The Bible

Ezekiel 43

¹ και ηγαγεν με επι την πυλην την βλεπουσαν κατα ανατολας και εξηγαγεν με

² και ιδου δοξα θεου ισραηλ ηρχετο κατα την οδον της πυλης της βλεπουσης προς ανατολας και φωνη της παρεμβολης ως φωνη διπλασιαζοντων πολλων και η γη εξελαμπεν ως φεγγος απο της δοξης κυκλοθεν

³ και η ορασις ην ειδον κατα την ορασιν ην ειδον οτε εισεπορευομην του χρισαι την πολιν και η ορασις του αρματος ου ειδον κατα την ορασιν ην ειδον επι του ποταμου του χοβαρ και πιπτω επι προσωπον μου

⁴ και δοξα κυριου εισηλθεν εις τον οικον κατα την οδον της πυλης της βλεπουσης κατα ανατολας

⁵ και ανελαβεν με πνευμα και εισηγαγεν με εις την αυλην την εσωτεραν και ιδου πληρης δοξης κυριου ο οικος

⁶ και εστην και ιδου φωνη εκ του οικου λαλουντος προς με και ο ανηρ ειστηκει εχομενος μου

⁷ και ειπεν προς με εωρακας υιε ανθρωπου τον τοπον του θρονου μου και τον τοπον του ιχνους των ποδων μου εν οις κατασκηνωσει το ονομα μου εν μεσω οικου ισραηλ τον αιωνα και ου βεβηλωσουσιν ουκετι οικος ισραηλ το ονομα το αγιον μου αυτοι και οι ηγουμενοι αυτων εν τη πορνεια αυτων και εν τοις φονοις των ηγουμενων εν μεσω αυτων

⁸ εν τω τιθεναι αυτους το προθυρον μου εν τοις προθυροις αυτων και τας φλιας μου εχομενας των φλιων αυτων και εδωκαν τον τοιχον μου ως συνεχομενον εμου και αυτων και εβεβηλωσαν το ονομα το αγιον μου εν ταις ανομιαις αυτων αις εποιουν και εξετριψα αυτους εν θυμω μου και εν φονω

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

¹⁰ και συ υιε ανθρωπου δειξον τω οικω ισραηλ τον οικον και κοπασουσιν απο των αμαρτιων αυτων και την ορασιν αυτου και την διαταξιν αυτου

¹¹ και αυτοι λημψονται την κολασιν αυτων περι παντων ων εποιησαν και διαγραψεις τον οικον και τας εξοδους αυτου και την υποστασιν αυτου και παντα τα προσταγματα αυτου και παντα τα νομιμα αυτου γνωριεις αυτοις και διαγραψεις εναντιον αυτων και φυλαξονται παντα τα δικαιωματα μου και παντα τα προσταγματα μου και ποιησουσιν αυτα

¹² και την διαγραφην του οικου επι της κορυφης του ορους παντα τα ορια αυτου κυκλοθεν αγια αγιων

¹³ και ταυτα τα μετρα του θυσιαστηριου εν πηχει του πηχεος και παλαιστης κολπωμα βαθος επι πηχυν και πηχυς το ευρος και γεισος επι το χειλος αυτου κυκλοθεν σπιθαμης και τουτο το υψος του θυσιαστηριου

¹⁴ εκ βαθους της αρχης του κοιλωματος αυτου προς το ιλαστηριον το μεγα το υποκατωθεν πηχων δυο και το ευρος πηχεος και απο του ιλαστηριου του μικρου επι το ιλαστηριον το μεγα πηχεις τεσσαρες και ευρος πηχυς

¹⁵ και το αριηλ πηχων τεσσαρων και απο του αριηλ και υπερανω των κερατων πηχυς

¹⁶ και το αριηλ πηχων δωδεκα μηκους επι πηχεις δωδεκα πλατους τετραγωνον επι τα τεσσαρα μερη αυτου

¹⁷ και το ιλαστηριον πηχων δεκα τεσσαρων το μηκος επι πηχεις δεκα τεσσαρας το ευρος επι τεσσαρα μερη αυτου και το γεισος αυτω κυκλοθεν κυκλουμενον αυτω ημισυ πηχεος και το κυκλωμα αυτου πηχυς κυκλοθεν και οι κλιμακτηρες αυτου βλεποντες κατ' ανατολας

¹⁸ και ειπεν προς με υιε ανθρωπου ταδε λεγει κυριος ο θεος ισραηλ ταυτα τα προσταγματα του θυσιαστηριου εν ημερα ποιησεως αυτου του αναφερειν επ' αυτου ολοκαυτωματα και προσχεειν προς αυτο αιμα

¹⁹ και δωσεις τοις ιερευσι τοις λευιταις τοις εκ του σπερματος σαδδουκ τοις εγγιζουσι προς με λεγει κυριος ο θεος του λειτουργειν μοι μοσχον εκ βοων περι αμαρτιας

²⁰ και λημψονται εκ του αιματος αυτου και επιθησουσιν επι τα τεσσαρα κερατα του θυσιαστηριου και επι τας τεσσαρας γωνιας του ιλαστηριου και επι την βασιν κυκλω και εξιλασονται αυτο

²¹ και λημψονται τον μοσχον τον περι αμαρτιας και κατακαυθησεται εν τω αποκεχωρισμενω του οικου εξωθεν των αγιων

²² και τη ημερα τη δευτερα λημψονται εριφους δυο αιγων αμωμους υπερ αμαρτιας και εξιλασονται το θυσιαστηριον καθοτι εξιλασαντο εν τω μοσχω

²³ και μετα το συντελεσαι σε τον εξιλασμον προσοισουσι μοσχον εκ βοων αμωμον και κριον εκ προβατων αμωμον

²⁴ και προσοισετε εναντιον κυριου και επιρριψουσιν οι ιερεις επ' αυτα αλα και ανοισουσιν αυτα ολοκαυτωματα τω κυριω

²⁵ επτα ημερας ποιησεις εριφον υπερ αμαρτιας καθ' ημεραν και μοσχον εκ βοων και κριον εκ προβατων αμωμα ποιησουσιν

²⁶ επτα ημερας και εξιλασονται το θυσιαστηριον και καθαριουσιν αυτο και πλησουσιν χειρας αυτων

²⁷ και εσται απο της ημερας της ογδοης και επεκεινα ποιησουσιν οι ιερεις επι το θυσιαστηριον τα ολοκαυτωματα υμων και τα του σωτηριου υμων και προσδεξομαι υμας λεγει κυριος

From Swedenborg's Works

Apocalypse Revealed #945

Study this Passage

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