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Ezekiel 44

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1 και επεστρεψεν με κατα την οδον της πυλης των αγιων της εξωτερας της βλεπουσης κατ' ανατολας και αυτη ην κεκλεισμενη

2 και ειπεν κυριος προς με η πυλη αυτη κεκλεισμενη εσται ουκ ανοιχθησεται και ουδεις μη διελθη δι' αυτης οτι κυριος ο θεος του ισραηλ εισελευσεται δι' αυτης και εσται κεκλεισμενη

3 διοτι ο ηγουμενος ουτος καθησεται εν αυτη του φαγειν αρτον εναντιον κυριου κατα την οδον αιλαμ της πυλης εισελευσεται και κατα την οδον αυτου εξελευσεται

4 και εισηγαγεν με κατα την οδον της πυλης της προς βορραν κατεναντι του οικου και ειδον και ιδου πληρης δοξης ο οικος κυριου και πιπτω επι προσωπον μου

5 και ειπεν κυριος προς με υιε ανθρωπου ταξον εις την καρδιαν σου και ιδε τοις οφθαλμοις σου και τοις ωσιν σου ακουε παντα οσα εγω λαλω μετα σου κατα παντα τα προσταγματα οικου κυριου και κατα παντα τα νομιμα αυτου και ταξεις την καρδιαν σου εις την εισοδον του οικου κατα πασας τας εξοδους αυτου εν πασι τοις αγιοις

6 και ερεις προς τον οικον τον παραπικραινοντα προς τον οικον του ισραηλ ταδε λεγει κυριος ο θεος ικανουσθω υμιν απο πασων των ανομιων υμων οικος ισραηλ

7 του εισαγαγειν υμας υιους αλλογενεις απεριτμητους καρδια και απεριτμητους σαρκι του γινεσθαι εν τοις αγιοις μου και εβεβηλουν αυτα εν τω προσφερειν υμας αρτους στεαρ και αιμα και παρεβαινετε την διαθηκην μου εν πασαις ταις ανομιαις υμων

8 και διεταξατε του φυλασσειν φυλακας εν τοις αγιοις μου

9 δια τουτο ταδε λεγει κυριος ο θεος πας υιος αλλογενης απεριτμητος καρδια και απεριτμητος σαρκι ουκ εισελευσεται εις τα αγια μου εν πασιν υιοις αλλογενων των οντων εν μεσω οικου ισραηλ

10 αλλ' η οι λευιται οιτινες αφηλαντο απ' εμου εν τω πλανασθαι τον ισραηλ απ' εμου κατοπισθεν των ενθυμηματων αυτων και λημψονται αδικιαν αυτων

11 και εσονται εν τοις αγιοις μου λειτουργουντες θυρωροι επι των πυλων του οικου και λειτουργουντες τω οικω ουτοι σφαξουσιν τα ολοκαυτωματα και τας θυσιας τω λαω και ουτοι στησονται εναντιον του λαου του λειτουργειν αυτοις

12 ανθ' ων ελειτουργουν αυτοις προ προσωπου των ειδωλων αυτων και εγενετο τω οικω ισραηλ εις κολασιν αδικιας ενεκα τουτου ηρα την χειρα μου επ' αυτους λεγει κυριος ο θεος

13 και ουκ εγγιουσι προς με του ιερατευειν μοι ουδε του προσαγειν προς τα αγια υιων του ισραηλ ουδε προς τα αγια των αγιων μου και λημψονται ατιμιαν αυτων εν τη πλανησει η επλανηθησαν

14 και καταταξουσιν αυτους φυλασσειν φυλακας του οικου εις παντα τα εργα αυτου και εις παντα οσα αν ποιησωσιν

15 οι ιερεις οι λευιται οι υιοι του σαδδουκ οιτινες εφυλαξαντο τας φυλακας των αγιων μου εν τω πλανασθαι οικον ισραηλ απ' εμου ουτοι προσαξουσιν προς με του λειτουργειν μοι και στησονται προ προσωπου μου του προσφερειν μοι θυσιαν στεαρ και αιμα λεγει κυριος ο θεος

