The Bible

 

Ezekiel 23

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1 Ang salita ng Panginoon ay dumating uli sa akin na nagsasabi:

2 Anak ng tao, may dalawang babae, na mga anak na babae ng isang ina:

3 At sila'y nagpatutot sa Egipto; sila'y nagpatutot sa kanilang kadalagahan: doo'y nangahigpit ang kanilang mga dibdib, at doo'y nangahipo ang mga suso ng kanilang pagkadalaga.

4 At ang mga pangalan nila ay Ohola ang matanda, at Oholiba ang kapatid niya: at sila'y naging akin at nanganak ng mga lalake at babae. At tungkol sa kanilang mga pangalan, Samaria ay Ohola, at Jerusalem ay Oholiba.

5 At si Ohola ay nagpatutot nang siya'y akin; at siya'y suminta sa mga mangingibig sa kaniya, sa mga taga Asiria na kaniyang mga kalapit bayan.

6 Na nananamit ng kulay asul, ang mga tagapamahala at ang mga pinuno, silang lahat na binatang makisig, mga mangangabayo na nangakasakay sa mga kabayo.

7 At ipinagkaloob niya sa kanila ang kaniyang pakikiapid, sa mga pinaka piling lalake sa Asiria sa kanilang lahat; at sa sino man na inibig niya, sa lahat nilang diosdiosan, ay nadumhan siya.

8 Ni hindi man niya iniwan ang kaniyang mga pagpapatutot mula sa mga kaarawan ng Egipto, sapagka't sa kaniyang kadalagahan, sila'y sumisiping sa kaniya, at nangahipo nila ang mga suso ng kaniyang pagkadalaga; at kanilang ibinuhos ang kanilang pagpapatutot sa kaniya.

9 Kaya't ibinigay ko siya sa kamay ng mga mangingibig sa kaniya, sa kamay ng mga taga Asiria, na siya niyang mga inibig.

10 Ang mga ito ang nangaglitaw ng kaniyang kahubaran; kinuha nila ang kaniyang mga anak na lalake at babae; at siya'y pinatay nila ng tabak: at siya'y naging kakutyaan sa mga babae; sapagka't sila'y naglapat ng mga kahatulan sa kaniya.

11 At nakita ito ng kaniyang kapatid na si Oholiba, gayon ma'y siya'y higit na napahamak sa kaniyang pagibig kay sa kaniya, at sa kaniyang mga pagpapatutot na higit kay sa mga pagpapatutot ng kaniyang kapatid.

12 Siya'y umibig sa mga taga Asiria, sa mga tagapamahala at mga pinuno, sa kaniyang mga kalapit bayan, na nararamtan ng mga pinakamahusay, sa mga nangangabayo na nakasakay sa mga kabayo, silang lahat ay mga binatang makisig.

13 At aking nakita na siya'y nadumhan; na sila kapuwa ay nagisang daan.

14 At kaniyang pinalago ang kaniyang mga pagpapatutot; sapagka't siya'y nakakita ng mga lalaking nakalarawan sa mga panig, na mga larawan ng mga Caldeo na nakalarawan ng bermillon,

15 Na nangabibigkisan sa kanilang mga balakang, na mga may lumilipad na turbante sa kanilang mga ulo, silang lahat ay parang mga prinsipe ayon sa wangis ng mga taga Babilonia sa Caldea, na lupain na kanilang kinapanganakan.

16 At pagkakita niya sa kanila ay inibig niya agad sila, at nagsugo ng mga sugo sa kanila sa Caldea.

17 At sinipingan siya ng mga taga Babilonia sa higaan ng pagibig, at kanilang dinumhan siya ng kanilang pagpapatutot, at siya'y nahawa sa kanila, at ang kaniyang kalooban ay tinabangan sa kanila.

18 Sa gayo'y inilitaw niya ang kaniyang mga pagpapatutot, at inilitaw niya ang kaniyang kahubaran: nang magkagayo'y tinabangan ang aking kalooban sa kaniya, na gaya ng pagkatabang ng aking kalooban sa kaniyang kapatid.

19 Gayon ma'y kaniyang pinarami ang kaniyang mga pakikiapid, na inalaala ang mga kaarawan ng kaniyang kadalagahan, na kaniyang ipinagpatutot sa lupain ng Egipto,

20 At siya'y umibig sa mga nagsisiagulo sa kaniya, na ang laman ay parang laman ng mga asno, at ang lumalabas sa kanila ay parang lumalabas sa mga kabayo.

21 Ganito mo inalaala ang kahalayan ng iyong kadalagahan, sa pagkahipo ng iyong mga suso ng mga taga Egipto dahil sa mga suso ng iyong kadalagahan.

