The Bible

 

Jezekilj 40

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1 Dvadeset pete godine robovanja našeg, u početku godine, deseti dan meseca, četrnaeste godine od kako se uze grad, isti dan dođe nada me ruka Gospodnja i odvede me onamo.

2 Utvarama Božjim odvede me u zemlju Izrailjevu, i postavi me na goru vrlo visoku, na kojoj beše s juga kao sagrađen grad.

3 I odvede me onamo, i gle, čovek, koji na oči beše kao od bronze, s užem lanenim u ruci i s trskom meračkom, i stajaše na vratima.

4 I progovori mi taj čovek: Sine čovečji, gledaj očima svojim i slušaj ušima svojim, i uzmi na um sve što ću ti pokazati, jer si doveden ovamo da ti pokažem; kaži domu Izrailjevom sve što vidiš.

5 I gle, beše zid spolja oko doma, a u ruci onom čoveku trska meračka od šest lakata, a lakat beše s podlanice duži od običnog; i izmeri građevinu u širinu, i beše jedna trska, i u visinu, i beše jedna trska.

6 Pa dođe na vrata koja behu prema istoku, i iziđe uz basamake, i izmeri jedan prag vratima, i beše u širinu jedna trska, i drugi prag, i beše u širinu jedna trska;

7 I kleti, i svaka beše jednu trsku duga i jednu trsku široka; a između kleti beše pet lakata; i prag na vratima kod trema na unutrašnjim vratima, i beše s jedne trske.

8 I izmeri trem na vratima unutrašnjim, i beše jedna trska.

9 I izmeri trem na vratima, i beše osam lakata; i dovratnike im, i behu dva lakta; a trem na vratima beše iznutra;

10 I kleti kod vrata prema istoku behu tri amo i tri tamo, jedne mere sve tri, i jedne mere behu dovratnici tamo i amo.

11 I izmeri širinu vratima, i beše deset lakata, i trinaest lakata beše u dužinu vratima.

12 I pred kletima beše mesta jedan lakat, i za jedan lakat beše mesta s druge strane, i u svakoj kleti beše šest lakata od tuda i šest lakata od ovuda.

13 Posle izmeri vrata od krova jedne kleti do krova druge, i beše u širinu dvadeset i pet lakata, vrata prema vratima.

14 I načini dovratnike od šezdeset lakata, i pred dovratnicima trem na vratima unaokolo.

15 I od lica vrata na koja se ulazi do lica trema na unutrašnjim vratima beše pedeset lakata.

16 I behu prozori na kletima i na dovratnicima njihovim suženi unutra oko vrata, tako i na tremovima, prozori behu iznutra svuda unaokolo, i po dovratnicima palme.

17 Potom me uvede u spoljašnji trem, i gle, behu kleti i pod načinjen svuda unaokolo u tremu, trideset kleti na podu.

18 A taj pod pokraj vrata prema dužini vrata beše niži pod.

19 Potom izmeri širinu od lica donjih vrata do lica unutrašnjeg trema spolja, i beše sto lakata k istoku i severu.

20 I vrata koja behu k severu na tremu spoljašnjem izmeri u dužinu i u širinu;

21 I behu tri kleti tamo i tri amo, i dovratnici im i tremovi behu iste mere kao u prvih vrata; pedeset lakata beše u dužinu a u širinu dvadeset i pet lakata;

22 I prozori im i tremovi i palme behu na meru kao na vratima koja gledaju na istok, i iđaše se k njima uza sedam basamaka, i tremovi behu pred njima.

23 I vrata od unutrašnjeg trema behu prema vratima severnim i istočnim, i izmeri od vrata do vrata, i beše sto lakata.

24 Posle me odvede k jugu, i gle, behu vrata prema jugu; i izmeri im dovratnike i tremove, i beše ista mera.

25 I behu prozori na njima i na tremovima njihovim unaokolo kao oni prozori; pedeset lakata beše u dužinu i dvadeset i pet lakata u širinu.

26 I iđaše se k njima uza sedam basamaka, i tremovi behu pred njima, i palme jedna od tuda, a jedna od ovuda po dovratnicima.

