sa (1 Samuel 24:16-21), Maluha-luhang inamin ni Haring Saul na nakagawa siya ng mali kay David. Hinahangad niya ang buhay ni David, ngunit nagpakita ng awa sa kanya si David. Ang awa ni David sa pagkakataong iyon ay kumakatawan sa paraan ng pagharap ng Panginoon Mismo ng kasamaan nang may awa. Malinaw na sinadya nating sundin ang halimbawang iyon. Sa mga ebanghelyo, sinabi ng Panginoon na dapat nating mahalin maging ang ating mga kaaway (Mateo 5:44; Lucas 6:35).

Dahil nagpakita ng awa si David kay Saul, nagkaroon ng pagkakasundo sa pagitan nila. Hindi iyon mangyayari kung sinaway niya si Saul. Ngunit, hindi nagtagal pagkatapos noon, hinahanap muli ni Saul ang buhay ni David, upang subukang patayin siya. Sobra para sa kanilang pagkakasundo! At... Nagpakitang muli ng awa si David kay Saul, at muling nagsisi si Saul. Ngunit malinaw na hindi na nagtitiwala si David kay Saul. Siya at si Saul ay pumunta sa kani-kanilang landas, at narito ang kasunod na bagay na sinasabi sa atin ng Salita:

At sinabi ni David sa kaniyang puso, Ngayon ay mamamatay ako balang araw sa pamamagitan ng kamay ni Saul. Wala nang higit na mabuti sa akin kundi ang tumakas akong madali sa lupain ng mga Filisteo; at si Saul ay mawawalan ng pag-asa sa akin, na hahanapin pa ako sa alinmang bahagi ng Israel. Sa gayo'y tatakas ako sa kaniyang kamay. (1 Samuel 27:1)

Sinabi ni Saul, “Hindi na kita sasaktan pa” (1 Samuel 26:21), ngunit malinaw na hindi na naniniwala si David sa mga ganitong uri ng mga pangako mula kay Saul. At sino ang maaaring sisihin sa kanya?

Mabuti pa rin na nagpakita siya ng awa kay Saul — na pinagbawalan niya ang kanyang kasama na saksakin ang hari habang siya ay natutulog (1 Samuel 26:8). Nais ng Panginoon na harapin natin ang kasamaan nang may awa. Paulit-ulit Niyang sinasabi sa atin na magpatawad. Ngunit ano ang dapat nating gawin kapag ang mga tao ay tila itinuturing ang ating pagpapatawad bilang isang carte blanche upang gawin muli ang masamang bagay? Paano tayo nagpapakita ng awa sa mga taong aktibong gumagawa ng mga bagay na nakakasakit sa atin — o sa mga taong sa tingin natin ay hindi ligtas, dahil sa isang pattern na naitatag sa paglipas ng panahon? I-explore natin yan. Sa madaling salita, posible para sa atin na mahalin ang mga tao at protektahan ang ating sarili mula sa kanila nang sabay. Paano?

Narito ang isang bagay na sinasabi ng Panginoon tungkol sa kung paano namin binabalanse ang pagkakasundo sa pagtatakda ng mga hangganan, sa Mateo 18:15-17. Binabalangkas ng mga tagubiling ito ang proseso na nais ng Panginoon na sundin natin kapag may gumagawa ng mga bagay na nakakasakit sa atin.

"Kung ang iyong kapatid ay magkasala laban sa iyo, humayo ka, ipakita mo sa kanya ang kanyang kasalanan sa pagitan mo at sa kanya na nag-iisa. Kung siya ay nakikinig sa iyo, nabawi mo ang iyong kapatid. Ngunit kung hindi siya makikinig, magsama ka pa ng isa o dalawa, upang sa bibig ng dalawa o tatlong saksi ay mapagtibay ang bawat salita. Kung ayaw niyang makinig sa kanila, sabihin mo sa kapulungan.

