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Ezekiel 37

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1 και εγενετο επ' εμε χειρ κυριου και εξηγαγεν με εν πνευματι κυριος και εθηκεν με εν μεσω του πεδιου και τουτο ην μεστον οστεων ανθρωπινων

2 και περιηγαγεν με επ' αυτα κυκλοθεν κυκλω και ιδου πολλα σφοδρα επι προσωπου του πεδιου ξηρα σφοδρα

3 και ειπεν προς με υιε ανθρωπου ει ζησεται τα οστα ταυτα και ειπα κυριε συ επιστη ταυτα

4 και ειπεν προς με προφητευσον επι τα οστα ταυτα και ερεις αυτοις τα οστα τα ξηρα ακουσατε λογον κυριου

5 ταδε λεγει κυριος τοις οστεοις τουτοις ιδου εγω φερω εις υμας πνευμα ζωης

6 και δωσω εφ' υμας νευρα και αναξω εφ' υμας σαρκας και εκτενω εφ' υμας δερμα και δωσω πνευμα μου εις υμας και ζησεσθε και γνωσεσθε οτι εγω ειμι κυριος

7 και επροφητευσα καθως ενετειλατο μοι και εγενετο εν τω εμε προφητευσαι και ιδου σεισμος και προσηγαγε τα οστα εκατερον προς την αρμονιαν αυτου

8 και ειδον και ιδου επ' αυτα νευρα και σαρκες εφυοντο και ανεβαινεν επ' αυτα δερμα επανω και πνευμα ουκ ην εν αυτοις

9 και ειπεν προς με προφητευσον υιε ανθρωπου προφητευσον επι το πνευμα και ειπον τω πνευματι ταδε λεγει κυριος εκ των τεσσαρων πνευματων ελθε και εμφυσησον εις τους νεκρους τουτους και ζησατωσαν

10 και επροφητευσα καθοτι ενετειλατο μοι και εισηλθεν εις αυτους το πνευμα και εζησαν και εστησαν επι των ποδων αυτων συναγωγη πολλη σφοδρα

11 και ελαλησεν κυριος προς με λεγων υιε ανθρωπου τα οστα ταυτα πας οικος ισραηλ εστιν και αυτοι λεγουσιν ξηρα γεγονεν τα οστα ημων απολωλεν η ελπις ημων διαπεφωνηκαμεν

12 δια τουτο προφητευσον και ειπον ταδε λεγει κυριος ιδου εγω ανοιγω υμων τα μνηματα και αναξω υμας εκ των μνηματων υμων και εισαξω υμας εις την γην του ισραηλ

13 και γνωσεσθε οτι εγω ειμι κυριος εν τω ανοιξαι με τους ταφους υμων του αναγαγειν με εκ των ταφων τον λαον μου

14 και δωσω το πνευμα μου εις υμας και ζησεσθε και θησομαι υμας επι την γην υμων και γνωσεσθε οτι εγω κυριος λελαληκα και ποιησω λεγει κυριος

15 και εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

16 υιε ανθρωπου λαβε σεαυτω ραβδον και γραψον επ' αυτην τον ιουδαν και τους υιους ισραηλ τους προσκειμενους επ' αυτον και ραβδον δευτεραν λημψη σεαυτω και γραψεις αυτην τω ιωσηφ ραβδον εφραιμ και παντας τους υιους ισραηλ τους προστεθεντας προς αυτον

17 και συναψεις αυτας προς αλληλας σαυτω εις ραβδον μιαν του δησαι αυτας και εσονται εν τη χειρι σου

18 και εσται οταν λεγωσιν προς σε οι υιοι του λαου σου ουκ αναγγελεις ημιν τι εστιν ταυτα σοι

19 και ερεις προς αυτους ταδε λεγει κυριος ιδου εγω λημψομαι την φυλην ιωσηφ την δια χειρος εφραιμ και τας φυλας ισραηλ τας προσκειμενας προς αυτον και δωσω αυτους επι την φυλην ιουδα και εσονται εις ραβδον μιαν εν τη χειρι ιουδα

20 και εσονται αι ραβδοι εφ' αις συ εγραψας επ' αυταις εν τη χειρι σου ενωπιον αυτων

21 και ερεις αυτοις ταδε λεγει κυριος κυριος ιδου εγω λαμβανω παντα οικον ισραηλ εκ μεσου των εθνων ου εισηλθοσαν εκει και συναξω αυτους απο παντων των περικυκλω αυτων και εισαξω αυτους εις την γην του ισραηλ

