Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture #16
16. Without the spiritual sense no one would know why the prophet Jeremiah was commanded to buy himself a sash and put it around his waist, not to drag it through water, and to hide it in a hole in the rock by the Euphrates (Jeremiah 13:1-7).
Or why the prophet Isaiah was commanded to loose the sackcloth from upon his loins and put off the sandals upon his feet, and to go naked and barefoot three years (Isaiah 20:2-3).
Or why the prophet Ezekiel was commanded to pass a razor over his head and his beard, and then to divide the hair, burn a third part in the midst of the city, strike a third part with a sword, and scatter a third part in the wind, and to bind a few of the hairs in the edges of his garment, and finally throw them into the midst of the fire (Ezekiel 5:1-4).
Or why the same prophet was commanded to lie three hundred and ninety days on his left side and forty days on his right side, and to make himself bread of wheat, barley, millet and spelt mixed with cow dung and eat it; and in the meantime to put up a wall and a mound against Jerusalem and lay siege to it (Ezekiel 4:1-15).
Or why the prophet Hosea was twice commanded to take to himself a harlot as a wife (Hosea 1:2-9, 3:2-3).
And many other passages of a similar kind.
[2] Furthermore, without the spiritual sense, who would know the symbolic meanings of everything connected with the Tabernacle, such as the ark, the mercy seat, the cherubim, the lampstand, the altar of incense, the showbread upon the table, and the Tabernacle’s veils and curtains?
Without the spiritual sense, who would know the symbolic meanings of Aaron’s holy vestments — of his tunic, robe, ephod, urim and thummim, turban, and more?
Without the spiritual sense, who would know the symbolic meanings of all the commandments regarding the whole burnt offerings, other burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings? Or regarding the sabbaths and feasts?
The truth is that not the least of these particulars was commanded that did not symbolize something having to do with the Lord, heaven and the church.
It may be plainly seen from these few examples that there is a spiritual meaning present in each and every constituent of the Word.
Ezekiel 5
1
You, son of man, take a sharp sword; You shall take it as a barber's razor to you, and shall cause it to pass on your head and on your beard: then take balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
2
A third part you shall burn in the fire in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and you shall take a third part, and strike with the sword around it; and a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them.
3
You shall take of it a few in number, and bind them in your skirts.
4
Of these again you shall take, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; from it shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.
5
Thus says the Lord Yahweh: This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations, and countries are around her.
6
She has rebelled against my ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries that are around her; for they have rejected my ordinances, and as for my statutes, they have not walked in them.
7
Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you are turbulent more than the nations that are around you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my ordinances, neither have done after the ordinances of the nations that are around you;
8
therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I, even I, am against you; and I will execute judgments in the midst of you in the sight of the nations.
9
I will do in you that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all your abominations.
10
Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of you, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments on you; and the whole remnant of you will I scatter to all the winds.
11
Therefore, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things, and with all your abominations, therefore will I also diminish [you]; neither shall my eye spare, and I also will have no pity.
12
A third part of you shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of you; and a third part shall fall by the sword around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds, and will draw out a sword after them.
13
Thus shall my anger be accomplished, and I will cause my wrath toward them to rest, and I shall be comforted; and they shall know that I, Yahweh, have spoken in my zeal, when I have accomplished my wrath on them.
14
Moreover I will make you a desolation and a reproach among the nations that are around you, in the sight of all that pass by.
15
So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment, to the nations that are around you, when I shall execute judgments on you in anger and in wrath, and in wrathful rebukes; (I, Yahweh, have spoken it;)
16
when I shall send on them the evil arrows of famine, that are for destruction, which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine on you, and will break your staff of bread;
17
and I will send on you famine and evil animals, and they shall bereave you; and pestilence and blood shall pass through you; and I will bring the sword on you: I, Yahweh, have spoken it.
