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Ezekiel 26

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1 και εγενηθη εν τω ενδεκατω ετει μια του μηνος εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

2 υιε ανθρωπου ανθ' ων ειπεν σορ επι ιερουσαλημ ευγε συνετριβη απολωλεν τα εθνη επεστραφη προς με η πληρης ηρημωται

3 δια τουτο ταδε λεγει κυριος ιδου εγω επι σε σορ και αναξω επι σε εθνη πολλα ως αναβαινει η θαλασσα τοις κυμασιν αυτης

4 και καταβαλουσιν τα τειχη σορ και καταβαλουσι τους πυργους σου και λικμησω τον χουν αυτης απ' αυτης και δωσω αυτην εις λεωπετριαν

5 ψυγμος σαγηνων εσται εν μεσω θαλασσης οτι εγω λελαληκα λεγει κυριος και εσται εις προνομην τοις εθνεσιν

6 και αι θυγατερες αυτης αι εν τω πεδιω μαχαιρα αναιρεθησονται και γνωσονται οτι εγω κυριος

7 οτι ταδε λεγει κυριος ιδου εγω επαγω επι σε σορ τον ναβουχοδονοσορ βασιλεα βαβυλωνος απο του βορρα βασιλευς βασιλεων εστιν μεθ' ιππων και αρματων και ιππεων και συναγωγης εθνων πολλων σφοδρα

8 ουτος τας θυγατερας σου τας εν τω πεδιω μαχαιρα ανελει και δωσει επι σε προφυλακην και περιοικοδομησει και ποιησει επι σε κυκλω χαρακα και περιστασιν οπλων και τας λογχας αυτου απεναντι σου δωσει

9 τα τειχη σου και τους πυργους σου καταβαλει εν ταις μαχαιραις αυτου

10 απο του πληθους των ιππων αυτου κατακαλυψει σε ο κονιορτος αυτων και απο της φωνης των ιππεων αυτου και των τροχων των αρματων αυτου σεισθησεται τα τειχη σου εισπορευομενου αυτου τας πυλας σου ως εισπορευομενος εις πολιν εκ πεδιου

11 εν ταις οπλαις των ιππων αυτου καταπατησουσιν σου πασας τας πλατειας τον λαον σου μαχαιρα ανελει και την υποστασιν σου της ισχυος επι την γην καταξει

12 και προνομευσει την δυναμιν σου και σκυλευσει τα υπαρχοντα σου και καταβαλει σου τα τειχη και τους οικους σου τους επιθυμητους καθελει και τους λιθους σου και τα ξυλα σου και τον χουν σου εις μεσον της θαλασσης εμβαλει

13 και καταλυσει το πληθος των μουσικων σου και η φωνη των ψαλτηριων σου ου μη ακουσθη ετι

14 και δωσω σε εις λεωπετριαν ψυγμος σαγηνων εση ου μη οικοδομηθης ετι οτι εγω ελαλησα λεγει κυριος

15 διοτι ταδε λεγει κυριος κυριος τη σορ ουκ απο φωνης της πτωσεως σου εν τω στεναξαι τραυματιας εν τω σπασαι μαχαιραν εν μεσω σου σεισθησονται αι νησοι

16 και καταβησονται απο των θρονων αυτων παντες οι αρχοντες εκ των εθνων της θαλασσης και αφελουνται τας μιτρας απο των κεφαλων αυτων και τον ιματισμον τον ποικιλον αυτων εκδυσονται εκστασει εκστησονται επι γην καθεδουνται και φοβηθησονται την απωλειαν αυτων και στεναξουσιν επι σε

17 και λημψονται επι σε θρηνον και ερουσιν σοι πως κατελυθης εκ θαλασσης η πολις η επαινεστη η δουσα τον φοβον αυτης πασι τοις κατοικουσιν αυτην

18 και φοβηθησονται αι νησοι αφ' ημερας πτωσεως σου

19 οτι ταδε λεγει κυριος κυριος οταν δω σε πολιν ηρημωμενην ως τας πολεις τας μη κατοικηθησομενας εν τω αναγαγειν με επι σε την αβυσσον και κατακαλυψη σε υδωρ πολυ

20 και καταβιβασω σε προς τους καταβαινοντας εις βοθρον προς λαον αιωνος και κατοικιω σε εις βαθη της γης ως ερημον αιωνιον μετα καταβαινοντων εις βοθρον οπως μη κατοικηθης μηδε ανασταθης επι γης ζωης

21 απωλειαν σε δωσω και ουχ υπαρξεις ετι εις τον αιωνα λεγει κυριος κυριος

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #6419

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6419. 'Daughters, [each one] marches onto the wall' means going out to fight against falsity. This is clear from the meaning of 'a daughter' as the Church, dealt with in 2362, 3963, here the spiritual Church since that Church is the subject; and from the meaning of 'marching onto the wall' as going out to fight against falsity, as is evident from the words that immediately follow - 'they exasperate him and shoot at him and hate him, do the archers; and he will sit in the strength of his bow', meaning the fight put up by falsity against truth.