22 και δωσω αυτους εις εθνος εν εν τη γη μου και εν τοις ορεσιν ισραηλ και αρχων εις εσται αυτων και ουκ εσονται ετι εις δυο εθνη ουδε μη διαιρεθωσιν ουκετι εις δυο βασιλειας

23 ινα μη μιαινωνται ετι εν τοις ειδωλοις αυτων και ρυσομαι αυτους απο πασων των ανομιων αυτων ων ημαρτοσαν εν αυταις και καθαριω αυτους και εσονται μοι εις λαον και εγω κυριος εσομαι αυτοις εις θεον

24 και ο δουλος μου δαυιδ αρχων εν μεσω αυτων και ποιμην εις εσται παντων οτι εν τοις προσταγμασιν μου πορευσονται και τα κριματα μου φυλαξονται και ποιησουσιν αυτα

25 και κατοικησουσιν επι της γης αυτων ην εγω δεδωκα τω δουλω μου ιακωβ ου κατωκησαν εκει οι πατερες αυτων και κατοικησουσιν επ' αυτης αυτοι και δαυιδ ο δουλος μου αρχων αυτων εσται εις τον αιωνα

26 και διαθησομαι αυτοις διαθηκην ειρηνης διαθηκη αιωνια εσται μετ' αυτων και θησω τα αγια μου εν μεσω αυτων εις τον αιωνα

27 και εσται η κατασκηνωσις μου εν αυτοις και εσομαι αυτοις θεος και αυτοι μου εσονται λαος

28 και γνωσονται τα εθνη οτι εγω ειμι κυριος ο αγιαζων αυτους εν τω ειναι τα αγια μου εν μεσω αυτων εις τον αιωνα

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1888

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1888. To illustrate that the sense of the letter of the Word is representative of Divine arcana and is the receptacle of, and thus the storehouse containing, celestial and spiritual things which are the Lord's, let two examples be taken, which will consequently reveal the position with all else The first example shows that David is not used to mean David but the Lord, the second that names mean nothing other than real things. Of David the following is said in Ezekiel,

My servant David will be King over them, and they will all have one Shepherd. They will dwell in the land, they, and their sons, and their sons' sons even for ever. And David my servant will be their Prince for ever. Ezekiel 37:24-25.

And in Hosea,

The children of Israel will return and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king. Hosea 3:5.

These promises were written by prophets who lived later than David, yet it is explicitly stated by them that he 'will be' their king and prince. From this it may become clear to anyone that in the internal sense David means the Lord. The same applies in all other places, including the historical descriptions, where David is referred to by name.

[2] As regards the names of kingdoms, regions, cities, and men meaning real things, this becomes quite clear in the Prophets. Take this single example in Isaiah,

Thus said the Lord, Jehovih Zebaoth, Do not be afraid - O My people, inhabitant of Zion - of Asshur; he will smite you with a rod, and he will lift up the staff over you in the way of Egypt. Jehovah Zebaoth will lift up the scourge over him, as when Midian was smitten in the rock of Horeb, and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up in the way of Egypt. He will come against Aiath; he will pass over into Migron; he will command his arms towards Michmash. They will cross the Mabarah. Geba will be a lodging-place for us. Hormah 1 will tremble. Gibeah of Saul will flee. Make a noise with your voice, O daughter of Gallim. Hearken, O Laish. Wail, O Anathoth. Madmenah will wander about. The inhabitants of Gebim will gather themselves together. This very day he is in Nob to stay. The mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, will shake her fist. He will cut down the entangled boughs of the wood with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by a majestic one. Isaiah 10:24, 26-34.

[3] These verses include little more than mere names, which would not make any sense at all if, without exception, those names did not mean real things; and if the mind remained fixed on those names, no acknowledgement that it was the Word of the Lord would ever be made. But who is going to believe that all those names in the internal sense contain arcana of heaven? Or that through them the state of people is described who endeavour by means of reasonings based on facts to penetrate the mysteries of faith? Or that by means of each name some particular aspect of that state is described? Or that those reasonings are dispersed by the Lord by means of the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith? That 'Asshur' means reasoning, which is the subject in these verses from Isaiah, becomes quite clear from what has been shown regarding 'Asshur' in 119, 1186; and that 'Egypt' means factual knowledge, from what has been shown in 1164, 1165, 1462. See these paragraphs and consider whether or not this is true. It is the same with all other names, and with individual expressions.

