The Bible

 

Ezekiel 1

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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.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9508

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9508. 'And a cubit and a half its breadth' means what is complete so far as truth is concerned, also as above, in 9488.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #9577

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9577. 'Which you were given to see on the mountain' means which were seen in heaven with the eyes of the spirit. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing', when it has reference to representatives in heaven, as seeing with the eyes of the spirit, dealt with below; and from the meaning of Mount Sinai as heaven, dealt with in 8805, 9420. The fact that 'seeing', when it has reference to representatives which make their appearance in heaven, means seeing with the eyes of the spirit may be recognized from the consideration that angelic spirits, who inhabit the lowest or first heaven, constantly see patterns or forms of things similar to such objects as exist in the world. They see for instance parks, trees there with fruit on them, flowers, and young plants, also houses and palaces, as well as very many kinds of living creatures, in addition to countless other things that have not been seen in the world. All those sights are representatives of heavenly realities that exist in higher heavens. These realities there manifest themselves in such a form or pattern before the eyes of the spirits below, in order that from it an angelic spirit may be able to know about and gain an insight into particular realities that come to exist in higher heavens; for all things, even the most specific, are representative and carry a spiritual meaning. All this makes clear what should be understood by a representative of heaven and heavenly realities, which are meant by the ark, cherubs, dwelling-place, tables there, and lampstand.

[2] Such sights cannot be seen with the human eye in the world, for the eye has been formed to take in earthly and bodily shapes, thus material objects. The eye therefore is so imperfect that with its vision it cannot even take in the secrets of the natural order, as magnifying glasses go to prove, since it must be supplied with these if it is to see merely the least hidden secrets of the natural order. In short, the eyes are extremely dim, and being like this they cannot possibly see the representatives which make their appearance to spirits in the next life. If these are to make their appearance the inferior light of the world must be taken away from the eyes; and once it has been taken away those things that exist in the light of heaven are seen. For there is the light of heaven and there is the light of the world; the light of heaven exists for a person's spirit and the light of the world for a person's body. The situation is that those things which exist in the light of heaven are in thick darkness when a person looks at them from the light of the world, and conversely those things which exist in the light of the world are in thick darkness when a person looks at them from the light of heaven. So it is that when the light of the world is taken away from the sight of his physical eye the eyes of his spirit are opened, and those things which exist in the light of heaven, thus representative forms or patterns, are seen, as has been stated above.

[3] From all this it may recognized why it is that people at the present day are in thick darkness so far as heavenly matters are concerned. Some are in darkness so thick that they do not even believe in the existence of life after death, nor therefore that they are going to be alive for evermore. For people at the present day are immersed so much in the body, thus in bodily, earthly, and worldly concerns, and consequently in the light of the world which is so imperfect, that heavenly things are complete and utter darkness to them, and therefore the sight of their spirit cannot be enlightened. All this now shows what is meant by seeing with the eyes of the spirit, the eyes with which Moses saw the pattern of the tent on Mount Sinai.

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