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The Bible

 

1 Mosebok 2

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1 Så blevo nu himmelen och jorden fullbordade med hela sin härskara.

2 Och Gud fullbordade på sjunde dagen det verk som han hade gjort; och han vilade på sjunde dagen från allt det verk som han hade gjort.

3 Och Gud välsignade den sjunde dagen och helgade den, därför att han på den dagen vilade från allt sitt verk, det som Gud hade gjort, när han skapade.

4 Detta är berättelsen om den ordning i vilken allt blev till på himmelen och jorden, när de skapades, då när HERREN Gud gjorde jord och himmel.

5 Då bar jorden ännu ingen buske på marken, och ingen ört hade ännu skjutit upp på marken, ty HERREN Gud hade icke låtit regna på jorden, och ingen människa fanns, som kunde bruka jorden;

6 men en dimma steg upp från jorden och vattnade hela marken.

7 Och HERREN Gud danade människan av stoft från jorden och inblåste livsande i hennes näsa, och så blev människan en levande varelse.

8 Och HERREN Gud planterade en lustgård i Eden österut och satte däri människan som han hade danat.

9 HERREN Gud lät nämligen alla slags träd som voro ljuvliga att se på och goda att äta av växa upp ur marken, och livets träd mitt i lustgården, så ock kunskapens träd på gott och ont.

10 Och från Eden gick en flod ut, som vattnade lustgården; sedan delade den sig i fyra grenar.

11 Den första heter Pison; det är den som flyter omkring hela landet Havila, där guld finnes,

12 och det landets guld är gott; där finnes ock bdelliumharts och onyxsten.

13 Den andra floden heter Gihon; det är den som flyter omkring hela landet Kus.

14 Den tredje floden heter Hiddekel; det är den som har sitt lopp öster om Assyrien. Den fjärde floden är Frat.

15 Så tog nu HERREN Gud mannen och satte honom i Edens lustgård, till att bruka och bevara den.

16 Och HERREN Gud bjöd mannen och sade: »Av alla andra träd i lustgården må du fritt äta,

17 men av kunskapens träd på gott och ont skall du icke äta, ty när du äter därav, skall du döden dö.»

18 Och HERREN Gud sade: »Det är icke gott att mannen är allena. Jag vill göra åt honom en hjälp, en sådan som honom höves.»

19 Och HERREN Gud danade av jord alla markens djur och alla himmelens fåglar, och förde dem fram till mannen för att se huru denne skulle kalla dem; ty såsom mannen kallade var levande varelse, så skulle den heta.

20 Och mannen gav namn åt alla boskapsdjur, åt fåglarna under himmelen och åt alla markens djur. Men för Adam fann han icke någon hjälp, sådan som honom hövdes.

21 Då lät HERREN Gud en tung sömn falla på mannen, och när han hade somnat, tog han ut ett av hans revben och fyllde dess plats med kött.

22 Och HERREN Gud byggde en kvinna av revbenet som han hade tagit av mannen, och förde henne fram till mannen.

23 Då sade mannen: »Ja, denna är nu ben av mina ben och kött av mitt kött. Hon skall heta maninna, ty av man är hon tagen.»

24 Fördenskull skall en man övergiva sin fader och sin moder och hålla sig till sin hustru, och de skola varda ett kött.

25 Och mannen och hans hustru voro båda nakna och blygdes icke för varandra.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1066

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1066. And from these was the whole earth overspread. That this signifies that from them were derived all doctrines, both true and false, is evident from the signification of “earth.” “Earth” or “land” in the Word, is used with various meanings. In the universal sense it denotes the place or region where the church is, or where it has been, as the land of Canaan, the land of Judah, the land of Israel. Thus it denotes universally everyone that belongs to the church, since the land is predicated of the man who is in it, as we know in common speech. In ancient times therefore when men spoke of the “whole earth” they did not mean the whole globe, but only the land where the church was, and thus the church itself; as is evident from the following passages in the Word.

In Isaiah:

Behold, Jehovah maketh the earth empty; the earth shall be utterly emptied; the earth shall mourn and be confounded; the earth also shall be polluted under the inhabitants thereof; therefore shall the curse devour the earth; therefore the inhabitants of the earth shall be burned, and man shall be left feeble. The cataracts from on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth do shake; the earth is utterly broken; the earth is clean dissolved; the earth is moved exceedingly; the earth reeling shall reel like a drunken man, and shall be moved to and fro like a hut, and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again (Isaiah 24:1, 3-6, 18-20).

The “earth” here denotes the people who are in it, and in fact the people of the church, thus the church itself, and the vastated things of the church, of which when vastated it is said that they are “emptied” “moved exceedingly” “reel like a drunken man” “move to and fro” and “fall, not to rise again.”

[2] That by “earth” or “land” is signified man, consequently the church, which is of man, may be seen in Malachi:

All nations shall call you happy; for ye shall be a delightsome land (Malachi 3:12).

That “earth” denotes the church is seen in Isaiah:

Have ye not understood the foundations of the earth? (Isaiah 40:21), where the “foundations of the earth” denote the foundations of the church.

