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Ezekiel 18

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1 και εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

2 υιε ανθρωπου τι υμιν η παραβολη αυτη εν τοις υιοις ισραηλ λεγοντες οι πατερες εφαγον ομφακα και οι οδοντες των τεκνων εγομφιασαν

3 ζω εγω λεγει κυριος εαν γενηται ετι λεγομενη η παραβολη αυτη εν τω ισραηλ

4 οτι πασαι αι ψυχαι εμαι εισιν ον τροπον η ψυχη του πατρος ουτως και η ψυχη του υιου εμαι εισιν η ψυχη η αμαρτανουσα αυτη αποθανειται

5 ο δε ανθρωπος ος εσται δικαιος ο ποιων κριμα και δικαιοσυνην

6 επι των ορεων ου φαγεται και τους οφθαλμους αυτου ου μη επαρη προς τα ενθυμηματα οικου ισραηλ και την γυναικα του πλησιον αυτου ου μη μιανη και προς γυναικα εν αφεδρω ουσαν ου προσεγγιει

7 και ανθρωπον ου μη καταδυναστευση ενεχυρασμον οφειλοντος αποδωσει και αρπαγμα ουχ αρπαται τον αρτον αυτου τω πεινωντι δωσει και γυμνον περιβαλει

8 και το αργυριον αυτου επι τοκω ου δωσει και πλεονασμον ου λημψεται και εξ αδικιας αποστρεψει την χειρα αυτου κριμα δικαιον ποιησει ανα μεσον ανδρος και ανα μεσον του πλησιον αυτου

9 και τοις προσταγμασιν μου πεπορευται και τα δικαιωματα μου πεφυλακται του ποιησαι αυτα δικαιος ουτος εστιν ζωη ζησεται λεγει κυριος

10 και εαν γεννηση υιον λοιμον εκχεοντα αιμα και ποιουντα αμαρτηματα

11 εν τη οδω του πατρος αυτου του δικαιου ουκ επορευθη αλλα και επι των ορεων εφαγεν και την γυναικα του πλησιον αυτου εμιανεν

12 και πτωχον και πενητα κατεδυναστευσεν και αρπαγμα ηρπασεν και ενεχυρασμον ουκ απεδωκεν και εις τα ειδωλα εθετο τους οφθαλμους αυτου ανομιαν πεποιηκεν

13 μετα τοκου εδωκε και πλεονασμον ελαβεν ουτος ζωη ου ζησεται πασας τας ανομιας ταυτας εποιησεν θανατω θανατωθησεται το αιμα αυτου επ' αυτον εσται

14 εαν δε γεννηση υιον και ιδη πασας τας αμαρτιας του πατρος αυτου ας εποιησεν και φοβηθη και μη ποιηση κατα ταυτας

15 επι των ορεων ου βεβρωκεν και τους οφθαλμους αυτου ουκ εθετο εις τα ενθυμηματα οικου ισραηλ και την γυναικα του πλησιον αυτου ουκ εμιανεν

16 και ανθρωπον ου κατεδυναστευσεν και ενεχυρασμον ουκ ενεχυρασεν και αρπαγμα ουχ ηρπασεν τον αρτον αυτου τω πεινωντι εδωκεν και γυμνον περιεβαλεν

17 και απ' αδικιας απεστρεψε την χειρα αυτου τοκον ουδε πλεονασμον ουκ ελαβεν δικαιοσυνην εποιησεν και εν τοις προσταγμασιν μου επορευθη ου τελευτησει εν αδικιαις πατρος αυτου ζωη ζησεται

18 ο δε πατηρ αυτου εαν θλιψει θλιψη και αρπαση αρπαγμα εναντια εποιησεν εν μεσω του λαου μου και αποθανειται εν τη αδικια αυτου

19 και ερειτε τι οτι ουκ ελαβεν την αδικιαν ο υιος του πατρος αυτου οτι ο υιος δικαιοσυνην και ελεος εποιησεν παντα τα νομιμα μου συνετηρησεν και εποιησεν αυτα ζωη ζησεται

