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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

 

Arcana Coelestia #9659

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9659. 'And there shall be eight boards and their bases [made] from silver' means support in every respect from good and through truth that springs from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'eight' as what is so in every respect, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'boards' as good that lends support, dealt with in 9634; and from the meaning of 'bases [made] from silver' as support provided through truth from good, dealt with in 9643.

[2] 'Eight' means in every respect because this number has the same meaning as two and four, being the product of these when multiplied together. 'Two' and 'four' mean being joined together, completely so, 5194, 8423, 8877, and consequently also mean what is complete, 9103, and therefore what is so in every respect; for what exists in completeness does so in every respect. Another reason why 'eight' means what exists in completeness and in every respect is that since 'a week' means a whole period from beginning to end, 2044, 3845, 'the eighth day' means a complete state, from which a new beginning then commences. This explains why males had to be circumcised on the eighth day, Genesis 17:12; 21:4, for circumcision was a sign of purification from foul kinds of love by means of the truth of faith, 2039, 2046 (end), 2799, 3412, 3413, 4462. The foreskin corresponded to the defilement of good by those kinds of love, 4462, 7045, 7225, and the knife of flint with which circumcision was carried out was a sign of the truth of faith by means of which purification was accomplished, 2039 (end), 2046 (end), 2799, 7044.

[3] What exists in completeness and in every respect is also meant by 'eight' following 'seven' in Micah,

When Asshur comes into our land and treads our palaces we will set up over him seven shepherds and eight princes of men (homo), and they will feed 1 the land of Asshur with the sword; and he will deliver [us] from Asshur. Micah 5:5-6.

'Asshur' stands for reasoning on the basis of one's own intelligence about the Church's forms of good and its truths. Deliverance totally or in every respect from consequent falsity is meant by 'eight princes of men' who will bring destruction, 'princes of men' being the leading truths that rise out of good.

[4] The fact that 'eight' means completeness and in every respect is also clear from an experience I had involving the admission and reception of some communities into heaven, about which see 2130. I saw as many as twelve communities received first, and after them as many as eight more; for people admitted and received into heaven are those who have been purified from earthly things, that is, from all love of them, and have gone on to receive instruction. The number eight on that occasion was a sign of that which was complete.

[5] 'Eight' has a similar meaning elsewhere in the Word, for example where it says that the portico of the gateway was 'eight cubits' long from the house, and that there were 'eight steps' up to the house, in Ezekiel 40:9, 31, 41. The description there is of the new house, by which the Lord's New Church is meant, truths leading to good and from good back to truths being meant by 'the portico' and 'the steps'.

[6] Anyone who does not know that spiritual realities or real things are implied by the numbers used in the Word cannot possibly see any such reality nor thus anything holy in the measures and numbers where the tabernacle, Solomon's temple, and after these the new house, new temple, and new land in Ezekiel, are described, when yet not a syllable in the Word is devoid of spiritual meaning. Let all who have intelligence weigh up in their mind what the measures and numbers in Chapters 40-48 of Ezekiel really mean, also the measures and numbers in John, at Revelation 21:17, where it says that the angel measured the wall of the new Jerusalem, a hundred and forty-four cubits, and that this measure was that of a man (homo), that is, of an angel, and also in the following, besides many other places,

Let him who has intelligence reckon the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man (homo), that is, its number is six hundred and sixty-six. Revelation 13:18.

For more about all numbers in the Word, that they mean spiritual realities or real things, see 482, 487, 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 4495, 4670, 5265, 5291, 5335, 5708, 6175, 7973, and places where the specific meaning of certain numbers has been shown.

Footnotes:

1. i.e. destroy

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

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