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Hesekiel第21章

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1 Und des HERRN Wort geschah zu mir und sprach:

2 Du Menschenkind, richte dein Angesicht wider Jerusalem und träufe wider die Heiligtümer und weissage wider das Land Israel

3 und sprich zum Lande Israel: So spricht der HERR HERR: Siehe, ich will an dich; ich will mein Schwert aus der Scheide ziehen und will in dir ausrotten beide, Gerechte und Ungerechte.

4 Weil ich denn in dir beide, Gerechte und Ungerechte, ausrotte, so wird mein Schwert aus der Scheide fahren über alles Fleisch vom Mittage her bis gen Mitternacht.

5 Und soll alles Fleisch erfahrern, daß ich, der HERR, mein Schwert hab' aus seiner Scheide gezogen; und soll nicht wieder eingesteckt werden.

6 Und du, Menschenkind, sollst seufzen, bis dir die Lenden weh tun; ja, bitterlich sollst du seufzen, daß sie es sehen.

7 Und wenn sie zu dir sagen werden: Warum seufzest du? sollst du sagen: Um des Geschreies willen, das da kommt, vor welchem alle Herzen verzagen und alle Hände sinken, aller Mut fallen, und alle Kniee wie Wasser gehen werden. Siehe, es kommt und wird geschehen, spricht der HERR HERR.

8 Und des HERRN Wort geschah zu mir und sprach:

9 Du Menschenkind, weissage und sprich: So spricht der HERR: Sprich: Das Schwert, ja, das Schwert ist geschärft und gefegt.

10 Es ist geschärft, daß es schlachten soll; es ist gefegt, daß es blinken soll. O wie froh wollten wir sein, wenn er gleich alle Bäume zu Ruten machte über die bösen Kinder!

11 Aber er hat ein Schwert zu fegen gegeben, daß man es fassen soll; es ist geschärft und gefegt, daß man's dem Totschläger in die Hand gebe.

12 Schreie und heule, du Menschenkind; denn es gehet über mein Volk und über alle Regenten in Israel, die zum Schwert samt meinem Volk versammelt sind. Darum schlage auf deine Lenden:

13 Denn er hat sie oft gezüchtiget; was hat's geholfen? Es will der bösen Kinder Rute nicht helfen, spricht der HERR HERR.

14 Und du, Menschenkind, weissage und schlage deine Hände zusammen. Denn das Schwert wird zwiefach, ja dreifach kommen, ein Würgeschwert, ein Schwert großer Schlacht, das sie auch treffen wird in den Kammern, da sie hinfliehen.

15 Ich will das Schwert lassen klingen, daß die Herzen verzagen und viele fallen sollen an allen ihren Toren. Ach, wie glänzet es und hauet daher zur Schlacht!

16 Und sprechen: Haue drein, beide, zur Rechten und Linken, was vor dir ist!

17 Da will ich dann mit meinen Händen darob frohlocken und meinen Zorn gehen lassen. Ich, der HERR, hab es gesagt.

18 Und des HERRN Wort geschah zu mir und sprach:

19 Du Menschenkind, mache zween Wege, durch welche kommen soll das Schwert des Königs zu Babel; sie sollen aber alle beide aus einem Lande gehen.

20 Und stelle ein Zeichen vorne an den Weg zur Stadt, dahin es weisen soll; und mache den Weg, daß das Schwert komme gen Rabbath der Kinder Ammon und nach Juda, zu der festen Stadt Jerusalem.

21 Denn der König zu Babel wird sich an die Wegscheide stellen, vorne an den zween Wegen, daß er ihm wahrsagen lasse, mit den Pfeilen um das Los schieße, seinen Abgott frage und schaue die Leber an.

22 Und die Wahrsagung wird auf die rechte Seite gen Jerusalem deuten, daß er solle Böcke hinanführen lassen und Löcher machen und mit großem Geschrei sie überfalle und morde, und daß er Böcke führen solle wider die Tore und da Wall schütte und Bollwerk baue.

23 Aber es wird sie solch Wahrsagen falsch dünken, er schwöre, wie teuer er will. Er aber wird denken an die Missetat, daß er sie gewinne.

24 Darum spricht der HERR HERR also: Darum daß euer gedacht wird um eurer Missetat und euer Ungehorsam offenbart ist, daß man eure Sünde siehet in all eurem Tun, ja darum daß euer gedacht wird, werdet ihr mit Gewalt gefangen werden.

25 Und du, Fürst in Israel, der du verdammt und verurteilet bist, des Tag daherkommen wird, wenn die Missetat zum Ende kommen ist,

26 so spricht der HERR HERR: Tu weg den Hut und heb ab die Krone! Denn es wird weder der Hut noch die Krone bleiben, sondern der sich erhöhet hat, soll geniedriget werden, und der sich niedriget, soll erhöhet werden.

