The Bible

 

Jezekilj 29

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1 Godine desete, desetog meseca, dvanaestog dana, dođe mi reč Gospodnja govoreći:

2 Sine čovečji, okreni lice svoje prema Faraonu caru misirskom, i prorokuj protiv njega i protiv svega Misira.

3 Govori i reci: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: evo me na te, Faraone care misirski, zmaju veliki što ležiš usred reka svojih, koji reče: Moja je reka; ja sam je načinio sebi.

4 Zato ću ti metnuti u čeljusti udicu, i učiniću da se ribe u rekama tvojim nahvataju na krljušti tvoje; i izvući ću te iz reka tvojih i sve ribe iz reka tvojih nahvatane na krljušti tvoje.

5 I ostaviću u pustinji tebe i sve ribe iz tvojih reka, i pašćeš na zemlju i nećeš se pokupiti ni sabrati, zverima zemaljskim i pticama nebeskim daću te da te jedu.

6 I svi će stanovnici misirski poznati da sam ja Gospod; jer su štap od trske domu Izrailjevom.

7 Kad te uhvatiše u ruku, ti se slomi i raseče im sve rame; a kad se nasloniše na te, ti se prebi i probode im sva bedra.

8 Zato ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Evo, ja ću pustiti na te mač, i istrebiću iz tebe ljude i stoku.

9 I zemlja će se misirska opustošiti i biti pusta, i poznaće se da sam ja Gospod, jer reče: Moja je reka, i ja sam je načinio.

10 Zato evo me na tebe i na reke tvoje, i obratiću zemlju misirsku u pustoš i samu pustinju, od kule sinske do međe etiopske.

11 Neće prelaziti preko nje nogom svojom čovek, niti će živinče nogom svojom prelaziti preko nje, i neće se živeti u njoj četrdeset godina.

12 I učiniću od zemlje misirske pustoš među zemljama opustošenim, i gradovi će njeni među pustim gradovima biti pustoš četrdeset godina, i rasejaću Misirce među narode i razasuću ih po zemljama.

13 Jer ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Posle četrdeset godina skupiću Misirce iz naroda u koje budu rasejani.

14 I povratiću roblje misirsko, i dovešću ih opet u zemlju Patros, na postojbinu njihovu, i onde će biti malo carstvo.

15 Malo će biti mimo ostalih carstava, niti će se više uzdignuti nad narode, jer ću ih smanjiti da ne vladaju narodima.

16 I neće više biti domu Izrailjevom uzdanica da napominje bezakonje kad bi gledali za njima; i poznaće da sam ja Gospod Gospod.

17 A dvadeset sedme godine, prvog meseca, prvog dana, dođe mi reč Gospodnja govoreći:

18 Sine čovečji, Navuhodonosor car vavilonski zadade vojsci svojoj tešku službu protiv Tira; svaka glava oćelavi i svako se rame odre, a plate ne bi ni njemu ni vojsci njegovoj od Tira za službu kojom služiše protiv njega.

19 Zato ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Evo ja dajem Navuhodonosoru caru vavilonskom zemlju misirsku, i on će odvesti narod i odneti plen i pograbiti grabež, i to će biti plata njegovoj vojsci.

20 Za trud kojim se trudio oko toga dadoh mu zemlju misirsku, jer se za me trudiše, govori Gospod Gospod.

21 U onaj ću dan učiniti da naraste rog domu Izrailjevom, i tebi ću otvoriti usta među njima, i znaće da sam ja Gospod.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #913

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913. Gold symbolizes the goodness of love because metals, like everything else found in the natural world, have a correspondence - gold to the goodness of love, silver to truths of wisdom, copper or bronze to the goodness of charity, and iron to truths of faith. For that reason these metals are found also in the spiritual world, since everything found there has a correspondence, inasmuch as they all correspond to the angels' affections and thoughts, which in themselves are spiritual.

That gold, owing to its correspondence, symbolizes the goodness of love, may be seen from the following passages:

I urge you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be enriched... (Revelation 3:18)

How dim the gold has become! How changed the finest gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street. The precious sons of Zion, valuable as pure gold... (Lamentations 4:1-2)

He will... save the souls of the poor... And He will give them some of the gold of Sheba. (Psalms 72:13, 15)

Instead of bronze I will bring gold, instead of iron, silver, instead of wood, bronze, and instead of stones, iron. I will also make your registration peaceful, and your tax gatherers righteous. (Isaiah 60:17)

Behold, you are wise...! No secret has been hidden from you! With your wisdom and your intelligence you have gained for yourself... gold and silver in your treasuries... You were in Eden, the garden...; every precious stone was your covering..., also gold. (Ezekiel 28:3-4, 13)

The multitude of camels shall cover you...; all those from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah. (Isaiah 60:6, cf. 60:9, Matthew 2:11)

...I will fill this house with glory... The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine... The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former... (Haggai 2:7-9)

Kings' daughters are among Your precious ones. At Your right hand stands the queen in the finest gold of Ophir... Her clothing is woven with gold. (Psalms 45:9, 13, cf. Ezekiel 16:13)

You have taken vessels for your adornment from My gold and My silver that I had given you, and made for yourself male images... (Ezekiel 16:17)

...you have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried My valuable possessions into your temples. (Joel 3:5)

[2] Since gold symbolized the goodness of love, therefore when Belshazzar with his great men was drinking wine from vessels of gold taken from the temple in Jerusalem, and at the same time was praising gods of gold, silver, bronze and iron, writing appeared on the wall, and that night he was slain (Daniel 5). And so on in many other places.

Since gold symbolized the goodness of love, therefore the Ark that contained the Law was overlaid inside and out with gold (Exodus 25:11). Therefore the mercy seat and the cherubim over the Ark were also of made of pure gold (Exodus 25:17-18).

[3] Since gold symbolized the goodness of love, silver the truth of wisdom, bronze the goodness of the natural love called charity, and iron the truth of faith, therefore people in ancient times called the succeeding periods of time from the most ancient period to the concluding one the golden, silver, bronze and iron ages. A similar symbolism is exhibited by the statue that Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream, whose head was fine gold, its breast and arms silver, its belly and thighs bronze, its lower legs iron, and its feet part iron and part clay (Daniel 2:32-33). This symbolizes the succeeding states of the church in this world, from most ancient times to the present day. The state of the church today is described in this way:

As you saw iron mixed with miry clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. (Daniel 2:43)

Iron symbolizes the truth of faith, as we have said, yet when there is no truth of faith, but faith without truth, then it is iron mixed with miry clay, the two of which do not bond together. The seed of men with which they will mingle symbolizes the truth in the Word. This is the state of the church today. What it will be hereafter is briefly described in Daniel 2:45, but at more length in chapter 7, verses 13-18, 27.

  
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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.

The Bible

 

Matthew 2:11

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11 They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.