The Bible

 

Ezekiel 29

Study

   

1 Nang ikasangpung taon, nang ikasangpung buwan, nang ikalabing dalawang araw ng buwan, ang salita ng Panginoon ay dumating sa akin, na nagsasabi,

2 Anak ng tao, ititig mo ang iyong mukha laban kay Faraon na hari sa Egipto, at manghula ka laban sa kaniya, at laban sa buong Egipto;

3 Iyong salitain, at iyong sabihin, Ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios: Narito, ako'y lalaban sa iyo, Faraong hari sa Egipto, na malaking buwaya na nahihiga sa gitna ng kaniyang mga ilog, na nagsabi: Ang ilog ko ay aking sarili, at aking ginawa sa ganang aking sarili.

4 At kakawitan kita ng mga pangbingwit sa iyong mga panga, at aking padidikitin ang isda ng iyong mga ilog sa iyong mga kaliskis; at isasampa kita mula sa gitna ng iyong mga ilog, na kasama ng lahat na isda ng iyong mga ilog na magsisidikit sa iyong mga kaliskis.

5 At ikaw ay aking iiwan tapon sa ilang, ikaw at ang lahat na isda ng iyong mga ilog: ikaw ay mabubuwal sa luwal na parang; ikaw ay hindi pipisanin, o pupulutin man; aking ibinigay kang pagkain sa mga hayop sa lupa, at sa mga ibon sa himpapawid.

6 At lahat ng nananahan sa Egipto ay makakaalam na ako ang Panginoon, sapagka't sila'y naging tukod na tambo sa sangbahayan ni Israel.

7 Nang kanilang pigilan ka sa iyong kamay, iyong binali, at iyong nilabnot ang kanilang mga balikat; at nang sila'y sumandal sa iyo, iyong binalian, at iyong pinapanghina ang kanilang mga balakang.

8 Kaya't ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios: Narito, pagdadalhan kita ng tabak sa iyo, at aking ihihiwalay sa iyo ang tao at hayop.

9 At ang lupain ng Egipto ay magiging giba at sira; at kanilang malalaman na ako ang Panginoon. Sapagka't kaniyang sinabi, Ang ilog ay akin, at aking ginawa;

10 Kaya't, narito, ako'y laban sa iyo, at laban sa iyong mga ilog, at aking lubos na gigibain at sisirain ang lupain ng Egipto, mula sa moog ng Seveneh hanggang sa hangganan ng Etiopia.

11 Walang paa ng tao na daraan doon, o paa man ng hayop ay daraan doon, o tatahanan man siyang apat na pung taon.

12 At aking gagawing sira ang lupain ng Egipto sa gitna ng mga lupain na sira; at ang kaniyang mga bayan sa gitna ng mga bayang giba ay magiging sira na apat na pung taon; at aking pangangalatin ang mga taga Egipto sa gitna ng mga bansa, at aking pananabugin sila sa mga lupain.

13 Sapagka't ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios: Sa katapusan ng apat na pung taon ay aking pipisanin ang mga taga Egipto, mula sa mga bayan na kanilang pinangalatan;

14 At aking ibabalik uli ang mga bihag sa Egipto, at aking pababalikin sila sa lupain ng Patros, na lupain na kinapanganakan sa kanila; at sila'y magiging doo'y isang mababang kaharian.

15 Siyang magiging pinakamababa sa mga kaharian; at hindi na matataas pa man ng higit kay sa mga bansa: at aking babawasan sila, upang huwag na silang magpuno sa mga bansa.

16 At hindi na magiging pagasa pa ng sangbahayan ni Israel, na nagpapaalaala ng kasamaan, pagka kanilang lilingunin sila: at kanilang malalaman na ako ang Panginoong Dios.

17 At nangyari, nang ikadalawang pu't pitong taon, nang unang buwan, nang unang araw ng buwan, ang salita ng Panginoon ay dumating sa akin, na nagsasabi:

18 Anak ng tao, pinapaglilingkod ng mabigat ni Nabucodonosor na hari sa Babilonia ang kaniyang kawal laban sa Tiro: lahat ng ulo ay nakalbo, at lahat ng balikat ay nalabnot; gayon ma'y wala siyang kaupahan, o ang kaniyang hukbo man, mula sa Tiro, sa paglilingkod na kaniyang ipinaglingkod laban doon.

