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Ezekiel 5

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1 και συ υιε ανθρωπου λαβε σεαυτω ρομφαιαν οξειαν υπερ ξυρον κουρεως κτηση αυτην σεαυτω και επαξεις αυτην επι την κεφαλην σου και επι τον πωγωνα σου και λημψη ζυγον σταθμιων και διαστησεις αυτους

2 το τεταρτον εν πυρι ανακαυσεις εν μεση τη πολει κατα την πληρωσιν των ημερων του συγκλεισμου και λημψη το τεταρτον και κατακαυσεις αυτο εν μεσω αυτης και το τεταρτον κατακοψεις εν ρομφαια κυκλω αυτης και το τεταρτον διασκορπισεις τω πνευματι και μαχαιραν εκκενωσω οπισω αυτων

3 και λημψη εκειθεν ολιγους εν αριθμω και συμπεριλημψη αυτους τη αναβολη σου

4 και εκ τουτων λημψη ετι και ριψεις αυτους εις μεσον του πυρος και κατακαυσεις αυτους εν πυρι εξ αυτης εξελευσεται πυρ και ερεις παντι οικω ισραηλ

5 ταδε λεγει κυριος αυτη η ιερουσαλημ εν μεσω των εθνων τεθεικα αυτην και τας κυκλω αυτης χωρας

6 και ερεις τα δικαιωματα μου τη ανομω εκ των εθνων και τα νομιμα μου εκ των χωρων των κυκλω αυτης διοτι τα δικαιωματα μου απωσαντο και εν τοις νομιμοις μου ουκ επορευθησαν εν αυτοις

7 δια τουτο ταδε λεγει κυριος ανθ' ων η αφορμη υμων εκ των εθνων των κυκλω υμων και εν τοις νομιμοις μου ουκ επορευθητε και τα δικαιωματα μου ουκ εποιησατε αλλ' ουδε κατα τα δικαιωματα των εθνων των κυκλω υμων ου πεποιηκατε

8 δια τουτο ταδε λεγει κυριος ιδου εγω επι σε και ποιησω εν μεσω σου κριμα ενωπιον των εθνων

9 και ποιησω εν σοι α ου πεποιηκα και α ου ποιησω ομοια αυτοις ετι κατα παντα τα βδελυγματα σου

10 δια τουτο πατερες φαγονται τεκνα εν μεσω σου και τεκνα φαγονται πατερας και ποιησω εν σοι κριματα και διασκορπιω παντας τους καταλοιπους σου εις παντα ανεμον

11 δια τουτο ζω εγω λεγει κυριος ει μη ανθ' ων τα αγια μου εμιανας εν πασιν τοις βδελυγμασιν σου καγω απωσομαι σε ου φεισεται μου ο οφθαλμος καγω ουκ ελεησω

12 το τεταρτον σου εν θανατω αναλωθησεται και το τεταρτον σου εν λιμω συντελεσθησεται εν μεσω σου και το τεταρτον σου εις παντα ανεμον σκορπιω αυτους και το τεταρτον σου εν ρομφαια πεσουνται κυκλω σου και μαχαιραν εκκενωσω οπισω αυτων

13 και συντελεσθησεται ο θυμος μου και η οργη μου επ' αυτους και επιγνωση διοτι εγω κυριος λελαληκα εν ζηλω μου εν τω συντελεσαι με την οργην μου επ' αυτους

14 και θησομαι σε εις ερημον και τας θυγατερας σου κυκλω σου ενωπιον παντος διοδευοντος

15 και εση στενακτη και δηλαιστη εν τοις εθνεσιν τοις κυκλω σου εν τω ποιησαι με εν σοι κριματα εν εκδικησει θυμου μου εγω κυριος λελαληκα

16 εν τω εξαποστειλαι με τας βολιδας μου του λιμου επ' αυτους και εσονται εις εκλειψιν και συντριψω στηριγμα αρτου σου

17 και εξαποστελω επι σε λιμον και θηρια πονηρα και τιμωρησομαι σε και θανατος και αιμα διελευσονται επι σε και ρομφαιαν επαξω επι σε κυκλοθεν εγω κυριος λελαληκα

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #787

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787. And the whole earth wondered after the beast, signifies the acceptance of these by the more learned in the church, and the reception from afar by the less learned. This is evident from the signification of "to wonder after the beast," as being (in reference to the disagreement with the Word apparently cleared away by devised conjunctions of works with faith) the acceptance by the more learned, and the reception by the less learned (of which presently). Also from the signification of "earth," as being the church (See above, n. 29, 304, 417, 697, 741, 742, 752). "The whole earth wondered after the beast" signifies acceptance and reception, because wondering attracts, and those who are attracted follow.