Sabi niya, “kung ang iyong kapatid ay magkasala laban sa iyo” (Mateo 18:15), ngunit medyo malinaw na ginagamit Niya ang salitang iyon na "kapatid" upang ipahiwatig ang ating kapwa sa pangkalahatan (tingnan Arcana Coelestia 2360:6, 7; Ipinaliwanag ng Apocalypse 746:15).

Nalalapat ang mga tagubiling ito sa tuwing ang isang taong karelasyon natin ay gumagawa ng isang bagay na nakakasakit sa atin.

Ang huling sinabi ng Panginoon ay kung hindi natin ito magagawa sa ating “kapatid,” ituring natin siyang “isang pagano at maniningil ng buwis” (Mateo 18:17). Kung iyon lang ang bahagi ng mga tagubiling ito na binibigyang pansin namin, kung gayon ang mga ito ay medyo malupit. Ngunit kung iyon lang ang bahagi ng mga tagubiling ito na binibigyang-pansin natin, nawawala ang buong punto — na hindi tayo dapat dumiretso mula sa pagkakaroon ng problema sa isang tao tungo sa pag-iwas sa kanila. May proseso na dapat nating sundin, at kailangan nating gawin ito nang paisa-isa, at kailangan lang nating pumunta sa huling hakbang na iyon kung talagang kailangan. Bilang tao, madali tayong mag-isip ng lahat-o-wala. Ito ay totoo lalo na kung tayo ay galit sa isang tao, o kung ang kanilang pag-uugali ay nagpaparamdam sa atin na hindi tayo ligtas. Iniisip namin, "malapit ako sa taong ito, at walang mga hangganan sa pagitan namin, o humiwalay ako sa kanila at walang ugnayan sa pagitan namin." Maaaring alam natin sa cognitively na hindi kailangang maging ganoon, ngunit kadalasan ang ating mga emosyon ay nagsasabi na iyon ang dapat na paraan. Kailangan ng kapanahunan at kailangan ng karunungan upang manatili sa gitna — upang kilalanin at tugunan ang pinsalang ginagawa sa atin ng pag-uugali ng ibang tao, nang hindi lubusang hinihiwalay ang ating sarili mula sa taong iyon. Hindi ito ang pinakamadali o pinaka natural na landas na tatahakin. Ngunit ito ang landas na hinihiling sa atin ng Panginoon na tahakin.

Sinabi niya na kung ang ating kapatid ay magkasala laban sa atin, ang unang hakbang ay, “pumunta at sabihin sa kanya ang kanyang kasalanan sa pagitan mo at sa kanya nang mag-isa” (Mateo 18:15). Napakaraming kahulugan na ito ang unang hakbang. Kung may problema ka sa isang tao, kausapin mo siya tungkol dito. Ang bagay ay, kailangan nating tiyakin na ito ang unang hakbang na gagawin natin. Ang ikalawang hakbang ay ang makisali sa ibang tao, at kung minsan ay gagawa tayo ng ikalawang hakbang bago tayo gumawa ng unang hakbang. Nagrereklamo kami sa aming mga kaibigan tungkol sa taong nanakit sa amin, bago pa man namin napag-usapan ang taong iyon tungkol sa kanilang pag-uugali. Kapag ginawa natin iyon, kadalasan mas lalo tayong nahuhulog sa sama ng loob. Minsan gusto nating humingi ng payo bago natin kausapin ang taong nanakit sa atin — at maaaring angkop na humingi ng payo sa isang mentor o isang propesyonal. Ngunit hindi natin kailangang gawing negosyo ng ibang tao ang problema. Hindi man lang kaagad. Kung naiinis ka sa isang tao, magsimula sa pamamagitan ng pakikipag-usap sa kanila habang ang isa ay lumaki sa isa pa. Ito ang nagbibigay sa amin ng pinakamahusay na pagbaril sa aktwal na pagkakasundo. Ang sabi ng Panginoon, "... kung ang iyong kapatid ay magkasala sa iyo ay pumunta ka at sabihin mo sa kanya ang kanyang kasalanan sa pagitan mo at siya lamang. Kung pakikinggan ka niya, nakuha mo ang iyong kapatid" (Mateo 18:15).