16 ουτοι εισελευσονται εις τα αγια μου και ουτοι προσελευσονται προς την τραπεζαν μου του λειτουργειν μοι και φυλαξουσιν τας φυλακας μου

17 και εσται εν τω εισπορευεσθαι αυτους τας πυλας της αυλης της εσωτερας στολας λινας ενδυσονται και ουκ ενδυσονται ερεα εν τω λειτουργειν αυτους απο της πυλης της εσωτερας αυλης

18 και κιδαρεις λινας εξουσιν επι ταις κεφαλαις αυτων και περισκελη λινα εξουσιν επι τας οσφυας αυτων και ου περιζωσονται βια

19 και εν τω εκπορευεσθαι αυτους εις την αυλην την εξωτεραν προς τον λαον εκδυσονται τας στολας αυτων εν αις αυτοι λειτουργουσιν εν αυταις και θησουσιν αυτας εν ταις εξεδραις των αγιων και ενδυσονται στολας ετερας και ου μη αγιασωσιν τον λαον εν ταις στολαις αυτων

20 και τας κεφαλας αυτων ου ξυρησονται και τας κομας αυτων ου ψιλωσουσιν καλυπτοντες καλυψουσιν τας κεφαλας αυτων

21 και οινον ου μη πιωσιν πας ιερευς εν τω εισπορευεσθαι αυτους εις την αυλην την εσωτεραν

22 και χηραν και εκβεβλημενην ου λημψονται εαυτοις εις γυναικα αλλ' η παρθενον εκ του σπερματος ισραηλ και χηρα εαν γενηται εξ ιερεως λημψονται

23 και τον λαον μου διδαξουσιν ανα μεσον αγιου και βεβηλου και ανα μεσον ακαθαρτου και καθαρου γνωριουσιν αυτοις

24 και επι κρισιν αιματος ουτοι επιστησονται του διακρινειν τα δικαιωματα μου δικαιωσουσιν και τα κριματα μου κρινουσιν και τα νομιμα μου και τα προσταγματα μου εν πασαις ταις εορταις μου φυλαξονται και τα σαββατα μου αγιασουσιν

25 και επι ψυχην ανθρωπου ουκ εισελευσονται του μιανθηναι αλλ' η επι πατρι και επι μητρι και επι υιω και επι θυγατρι και επι αδελφω και επι αδελφη αυτου η ου γεγονεν ανδρι μιανθησεται

26 και μετα το καθαρισθηναι αυτον επτα ημερας εξαριθμησει αυτω

27 και η αν ημερα εισπορευωνται εις την αυλην την εσωτεραν του λειτουργειν εν τω αγιω προσοισουσιν ιλασμον λεγει κυριος ο θεος

28 και εσται αυτοις εις κληρονομιαν εγω κληρονομια αυτοις και κατασχεσις αυτοις ου δοθησεται εν τοις υιοις ισραηλ οτι εγω κατασχεσις αυτων

29 και τας θυσιας και τα υπερ αμαρτιας και τα υπερ αγνοιας ουτοι φαγονται και παν αφορισμα εν τω ισραηλ αυτοις εσται

30 απαρχαι παντων και τα πρωτοτοκα παντων και τα αφαιρεματα παντα εκ παντων των απαρχων υμων τοις ιερευσιν εσται και τα πρωτογενηματα υμων δωσετε τω ιερει του θειναι ευλογιας υμων επι τους οικους υμων

31 και παν θνησιμαιον και θηριαλωτον εκ των πετεινων και εκ των κτηνων ου φαγονται οι ιερεις

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #36

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36. I became in the spirit on the Lord's day. (1:10) This symbolizes a spiritual state then owing to Divine influx.

