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Exodus第37章

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1 And Beseleel made also the ark of setim wood: it was two cubits and a half in length, and a cubit and a half in breadth, and the height was of one cubit and a half: and he overlaid it with the purest gold within and without.

2 And he made to it a crown of gold round about,

3 Casting four rings of gold at the four corners thereof: two rings in one side, and two in the other.

4 And he made bars of setim wood, which he overlaid with gold,

5 And he put them into the rings that were at the sides of the ark to carry it.

6 He made also the propitiatory, that is, the oracle, of the purest gold, two cubits and a half in length, and a cubit and a half in breadth.

7 Two cherubims also of beaten gold, which he set on the Two sides of the propitiatory:

8 One cherub in the top of one side, and the other cherub in the top of the other side: two cherubims at the two ends of the propitiatory,

9 Spreading their wings, and covering the propitiatory, and looking one towards the other, and towards it.

10 He made also the table of setim wood, in length two cubits, and in breadth one cubit, and in height it was a cubit and a half.

11 And he overlaid it with the finest gold, and he made to it a golden ledge round about.

12 And to the ledge itself he made a polished crown of gold, of four fingers' breadth, and upon the same another golden crown.

13 And he cast four rings of gold, which he put in the four corners at each foot of the table,

14 Over against the crown: and he put the bars into them, that the table might be carried.

15 And the bars also themselves he made of setim wood, and overlaid them with gold,

16 And the vessels for the divers uses of the table, dishes, bowls, and cups, and censers of pure gold, wherein the libations are to be offered.

17 He made also the candlestick of beaten work of the finest gold. From the shaft whereof its branches, its cups, and bowls, and lilies came out:

18 Six on the two sides: three branches on one side, and three on the other.

19 Three cups in manner of a nut on each branch, and bowls withal and lilies; and Three cups of the fashion of a nut in another branch, and bowls withal and lilies. The work of the six branches that went out from the shaft of the candlestick was equal.

20 And in the shaft itself were four cups after the manner of a nut, and bowls withal at every one, and lilies:

21 And bowls under two branches in three places, which together make six branches going out from one shaft.

22 So both the bowls, and the branches were of the same, all beaten work of the purest gold.

23 He made also the seven lamps with their snuffers, and the vessels where the snuffings were to be put out, of the purest gold.

24 The candlestick with all the vessels thereof weighed a talent of gold.

25 He made also the altar of incense of setim wood, being a cubit on every side foursquare, and in height two cubits: from the corners of which went out horns.

26 And he overlaid it with the purest gold, with its grate and the sides, and the horns.

27 And he made to it a crown of gold round about, and two golden rings under the crown at each side, that the bars might be put into them, and the altar be carried.

28 And the bars themselves he made also of setim wood, and overlaid them with plates of gold.

29 He compounded also the oil for the ointment of sanctification, and incense of the purest spices, according to the work of a perfumer.

   

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Works

  

'Works,' as in Revelation 16:11, signify falsities of faith, and the resulting evils of life.

In Revelation, 'I know thy works,' is said frequently. This makes it clear that 'works' signify, generally, every aspect of the church.

'Works,' as in Genesis 46:33, denote goods, because they are from the will, and anything from the will is either good or evil, but anything from the understanding, like spoken words, are either truths or falsities.

In Genesis 2:2, the work signifies the celestial man, the highest use of God; or the accomplishment when the spiritual man becomes celestial. (Arcana Coelestia 84, 88)

In Exodus 5:9, work signifies assault for the purpose of subjugation. (Arcana Coelestia 7120)

In Genesis 39:11, it signifies the process when the Lord was conjoining Himself with spiritual good in the natural. (Arcana Coelestia 5004)

In Genesis 47:3; Psalms 8:3; 44:1; 63:12, works concern offices and uses which are done for the neighbor, the country, the church, and the Lord's kingdom.

