AC 8494, 8495 - "A rest, a sabbath holy to Jehovah" (Exodus 16:23)

AC 8494
A rest.
(Exodus 16:23)
That this signifies a state of peace when there is no temptation,
is evident from the signification of "a rest,"
such as there was on the days of the Sabbath,
as being a representative of a state of peace,
in which is effected the conjunction of good and truth.
But the six preceding days represented
the combat and labor, consequently the temptations,
which precede a state of peace;
for after temptations comes a state of peace,
and then there is the conjunction of good and truth.

AC 8495
A Sabbath holy to Jehovah is the morrow.
(Exodus 16:23)
That this signifies the conjunction of good and truth to eternity,
is evident from the signification of "the Sabbath,"
as being the conjunction of good and truth;
and from the signification of "the morrow,"
as being to eternity.
He who does not know what the Sabbath represented,
and thus what it signified,
cannot know why it was accounted the most holy of all things.
But the reason why it was accounted most holy
was that in the supreme sense it represented
the union of the Divine and the Divine Human in the Lord;
and in the relative sense
the conjunction of the Divine Human of the Lord
with the human race.
Consequently the Sabbath was most holy.

Portions: Ezekiel 35 - 38

You boasted against Me
and spoke against Me without restraint,
and I heard it.
This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
While the whole earth rejoices,
I will make you desolate.
(Ezekiel 35:13-14)

I will show the holiness of My great Name,
which has been profaned among the nations,
the Name you have profaned among them.
Then the nations will know
that I am the Lord,
declares the Sovereign Lord,
when I show Myself holy
through you
before their eyes.
(Ezekiel 36:23)

Then the nations will know
that I the Lord make Israel holy,
when My sanctuary is among them forever.
(Ezekiel 37:28)

And so I will show My greatness and My holiness,
and I will make Myself known in the sight of many nations.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
(Ezekiel 38:23)

AC 8478 - care for the morrow

AC 8478 [2-4]
. . . in the internal sense care for the morrow is treated of,
 and as this care is not only forbidden,
but is also condemned
(that it is forbidden
is signified by that they were not to make a residue
of the manna till the morning,
and that it is condemned
is signified by that the worm was bred in the residue,
and it stank),
he who looks at the subject no deeper
than from the sense of the letter
may believe that all care for the morrow is to be cast aside,
and thus that the necessaries of life
are to be awaited daily from heaven;
but he who looks at the subject deeper than from the letter,
as for instance he who looks at it from the internal sense,
is able to know what is meant by "care for the morrow."
It does not mean
the care of procuring for oneself food and raiment,
and even resources for the time to come;
for it is not contrary to order
for anyone to be provident for himself and his own.
But those have care for the morrow
who are not content with their lot;
who do not trust in the Divine, but in themselves;
and who have regard for only worldly and earthly things,
and not for heavenly things.
With such there universally reigns
solicitude about things to come,
and a desire to possess all things
and to dominate over all . . ..
They grieve if they do not obtain the objects of their desire,
and feel anguish at the loss of them;
and they have no consolation,
because of the anger they feel against the Divine,
which they reject together with everything of faith,
and curse themselves.
Such are they who have care for the morrow. 

Very different is the case with those who trust in the Divine.
Though they have care for the morrow, still not have it,
because they do not think of the morrow with solicitude,
still less with anxiety.
Unruffled is their spirit
whether they obtain the objects of their desire, or not;
and they do not grieve over the loss of them,
being content with their lot.
If they become rich,
they do not set their hearts on riches;
if they are raised to honors,
they do not regard themselves as more worthy than others;
if they become poor,
they are not made sad;
if their circumstances are mean,
they are not dejected.
They know that for those who trust in the Divine
all things advance toward a happy state to eternity,
and that whatever befalls them in time
is still conducive to that end.
 
Be it known that the Divine Providence is universal,
that is, in things the most minute;
and that they who are in the stream of Providence
are all the time carried along
toward everything that is happy,
whatever may be the appearance of the means;
and that those are in the stream of Providence
who put their trust in the Divine and attribute all things to Him;
and that those are not in the stream of Providence
who trust in themselves alone
and attribute all things to themselves,
because they are in the opposite,
for they take away providence from the Divine,
and claim it for themselves.
Be it known also
that insofar as anyone is in the stream of Providence,
so far he is in a state of peace;
also that insofar as anyone is in a state of peace
from the good of faith, 
so far he is in the Divine Providence.
These alone know and believe
that the Divine Providence of the Lord
is in everything both in general and in particular,
even in the most minute things of all.
 

