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Ezekiel 4

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1 Ikaw naman, anak ng tao, kumuha ka ng isang losa, at ilagay mo sa harap mo, at gumuhit ka sa ibabaw ng isang bayan, sa makatuwid baga'y ng Jerusalem.

2 At kubkubin mo, at magtayo ka ng mga katibayan sa tapat noon, at maglagay ka ng bunton sa tapat noon; maglagay ka rin ng mga kampamento sa tapat noon; at magumang ka ng mga pangsaksak sa tapat noon sa palibot.

3 At magdala ka ng kawaling bakal, at ilagay mo na pinakakutang bakal sa pagitan mo at ng bayan: at iharap mo ang iyong mukha sa dako niyaon, at makukubkob, at iyong kukubkubin. Ito ang magiging tanda sa sangbahayan ni Israel.

4 Bukod dito'y humiga ka ng patagilid sa iyong kaliwa at ilagay mo ang kasamaan ng sangbahayan ni Israel doon; ayon sa bilang ng mga araw na iyong ihihiga roon, magdadanas ka ng kanilang kasamaan.

5 Sapagka't aking itinakda ang mga taon ng kanilang kasamaan upang maging sa iyo'y isang bilang ng mga araw, sa makatuwid baga'y tatlong daan at siyam na pung araw: gayon mo dadanasin ang kasamaan ng sangbahayan ni Israel.

6 At muli, pagka iyong natapos ang mga ito, ikaw ay hihiga sa iyong tagilirang kanan, at iyong dadanasin ang kasamaan ng sangbahayan ni Juda; apat na pung araw, bawa't araw ay pinaka isang taon, aking itinakda sa iyo.

7 At iyong ihaharap ang iyong mukha sa pagkubkob ng Jerusalem na may lilis kang manggas; at ikaw ay manghuhula laban doon.

8 At, narito, ipinaglalagay kita ng lubid, at ikaw ay huwag magpapalikoliko mula sa isang dako hanggang sa kabila, hanggang sa matupad mo ang mga kaarawan ng iyong pagkubkob.

9 Magdala ka rin ng trigo, at ng cebada, at ng habas, at ng lentejas, at ng mijo, at ng espelta, at ilagay mo sa isang sisidlan, at gawin mong tinapay; ayon sa bilang ng mga araw na iyong ihihiga sa iyong tagiliran, sa makatuwid baga'y tatlong daan at siyam na pung araw, iyong kakanin yaon.

10 At ang iyong pagkain na iyong kakanin ay magiging ayon sa timbang, dalawang pung siklo isang araw: araw-araw ay iyong kakanin.

11 At ikaw ay iinom ng tubig ayon sa takal, na ikaanim na bahagi ng isang hin: araw-araw ikaw ay iinom.

12 At iyong kakaning parang mga munting tinapay na cebada, at iyong lulutuin sa dumi na galing sa tao sa kanilang paningin.

13 At sinabi ng Panginoon, Ganito kakanin ng mga anak ni Israel ang kanilang maruming tinapay, sa gitna ng mga bansa na aking pagtatabuyan sa kanila.

14 Nang magkagayo'y sinabi ko, Ah Panginoong Dios! narito, ang aking kaluluwa ay hindi nadumhan, sapagka't mula sa aking kabataan hanggang ngayon ay hindi ako kumain ng namamatay sa sarili, o nilapa ng mga hayop; o pumasok man ang kasuklamsuklam na karne sa aking bibig.

15 Nang magkagayo'y sinabi niya sa akin, Tingnan mo, ibinigay ko sa iyo'y dumi ng baka na kahalili ng dumi ng tao, at iyong ihahanda ang iyong tinapay sa ibabaw niyaon.

16 Bukod dito'y sinabi niya sa akin, Anak ng tao, narito, aking babaliin ang tungkod ng tinapay sa Jerusalem: at sila'y magsisikain ng tinapay ayon sa timbang, at may pagkatakot; at magsisiinom sila ng tubig ayon sa takal, at manglulupaypay:

17 Upang sila'y mangailangan ng tinapay at tubig, at manglupaypay na magkakasama, at manganlata sa kanilang kasamaan.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Doctrine of the Lord #64

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64. Jerusalem, in the Word, means the church in respect to doctrine, because the Temple, the Altar, the offering of sacrifices, thus Divine worship itself were there, in the land of Canaan, and nowhere else. The three annual feasts were therefore also celebrated there, and every male throughout the land was commanded to go to them. For that reason Jerusalem symbolizes the church in respect to its worship, and so also the church in respect to its doctrine. For worship is prescribed in doctrine, and is conducted in accordance with it. In addition, the Lord was active in Jerusalem and taught in its Temple, and afterward glorified His humanity there.

Furthermore, in the Word in its spiritual sense a city symbolizes doctrine. The Holy City therefore symbolizes a doctrine of Divine truth from the Lord. 1

[2] That Jerusalem means the church in respect to its doctrine is apparent also from other passages in the Word. For example, from the following:

In Isaiah:

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as a radiance, and her salvation as a burning lamp. Then the nations shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah will utter. You shall also be a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.... ...Jehovah will be well pleased by you, and your land shall be married.... Behold, your salvation is coming; behold, His reward is with Him.... And they shall call them a holy people, the redeemed of Jehovah; and you shall be called a city sought, not forsaken. (Isaiah 62:1-4, 11-12)

This whole chapter deals with the Lord’s advent and a new church to be established by Him. The new church is the one meant by Jerusalem, which will be called “by a new name which the mouth of Jehovah will utter, ” which will be “a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal diadem in the hand of God, ” by which Jehovah will be “well pleased, ” and which will be called “a city sought, not forsaken.”

