The Bible

 

John 7

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1 And after these·​·things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was not willing to walk in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.

2 And the festival of the Jews, the Festival of Tabernacles, was near.

3 His brothers then said to Him, Pass·​·on hence, and go into Judea, that Thy disciples may behold Thy works which Thou doest.

4 For no·​·one does anything in secret, and himself seeks to be in the open. If Thou do these·​·things, manifest Thyself to the world.

5 For neither did His brothers believe in Him.

6 Then Jesus says to them, My time is· not·​·yet ·here, but your time is always ready.

7 The world cannot hate you, but Me it hates, because I testify about it, that its works are wicked.

8 You go·​·up to this festival; I am not·​·yet going·​·up to this festival, because My time has not·​·yet been fulfilled.

9 And having said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.

10 And when His brothers went·​·up, then He Himself also went·​·up to the festival, not openly, but as in secret.

11 Then the Jews sought Him at the festival, and said, Where is He?

12 And there was much murmuring about Him in the crowds; indeed some said, He is good; but others said, No, but He deceives the crowd.

13 However no·​·one spoke openly about Him for fear of the Jews.

14 And it·​·being· already ·the·​·midst of the festival, Jesus went·​·up into the temple and taught.

15 And the Jews marveled, saying, How knows this man letters, not having learned?

16 Jesus answered them, and said, My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.

17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know about the teaching, whether it be of God, or whether I speak from Myself.

18 He who speaks from himself seeks his·​·own glory, but He who seeks the glory of Him who sent Him, He is true, and injustice is not in Him.

19 Did not Moses give you the Law, and none of you does the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?

20 The crowd answered and said, Thou hast a demon; who seeks to kill Thee?

21 Jesus answered and said to them, I have done one work, and you all marvel.

22 On·​·account·​·of this Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and on a Sabbath you circumcise a man.

23 If a man on a Sabbath receive circumcision, that the Law of Moses should not be broken*, are you bitter toward Me because I have made the whole man well on a Sabbath?

24 Judge not according·​·to the face, but judge the just judgment.

25 Then some of the Jerusalemites said, Is this not He whom they seek to kill?

26 And see! He speaks openly, and they say nothing to Him. Therefore· have ·not the rulers truly recognized that this is truly the Christ?

27 But this Man, we know whence He is, but when the Christ comes, no one knows whence He is.

28 Then cried·​·out Jesus in the temple teaching, and saying, You both· know ·Me, and you know whence I am! And I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you know not.

29 But I know Him, because I am with Him, and·​·He has sent Me.

30 Therefore they sought to lay·​·hold of Him, and no·​·one cast a hand on Him, for His hour had not·​·yet come.

31 And many of the crowd believed in Him and said, When Christ comes, will He do greater signs than these which this Man has done?

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these·​·things concerning Him; and the Pharisees and the chief·​·priests sent·​·out attendants to lay·​·hold of Him.

33 Then Jesus said to them, Yet a little time I am with you, and I go to Him who sent Me.

34 You shall seek Me, and shall not find; and where I am, you cannot come.

35 Then the Jews said among themselves, Whither is· He ·about to go, that we shall not find Him? Is· He ·about to go to the dispersed among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

36 What word is this that He said, You shall seek Me, and shall not find, and where I am, you cannot come?

37 And in the last day, the great day of the festival, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If anyone thirst, let him come to Me, and drink!

38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 But this said He of the Spirit, which they who believe in Him were about to receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not·​·yet glorified*.

40 Many of the crowd, then, hearing the word, said, This is truly the Prophet.

41 Others said, This is the Christ. But others said, No, for does the Christ come out·​·of Galilee?

42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes out of the seed of David, and out of Bethlehem, the village where David was?

43 So there was a schism among the crowd, because of Him.

44 And some of them willed to lay·​·hold of Him, but no·​·one cast their hands on Him.

45 Then the attendants came to the chief·​·priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, Why did ye not bring Him?

46 The attendants answered, Never a man spoke like this Man.

47 Then the Pharisees answered them, Are you not also deceived?

48 Has anyone of the rulers believed in Him, or of the Pharisees?

49 But this crowd, who know not the Law, are cursed.

50 Nicodemus says to them, he who came to Him by night, being one of them,

51 Does our law judge a man, unless it first hear from him and know what he does?

52 They answered and said to him, Art thou also out of Galilee? Search and look; for out of Galilee no prophet has arisen.

53 And each went to his own house.

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #4347

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4347. 'And bowed to the ground seven times' means the submission of all things. This is clear from the meaning of 'bowing to the ground' as the feeling of humility, dealt with in 2153, and so as submission. The highest degree of submission is meant by 'seven times' and the submission of all things by the fact that Jacob bowed down; for 'Jacob' represents the universal existence of all things, as stated immediately above in 4346.

[2] As regards the expression of humility and submission, few know why these are necessary in the presence of the Divine when a person is engaged in worship. Nor consequently do they know what is accomplished by these actions. Those who have no knowledge of interior things cannot do other than believe that, like any human being bent on glory, the Divine desires people's expression of humility and their submission to Him, and that therefore the Divine desires glory from them and is affected by the glory which people ascribe to Him. But the truth of the matter is altogether different from this. The Divine is not moved by any desire for glory. Indeed what glory does the Divine have which comes from man? He desires humility and submission not for His own sake but for man's. For when humility is present in a person he turns away from the evil and falsity present in him, 2327, 2423, 3994, and in so doing removes them. Once these have been removed the Divine is able to flow in with good and truth. Anyone can recognize this within himself. One who is haughty is ruled by self-love and not only sets himself up above others but also does not care a thing about what is Divine; as a consequence he turns back the influx of good and therefore prevents it from being joined to truths. This is the real reason why a person should express humility in the presence of the Divine.

[3] From this it is evident that good cannot be joined to truths, and so a person cannot be regenerated, unless he humbles himself and is submissive. Humility and submission are attributed to truths because truths flow in by way of the external man whereas good does so by way of the internal. The things which flow in by way of the external man hold within them misconceptions and consequently falsities together with affections for them. Not so the things which flow in by way of the internal man since it is the Divine which flows in by way of this internal man and goes to meet truths so that they may be joined together. From this one may now see the implications of 'the submission of all things', which is the meaning of 'Jacob bowed to the ground seven times until he came right up to his brother'.

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