The Bible

 

Ezekiel 44

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1 Nang magkagayo'y ibinalik niya ako sa daan ng pintuan sa labas ng santuario, na nakaharap sa dakong silanganan; at ito'y nasara.

2 At sinabi ng Panginoon sa akin, Ang pintuang-daang ito ay sasarhan, hindi bubuksan, o papasukan man ng sinoman, sapagka't pinasukan ng Panginoon, ng Dios ng Israel; kaya't ito'y masasara.

3 Tungkol sa prinsipe, siya'y mauupo roon na pinaka prinsipe upang kumain ng tinapay sa harap ng Panginoon; siya'y papasok sa daan ng portiko ng pintuang-daan, at lalabas sa daan ding yaon.

4 Nang magkagayo'y dinala niya ako sa daan ng pintuang-daang hilagaan sa harap ng bahay: at ako'y tumingin, at, narito, napuno ng kaluwalhatian ng Panginoon ang bahay ng Panginoon: at nasubasob ako.

5 At ang Panginoon ay nagsabi sa akin, Anak ng tao, tandaan mong mabuti, at masdan mo ng iyong mga mata, at pakinggan mo ng iyong mga pakinig ang lahat na aking sinasabi sa iyo tungkol sa lahat ng alituntunin hinggil sa bahay ng Panginoon, at tungkol sa lahat ng kautusan doon; at tandaan mong mabuti ang pasukan ng bahay sangpu ng bawa't labasan sa santuario.

6 At iyong sasabihin sa mapanghimagsik, sa makatuwid baga'y sa sangbahayan ni Israel, Ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios: Oh kayong sangbahayan ni Israel, mangaglikat na kayo sa lahat ninyong kasuklamsuklam,

7 Sa inyong pagpapasok ng mga taga ibang lupa na hindi tuli sa puso at hindi tuli sa laman, upang malagay sa aking santuario, na lapastanganin yaon, sa makatuwid baga'y ang aking bahay, pagka inyong inihahandog ang aking tinapay, ang taba at ang dugo, at sinira nila ang aking tipan, upang idagdag sa lahat ninyong mga kasuklamsuklam.

8 At hindi ninyo iningatan ang katungkulan sa aking mga banal na bagay; kundi kayo'y nangaglagay ng mga tagapangasiwa sa aking santuario sa ganang inyong sarili.

9 Ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios, Walang taga ibang lupa, na hindi tuli sa puso at hindi tuli sa laman na papasok sa aking santuario, kahit sinomang taga ibang lupa na nasa gitna ng mga anak ni Israel.

10 Nguni't ang mga Levita na nagsilayo sa akin nang ang Israel ay maligaw sa akin sa pagsunod sa kanilang mga diosdiosan; mangagdadanas sila ng kanilang kasamaan.

11 Gayon ma'y magiging tagapangasiwa sila sa aking santuario, na sila ang mamamahala sa mga pintuang-daan ng bahay, at magsisipangasiwa sa bahay: kanilang papatayin ang handog na susunugin at ang hain para sa bayan, at sila'y magsisitayo sa harap ng mga yaon upang pangasiwaan nila.

12 Sapagka't kanilang pinangasiwaan sila sa harap ng kanilang mga diosdiosan, at naging ikatitisod sila sa ikasasama ng sangbahayan ni Israel; kaya't itinaas ko ang aking kamay laban sa kanila, sabi ng Panginoong Dios, at dadanasin nila ang kanilang kasamaan.

13 At hindi sila magsisilapit sa akin upang magsagawa ng katungkulan ng saserdote sa akin, o magsisilapit man sa alin man sa mga banal na bagay ko, sa mga bagay na kabanalbanalan; kundi tataglayin nila ang kanilang kahihiyan, at ang kanilang mga kasuklamsuklam na kanilang ginawa.

14 Gayon ma'y gagawin ko silang tagapangasiwa sa bahay, para sa buong paglilingkod doon, at sa lahat na gagawin doon.

15 Nguni't ang mga saserdoteng Levita na mga anak na lalake ni Sadoc, na nagiingat ng katungkulan sa aking santuario nang ang mga anak ni Israel ay magsihiwalay sa akin, sila'y magsisilapit sa akin upang magsipangasiwa sa akin; at sila'y magsisitayo sa harap ko upang mangaghandog sa akin ng taba at ng dugo, sabi ng Panginoong Dios:

16 Sila'y magsisipasok sa aking santuario, at sila'y magsisilapit sa aking dulang, upang magsipangasiwa sa akin, at iingatan nila ang kanilang katungkulan sa akin.

17 At mangyayari, na pagka sila'y magsisipasok sa mga pintuang-daan ng lalong loob na looban, susuutan sila ng mga kayong linong kasuutan; at walang lanang dadaiti sa kanila, samantalang sila'y nagsisipangasiwa sa mga pintuang-daan ng lalong loob na looban, at sa loob.

