόν μου

5 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρός με υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου τάξον εἰς τὴν καρδίαν σου καὶ ἰδὲ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ τοῖς ὠσίν σου ἄκουε πάντα ὅσα ἐγὼ λαλῶ μετὰ σοῦ κατὰ πάντα τὰ προστάγματα οἴκου κυρίου καὶ κατὰ πάντα τὰ νόμιμα αὐτοῦ καὶ τάξεις τὴν καρδίαν σου εἰς τὴν εἴσοδον τοῦ οἴκου κατὰ πάσας τὰς ἐξόδους αὐτοῦ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἁγίοις

6 καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς τὸν οἶκον τὸν παραπικραίνοντα πρὸς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ισραηλ τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός ἱκανούσθω ὑμῖν ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν ὑμῶν οἶκος ισραηλ

7 τοῦ εἰσαγαγεῖν ὑμᾶς υἱοὺς ἀλλογενεῖς ἀπεριτμήτους καρδίᾳ καὶ ἀπεριτμήτους σαρκὶ τοῦ γίνεσθαι ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις μου καὶ ἐβεβήλουν αὐτὰ ἐν τῷ προσφέρειν ὑμᾶς ἄρτους στέαρ καὶ αἷμα καὶ παρεβαίνετε τὴν διαθήκην μου ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἀνομίαις ὑμῶν

8 καὶ διετάξατε τοῦ φυλάσσειν φυλακὰς ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις μου

9 διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός πᾶς υἱὸς ἀλλογενὴς ἀπερίτμητος καρδίᾳ καὶ ἀπερίτμητος σαρκὶ οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὰ ἅγιά μου ἐν πᾶσιν υἱοῖς ἀλλογενῶν τῶν ὄντων ἐν μέσῳ οἴκου ισραηλ

10 ἀλλ' ἢ οἱ λευῖται οἵτινες ἀφήλαντο ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ἐν τῷ πλανᾶσθαι τὸν ισραηλ ἀπ' ἐμοῦ κατόπισθεν τῶν ἐνθυμημάτων αὐτῶν καὶ λήμψονται ἀδικίαν αὐτῶν

11 καὶ ἔσονται ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις μου λειτουργοῦντες θυρωροὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ οἴκου καὶ λειτουργοῦντες τῷ οἴκῳ οὗτοι σφάξουσιν τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ τὰς θυσίας τῷ λαῷ καὶ οὗτοι στήσονται ἐναντίον τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ λειτουργεῖν αὐτοῖς

12 ἀνθ' ὧν ἐλειτούργουν αὐτοῖς πρὸ προσώπου τῶν εἰδώλων αὐτῶν καὶ ἐγένετο τῷ οἴκῳ ισραηλ εἰς κόλασιν ἀδικίας ἕνεκα τούτου ἦρα τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπ' αὐτούς λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός

13 καὶ οὐκ ἐγγιοῦσι πρός με τοῦ ἱερατεύειν μοι οὐδὲ τοῦ προσάγειν πρὸς τὰ ἅγια υἱῶν τοῦ ισραηλ οὐδὲ πρὸς τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων μου καὶ λήμψονται ἀτιμίαν αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ πλανήσει ᾗ ἐπλανήθησαν

14 καὶ κατατάξουσιν αὐτοὺς φυλάσσειν φυλακὰς τοῦ οἴκου εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς πάντα ὅσα ἂν ποιήσωσιν

15 οἱ ἱερεῖς οἱ λευῖται οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ σαδδουκ οἵτινες ἐφυλάξαντο τὰς φυλακὰς τῶν ἁγίων μου ἐν τῷ πλανᾶσθαι οἶκον ισραηλ ἀπ' ἐμοῦ οὗτοι προσάξουσιν πρός με τοῦ λειτουργεῖν μοι καὶ στήσονται πρὸ προσώπου μου τοῦ προσφέρειν μοι θυσίαν στέαρ καὶ αἷμα λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός

