<< Ezekiel XLVII >>

The Vision of the Holy Waters



PARABLES: WATER FLOWING FROM THE LORD'S HOUSE

1 And he brought me back unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward; (for the forefront of the house was toward the east;) and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, on the south of the altar.
 2 Then he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me round by the way without unto the outer gate, by the way of the gate that looketh toward the east; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
 3 When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles.
 4 Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the loins.
 5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.
 6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river.
 7 Now when I had returned, behold, upon the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
 8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea shall the waters go which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed.
 9 And it shall come to pass, that every living creature which swarmeth, in every place whither the rivers come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters are come thither, and the waters of the sea shall be healed, and everything shall live whithersoever the river cometh.
 10 And it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand by it: from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
 11 But the miry places thereof, and the marshes thereof, shall not be healed; they shall be given up to salt.
 12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not whither, neither shall the fruit thereof fail: it shall bring forth new fruit every month, because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for healing.
 13 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: This shall be the border, whereby ye shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.
 14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I sware to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.
 15 And this shall be the border of the land: On the north side, from the great sea, by the way of Hethlon, unto the entrance of Zedad;
 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran.
 17 And the border from the sea, shall be Hazar-enon at the border of Damascus; and on the north northward is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.
 18 And the east side, between Hauran and Damascus and Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border unto the east sea shall ye measure. This is the east side.
 19 And the south side southward shall be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, unto the great sea. This is the south side southward.
 20 And the west side shall be the great sea, from the south border as far as over against the entrance of Hamath. This is the west side.
 21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.
 22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you, who shall beget children among you; and they shall be unto you as the home-born among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.
 23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord Jehovah.

1 And he brought me back unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward; (for the forefront of the house was toward the east;) and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, on the south of the altar.
2 Then he brought me out by the way of the gate northward, and led me round by the way without unto the outer gate, by the way of the gate that looketh toward the east; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

1, 2. See Chapter XLIII., 1-4. E. 208.
1-12. See Chapter XXXI., 3, 4· R. 409.
    By the waters issuing out of the house of God toward the east, is signified the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord and flowing in with those who are in the good of love. By the river is signified intelligence from the reception of Divine truth, whence all things with man, his affections and perceptions, as well as his knowledges and scientifics, and the thoughts thence derived, attain spiritual life.  E. 518.
    Influx of Divine good and Divine truth from the Lord, from this influx the angels of the three heavens, and, men, have spiritual life, and from the Divine good and Divine truth they have intelligence and charity. P. P.
1, 2, 8, 9. Here is described, by mere correspondences, the influx of the Lord from His Divine Human into those who are of His kingdom and church. By the waters issuing. from under the threshold of the house eastward is described the Divine truth from the Lord, and flowing into those who are in the east, that is, who are in the good of love to Him. By the waters going down into the desert and into the sea, and by the waters of the sea being thence healed, is understood influx into the natural man, and into his knowledges. The multitude of fish signifies scientific truths in the natural man. That everything: should live where the rivers come signifies that they should have life from Divine truth. E. 179.
1, 2, 8, 9, 12. The new church about to be established in the heavens and on the earth is described, when every thing Divine will proceed from the Lord's Divine Human. Before the advent of the Lord the Divine proceeded from what He calls the Father, but it did not reach to the ultimates after the church was vastated. By the house is here signified the church, but its gate approach and introduction, by the east the Lord, where His Divine love appears as the sun, by the waters thence issuing the Divine truth thence proceeding, by the desert and the sea the ultimates of the church, or where they are who are in the ultimate truth and goods, being natural and sensual, but little spiritual, to whom the Divine did not before reach. The life of such also from the Divine after the advent of the Lord is signified by the waters of the sea being healed, by the influx of the river from the east. The great multitude of fish means abundance of knowledges and scientifics which through them gain spiritual life. Fructification of good, and multiplication of truth are signified by the trees for meat. E. 422.
1, 7, 12. Rational truths are signified by leaves. By all parts of a tree correspondential things in man are meant. Branches sensual and natural truths, by leaves rational truths, by flowers the first spiritual truths in the rational, by fruits the goods of love and charity, and by seeds the last and the first things of man. R. 936.
1, 8. Said of the New Jerusalem. The east stands for the Lord, and so for the celestial which is love. A. 1250.
1, 8-10. Fishes stand for those who are in general truths, and in faith separated from charity, but here in faith conjoined to charity. R. 405.
1, 8-11. By the waters issuing from under the threshold of the house eastward are meant truths from a celestial origin, the waters truth, the east the good of heavenly love the house heaven and the church. The desert into which the waters descend, and the sea to which they come signify the ultimates of heaven and the church, consequently those who are in ultimates, who are in the knowledges of truth only from the ultimate sense of the Word, and apprehend it naturally and naturally and sensually. These, when they are in simple good, receive influx out of the superior heavens, whence it is that they also receive something spiritual in their knowledges, and thence some degree of spiritual life. This is understood by the waters being brought forth into the sea, that they may be healed. But those of such a nature and not in good are understood by the miry places, the marshes whereof shall not be healed. They shall be given to salt, which means they shall not receive spiritual life but remain in life merely natural, which separated from spiritual life is defiled with falsities and evils. E. 342.
The subject here is the house of God, which signifies heaven and the church. By the waters issuing toward the east is signified the Divine truth reforming and regenerating. They who are reformed, and thence become intelligent are understood by the fishers from En-gedi, even to En-eglaim. E. 5I3.
1, 8, 9, 12. Here the Lord is signified by the east, and by the sanctuary from whence the waters and the rivers flow. A. 109.

