The Bible

 

Jezekilj 37

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1 Ruka Gospodnja dođe nada me, i Gospod me izvede u duhu, i postavi me usred polja, koje beše puno kosti.

2 I provede me pokraj njih unaokolo, i gle, beše ih vrlo mnogo u polju, i gle, behu vrlo suve.

3 I reče mi: Sine čovečji, hoće li oživeti ove kosti? A ja rekoh: Gospode Gospode, Ti znaš.

4 Tada mi reče: Prorokuj za te kosti, i kaži im: Suhe kosti, čujte reč Gospodnju.

5 Ovako govori Gospod Gospod ovim kostima: Gle, ja ću metnuti u vas duh, i oživećete.

6 I metnuću na vas žile, i obložiću vas mesom, i navući ću na vas kožu, i metnuću u vas duh, i oživećete, i poznaćete da sam ja Gospod.

7 Tada stadoh prorokovati, kako mi se zapovedi; a kad prorokovah, nasta glas, i gle potres, i kosti se pribirahu svaka ka svojoj kosti.

8 I pogledah, i gle, po njima iziđoše žile i meso, i ozgo se koža navuče; ali duha ne beše u njima.

9 Tada mi reče: Prorokuj duhu, prorokuj, sine čovečji, i reci duhu: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Od četiri vetra dođi, duše, i duni na ove pobijene da ožive.

10 I prorokovah, kako mi se zapovedi, i uđe u njih duh, i oživeše, i stadoše na noge, beše vojska vrlo velika.

11 Tada mi reče: Sine čovečji, ove su kosti sav dom Izrailjev; gle, govore: Posahnuše kosti naše i prođe nadanje naše, propadosmo.

12 Zato prorokuj, i kaži im: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Evo, ja ću otvoriti grobove vaše, i izvešću vas iz grobova vaših, narode moj, i dovešću vas u zemlju Izrailjevu.

13 I poznaćete da sam ja Gospod, kad otvorim grobove vaše, i izvedem vas iz grobova vaših, narode moj.

14 I metnuću duh svoj u vas da oživite, i naseliću vas u vašoj zemlji, i poznaćete da ja govorim i činim, govori Gospod.

15 Opet mi dođe reč Gospodnja govoreći:

16 Ti, sine čovečji, uzmi jedno drvo, i napiši na njemu: Judi i sinovima Izrailjevim, drugovima njegovim. Pa onda uzmi drugo drvo, i na njemu napiši: Josifu drvo Jefremovo i svega doma Izrailjevog, drugova njegovih.

17 I sastavi ih jedno s drugim da budu kao jedno u tvojoj ruci.

18 I kad ti kažu sinovi tvog naroda govoreći: Hoćeš li nam kazati šta ti je to?

19 Reci im: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Evo, ja ću uzeti drvo Josifovo, što je u Jefremovoj ruci, i plemena Izrailjevih, drugova njegovih, i sastaviću ga s drvetom Judinim, i načiniću od njih jedno drvo, i biće jedno u mojoj ruci.

20 I drveta, na kojima napišeš, neka ti budu u ruci pred njima.

21 I reci im: Ovako veli Gospod Gospod: Evo, ja ću uzeti sinove Izrailjeve iz naroda u koje otidoše, i sabraću ih odsvuda, i dovešću ih u zemlju njihovu.

22 I načiniću od njih jedan narod u zemlji, na gorama Izrailjevim, i jedan će car biti car svima njima, niti će više biti dva naroda, niti će više biti razdeljeni u dva carstva.

23 I neće se više skvrniti gadnim bogovima svojim ni gnusobama svojim niti kakvim prestupima svojim, i izbaviću ih iz svih stanova njihovih u kojima grešiše, i očistiću ih, i oni će mi biti narod i ja ću im biti Bog.

24 I sluga moj David biće im car, i svi će imati jednog pastira, i hodiće po mojim zakonima, i uredbe će moje držati i izvršavati.

25 I sediće u zemlji koju dadoh sluzi svom Jakovu, u kojoj sedeše oci vaši; u njoj će sedeti oni i sinovi njihovi i sinovi sinova njihovih doveka, i David sluga moj biće im knez do veka.

26 I učiniću s njima zavet mirni, biće večan zavet s njima, i utvrdiću ih i umnožiću ih, i namestiću svetinju svoju usred njih navek.