27 I vrata od unutrašnjeg trema behu prema jugu; i izmeri od vrata do vrata k jugu, i beše sto lakata.

28 Tada me uvede u unutrašnji trem južnim vratima; i izmeri južna vrata, i beše ista mera.

29 I kleti njihove i dovratnici i tremovi behu iste mere, i prozori na njima i na tremovima unaokolo; pedeset lakata beše u dužinu, i dvadeset i pet lakata u širinu.

30 I tremovi behu unaokolo, dvadeset i pet lakata u dužinu i pet lakata u širinu.

31 I tremovi im behu prema spoljašnjem tremu, i palme po dovratnicima, i uz osam basamaka iđaše se k njima.

32 Potom me odvede u unutrašnji trem k istoku, i izmeri vrata, i beše ista mera;

33 I kleti im i dovratnici i tremovi behu iste mere; i behu prozori na njima i na tremovima njihovim unaokolo; u dužinu beše pedeset lakata, a u širinu dvadeset i pet lakata;

34 I tremovi im behu prema spoljašnjem tremu, i palme po dovratnicima i tamo i amo, i uz osam basamaka iđaše se k njima.

35 Potom odvede me na severna vrata i izmeri ih, i behu iste mere.

36 Tako i kleti im i dovratnici i tremovi i prozori unaokolo; u dužinu pedeset lakata, a u širinu dvadeset i pet lakata.

37 I dovratnici im behu prema spoljašnjem tremu, i palme po dovratnicima i tamo i amo, i uz osam basamaka iđaše se k njima.

38 I kleti s vratima behu kod dovratnika tih vrata, onde se prahu žrtve paljenice.

39 A u tremu od vrata behu dva stola s jedne strane i dva stola s druge strane da se na njima kolju žrtve paljenice i žrtve za greh i za krivicu;

40 I na strani spolja kako se ulazi na severna vrata behu dva stola, i na drugoj strani u tremu od istih vrata behu dva stola;

41 Četiri stola behu s jedne strane i Četiri s druge strane uz vrata, osam stolova, na kojima se koljaše.

42 A četiri stola za žrtvu paljenicu behu od tesanog kamena, u dužinu podrug lakta, i podrug lakta u širinu a u visinu jedan lakat, i na njima se ostavljaše oruđe kojima se koljahu žrtve paljenice i druge žrtve.

43 I unutra behu kuke s podlanice svuda u naokolo, a na stolove se metaše meso od žrtava.

44 I spolja pred vratima unutrašnjim behu kleti za pevače u unutrašnjem tremu; jedne behu uz vrata severna i gledahu prema jugu, a druge behu uz istočna vrata i gledahu prema severu.

45 Tada mi reče: Ove kleti što gledaju na jug jesu za sveštenike koji služe oko doma;

46 A one kleti što gledaju na sever jesu za sveštenike koji služe kod oltara; to su sinovi Sadokovi, koji između sinova Levijevih pristupaju ka Gospodu da Mu služe.

47 Potom izmeri trem, i beše u dužinu sto lakata i u širinu sto lakata, četvrtast; i oltar beše pred domom.

48 Posle me odvede u trem od doma, i izmeri dovratnike tremu, i beše pet lakata otud i pet lakata odovud; a vrata behu široka tri lakta otud i tri lakta odovud;

49 Dužina tremu beše dvadeset lakata, a širina jedanaest lakata, i uz basamake se iđaše k njemu, i stupovi behu uz dovratnike, jedan otud i jedan odovud.

   

Commentary

 

Four

  
Four Mandalas

The number "four" in the Bible represents things being linked together or joined. This is partly because four is two times two, and two represents the ultimate linking between our desire to be good and our understanding of truth. We can also see this in the fact that most buildings are rectangular, with the four sides linking together to make a whole. We also divide directions into four -- north, east, south and west -- and talk about the "four corners" of something meaning all of it. So our special thinking naturally looks at four sides as linking together into a whole.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 417; Arcana Coelestia 1686, 9103, 9601, 9767, 9864)

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9103

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9103. 'And four of the flock for the member of the flock' also means the corresponding punishment carried out in full. This is clear from the meaning of 'four' as joined together, for 'four' is similar in meaning to 'two' because four is the product of two times two (for the meaning of 'two' as joined together, see 5194, 8423, and therefore also 'four', 1686, 8877), from which it follows that those numbers also mean to the complete amount, since what has been joined together is complete; and from the meaning of 'a member of the flock' as interior good, dealt with just above in 9099. The corresponding punishment is meant by 'repaying', at this point 'four of the flock for one member of the flock', 9102. Interior good is what charity in the interior man is called, exterior good being charity in the exterior man. The latter good must receive life from the former, for the good of charity in the interior man is the good of spiritual life, and the good of charity in the exterior man is the good of natural life from the spiritual. This exterior good enters a person's feelings as delight, but not so interior good. Instead this enters his awareness that it ought to be so, and enables his mind to feel contented. In the next life however interior good too enters into a person's feelings.