18 Sila'y mangagpupugong ng kayong lino sa kanilang mga ulo, at mangagtatapi ng kayong lino sa kanilang mga balakang; hindi sila mangagbibigkis ng anomang nakapagpapapawis.

19 At pagka kanilang lalabasin ang mga tao sa looban sa labas, ng bahay, kanilang huhubarin ang kanilang mga kasuutan na kanilang ipinangangasiwa, at ilalagay nila ang mga ito sa mga banal na silid; at mangagsusuot sila ng ibang mga kasuutan, upang huwag nilang banalin ang mga tao ng kanilang mga kasuutan.

20 Ni aahitan man nila ang kanilang mga ulo, ni titiisin man ang kanilang buhok ay humaba; kanila lamang gugupitan ang kanilang mga ulo.

21 Ni iinom ng alak ang sinomang saserdote pagka sila'y magsisipasok sa lalong loob na looban.

22 Ni mangagaasawa man sa babaing bao, o sa inihiwalay man: kundi sila'y magaasawa ng mga dalaga sa lahi ng sangbahayan ni Israel, o ng babaing bao na nabao sa saserdote.

23 At kanilang ituturo sa aking bayan ang pagkakaiba ng banal at ng karaniwan, at ipakikilala nila sa kanila ang marumi at malinis.

24 At sa pagtatalo ay magsisitayo sila upang magsihatol; ayon sa aking mga kahatulan ay kanilang hahatulan: at kanilang iingatan ang aking mga kautusan at ang aking mga palatuntunan sa lahat kong takdang kapistahan; at kanilang ipangingilin ang aking mga sabbath.

25 At hindi sila magsisilapit sa alin mang patay na tao na mangagpakahawa; nguni't sa ama, o sa ina, o sa anak na lalake, o babae, sa kapatid na lalake, o babae na hindi nagkaasawa, maaaring mangagpakahawa sila.

26 At pagkatapos na siya'y malinis, sila'y bibilang sa kaniya ng pitong araw.

27 At sa kaarawan na siya'y pumasok sa santuario, sa lalong loob na looban upang mangasiwa sa santuario, siya'y maghahandog ng kaniyang handog dahil sa kasalanan, sabi ng Panginoong Dios.

28 At sila'y mangagkakaroon ng mana; ako'y kanilang mana; at hindi ninyo bibigyan sila ng pag-aari sa Israel; ako'y kanilang pag-aari.

29 Sila'y magsisikain ng handog na harina, at ng handog dahil sa kasalanan, at ng handog dahil sa pagkakasala; at bawa't bagay na itinalaga sa Israel ay magiging kanila.

30 At ang una sa lahat na unang bunga ng bawa't bagay, at lahat na alay na bawa't bagay, sa lahat ninyong mga alay ay magiging sa saserdote: inyo rin namang ibibigay sa mga saserdote ang una sa inyong masa upang pagpalain ang inyong bahay.

31 Ang mga saserdote ay hindi kakain ng anomang bagay na namamatay sa kaniyang sarili, o nalapa, maging ibon o hayop man.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #945

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945. 22:8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. This means that John supposed that the angel sent to him by the Lord to keep him in a state of the spirit was the God who revealed these things, when in fact that was not the case, as the angel only showed him what the Lord presented.

Clearly John supposed that the angel sent to him was the Lord Himself, for we are told that he fell down to worship before the angel's feet. But that it was not as he supposed is apparent from the next verse, in which the angel tells him that he is his fellow servant: "Worship God." That the angel was sent to John by the Lord is apparent from verse 16, which says, "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches."

But behind this lies the following secret: The Lord sent the angel to John in order to keep him in a state of the spirit and to show him in that state the visions he saw. For whatever John saw, he saw not with the eyes of his body, but with the eyes of his spirit, as can be seen from the passages in which he says that he was in the spirit and seeing a vision (Revelation 1:10; 9:17; 17:3; 21:10), thus everywhere that he says "he saw." And a person can enter that state and be kept in it only by angels who are closely attached to the person, who induce their own spiritual state on the interiors of his mind. For this raises the person into the light of heaven, and in that light he sees sights in heaven and not in the world.

[2] Ezekiel, Zechariah, Daniel, and other prophets were at times in the same state, but not when they spoke the Word. When they spoke the Word they were not in the spirit, but conscious in the body, and the words they wrote they heard from Jehovah Himself, that is, from the Lord.

