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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

 

Arcana Coelestia #9668

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9668. 'And you shall set up the dwelling-place according to the plan which you saw on the mountain' means in the four quarters, according to the states of good and of the truth springing from it in the heaven that is represented. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dwelling-place' as a representative of heaven, dealt with in 9594; and from the meaning of 'according to the plan which you saw on the mountain' as to the four quarters according to the states of good and of the truth springing from it in heaven. This is what 'the plan according to which the dwelling-place was to be set up' serves to mean, Mount Sinai where it was seen being heaven, see 9420. From the description that is given it is evident that the dwelling-place was positioned lengthways from east to west, and that the entrance was at the east end and the ark at the west. The sides therefore were to the south and to the north. The eastern quarter of the dwelling-place represented the state of good on the rise, the western quarter the state of good on the decline, the southern quarter the state of truth dwelling in light, and the northern quarter the state of truth dwelling in shade.

[2] The entrance was towards the eastern quarter because the Lord enters heaven by way of the good of love, as also becomes clear in Ezekiel, where the new temple is the subject and the following words occur,

He brought me to the gate which was facing towards the east, and behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. And the glory of Jehovah entered the house by the way of the gate, the face of which is towards the east; and the glory of Jehovah filled the house. Ezekiel 43:1-6.

And after this,

Jehovah said to me, The gate facing east shall be shut and not opened, and no man (vir) shall enter by it; but Jehovah, the God of Israel, will enter by it. Ezekiel 44:1-2.

From these words it is plainly evident that the Lord alone enters heaven by way of the good of love, and that the good of love from the Lord fills heaven and composes it. 'The east' means the Lord in respect of the good of love because the Lord is the Sun of heaven, 3636, 3643, 7078, 7083, 7171, 8644, 8812. But in heaven things are positioned in such a way that the east is where the Lord appears as the Sun, straight before the right eye, 4321 (end), 7078, 7171. From there towards the west, thus in a direct line from the east and towards the west, are those with whom the good of love is present; but to the south are those dwelling in the light of truth, and to the north those in the shade of truth. All who are in heaven look towards the Lord, for to look frontwards there is to look towards Him. No one there can look backwards away from Him, no matter how far they turn themselves about, see 4321 (end). But this is an arcanum which the natural man cannot take in. These are the kinds of things that were represented by the plan seen by Moses on the mountain, according to which the dwelling-place was to be set up.

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