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The Bible

 

Ezekiel 41

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1 και εισηγαγεν με εις τον ναον ω διεμετρησεν το αιλαμ πηχων εξ το πλατος ενθεν και πηχων εξ το ευρος του αιλαμ ενθεν

2 και το ευρος του πυλωνος πηχων δεκα και επωμιδες του πυλωνος πηχων πεντε ενθεν και πηχων πεντε ενθεν και διεμετρησεν το μηκος αυτου πηχων τεσσαρακοντα και το ευρος πηχων εικοσι

3 και εισηλθεν εις την αυλην την εσωτεραν και διεμετρησεν το αιλ του θυρωματος πηχων δυο και το θυρωμα πηχων εξ και τας επωμιδας του θυρωματος πηχων επτα ενθεν και πηχων επτα ενθεν

4 και διεμετρησεν το μηκος των θυρων πηχων τεσσαρακοντα και ευρος πηχων εικοσι κατα προσωπον του ναου και ειπεν τουτο το αγιον των αγιων

5 και διεμετρησεν τον τοιχον του οικου πηχων εξ και το ευρος της πλευρας πηχων τεσσαρων κυκλοθεν

6 και τα πλευρα πλευρον επι πλευρον τριακοντα και τρεις δις και διαστημα εν τω τοιχω του οικου εν τοις πλευροις κυκλω του ειναι τοις επιλαμβανομενοις οραν οπως το παραπαν μη απτωνται των τοιχων του οικου

7 και το ευρος της ανωτερας των πλευρων κατα το προσθεμα εκ του τοιχου προς την ανωτεραν κυκλω του οικου οπως διαπλατυνηται ανωθεν και εκ των κατωθεν αναβαινωσιν επι τα υπερωα και εκ των μεσων επι τα τριωροφα

8 και το θραελ του οικου υψος κυκλω διαστημα των πλευρων ισον τω καλαμω πηχεων εξ διαστημα

9 και ευρος του τοιχου της πλευρας εξωθεν πηχων πεντε και τα απολοιπα ανα μεσον των πλευρων του οικου

10 και ανα μεσον των εξεδρων ευρος πηχων εικοσι το περιφερες τω οικω κυκλω

11 και αι θυραι των εξεδρων επι το απολοιπον της θυρας της μιας της προς βορραν και η θυρα η μια προς νοτον και το ευρος του φωτος του απολοιπου πηχων πεντε πλατος κυκλοθεν

12 και το διοριζον κατα προσωπον του απολοιπου ως προς θαλασσαν πηχων εβδομηκοντα πλατος του τοιχου του διοριζοντος πηχεων πεντε ευρος κυκλοθεν και μηκος αυτου πηχεων ενενηκοντα

13 και διεμετρησεν κατεναντι του οικου μηκος πηχων εκατον και τα απολοιπα και τα διοριζοντα και οι τοιχοι αυτων μηκος πηχων εκατον

14 και το ευρος κατα προσωπον του οικου και τα απολοιπα κατεναντι πηχων εκατον

15 και διεμετρησεν μηκος του διοριζοντος κατα προσωπον του απολοιπου των κατοπισθεν του οικου εκεινου και τα απολοιπα ενθεν και ενθεν πηχεων εκατον το μηκος και ο ναος και αι γωνιαι και το αιλαμ το εξωτερον

16 πεφατνωμενα και αι θυριδες δικτυωται υποφαυσεις κυκλω τοις τρισιν ωστε διακυπτειν και ο οικος και τα πλησιον εξυλωμενα κυκλω και το εδαφος και εκ του εδαφους εως των θυριδων και αι θυριδες αναπτυσσομεναι τρισσως εις το διακυπτειν

17 και εως πλησιον της εσωτερας και εως της εξωτερας και εφ' ολον τον τοιχον κυκλω εν τω εσωθεν και εν τω εξωθεν

18 γεγλυμμενα χερουβιν και φοινικες ανα μεσον χερουβ και χερουβ δυο προσωπα τω χερουβ