Malinaw na hindi ito nangangahulugan na dapat nating ilagay ang ating sarili sa mga mapanganib na sitwasyon. Kung nasaktan tayo nang husto ng isang tao, maaaring hindi ligtas na makipagkita sa kanila nang isa-isa. Ang diwa ng turong ito ay hindi natin dapat laktawan ang unang hakbang maliban kung kailangan natin. At may mga bagay na magagawa natin para protektahan ang ating sarili sa unang pag-uusap na iyon. Maaari tayong kumuha ng isang dahon mula sa aklat ni David, at makipag-usap sa taong nanakit sa atin mula sa malayo (1 Samuel 26:13). Makipag-usap sa kanila sa telepono, o magsulat ng isang liham. O maaari tayong mag-usap sa isang pampublikong lugar, tulad ng isang restaurant, kung saan mas ligtas tayo.

Kung mayroon tayong isa-isang pag-uusap at ayaw pa ring pakinggan ng ating kapatid, sinabi ng Panginoon na maaari tayong magdala ng “isa o dalawa pa.” (Mateo 18:15). Sa madaling salita, sa puntong iyon maaari nating isali ang ibang mga tao, kung kailangan natin. Isa o dalawang tao lang. Hindi tayo dapat mag-rally ng posse — masyadong mabilis na tumataas. At siyempre, mahalagang pumili ng mga tamang tao. Ang mga taong kinasasangkutan natin ay dapat na matatalino, may antas ng ulo. Sa isip, sila ay mga taong pinagkakatiwalaan ng ating mga sarili at ng taong may hinaing tayo, dahil ang mga taong iyon ay maaaring magtayo ng mga tulay at kumilos bilang mga tagapamagitan. Kailangan nating tandaan na kapag nasangkot tayo sa mga third party, pinapalaki natin ang mga bagay-bagay, at may posibilidad na ang taong nakakaranas tayo ng karaingan ay makaramdam ng pakikisama at hindi maganda ang reaksyon. Kung kailangan nating makisali sa ibang tao, sinabi ng Panginoon na kaya natin — ngunit hindi natin dapat gawin ang hakbang na ito maliban kung kailangan natin.

Ang ikatlong hakbang ay “sabihin ito sa simbahan” (Mateo 18:17). Hindi ito nangangahulugan na dapat nating ipahayag ang ating mga hinaing sa isa't isa kapag nagtitipon tayo para sa mga pampalamig pagkatapos ng pagsamba. Ang salitang Griego dito na isinalin bilang “simbahan” (ἐκκλησία) ay talagang nangangahulugang “pagtitipon,” o “pagtitipon.” Kaya't ang punto ng Panginoon ay kung ang isang tao ay hindi makikinig sa atin o magbago ng kanilang masasakit na pag-uugali - kahit na kami at ang ilang mga pinagkakatiwalaang tao ay nakipag-usap sa kanila tungkol dito - pagkatapos ay pinahihintulutan kaming magsalita nang hayagan tungkol sa aming mga hinaing. Maaari nating isali ang ating komunidad, kung iyon ay isang kapaki-pakinabang na bagay na dapat gawin. Marahil ang "pagsasabi nito sa simbahan" ay nagpapahiwatig na pinapayagan kaming humingi ng isang uri ng pampublikong arbitrasyon. Noong unang panahon, gagawin ng mga pinuno ng simbahan ang ganoong bagay. Sa panahon ngayon, kung gusto natin ng public arbitration kadalasan tayo ay pumupunta sa korte.

Ang huling hakbang, ayon sa mga salita ng Panginoon sa Mateo 18, ay ituring ang ating kapatid bilang “isang pagano at maniningil ng buwis” (Mateo 18:17). Hindi ito nangangahulugan na pinapayagan tayong hamakin o manira o kamuhian ang taong may problema tayo — hindi tayo kailanman pinapayagang gawin ang mga bagay na iyon. Nangangahulugan lamang ito na kung mabigo ang lahat, at patuloy tayong sinasaktan ng taong nanakit sa atin, pinapayagan tayong ihiwalay ang ating sarili sa kanila. Pinapayagan kaming tratuhin sila bilang isang taong hindi bahagi ng aming globo. Sa pagsasagawa, kabilang dito ang paglilimita sa ating mga pakikipag-ugnayan at komunikasyon sa taong nanakit sa atin.