20 η δε ψυχη η αμαρτανουσα αποθανειται ο δε υιος ου λημψεται την αδικιαν του πατρος αυτου ουδε ο πατηρ λημψεται την αδικιαν του υιου αυτου δικαιοσυνη δικαιου επ' αυτον εσται και ανομια ανομου επ' αυτον εσται

21 και ο ανομος εαν αποστρεψη εκ πασων των ανομιων αυτου ων εποιησεν και φυλαξηται πασας τας εντολας μου και ποιηση δικαιοσυνην και ελεος ζωη ζησεται ου μη αποθανη

22 παντα τα παραπτωματα αυτου οσα εποιησεν ου μνησθησεται εν τη δικαιοσυνη αυτου η εποιησεν ζησεται

23 μη θελησει θελησω τον θανατον του ανομου λεγει κυριος ως το αποστρεψαι αυτον εκ της οδου της πονηρας και ζην αυτον

24 εν δε τω αποστρεψαι δικαιον εκ της δικαιοσυνης αυτου και ποιηση αδικιαν κατα πασας τας ανομιας ας εποιησεν ο ανομος πασαι αι δικαιοσυναι αυτου ας εποιησεν ου μη μνησθωσιν εν τω παραπτωματι αυτου ω παρεπεσεν και εν ταις αμαρτιαις αυτου αις ημαρτεν εν αυταις αποθανειται

25 και ειπατε ου κατευθυνει η οδος κυριου ακουσατε δη πας οικος ισραηλ μη η οδος μου ου κατευθυνει ουχι η οδος υμων ου κατευθυνει

26 εν τω αποστρεψαι τον δικαιον εκ της δικαιοσυνης αυτου και ποιηση παραπτωμα και αποθανη εν τω παραπτωματι ω εποιησεν εν αυτω αποθανειται

27 και εν τω αποστρεψαι ανομον απο της ανομιας αυτου ης εποιησεν και ποιηση κριμα και δικαιοσυνην ουτος την ψυχην αυτου εφυλαξεν

28 και απεστρεψεν εκ πασων των ασεβειων αυτου ων εποιησεν ζωη ζησεται ου μη αποθανη

29 και λεγουσιν ο οικος του ισραηλ ου κατορθοι η οδος κυριου μη η οδος μου ου κατορθοι οικος ισραηλ ουχι η οδος υμων ου κατορθοι

30 εκαστον κατα την οδον αυτου κρινω υμας οικος ισραηλ λεγει κυριος επιστραφητε και αποστρεψατε εκ πασων των ασεβειων υμων και ουκ εσονται υμιν εις κολασιν αδικιας

31 απορριψατε απο εαυτων πασας τας ασεβειας υμων ας ησεβησατε εις εμε και ποιησατε εαυτοις καρδιαν καινην και πνευμα καινον και ινα τι αποθνησκετε οικος ισραηλ

32 διοτι ου θελω τον θανατον του αποθνησκοντος λεγει κυριος

   

Commentary

 

253 - The Mystery of Salvation

By Jonathan S. Rose

Title: The Mystery of Salvation

Topic: Salvation

Summary: Scripture says there are higher and lower heavens and higher and lower hells, and when we die we are gathered to our people. Yet God is forever the same and shows no partiality. So what determines where we go?

Use the reference links below to follow along in the Bible as you watch.