[2] No one can know the reason why five oxen were to be used in repayment for an ox, and four of the flock for the member of the flock, unless he knows what 'theft' is in the spiritual sense, and also what 'an ox' and 'a member of the flock' are. What these things mean has been explained, namely taking away and alienating exterior and interior good, the taking away being done by evil and the alienation by falsity. Consequently punishment and the restoration of them are meant by 'five' end 'four'; for all numbers in the Word serve to mean spiritual things, see 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 4495, 4670, 5265, 6175, at this point things having to do with restoration. That is to say, the number 'five' refers to restoration of exterior good to a great degree, and the number 'four' to restoration of interior good in full. The reason why interior good must be restored completely is that this good constitutes a person's spiritual life; and unless his spiritual life is restored completely the exterior good constituting his natural life cannot be restored; for the latter life is restored by means of the former, as may be recognized from a person's regeneration. The external man is regenerated by means of the internal, see 9043, 9046, 9061; but good in the external or natural man cannot be restored completely because the blow it has been struck remains there as a scar that becomes hardened. These are the things implied by those numbers.

[3] Something further must be said briefly about the restoration of the exterior good constituting a person's natural life by means of the interior good constituting his spiritual life. The natural level of a person's mind sees things in the light of the world, the light that is called natural illumination. A person acquires this illumination through objects entering his awareness by means of sight and hearing, that is, by impressions of objects received from the world. Thus the person sees those objects with his mind's eye almost exactly as his physical eye sees them. Initially the objects that he is made aware of through those senses are all a pleasure and delight to him. Later on, when still a young child, he makes distinctions among the objects that are a delight to him, and thereby learns to discriminate, gradually doing so more and more accurately. When the light from heaven flows into these things the person begins to see them spiritually, discriminating initially between the ones that are useful and those that are not useful. As a consequence he starts to see the truth clearly; for that which he sees to be useful he sees to be true, and that which he does not see to be useful he sees to be not true. This ability to see truth increases as the inflowing light from heaven grows brighter, until eventually he discriminates not only between truths, but even between truths within these truths. And this he does ever more clearly, as the communication between the internal man and the external man is improved and opened up; for the light of heaven flows in from the Lord through the internal man into the external. From this the person now has perception; nevertheless this is still not spiritual perception.

[4] Spiritual perception does not grow out of natural truths but out of spiritual truths, spiritual truths being what are called the truths of faith. The reason why spiritual perception grows out of these truths is that the light of heaven is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord. It is the light that shines for the angels' eyes; it also shines in their understanding and imparts intelligence and wisdom to them, in varying amounts, depending on its reception within good. Therefore, if spiritual perception is to grow a person must have cognitions or knowledge of spiritual things in his natural, and such knowledge of spiritual things must come from revelation. When the light of heaven flows into them it flows into what are its own; for as has been stated, that light is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, see 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2776, 3138, 3167, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3341, 3636, 3643, 4180, 4302, 4408, 4415, 4527, 5400, 6032, 6313, 6608. This is how a person acquires intelligence and wisdom in such matters as belong to eternal life; and they increase in the measure that such light - that is, in the measure that the truths of faith - are received within good, the good being charity.

[5] The fact that the natural or external man is regenerated, and also undergoes amendment and is restored by means of the internal, may be recognized from what has now been stated. Things in the external or natural man receive life from the light of heaven; for this light is living, because it emanates from the Lord, who is Life itself. They do not receive their life from natural light, since this light is in itself dead. If therefore things in natural light are to have life there must be an inflow of the living light, coming from the Lord through the internal man. This inflow adjusts itself to cognitions of truth present in the natural that are analogous and correspond, and to other things there that can serve. From this it is evident that a person's external or natural must be regenerated by means of his internal; and the good in the natural that has been taken away or alienated has to be amended and restored by the same means.

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