New Christian Bible Study

The Bible

 

Genesis 3

Study

   

1 ο δε οφις ην φρονιμωτατος παντων των θηριων των επι της γης ων εποιησεν κυριος ο θεος και ειπεν ο οφις τη γυναικι τι οτι ειπεν ο θεος ου μη φαγητε απο παντος ξυλου του εν τω παραδεισω

2 και ειπεν η γυνη τω οφει απο καρπου ξυλου του παραδεισου φαγομεθα

3 απο δε καρπου του ξυλου ο εστιν εν μεσω του παραδεισου ειπεν ο θεος ου φαγεσθε απ' αυτου ουδε μη αψησθε αυτου ινα μη αποθανητε

4 και ειπεν ο οφις τη γυναικι ου θανατω αποθανεισθε

5 ηδει γαρ ο θεος οτι εν η αν ημερα φαγητε απ' αυτου διανοιχθησονται υμων οι οφθαλμοι και εσεσθε ως θεοι γινωσκοντες καλον και πονηρον

6 και ειδεν η γυνη οτι καλον το ξυλον εις βρωσιν και οτι αρεστον τοις οφθαλμοις ιδειν και ωραιον εστιν του κατανοησαι και λαβουσα του καρπου αυτου εφαγεν και εδωκεν και τω ανδρι αυτης μετ' αυτης και εφαγον

7 και διηνοιχθησαν οι οφθαλμοι των δυο και εγνωσαν οτι γυμνοι ησαν και ερραψαν φυλλα συκης και εποιησαν εαυτοις περιζωματα

8 και ηκουσαν την φωνην κυριου του θεου περιπατουντος εν τω παραδεισω το δειλινον και εκρυβησαν ο τε αδαμ και η γυνη αυτου απο προσωπου κυριου του θεου εν μεσω του ξυλου του παραδεισου

9 και εκαλεσεν κυριος ο θεος τον αδαμ και ειπεν αυτω αδαμ που ει

10 και ειπεν αυτω την φωνην σου ηκουσα περιπατουντος εν τω παραδεισω και εφοβηθην οτι γυμνος ειμι και εκρυβην

11 και ειπεν αυτω τις ανηγγειλεν σοι οτι γυμνος ει μη απο του ξυλου ου ενετειλαμην σοι τουτου μονου μη φαγειν απ' αυτου εφαγες

12 και ειπεν ο αδαμ η γυνη ην εδωκας μετ' εμου αυτη μοι εδωκεν απο του ξυλου και εφαγον

13 και ειπεν κυριος ο θεος τη γυναικι τι τουτο εποιησας και ειπεν η γυνη ο οφις ηπατησεν με και εφαγον

14 και ειπεν κυριος ο θεος τω οφει οτι εποιησας τουτο επικαταρατος συ απο παντων των κτηνων και απο παντων των θηριων της γης επι τω στηθει σου και τη κοιλια πορευση και γην φαγη πασας τας ημερας της ζωης σου

15 και εχθραν θησω ανα μεσον σου και ανα μεσον της γυναικος και ανα μεσον του σπερματος σου και ανα μεσον του σπερματος αυτης αυτος σου τηρησει κεφαλην και συ τηρησεις αυτου πτερναν

16 και τη γυναικι ειπεν πληθυνων πληθυνω τας λυπας σου και τον στεναγμον σου εν λυπαις τεξη τεκνα και προς τον ανδρα σου η αποστροφη σου και αυτος σου κυριευσει

17 τω δε αδαμ ειπεν οτι ηκουσας της φωνης της γυναικος σου και εφαγες απο του ξυλου ου ενετειλαμην σοι τουτου μονου μη φαγειν απ' αυτου επικαταρατος η γη εν τοις εργοις σου εν λυπαις φαγη αυτην πασας τας ημερας της ζωης σου

18 ακανθας και τριβολους ανατελει σοι και φαγη τον χορτον του αγρου

19 εν ιδρωτι του προσωπου σου φαγη τον αρτον σου εως του αποστρεψαι σε εις την γην εξ ης ελημφθης οτι γη ει και εις γην απελευση

20 και εκαλεσεν αδαμ το ονομα της γυναικος αυτου ζωη οτι αυτη μητηρ παντων των ζωντων

21 και εποιησεν κυριος ο θεος τω αδαμ και τη γυναικι αυτου χιτωνας δερματινους και ενεδυσεν αυτους

22 και ειπεν ο θεος ιδου αδαμ γεγονεν ως εις εξ ημων του γινωσκειν καλον και πονηρον και νυν μηποτε εκτεινη την χειρα και λαβη του ξυλου της ζωης και φαγη και ζησεται εις τον αιωνα

23 και εξαπεστειλεν αυτον κυριος ο θεος εκ του παραδεισου της τρυφης εργαζεσθαι την γην εξ ης ελημφθη

24 και εξεβαλεν τον αδαμ και κατωκισεν αυτον απεναντι του παραδεισου της τρυφης και εταξεν τα χερουβιμ και την φλογινην ρομφαιαν την στρεφομενην φυλασσειν την οδον του ξυλου της ζωης

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #564

Study this Passage

  
/ 962  
  

564. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth. (12:16) This symbolically means that the multitude of reasonings flowing from falsities that followers of the dragon put forward come to nothing in the face of the spiritual truths rationally understood that are advanced by the Michaels of whom the New Church is formed.

The earth that helped the woman symbolizes the church in respect to its doctrine (no. 285). And because the subject is the reasonings flowing from falsities that followers of the dragon put forward, truths from the Word are the means by which the earth, or rather the church, "helps the woman." To open the mouth means, symbolically, to advance those truths. The river that the dragon spewed out of its mouth symbolizes a multitude of reasonings flowing from falsities (no. 563). To swallow means, symbolically, to cause to come to nothing.

Michaels mean people of the New Church - Michael being those who are wise there, and his angels being the rest.

[2] Since in the New Church the dogma is rejected that the intellect should be held captive in obedience to faith, and accepted instead is the tenet that the church's truth must be seen to be believed (no. 224), and because truth can be seen only when it is seen rationally, therefore we say, "in the face of the spiritual truths rationally understood."

How can anyone be led by the Lord and affiliated with heaven if he closes up his intellect in such matters as have to do with salvation and eternal life? Is it not the intellect that must be enlightened and instructed? What else is the intellect that has been closed up by religion but a mass of darkness, and the kind of darkness that deflects away from itself any illuminating light?

Who, moreover, can acknowledge any truth and retain it if he does not see it? What is truth not seen but a word without meaning, which sensual, carnal people are accustomed to retain in memory, but which the wise cannot? Indeed, wise people cast empty words out of the memory, namely, words which have not entered from an understanding of them - as for example, that the one God is three in respect to persons, or that the Lord born from eternity is not identical with the Lord born in time, so that one Lord is God and not the other; or further, that a life of charity, which consists in good works and at the same time in repentance from evil works, contributes nothing to salvation. A wise person does not understand this, and consequently because of his rationality says, "Religion in that case accomplishes nothing. Is it not an article of religion to refrain from evil and do good? Is this not what the church's doctrine teaches, and what a person is also meant to believe, so that he does the goods of religion from God?"

  
/ 962  
  

Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Revelation 12:17

Study

       

17 The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God's commandments and hold Jesus' testimony.

©2024 New Christian Bible Study Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed from newchristianbiblestudy.org