Sinabi ng Panginoon na pinapayagan tayong gawin ang mga ganitong bagay — pinapayagan tayong magtakda ng mga hangganan, kung kinakailangan. Ngunit may prosesong dapat sundin. Hindi tayo maaaring dumiretso mula sa pananakit ng ating damdamin hanggang sa pagputol ng ugnayan sa nagkasala. At narito ang talagang mapaghamong bahagi: pagkatapos sabihin ng Panginoon ang mga bagay na ito tungkol sa mga hangganang pinapayagan tayong itakda, nakipag-usap Siya sa Kanyang mga disipulo:

Nang magkagayo'y lumapit si Pedro sa Kanya at nagsabi, Panginoon, gaano kadalas magkasala ang aking kapatid laban sa akin, at patatawarin ko siya? Hanggang sa makapito?"

Sinabi sa kanya ni Jesus, "Hindi ko sinasabi sa iyo, hanggang sa pitong beses, ngunit hanggang pitumpu't pito." (Mateo 18:21-22)

Sa Makalangit na Doktrina ng Bagong Simbahan ay sinabihan tayo na ang “pitompu’t pitong” ay nangangahulugang “palagi, nang hindi binibilang” (Ipinaliwanag ang Apokalipsis 257:4, 391:21).

Sa ating pagbigkas mula kay Lucas ang Panginoon ay nagsabi ng isang katulad na bagay:

Kung ang iyong kapatid ay magkasala laban sa iyo, sawayin mo siya; at kung siya ay magsisi, patawarin mo siya. At kung siya ay magkasala laban sa iyo ng makapito sa isang araw, at makapito sa isang araw ay babalik sa iyo, na nagsasabi, "Ako ay nagsisi," patatawarin mo siya. (Lucas 17:3, 4)

Sinabi ng Panginoon na pinapayagan tayong magtakda ng mga hangganan, ngunit sinabi rin Niya na kailangan nating patawarin ang mga tao sa tuwing sinasaktan nila tayo. At ang buong punto ng sermon na ito ay maaari nating gawin ang dalawa nang sabay. Ang pagpapatawad ay hindi katulad ng pagbibigay ng pahintulot sa mga tao na tratuhin tayo ng masama. Ang patawarin ang isang tao ay ang pagsuko ng iyong karapatang panghawakan ang taong iyon sa ilalim ng iyong sarili, sa iyong isip at sa iyong puso. Ang magpatawad ay ang pagsuko ng karapatang mapoot. Ito ay isang bagay na ginagawa natin para sa ating sariling kapakanan, para sa ating sariling kapayapaan, dahil ang poot ay nakakalason sa kaluluwa.

Sa isang paraan, ang pagpapatawad sa isang tao ay hindi tungkol sa taong pinatawad natin. Ang magpatawad ay ang pag-aayos ng ating sarili sa Panginoon. Nang humingi sa kanya ng tawad ang mga kapatid ni Joseph, sumagot siya, “Ako ba ay nasa lugar ng Diyos?” (Genesis 50:19). Sa madaling salita, sinabi niya na hindi niya trabaho na husgahan ang kanyang mga kapatid o patawarin sila sa kanilang mga kasalanan. Iyon ay gawain ng Diyos. Ang pagtukoy kung ang ibang tao ay karapat-dapat sa kapatawaran o hindi ay hindi natin trabaho. Inutusan tayong mahalin ang ating kapwa — mahalin maging ang ating mga kaaway — at ang utos na iyon ang namamahala sa bawat pakikipag-ugnayan natin sa bawat tao. At kung mamahalin natin ang isang tao, hindi natin kayang panindigan ang sama ng loob. Hindi natin maaaring bigyan ang ating sarili ng pahintulot na mapoot. Ngunit ang pagmamahal sa isang tao at pagtatakda ng mga hangganan sa kanila ay maaaring mangyari nang sabay-sabay. Ang panghahawakan sa katotohanang iyon ay ang pagkakaroon ng puwang sa gitna, ang pag-iwas sa "alinman-o" na pag-iisip — alinman tayo ay malapit at walang mga hangganan, o tayo ay naghiwalay at walang pag-ibig. Upang hawakan ang gitnang espasyo na iyon ay nangangailangan ng karunungan at kapanahunan - at iyon ang hinihiling sa atin ng Panginoon.

