The Bible

 

Ezekiel 47

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1 καὶ εἰσήγαγέν με ἐπὶ τὰ πρόθυρα τοῦ οἴκου καὶ ἰδοὺ ὕδωρ ἐξεπορεύετο ὑποκάτωθεν τοῦ αἰθρίου κατ' ἀνατολάς ὅτι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ οἴκου ἔβλεπεν κατ' ἀνατολάς καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ κατέβαινεν ἀπὸ τοῦ κλίτους τοῦ δεξιοῦ ἀπὸ νότου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον

2 καὶ ἐξήγαγέν με κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς πύλης τῆς πρὸς βορρᾶν καὶ περιήγαγέν με τὴν ὁδὸν ἔξωθεν πρὸς τὴν πύλην τῆς αὐλῆς τῆς βλεπούσης κατ' ἀνατολάς καὶ ἰδοὺ τὸ ὕδωρ κατεφέρετο ἀπὸ τοῦ κλίτους τοῦ δεξιοῦ

3 καθὼς ἔξοδος ἀνδρὸς ἐξ ἐναντίας καὶ μέτρον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ διεμέτρησεν χιλίους ἐν τῷ μέτρῳ καὶ διῆλθεν ἐν τῷ ὕδατι ὕδωρ ἀφέσεως

4 καὶ διεμέτρησεν χιλίους καὶ διῆλθεν ἐν τῷ ὕδατι ὕδωρ ἕως τῶν μηρῶν καὶ διεμέτρησεν χιλίους καὶ διῆλθεν ὕδωρ ἕως ὀσφύος

5 καὶ διεμέτρησεν χιλίους καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο διελθεῖν ὅτι ἐξύβριζεν τὸ ὕδωρ ὡς ῥοῖζος χειμάρρου ὃν οὐ διαβήσονται

6 καὶ εἶπεν πρός με εἰ ἑώρακας υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἤγαγέν με ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖλος τοῦ ποταμοῦ

7 ἐν τῇ ἐπιστροφῇ μου καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐπὶ τοῦ χείλους τοῦ ποταμοῦ δένδρα πολλὰ σφόδρα ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν

8 καὶ εἶπεν πρός με τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦτο τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον εἰς τὴν γαλιλαίαν τὴν πρὸς ἀνατολὰς καὶ κατέβαινεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀραβίαν καὶ ἤρχετο ἕως ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ἐπὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς διεκβολῆς καὶ ὑγιάσει τὰ ὕδατα

9 καὶ ἔσται πᾶσα ψυχὴ τῶν ζῴων τῶν ἐκζεόντων ἐπὶ πάντα ἐφ' ἃ ἂν ἐπέλθῃ ἐκεῖ ὁ ποταμός ζήσεται καὶ ἔσται ἐκεῖ ἰχθὺς πολὺς σφόδρα ὅτι ἥκει ἐκεῖ τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦτο καὶ ὑγιάσει καὶ ζήσεται πᾶν ἐφ' ὃ ἂν ἐπέλθῃ ὁ ποταμὸς ἐκεῖ ζήσεται

10 καὶ στήσονται ἐκεῖ ἁλεεῖς ἀπὸ αινγαδιν ἕως αιναγαλιμ ψυγμὸς σαγηνῶν ἔσται καθ' αὑτὴν ἔσται καὶ οἱ ἰχθύες αὐτῆς ὡς οἱ ἰχθύες τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς μεγάλης πλῆθος πολὺ σφόδρα

11 καὶ ἐν τῇ διεκβολῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐπιστροφῇ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῇ ὑπεράρσει αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ὑγιάσωσιν εἰς ἅλας δέδονται

12 καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἀναβήσεται ἐπὶ τοῦ χείλους αὐτοῦ ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν πᾶν ξύλον βρώσιμον οὐ μὴ παλαιωθῇ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ὁ καρπὸς αὐτοῦ τῆς καινότητος αὐτοῦ πρωτοβολήσει διότι τὰ ὕδατα αὐτῶν ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων ταῦτα ἐκπορεύεται καὶ ἔσται ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῶν εἰς βρῶσιν καὶ ἀνάβασις αὐτῶν εἰς ὑγίειαν

13 τάδε λέγει κύριος θεός ταῦτα τὰ ὅρια κατακληρονομήσετε τῆς γῆς ταῖς δώδεκα φυλαῖς τῶν υἱῶν ισραηλ πρόσθεσις σχοινίσματος

14 καὶ κατακληρονομήσετε αὐτὴν ἕκαστος καθὼς ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ εἰς ἣν ἦρα τὴν χεῖρά μου τοῦ δοῦναι αὐτὴν τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν καὶ πεσεῖται ἡ γῆ αὕτη ὑμῖν ἐν κληρονομίᾳ