19 Kaya't ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios: Narito, aking ibibigay ang lupain ng Egipto kay Nabucodonosor na hari sa Babilonia; at dadalhin niya ang kaniyang karamihan, at kukunin ang samsam sa kaniya, at kukunin ang huli sa kaniya; at magiging kaupahan para sa kaniyang hukbo.

20 Ibinigay ko sa kaniya ang lupain ng Egipto na pinakaganti sa kaniya dahil sa kaniyang ipinaglingkod, sapagka't sila'y nagsipagpagal ng dahil sa akin, sabi ng Panginoong Dios.

21 Sa araw na yao'y aking palilitawin ang isang sungay upang tumulong sa sangbahayan ni Israel, at aking papangyayarihin ang iyong salita sa gitna nila: at kanilang malalaman na ako ang Panginoon.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #65

Study this Passage

  
/ 1232  
  

65. And girt about the breasts with a golden girdle. That this signifies Divine good, is evident from the signification of breasts with a girdle, as being to surround the chest; breasts and a girdle are mentioned because the breasts stand out from the chest, and a girdle surrounds. The reason why Divine good proceeding from the Lord is here meant, is, that the chest in general, and the breasts in particular, have such a signification. The reason why these denote good proceeding, is, that all garments signify those things which proceed; for they are outside the body and clothe it; and the things which proceed from, are also outside the body and engird it. (That this is the case, is evident from what is shown in the work, Heaven and Hell, concerning the garments with which the angels are clothed, n. 177-182; that is to say that every one there is clothed with garments according to his affection of understanding and becoming wise, and this affection is what proceeds from them; for there is a sphere which proceeds from each angel and spirit, this being a sphere of affection, and is called the sphere of his life, and they have garments according to this sphere. That their garments are from that sphere, is not evident to their sight, but yet they know that it is so; concerning this sphere, see Arcana Coelestia 2489, 4464, 5179, 7454, 8630.)

[2] From these considerations it is evident that the Lord's garments signify the proceeding Divine, which is Divine truth united to Divine good, which fills the whole heaven, and enters into the interiors of the mind, and imparts intelligence and wisdom to him who receives it. This is what is meant by being clothed with white garments. Because proceeding Divine good is signified by the girdle with which the Lord was girded, therefore the girdle appeared to be of gold, for by gold is signified the good of love (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881). The reason why breasts are mentioned instead of the chest, which was girt with the girdle is, because breasts signify spiritual love, and the chest itself the good thereof; this love is also signified by breasts in Isaiah:

"I will place thee for an eternal excellency, a joy of generation and generation. Thou shalt suck the milk of the nations, and shalt suck the breasts of kings" (60:15, 16).

Kings denote truths from good from the Lord (as may be seen above, n. 31); breasts and chest denote that good, which is the good of spiritual love.

[3] That the chest signifies the good of spiritual love is from correspondence with heaven; for the whole heaven corresponds to all things of man; the inmost or third heaven corresponds to the head; the middle or second to the chest, and the ultimate or first, to the feet. On account of such correspondence, heaven is also called the Grand Man (Maximus Homo); and because the inmost or third heaven corresponds to the head, therefore by the head is signified the good of celestial love, which is the good of love to the Lord. The reason of this is, that the good of celestial love reigns in and constitutes that heaven; and because the middle or second heaven corresponds to the chest, therefore by the chest is signified the good of spiritual love, which is the good of love towards the neighbour, because this good reigns in and constitutes that heaven. And because the ultimate or first heaven corresponds to the feet, therefore by feet is signified the good of natural from spiritual love, which is the good of faith; the reason is that, that good reigns in and constitutes that heaven. From these considerations it is clear why it is that the breasts signify spiritual love, and the chest its good. (But these things may be better understood from what is shown in the work, Heaven and Hell; especially from the articles which treat of the three heavens, n. 29-39, where it is shown, that the Divine of the Lord in the heavens is love to Him and charity towards the neighbour, see n. 13-19; that the whole heaven resembles one man, see n. 59-67; and that there is correspondence of heaven with all things of man, see n. 87-102; and in Arcana Coelestia 4938, 4939, 10087. It is permitted to adduce from that work, by way of illustration, these few things. That the chest signifies the good of spiritual love, is because within, in the chest, are the heart and lungs, and the heart from correspondence signifies celestial love and the lungs spiritual love, but the lungs fill the chest; that there is such a correspondence, see Arcana Coelestia 3383-3896, 9280, 9300; what celestial love is and what spiritual love, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 23.)