Portions: Ezekiel 31 - 34

"'Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Because it towered on high,
lifting its top above the thick foliage,
and because it was proud of its height,
I handed it over to the ruler of the nations,
for him to deal with
according to its wickedness.
(Ezekiel 31:10-11)

When I snuff you out,
I will cover the heavens and darken their stars;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
and the moon will not give its light.
(Ezekiel 32:7)

The word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man,
speak to your countrymen and say to them:
'When I bring the sword against a land,
and the people of the land
choose one of their men
and make him their watchman,
and he sees the sword coming against the land
and blows the trumpet to warn the people,
then if anyone hears the trumpet
but does not take warning
and the sword comes and takes his life,
his blood will be on his own head.
But if the watchman sees the sword coming
and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people
and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them,
that man will be taken away because of his sin,
but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.'"
(Ezekiel 33:1-4,6)

I will save My flock,
and they will no longer be plundered.
I will judge between one sheep and another.
(Ezekiel 34:22)

AC 8468 & AC 8469 - the Divine good

AC 8468 [2]
. . . all things in that kingdom (heaven)
shall have relation to good,
and also that the truth there will be good,
and that this shall be given in fulness . . ..

AC 8469
The universal thing that forms and brings into order
all things in general and in particular
is the Divine good of Divine love from the Lord.

Portions: Ezekiel 27 - 30

In your marketplace they traded with you
beautiful garments, blue fabric,
embroidered work and multicolored rugs
with cords twisted and tightly knotted.
(Ezekiel 27:24)

You were in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald,
chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
sapphire, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
on the day you were created
they were prepared.
(Ezekiel 28:13)

"'Egypt will no longer
be a source of confidence for the people of Israel
but will be a reminder of their sin
in turning to her for help.
Then they will know
that I am the Sovereign Lord.'"
(Ezekiel 29:16)

'"On that day
messengers will go out from Me in ships
to frighten Cush out of her complacency.
Anguish will take hold of them
on the day of Egypt's doom,
for it is sure to come.'"
(Ezekiel 30:9)

AC 8455 - the dew in the morning

AC 8455
"Dew" signifies the truth of peace
because in the morning it comes down from heaven
and appears upon the herbage like fine rain,
and has also stored up in it
something of sweetness or delight more than rain has,
whereby the grass and the crops of the field are gladdened;
and "morning" denotes a state of peace.
. . . peace is . . . is like dawn on the earth,
which gladdens minds with universal delight;
and the truth of peace is like the light of the dawn.
This truth, which is called "the truth of peace,"
is the very Divine truth in heaven from the Lord,
which universally affects all who are there,
and makes heaven to be heaven;
for peace has in it confidence in the Lord,
that He directs all things,
and provides all things,
and that He leads to a good end.
When a man is in this faith,
he is in peace,
for he then fears nothing,
and no solicitude about things to come disquiets him.
A man comes into this state
in proportion as he comes into love to the Lord.

[2] All evil, especially self-confidence,
takes away a state of peace.

[3]  Tranquility of mind, content, and gladness from success,
are relatively nothing;
for these affect only his externals;
whereas peace affects the inmost things of all . . ..

Portions: Ezekiel 24 - 26

In the ninth year,
in the tenth month on the tenth day,
the word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man,
record this date, this very date,
because the king of Babylon
has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day."
(Ezekiel 24:1-2)

"Say to them,
'Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord.
This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Because you said "Aha!"
over My sanctuary when it was desecrated
and over the land of Israel
when it was laid waste
and over the people of Judah
when they went into exile,
therefore I am going to give you
to the people of the East as a possession.
They will set up their camps
and pitch their tents among you;
they will eat your fruit and drink your milk."
(Ezekiel 25:3-4)

"Then all the princes of the coast
will step down from their thrones
and lay aside their robes
and take off their embroidered garments.
Clothed with terror,
they will sit on the ground,
trembling every moment,
appalled at you."
(Ezekiel 26:16)

AC 8439 - reception is nothing without application

AC 8439
. . . reception is not anything
unless there is also application, namely, to use.
For the influx from the Divine passes first into the perception
which is of the understanding with the person,
then it passes into the will,
and next into act, that is, into good work, which is use,
and there it ceases.
When the influx of good and truth from the Lord
makes this passage,
then the good and truth are appropriated to the person;
for then the influx goes down into the ultimate of order,
that is, into the ultimate of nature,
where all Divine influx aims to come.
The person in whom Divine influx thus advances
may be called "a way of heaven."