Magtatapos tayo sa pamamagitan ng pagtingin sa isang sipi mula sa Doktrina sa Langit, isang sipi na naglalarawan sa paraan ng pakikitungo sa atin ng mga anghel kapag pinili natin ang masama.

Ang mga anghel ay laging kasama natin, pinoprotektahan tayo sa mga paraan na hindi natin nakikita o nararamdaman. (Misteryo ng Langit 5854)

Buti nalang nandyan sila! Sa ibang sipi ay sinabihan tayo na kung wala sila sa atin, tayo ay "agad na mamamatay" (Misteryo ng Langit 50). Ngunit ang mga anghel na iyon ay hindi maaaring naroroon sa gitna ng masasamang pag-iisip o masasamang pagmamahal — kaya kapag pinili natin ang kasamaan, itinutulak natin ang mga anghel palayo.

Ngunit hindi sila umaalis sa lahat ng paraan. Kapag pinili natin ang kasamaan, kasama pa rin natin sila — ngunit sa malayo. Ang mas malalim na paglubog natin sa kasamaan ay mas lumalayo sila, ngunit nandoon pa rin sila. Mas gusto nilang maging malapit sa atin: mas gusto nilang mahalin tayo nang malapitan. Ngunit kung hindi nila magagawa iyon, mahal nila tayo mula sa malayo. Minsan ipinapalagay natin na ang pag-ibig at distansya ay magkahiwalay: na tayo ay malapit sa isang tao, o hindi natin sila kayang mahalin. Ngunit hindi ito ganoon. Maaari nating tularan ang halimbawa ng mga anghel. Maaari tayong magmahal mula sa malayo, kung kinakailangan. Ang mga anghel mismo ay sumusunod sa halimbawa ng Panginoon - na hindi magsasabi na ang masama ay mabuti, na gayunpaman ay handang magpatawad, at sagana sa awa sa lahat ng tumatawag sa Kanya (Salmo 86:5). ¹

Фусноти:

392. The souls of those slain because of the Word of God, and because of the testimony that they held, signifies those who were rejected and concealed because of Divine truth and because of their confession of the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "those slain," as being those who were rejected by the evil and concealed by the Lord (of whom presently); also from the signification of "the Word of God," as being Divine truth. What the Lord speaks is called the Word of God, and that is Divine truth. The Word or the Sacred Scripture is nothing else; for in it all Divine truth is contained, but it is only before the angels that the truth itself in its glory is manifest in it, because to them the interior things of the Word, which are spiritual and celestial, become manifest and also constitute their wisdom. "The Word of God," therefore, signifies in the genuine sense Divine truth, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself who spoke it, for He spoke from Himself, or from His Divine, and what proceeds from Him that also is Himself.

[2] That the Divine proceeding is the Lord may be illustrated by this: About every angel there is a sphere that is called the sphere of his life; this spreads abroad to a great distance from him. This sphere flows out or proceeds from the life of his affection or love; it is therefore an extension outside of him of such life as is in him. This extension is effected by means of the spiritual atmosphere or aura, which is the aura of heaven. By means of that sphere the quality of an angel in respect to affection is perceived at a distance by others; this has been granted me sometimes to perceive. But about the Lord there is a Divine sphere, which near Him appears as a sun, which is His Divine love, and from this that sphere proceeds into the whole heaven and fills it and constitutes the light that is there; this sphere is the Divine proceeding from the Lord, which in its essence is Divine truth. This comparison with angels is made as an illustration, to show that the Divine proceeding from the Lord is the Lord Himself, because it is a proceeding of His love, and the proceeding is Himself outside of Himself. The above is further evident from the signification of "testimony," as being the confession of the Lord, and the Lord Himself (of which presently).

