The Bible

 

Luke 10

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1 And after these·​·things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two and two before His face, to every city and place, whither He Himself was·​·about to come.

2 Then He said to them, The harvest is indeed much, but the workers are few; entreat you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He may send·​·out workers into His harvest.

3 Go you; behold, I send· you ·out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

4 Carry neither purse, nor pack, nor shoes, and greet no one by the way.

5 And into whatever house you enter, first say, Peace to this house;

6 and if indeed the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; but if not, it shall return to you.

7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as are with them; for the worker is worthy of his wage. Do not pass·​·on from house to house.

8 And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set·​·before you,

9 and cure the weak who are in her, and say to them, The kingdom of God is near to you.

10 But into whatever city you enter, and they receive you not, going·​·out into her streets, say,

11 And the dust which sticks to us from your city we do wipe·​·off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God is·​·near to you.

12 And I say to·​·you that it shall be more·​·tolerable for Sodom in that day than for that city.

13 Woe to thee, Chorazin! Woe to thee, Bethsaida! For if the works of power had been·​·done in Tyre and Sidon which have been·​·done in you, they would have repented long·​·ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

14 But it shall be more·​·tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.

15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted even·​·to heaven, shalt be thrust·​·down even·​·to hell.

16 He who hears you, hears Me, and he who spurns you, spurns Me; and he who spurns Me, spurns Him who sent Me.

17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Thy name.

18 And He said to them, I beheld Satan, as lightning, falling from heaven.

19 Behold, I give to you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing whatever shall hurt you.

20 Nevertheless rejoice not in this, that the spirits are·​·subject to you, but rather rejoice that your names are written in the heavens.

21 In that same hour Jesus leapt·​·for·​·joy in Spirit, and said, I profess Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and hast revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for so it was for good·​·pleasure before Thee.

22 All·​·things are delivered·​·up to Me by My Father; and no·​·one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whom the Son intends to reveal Him.

23 And turning to the disciples, He said by themselves, Happy are the eyes which look·​·upon what you look·​·upon.

24 For I say to you that many prophets and kings willed to see what you look·​·upon, and have not seen them, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard them.

25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up tempting Him and saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

26 And He said to him, What is written in the Law? How readest thou?

27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God out·​·of thy whole heart, and out·​·of thy whole soul, and out·​·of thy whole strength, and out·​·of thy whole mind,* and thy neighbor as thyself*.

28 And He said to him, Thou hast answered rightly; this do, and thou shalt live.

29 But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

30 And Jesus, taking·​·up his question, said, A certain man came·​·down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who having stripped him, and having inflicted blows on him went·​·away, leaving him when he was half·​·dead.

31 And by chance, a certain priest came·​·down by that way, and seeing him, passed·​·by·​·on·​·the·​·other·​·side.

32 And likewise also a Levite, when he was at the place, came and saw, and passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came upon him, and seeing him, was moved·​·with·​·compassion*.

34 And coming near, he bound up his wounds, pouring·​·in oil and wine, and he set· him ·on his·​·own beast·​·of·​·burden, and brought him to an inn, and took·​·care of him.

35 And going·​·out on the morrow, he set·​·out two denarii, gave them to the host, and said to him, Take·​·care of him, and whatever thou spendest·​·more, when I come·​·again, I will repay thee.

36 Which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbor to him who fell among robbers?

37 And he said, He who did mercy with him. Then Jesus said to him, Go, and do thou likewise.

38 And it came·​·to·​·pass as they went, that He entered into a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.

39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the feet of Jesus, and heard His Word.

40 But Martha was concerned* about much ministering, and standing·​·by said, Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister has left me to minister alone? Tell her, therefore, that she should help me.

41 And Jesus answering said to her, Martha, Martha, thou art·​·anxious and fretful about many things;

42 but one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.

   


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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #219

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219. Verse 12. He that overcometh I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, signifies that those who are steadfast will be in Divine truth in heaven. This is evident from the signification of "overcoming," as being to be steadfast in the genuine affection of truth (See above n. 128); here in faith from charity, since that faith is treated of in what is written the angel of this church see 203; also from the signification of "pillar" as being Divine truth sustaining; also from the signification of "the temple of God" as being in the highest sense, the Lord's Divine Human, and in the relative sense, the Lord's spiritual kingdom, thus the heaven that constitutes that kingdom (of which presently). "A pillar in the temple" means Divine truth sustaining, because "temple" signifies heaven, and heaven is heaven from the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord; for by heaven all angels are meant, because heaven is made up of angels, and from them is called heaven: and angels are angels in the measure in which they receive the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord; and for this reason angels in the Word also signify Divine truths (See above, n. 130, 200).

