The Bible

 

Jezekilj 14

Study

   

1 Potom dođoše k meni neki od starešina Izrailjevih i sedoše preda me.

2 I dođe mi reč Gospodnja govoreći:

3 Sine čovečji, ovi su ljudi stavili u srca svoja gadne bogove svoje, i metnuli su preda se o šta se spotiču na bezakonje svoje; traže li me doista?

4 Zato govori im i reci im: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Ko je god od doma Izrailjevog stavio u srce svoje gadne bogove svoje i metnuo preda se o šta se spotiče na bezakonje svoje, pa dođe k proroku, ja Gospod odgovoriću mu kad dođe za mnoštvo gadnih bogova njegovih,

5 Da uhvatim dom Izrailjev za srce njihovo što su se odvratili od mene svi za gadnim bogovima svojim.

6 Zato reci domu Izrailjevom: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Obratite se i odstupite od gadnih bogova svojih, odvratite lice svoje od svih gadova svojih.

7 Jer ko bi god od doma Izrailjevog ili od inostranaca koji žive u Izrailju odstupio od mene, i stavio u srce svoje gadne bogove svoje, i metnuo preda se o šta će se spoticati na bezakonje svoje, pa bi došao k proroku da me upita preko njega, njemu ću odgovoriti ja sam Gospod sobom.

8 I okrenuću lice svoje prema tom čoveku, i učiniću od njega znak i priču, i istrebiću ga iz naroda svog, te ćete poznati da sam ja Gospod.

9 I ako bi se prorok prevario, te rekao što, ja Gospod prevarih onog proroka, i dignuću ruku svoju na nj, i istrebiću ga iz naroda svog Izrailja.

10 I poneće obojica svoje bezakonje: kako je bezakonje onog koji pita tako će biti i prorokovo bezakonje,

11 Da više dom Izrailjev ne odstupa od mene i da se više ne skvrne svakojakim prestupima svojim, nego da mi budu narod, i ja da im budem Bog, govori Gospod Gospod.

12 Opet mi dođe reč Gospodnja govoreći:

13 Sine čovečji, ako mi koja zemlja zgreši učinivši neveru, i ja dignem ruku svoju na nju i slomim joj potporu u hlebu, i pustim na nju glad i istrebim u njoj ljude i stoku,

14 Ako bi u njoj bila ova tri čoveka: Noje, Danilo i Jov, oni će pravdom svojom izbaviti duše svoje, govori Gospod Gospod.

15 Ako pustim ljute zveri u zemlju, te pomore ljude, i ona opusti da niko ne može prolaziti od zverja;

16 Ako bi u njoj bila ta tri čoveka, tako ja živ bio, govori Gospod Gospod, neće izbaviti sinove ni kćeri, nego će se sami izbaviti, a zemlja će opusteti.

17 Ili ako mač pustim na tu zemlju, i kažem: Maču, prođi tu zemlju, da istrebim u njoj ljude i stoku;

18 Ako bi ta tri čoveka bila u njoj, tako ja bio živ, govori Gospod Gospod, neće izbaviti sinove ni kćeri, nego će se sami izbaviti.

19 Ili ako pustim pomor na zemlju i izlijem gnev svoj na nju da bi krv tekla da istrebim u njoj ljude i stoku;

20 Ako bi Noje, Danilo i Jov bili u njoj, tako ja živ bio, govori Gospod Gospod, neće izbaviti sina ni kćeri, nego će svoje duše izbaviti pravdom svojom.

21 Jer ovako veli Gospod Gospod: A kamo li kad pustim četiri ljuta zla svoja, mač i glad i zle zveri i pomor na Jerusalim, da istrebim u njemu ljude i stoku.

22 I opet, gle, nekoliko će ih ostati u njemu koji će se izbaviti, sinovi ili kćeri, oni će izaći k vama, i videćete put njihov i dela njihova, i utešićete se za zlo koje ću pustiti na Jerusalim, za sve što ću pustiti na nj.

23 I oni će vas utešiti kad vidite put njihov i dela njihova; i poznaćete da nisam bez uzroka učinio šta sam god učinio u njemu, govori Gospod Gospod.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #343

Study this Passage

  
/ 962  
  

343. Holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. This symbolizes the Lord's holding back and restraining a closer and thus stronger influx into the lower regions where good people were attached to evil ones.