This cannot mean the Jerusalem inhabited by Jews when the Lord came into the world, for it was altogether of an opposite character. Rather it deserved to have been called Sodom, as it is in fact called in Revelation 11:8, Isaiah 3:9, Jeremiah 23:14, and Ezekiel 16:46, 48.

[3] Elsewhere in Isaiah:

...behold, I create a new heaven and a new earth; the former shall not be remembered.... ...be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; ...behold, I will create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem, and be glad over My people.... (Then) the wolf and the lamb shall feed together.... They shall not do harm...in all My holy mountain.... (Isaiah 65:17-19, 25)

The subject in this chapter as well is the Lord’s advent and the church that He will establish — a church that was not established among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but among surrounding peoples. Consequently it is this church that is meant by Jerusalem, which will be for the Lord a rejoicing, and whose people will be for Him a joy, and where the wolf and the lamb will feed together and not do harm.

Here, too, we are told, as we are in the book of Revelation, that the Lord will create a new heaven and a new earth, where they have a similar meaning. And we are also told that He will create Jerusalem.

[4] Elsewhere in Isaiah:

Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come into you. Shake yourself from the dust, arise; sit down, O Jerusalem! ...My people shall know My name...in that day, for I am He who speaks. Behold, it is I.... ...Jehovah has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. (Isaiah 52:1-2, 6, 9)

In this chapter also the subject is the Lord’s advent and a church to be established by Him. Consequently the Jerusalem into which the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come, and which the Lord has redeemed, means the church; and Jerusalem, the holy city, means the church in respect to its doctrine received from the Lord.

[5] In Zephaniah:

Sing, O daughter of Zion! ...Be glad...with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! ...The King of Israel...is in your midst; fear evil no more.... He will be glad over you with joy, He will rest in your love, He will rejoice over you with jubilation.... ...I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth.... (Zephaniah 3:14-17, 20)

Here, likewise, the subject is the Lord and the church to be established by Him, over which the King of Israel, namely the Lord, will be glad with joy and rejoice with jubilation, in whose love He will rest, and to whom He will give fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth.

[6] In Isaiah:

Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, and He who formed you..., who says to Jerusalem, “You shall be inhabited, ” and to the cities of Judah, “You shall be built.” (Isaiah 44:24, 26)

And in Daniel:

Know and understand that from the going forth of the word to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks.... (Daniel 9:25)

Jerusalem here, too, means the church, as is apparent, since the Lord restored and rebuilt the church, but not Jerusalem, the capital city of the Jews.

[7] Jerusalem means a church established by the Lord in the following places as well.

In Zechariah:

Thus said Jehovah: “I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. (Therefore) Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, the Holy Mountain.” (Zechariah 8:3, cf. 8:20-23)

In Joel:

Then you shall know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy.... And it will come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drip new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk.... And...shall abide...Jerusalem from generation to generation. (Joel 3:17-20)

In Isaiah:

In that day the offshoot of Jehovah shall be beautiful and glorious.... And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy — everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 4:2-3)

In Micah:

...at the end of days the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established on top of the mountains.... For out of Zion the doctrine shall go forth, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.... ...to you...the former kingdom shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. (Micah 4:1-2, 8)

In Jeremiah:

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah, and all the nations shall be gathered..., because of the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the confirmation of their evil heart. (Jeremiah 3:17)

In Isaiah:

Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feast; let your eyes behold Jerusalem, a tranquil home, a tabernacle that will not go away. Its stakes will never be removed, nor will any of its cords be torn away. (Isaiah 33:20)

And so on also elsewhere, as in Isaiah 24:23, 37:32, 66:10-14; Zechariah 12:3, 6, 8-10, 14:8, 11-12, 21; Malachi 3:2, 4; Psalms 122:1-7, 137:4-6.

[8] Jerusalem in these places means a church which the Lord will establish, and also one that He has established, and not the Jerusalem in the land of Canaan inhabited by Jews; and this can be seen as well from places in the Word where we are told that it has been utterly ruined, or that it will be destroyed. As, for example, in Jeremiah 5:1, 6:6-7, 7:17-18ff, 8:6-8ff, 9:11-12, 14ff, 13:9-10, 14, 14:16; Lamentations 1:8-9, 17; Ezekiel 4:1-17, 5:9-17, 12:18-19, 15:6-8, 16:1-63, 23:1-49; Matthew 23:37, 39; Luke 19:41-44, 21:20-22, 23:28-30. And many other places.

Footnotes:

1. [Swedenborg’s Footnote] To be shown that a city in the Word symbolizes the doctrine of a church and its religion, see the Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), nos. 402, 2449, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493. That the gate of a city symbolizes the doctrine by which one enters the church, nos. 2943, 4477, 4478. That the elders therefore sat at the gate of the city in judgment, ibid. That to go out of the gate is to depart from the doctrine, nos. 4492, 4493. That representational cities and palaces in heaven appear when angels are engaged in discussing doctrinal matters, no. 3216 there.

  
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Published by the General Church of the New Jerusalem, 1100 Cathedral Road, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania 19009, U.S.A. A translation of Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Domino, by Emanuel Swedenborg, 1688-1772. Translated from the Original Latin by N. Bruce Rogers. ISBN 9780945003687, Library of Congress Control Number: 2013954074.

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