22 Kaya, Oh Oholiba, ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios; Narito, aking ibabangon ang mga mangingibig sa iyo laban sa iyo, na siyang pinagsawaan ng iyong kalooban, at aking dadalhin sila laban sa iyo sa lahat ng dako:

23 Ang mga taga Babilonia at lahat ng Caldeo, ang Pekod, at ang Soa, at ang Coa, at lahat ng taga Asiria na kasama nila; na mga binatang makisig, mga tagapamahala at mga pinuno silang lahat, mga prinsipe, at mga lalaking bantog, silang lahat ay nagsisisakay sa mga kabayo.

24 At sila'y magsisiparitong laban sa iyo na ma'y mga almas, mga karo, at mga kariton, at may kapulungan ng mga tao; sila'y magsisilagay laban sa iyo sa palibot na may longki, at kalasag at turbante; at aking ipauubaya ang kahatulan sa kanila, at sila'y magsisihatol sa iyo ayon sa kanilang mga kahatulan.

25 At aking ilalagak ang aking paninibugho laban sa iyo, at sila'y magsisigawa sa iyo sa kapusukan; kanilang pipingusin ang iyong ilong at ang iyong mga tainga; at ang nalabi sa iyo ay mabubuwal sa pamamagitan ng tabak: kanilang kukunin ang iyong mga anak na lalake at babae; at ang nalabi sa iyo ay susupukin sa apoy,

26 Kanila rin namang huhubaran ka ng iyong mga suot, at dadalhin ang iyong mga magandang hiyas.

27 Ganito ko patitigilin sa iyo ang iyong kahalayan, at ang iyong pagpapatutot na dinala mula sa lupain ng Egipto: na anopa't hindi mo ididilat ang iyong mga mata sa kanila, o aalalahanin mo pa man ang Egipto kailan man.

28 Sapagka't ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios, Narito, ibibigay kita sa kamay ng mga ipinagtatanim mo, sa kamay ng mga pinagsawaan ng iyong kalooban;

29 At hahatulan ka nila na may pagtatanim, at aalisin ang lahat ng iyong kayamanan, at iiwan kang hubad at hubo: at ang sala mong pagpapatutot ay malilitaw, ang iyong kahalayan at gayon din ang iyong mga pagpapatutot.

30 Ang mga bagay na ito ay gagawin sa iyo, sapagka't ikaw ay nagpatutot sa mga bansa, at sapagka't ikaw ay nadumhan sa kanilang mga diosdiosan.

31 Ikaw ay lumakad sa lakad ng iyong kapatid; kaya't ibibigay ko ang kaniyang saro sa iyong kamay.

32 Ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios: Ikaw ay iinom sa saro ng iyong kapatid, na malalim at malaki: ikaw ay tatawanan na pinakatuya at pinaka kadustaan; maraming laman.

33 Ikaw ay lubhang malalasing at mamamanglaw, sa pamamagitan ng sarong katigilan at kapahamakan, sa pamamagitan ng saro ng iyong kapatid na Samaria.

34 Iyo ngang iinumin at tutunggain, at iyong hahaluin ang labo niyaon, at sasaktan ang iyong dibdib; sapagka't aking sinalita, sabi ng Panginoong Dios.

35 Kaya't ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios: Sapagka't ako'y iyong nilimot, at tinalikdan mo ako, taglayin mo nga rin ang iyong kahalayan at ang iyong mga pakikiapid.

36 Sinabi ng Panginoon sa akin bukod dito: Anak ng tao: hahatulan mo baga si Ohola at si Oholiba? ipakilala mo sa kanila ang kanilang mga kasuklamsuklam.

37 Sapagka't sila'y nagkasala ng pangangalunya, at dugo ay nasa kanilang mga kamay; at sa kanilang mga diosdiosan ay nagsisamba; at kanila namang pinaraan sa apoy upang masupok ang kanilang mga anak, na kanilang ipinanganak sa akin.

38 Bukod dito'y ginawa nila ito sa akin: kanilang nilapastangan ang aking santuario sa araw ding yaon, at nilapastangan ang aking mga sabbath.

39 Sapagka't nang kanilang patayin ang kanilang mga anak para sa kanilang mga diosdiosan, nagsiparoon nga sila nang araw ding yaon sa aking santuario upang lapastanganin; at, narito, ganito ang kanilang ginawa sa gitna ng aking bahay.