19 προσωπον ανθρωπου προς τον φοινικα ενθεν και ενθεν και προσωπον λεοντος προς τον φοινικα ενθεν και ενθεν διαγεγλυμμενος ολος ο οικος κυκλοθεν

20 εκ του εδαφους εως του φατνωματος τα χερουβιν και οι φοινικες διαγεγλυμμενοι

21 και το αγιον και ο ναος αναπτυσσομενος τετραγωνα κατα προσωπον των αγιων ορασις ως οψις

22 θυσιαστηριου ξυλινου πηχων τριων το υψος αυτου και το μηκος πηχων δυο και το ευρος πηχων δυο και κερατα ειχεν και η βασις αυτου και οι τοιχοι αυτου ξυλινοι και ειπεν προς με αυτη η τραπεζα η προ προσωπου κυριου

23 και δυο θυρωματα τω ναω και τω αγιω

24 δυο θυρωματα τοις δυσι θυρωμασι τοις στροφωτοις δυο θυρωματα τω ενι και δυο θυρωματα τη θυρα τη δευτερα

25 και γλυφη επ' αυτων και επι τα θυρωματα του ναου χερουβιν και φοινικες κατα την γλυφην των αγιων και σπουδαια ξυλα κατα προσωπον του αιλαμ εξωθεν

26 και θυριδες κρυπται και διεμετρησεν ενθεν και ενθεν εις τα οροφωματα του αιλαμ και τα πλευρα του οικου εζυγωμενα

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #945

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945. 22:8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. This means that John supposed that the angel sent to him by the Lord to keep him in a state of the spirit was the God who revealed these things, when in fact that was not the case, as the angel only showed him what the Lord presented.

Clearly John supposed that the angel sent to him was the Lord Himself, for we are told that he fell down to worship before the angel's feet. But that it was not as he supposed is apparent from the next verse, in which the angel tells him that he is his fellow servant: "Worship God." That the angel was sent to John by the Lord is apparent from verse 16, which says, "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches."

But behind this lies the following secret: The Lord sent the angel to John in order to keep him in a state of the spirit and to show him in that state the visions he saw. For whatever John saw, he saw not with the eyes of his body, but with the eyes of his spirit, as can be seen from the passages in which he says that he was in the spirit and seeing a vision (Revelation 1:10; 9:17; 17:3; 21:10), thus everywhere that he says "he saw." And a person can enter that state and be kept in it only by angels who are closely attached to the person, who induce their own spiritual state on the interiors of his mind. For this raises the person into the light of heaven, and in that light he sees sights in heaven and not in the world.

[2] Ezekiel, Zechariah, Daniel, and other prophets were at times in the same state, but not when they spoke the Word. When they spoke the Word they were not in the spirit, but conscious in the body, and the words they wrote they heard from Jehovah Himself, that is, from the Lord.

These two states experienced by the prophets must be properly distinguished. The prophets themselves also properly distinguished them, for they everywhere say when they wrote the Word from Jehovah that Jehovah spoke with them and to them, and most often, "Thus says Jehovah," or "the word of Jehovah." However, when they were in the other state, they say that they were in the spirit or seeing in a vision, as can be seen from the following: (Ezekiel said,) "The spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision... of God into Chaldea, to those in captivity. So the vision that I saw went up upon me." (Ezekiel 11:1, 24)

Ezekiel says that the spirit lifted him up and that he heard behind him an earthquake, among other things (Ezekiel 3:12, 14). Also that the spirit lifted him up between earth and heaven, and brought him in visions of God to Jerusalem, where he saw abominations (Ezekiel 8:3ff.). Therefore he was also seeing in a vision of God or in the spirit when he saw four living creatures, which were cherubim (Ezekiel 1 and 10). And when he saw a new temple and a new land, and an angel measuring them (Ezekiel 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48). He says that he was then seeing in the visions of God (Ezekiel 40:2), and that the spirit lifted him up (Ezekiel 43:5).