27 I šator će moj biti kod njih, i ja ću im biti Bog i oni će mi biti narod.

28 I narod će poznati da sam ja Gospod koji posvećujem Izrailja, kad svetinja moja bude usred njih do veka.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #350

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350. Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed. (7:5) This symbolizes celestial love, which is love toward the Lord, and this in all those people who will be in the Lord's New Heaven and New Church.

In the highest sense Judah symbolizes the Lord in relation to celestial love; in the spiritual sense, the Lord's celestial kingdom and the Word; and in the natural sense, the doctrine of a celestial church drawn from the Word. Here, however, Judah symbolizes celestial love, which is love toward the Lord; and because it is named first in the series, it symbolizes that love in all those people who will be in the New Heaven and in the Lord's New Church. For the tribe named first is everything in the rest, being to them as though their head and serving as a universal property entering into all those that follow, tying them together, qualifying them and affecting them. This property is love toward the Lord.

To be shown that twelve thousand symbolizes all who possess that love, see no. 348 above.

[2] People know that after the death of Solomon the twelve tribes of Israel were divided into two kingdoms: the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel. The kingdom of Judah represented the celestial kingdom or the Lord's priestly kingdom, while the kingdom of Israel represented the spiritual kingdom or the Lord's royal kingdom. But the latter was destroyed when the people had nothing spiritual left in them, whereas the kingdom of Judah was preserved, for the sake of the Word, and because the Lord would be born there. However, when the people adulterated the Word completely, and thus could not recognize the Lord, then their kingdom was destroyed.

It can be seen from this that the tribe of Judah symbolizes celestial love, which is love toward the Lord. But because the people were of the character they were with respect to the Word and with respect to the Lord, the tribe of Judah symbolizes also the opposite love, which is love of self - properly speaking, a love of dominating springing from a love of self - a love which we call diabolical love.

[3] The fact that Judah and his tribe symbolize the celestial kingdom and its love, which is love toward the Lord, follows from these passages:

Judah, your brothers shall praise you... The scepter shall not be taken from Judah... until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey's foal to the vine, his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his garment in wine... His eyes are redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. (Genesis 49:8-12)

...David shall be their prince forever, and I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them..., and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. (Ezekiel 37:25-26)

Exult and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! ...Jehovah will make Judah an inheritance for Himself, His portion on the holy land. (Zechariah 2:10-12)

O Judah, celebrate your feasts, perform your vows. For Belial 1 shall no more pass through you; he is utterly cut off. (Nahum 1:15)

The Lord... will suddenly come to His temple... Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be sweet to Jehovah as in the days of old... (Malachi 3:1, 4)

Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. (Joel 3:20)

Behold, the days are coming..., that I will raise to David a righteous Branch... In His days Judah will be saved... (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah an heir of My mountains, that My elect may possess it... (Isaiah 65:9)

Judah became His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion. (Psalms 114:2)

Behold, the days are coming..., when I will make a new covenant... with the house of Judah... ...this will be the covenant...: I will put My law within them, and write it on their heart... (Jeremiah 31:27, 31, 33-34)

In those days ten men... shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, "We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." (Zechariah 8:23)

...as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me..., so shall your offspring and your name remain.

Kings (of the nations) shall be your foster fathers, their princesses your nursing mothers. They shall bow down to you, their faces to the ground, and lick the dust of your feet. (Isaiah 66:22; 49:23)

[4] From these and many other passages, which we do not have the space to cite because of their number, it can be clearly seen that Judah means not Judah but the church. We are told, for example, that the Lord would make a new and eternal covenant with that nation, that He would make it His heir and His sanctuary forevermore, and that kings of the nations and their princesses would bow down to them, licking the dust of their feet, and so on.

[5] That the tribe of Judah, regarded in itself, means the diabolic kingdom, which is one of a love of dominating springing from a love of self, can be seen from the following passages:

I will hide My face from them, I will see what their posterity will be. ...they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faith... ...they are a nation void of counsel... ...their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; its grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps. Is this not laid up in store with Me, sealed up in My treasuries? (Deuteronomy 32:20-34)

(Know that) it is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart... that Jehovah... is... giving you (the land of Canaan)..., for you are a stiff-necked people. (Deuteronomy 9:5-6)

...according to the number of your cities have been your gods, O Judah... ...according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars... to burn incense to Baal. (Jeremiah 2:28; 11:13)

You are of your father the devil, and you choose to do the desires of your father. (John 8:44)

Jews are said to be full of hypocrisy, iniquity, and uncleanness (Matthew 23:27-28.

Footnotes:

1. In the Old Testament, the personification of wickedness and destruction, originally conceived perhaps as some sort of spirit demon.

  
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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.