[3] That "those slain" here mean those who were rejected by evil spirits and concealed by the Lord, or removed from the eyes of others and preserved to the day of the Last Judgment, can be seen from what was said in the article above, also from what follows in the two verses in which they alone are described. In the article above it was said that "the former heaven" that passed away consisted of those who in externals lived a moral life, and yet were merely natural and not spiritual, or who lived a sort of spiritual life merely from the affection or love of fame, honor, glory, and gain, thus for the sake of appearance. Although these were inwardly evil, they, nevertheless, were tolerated, and constituted societies in the higher places in the spiritual world. These societies, taken together, were called a heaven, but "the former heaven" that afterwards passed away. From this it came to pass that all those who were spiritual, that is, who were inwardly as well as outwardly good, not being able to be with these, withdrew from them, either voluntarily or being driven away, and wherever found they were persecuted; on this account they were concealed by the Lord and preserved in their places until the day of judgment, that they might constitute "the new heaven." These therefore are those that are meant by "the souls of those slain seen under the altar." This makes clear that "those slain" signify those who were rejected and concealed, for they were hated by the others, because of Divine truth and because of their confession of the Lord; and those who are hated are called "those slain," because to hate is spiritually to slay. That such are meant by "the souls of those slain," can be seen further from what follows in the two verses where it is said of them, "And they cried out with a great voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on those that dwell on the earth? And there were given to every one of them white robes; and it was said unto them that they should rest yet a little time, until their fellow-servants, as well as their brethren, who were to be killed, as they also were, should be fulfilled." That those above described are meant by "those slain," no one can know but those to whom it has been revealed; for who can know, except by revelation, of whom "the former heaven" (Revelation 21:1) consisted, and of whom "the new heaven" was formed; and that those of whom the new heaven was to be formed, were in the meantime concealed and preserved by the Lord? And unless these things had been revealed to someone, all things contained in Revelation in its internal sense must have remained hidden; for in it such things as were to take place in the spiritual world before the Last Judgment, and while it was going on, and after it are chiefly treated of.

[4] That "testimony" signifies the confession of the Lord, and the Lord Himself, can be seen from the passages in the Word that follow. This signification has its origin from this, that the Word in each and every particular testifies respecting the Lord; for in its inmost sense it treats of the Lord alone, and in its internal sense of the celestial and spiritual things that proceed from the Lord, and in particular the Lord testifies respecting Himself in everyone who is in the life of love and charity; for the Lord flows into their heart and life and teaches them, especially respecting His Divine Human; for He grants to those who are in a life of love to think of God under the human form, and God under the human form is the Lord.

The simple in the Christian world so think, as also the heathen who live in charity according to their religious principle. Both these are astonished when they hear the learned speak of God as not to be perceived in any human form, for they know that thinking thus they could not see any God in thought, and therefore could have little belief in the existence of a God, since the faith which is the faith of charity wishes to comprehend in some way what is believed; for faith is of thought, and to think what is incomprehensible is not to think, but only to have knowledge and to speak from that without any idea. Angels, even the wisest, do not think of God otherwise than as in the human form; it is impossible for them to think otherwise, for the reason that their perceptions flow according to the form of heaven, which is the human form from the Lord's Divine Human (on which see Heaven and Hell 59-86); and for the reason that the affections from which are their thoughts, are from influx, and influx is from the Lord.

This has been said that it may be known why "testimony" signifies the Lord, namely, because the Lord testifies respecting Himself with all who accept His testimony, and these are such as live a life of love to the Lord, and a life of charity towards the neighbor. These receive His testimony and confess Him, because a life of love and charity opens the interior mind by the influx of light from heaven, for a life of love and charity is the Divine life itself; for the Lord loves everyone, and does good to everyone from love; consequently where that life is received the Lord is present and is conjoined to the man, and thus flows into his higher mind which is called the spiritual mind, and by light from himself opens it.