[3] It was the same with Zechariah, who had an angel with him at the time when he saw a man riding among the myrtle trees (Zechariah 1:8ff.). When he saw the four horns, and then the man with a measuring line in his hand (Zechariah 1:18; 2:1ff.). When he saw Joshua, the high priest (Zechariah 3:1ff.). When he saw the lampstand and two olive trees (Zechariah 4:1ff.). When he saw the flying scroll and the ephah (Zechariah 5:1, 6). And when he saw the four chariots and their horses coming from between two mountains (Zechariah 6:1ff.).

Daniel was in the same state when he saw four beasts coming up from the sea (Daniel 7:1ff.), and when he saw the combat of the ram and the male goat (Daniel 8:1ff.). That he saw these sights in visions is said in Daniel 7:1-2, 7, 13; 8:2; 10:1, 7-8. Moreover, that he saw the angel Gabriel and spoke with him in a vision (Daniel 9:21).

It was the same with John when he saw the sights he described, as when he saw the Son of Man in the midst of the seven lampstands; when he saw the tabernacle, 1 the temple, 2 the ark, 3 and the altar 4 in heaven; the dragon and its combat with Michael; 5 the beasts; 6 the woman sitting on the scarlet beast; 7 the new heaven and new earth, and the holy Jerusalem with its wall, gates, and foundations; 8 and more.

These sights were revealed by the Lord, but shown by an angel.

Footnotes:

1. Revelation 15:5.

2. Revelation 11:1-2, 19; 14:15, 17; 15:5-6, 8; 16:1, 17.

3. Revelation 11:19.

4. Revelation 6:9; 8:3, 5; 9:13; 11:1; 14:18; 16:7.

5. Revelation 12:7.

6. Revelation 13.

7. Revelation 17:3-6.

8. Revelation 21,22

  
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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.

The Bible

 

Ezekiel 44

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1 Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which looks toward the east; and it was shut.

2 Yahweh said to me, This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter in by it; for Yahweh, the God of Israel, has entered in by it; therefore it shall be shut.

3 As for the prince, he shall sit therein as prince to eat bread before Yahweh; he shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.

4 Then he brought me by the way of the north gate before the house; and I looked, and behold, the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh: and I fell on my face.

5 Yahweh said to me, Son of man, mark well, and see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I tell you concerning all the ordinances of the house of Yahweh, and all its laws; and mark well the entrance of the house, with every exit of the sanctuary.

6 You shall tell the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: you house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,

7 in that you have brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to profane it, even my house, when you offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant, [to add] to all your abominations.

8 You have not performed the duty of my holy things; but you have set performers of my duty in my sanctuary for yourselves.

9 Thus says the Lord Yahweh, No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any foreigners who are among the children of Israel.

10 But the Levites who went far from me, when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity.

11 Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and ministering in the house: they shall kill the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them.

12 Because they ministered to them before their idols, and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel; therefore have I lifted up my hand against them, says the Lord Yahweh, and they shall bear their iniquity.

13 They shall not come near to me, to execute the office of priest to me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, to the things that are most holy; but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed.

14 Yet will I make them performers of the duty of the house, for all its service, and for all that shall be done therein.

15 But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who performed the duty of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister to me; and they shall stand before me to offer to me the fat and the blood, says the Lord Yahweh:

16 they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my instruction.

17 It shall be that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come on them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.

18 They shall have linen tires on their heads, and shall have linen breeches on their waists; they shall not clothe themselves with [anything that causes] sweat.

19 When they go forth into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they minister, and lay them in the holy rooms; and they shall put on other garments, that they not sanctify the people with their garments.

20 Neither shall they shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads.

21 Neither shall any of the priests drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.

22 Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her who is put away; but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.

23 They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

24 In a controversy they shall stand to judge; according to my ordinances shall they judge it: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts; and they shall make my Sabbaths holy.

25 They shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister who has had no husband, they may defile themselves.

26 After he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him seven days.

27 In the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, says the Lord Yahweh.

28 They shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession.

29 They shall eat the meal offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs.

30 The first of all the first fruits of every thing, and every offering of everything, of all your offerings, shall be for the priest: you shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, to cause a blessing to rest on your house.

31 The priests shall not eat of anything that dies of itself, or is torn, whether it be bird or animal.

   

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