The Bible

 

Jezekilj 28

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1 Opet mi dođe reč Gospodnja govoreći:

2 Sine čovečji, reci knezu tirskom: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Što se ponese srce tvoje, te veliš: Ja sam Bog, sedim na prestolu Božjem usred mora; a čovek si a ne Bog, i izjednačuješ srce svoje sa srcem Božjim;

3 Eto mudriji si od Danila, nikakva tajna nije sakrivena od tebe;

4 Stekao si blago mudrošću svojom i razumom svojim, i nasuo si zlata i srebra u riznice svoje;

5 Veličinom mudrosti svoje u trgovini svojoj umnožio si blago svoje, te se ponese srce tvoje blagom tvojim;

6 Zato ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Što izjednačuješ srce svoje sa srcem Božjim,

7 Zato, evo, ja ću dovesti na tebe inostrance najljuće između naroda, i oni će istrgnuti mačeve svoje na lepotu mudrosti tvoje, i ubiće svetlost tvoju.

8 Svaliće te u jamu i umrećeš usred mora smrću pobijenih.

9 Hoćeš li pred krvnikom svojim kazati: Ja sam Bog, kad si čovek, a ne Bog u ruci onog koji će te ubiti?

10 Umrećeš smrću neobrezanih od ruke tuđinske; jer ja rekoh, govori Gospod Gospod.

11 Opet mi dođe reč Gospodnja govoreći:

12 Sine čovečji, nariči za carem tirskim, i reci mu: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Ti si pečat savršenstva, pun si mudrosti, i sasvim si lep.

13 Bio si u Edemu, vrtu Božjem; pokrivalo te je svako drago kamenje: sarad, topaz, dijamant, hrisolit, onih, jaspis, safir, karbunkul, smaragd i zlato; onaj dan kad si se rodio načinjeni ti biše bubnji tvoji i svirale.

14 Ti si bio heruvim, pomazan da zaklanjaš; i ja te postavih; ti beše na svetoj gori Božijoj, hođaše posred kamenja ognjenog.

15 Savršen beše na putevima svojim od dana kad se rodi dokle se ne nađe bezakonje na tebi.

16 Od mnoštva trgovine svoje napunio si se iznutra nasilja, i grešio si; zato ću te baciti kao nečistotu s gore Božje, i zatrću te između kamenja ognjenog, heruvime zaklanjaču!

17 Srce se tvoje ponese lepotom tvojom, ti pokvari mudrost svoju svetlošću svojom; baciću te na zemlju, pred careve ću te položiti da te gledaju.

18 Od mnoštva bezakonja svog, od nepravde u trgovini svojoj oskvrnio si svetinju svoju; zato ću izvesti oganj ispred tebe, koji će te proždreti, i obratiću te u pepeo na zemlji pred svima koji te gledaju.

19 Svi koji te poznaju među narodima prepašće se od tebe; bićeš strahota, i neće te biti do veka.

20 Opet mi dođe reč Gospodnja govoreći:

21 Sine čovečji, okreni lice svoje prema Sidonu, i prorokuj protiv njega,

22 I reci: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Evo me na tebe, Sidone, i proslaviću se usred tebe, i poznaće se da sam ja Gospod kad izvršim sudove na njemu i posvetim se u njemu.

23 I poslaću pomor u nj, i krv na ulice njegove, i pobijeni će padati usred njega od mača, koji će navaliti na njih sa svih strana, i poznaće da sam ja Gospod.

24 I neće više biti domu Izrailjevom trn koji bode ni žalac koji zadaje bol više od svih suseda njihovih, koji ih plene; i poznaće da sam ja Gospod Gospod.

25 Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Kad skupim dom Izrailjev iz naroda među koje su rasejani, i posvetim se u njima pred narodima i nasele se u svojoj zemlji koju dadoh sluzi svom Jakovu,

26 Tada će živeti u njoj bez straha, i gradiće kuće, i sadiće vinograde, i živeće bez straha kad izvršim sudove na svima koji ih pleniše sa svih strana, i poznaće da sam ja Gospod Bog njihov.