15 καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ὅρια τῆς γῆς πρὸς βορρᾶν ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς μεγάλης τῆς καταβαινούσης καὶ περισχιζούσης τῆς εἰσόδου ημαθ σεδδαδα

16 βηρωθα σεβραιμ ηλιαμ ἀνὰ μέσον ὁρίων δαμασκοῦ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον ὁρίων ημαθ αὐλὴ τοῦ σαυναν αἵ εἰσιν ἐπάνω τῶν ὁρίων αυρανίτιδος

17 ταῦτα τὰ ὅρια ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάσσης ἀπὸ τῆς αὐλῆς τοῦ αιναν ὅρια δαμασκοῦ καὶ τὰ πρὸς βορρᾶν

18 καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς αυρανίτιδος καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον δαμασκοῦ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γαλααδίτιδος καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γῆς τοῦ ισραηλ ὁ ιορδάνης διορίζει ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν τὴν πρὸς ἀνατολὰς φοινικῶνος ταῦτα τὰ πρὸς ἀνατολάς

19 καὶ τὰ πρὸς νότον καὶ λίβα ἀπὸ θαιμαν καὶ φοινικῶνος ἕως ὕδατος μαριμωθ καδης παρεκτεῖνον ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν τὴν μεγάλην τοῦτο τὸ μέρος νότος καὶ λίψ

20 τοῦτο τὸ μέρος τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς μεγάλης ὁρίζει ἕως κατέναντι τῆς εἰσόδου ημαθ ἕως εἰσόδου αὐτοῦ ταῦτά ἐστιν τὰ πρὸς θάλασσαν ημαθ

21 καὶ διαμερίσετε τὴν γῆν ταύτην αὐτοῖς ταῖς φυλαῖς τοῦ ισραηλ

22 βαλεῖτε αὐτὴν ἐν κλήρῳ ὑμῖν καὶ τοῖς προσηλύτοις τοῖς παροικοῦσιν ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν οἵτινες ἐγέννησαν υἱοὺς ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν καὶ ἔσονται ὑμῖν ὡς αὐτόχθονες ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ ισραηλ μεθ' ὑμῶν φάγονται ἐν κληρονομίᾳ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν φυλῶν τοῦ ισραηλ

23 καὶ ἔσονται ἐν φυλῇ προσηλύτων ἐν τοῖς προσηλύτοις τοῖς μετ' αὐτῶν ἐκεῖ δώσετε κληρονομίαν αὐτοῖς λέγει κύριος θεός

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Interaction of the Soul and Body #20

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20. I was once asked how, from a philosopher, I became a theologian; and I answered, "In the same manner that fishermen were made disciples and apostles by the Lord: and that I also had from early youth been a spiritual fisherman." On this, my questioner asked, "What is a spiritual fisherman?" I replied, "A fisherman, in the Word, in its spiritual sense, signifies a man who investigates and teaches natural truths, and afterwards spiritual truths, in a rational manner."

[2] On his inquiring, "How is this demonstrated?" I said, "From these passages of the Word: 'Then the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up. Therefore the fishers shall mourn, and all they that cast a hook into the sea shall be sad' (Isaiah 19:5, 8). In another place it is said: 'On the river, the waters whereof were healed, stood fishers from Engedi; they were present at the spreading forth of nets; their fish was according to its kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many' (Ezekiel 47:9-10). And in another place: 'Behold I will send for many fishers, saith Jehovah, and they shall fish the sons of Israel' (Jeremiah 16:16). Hence it is evident why the Lord chose fishermen for His disciples, and said 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men' (Matthew 4:18-19; Mark 1:16-17): and why He said to Peter, after he had caught the multitude of fishes, 'Henceforth thou shalt catch men' (Luke 5:9-10)."

[3] I afterwards demonstrated the origin of this signification of fishermen from THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED: namely, that since water signifies natural truths (50, 932), as does also a river (409, 932), a fish signifies those who are in natural truths (405); and thence that fishermen signify those who investigate and teach truths.

[4] On hearing this, my questioner raised his voice and said, "Now I can understand why the Lord called and chose fishermen to be His disciples; and therefore I do not wonder that He has also chosen you, since, as you have observed, you were from early youth a fisherman in a spiritual sense, that is, an investigator of natural truths: and the reason that you are now become an investigator of spiritual truths is because these are founded on the former." To this he added, being a man of reason, that "the Lord alone knows who is the proper person to apprehend and teach those things which belong to His New Church; whether one of the Primates, or one of their domestic servants." "Besides," he continued, "what Christian theologian does not study philosophy in the schools, before he graduates as a theologian? From what other source has he intelligence?"

[5] At length he said, "Since you are become a theologian, explain what is your theology?" I answered, "These are its two principles, THERE IS ONE GOD, and THERE IS A CONJUNCTION OF CHARITY AND FAITH." To which he replied, "Who denies these principles?" I rejoined, "The theology of the present day, when interiorly examined."

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