The Bible

 

Ezekiel 1

Study

1 Now it happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

2 In the fifth [day] of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,

3 the word of Yahweh came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Yahweh was there on him.

4 I looked, and behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with flashing lightning, and a brightness around it, and out of its midst as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.

5 Out of its midst came the likeness of four living creatures. This was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

6 Everyone had four faces, and each one of them had four wings.

7 Their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass.

8 They had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and the four of them had their faces and their wings [thus]:

9 their wings were joined one to another; they didn't turn when they went; each one went straight forward.

10 As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right side; and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side; the four of them also had the face of an eagle.

11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above. Two wings of each one touched another, and Two covered their bodies.

12 Each one went straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn't turn when they went.

13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: [the fire] went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

14 The living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15 Now as I saw the living creatures, behold, one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces of it.

16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like a beryl: and the four of them had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel within a wheel.

17 When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn when they went.

18 As for their rims, they were high and dreadful; and the four of them had their rims full of eyes all around.

19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

20 Wherever the spirit was to go, they went; there was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up beside them; for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up beside them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

22 Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome crystal to look on, stretched forth Over their heads above.

23 Under the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: each one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies.

24 When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings.

25 There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.

26 Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.

27 I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it all around, from the appearance of his waist and upward; and from the appearance of his waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him.

28 As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yahweh. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.

The Bible

 

Ezekiel 41:19

Study

       

19 so that there was the face of a man toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side. [thus was it] made through all the house all around:

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #248

Study this Passage

  
/ 1232  
  

248. Verse 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock, signifies the perpetual presence of the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "door or entrance," as being in the highest sense the Lord in respect to admission into heaven or into the church, and in the internal sense truth from good, which is from Him, since by this man is admitted (See above, n. 208), since it is here said by the Lord, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock," not only His perpetual presence is signified, but also His perpetual wish to admit, and He does admit and conjoin Himself with all who receive Him, which is effected by means of truths from good or by means of faith from charity; therefore this follows, "If anyone hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." As the word "door" is used, so the word "knocking" is used, which signifies the Lord's perpetual wish to conjoin Himself with man, and to communicate to him the blessednesses of heaven. That this is the meaning can be seen from this, that in the Lord is Divine love, and Divine love is wishing to give all its own to others, and wishing that they may receive Him; and as this can be effected only by man's receiving good and truth, or love and faith, since these are the Divine things that proceed from the Lord and are received (and as these are Divine, the Lord is in them), therefore there is conjunction of the Lord with the angels and with men by means of truths from good or by means of faith from love. The desire to give these things to man and to implant them in him is signified especially by, "I stand at the door and knock."

[2] There are two things that are in man's freedom by reason of the perpetual presence of the Lord, and His perpetual desire to conjoin Himself with man. The first thing therefrom in man's freedom is that he has the means and faculty to think well about the Lord and the neighbor; for everyone is able to think well or ill about the Lord and the neighbor; if he thinks well the door is opened, if ill it is shut. To think well about the Lord and the neighbor is not from man himself and from what is his own [ejus proprio], but from the Lord, who is perpetually present and by His perpetual presence gives man that means and faculty; but to think ill about the Lord and the neighbor is from man himself and from what is his own [ejus proprio]. The other thing which is in man's freedom by reason of the perpetual presence of the Lord with him, and the Lord's perpetual desire to conjoin Himself with man, is man's ability to abstain from evils; and so far as he does abstain the Lord opens the door and enters; for the Lord is unable to open and enter so long as evils are in man's thought and will, since these block the way and close it up. Moreover, it has been granted to man by the Lord to know the evils of the thought and will, as also the truths by which evils are to be dispersed; for the Word is given wherein these things are disclosed.

[3] From this it can be seen that nothing is lacking that man may be reformed if he wishes to be; for all the means of reformation have been bequeathed to man in his freedom; but it should be well known that this freedom is from the Lord, as was said above, and that the Lord effects reformation thereby, provided man, from the freedom that is given to everyone, receives. There must absolutely be reception on the part of man, which is meant by "If anyone hear My voice and open the door." It does not matter, if man, because he does not perceive the inflowing, does not know in the beginning that this is from the Lord, provided he afterwards believes from the Word that all the good of love and the truth of faith are from the Lord, for the Lord effects these things, although man does not know it, and this by His perpetual presence, which is signified by "I stand at the door and knock." In short, it is the Lord's wish that man of himself should abstain from evil things and do good, if he only believes that the ability to do so is not from man, but from the Lord; for it is the Lord's will that there be reception on man's part, and reception is possible only as man acts as of himself, though it is from the Lord. Thus something reciprocal is given with man, and this is his new will.

[4] From this it can be seen how mistaken those are who say that man is justified and saved by faith alone, because he cannot do good from himself. What else would this be than letting his hands hang down waiting for immediate influx? He who does this receives nothing at all. They also err who believe that they can make themselves receptive of influx by prayers, adorations, and the externals of worship; these things are of no effect unless man abstains from thinking and doing evils, and by truths from the Word leads himself, as of himself, to things good in respect to life; when man does this he makes himself receptive, and then his prayers, adorations, and externals of worship avail before the Lord. (On this see more in the work on Heaven and Hell 521-527.)

  
/ 1232  
  

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