Portions: Ezekiel 20 -23

"I am the Lord your God;
follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.
Keep My Sabbaths holy,
that they may be a sign between us.
Then you will know that
I am the Lord your God.
(Ezekiel 20:19)

"Therefore groan, son of man!
Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.
And when they ask you,
'Why are you groaning?' you shall say,
'Because of the news that is coming.
Every heart will melt and every hand go limp;
every spirit will become faint
and every knee become as weak as water.'
It is coming!
It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.'"
(Ezekiel 21:6-7)

Her priests do violence to My law
and profane My holy things;
they do not distinguish between the holy and the common;
they teach that there is no difference
between the unclean and the clean;
and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths,
so that I am profaned among them.
(Ezekiel 22:26)

The Lord said to me:
"Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah?
Then confront them with their detestable practices . . .."
(Ezekiel 23:36)

AC 8247 - the glory of the Lord

AC 8247
The reason why 'the glory'
means the presence and the arrival of the Lord
is that in the highest sense
'glory' is the Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord;
and Divine Truth appears before angels' eyes
as the light and splendor from the Sun,
which is the Lord.

[4] Here also "the glory of Jehovah"
plainly denotes His presence.

The disciples said unto Jesus,
Tell us what shall be the sign of Thy coming?
Jesus said, Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man,
and they shall see the Son of man
coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory.
(Matthew 24:3, 30)

The last time of the former church
and the first time of the new church
is here treated of;
"the Son of man"
signifies truth Divine proceeding from the Lord;
"the clouds of heaven"
signifies the Word in the sense of the letter;
"power and glory"
signifies the internal sense,
thus the Divine truth which shall then appear;
"the coming of the Lord"
signifies the acknowledgment of truth Divine
by those who are of the new church,
and the denial of it
by those who are of the old church.

Portions: Ezekiel 17 - 19

"'This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
I Myself will take a shoot
from the very top of a cedar and plant it;
I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots
and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it;
it will produce branches and bear fruit
and become a splendid cedar.
Birds of every kind will nest in it;
they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.
All the trees of the field will know
that I the Lord bring down the tall tree
and make the low tree grow tall.
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
"'I the Lord have spoken,
and I will do it.'"
(Ezekiel 17:22-24)

Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked?
declares the Sovereign Lord.
Rather, am I not pleased
when they turn from their ways and live?
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
Repent and live!
(Ezekiel 18:23,32)

Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel . . .
(Ezekiel 19:1)

AC 8403 - Can we be regenerated without temptation?

AC 8403 [2]
Those who have not been instructed
about a person's regeneration
suppose that a person
can be regenerated without temptation;
and some that he has been regenerated
when he has undergone one temptation.
But be it known
that without temptation no one is regenerated,
and that many temptations follow on, one after another.
The reason is that regeneration takes place to the end
that the life of the old person may die,
and the new heavenly life be insinuated,
which shows that there must needs be a fight,
for the life of the old person resists,
and is not willing to be extinguished,
and the life of the new person cannot enter
except where the life of the old person
has been extinguished.
So it is evident that there is a fight on both sides,
and this fight is a fiery one,
because it is for life.

"They will know that I am the Lord,
when I disperse them among the nations
and scatter them through the countries.
But I will spare a few of them
from the sword, famine and plague,
so that in the nations where they go
they may acknowledge all their detestable practices.
Then they will know that I am the Lord."
(Ezekiel 12:15-16)

"'Because they lead My people astray,
saying, "Peace," when there is no peace,
and because, when a flimsy wall is built,
they cover it with whitewash,
therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash
that it is going to fall.'"
(Ezekiel 13:10-11)

"Therefore say to the house of Israel,
'This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Repent!
Turn from your idols
and renounce all your detestable practices.'"
(Ezekiel 14:6)

The word of the Lord came to me:
"Son of man, how is the wood of a vine better
than that of a branch on any of the trees in the forest?
Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful?
Do they make pegs from it to hang things on?
And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel
and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle,
is it then useful for anything?"
(Ezekiel 15:1-4)

"'But you trusted in your beauty
and used your fame to become a prostitute.
You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by
and your beauty became his.'"
(Ezekiel 16:15)

AC 8399 - the spiritual person before & after regeneration

AC 8399
The good that is from truth
is the good that is in the spiritual person
before regeneration,
for he then does good from truth,
that is, because it has been so commanded,
consequently from obedience;
whereas the good from which is truth
is the good which is in the spiritual person
after regeneration,
for he then does good from affection.
The former good is signified by "Sin,"
the latter by "Sinai."
 