3 When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles.
4 Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the loins.
5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass through; for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.
6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river.

3-5, 7, 9. Describe how the intelligence, which appertains to those who are of the church, increases by the reception of Divine truth, proceeding from the Lord. This is signified by the waters flowing from under the threshold of the house. How in telligence Increases is described by the waters through which the prophet passed first reached to the ankles, afterwards to the knees, then to the loins, and at length so high that they could not be passed. Ankles signify what is sensual and natural, knees what is spiritual natural, loins the intelligence of the spiritual man, and the marriage of truth and good. E. 629.
3-5, 9. See Chapter XL., 3-17, R. 486.

7 Now when I had returned, behold, upon the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

7-9, 11. The New Jerusalem, or the Lord's spiritual kingdom is described. The waters going forth to the eastern border signify spiritual things from celestial things, which are truths from celestial origin, that is faith from love and charity. To go down into the plain signifies doctrinals which are of the rational. Toward the sea means to external knowledges. The sea is the collection of them. The living soul which creepeth signifies their delights. A. 2702.

8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue forth toward the eastern region, and shall go down into the Arabah; and they shall go toward the sea; into the sea shall the waters go which were made to issue forth; and the waters shall be healed.

8, 9. The river is the Word. The waters which cause everything to live are the Divine truths contained in it the fish are affections for knowing. A. 3424.
8-10. Fishers from Engedi unto En-eglaim, with the spreading of nets, signify those who shall instruct the natural man concerning truths of faith. ~ A. 40.

9 And it shall come to pass, that every living creature which swarmeth, in every place whither the rivers come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters are come thither, and the waters of the sea shall be healed, and everything shall live whithersoever the river cometh.
10 And it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand by it: from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

9. Here are meant the waters of the New Jeruusalem. These waters stand for spiritual things from a heavenly origin, the living soul that creepeth, for affections for good, and for the pleasures therefrom, both of the body and of the senses. These live from the waters or from spiritual things from a heavenly origin. Filthy pleasures which originate from the proprium, thus from its foul lusts, are also called creeping things. A. 994.
    Speaking of the new temple, that is of a new spiritual church from the Lord. The living soul which creepeth stands for the outward truths which are of faith the multitude of fish for outward knowledges, rivers for those things which are of intelligence, which are from the truths of faith. A. 9050.
    By all animals, in the spiritual sense, are signified things which belong to the natural man and his life. By the life of the natural man, which is life in ultimates is signified life in every complex, they are called living souls. E. 750.

9, 10. A fisher, in the spiritual sense, signifies a man who investigates and teaches natural truths and afterwards spiritual truths in a rational manner. I. 20.

11 But the miry places thereof, and the marshes thereof, shall not be healed; they shall be given up to salt.

11. Because cupidities and falsities are what lay a man waste, that is, deprive him of all life of the love of good, and of affection for truth, vastation is described in many passages by saltness. A. 1666.
    To be given up to salt stands for being altogether vastated as to truth, because salt signifies vastation. A. 2455.
    A pillar of salt means disjunction from truth, for salt, in the opposite sense means the destruction and vastation of truth. A. 9207.

12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not whither, neither shall the fruit thereof fail: it shall bring forth new fruit every month, because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for healing.