40 At bukod dito ay inyong ipinasundo ang mga taong nangagmumula sa malayo, na siyang mga ipinasundo sa sugo, at, narito, sila'y nagsisidating; na siyang dahil ng iyong ipinaligo, at ipinagkulay mo ng iyong mga mata, at pinaggayakan mo ng mga gayak;

41 At naupo ka sa isang mainam na higaan, na may dulang na nakahanda sa harap niyaon, na siya mong pinaglapagan ng aking kamangyan at aking langis.

42 At ang tinig ng pulutong na tiwasay ay nasa kaniya: at nadala na kasama ng mga lalake sa mga karaniwan ang mga manglalasing na mula sa ilang; at sila'y nangaglagay ng mga pulsera sa mga kamay nila, at mga magandang putong sa kanilang mga ulo.

43 Nang magkagayo'y sinabi ko sa kaniya na tumanda sa mga pangangalunya, Ngayon mangakikiapid pa sila sa kaniya, at siya sa kanila.

44 At sinipingan nila siya, na parang sumiping sa isang patutot: gayon nila sinipingan si Ohola at si Oholiba, na malibog na mga babae.

45 At mga matuwid na tao ang hahatol sa kanila ng kahatulan sa mangangalunya, at ng kahatulan sa mga babae na nagbubo ng dugo; sapagka't sila'y mangangalunya, at dugo ang nasa kanilang mga kamay.

46 Sapagka't ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios, Ako'y magsasampa ng isang kapulungan laban sa kanila, at ibibigay ko sila upang ligaliging paroo't parito at samsaman.

47 At babatuhin sila ng kapulungan, ng mga bato, at tatagain sila ng kanilang mga tabak; papatayin nila ang kanilang mga anak na lalake at babae, at susunugin ng apoy ang kanilang mga bahay.

48 Ganito ko patitigilin ang kahalayan sa lupain, upang ang lahat na babae ay maturuan na huwag magsigawa ng ayon sa inyong mga kahalayan.

49 At gagantihin nila ang inyong kahalayan sa inyo, at inyong dadanasin ang mga kasalanan tungkol sa inyong mga diosdiosan, at inyong malalaman na ako ang Panginoong Dios.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #721

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721. "And the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her licentiousness." This symbolizes its insanity in spiritual matters owing to the adulteration of the Word among those immersed in that religion.

To be made drunk with the wine of her licentiousness means, symbolically, to be irrational in spiritual matters owing to a falsification of the Word's truths, in this case owing to an adulteration of them. Wine symbolizes the Divine truth in the Word (no. 316), and licentiousness symbolizes a falsification and adulteration of it (nos. 134, 620, 632, 635). To be made drunk with that wine, therefore, symbolically means to be irrational in spiritual matters. The inhabitants of the earth symbolize the people in a church, as in 11:10; 12:12; 13:13-14, and 14:6 above, but here the people in that religion, since the church does not exist there, because they do not turn to the Lord or read the Word, and because they invoke the dead, as said in no. 718 above.

That to be drunk on that wine means, symbolically, to be irrational in spiritual matters, can indeed be seen without confirmation from other passages in the Word; but since many people do not see this, because they think not spiritually but sensually, that is, materially about the particulars in the Word when they read it, I would like to present some passages from the Word which confirm that in the Word, to be drunk means, symbolically, to be irrational in spiritual matters, that is to say, in theological matters. Here are the passages:

They are drunk, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. (Isaiah 29:9)

...hear..., O afflicted one..., drunk but not with wine... (Isaiah 51:21)

Babel was a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations are deranged. (Jeremiah 51:7)

Babel shall be... a hissing... When they are inflamed I will set out their feasts and make them drunk, that they may rejoice and sleep a perpetual sleep and not awake... (Jeremiah 51:37, 39)

Babylon is fallen, is fallen..., because she has made all nations drink of the wine... of her licentiousness. (Revelation 14:8, cf. 18:3)

Let every wineskin be filled with wine... Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land - the kings..., the priests, and the prophets... - with drunkenness! (Jeremiah 13:12-13)

You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, the cup of ruin and desolation... (Ezekiel 23:32-33)

...O daughter of Edom..., the cup shall also pass over to you; you shall become drunk and make yourself naked. (Lamentations 4:21)

You also will be drunk. (Nahum 3:11)

Drink and become drunk, and vomit and fall, so that you rise no more... (Jeremiah 25:27)

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and intelligent in their own sight! Woe to the mighty at drinking wine, and to men robust at mixing intoxicating drink... (Isaiah 5:21-22)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 19:11-12, 14; 24:20; 28:1, 3, 7-8; 56:12; Joel 1:5-7; Habakkuk 2:15; Psalms 75:8; 107:27.