27 Ich will die Krone zunichte, zunichte, zunichte machen, bis der komme, der sie haben soll; dem will ich sie geben.

28 Und du, Menschenkind, weissage und sprich: So spricht der HERR HERR von den Kindern Ammon und von ihrer Schmach und sprich: Das Schwert, das Schwert ist gezückt, daß es schlachten soll; es ist gefegt, daß es würgen soll, und soll blinken,

29 darum daß du falsche Gesichte dir sagen lässest und Lügen weissagen, damit du auch übergeben werdest unter den erschlagenen Gottlosen, welchen ihr Tag kam, da die Missetat zum Ende kommen war.

30 Und ob es schon wieder in die Scheide gesteckt würde, so will ich dich doch richten an dem Ort, da du geschaffen, und im Lande, da du geboren bist.

31 Und will meinen Zorn über dich schütten, ich will das Feuer meines Grimms über dich aufblasen und will dich Leuten, die brennen und verderben können, überantworten.

32 Du mußt dem Feuer zur Speise werden, und dein Blut muß im Lande vergossen werden; und man wird dein nicht mehr gedenken. Denn ich, der HERR, hab es geredet.

   

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Apocalypse Explained#131

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131. These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword. That this signifies the Lord who alone fights in temptations, is evident from the signification of a sword, as being truth fighting against falsity, and, in an opposite sense, falsity fighting against truth. It is called sharp, and two-edged, because it cuts on both sides. Because this is signified by sword, therefore it also signifies dispersion of falsities, and also temptation. That it signifies dispersion of falsities, may be seen above (n. 73). That it signifies temptation is because, in what is written to the angels of this church, temptations are treated of, and also because temptation is a combat of truth against falsity, and of falsity against truth. (That spiritual temptation is such combat, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 187-201.) The reason why by these things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword, is meant the Lord as alone fighting in temptations is, that, in the preceding chapter, ver. 16, it is said that out of the mouth of the Son of man was seen going forth a sharp two-edged sword; and by the Son of man is meant the Lord as to Divine truth, as may be seen above, n. 63. (That the Lord alone fights in temptations, and not man at all, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, 195-200.) The reason why by a sword is signified the combat of truth against falsity, and of falsity against truth, is, that by wars in the Word, are signified spiritual wars; and spiritual wars are those that take place between truths and falsities. And because wars in the Word have such a signification, therefore also all the arms used in war, as a sword, a spear, a bow, darts, a shield, and many others, signify specifically something pertaining to spiritual combat, especially the sword, because in wars they formerly fought with swords. (That wars signify spiritual combats may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 1659, 1664, 8295, 10455; and that hence, particular arms of war signify what belongs to spiritual combat, may be seen, n. 1788, 2686.)

[2] That a sword in the Word signifies truth combating against falsity, and falsity against truth, and hence the dispersion of falsities, and also spiritual temptation, is evident from many passages, of which we will adduce a few only by way of confirmation. Thus in Matthew:

Jesus said, that he was not come to send peace upon earth, but a sword (10:34);

where, by sword is meant the combat of temptation; the reason it is so said, was, that men at that time were immersed in falsities, and the Lord revealed interior truths; and falsities cannot be cast forth except by combats from those truths.

[3] In Luke:

Jesus said to the disciples "Now he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise a scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one" (22:35-38).

By a purse and scrip are signified spiritual knowledges (cognitiones), thus truths; by garments are signified things proper to themselves; and by a sword is signified combat.

[4] Again in Jeremiah:

"O sword, against the Chaldeans, and against the inhabitants of Babylon, and against her princes, and against her wise men. O sword, against liars that they may become foolish; O sword, against her mighty men that they may be dismayed; O sword, against her horses and against her chariots; O sword, against her treasures that they may be spoiled; a drought upon her waters, that they may be dried up" (50:35-38).

By sword is here signified the dispersion and vastation of truth by each of those against whom it is denounced, as by the Chaldeans, the inhabitants of Babylon, the princes and wise men thereof, liars, mighty men, horses, chariots and treasures, are signified the persons or things that will be vastated; as by horses are signified intellectual things; by chariots, doctrinals; and by treasures, knowledges (cognitiones); hence it is said a drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried up; for waters signify the truths of the church, and a drought by which they are dried up, signifies vastation. (That drought and drying up denote where there is no truth, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 8185; that waters denote the truths of the church, may be seen above, n. 71; that treasure denotes knowledges, n. 1694, 4508, 10227; that horses denote intellectual things and chariots doctrinals, may be seen in the small work, The White Horse 2-5.)

