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Ezekiel 9

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1 και ανεκραγεν εις τα ωτα μου φωνη μεγαλη λεγων ηγγικεν η εκδικησις της πολεως και εκαστος ειχεν τα σκευη της εξολεθρευσεως εν χειρι αυτου

2 και ιδου εξ ανδρες ηρχοντο απο της οδου της πυλης της υψηλης της βλεπουσης προς βορραν και εκαστου πελυξ εν τη χειρι αυτου και εις ανηρ εν μεσω αυτων ενδεδυκως ποδηρη και ζωνη σαπφειρου επι της οσφυος αυτου και εισηλθοσαν και εστησαν εχομενοι του θυσιαστηριου του χαλκου

3 και δοξα θεου του ισραηλ ανεβη απο των χερουβιν η ουσα επ' αυτων εις το αιθριον του οικου και εκαλεσεν τον ανδρα τον ενδεδυκοτα τον ποδηρη ος ειχεν επι της οσφυος αυτου την ζωνην

4 και ειπεν προς αυτον διελθε μεσην την ιερουσαλημ και δος το σημειον επι τα μετωπα των ανδρων των καταστεναζοντων και των κατωδυνωμενων επι πασαις ταις ανομιαις ταις γινομεναις εν μεσω αυτης

5 και τουτοις ειπεν ακουοντος μου πορευεσθε οπισω αυτου εις την πολιν και κοπτετε και μη φειδεσθε τοις οφθαλμοις υμων και μη ελεησητε

6 πρεσβυτερον και νεανισκον και παρθενον και νηπια και γυναικας αποκτεινατε εις εξαλειψιν επι δε παντας εφ' ους εστιν το σημειον μη εγγισητε και απο των αγιων μου αρξασθε και ηρξαντο απο των ανδρων των πρεσβυτερων οι ησαν εσω εν τω οικω

7 και ειπεν προς αυτους μιανατε τον οικον και πλησατε τας οδους νεκρων εκπορευομενοι και κοπτετε

8 και εγενετο εν τω κοπτειν αυτους και πιπτω επι προσωπον μου και ανεβοησα και ειπα οιμμοι κυριε εξαλειφεις συ τους καταλοιπους του ισραηλ εν τω εκχεαι σε τον θυμον σου επι ιερουσαλημ

9 και ειπεν προς με αδικια του οικου ισραηλ και ιουδα μεμεγαλυνται σφοδρα σφοδρα οτι επλησθη η γη λαων πολλων και η πολις επλησθη αδικιας και ακαθαρσιας οτι ειπαν εγκαταλελοιπεν κυριος την γην ουκ εφορα ο κυριος

10 και ου φεισεται μου ο οφθαλμος ουδε μη ελεησω τας οδους αυτων εις κεφαλας αυτων δεδωκα

11 και ιδου ο ανηρ ο ενδεδυκως τον ποδηρη και εζωσμενος τη ζωνη την οσφυν αυτου και απεκρινατο λεγων πεποιηκα καθως ενετειλω μοι

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #671

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671. Clothed in clean bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden sashes. This symbolically means, this [a preparation by the Lord for influx into the church] 1 in accordance with the pure and genuine truths and goods in the Word.

Clean bright linen symbolizes pure, genuine truth, as we will show below. A golden sash about the breast symbolizes the emanating Divinity that at the same time conjoins, namely Divine good (no. 46 above). To be clothed and girded means, symbolically, to appear and be seen in this truth and goodness, for garments symbolize truths that clothe goodness (no. 166). Sashes or girdles then symbolize truths and goods that hold everything in their order and connection (no. 46).

It is apparent from this that angels clothed in clean bright linen and girded about their breasts with golden sashes symbolize pure and genuine truths and goods, and because these come only from the Word, they symbolize truths and goods in the Word.

[2] That linen symbolizes Divine truth can be seen from the following, as that Aaron wore linen breeches when he entered the Tabernacle or approached the altar (Exodus 28:42-43). That the priests wore linen ephods (1 Samuel 22:18). That when Samuel as a child ministered before Jehovah, he wore a linen ephod (1 Samuel 2:18). That when David was transporting the Ark into his city he was girded with a linen ephod (2 Samuel 6:14).

It can be seen from this why, when the Lord washed the disciples' feet, He girded Himself in linen and wiped their feet with linen 2 (John 13:4-5).

Moreover, the angels seen in the Lord's sepulcher appeared in dazzling bright white clothing (Matthew 28:3 [cf. Luke 24]).

[4]. The angel who measured the new temple had in his hand a line of linen (Ezekiel 40:3). In order that he might represent the state of the church with respect to truth, Jeremiah was told to buy a linen sash and hide it in a hole in the rock by the Euphrates, and later he found it ruined (Jeremiah 13:1-7). We read, too, in Isaiah:

A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking linen He will not quench; He will bring forth justice in truth. (Isaiah 42:3)

By linen in these places nothing else is meant but truth.

Footnotes:

1. I.e., a preparation by the Lord for influx from the inmost of heaven into the church, to expose its evils and falsities in their entirety and so to separate evil people from the good (no. 670 above).

2. The writer here follows the Latin translation of Sebastian Schmidt, who mistakes the Greek lention (levntion, a towel) to have the same meaning as the Latin linteum (linen).

  
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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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