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Ezekiel 38

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1 και εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

2 υιε ανθρωπου στηρισον το προσωπον σου επι γωγ και την γην του μαγωγ αρχοντα ρως μοσοχ και θοβελ και προφητευσον επ' αυτον

3 και ειπον αυτω ταδε λεγει κυριος κυριος ιδου εγω επι σε γωγ αρχοντα ρως μοσοχ και θοβελ

4 και συναξω σε και πασαν την δυναμιν σου ιππους και ιππεις ενδεδυμενους θωρακας παντας συναγωγη πολλη πελται και περικεφαλαιαι και μαχαιραι

5 περσαι και αιθιοπες και λιβυες παντες περικεφαλαιαις και πελταις

6 γομερ και παντες οι περι αυτον οικος του θεργαμα απ' εσχατου βορρα και παντες οι περι αυτον και εθνη πολλα μετα σου

7 ετοιμασθητι ετοιμασον σεαυτον συ και πασα η συναγωγη σου οι συνηγμενοι μετα σου και εση μοι εις προφυλακην

8 αφ' ημερων πλειονων ετοιμασθησεται και επ' εσχατου ετων ελευσεται και ηξει εις την γην την απεστραμμενην απο μαχαιρας συνηγμενων απο εθνων πολλων επι γην ισραηλ η εγενηθη ερημος δι' ολου και ουτος εξ εθνων εξεληλυθεν και κατοικησουσιν επ' ειρηνης απαντες

9 και αναβηση ως υετος και ηξεις ως νεφελη κατακαλυψαι γην και εση συ και παντες οι περι σε και εθνη πολλα μετα σου

10 ταδε λεγει κυριος κυριος και εσται εν τη ημερα εκεινη αναβησεται ρηματα επι την καρδιαν σου και λογιη λογισμους πονηρους

11 και ερεις αναβησομαι επι γην απερριμμενην ηξω επι ησυχαζοντας εν ησυχια και οικουντας επ' ειρηνης παντας κατοικουντας γην εν η ουχ υπαρχει τειχος ουδε μοχλοι και θυραι ουκ εισιν αυτοις

12 προνομευσαι προνομην και σκυλευσαι σκυλα αυτων του επιστρεψαι χειρα σου εις την ηρημωμενην η κατωκισθη και επ' εθνος συνηγμενον απο εθνων πολλων πεποιηκοτας κτησεις κατοικουντας επι τον ομφαλον της γης

13 σαβα και δαιδαν και εμποροι καρχηδονιοι και πασαι αι κωμαι αυτων ερουσιν σοι εις προνομην του προνομευσαι συ ερχη και σκυλευσαι σκυλα συνηγαγες συναγωγην σου λαβειν αργυριον και χρυσιον απενεγκασθαι κτησιν του σκυλευσαι σκυλα

14 δια τουτο προφητευσον υιε ανθρωπου και ειπον τω γωγ ταδε λεγει κυριος ουκ εν τη ημερα εκεινη εν τω κατοικισθηναι τον λαον μου ισραηλ επ' ειρηνης εγερθηση

15 και ηξεις εκ του τοπου σου απ' εσχατου βορρα και εθνη πολλα μετα σου αναβαται ιππων παντες συναγωγη μεγαλη και δυναμις πολλη

16 και αναβηση επι τον λαον μου ισραηλ ως νεφελη καλυψαι γην επ' εσχατων των ημερων εσται και αναξω σε επι την γην μου ινα γνωσιν παντα τα εθνη εμε εν τω αγιασθηναι με εν σοι ενωπιον αυτων

17 ταδε λεγει κυριος κυριος τω γωγ συ ει περι ου ελαλησα προ ημερων των εμπροσθεν δια χειρος των δουλων μου προφητων του ισραηλ εν ταις ημεραις εκειναις και ετεσιν του αγαγειν σε επ' αυτους

18 και εσται εν τη ημερα εκεινη εν ημερα η αν ελθη γωγ επι την γην του ισραηλ λεγει κυριος κυριος αναβησεται ο θυμος μου

19 και ο ζηλος μου εν πυρι της οργης μου ελαλησα ει μην εν τη ημερα εκεινη εσται σεισμος μεγας επι γης ισραηλ

20 και σεισθησονται απο προσωπου κυριου οι ιχθυες της θαλασσης και τα πετεινα του ουρανου και τα θηρια του πεδιου και παντα τα ερπετα τα ερποντα επι της γης και παντες οι ανθρωποι οι επι προσωπου της γης και ραγησεται τα ορη και πεσουνται αι φαραγγες και παν τειχος επι την γην πεσειται

21 και καλεσω επ' αυτον παν φοβον λεγει κυριος μαχαιρα ανθρωπου επι τον αδελφον αυτου εσται

22 και κρινω αυτον θανατω και αιματι και υετω κατακλυζοντι και λιθοις χαλαζης και πυρ και θειον βρεξω επ' αυτον και επι παντας τους μετ' αυτου και επ' εθνη πολλα μετ' αυτου

23 και μεγαλυνθησομαι και αγιασθησομαι και ενδοξασθησομαι και γνωσθησομαι εναντιον εθνων πολλων και γνωσονται οτι εγω ειμι κυριος

   

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

 

Ezekiel 43:9

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9 και νυν απωσασθωσαν την πορνειαν αυτων και τους φονους των ηγουμενων αυτων απ' εμου και κατασκηνωσω εν μεσω αυτων τον αιωνα