   

The Bible

 

Zaharija 9:3

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3 I Tir sagradi sebi grad, i sabra srebra kao praha, i zlata kao kala po putu.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1298

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1298. 'They had brick for stone' means that they had falsity in place of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'brick' as falsity, dealt with just above, and also from the meaning of 'stone' in the broad sense as truth, dealt with already in 643. The reason 'stones' meant truth was that the most ancient people used to mark out boundaries by means of stones and raise up stones to testify that something was so, that is, was the truth. This is clear from the stone which Jacob set up as a pillar, Genesis 28:22; 35:14; from the pillar of stones placed between Laban and Jacob, Genesis 31:46-47, 52; and from the altar which the children of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh erected beside the Jordan as an altar of witness, Joshua 22:10, 28, 34. Consequently 'stones' in the Word means truths, so much so that not only the stones of the altar but also the precious stones in the shoulder-pieces of Aaron's ephod and in the breastplate of judgement meant the holy truths of love.

[2] Regarding the altar, when sacrificial worship on altars was introduced, an altar in that case meant representative worship of the Lord in general. 'The stones' themselves however meant the holy truths belonging to that worship. This was why it was commanded that the altar had to be built of whole and not of hewn stones, and why it was forbidden to use any iron tool on them, Deuteronomy 27:5-7; Joshua 8:31. The reason was that hewn stones, and those on which an iron tool had been used, meant artificialities and thus fabrications in worship. That is to say, they meant things that derive from the proprium, or from the inventions of man's own thought and heart, which was to profane worship, as is clearly stated in Exodus 20:25. For the same reason no tool of iron was used on the stones of the Temple, 1 Kings 6:7.

[3] That the precious stones set in the shoulder-pieces of Aaron's ephod and in the breastplate of judgement in a similar way meant holy truths has been shown already in 114. This is clear also in Isaiah,

Behold, I will set your stones in carbuncle and lay your foundations in sapphires; and I will make your suns (windows) of ruby, and your gates into precious stones, and all your border into pleasant stones And all your sons will be taught by Jehovah, and great will be the peace of your sons. Isaiah 54:11-13

The stones mentioned here stand for holy truths, and this is why it is said that 'all your sons will be taught by Jehovah'. It is also the reason why it is said in John that the foundations of the wall of the city, holy Jerusalem, were adorned with every kind of precious stone, which are each mentioned by name, Revelation 21:19-20. 'The holy Jerusalem' stands for the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, the foundations of which kingdom are holy truths. Holy truths were similarly meant by the tables of stone on which the commandments of the Law, or Ten Commandments, were written. This was why they were made of stone or had a stone base, concerning which see Exodus 24:12; 31:18; 34:1; Deuteronomy 5:22; 10:1; for the commandments themselves are nothing else than truths of faith.

[4] Now because stones in ancient times meant truths, and because later on when worship on pillars, on altars, and in the Temple began, pillars, altars, and the Temple meant holy truths, the Lord also is therefore called 'a Stone': In Moses,

The Mighty One of Jacob - from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. Genesis 49:24.

In Isaiah,

The Lord Jehovih said, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Corner-Stone, precious, of sure foundation. Isaiah 28:16.

In David,

The Stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner Psalms 118:22.

The same is meant in Daniel 2:34-35, 45, by the stone cut out of the rock which smashed Nebuchadnezzar's statue to pieces.

[5] That 'stones' means truths is clear in Isaiah,

By this the iniquity of Jacob will be expiated, and this will be the full fruit to remove his sin, when He makes all the stones of the altar like chalk-stones scattered about. Isaiah 27:9.

'The stones of the altar' stands for truths in worship that have been dissipated. In the same prophet,

Make level the way of the people; level out, level out the highway; gather out the stones. Isaiah 62:10.

'The way' and 'the stones' stand for truths. In Jeremiah,

I am against you, O destroying mountain. I will roll you down from the rocks and I will make you into a mountain of burning. And they will not take from you a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations. Jeremiah 51:25-26.

This refers to Babel. 'A mountain of burning' is self-love. 'Taking no stone from it' means that there is no truth from this source.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.