These two states experienced by the prophets must be properly distinguished. The prophets themselves also properly distinguished them, for they everywhere say when they wrote the Word from Jehovah that Jehovah spoke with them and to them, and most often, "Thus says Jehovah," or "the word of Jehovah." However, when they were in the other state, they say that they were in the spirit or seeing in a vision, as can be seen from the following: (Ezekiel said,) "The spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision... of God into Chaldea, to those in captivity. So the vision that I saw went up upon me." (Ezekiel 11:1, 24)

Ezekiel says that the spirit lifted him up and that he heard behind him an earthquake, among other things (Ezekiel 3:12, 14). Also that the spirit lifted him up between earth and heaven, and brought him in visions of God to Jerusalem, where he saw abominations (Ezekiel 8:3ff.). Therefore he was also seeing in a vision of God or in the spirit when he saw four living creatures, which were cherubim (Ezekiel 1 and 10). And when he saw a new temple and a new land, and an angel measuring them (Ezekiel 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48). He says that he was then seeing in the visions of God (Ezekiel 40:2), and that the spirit lifted him up (Ezekiel 43:5).

[3] It was the same with Zechariah, who had an angel with him at the time when he saw a man riding among the myrtle trees (Zechariah 1:8ff.). When he saw the four horns, and then the man with a measuring line in his hand (Zechariah 1:18; 2:1ff.). When he saw Joshua, the high priest (Zechariah 3:1ff.). When he saw the lampstand and two olive trees (Zechariah 4:1ff.). When he saw the flying scroll and the ephah (Zechariah 5:1, 6). And when he saw the four chariots and their horses coming from between two mountains (Zechariah 6:1ff.).

Daniel was in the same state when he saw four beasts coming up from the sea (Daniel 7:1ff.), and when he saw the combat of the ram and the male goat (Daniel 8:1ff.). That he saw these sights in visions is said in Daniel 7:1-2, 7, 13; 8:2; 10:1, 7-8. Moreover, that he saw the angel Gabriel and spoke with him in a vision (Daniel 9:21).

It was the same with John when he saw the sights he described, as when he saw the Son of Man in the midst of the seven lampstands; when he saw the tabernacle, 1 the temple, 2 the ark, 3 and the altar 4 in heaven; the dragon and its combat with Michael; 5 the beasts; 6 the woman sitting on the scarlet beast; 7 the new heaven and new earth, and the holy Jerusalem with its wall, gates, and foundations; 8 and more.

These sights were revealed by the Lord, but shown by an angel.

Footnotes:

  
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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.

The Bible

 

Ezekiel 46

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1 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: The gate of the inner court that looks toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened.

2 The prince shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate outside, and shall stand by the post of the gate; and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.

3 The people of the land shall worship at the door of that gate before Yahweh on the Sabbaths and on the new moons.

4 The burnt offering that the prince shall offer to Yahweh shall be on the Sabbath day six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish;

5 and the meal offering shall be an ephah for the ram, and the meal offering for the lambs as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah.

6 On the day of the new moon it shall be a young bull without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without blemish:

7 and he shall prepare a meal offering, an ephah for the bull, and an ephah for the ram, and for the lambs according as he is able, and a hin of oil to an ephah.

8 When the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and he shall go forth by its way.

9 But when the people of the land shall come before Yahweh in the appointed feasts, he who enters by the way of the north gate to worship shall go forth by the way of the south gate; and he who enters by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate by which he came in, but shall go forth straight before him.

10 The prince, when they go in, shall go in with of them; and when they go out, he shall go out.

11 In the feasts and in the solemnities the meal offering shall be an ephah for a bull, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah.

12 When the prince shall prepare a freewill offering, a burnt offering or peace offerings as a freewill offering to Yahweh, one shall open for him the gate that looks toward the east; and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he does on the Sabbath day: then he shall go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate.

13 You shall prepare a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to Yahweh daily: morning by morning you shall prepare it.

14 You shall prepare a meal offering with it morning by morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of a hin of oil, to moisten the fine flour; a meal offering to Yahweh continually by a perpetual ordinance.

15 Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meal offering, and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt offering.

16 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: If the prince give a gift to any of his sons, it is his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance.

17 But if he give of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince; but as for his inheritance, it shall be for his sons.

18 Moreover the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance, to thrust them out of their possession; he shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession, that my people not be scattered every man from his possession.

19 Then he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy rooms for the priests, which looked toward the north: and behold, there was a place on the hinder part westward.

20 He said to me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, [and] where they shall bake the meal offering; that they not bring them forth into the outer court, to sanctify the people.

21 Then he brought me forth into the outer court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and behold, in every corner of the court there was a court.

22 In the four corners of the court there were courts enclosed, forty [cubits] long and thirty broad: these four in the corners were of one measure.

23 There was a wall around in them, around the four, and boiling places were made under the walls all around.

24 Then he said to me, These are the boiling houses, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people.