16 οὗτοι εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὰ ἅγιά μου καὶ οὗτοι προσελεύσονται πρὸς τὴν τράπεζάν μου τοῦ λειτουργεῖν μοι καὶ φυλάξουσιν τὰς φυλακάς μου

17 καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ εἰσπορεύεσθαι αὐτοὺς τὰς πύλας τῆς αὐλῆς τῆς ἐσωτέρας στολὰς λινᾶς ἐνδύσονται καὶ οὐκ ἐνδύσονται ἐρεᾶ ἐν τῷ λειτουργεῖν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς πύλης τῆς ἐσωτέρας αὐλῆς

18 καὶ κιδάρεις λινᾶς ἕξουσιν ἐπὶ ταῖς κεφαλαῖς αὐτῶν καὶ περισκελῆ λινᾶ ἕξουσιν ἐπὶ τὰς ὀσφύας αὐτῶν καὶ οὐ περιζώσονται βίᾳ

19 καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐκπορεύεσθαι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἐξωτέραν πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ἐκδύσονται τὰς στολὰς αὐτῶν ἐν αἷς αὐτοὶ λειτουργοῦσιν ἐν αὐταῖς καὶ θήσουσιν αὐτὰς ἐν ταῖς ἐξέδραις τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἐνδύσονται στολὰς ἑτέρας καὶ οὐ μὴ ἁγιάσωσιν τὸν λαὸν ἐν ταῖς στολαῖς αὐτῶν

20 καὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν οὐ ξυρήσονται καὶ τὰς κόμας αὐτῶν οὐ ψιλώσουσιν καλύπτοντες καλύψουσιν τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν

21 καὶ οἶνον οὐ μὴ πίωσιν πᾶς ἱερεὺς ἐν τῷ εἰσπορεύεσθαι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἐσωτέραν

22 καὶ χήραν καὶ ἐκβεβλημένην οὐ λήμψονται ἑαυτοῖς εἰς γυναῖκα ἀλλ' ἢ παρθένον ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος ισραηλ καὶ χήρα ἐὰν γένηται ἐξ ἱερέως λήμψονται

23 καὶ τὸν λαόν μου διδάξουσιν ἀνὰ μέσον ἁγίου καὶ βεβήλου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον ἀκαθάρτου καὶ καθαροῦ γνωριοῦσιν αὐτοῖς

24 καὶ ἐπὶ κρίσιν αἵματος οὗτοι ἐπιστήσονται τοῦ διακρίνειν τὰ δικαιώματά μου δικαιώσουσιν καὶ τὰ κρίματά μου κρινοῦσιν καὶ τὰ νόμιμά μου καὶ τὰ προστάγματά μου ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἑορταῖς μου φυλάξονται καὶ τὰ σάββατά μου ἁγιάσουσιν

25 καὶ ἐπὶ ψυχὴν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ εἰσελεύσονται τοῦ μιανθῆναι ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ πατρὶ καὶ ἐπὶ μητρὶ καὶ ἐπὶ υἱῷ καὶ ἐπὶ θυγατρὶ καὶ ἐπὶ ἀδελφῷ καὶ ἐπὶ ἀδελφῇ αὐτοῦ ἣ οὐ γέγονεν ἀνδρί μιανθήσεται

26 καὶ μετὰ τὸ καθαρισθῆναι αὐτὸν ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἐξαριθμήσει αὐτῷ

27 καὶ ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ εἰσπορεύωνται εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἐσωτέραν τοῦ λειτουργεῖν ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ προσοίσουσιν ἱλασμόν λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός

28 καὶ ἔσται αὐτοῖς εἰς κληρονομίαν ἐγὼ κληρονομία αὐτοῖς καὶ κατάσχεσις αὐτοῖς οὐ δοθήσεται ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς ισραηλ ὅτι ἐγὼ κατάσχεσις αὐτῶν