  
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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.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #224

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224. To this I will add the following account:

I saw a gathering of spirits, all upon their knees, praying to God to send them angels they could speak with face to face and to whom they could disclose the thoughts of their heart.

Then when they arose, three angels appeared in white linen standing before them, and the angels said, "The Lord Jesus Christ has heard your prayers, and has therefore sent us to you. Disclose to us the thoughts of your heart."

[2] The spirits then replied, "Priests have told us that in theological matters it is not the intellect but faith that accomplishes anything, and that in such matters an intellectual faith is of no help to anyone, because it takes its origin from man.

"We are English, and we have heard many things from our sacred ministry which we believed. However, when we spoke with some other people who call themselves Reformed, and with some who call themselves Roman Catholics, and moreover with some Nonconformists, they all seemed to us learned, and yet in many matters not one of them agreed with another. But nevertheless they all said, 'Believe us.' And some said, 'We are God's ministers and we know.'

"Still we knew that the Divine truths that are called truths of faith and are the church's truths are no one's heritage by birth alone, or by heredity, but that they descend out of heaven from God. And because these show the way to heaven, and enter into one's life together with the good of charity and so lead to eternal life, we became anxious and prayed on our knees to God."

[3] At that the angels replied, "Read the Word and believe in the Lord, and you will see the truths that must be those of your faith and life. All in the Christian world draw their doctrinal teachings from the Word as from a single font."

[4] But two of the gathering of spirits said, "We have read it, but have not understood."

The angels replied, "You have not turned to the Lord, and you have also confirmed yourselves in falsities."

The angels also said further, "What is faith without light? And what is thinking without understanding? It isn't human. Ravens too and magpies can learn to speak without understanding. We can assure you that everyone whose soul longs for it can see the truths of the Word in a state of light. There is no animal that does not know the right food for its life when it sees it, and the human being is a rational and spiritual animal. If he hungers for it and seeks it from the Lord, the human being sees for his life not food for his body but food for his soul, which is the truth of faith. Moreover, whatever he does not receive with his intellect, also does not stick in his memory as a concept, but only as words. Consequently when we have looked down from heaven into the world, we have not seen anything, but have only heard sounds, mostly lacking in any harmony.

[5] "But we will list some truths that the learned of the clergy have banished from the intellect, not knowing that there are two paths to the intellect, one from the world and the other from heaven, and not knowing that the Lord raises the intellect from the world when He enlightens it. However, if the intellect is closed by religion, the path to it from heaven is closed, and a person then sees no more in the Word than a blind man sees. We have seen many of this sort fall into pits, from which they have not risen.

"Let examples serve to illustrate. You can understand what charity and faith are, can you not? That charity is to comport oneself well with the neighbor, and that faith is to think rightly about God and the essential constituents of the church? And therefore that anyone who behaves well and thinks rightly, that is, who lives rightly and believes rightly, is saved?"

In response to this the spirits said that they understood.

[6] The angels went on, "You understand, do you not, that to be saved a person must repent of his sins, and that unless a person repents, he remains caught up in the sins into which he was born? Moreover, that to repent means not to will evils because they are sins against God, and once or twice a year to examine oneself, see one's evils, confess them before the Lord, implore His aid, desist from them, and embark upon a new life? And that to the extent a person does this and believes in the Lord, his sins are forgiven?"

Then some of the gathering of spirits said, "This we understand, and so also what the forgiveness of sins is."

[7] At that the spirits then asked the angels to tell them something more, and specifically this time about God, the immortality of the soul, regeneration, and baptism.

To this the angels replied, "We shall say nothing but what you can understand. Otherwise what we say will fall like rain on sand, and however much they may be watered from heaven, any seeds there will still dry up and die."

Regarding God then they said, "People who enter heaven are all allotted a place there and accordingly come into eternal joy in accord with their idea of God, because this idea reigns universally throughout all aspects of worship.

"An idea of God as invisible is not focused on anyone, and so has no focus in anyone. Consequently it passes away and dies.

"An idea of God as a spirit, when one believes a spirit to be like the ether or a puff of wind, is an idea empty of content.

"But an idea of God as a man is a proper idea. For God is Divine love and wisdom, with every property of these, and their containing vessel is man, not ether or a puff of wind.

"The idea of God found in heaven is an idea of the Lord. He is God of heaven and earth, as He Himself taught. Let your idea of God be like ours, and we will be comrades."

When the angels said this, their faces shone.

[8] Regarding the immortality of the soul the angels said, "A person lives to eternity because through love and faith he can be conjoined with God. This is possible for everyone. You can understand that the immortality of the soul results from this possibility if you think about it a little more deeply."