"I became in the spirit" means, symbolically, a spiritual state, the state in which John was while he was experiencing the visions, and which we will take up in the following exposition. "On the Lord's day" symbolizes influx from the Lord then, for that day brings the Lord's presence, as it is a holy day.

Concerning the prophets we read that they were in the spirit or in vision, and that the Word came to them from Jehovah.

When they were in the spirit or in vision, they were not in the body, but in their spirit, a state in which they saw phenomena such as are found in heaven. But when the Word came to them, they were then in the body and heard Jehovah speaking.

These two states of the prophets must be properly distinguished. In the state of vision the eyes of their spirit were open and the eyes of their body closed; and they heard then what angels said, and what Jehovah said through angels, and also saw representations produced for them in heaven. Moreover, they sometimes seemed to themselves to be taken then from place to place, their body remaining where it was.

[2] This was the state in which John was when he wrote the book of Revelation, and the state sometimes experienced by Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Daniel. They also said that they were then in vision or in the spirit. For Ezekiel says,

The Spirit lifted me up... and brought me back into Chaldea, to those in captivity, in a vision (of God), in the spirit of God. (Thus) went up from me the vision that I had seen. (Ezekiel 11:1, 24)

He also says that the Spirit lifted him up, and he heard behind him an earthquake, and more (Ezekiel 3:12, 24). So, too, that the Spirit lifted him up between earth and heaven, that it brought him in visions of God to Jerusalem, and that he saw abominations (Ezekiel 8:3f.). He was likewise in a vision of God or in the spirit when he saw the four living creatures, which were cherubim (Ezekiel 1; 10), as also when he saw a new earth and a new temple, and an angel measuring them (Ezekiel 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48). That he was then in the visions of God, he himself says (Ezekiel 40:2), and that the spirit lifted him up (Ezekiel 43:5).

[3] The same was the case with Zechariah, who had an angel with him at the time, when he saw a man riding a horse among the myrtle trees (Zechariah 1:8ff.); when he saw the four horns, and then a 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); when he saw the four chariots coming from between two mountains, and the horses (Zechariah 6:1ff.).

Daniel was in a like state when he saw the four beasts coming up from the sea (Daniel 7:1ff.), and when he saw the combat between the ram and the male goat (Daniel 8:1ff.). He himself says that he saw these things in visions (Daniel 7:1-2, 7, 13; 8:2; 10:1, 7-8), and that the angel Gabriel appeared to him in a vision (Daniel 9:21).

[4] The same was the case with John, as when he saw the Son of Man in the midst of the seven lampstands (Revelation 1), and finally, the new heaven and the new earth, and then the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven (Revelation 21, 22. John himself says that he saw these things in the spirit and in vision (1:10; 4:2; 9:17; 21:10). This, too, is meant by the statement, "I saw," everywhere it occurs in this book.

[5] It is clearly apparent from this that to be in the spirit is to be in a state of vision, which is brought about by an opening of the sight of a person's spirit; and when this is opened, phenomena found in the spiritual world are as clearly visible as those in the natural world are to the sight of the body.

The reality of this is something I can attest to from many years' experience.

The disciples were in this state when they saw the Lord after His resurrection, which is why are told that their eyes were opened (Luke 24:30-31).

Abraham was in a like state when he saw the three angels and spoke with them. 1

So, too, Hagar, Gideon, Joshua and others, when they saw angels of Jehovah. Likewise when Elisha's lad saw the mountain full of fiery chariots and horses all around Elisha, for Elisha prayed and said,

"Jehovah, open, I pray, his eyes that he may see." And Jehovah opened the eyes of the lad, and he saw. (2 Kings 6:17)

As regards the Word, however, it was not revealed in a state of the spirit or of vision, but the Lord dictated it to the prophets in an audible voice. Consequently we are nowhere told that the prophets spoke it from the Holy Spirit, but from Jehovah. See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, no. 53.

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 18

  
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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.

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