[5] That "testimony" signifies the Lord, and with man the confession of the Lord from the heart, and in particular, the acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine in His Human, can be seen from this, that the law which was given on Mount Sinai and written upon two tables, and afterwards placed in the ark, is called the "Testimony;" whence also the ark was called "the ark of the Testimony," and the tables also were called "the tables of Testimony;" and because this was most holy, the mercy-seat was placed upon the ark, and over the mercy-seat were sculptured two cherubim, between which Jehovah, that is, the Lord, spoke with Moses and Aaron. This makes clear that "the Testimony" signifies the Lord Himself; otherwise the mercy-seat would not have been placed upon the ark, nor would the Lord have spoken with Moses and Aaron between the cherubim which were upon the mercy-seat. Moreover, when Aaron entered within the veil, which he did once every year, he was first sanctified, and afterwards he burnt incense till the smoke of the incense covered the mercy seat; it is said that unless he did this he would have died. From this it is clearly evident that the Testimony that was in the ark, and that was the law given on Mount Sinai and inscribed on two tables of stone, signified the Lord Himself.

[6] That the law is called "the Testimony" is evident in Moses:

Thou shalt put into the ark the Testimony which I shall give thee (Exodus 25:16).

He put the Testimony into the ark (Exodus 40:20).

The mercy-seat that is upon the Testimony (Leviticus 16:13).

Lay up the rods of the tribes before the Testimony (Numbers 17:4).

That the tables and the ark were therefore called the tables and the ark of the Testimony (Exodus 25:22; 31:7, 18; 32:15).

That the mercy-seat was placed upon it, and over the mercy-seat two sculptured cherubim (Exodus 25:17-22; 26:34).

That the Lord spoke with Moses and with Aaron between the two cherubim (Exodus 25:16, 21-22; Numbers 17:4 and elsewhere).

That they sanctified themselves before they entered thither, and that the smoke of the incense covered the mercy-seat lest they should die (Leviticus 16:1-34).

[7] That "the testimony" signifies the Lord is evident also from this, that what was upon the ark was called the mercy seat [propitiatorium], and the Lord is the propitiator; the ark also, from the testimony in it, was the holy of holies, both in the tabernacle and in the temple, and from this the tabernacle was holy, and also the temple. The tabernacle represented heaven, and also the temple, and heaven is heaven from the Lord's Divine Human; from this it follows that "testimony" signifies the Lord in respect to His Divine Human. (That "the tent of meeting" represented heaven, see Arcana Coelestia 9457, 9481, 9485, 10545; likewise the temple, see above, n. 220; and that heaven is heaven from the Lord's Divine Human, see Heaven and Hell, n. 59-86.) The law proclaimed from Mount Sinai is called "the Testimony" because that law, in a broad sense, signifies the whole Word, both historical and prophetical, and the Word is the Lord, according to these words in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word; and the Word was made flesh, (John 1:1) John 1:14).

The Word is the Lord because the Word signifies Divine truth, and all Divine truth proceeds from the Lord, for it is the light in heaven, that enlightens the minds of the angels and also the minds of men, and gives them wisdom; this light in its essence is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord as a sun (of which light, see Heaven and Hell 126-140); therefore it is afterwards said, "the Word was with God, and God was the Word." It is also said in John:

In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man coming into the world (John 1:4, 1:9).

[8] This makes clear that the Lord is meant by "the Testimony;" for the law written on the two tables, which was called the "Testimony," signifies the Word in the whole complex, and the Lord is the Word. (That "the law" in a broad sense signifies the Word in the whole complex, in a sense less broad the historical Word, and in a strict sense the ten commandments of the Decalogue, see Arcana Coelestia 6752.) This law was also called "a Covenant," and so the tables on which it was inscribed were called "the tables of the Covenant," and the ark was called "the ark of the Covenant" (See Exodus 34:28; Numbers 14:44; Deuteronomy 9:9, 15; Revelation 11:19; and elsewhere); and this because "Covenant" signifies conjunction, and the Word or Divine truth is what conjoins man with the Lord; from no other source is there any conjunction. (That "Covenant" signifies conjunction, see Arcana Coelestia 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 10632.)

