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以西结书第31章

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1 十一年初一日,耶和华的临到我说:

2 人子啊,你要向埃及法老和他的众人:在威势上谁能与你相比呢?

3 亚述王曾如利巴嫩中的香柏树,枝条荣美,影密如林,极其大,树尖插入云中。

4 众水使他生长;深水使他长大。所栽之地有江围流,汊出的水道延到田野诸

5 所以他高大超过田野诸;发旺的时候,枝子繁多,因得大水之力枝条长长。

6 空中的飞都在枝子上搭窝;田野的走兽都在枝条生子;所有大国的人民都在他荫居住

7 树大条长,成为荣美,因为在众水之旁。

8 园中的香柏不能遮蔽他;松不及他的枝子;枫不及他的枝条;园中的都没有他荣美。

9 我使他的枝条蕃多,成为荣美,以致伊甸园中的都嫉妒他。

10 所以耶和华如此:因他大,树尖插入云中,心骄气傲,

11 我就必将他交列国中大有威势的人;他必定办他。我因他的罪恶,已经驱逐他。

12 外邦人,就是列邦中强暴的,将他砍断弃掉。他的枝条落在间和一切谷中,他的枝子折断,落在的一切河旁。上的众民已经走去,离开他的荫

13 空中的飞都要宿在这败落的树上,田野的走兽都要卧在他的枝条下,

14 使旁的诸不因大而自尊,也不将尖插入云中,并且那些得滋润、有势力的,也不得大自立。因为他们在世人中,和的人都被交与死亡,到阴府去了。

15 耶和华如此:他阴间的那日,我便使人悲哀。我为他遮盖深渊,使江凝结,大水停流;我也使利巴嫩为他凄惨,田野的诸都因他发昏。

16 我将他扔到阴间,与的人一同去。那时,列国听见他坠落的响声就都震动,并且伊甸的一切─就是利巴嫩得滋润、最佳最美的─都在阴府受了安慰

17 他们也与他同阴间,到被杀的人那里。他们曾作他的膀,在列国中他的荫居住

18 在这样荣耀威势上,在伊甸园中,谁能与你相比呢?然而你要与伊甸的诸一同到阴府,在未受割礼的人中,与被杀的人一同躺卧。法老和他的群众乃是如此。这是耶和华的。

   

来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Coronis (An Appendix to True Christian Religion)#27

  
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27. II. THE SECOND STATE OF THIS MOST ANCIENT CHURCH, OR ITS PROGRESSION INTO LIGHT, AND DAY, is described in the second chapter of Genesis, by these words:

God planted a garden in Eden at the East, and there He put the man whom He had formed, to dress it and to keep it. And Jehovah made to spring forth every tree pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And a river went forth out of Eden to water the garden, which was made into four heads, in the first of which was gold and the schoham stone. And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden, eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, eat not (Gen. 2:8-17).

The progression of this Church into light, or day, is described by Adam's being placed in the garden of Eden, because by a garden is signified the Church as to its truths and goods. That there "went forth out of Eden a river which became into four heads, in the first of which was gold and the schoham stone," signifies that in that Church there was the doctrine of good and truth; for a "river" signifies doctrine, "gold" the good thereof, and "schoham stone" its truth. That two trees were placed in that garden, the one of life, and the other of the knowledge of good and evil, was because the "tree of life" signifies the Lord, in whom and from whom is the life of heavenly love and wisdom, which in itself is eternal life; and the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" signifies man, in whom is the life of infernal love, and thence insanity in the things of the Church, which life considered in itself is eternal death. That it was allowable to eat of every tree of the garden except of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" signifies free-determination in spiritual things; for all things in the garden signified spiritual things, and without free-determination in those, a man can in no wise advance into light, that is, into the truths and goods of the Church, and procure for himself life; for, if he does not aim at and strive after this, he procures to himself death.

[2] That a "garden" signifies the Church as to its truths and goods, is owing to the correspondence of a tree with man; for a tree, in like manner as man, is conceived from seed; is put forth from the womb of the earth as a man from the womb of his mother; it grows in height in like manner, and extends itself into branches as he into members; clothes itself with leaves, and adorns itself with flowers as man does with natural and spiritual truths; and also produces fruits as man does goods of use. Hence it is that in the Word a man is so often likened to a "tree," and hence the Church to a "garden"; as in the following passages:

Jehovah will set out her desert like Eden, and her solitude like the garden of Jehovah (Isa. 51:3);

speaking of Zion, by which is signified the Church in which God is worshipped according to the Word.

Thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of waters, whose waters shall not lie (Isa. 58:11; Jer. 31:12);

where also the Church is treated of.

Thou art full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty; thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering (Ezek. 28:12-13);

respecting Tyre, by which is signified the Church as to the knowledges of truth and good.

How good are thy dwellings, O Israel! as valleys they are planted, and as gardens beside the river (Num. 24:5-6);

by Israel is signified the spiritual Church; but by Jacob, the natural Church in which there is something spiritual.

Nor was any tree in the garden of God equal to him in beauty; so that all the trees of Eden, in the garden of God, envied him (Ezek. 31:8-9);

speaking of Egypt and Assyria, by which, where mentioned in a good sense, the Church is signified as to knowledges and as to perceptions.

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7).

[3] Owing to the correspondence of a garden with the Church, it comes to pass that everywhere in the heavens gardens appear, producing leaves, flowers and fruits according to the states of the Church with the angels; and it has been told me, that in some of the gardens there, trees of life are observed in the middle parts, and trees of the knowledge of good and evil in the boundaries, as a sign that they are in free-determination in spiritual things. The Church is over and over again described in the Word by a "garden," a "field," and a "sheepfold"; by a "garden" from the trees, as has been mentioned above; by a "field" from its crops, wherewith man is nourished; by a "sheepfold" from the sheep, by which are meant the faithful and useful.

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