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Jezekilj 1

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1 Godine tridesete, meseca četvrtog, petog dana, kad bejah među robljem na reci Hevaru, otvoriše se nebesa, i videh utvare Božje.

2 Petog dana tog meseca, pete godine od kako se zarobi car Joahin,

3 Dođe reč Gospodnja Jezekilju sinu Vuzijevom, svešteniku, u zemlji haldejskoj na reci Hevaru, i onde dođe ruka Gospodnja nada nj.

4 I videh, i gle, silan vetar dolažaše od severa, i velik oblak i oganj koji se razgorevaše, i oko njega svetlost, a isred ognja kao jaka svetlost;

5 Isred njega još kao četiri životinje, koje na oči behu nalik na čoveka;

6 I u svake behu četiri lica, i četiri krila u svake;

7 I noge im behu prave, a u stopalu behu im noge kao u teleta; i sevahu kao uglađena bronza.

8 I ruke im behu čovečje pod krilima nad četiri strane, i lica im i krila behu na četiri strane.

9 Sastavljena im behu krila jedno s drugim; i ne okretahu se idući, nego svaka iđaše na prema se.

10 I lice beše u sve četiri lice čovečje i lice lavovo s desne strane, a s leve strane lice volujsko i lice orlovo u sve četiri.

11 I lica im i krila behu razdeljena ozgo; u svake se dva krila sastavljahu jedno s drugim, a dva pokrivahu im telo.

12 I svaka iđaše pravo na prema se; iđahu kuda duh iđaše, i ne okretahu se idući.

13 I na oči behu te životinje kao živo ugljevlje, gorahu na oči kao sveće; taj oganj prolažaše između životinja i svetljaše se, i iz ognja izlažaše munja.

14 I životinje trčahu i vraćahu se kao munja.

15 I kad gledah životinje, gle, točak jedan beše na zemlji uza svaku životinju prema četiri lica njihova.

16 Obličjem i napravom behu točkovi kao boje hrisolitove, i sva četiri behu jednaka, i obličjem i napravom behu kao da je jedan točak u drugom.

17 Kad iđahu, iđahu sva četiri svaki na svoju stranu, i idući ne skretahu.

18 I naplaci im behu visoki strahota; i behu naplaci puni očiju unaokolo u sva četiri.

19 I kad iđahu životinje, iđahu i točkovi uz njih; i kad se životinje podizahu od zemlje, podizahu se i točkovi.

20 Kuda duh iđaše, onamo iđahu, i podizahu se točkovi prema njima, jer duh životinjski beše u točkovima.

21 Kad one iđahu, iđahu i oni; i kad one stajahu, stajahu i oni; i kad se one podizahu od zemlje, podizahu se i točkovi prema njima, jer duh životinjski beše u točkovima.

22 A nad glavama životinjama beše kao nebo, po viđenju kao kristal, strašno, razastrto ozgo, nad glavama njihovim.

23 A pod tim nebom behu im krila pružena, jedno prema drugom, a dva krila svakoj pokrivahu telo.

24 I čuh huku krila njihovih kad iđahu kao da beše huka velike vode, kao glas Svemogućeg i kao graja u logoru; i kad stajahu, spuštahu krila.

25 I kad stavši spuštahu krila, čujaše se glas ozgo iz neba, koje beše nad glavama njihovim.

26 I ozgo na onom nebu što im beše nad glavama, beše kao presto, po viđenju kao kamen safir, i na prestolu beše po obličju kao čovek.

27 I videh kao jaku svetlost, i u njoj unutra kao oganj naokolo, od bedara gore, a od bedara dole videh kao oganj i svetlost oko njega.

28 Kao duga u oblaku kad je kiša, takva na oči beše svetlost unaokolo. To beše viđenje slave Božje na očima; i kad videh, padoh na lice svoje, i čuh glas Nekoga koji govoraše.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #1038

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1038. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast. That this signifies the dominion of that religious persuasion over the holy things of the Word, is evident from the signification of a woman, as denoting the church (concerning which see n. 555, 707, 721, 730); in this case Babylon, which is not a church but a religious persuasion, devastated of all the truth and good of the church - that it is Babylon which is understood by this woman is manifestly evident from the fifth verse of this chapter - and from the signification of sitting, as denoting to rule; see just above (n. 1033); and from the signification of the scarlet beast, as denoting the Word as to the holy things thereof, which the woman, which is Babylon, profaned by dominion over them.

That by the scarlet beast is signified the Word as to the holy things thereof, which are profaned by Babylon, is evident from the following parts of this chapter, where it is said:

It was, and is not, and is about to ascend out of the abyss, and to go into destruction (vers. 8, 11).

And afterwards:

That the ten horns of the beast were ten kings, who had hatred against the whore, and would make her devastated and naked, and devour her flesh, and burn her with fire, and would give the kingdom to the beast (vers. 16, 17).

From these words, in the spiritual sense, it is evident, that by the scarlet beast is signified the Word as to the holy things thereof.

[2] The reason why the Divine Word can be signified by a beast is, that many of the holy things of the church are signified by beasts in the Word:

As the cherubs, seen as four beasts, in Ezekiel (1; 10).

And the four beasts, or the four animals, which also were cherubs, were seen by John, sitting and standing before the throne, in the Apocalypse (4:6-10; 5:6-12; 7:11; 14:3).

And by these, as cherubs, is signified Providence and defence that the Lord may not be approached except by the good of love; and thence also they signify the Word in the letter, because this is for a defence (concerning which see above, n. 277, 278, 717). And, moreover, all the beasts which were sacrificed, as oxen, heifers, goats, she-goats, kids, rams, sheep, and lambs, signified holy things of the church, as is evident from the things shown above (n. 277, 283, 362, 552, 650, 781, 817). Hence it is, that men from charity are called sheep; indeed, the Lord Himself, from Divine innocence, is called a Lamb, and from Divine power a Lion.

These things are mentioned in order that it may not appear wonderful, that by the beast is here signified the Word; but the Word in the letter, wherein it is natural. Beast also, in a general sense, in the Word, signifies the natural as to affection. The reason why the beast was seen of a scarlet colour is, that scarlet signifies truth from a heavenly origin, such as is the truth of the Word in the sense of the letter or natural sense, which is meant by what is holy in it. Something nearly similar is signified

By the whore seen sitting upon many waters (ver. 1 of this chapter);

Also:

Upon many treasures (inJeremiah 51:13).

For by many waters and many treasures are there signified the truths of the Word, and thence the holy things of the church, which are adulterated (see above, n. 1033). The signification of scarlet will be seen in the explanation of the verse following.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.