Footnotes:

1. Swedenborg appears to have copied Hormah from the Schmidius Latin Bible. The Hebrew is Haramah which is generally rendered Ramah in Latin and English versions.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1186

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1186. That 'Asshur' is reasoning is clear from the meaning of 'Asshur' or Assyria in the Word, where in every case it stands for those things that belong to reason. It stands for them in both senses, namely for rational things and for reasonings - reason and rational things being used strictly speaking to mean things that are true, and reasoning and reasonings to mean those that are false. Because 'Asshur' means reason and reasoning it is very frequently linked with Egypt, which means facts, for reason and reasoning are based on facts. That Asshur means reasoning is clear in Isaiah,

Woe to Asshur, the rod of My anger, he does not think what is right and his heart does not consider what is right He has said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have intelligence. Isaiah 10:5, 7, 13.

Here 'Asshur' stands for reasoning, and therefore he is referred to as 'not thinking and not considering what is right', and it is said that 'he acts by his own wisdom, for he has intelligence'.

[2] In Ezekiel,

Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt. In their youth they committed whoredom. One committed whoredom and doted on her lovers, on Asshur (the Assyrians), her neighbours, clothed in violet, leaders and governors, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses The sons of Babel came to her and they defiled her with their whoredom. Ezekiel 23:2-3, 5-6, 17.

Here 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning, 'the sons of Babel' for falsities springing from evil desires.

[3] In the same prophet,

Jerusalem, you committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, you committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, you multiplied your whoredom even into the land of Canaan towards Chaldaea. Ezekiel 16:26, 28-29.

Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. Reasoning, based on facts, concerning spiritual and celestial things is called 'whoredom' both here and elsewhere in the Word. Anyone may see that committing whoredom with Egyptians and with Assyrians is not the meaning.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Israel, what have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what have you to do with the way to Asshur, to drink the waters of the River (the Euphrates)? Jeremiah 2:18, 36.

Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. In the same prophet,

Israel is a scattered flock; the lions have driven him away. First the king of Asshur has devoured him, and last this king of Babel has removed his bones. Jeremiah 50:17-18

'Asshur' stands for reasoning concerning spiritual things.

[5] In Micah,

And this will be peace, when Asshur comes into our land and when he treads our palaces, and we will set up over him seven shepherds and eight princes of men and they will rule the land of Asshur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates; and he will deliver [us] from Asshur when he comes into our land and when he treads our border. Micah 5:5-6.

This refers to Israel, or the spiritual Church, concerning which it is said that 'Asshur will not enter in', that is, reasoning will not do so. 'The land of Nimrod' stands for the kind of worship meant by Nimrod, which has interior evils and falsities within it.

[6] The fact that in the Word 'Asshur' also means reason present with the member of the Church, by means of which reason he sees clearly what is true and what is good, is clear in Hosea,

They will tremble like a bird out of Egypt, and like a dove from the land of Asshur. Hosea 11:11.

Here 'Egypt' stands for the knowledge a member of the Church possesses, 'Asshur' for his reason. That 'a bird' means facts that are known and understood, and 'a dove' rational good, has been shown already.

[7] In Isaiah,

On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur. 1 On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. Isaiah 19:23-25.

This refers to the spiritual Church, meant by Israel, 'Asshur' being its reason, and 'Egypt' its knowledge. These three constitute the intellectual powers of the member of the spiritual Church which come in that order one after another. In other places where Asshur is mentioned it means the rational, true or false, as in Isaiah 20:1-6; 23:13; 27:13; 30:31; 31:8; 36, 37; 52:4; Ezekiel 27:23-24; Ezekiel 31:3-18; 32:22; Micah 7:12; Zephaniah 2:13; Zechariah 10:11; Psalms 83:8. 'Asshur' stands for reasoning in Hosea 5:13; 7:11; 10:6; 11:5; 12:1; 14:3; and in Zechariah 10:10, where the reference is to Ephraim who means the intellectual part of the mind, though in this instance when perverted.

Footnotes:

1. The Hebrew of this text in Isaiah may be read in two different ways - serve Asshur or serve with Asshur. Most English versions of Isaiah prefer the second of these.

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