29 καὶ τὰς θυσίας καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ ἀγνοίας οὗτοι φάγονται καὶ πᾶν ἀφόρισμα ἐν τῷ ισραηλ αὐτοῖς ἔσται

30 ἀπαρχαὶ πάντων καὶ τὰ πρωτότοκα πάντων καὶ τὰ ἀφαιρέματα πάντα ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἀπαρχῶν ὑμῶν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἔσται καὶ τὰ πρωτογενήματα ὑμῶν δώσετε τῷ ἱερεῖ τοῦ θεῖναι εὐλογίας ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς οἴκους ὑμῶν

31 καὶ πᾶν θνησιμαῖον καὶ θηριάλωτον ἐκ τῶν πετεινῶν καὶ ἐκ τῶν κτηνῶν οὐ φάγονται οἱ ἱερεῖς

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #631

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631. Because it is given to the nations.- That this signifies because it is perverted by evils of life and falsities of doctrine, is evident from the signification of nations as denoting those who are in evils as to life, and thence in falsities as to doctrine, and, in the abstract sense, evils of life and falsities of doctrine. That evils and falsities are signified by nations, may be seen above (n. 175:3, 331, 625). The reason why the external of the Word and thence of the church and worship is perverted by evils of life and falsities of doctrine, is, that the external of the Word, called the sense of its letter, is written according to appearances in the world, because it is for children and the simple minded. These have no perception of any thing that is contrary to appearances, therefore by means of the sense of the letter, in which are appearances of truth, they are introduced into interior truths, as they advance in age, and thus appearances are put off by degrees, and interior truths are implanted in their place. This may be illustrated by examples without number. As for instance, we pray that God may not lead us into temptations; this is said because it appears as though God thus leads, although He leads no one into temptations; also it is said that God is angry, punishes, casts into hell, brings evil upon the wicked, and many other things of a similar nature, when yet God is never angry, never punishes or casts into hell, neither does He at all do evil to any one; but a wicked man brings these things upon himself; for in evils themselves are contained the evils of punishment.

These things are thus said in many passages in the Word, because the appearance is such. Take as another example, that no one should call his father, Father; nor his master, Master (Matthew 23:8-10), although they must be so called. But it is so stated because by Father is meant the Lord, who creates and begets us anew, and because He alone teaches and instructs; therefore when a man is in a spiritual idea, he will then think of the Lord alone as the Father and Master; but the case is otherwise when a man is in a natural idea. Moreover, in the spiritual world or in heaven, no one knows any other father, teacher, or master, but the Lord, because spiritual life is from Him; the case is the same in other instances.

[2] From these considerations it is evident that the external of the Word, and thence the external of the church and of worship, consists of apparent truths, therefore those who are in evils of life apply it to favour their own loves, and the principles arising from them. It is therefore said, that the court, by which the external of the Word also is signified, "is given to the nations," and afterwards, that "they shall tread the holy city under foot." This comes to pass at the end of the church, when men are so far worldly, natural, and corporeal, that interior truths, called spiritual truths, cannot be at all seen, so it follows that they then entirely pervert the external of the Word which is the sense of its letter. Such a perversion of the sense of the letter of the Word took place also with the Jews at the end of the church with them; this is meant in the spiritual sense by the soldiers dividing the garments of the Lord, but not the coat (tunica, chiton [transliterated Greek]); this signifies that those who were of the church perverted all things of the Word as to the sense of its letter, but not the Word as to the spiritual sense, for they had no knowledge of this. A fuller explanation of this is given above (n. 64). The case is similar in the church at this day, because it is at its end; for at this day the Word is not explained according to spiritual truths, but according to the appearances of the sense of the letter, which are not only applied to confirm evils of life, but also falsities of doctrine; and because interior or spiritual truths are neither known nor received, it follows that the sense of the letter of the Word is perverted by evils of the will and thence falsities of the thought. This therefore is the signification of the court being given to the nations.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Ezekiel 10:5

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5 The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.