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.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #70

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70. The feet are said to be "like unto burnished brass," because burnished brass is polished brass, shining from something fiery; and "brass" in the Word signifies natural good. Metals are equally significative with the rest in the Word. "Gold" in the Word signifies celestial good, which is inmost good; "silver" signifies the truth thereof, which is spiritual good: "brass" natural good which is outmost good, and "iron" the truth thereof, which is natural truth.

Metals have such significations from correspondence; for in heaven many things are seen shining as if from gold and silver, and also many things as if from brass and iron; and it is there known that by these the goods and truths mentioned above are signified. It was from this that the ancients, who had a knowledge of correspondences, named the ages according to these metals; calling the first age the "golden," because innocence, love, and wisdom therefrom then ruled; but the second "silver," because truth from that good, or spiritual good, and intelligence therefrom then ruled; the third age "brazen" or "copper," because mere natural good, which is justness and sincerity of moral life, then ruled; but the last age they called "iron," because mere truth without good then ruled, and when that rules, falsity also rules. All this was from the spiritual signification of these metals.

[2] From this it can be known what is signified by the image seen in a dream by Nebuchadnezzar:

The head of which was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and sides of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay (Daniel 2:23, 33);

namely, the state of the church in respect to good and truth, from its first time to its last; its last time was when the Lord came into the world. When it is known that "gold" signifies celestial good, "silver" spiritual good, "brass" natural good, and "iron" natural truth, many arcana in the Word, where these metals are mentioned, can be understood. Thus what is signified by these words in Isaiah:

For brass I will bring gold, for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron; I will also make thy government peace, and thine exactors justice (Isaiah 60:17).

[3] But as the signification of "brass," as meaning natural good, is here treated of, I will cite only a few passages where "brass" is mentioned, as signifying that good. Thus in Moses:

Asher acceptable unto his brethren, and dipping his foot in oil. Thy shoe iron and brass, and as thy days thy fame (Deuteronomy 33:24-25).

"Asher," as one of the tribes, signifies the blessedness of life, and the delight of affections (See Arcana Coelestia 3938-3939, 6408); "to dip the foot in oil" signifies natural delight, "oil" is delight (See n. 9954), "foot" the natural (See just above, n. 69; "the shoe iron and brass" signifies the lowest natural from truth and good, "the shoe" is the lowest natural (See n. 1748, 1860, 6844), "iron" is its truth, and "brass" its good (as above). In the same:

Jehovah thy God will bring thee into a wealthy land; a land out of whose stones thou mayest hew out iron, and out of its mountains brass (Deuteronomy 8:7, 9).

In Jeremiah:

I will give thee unto this people for a fortified wall of brass, that they may fight against thee and not prevail against thee (Jeremiah 15:20).

And in Ezekiel:

Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy traffickers; with the soul of man and with vessels of brass they traded thy merchandise (Ezekiel 27:13).

In this chapter the traffickings of Tyre are treated of, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth; by the names "Javan," "Tubal," and "Meshech," are signified such things as are of good and truth, of which knowledges treat; the "soul of man" is truth of life; "vessels of brass" are scientifics of natural good. (What is signified by "Tyre" may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 1201; what by "traffickings," n. 2967, 4453; what by "Tubal and Meshech," n. 1151; what by "Javan," n. 1152, 1153, 1155; what by the "soul of man," n. 2930, 9050, 9281; what by "vessels," n. 3068, 3079, 3316, 3318) In the same:

The feet of the cherubs sparkled like the appearance of polished brass (Ezekiel 1:7).

What "cherubs" and "feet" signify, see above n. 69.

[4] In the same:

I saw and behold there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, and a line of flax was in his hand; and he was standing in the gate (Ezekiel 40:3).

It was because this angel measured the wall and the gates of the house of God, which signify the externals of the church, that his appearance was seen as the appearance of brass. He who knows that "brass" signifies the external of the church, which in itself is natural, can in some measure know why:

The altar of burnt-offering was overlaid with brass, and the grating about it was of brass, and the vessels of brass (Exodus 27:1-4);

as also why:

The great vessel, which was called the sea, with the twelve oxen under it, and the ten lavers with the bases, and also all the vessels of the tabernacle for the house of God, were made by Solomon of polished brass (1 Kings 7:43-47).

[5] He who knows what "brass" signifies may also enter into the arcanum why it was commanded that a serpent of brass be set up for the people to look at, of which it is thus written in Moses:

Jehovah sent serpents among the people, and they bit the people. And He said unto Moses, Make thee a serpent, and set it upon a standard, and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten, and looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon a standard; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, and he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived (Numbers 21:6, 8-9).

That this "serpent" signified the Lord, He Himself teaches in John:

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life (John 3:14-15).

By the "serpent" is signified that which is the ultimate of life with man, and is called the external sensual, which is the natural. Because this ultimate in the Lord was Divine, a serpent of brass was made among the sons of Israel, with whom all things were representative; and this signified that if they would look to the Divine Human of the Lord they would live again, that is, if they would believe in Him they would have eternal life, as the Lord Himself also teaches. (That to "see" is in the spiritual sense to believe, see above, n. 37, 68; and that the "serpent" is the external sensual, which is the ultimate of man's life, see Arcana Coelestia 195-197, 6398, 6949, 10313) That "brass" and "iron" in the Word also signify what is hard (as in Isaiah 48:4; Daniel 7:19 where), will be seen in what follows.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.