[2] The expression 'marches onto the wall' is used because the subject in the internal sense is the attack made by falsities on truth and the protection of truth against falsity; for the spiritual Church represented by 'Joseph' is constantly under attack, but the Lord is constantly protecting it. This explains why in the Word all that makes up that Church is compared to a city with a wall, rampart, gates, and bars; and attacks made on the city describe attacks made on truth by falsities. Hence it also is that 'a city' means matters of doctrine, 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493, and 'a wall' the truths of faith that serve to defend, or in the contrary sense falsities that serve to destroy. The first meaning - the truths of faith that serve to defend - may be seen in Isaiah,

Ours is a strong city; He will establish salvation for walls and rampart. Open the gates, so that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. Isaiah 26:1-2.

In the same prophet,

You will call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. Isaiah 60:18.

In the same prophet,

Behold, I have engraved you upon [My] hands, your walls are continually before Me. Isaiah 49:16

'Walls' stands for the truths of faith. In the same prophet,

Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have placed watchmen, all day and night they will not be silent, calling Jehovah to mind. Isaiah 62:6.

Here the meaning is similar. In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, the God of Israel, 1 I will convert the weapons of war with which you are fighting with the king of Babel, besieging you outside the wall; I Myself will fight with you with an outstretched hand. Jeremiah 21:4-5.

In the same prophet,

Jehovah thought to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion, He caused rampart and wall to mourn; they will languish together. Her gates have sunk into the earth, He has destroyed and broken in pieces her bars. Lamentations 2:8-9.

In Ezekiel,

The sons of Arvad, and your army, were on your walls round about, and the Gammadim were in your towers; they hung their shields on your walls round about and they made perfect your beauty. Ezekiel 27:11.

This refers to Tyre, which means cognitions of good and truth.

[3] The fact that such things are meant by a city and its walls becomes perfectly clear from the description of the holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, as seen by John. From every detail of the description it is evident that a new Church is meant by that city; and by its wall is meant Divine Truth going forth from the Lord. The city is depicted in John as follows,

The holy Jerusalem coming down from heaven, having a wall great and high, having twelve gates - the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. He who talked to me measured the city and its gates, and its wall. Its wall was a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The structure of the wall was jasper, and the city pure gold, like pure glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone. Revelation 21:10, 12, 14, 15, 17-19.

[4] The fact that 'the wall' means Divine Truth going forth from the Lord, and from this means the truth of faith coming out of the good of charity, is evident from the details regarding the wall that are mentioned in that description, such as the detail that the wall had twelve foundations, and in them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; for 'twelve means all, 3272, 3858, 3913, and 'the wall and its foundations' the truths of faith - much the same as is meant by 'the twelve apostles', 3488, 3858 (end), 6397. Then there is the detail that the wall was a hundred and forty-four cubits high, much the same being meant by that number as by twelve, which is all, since it is the product of twelve multiplied by twelve. And since that number used in reference to the wall means all truths and goods of faith, the expression 'which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel' is added. Other details that are given are that the structure of the wall was jasper, and that its foundations were adorned with every precious stone; for 'jasper' and 'precious stones' mean the truths of faith, 114.

[5] The meaning of 'wall' in the contrary sense - falsities that serve to destroy - is evident from the following places: In Isaiah,

A day of tumult in the valley of vision. The Lord Jehovih Zebaoth has destroyed the wall, so that there is a shout towards the mountain. For Elam bore the quiver with chariots of men (homo), [and] horsemen. The horsemen surely positioned themselves right at the gate. Isaiah 22:5-7.

In the same prophet,

The defence-work of your walls providing refuge 2 He will pull down, cast down, lay flat on the ground, 3 right down into the dust. Isaiah 25:12.

In Jeremiah,

Go up onto its walls and throw down. Jeremiah 5:10.

In the same prophet,

I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, which will consume the palaces of Benhadad. Jeremiah 49:27.

In the same prophet,

Raise a standard against the walls of Babel, keep watch, post watchmen. Jeremiah 51:12.

In Ezekiel,

They will overturn the walls of Tyre, and destroy her towers, and I will scrape her dust from her and make her a bare rock. Ezekiel 16:4, 8-9, 11.

Footnotes:

1. The Latin means Jehovah Zebaoth but the Hebrew means Jehovah, the God of Israel.

2. literally, The fortification of refuge of your walls

3. literally, earth or land

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