Again:

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth (Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; Revelation 21:1).

“New heavens and a new earth” denote the kingdom of the Lord and the church.

In Zechariah:

Jehovah, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him (Zechariah 12:1), meaning the church.

Also, as before, in Genesis:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

And the heavens and the earth were finished (Genesis 2:1).

These are the nativities of the heavens and of the earth (Genesis 2:4), everywhere denoting the church created, formed, and made.

In Joel:

The earth quaked before Him, the heavens trembled, the sun and the moon were darkened (Joel 2:10), meaning the church and the things of the church; when these are vastated, “heaven and earth” are said to quake, and the “sun and moon” to grow dark, that is, love and faith.

[3] In Jeremiah:

I beheld the earth, and lo a void and emptiness; and the heavens, and they had no light (Jeremiah 4:23).

Here the “earth” plainly denotes the man in whom there is not anything of the church.

Again:

The whole earth shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full consummation; for this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black (Jeremiah 4:27-28).

Here also the church is meant, whose exteriors are the “earth” and the interiors the “heavens” of which it is said that they shall be black, with no light in them, when there is no longer wisdom of good and intelligence of truth. Then the earth also is empty and void; and in like manner the man of the church who should be a church.

That by the “whole earth” is meant in other places also only the church, may be seen in Daniel:

The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces (Daniel 7:23); the “whole earth” denotes the church and what is of the church; for the Word does not treat, like profane writings, of monarchial sovereignties, but of the holy things and states of the church, which are here signified by the “kingdoms of the earth.”

[4] In Jeremiah:

A great tempest shall be raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth; and the slain of Jehovah shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth (Jeremiah 25:32-33);

here “from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth” means the church and everything that is of the church.

In Isaiah:

The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth into singing (Isaiah 14:7),

where the “whole earth” denotes the church.

In Ezekiel:

When the whole earth rejoiceth (Ezekiel 35:14), where also the “whole earth” denotes the church.

In Isaiah:

I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth (Isaiah 54:9), where the “earth” denotes the church, because the church is there treated of.

[5] Because “land” or “earth” in the Word signifies the church, it signifies also what is not the church, for every such word has contrary or opposite meanings; as for example the various lands of the Gentiles; in general all lands outside the land of Canaan. “Land” is therefore taken also for the people and for the man outside the church, and hence for the external man, for his will, his Own, and so forth. The term is rarely used in the Word for the whole world, except when the whole human race is meant as regards their state, whether of the church or not of the church. And because the earth is the containant of the ground, which also signifies the church, and the ground is the containant of the field, the word “earth” signifies, because it involves, many things; and what it signifies is evident from the subject treated of, which is that of which the term is predicated. From all this it is evident that by the “whole earth” that was overspread by the sons of Noah, is not signified the whole world, or the whole human race, but all the doctrines both true and false that were of the churches.

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

The Bible

 

Isaiah 66

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1 Thus says Yahweh, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what kind of house will you build to me? and what place shall be my rest?

2 For all these things has my hand made, and [so] all these things came to be," says Yahweh: "but to this man will I look, even to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.

3 He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog's neck; he who offers an offering, [as he who offers] pig's blood; he who burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations:

4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears on them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear: but they did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I didn't delight."

5 Hear the word of Yahweh, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name's sake, have said, 'Let Yahweh be glorified, that we may see your joy;' but it is those who shall be disappointed.

6 A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of Yahweh that renders recompense to his enemies.

7 "Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she delivered a son.

8 Who has heard such a thing? who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? shall a nation be brought forth at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth?" says Yahweh: "shall I who cause to bring forth shut [the womb]?" says your God.

10 "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her: Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her;

11 that you may nurse and be satisfied at the comforting breasts; that you may drink deeply, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory."

12 For thus says Yahweh, "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: and you will nurse. You will be carried on her side, and will be dandled on her knees.

13 As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted in Jerusalem."

14 You will see [it], and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like the tender grass: and the hand of Yahweh shall be known toward his servants; and he will have indignation against his enemies.

15 For, behold, Yahweh will come with fire, and his chariots shall be like the whirlwind; to render his anger with fierceness, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For by fire will Yahweh execute judgment, and by his sword, on all flesh; and the slain of Yahweh shall be many.

17 "Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves [to go] to the gardens, behind one in the midst, eating pig's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together," says Yahweh.

18 "For I [know] their works and their thoughts: [the time] comes, that I will gather all nations and languages; and they shall come, and shall see my glory.

19 "I will set a sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the islands afar off, who have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.

20 They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering to Yahweh, on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says Yahweh, as the children of Israel bring their offering in a clean vessel into the house of Yahweh.

21 Of them also will I take for priests [and] for Levites," says Yahweh.

22 "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me," says Yahweh, "so your seed and your name shall remain.

23 It shall happen, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me," says Yahweh.

24 "They shall go forth, and look on the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they will be loathsome to all mankind."

   

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