This law is called both "a Covenant" and "a Testimony," because when called "a Covenant" it means the Word by which there is conjunction; and when called "a Testimony" it means the Lord Himself who conjoins; and on man's part, the confession of the Lord and the acknowledgment of His Divine in His Human, which conjoin. From this it can be seen why the Word is called in the church "a Covenant," the Word before the Lord's coming "the Old Covenant," and that after His coming "the New Covenant;" it is called also "the Old and the New Testament," but it is to be called "the Testimony."

[9] That "Testimony" signifies the Lord, and on man's part the confession of the Lord and the acknowledgment of His Divine in His Human, is evident also from these passages in the Word. In Revelation:

They overcame the dragon by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of the testimony. And the dragon was angry, and went away to make war with the remnant of her seed, that keep the commandment of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:11 17).

I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" signifies that the confession of the Lord and the acknowledgment of His Divine in His Human is the life of all truth, both in the Word and in doctrine from the Word.

[10] And elsewhere:

The souls of those slain with the axe for the testimony of Jesus, and for the Word of God, received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand (Revelation 20:4).

These passages will be explained in what follows. In David:

Jerusalem is builded as a city that is conjoined together; and thither the tribes go up, the tribes of Jah, a testimony to Israel, to confess to the name of Jehovah. For there are set thrones for judgment (Psalms 122:3-5).

"Jerusalem" signifies the church in relation to doctrine, which is said to be "builded" when it is established by the Lord; "as a city that is conjoined together" signifies doctrine in which all things are in order, "city" meaning doctrine; "thither the tribes go up, the tribes of Jah," signifies that in it are all truths and goods in the complex; "a testimony to Israel, to confess to the name of Jehovah," signifies the confession and acknowledgment of the Lord there; "for there are set thrones for judgment" signifies that Divine truth is there according to which judgment is executed. That this is what "thrones" signify, see above n. 253.

[11] In the same:

Jehovah hath set up a testimony in Jacob, and a law in Israel (Psalms 78:5).

"Jacob" and "Israel" signify the church, "Jacob" the external church, and "Israel" the internal church; and "testimony" and "law" signify the Word, "testimony" that in the Word which teaches the goods of life, and "the law" that in it which teaches the truths of doctrine. Because those who are in the external church are in the good of life according to the truths of doctrine, and those who are in the internal church are in the truths of doctrine according to which is the life, so "testimony" is predicated of Jacob, and "the law" of Israel.

[12] In the same:

If thy sons shall keep My covenant, and the testimony that I shall teach them, their ¹ sons shall sit upon the throne for thee forevermore (Psalms 132:12).

This is said of David, but David here means the Lord; "his sons" mean those who do the Lord's commandments; of these it is said, "if thy sons shall have kept My covenant and My testimony," "covenant" meaning the like as "law" above, namely, the truth of doctrine, and "testimony" the like as "testimony" above, namely, the good of life according to the truths of doctrine. Like things are signified by "covenant" and "testimonies" in David (Psalms 25:10).

[13] "Testimonies" are mentioned in many passages in the Word, together with "law," "precepts," "commandments," "statutes," and "judgments;" and "testimonies and commandments" there signify such things as teach life, "law and precepts" such as teach doctrine, "statutes and judgments" such as teach rituals, as in the following passages in David:

The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple. The commandments of Jehovah are right, making glad the heart; the precept of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes; the judgments of Jehovah are truth, they are righteous altogether (Psalms 19:7-9).

In the same:

Blessed are the perfect in the way, who walk in the law of Jehovah. Blessed are they that observe His testimonies, that seek after Him with the whole heart. Thou hast enjoined Thy commandments to be strictly kept. O that my ways may be directed to keep Thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all Thy precepts. I will confess to thee in uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned the judgments of Thy righteousness (Psalms 119:1-7 manner in verses 12-15, 88-89, 151-156, etc.).

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