Now as heaven is Divine truth, and "temple" signifies heaven, it follows that all things of the temple signify such things as pertain to Divine truth, and that the "pillars" therein signify Divine truths sustaining. Divine truths sustaining are in general lower truths, because these sustain the higher; for there are lower and higher Divine truths, as there are lower and higher heavens. (There are degrees of these, on which see in the work on Heaven and Hell 38, 208, 209, 211.) The heavens that belong to a lower degree sustain those that belong to a higher degree; here, therefore, by the Lord's making him that overcometh "a pillar in the temple" is meant that such will be in a lower heaven. They who are in the faith of charity are also in the lower heaven, which is called the spiritual heaven; while those who are in love to the Lord are in the higher heaven, which is called the celestial heaven, and this is sustained by the lower or spiritual heaven. (But a clearer idea can be had of these things from what is shown in three chapters in the work on Heaven and Hell, namely, in the chapter where it is shown that The Divine of the Lord in Heaven is Love to Him and Charity towards the Neighbor, n. 13-19; in another where it is shown that Heaven is distinguished into Two Kingdoms, Celestial and Spiritual, n 20-28; and in a third where it is shown that There are Three Heavens, n. 29-40.)

[2] "Pillars" are here and there mentioned in the Word, and they signify lower truths, because they sustain the higher. That lower truths are signified by "pillars" in the Word can be seen from the following. In Jeremiah:

Behold I have given thee this day for a fenced city, and for a pillar of iron, and for walls of brass against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes and against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land, that they may fight against thee and not prevail (Jeremiah 1:18-19).

These things were said to the prophet, because all prophets signify the doctrines of Divine truth, and because the church in which Divine truths are falsified is here treated of it is therefore said, "Behold I have given thee this day for a fenced city, for a pillar of iron, and for walls of brass against the whole land;" "a fenced city" signifies the doctrine of truth; "a pillar of iron" truth sustaining it; "walls of brass" good defending, and "land" the church. It is said, also, "against the kings of Judah, against the princes, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land;" and "the kings of Judah," and "princes," signify truths falsified; "priests," goods adulterated, and "the people of the land," falsities in general; of these it is said, that they will fight against truths themselves, but shall not prevail.

[3] In the same:

Set thee up signs, place for thee high pillars, set thine heart to the highway, the way thou mayest go; return, O virgin of Israel, return to thy cities (Jeremiah 31:21).

The restoration of the church is here treated of. "The virgin of Israel" signifies the church; "to set up signs, and to place high pillars," signifies instruction in such things as are the fundamentals of the church, which are called "high pillars" because they sustain: "to set the heart to the highway, the way thou mayest go," signifies the affection of truth leading to life.

[4] In David:

I will judge in uprightness; the earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved; I will make firm the pillars of it (Psalms 75:2-3).

"The earth dissolving" signifies those of the church who are not in truths but yet long for them; "to make firm the pillars" of it signifies to sustain the church by those truths upon which it is founded. Again, in Job:

Who causeth the earth to shake out of its place, so that the pillars thereof tremble (Job 9:6).

"The earth" here signifies the church, and "pillars" the truths that sustain it. That:

The pillars of the court of the tabernacle (mentioned in Exodus 27:10-12, 14-17);

also signify the ultimate truths sustaining the higher ones, see Arcana Coelestia, in the explanation of that chapter and those verses. Like truths are signified by:

The pillars of the house of the forest of Lebanon built by Solomon (mentioned in 1 Kings 7:2, 6).

[5] Similar also is the signification of:

The two pillars that Solomon set up in the porch of the temple, and that are described in the first book of Kings. He fashioned two pillars of brass, eighteen cubits was the height of each pillar; and a line of twelve cubits compassed the second pillar. And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars; seven chains for the one chapiter, and seven chains for the other chapiter. And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple; and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar and called the name thereof Boaz (1 Kings 7:15-21).

Since "the temple" signified heaven (as will be shown presently), therefore all things of the temple signified such things as are of heaven, thus of Divine truth there; for, as said above, heaven is heaven from the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord; therefore "the porch of the temple" signified the things pertaining to the ultimate heaven, and as this sustains the two higher heavens, those two pillars were placed in the porch.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.