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Ezekiel 10

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1 And I look, and lo, on the expanse that [is] above the head of the cherubs, as a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne, He hath been seen over them.

2 And He speaketh unto the man clothed with linen, and saith, `Go in unto the midst of the wheel, unto the place of the cherub, and fill thy hands with coals of fire from between the cherubs, and scatter over the city.' And he goeth in before mine eyes.

3 And the cherubs are standing on the right side of the house, at the going in of the man, and the cloud hath filled the inner court,

4 and become high doth the honour of Jehovah above the cherub, over the threshold of the house, and the house is filled with the cloud, and the court hath been filled with the brightness of the honour of Jehovah.

5 And a noise of the wings of the cherubs hath been heard unto the outer court, as the voice of God -- the Mighty One -- in His speaking.

6 And it cometh to pass, in His commanding the man clothed with linen, saying, `Take fire from between the wheel, from between the cherubs,' and he goeth in and standeth near the wheel,

7 that the [one] cherub putteth forth his hand from between the cherubs unto the fire that [is] between the cherubs, and lifteth up, and giveth into the hands of him who is clothed with linen, and he receiveth, and cometh forth.

8 And there appeareth in the cherubs the form of a hand of man under their wings,

9 and I look, and lo, four wheels near the cherubs, one wheel near the one cherub, and another wheel near the other cherub, and the appearance of the wheels [is] as the colour of a beryl stone.

10 As to their appearances, one likeness [is] to them four, as it were the wheel in the midst of the wheel.

11 In their going, on their four sides they go; they turn not round in their going, for to the place whither the head turneth, after it they go, they turn not round in their going.

12 And all their flesh, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, are full of eyes round about; to them four [are] their wheels.

13 To the wheels -- to them is one calling in mine ears, `O wheel!'

14 And four faces [are] to each; the face of the one [is] the face of the cherub, and the face of the second the face of man, and of the third the face of a lion, and of the fourth the face of an eagle.

15 And the cherubs are lifted up, it [is] the living creature that I saw by the river Chebar.

16 And in the going of the cherubs, the wheels go beside them; and in the cherubs lifting up their wings to be high above the earth, the wheels turn not round, even they, from being beside them.

17 In their standing they stand, and in their exaltation they are exalted with them: for the living spirit [is] in them.

18 And go forth doth the honour of Jehovah from off the threshold of the house, and standeth over the cherubs,

19 and the cherubs lift up their wings, and are lifted up from the earth before mine eyes; in their going forth, the wheels also [are] over-against them, and he standeth at the opening of the east gate of the house of Jehovah, and the honour of the God of Israel [is] over them from above.

20 It [is] the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar, and I know that they are cherubs.

21 Four faces [are] to each, and four wings to each, and the likeness of the hands of man [is] under their wings.

22 As to the likeness of their faces, they [are] the faces that I saw by the river Chebar, their appearances and themselves; each straight forward they go.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #6588

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6588. 'And God will certainly visit you' means that the final period is about to come. This is clear from the meaning of 'being visited' as the final period, here that of the oppression of the children of Israel in Egypt, which in the internal sense is the final period of the old Church and the first of the new. In the Word this final period is called 'visitation', and this is used in reference both to the Church collectively and to those within the Church individually. It is used in reference to a new Church that is being born and an old one that is breathing its last, and to the individual member of the Church who is being saved, as well as to one who is damned.

[2] The fact that these things are meant in the Word by 'visitation' and 'the day of visitation' may be seen from the following places: In Luke,

Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and brought deliverance to His people, through the heart 1 of mercy of our God, by which the risen sun from on high has visited us, to appear to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. Luke 1:68, 78-79.

In this prophecy of Zechariah regarding the Lord, telling what would happen after He had been born, 'being visited' stands for the raising up from death of a new Church and the enlightenment at that time of those who had no knowledge of the truth and good of faith, thus the deliverance of them. It is for this reason that the words 'He has visited and brought deliverance to His people, . . . has visited [us], to appear to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death' are used.

[3] In Moses,

Jehovah said to Moses, Gather the elders of Israel and say to them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, has appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, I will certainly visit you and what has been done to you in Egypt. Exodus 3:16.

And in the same author,

The people believed and heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel. Exodus 4:31.

'Being visited' here stands for the final period when the Church has gone out of existence and for the first period when it comes into existence - for the final period among the Egyptians, and for the first among the children of Israel, and so for the deliverance of them too.

[4] In Jeremiah,

They will be carried away to Babel, and there they will be until the day [ visit them. Then I will cause the vessels of the house of God to come up, and I will bring them back to this place. Jeremiah 27:22.

In the same prophet,

When seventy years have been completed at Babel I will visit you and fulfill My promise 2 to you and bring you back to this place. Jeremiah 29:10.

'Visiting' stands for delivering, in general for the final period of captivity and desolation.

[5] 'Visitation' and 'the day of visitation' stand for the final period of the Church in Isaiah,

What will you do on the day of visitation and devastation? It will come from afar. To whom will you flee for help? Isaiah 10:3.

In the same prophet,

Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, cruel, and one of indignation and wrath and anger, to make the earth a waste. I will visit the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. Isaiah 13:9, 11.

In Jeremiah,

They will fall among those who fall, and in the time of their visitation they will stumble. Jeremiah 8:12.

In Hosea,

The days of visitation have come, the days of recompense have come. Hosea 9:7.

In Moses,

Jehovah said to Moses, All the same, go, lead this people to [the place] of which I have spoken to you; behold, My angel will go before you. But on the day of My visiting, I will visit them for their sin. Exodus 32:34.

In Luke,

Jesus said regarding Jerusalem, They will not leave in you stone upon stone, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. Luke 19:44.

'The day of visitation' stands for the Lord's Coming, and enlightenment at that time. But in reference to the Jewish nation - seeing that it did not recognize His Coming - 'the day of visitation' stands for the final period of the representative acts of the Church among them. For once Jerusalem was destroyed sacrifices came to an end and that nation was scattered abroad.

[6] In Ezekiel,

A loud voice called out in my ears, saying, The visitations of the city have drawn near, and each man has his weapon of destruction in his hand. Ezekiel 9:1.

Here the meaning is similar. In Isaiah,

The Rephaim will not rise. To that end You have visited them, You have wiped them out. Isaiah 16:14.

'The Rephaim' stands for descendants of the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood. They are also called the Nephilim and the Anakim, regarding whom see 567, 581, 1673. 'You have visited and wiped out the Rephaim' stands for the final period of that Church; it also stands for the casting of them into hell, regarding which see 1265-1272. 'Visitation' stands for retribution, thus for damnation, in Jeremiah,

Shall I not visit them on account of this? Or will not My soul be avenged on a nation which is like this? Jeremiah 5:9.

In the same prophet,

I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him, at the time I visit him. Jeremiah 49:8.

In Hosea,

I will visit upon him his ways, and requite his works. Hosea 4:9.

Footnotes:

1. literally, viscera or bowels

2. literally, establish upon you My good word

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