It must be known that a last judgment takes place when evil people multiply below the heavens in the world of spirits, and this to such a degree that angels in the heavens cannot continue in the state of their love and wisdom, as they are then without a support and foundation. Since this results from a multiplication of evil people below, therefore in order to preserve the angels' state, the Lord flows in more and more strongly with His Divinity, and this continually until no influx can preserve them unless the evil people below are separated from the good. This is accomplished by a subsidence and closing in of the heavens, with a consequently stronger influx, until the evil cannot bear it. And at that point the evil flee away and cast themselves into hell.

This, too, is what is symbolized in the preceding chapter by the statement, "They said to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?'" (Revelation 6:16-17)

[2] Now for the exposition:

The four winds symbolize an influx of the heavens. The earth, the sea, and every tree symbolize all the lower regions and all that they contain - the earth and sea symbolizing all the lower regions, and every tree all that they contain.

That a wind symbolizes influx - properly speaking, the influx of truth into the intellect - can be seen from the following passages:

Thus says the Lord Jehovih, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." (Ezekiel 37:9-10)

(There appeared four chariots to which were harnessed four horses.) These are the four winds of the heavens... (Zechariah 6:1-5)

You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and... cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. (John 3:7-8)

The Maker of the earth... prepares the world by His wisdom... He brings the wind out of His treasuries. (Jeremiah 10:12-13; 51:15-16, cf. Psalms 135:7)

He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. He declares His Word..., His statutes and His judgments... (Psalms 147:18-19)

It praises Jehovah..., the stormy wind, doing His Word... (Psalms 148:7-8)

(Jehovah) makes His angels winds... (Psalms 104:4)

(Jehovah) rode... upon the wings of the wind. (Psalms 18:10, cf. 104:3)

The wings of the wind are Divine truths that flow in. The Lord is therefore called "the breath of our nostrils" (Lamentations 4:20), and we are told that He "breathed into (Adam's) nostrils the breath of life" (Genesis 2:7); moreover, that "He breathed on (the Disciples) and said..., "Receive the Holy Spirit" (John 20:21-22). The Holy Spirit is the Divine truth emanating from the Lord, the influx of which into the Disciples was represented and thus symbolized by the Lord's breathing on them.

[3] A wind and breathing symbolize the influx of Divine truth into the intellect, owing to the correspondence of the lungs with the intellect, a treatment of which may be seen in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom, nos. 371-429.

Since a closer and stronger Divine influx through the heavens dispels truths in the case of evil people, therefore a wind symbolizes the dispersion of truth in them, and thus their conjunction with hell and perishing - as may be seen from the following passages:

I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four ends of heaven and scatter him. (Jeremiah 49:36)

You shall scatter them, that the wind may carry them away and the storm disperse them. (Isaiah 41:16)

The breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, sets them on fire. (Isaiah 30:33)

The workers of iniquity... perish by the breathing of God, and by the breath of His nostrils they are consumed. (Job 4:8-9)

...the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke (of Jehovah), at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. (Psalms 18:15)

I saw in my vision..., and behold, the four winds... were rushing upon the Great Sea. And four beasts came up... (Daniel 7:2-3ff.)

...from a storm of Jehovah has gone forth fury... It will rush upon the head of the wicked. (Jeremiah 23:19; 30:23)

O my God..., ...pursue them with Your storm, ...frighten them with Your tempest. (Psalms 83:13, 15)

(Jehovah's) way in the storm and in the tempest... (Nahum 1:3)

And so also elsewhere, as in Jeremiah 25:32, Ezekiel 13:13, Hosea 8:7, Amos 1:14, Zechariah 9:14, Psalms 11:6; 50:3; 55:8, and Psalms 107, where we read:

...He commands the stormy wind to blow... (God) causes the storm to subside, so that its waves are still. (Psalms 107:25, 29)

[4] It is apparent from this what is symbolically meant in the spiritual sense by the following:

(Jesus in the boat) rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ."..be still!" And... there was a... calm. (Mark 4:39, cf. Luke 8:23-24)

The sea here symbolizes hell, and the wind an influx from it.

A strong influx, too, is symbolically meant by the east wind in Ezekiel 17:10, Jeremiah 18:17, Ezekiel 19:12, Hosea 13:15, Psalms 48:7. And by that same wind which dried up the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), regarding which Moses said:

At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were heaped up... You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them. (Exodus 15:8, 10)

It can now be seen from this that holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, symbolizes the holding back and restraining of a closer and thus stronger influx into the lower regions.

  
/ 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.