[5] In Isaiah:

"Jehovah shall contend, and by his sword with all flesh, and the slain of Jehovah shall be multiplied" (66:16).

In Jeremiah:

"Upon all the hills in the desert the spoilers have come, because the sword of Jehovah devoureth from the end of the earth even to the end of the earth" (12:12).

In Ezekiel:

"Prophesy, and say, a sword well sharpened, and also well polished; it is sharpened to slay a slaughter, it is polished to glitter; the sword shall be repeated the third time; the sword of the slain, the sword of great slaughter penetrating into the secret chambers, that the heart may faint, and offences may be multiplied; against all their gates will I set the point of the sword; ah! it has become lightning" (21:9, 10, 14, 15, 28).

In Isaiah:

"Bring waters to meet him that is thirsty, with bread prevent him that wandereth; for before the sword shall they wander, before the drawn sword, and before the bended bow, and for the grievousness of war" (21:14, 15).

In Ezekiel:

"They shall quake with fear when I shall brandish my sword before their faces, that they may tremble every moment, a man for his own soul; by the swords of the mighty casting down the multitude of them" (32:10-12).

In David:

"The saints will be joyful in glory; they will sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand" (Psalms 149:5, 6).

In the same:

"Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty. In thy honour ascend thy chariot, ride on the Word of truth; thy right hand shall teach thee wonderful things. Thine arrows are sharp" (Psalms 45:3-5).

And in the Apocalypse:

"And there was given to him sitting on the red horse a great sword" (6:4).

And in another place:

"And out of the mouth of him sitting upon the white horse goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse" (19:15, 21).

By sword in the above passages is signified truth combating and destroying; this destruction is especially evident in the spiritual world, where those who are in falsities cannot sustain the truth. They are in a state of anguish, as if struggling with death when they come into the sphere of light, that is, where Divine truth is, and also they are thus deprived of truths, and vastated.

[6] As most expressions in the Word have also an opposite sense, so also has sword, and in that sense it signifies falsity combating against truth and destroying it. The vastations of the church, which take place when there are no longer any truths, but only falsities, are described in the Word by a sword, as in the following passages:

"They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive among all nations; at length Jerusalem shall be trodden down of" all "nations, until the times of the nations shall be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24).

The consummation of the age, here treated of, is the last time of the church, when falsities shall prevail. To fall by the edge of the sword, denotes that truths would be destroyed by falsity; nations denote evils; by Jerusalem is signified the church.

[7] In Isaiah:

"I will make a man more rare than fine gold. Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is gathered together shall fall by the sword" (13:12, 15).

By the man who is rare, is denoted those who are in truths; to be thrust through and to fall by the sword, denotes to be consumed by falsities.

[8] In the same:

"In that day they shall cast away every man the idols of his silver, and the idols of his gold, which your own hands have made unto you. Then shall Asshur fall by the sword, not of a man (vir) and the sword, not of a man (homo), shall devour him; but he who fleeth before the sword, his young men shall be for tribute" (31:7, 8).

The idols which their hands have made denote falsities from their own intelligence; by Asshur is denoted the Rational by which this is effected. To fall by the sword, not of a man (vir), and not of a man (homo), denotes not to be destroyed by any combat of truth against falsity. By he who fleeth before the sword, his young men shall be for tribute, is denoted, that the truth which is not destroyed shall be made subservient to falsities. That this is the meaning of those words is not evident in the sense of the letter; it is therefore evident how far removed is the spiritual sense from the sense of the letter.

[9] In Jeremiah:

"I have smitten your sons in vain; and they received not correction; your own sword hath devoured your prophets" (2:30).

In the same:

"Behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine. By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword; and if I enter into the city, then behold the sicknesses of famine" (14:13-18).

Both these passages treat of the vastation of the church as to truth: by prophets are meant those who teach truths, and by the sword which consumes them, falsity combating and destroying. By field is signified the church; by city doctrine; the slain with the sword in the field, denote those in the church with whom truths are destroyed; by the sicknesses of famine in the city is signified a defect of all truth in doctrine.

[10] In the same:

"They have denied Jehovah, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us: neither shall we see sword and famine" (5:12).

In the same:

"The young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine" (11:22).

By young men are signified those who are in truths, and, in the abstract, truths themselves; to die by the sword is to be destroyed by falsities; sons and daughters signify the knowledges of truth and good; by famine is meant a defect of them.

[11] In Lamentations:

"We get our bread with the peril of our souls, because of the sword of the wilderness" (5:9).

By wilderness is meant where there is no good because no truth; by the sword thereof, the destruction of truth; bread denotes good, which is obtained with the peril of the soul because all good is implanted in man by truth.

