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  • Author: Edward Craig Mitchell
  • Publisher: W. H. Alden
  • Publication Date: 1903
  • Total Pages: 437

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The Parables of the Old Testament Explained

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EXCERPT

PREFACE

The Sacred Scriptures are the Word of God, written in a Divine way, and for a Divine purpose.

The Divine Word contains messages from God, as a Spiritual Being, to men as spiritual beings. But, in order to bring down the truth to the apprehension of natural-minded men, spiritual truths must be presented in corresponding natural ideas, in natural imagery.

"I, Jehovah, thy God, ... have also spoken by the prophets, and have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets." (Hosea xii. 9, 10.)

Hence the Bible has a spirit and a body, between which there is the relation of correspondence, as inward and outward counterparts.

The word "parable" is used in three senses,-1, as an enigma, or obscure saying; 2, as any figurative discourse; and 3, as a fictitious, but possible, narrative, invented to convey and illustrate a truth. The parables of the New Testament are strictly within the third class. But, on the same exact basis, there are very few parables in the Old Testament. And so, for the treatment of the parables of the Old Testament, the second definition is adopted, which includes, also, fables and visions.

Every parable has at least three senses,-1, its narrative sense; 2, its figurative meaning, as applied to other natural persons and things; and 3, its spiritual meaning, illustrating principles operating in the mind.

The system of interpretation here employed is that known as "The Science of Correspondences," made known to the Church through Emanuel Swedenborg.

as it seemed best to have each explanation of a parable complete in itself, some repetition was unavoidable.

E.C.M.
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA, February 21, 1903

Table of Contents

                          CONTENTS

                             I.                                  PAGE.
Judges ix.: 8-15.-TREES CHOOSING A KING ......................... 9

                             II.
Judges xiv.: 4, 5, 12, 14.-SAMSON'S RIDDLE ...................... 20

                             III.
II. Samuel xii.: 1-4.-NATHAN'S PARABLE OF THE EWE-LAMB .......... 29

                             IV.
II. Samuel xiv.: 5-7, II.-THE REVENGERS OF BLOOD ................ 40

                             V.
I. Kings xx.: 39, 40.-THE ESCAPED PRISONER ...................... 51

                             VI.
II. Kings xiv.: 9.-THE AMBITIOUS THISTLE ........................ 61

                             VII.
Isaiah v.: 1-7.-THE WASTED VINEYARD ............................. 71

                             VIII.
Jeremiah i..: 11-4.-THE ALMOND ROD AND SEETHING POT ............. 82

                             IX.
Jeremiah xiii.: 1-7.-THE MARRED GIRDLE .......................... 90

                             X.
Jeremiah xviii,: 2-6.-THE POTTER'S VESSEL MARRED ................ 98

                             XI.
Jeremiah xix.: 1, 2, 10, 11.-THE POTTER'S VESSEL BROKEN ......... 103 

                             XII. 
Jeremiah xxiv.: 1, 2.-THE TWO BASKETS OF FIGS ................... 106

                             XIII.
Jeremiah xxvii.: 2, 3, 6; xxviii.: 1, 2, 10, 12, 13.-JEREMIAH'S
     BONDS AND YOKES ............................................ 113

                             XIV.
Jeremiah xliii. : 8-1O.-HIDING THE STONES IN THE MORTAR ......... 121

                             XV.
Ezekiel i.: 4-16.-INFOLDING FIRE, LIVING CREATURES AND
     WHEELS ..................................................... 129

                             XVI.
Ezekiel ii: 8-10; iii.: 1-4, 14.-EATING THE ROLL OF A BOOK ...... 138

                             XVII.
Ezekiel iv.: 1-13.-THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM ....................... 148

                             XVIII.
Ezekiei v.: 1-5.-EZEKIEL CUTTING OFF HIS HAIR, ETC. ............. 157

                             XIX.
Ezekiel viii. 1-16.-JERUSALEM'S IDOLATRY ........................ 166

                             XX.
Ezekiel ix.: 1-6, II; xv : 1, 2, 7.-THE SLAUGHTER IN 
     JERUSALEM .................................................. 176

                             XXI.
Ezekiel xii.: 1-7.-EZEKIEL REMOVING HIS GOODS ................... 184

                             XXII.
Ezekiel xii.: 18-20.-EATING WITH QUAKING AND DRINKING 
     WITH TREMBLING ............................................. 192

                             XXIV.
Ezekiel xv.-THE VINE OF JERUSALEM ............................... 205

                             XXV.
Ezekiel xvii.: 2-10-THE EAGLES AND THE VINE ..................... 214

                             XXVI.
Ezekiel xviii.: 1, 2.-EATING SOUR GRAPES ........................ 224

                             XXVII.
Ezekiel xix.: 1-9.-THE LIONESS AND HER WHELPS ................... 233

                             XXVIII.
Ezekiel xix.: 10-14.-ISRAEL'S MOTHER AS A VINE .................. 243

                             XXIX.
Ezekiel xxiv. 3-12.-JERUSALEM AS A BOILING FLESH-POT ............ 251

                             XXX.
Ezekiel xxxi.: 3-12.-THE ASSYRIAN A CEDAR IN LEBANON ............ 261

                             XXXI.
Ezekiel xxxiv.: 1-6, 9-11.-THE EVIL SHEPHERDS ................... 272

                             XXXII.
Ezekiel xxxvii.: 1-14.-THE DRY BONES REVIVED .................... 282

                             XXXIII.
Ezekiel xxxvii.: 16-23.-THE TWO STICKS JOINED ................... 293

                             XXXIV.
Ezekiel xxxix.: 17-21.-INVITATION TO THE GREAT SACRIFICE ........ 303

                             XXXV.
Ezekiel xlvii.: 1-9.- WATER FLOWING FROM THE LORD'S HOUSE ....... 312

                             XXXVI.
Daniel ii.: 31-45.-NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM OF THE GREAT
     IMAGE ...................................................... 322

                             XXXVII.
Daniel iv.: 10-28.-NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM OF THE GREAT
     TREE ....................................................... 332

                             XXXVIII. 
Daniel v.-THE FEAST. THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL ................ 342

                             XXXIX.
Daniel vii.: 2-18, 23-27.-VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS ............. 352

                             XL.
Daniel viii.: 2-26.-THE RAM AND THE HE-GOAT ..................... 362

                             XLI.
Zechariah i.: 8-11.-THE MAN AMONG THE MYRTLE TREES .............. 371

                             XLII.
Zechariah i.: 18-21.-THE HORSES. AND FOUR CARPENTERS ............ 378

                             XLIII.
Zechariah ii.: 1-5.-THE MAN WITH A MEASURING-LINE ............... 386

                             XLIV.
Zechariah iii.-VISION OF JOSHUA, THE HIGH PRIEST ................ 393

                             XLV.
Zechariah iv.: 1-7, 11-14.-GOLDEN CANDLESTICK AND OLIVETREES .... 403

                             XLVI.
Zechariah v.: 1-4-THE FLYING ROLL ............................... 411

                             XLVII.
Zechariah v.: 5-11.-THE WOMEN AND THE EPHAH ..................... 419

                             XLVIII.
Zechariah vi.: 1-8.-FOUR CHARIOTS AND HORSES .................... 428

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