[2] In the Word mention is frequently made of "going" and "walking after God," "after other gods," "after a leader," and "after many;" and these expressions signify to follow and acknowledge in heart, also to be and to live with them, and to be consociated, as in the following passages. In the first book of Kings:

David hath kept My commandments, and hath walked after Me with his whole heart, to do that which is right in Mine eyes (1 Kings 14:8).

In the first book of Samuel:

The sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the war (1 Samuel 17:13).

In Moses:

Thou shalt not follow after many to evils; thou shalt not answer respecting a cause of strife to turn aside after many (Exodus 23:2).

In Jeremiah:

Thou shalt not go after other gods whom thou hast not known (Jeremiah 7:9).

In the same:

They went after other gods to serve them (Jeremiah 11:10; Deuteronomy 8:19).

In Moses:

The man who shall go after Baal-peor, Jehovah thy God will destroy from the midst of thee (Deuteronomy 4:3).

From this it is evident that "to go after" anyone signifies to follow him, obey him, act from him, and live from him; "to walk and live" 1 also signifies to live. From this it can be seen that "to wonder after the beast" signifies acceptance and reception from the persuasion that the disagreement with the Word is apparently cleared away.

[3] Acceptance by the more learned and reception from afar by the less learned is signified, because the modes of conjoining faith with its life, which is good works, were devised by the learned; while the less learned, because they were unable to investigate interiorly these disagreements, received them, each one according to his apprehension; consequently this dogma, that faith alone is the essential means of salvation, has been received in the whole earth, or in the Christian Church.

[4] It shall be explained also in a few words how the chief point of that religion, namely, that in faith alone there is salvation, and not in good works, has been apparently cleared away, and is therefore accepted by the learned. For these have devised stages of the progress of faith to good works, which they call steps of justification. They make the first step to be the hearing from masters and preachers, the second step information from the Word that it is so; the third step acknowledgment; and since nothing of the church can be acknowledged in heart unless temptation precede, therefore they join temptation to this step; and if the doubts that are then encountered are dissipated by the Word or by the preacher, and thus the man conquers, they say that the man has confidence, which is a certainty that it is so, and also confidence that he is saved by the Lord's merit. But as the doubts that are encountered in temptation arise chiefly from not understanding the Word, where "deeds," "works," "doing," and "working" are so often mentioned, they say that the understanding must be held in check under obedience to faith. Hence follows the fourth step, which is the endeavor to do good; and in this they rest, saying that when man arrives at this stage he has been justified, and that then all the acts of his life are accepted by God, and the evils of his life are not seen by God, because they are pardoned. This conjunction of faith with good works has been devised by the learned and also accepted by them. But this conjunction rarely extends to the common people, both because it transcends the comprehension of some of them, and because they are for the most part engaged in their business and employments, and these divert the mind from gaining an understanding of the inner mysteries of this doctrine.

[5] But the conjunction of faith with good works, and thereby apparent agreement with the Word, is received in a different manner by the less learned. These know nothing about the steps of justification, but believe that faith alone is the only means of salvation; and when they see from the Word and hear from the preacher that goods must be done and that man will be judged according to his works, they think that faith produces good works, for they know no otherwise than that faith is to know the things that the preacher teaches, and thence to think that it is so; and because this comes first they believe that faith produces good works, which they call the fruits of faith, not knowing that such a faith is a faith of the memory only, and viewed in itself is historical faith, because it is from another, and thus another's with themselves, and that such a faith can never bring forth any good fruit. Into this error most of those in the Christian world have fallen, for the reason that faith alone has been received as the chief means, yea, as the only means of salvation. But how faith and charity, or believing and doing, make one shall be told hereafter.

Footnotes:

1. The photolithograph has "ambulare et vivere significat vivere;" "to walk and live signifies to live."

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Jeremiah 7:9

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9 και φονευετε και μοιχασθε και κλεπτετε και ομνυετε επ' αδικω και εθυμιατε τη βααλ και επορευεσθε οπισω θεων αλλοτριων ων ουκ οιδατε του κακως ειναι υμιν