[9] Regarding regeneration they said, "Who does not see that everyone has the freedom to think about God or not to think about Him, provided he has been taught that God exists. Thus everyone has just as much freedom in spiritual matters as he does in civil and moral matters. The Lord gives this freedom to all people continually. Consequently it is his fault if he does not think about God. A person is human because of this ability [to think about God], while an animal is an animal because it lacks the ability. Therefore a person can reform and regenerate himself as though of himself, provided he acknowledges at heart that the ability comes from the Lord. Everyone who repents and believes in the Lord is reformed and regenerated. A person must do both as though of himself, but the "as though of himself" comes from the Lord.

"It is true that a person can contribute nothing to this end - nothing at all - but still you were not created sculpted forms, but were created human beings, in order that you might accomplish this from the Lord as though of yourselves. This reciprocation of love and faith is the one thing that the Lord above all wishes a person to do for Him.

"In a word, do it of yourselves, but believe that you do it from the Lord, thus doing it as though of yourselves."

[10] The spirits, however, then asked the angels whether doing things as though of oneself was not something with which a person was endowed from creation.

One of the angels replied, "It is not something with which a person is endowed, because to do something of oneself is God's alone, but He grants the ability to a person continually, that is to say, He attaches it to a person continually; and then to the extent that a person does good and believes truth as though of himself, he is an angel of heaven. But to the extent that he does evil and so believes falsity, which he does also as though of himself, he is to that extent an angel of hell. You are surprised to be told that he does this also as though of himself, but yet you see it when you pray to be protected from the devil, that he not lead you astray, lest he enter into you as he entered into Judas, fill you with all iniquity, and destroy both soul and body. 1

"Still, everyone makes himself responsible for an action if he believes that he does it of himself, be it good or evil, but does not make himself responsible for it if he believes that he does it as though of himself."

[11] Regarding baptism the angels said that it was a spiritual washing, which is reformation and regeneration, and that a little child is reformed and regenerated when he becomes an adult and does the things that his sponsors promised for him, of which there are two, namely, repentance and faith in God. For his sponsors promise first that he will renounce the devil and all his works, and second that he will believe in God. All little children in heaven are initiated into these two, though for them the devil is hell and God is the Lord.

"Moreover, baptism is a sign to angels that a person belongs to the church."

[12] Having heard this, some of the gathering of spirits said, "We understand it." But a voice from the side was heard crying, "We don't understand it." And another voice, "We don't want to understand it."

The spirits then inquired into whose voices they were, and they found that they belonged to people who had confirmed themselves in the falsities of their faith, and who wished to be credited as oracles so as to be revered.

The angels said, "Do not be astonished. Such is the character of very many people today. From heaven they look to us like sculpted forms, so skillfully made that they can move their lips and make organism-like sounds, but they do not know whether the breath they use to make sounds comes from hell or from heaven, because they do not know whether anything is false or true. They reason and reason, and defend and defend, but they do not see whether anything is so.

"You should know, however, that human ingenuity can defend whatever it wishes, even to the point that it appears to be the case. Heretics, therefore, can do this. So can the impious. Atheists indeed can make it appear that there is no God, but only nature."

[13] After this the gathering of English spirits, burning with a desire to become wise, said to the angels, "People say such different things about the Holy Supper. Tell us what the truth is."

The angels said, "The truth is that anyone who turns to the Lord and repents is, by that most holy act, conjoined with the Lord and introduced into heaven."

But some of that gathering said, "This is a mystery."

To which the angels replied, "It is a mystery, but yet of the sort that one can understand.

"The bread and wine do not create the conjunction. There is no holiness in them. But material bread and heavenly bread correspond to each other, and so do material wine and heavenly wine. Heavenly bread is the holiness in love, and heavenly wine is the holiness in faith, both originating from the Lord, and both being the Lord. This occasions a conjunction of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord - a conjunction not with the bread and wine but with the love and faith of a person who has repented - and conjunction with the Lord is also an introduction into heaven."

Then, after the angels taught them something about correspondence and its effect, some of the gathering said, "Now for the first time we understand."

And when they said, "We understand," suddenly something flame-like descending with its light from heaven affiliated the spirits with the angels, and they loved each other.

Footnotes:

1. A reference to the prayer recited before Anglican celebrations of Holy Communion, the English text of which is quoted in The Doctrine of Life 5, which concludes, "Therefore if any of you be a blasphemer of God, or hinderer or slanderer of His word, or adulterer, or be in malice or envy, or in any other grievous crime, repent you of your sins, or else come not to the Holy Table; lest after the taking of that Holy Sacrament the Devil enter into you, as he entered into Judas, and fill you with all iniquities, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul."

  
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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.