  
/ 1232  
  

Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4464

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

4464. 'Only on this [condition] will we consent to you: If you will be as we are' means acceptance of their semblance of religion. This is clear from the meaning of 'consenting' as acceptance, and from the meaning of 'being as they are' as being interested only in external things and not in internal ones, for they would in that case have been as they were, see just above in 4459. There it was shown - in 4459 - what an interest only in external things is and what an interest in internal ones is. Here the reason why a person ought to be interested in internal ones is going to be stated. Anyone who reflects may see that man has communication with heaven by means of internal things, for the whole of heaven dwells within internal things. Unless a person is in heaven as regards his thoughts and affections, that is, as regards the thoughts in his understanding and the affections in his will, he cannot go to heaven after death, since he has no communication with it at all. During his lifetime a person secures that communication by means of truths in his understanding and goods in his will, and unless he secures it then he cannot do so subsequently, since his mind cannot be opened after death to interior things if it has not been opened to them during his lifetime.

[2] Man is not immediately conscious of the fact that a spiritual sphere surrounds him, the nature of which is determined by the life of his affections. That sphere the angels are able to perceive more clearly than any aroma reaching the keenest sense of smell in the world. If in his life he has been interested only in external things, that is to say, in the pleasures that are gained from hatred against the neighbour, from consequent revenge and cruelty, from committing adultery, from self-aggrandizement and consequent contempt for others, from unseen acts of robbery, from avarice, from deceit, and from luxuriousness, and other vices like these, the spiritual sphere which surrounds him is as offensive as the aroma in the world coming from dead bodies, dung, stinking refuse, and other things such as these. Anyone who has been leading a life like this takes that sphere with him after death; and being entirely surrounded by that sphere he cannot exist anywhere else than in hell where such spheres belong. Concerning spheres in the next life and their origins, see 1048, 1053, 1316, 1504-1519, 1695, 2401, 2489.

[3] People however who are interested in internal things - that is to say, who have taken delight in expressing good-will and charity towards the neighbour, and most of all who have found blessedness in love to the Lord - have a pleasing and lovely sphere surrounding them, which is the heavenly sphere itself; and for that reason they are in heaven. All the spheres which are perceived in the next life have their origin in the loves and in the affections deriving from those loves which have governed them. Such spheres have their origins as a consequence in their life, for their loves and affections derived from these loves constitute their life itself. And because they have their origins in their loves and affections derived from these they have their origins in the intentions and the ends in view which cause a person to will and to act in the way he does. For everyone has as his end in view that which he loves, and therefore a person's ends determine what his life is and constitute the essential nature of it; and this is the main source of the sphere around him. That sphere is perceived most perfectly in heaven the reason being that the sphere emanating from ends in view exists throughout the whole of heaven. These considerations show what someone is like whose interest is in internal things and what someone is like whose interest is in external ones, and why a person ought not to be interested only in external things but to be interested in internal ones also.

[4] But someone who is interested only in external things pays no attention to internal ones - no matter how skillful he may be in the conduct of public affairs and no matter how great a reputation he has earned for being learned - because he is the kind of person who does not believe in the existence of anything which he does not see with his eyes or feel by touch, and therefore does not believe in heaven or in hell. And if he were told that he was going to enter the next life immediately after death, where he will see, hear, speak, and enjoy a sense of touch more perfectly than when in the body he would reject it as an absurdity or sheer fantasy, when in actual fact that happens to be the truth. His reaction would be the same if anyone were to tell him that the soul or spirit which lives after death is the real person and not the body which he carries around in the world.

[5] From this it follows that those who are interested only in external things pay no attention at all to what is said concerning internal things, when yet it is these that make people blessed and happy in the kingdom which they are going to enter and in which they are going to live for ever. Such unbelief is present in most Christians, as I have been allowed to know from those to whom I have spoken who have entered the next life from the Christian world. For in the next life they are not able to conceal what they have thought since thoughts are laid completely bare there; nor are they able to conceal what ends they have had in view, that is, what they have loved, for this reveals itself through the sphere surrounding them.

  
/ 10837  
  

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