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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 #3441

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3441. 'For the sake of Abraham My servant' means because of the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the representation of 'Abraham' as the Lord's Divine, and also His Divine Human, dealt with in 2833, 2836, 3251, and from the meaning of 'My servant', when used in reference to the Lord, as the Divine Human. Not that the Divine Human is a servant, for the Divine Human also is Jehovah, 1736, 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035, but 'My servant' means the Divine Human because by means of that Divine Human the Lord serves the human race. Indeed it is by means of the Divine Human that a person is saved, for unless the Lord had united the Human to the Divine so that man could with his mind behold and worship the Lord's Human, and in so doing approach the Divine, he could not possibly be saved. The joining of man to the Divine Himself, called the Father, is effected through the Divine Human, called the Son, and so through the Lord, by whom one who is spiritual understands the Human, but one who is celestial understands the Divine Himself.

[2] From these considerations it is evident why the Divine Human is called a servant, namely that it serves the Divine for the purpose of giving man access to Himself, and it serves the human race in their salvation. This then is what is meant by 'Abraham My servant', as also in David, Remember His marvellous acts that He has done, the signs and the judgements of His mouth, O seed of Abraham His servant, O sons of Jacob His chosen ones. He sent Moses His servant, Aaron whom He had chosen. He remembered His Holy word, with Abraham His servant. Psalms 105:5-6, 26, 42.

Here 'Abraham His servant' is used to mean the Lord's Divine Human. In a similar way the Lord's Divine Human is also meant in the highest sense by 'servant Israel', 'servant Jacob', and 'servant David':

SERVANT ISRAEL

In Isaiah,

You, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend, you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from the extremities 1 of it, and said to you, You are My servant, I have chosen you. Isaiah 41:8-9.

Here, in the highest sense, 'Israel My servant' is the Lord in relation to the internal aspects of the spiritual Church, and 'Jacob' to the external aspects of that Church. In the same prophet,

He said to me, You are My servant Israel in whom I will be rendered glorious. It is a light thing that You should be a servant to Me to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel. And I have given You as a light of the nations, that You may be My salvation right to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49:3, 6.

Here 'servant Israel in whom I will be rendered glorious' clearly stands for the Lord's Divine Human. Plainly He is called 'a servant' from the service He performs, for it is said 'that You may be a servant to Me to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel'.

[3] SERVANT JACOB

In Isaiah,

I will give you the treasures of darkness and the secret riches of hiding-places for the sake of My servant Jacob, and of Israel My chosen. Isaiah 45:3-4.

Here 'servant Jacob' and 'Israel the chosen' are used to mean the Lord - 'servant Jacob' in relation to the external Church, 'Israel the chosen' in relation to the internal Church.

[4] SERVANT DAVID

In Ezekiel,

I will gather the children of Israel from all around. My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will dwell in the land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell in it, they and their sons, and their sons' sons even for ever. And David My servant will be their pence for ever. Ezekiel 37:21, 24-25.

'Servant David' clearly stands for the Lord's Divine Human, 1888, and does so by virtue of Divine Truth which is meant by 'the king', who is David in this case, 1728, 2015, 3009. Also, in relation to good truth itself is the servant, see 3409. This being so the Lord calls Himself one who serves or ministers, in Mark,

Whoever would be great among you must be your minister; and anyone who would be first among you must be the servant of all, even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to but to minister. Mark 10:43-45; Matthew 20:26-28.

And in Luke,

Who is the greater, one who sits at table or one who ministers? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am in the midst of you as one who ministers. Luke 22:27.

Footnotes:

1. literally, wings

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

The Bible

 

Psalms 104:30

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30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.