Portions: Ezekiel 6 - 11

"'This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Strike your hands together and stamp your feet
and cry out "Alas!"
because of all the wicked and detestable practices
of the house of Israel,
for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague.'"
(Ezekiel 6:11)

"I will deal with them according to their conduct,
and by their own standards I will judge them.
Then they will know that I am the Lord."
(Ezekiel 7:27)

The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven
and in vision of God he took me to Jerusalem,
to the entrance to the north gate of the inner court,
where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood.
And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel,
as in the vision I had seen in the plain.
(Ezekiel 8:3-4)

The the Lord called to the man clothed in linen
who had the writing kit at his side and said to him,
"Go throughout the city of Jerusalem
and put a mark on the foreheads of those
who grieve and lament
over all the detestable things that are done in it."
(Ezekiel 9:3-4)

I looked, and I saw the likeness of a throne
of sapphire (or lapis luzuli) above the expanse
that was over the heads of the cherubim.
Then the glory of the Lord rose
from above the cherubim
and moved to the threshold of the temple.
The cloud filled the temple,
and the court was full of the radiance
of the glory of the Lord.
The sound of the wings of the cherubim
could be heard as far away as the outer court,
like the voice of God Almighty when He speaks.
(Ezekiel 10:1,4-5)

"I will give them an undivided heart
and put a new spirit in them:
I will remove from them their heart of stone
and give them the heart of flesh.
Then they will follow My decrees
and be careful to keep My laws.
They will be My people,
and I will be their God."
(Ezekiel 11:19-20)

AC 8367 - spiritual temptation; AC 8.87, 8391 - reflection & repentance

AC 8367
. . . after all spiritual temptation
there come enlightenment and affection,
thus pleasantness and delight;
pleasantness from enlightenment through truth,
and delight from the affection of good.

That consolation follows after temptations . . .
the reason is that by means of temptations
truths and goods are implanted and are conjoined,
consequently the person as to his spirit
is introduced interiorly into heaven,
and to the heavenly societies
with which he had previously been associated.
When the temptation is ended,
communication with heaven is opened,
which had previously been partly closed,
consequently enlightenment and affection,
and consequently pleasantness and delight;
for then the angels with whom communication is given,
flow in by means of truth, and by means of good.

AC 8387
He who wishes to be saved
must confess his sins
and do repentance.

AC 8391
He who leads a life of faith does repentance daily;
for he reflects upon the evils that are in him,
acknowledges them,
guards himself against them,
and supplicates the Lord for aid.
For from himself man is continually falling,
but is continually being raised up by the Lord.
He falls from himself when he thinks what is evil with desire;
and he is raised up by the Lord when he resists evil,
and consequently does not do it.

Portions: Ezekiel 1 - 5

I saw from what appeared to be His waist up
He looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire,
and that from there down He looked like fire;
and brilliant light surrounded Him.
Like the appearance of a rainbow
in the clouds on a rainy day,
so was the radiance around Him.
This was the appearance of the likeness
of the glory of the Lord.
When I saw it,
I fell face-down,
and I heard the Voice of One speaking.
(Ezekiel 1:27-28)

He said to me, "Son of man,
stand up on your feet and I will speak to you."
(Ezekiel 2:1)

"Again, when a righteous man
turns from his righteousness and does evil,
and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die.
Since you did not warn him,
he will die for his sin.
The righteous things he did will not be remembered,
and I will hold you accountable for his blood.
But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin
and he does not sin,
he will surely live because he took warning,
and you will have saved yourself."
(Ezekiel 3:20-21)

"Then lie on your left side
and put the sin of the house of Israel upon yourself.
You are to bear their sin
for the number of days you lie on your side.
I have assigned you the same number of days
as the years of their sin.
So for 390 days
you will bear the sin of the house of Israel.
"After you have finished this,
lie down again, this time on your right side,
and bear the sin of the house of Judah.
I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year."
(Ezekiel 4:4-6)

"This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
This is Jerusalem,
which I have set in the center of the nations,
with countries all around her.
Yet in her wickedness
she has rebelled against My laws and decrees
more than the nations and countries around her.
She has rejected My laws
and has not followed My decrees."
(Ezekiel 5:5-6)

AC 8349 - all the affection of truth is from good; AC 8361 - the Lord

AC 8349
. . . all the delight of truth comes forth from good.
That the affection of truth derives its origin from good
is because good loves truth,
and truth loves good,
for these two are conjoined as in a marriage.
It is known that everyone desires
to be instructed in those things which he loves
and has as the end.
He who loves good, that is,
who wills from the heart to worship God
and to benefit his neighbor,
loves to be instructed in those things which lead thereto,
consequently in truths;
from which it can be seen
that all the affection of truth is from good.

AC 8361
. . . the Lord is in His commandments
when a person lives according to them . . ..

Portions: Lamentations 4 - 5

The punishment of my people
is greater than that of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment
without a hand turned to help her.
Those killed by the sword are better off
than those who die of famine . . ..
(Lamentations 4:6,9)

The crown has fallen from our head.
Woe to us, for we have sinned!
Because of this our hearts are faint,
because of these things our eyes grow dim . . ..
(Lamentations 5:16-17)