References:
2 Corinthians 12:1-2
Revelation 21:10
Psalms 86:13
Deuteronomy 32:22
Mark 12:38
Matthew 5:43
Acts of the Apostles 10:34; 17:28
1 Peter 1:13-17
Genesis 25:8, 17; 35:29; 49:29, 33
Numbers 20:24; 27:13
Deuteronomy 32:50
Isaiah 14:4-15
Luke 16:19-31
Psalms 100:3
Matthew 10:19-20
Luke 21:30
John 7:16-18, 28; 8:28, 42, 44; 12:49; 15:4
2 Corinthians 3:5
Matthew 13:37-43
1 Timothy 2:1-4
Deuteronomy 30:10-19
Ezekiel 18:31-32
Revelation 3:19-20

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Spirit and Life Bible Study broadcast from 2/17/2016. The complete series is available at: www.spiritandlifebiblestudy.com

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Apocalypse Revealed #213

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213. "'That the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed.'" This symbolically means, so as not to profane and adulterate the goodness of heavenly love.

No one can know the symbolic meaning of the shame of nakedness unless he knows that the reproductive organs in both sexes, called also the genitalia, correspond to celestial love.

To be shown that the human body and all its constituents have a correspondence with the heavens, see the book Heaven and Hell, published in London in , nos. 87-102. And to be shown that the reproductive organs correspond to celestial love, see Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), also published in London, nos. 5050-5062.

Now because these organs correspond to celestial love, which is the love found in the third or inmost heaven, and because a person is born of his parents into loves contrary to that love, it is apparent that if he does not acquire for himself the goodness of love and the truth of wisdom from the Lord, which are symbolically meant by gold refined in fire and white garments, he will be seen to be impelled by a contrary love, which in itself is profane.

[2] This latter circumstance is symbolically meant by uncovering nakedness and manifesting the shame of it, in the following places:

Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and his private parts be seen. (Revelation 16:15)

...daughter of Babylon (and of the Chaldeans), sit on the ground... Uncover your hair..., uncover the thigh, pass through the rivers. Let your nakedness be uncovered; yes, let your shame be seen. (Isaiah 47:1-3)

Woe to the bloody city! ...Because of the multitude of (her) harlotries... I will uncover your skirts in front of you, and I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your disgrace. (Nahum 3:1, 4-5)

Contend with your mother... lest I strip her naked... (Hosea 2:2-4)

When I passed by you... I covered your nakedness... Then I washed you... and... I clothed you... But you... played the harlot... not remembering your youth, when you were naked and bare... (Therefore) your nakedness was uncovered... (Ezekiel 16:6ff.)

Jerusalem has sinned gravely; therefore... all... despise her, because they have seen her nakedness. (Lamentations 1:8)

Jerusalem, of which these things were said, means the church; and to play the harlot means, symbolically, to adulterate and falsify the Word (no. 134).

Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink..., making him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness! ...Drink, you too, that your uncircumcised foreskin may be exposed! (Habakkuk 2:15-16)

[3] Someone who knows what nakedness symbolizes can understand what is symbolically meant by the statement that when Noah was drunk from drinking wine he lay uncovered inside his tent, and Ham saw and laughed at his nakedness, but Shem and Japheth covered his nakedness, turning their faces away so as not to see it (Genesis 9:21-23). He can understand also why it was decreed that Aaron and his sons should not go up by steps to the altar, that their nakedness might not be exposed (Exodus 20:26). And so, too, why it was decreed that they should make for them linen trousers to cover their naked flesh, that they should have these on when they came near the altar, and that otherwise they would bear their iniquity and die (Exodus 28:42-43).

Nakedness in these places symbolizes the evils into which a person is born, which, because they are contrary to the goodness of celestial love, are in themselves profane and are removed only by truths and by living in accordance with those truths. Linen also symbolizes truth (no. 671[1-2]).

[4] Nakedness in addition symbolizes innocence, and also ignorance of goodness and truth. Innocence is symbolized by the statement, "they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they had no cause for shame" (Genesis 2:25). Ignorance of goodness and truth is symbolized by the following:

...this... fast that I choose: ...to break bread with the hungry..., and... when you see the naked man, to cover him. (Isaiah 58:6-7)

He gives his bread to the hungry man, and covers the naked one with clothing. (Ezekiel 18:7)

...I was hungry and you gave Me food...; I was naked and you clothed Me. (Matthew 25:35-36)

  
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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.