[12] In Ezekiel:

"The sword without, and the pestilence and famine within; he that is in the field shall die by the sword, and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him" (7:15).

By sword is here meant the destruction of truth; by pestilence, consequent extinction; and famine signifies a complete defect. The signification is similar in other places; as in Jeremiah (21:7; 29:17, 18; 34:17).

[13] In Zechariah:

"Woe to the shepherd of nought deserting the flock, a sword upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm in drying up shall dry up, and his right eye in darkening shall be darkened" (11:17).

A sword upon the arm denotes the destruction of the Voluntary as to good; by a sword upon the right eye is signified the destruction of the Intellectual as to truth; that all good and all truth would perish, is signified by its being said, that the arm in drying up shall dry up, and the right eye in darkening shall be darkened.

[14] In Isaiah:

"Thus shall ye say unto your master, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Asshur have blasphemed Jehovah. Behold, I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. And Sennacherib the king of Asshur returned; and it came to pass, when he bowed himself in the house of Nisroch his god, his two sons smote him with the sword" (37:6, 7, 37, 38).

Because it is the Rational that acknowledges and that denies the Divine, and when it denies it seizes eagerly on every falsity instead of truth, and thus perishes, therefore this representative came to pass, that is, that the king of Asshur, because he blasphemed Jehovah, was smitten with the sword by his sons, in the house of Nisroch his god. Asshur signifies the Rational in both senses (see Arcana Coelestia 119, 1186); the sons of that king signify falsities, and the sword signifies destruction by them. So also, in Moses, it was commanded that the city which worshipped other gods should be smitten with the sword, and burned with fire (Deuteronomy 13:12, 13, 15, 16).

[15] This statute was made, because at that time all things were representative; to worship other gods is to worship from falsities; to be smitten with the sword is to perish by falsity; and to be burned with fire is to perish by the evil of falsity.

[16] In the same:

"Whosoever toucheth one that is slain with the sword in the field shall be unclean" (Numbers 19:16, 18, 19).

The slain in the field with the sword, represented those within the church who destroyed the truths which they had; by field is meant the church.

[17] That sword signifies falsities destroying truth is clear in David:

"The sons of men are inflamed; their teeth are as spears and darts, and their tongue a sharp sword" (Psalms 57:4).

"Behold, they belch out with their mouth, swords are in their lips" (Psalms 59:7).

Working iniquity "they whet their tongue like a sword; they make ready their bow with bitter words" (Psalms 64:3).

From these considerations it is clear what is signified by the words of the Lord to Peter:

"All they that take the sword shall perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:51, 52);

that is, those who believe falsities will perish by them.

[18] From these things it is now clear what is signified in the Word by sword in both senses. The reason why such things are signified by it, is also from appearances in the spiritual world. When spiritual combats take place there, which are combats of truth against falsity, and of falsity against truth, various weapons of war are seen there, as swords, spears, shields, and similar things; not that these combats are carried on by such things, for they are appearances only, representative of spiritual combats. When falsities fight keenly against truths, sometimes the glitter or sheen of a sword waving itself on both sides, and striking with great terror, is seen, by which those are dispersed who fight from falsities.

[19] From this it is clear what is meant by these words in Ezekiel:

"They shall be horribly afraid when I shall brandish my sword before their faces, that they may tremble at every moment for their own soul" (Ezekiel 32:10, 11, 12).

In the same:

"Prophesy, and say, a sword has been sharpened, and also well polished, that it may shine, that the heart may faint, ah! it has become lightning" (Ezekiel 21:9, 10, 15).

The reason why a sword causes such great terror is that iron, of which it is made, signifies truth in ultimates, and glitter and sheen are from the light of heaven, and its shining upon it; the light of heaven is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; Divine truth, thus falling into those who are filled with falsity, strikes terror.

[20] It is therefore clear what is signified when Adam was cast out

By cherubim being placed at the east of Eden, and the flame of a sword turning every way, and brandishing itself to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24).

By the tree of life is signified celestial love, which is love to the Lord; by cherubim a guard; by the flame of a sword turning itself every way, the terrible driving away and rejection of all who are in falsities; the east of Eden denotes where the presence of the Lord is in that celestial love. By those words therefore is signified that all approach to the acknowledgment of the Lord alone is closed to those who do not live a life of love. That by sword is signified falsity is quite clear in Ezekiel, where is thus said of the prince of Tyre:

"They shall unsheath swords upon the beauty of thy wisdom" (28:7).

By the prince of Tyre is here signified intelligence derived from the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth; and because this is extinguished by falsities it is therefore said that they should unsheathe their swords upon wisdom, which could not have been said unless by swords were meant falsities.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.