12. The waters out of the sanctuary signify the life and mercy of the Lord, who is the sanctuary. The fruit is wisdom which is their food. The leaf is intelligence which they have for the sake of use, or as it is called healing. A. 57.
    That a leaf signifies truth is evident from many passages in the Word, where a man is compared to a tree or is called a tree, and where fruits signify the good of charity. Here tree stands for the man of the church in whom is the kingdom of the Lord. A. 885.
The new house of God, or the new temple, by which is signified a new church, and in the interior sense the Lord's spiritual kingdom. Therefore the river signifies what is of intelligence and wisdom, trees the perceptions and conjunctions of good and truth, food the goods and truths themselves; waters going forth from the sanctuary the truths which make intelligence, the sanctuary celestial love, in the supreme sense the Divine Human of the Lord, from Whom is that love the fruits which are for food, the goods of love the leaf which was for medicine, the truth of faith. A. 6502.
    The fruit which shall be for food stands for the good of love and charity which is for the nourishemnt of spiritual life. The leaf for medicine stands for the truths of faith, which are for the recreation and' restoration of that life. A. 9030.
    States of life are signified by all times, which are hours, days, weeks, months, years, ages. Months mean states of life as to truths, because the times determined by the moon are meant by the months, and by the moon is meant truth of the understanding and faith. R. 935.
    Rational truths are meant by leaves. R. 936.
    Trees signify the in t.eriors of the mind of man, and the t.hings which are upon the trees, as the leaves and fruit, such things as are derived from trees. E. 109.

13 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: This shall be the border, whereby ye shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.
14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another; for I sware to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.

13. The subject is the Lord's spiritual kingdom. It is therefore said that the lines shall be to Joseph. The Lord's Divine spiritual is also called His royalty. His royalty is the Divine truth, and His priesthood His Divine good. The Lord's royalty is represented by Joseph, in his being made king in the land of Egypt. A. 3969.
    By Joseph is here signified the spiritual church, and by his having two portions conjunction, and preaching from that tribe to the rest, and from the rest to it. By the twelve tribes of Israel are understood all things pertaining to the church. E. 448.
13 et seq. All things in the spiritual world are arranged according to the quarters. The land was measured and distributed according to these. E. 422.
13-23. By inheriting the land is signified receiving heaven as an heir. By an heir, if said of heaven, is specifically meant a man who has the Lord's life. A. 9338.
    Inheritances or partitions of the church and heaven according to goods and truths in the whole complex, which is according to the tribes of Irsael. P. P.
13, 20. A new earth is treated of which signifies a new church to be established by the Lord, and it is predicted and delineated how it should be distributed for an inheritance according to the twelve tribes of Israel. E. 43 1 .
13, 21-23. See Chapter XLV., 8. A. 3858.

15 And this shall be the border of the land: On the north side, from the great sea, by the way of Hethlon, unto the entrance of Zedad;

15-20. Concerning the boundaries of the holy land, and the inheritances according to the quarter for each tribe. A. 3708.

16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran.

16-18. The boundary of the holy land, or of the Lord's kingdom, toward the north is also called the boundary of Damascus. Here where it is said that they were smitten and driven as far as Hobah, which is at the left of Damascus, is signified the extent to which the apparent good and truth were purified. A. 1715.

17 And the border from the sea, shall be Hazar-enon at the border of Damascus; and on the north northward is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.

17-20. By the four corners the universal spiritual world is meant. Corners signify all things, because they are the extremes, and the extremes being the ultirnate boundaries comprehend all things. E. 417.

18 And the east side, between Hauran and Damascus and Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border unto the east sea shall ye measure. This is the east side.

18. Because Gilead was a boundary it signifies, in the spiritual sense, the first good, which is that of the senses of the body, for it is the good or the pleasure of these, into which the man who is being regenerated is first of all initiated. A. 4117.
    Because the Jordan signified the things which are first and last of the Lord's kingdom and church, such as the knowledges of good and truth, for by these man is introduced, the Jordan is also mentioned as a boundary of the new earth or holy land. A. 4255.
18-20. Corners signify the quarters, they therefore signify all things, as all of heaven or of hell, orof good or truth. R. 342.

19 And the south side southward shall be from Tamar as far as the waters of Meriboth-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, unto the great sea. This is the south side southward.
20 And the west side shall be the great sea, from the south border as far as over against the entrance of Hamath. This is the west side.
21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.

19. The south stands for the light of truth, its boundary, by which is signified contention about truths, is called Kadesh. A. 1678.

22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you, who shall beget children among you; and they shall be unto you as the home-born among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.
23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord Jehovah.

22, 23. This is concerning the New Jerusalem, or the Lord's kingdom. By the sojourners sojourning are meant those who suffer themselves to be instructed and thus the Gentiles. That those are meant who are being instructed, is evident from its being said that in the tribe with which he has sojourned, there his inheritance should be given. Tribes represent the things which are of faith. A. 1463.

Author: Emanuel Swedenborg (Compiled by Robert S. Fischer 1925)