In Exodus 5:4, work signifies that the people were not to be exempted from things that were hard to bear. (Arcana Coelestia 6073, Arcana Coelestia 7104)

In Revelation 2:2, works signify that the Lord sees man's exterior as well as his interior things. (Apocalypse Revealed 76)

In Revelation 2:6, it signifies that people do not want to claim personal merit. (Apocalypse Revealed 86)

In Revelation 2:19, 23, 26, it signifies all things of charity and faith. (Apocalypse Revealed 138, 141)

In Revelation 9:20, it signifies that they did not shun as sins their own things, which are evils of every kind. (Apocalypse Revealed 457)

(参考: Arcana Coelestia 6048)


来自斯威登堡的著作

 

Apocalypse Revealed#457

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457. Still did not repent of the works of their hands. This symbolically means, nor did they refrain from their native proclivities, which are evils of every kind, as being sins.

The works of a person's hands symbolize a person's native proclivities, which are evils and their attendant falsities, because the hands symbolize in summary the things that emanate from a person; for the forces of the mind and consequently of the body are directed into the hands and terminate there. Consequently the hands in the Word symbolize power. For the same reason the works of a person's hands symbolize his native proclivities, which are evils and falsities of every kind. Evils are the native proclivities of his will, and the attendant falsities the native proclivities of his intellect.

We are told regarding the people who are the subject here that they did not repent, because people who make faith alone the totality of religion say to themselves, "What need do I have of repentance, when through faith alone our sins are forgiven and we are saved? What do our works contribute to this? I know that I was born in sin and that I am a sinner. If I confess this and pray that my faults not be imputed to me, then I have repented. What need do I have of anything more?"

Thus the person then gives no thought to sin, even to the point of not knowing what sins are. Consequently the delight and gratification they afford continually carry him along in them and into them, the way a favorable wind and current carry a ship onto rocks when both captain and crew are asleep.

[2] In the natural sense of the Word, the works of a person's hands mean carved images, cast images, and idols; but in its spiritual sense, they symbolize evils and falsities of every kind, which are a person's native proclivities. As, for example, in the following passages:

...do not provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands...; (if you were) to provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands to your own hurt..., I will repay them according to their work and according to the deeds of their hands. (Jeremiah 25:6-7, 14)

...the children of Israel have provoked Me... to anger by the work of their hands... (Jeremiah 32:30, cf. 44:8)

I will utter My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, because they... bowed themselves to the works of their hands. (Jeremiah 1:16)

In that day... people's eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel, and... not to the altars, the work of their hands, and... what their fingers have made... (Isaiah 17:7-8, cf. 31:7; 37:19, Jeremiah 10:9)

[3] The work of a person's hands is his own doing, thus evil and falsity, and this can be clearly seen from the fact that it was for this reason that the Israelites were forbidden to built an altar or temple out of hewn stones, or to use an iron tool on those stones; for they symbolized the work of a person's hands:

If you make Me an altar of stones, you shall not build it of hewn stones; for if you use your chisel on it, you will profane it. (Exodus 20:25)

Joshua built... an altar of... stones, on which he did not use an iron tool. (Joshua 8:30-31)

The temple (at Jerusalem)...was built of whole stone, and no hammer or axe or any iron tool was heard... while it was being built. (1 Kings 6:7)

[4] Everything that the Lord does is likewise called the work of His hands, and these are His inherent attributes, which in themselves are goods and truths. As, for example, in the following places:

The works of (Jehovah's) hands are truth and judgment. (Psalms 111:7)

Your mercy, O Jehovah, endures forever; do not cease the works of Your hands. (Psalms 138:8)

Thus said Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: "Seek from Me signs concerning My children; concerning the work of My hands, command Me." (Isaiah 45:11)

Your people are all just..., the offshoot of My planting, the work of My hands... (Isaiah 60:21)

...O Jehovah, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter, and all we the work of Your hands. (Isaiah 64:8)

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.