耶利米書 44
1
有臨到耶利米的話,論及一切住在埃及地的猶大人,就是住在密奪、答比匿、挪弗、巴忒羅境內的猶大人,說:
2
萬軍之耶和華─以色列的神如此說:我所降與耶路撒冷和猶大各城的一切災禍你們都看見了。那些城邑今日荒涼,無人居住;
3
這是因居民所行的惡,去燒香事奉別神,就是他們和你們,並你們列祖所不認識的神,惹我發怒。
4
我從早起來差遣我的僕人眾先知去說,你們切不要行我所厭惡這可憎之事。
6
因此,我的怒氣和忿怒都倒出來,在猶大城邑中和耶路撒冷的街市上,如火著起,以致都荒廢淒涼,正如今日一樣。
7
現在耶和華─萬軍之神、以色列的神如此說:你們為何作這大惡自害己命,使你們的男人、婦女、嬰孩,和吃奶的都從猶大中剪除、不留一人呢?
8
就是因你們手所做的,在所去寄居的埃及地向別神燒香惹我發怒,使你們被剪除,在天下萬國中令人咒詛羞辱。
9
你們列祖的惡行,猶大列王和他們后妃的惡行,你們自己和你們妻子的惡行,就是在猶大地、耶路撒冷街上所行的,你們都忘了麼?
10
到如今還沒有懊悔,沒有懼怕,沒有遵行我在你們和你們列祖面前所設立的法度律例。
11
所以萬軍之耶和華─以色列的神如此說:我必向你們變臉降災,以致剪除猶大眾人。
12
那定意進入埃及地、在那裡寄居的,就是所剩下的猶大人,我必使他們盡都滅絕,必在埃及地仆倒,必因刀劍饑荒滅絕;從最小的到至大的都必遭刀劍饑荒而死,以致令人辱罵、驚駭、咒詛、羞辱。
13
我怎樣用刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫刑罰耶路撒冷,也必照樣刑罰那些住在埃及地的猶大人;
14
甚至那進入埃及地寄居的,就是所剩下的猶大人,都不得逃脫,也不得存留歸回猶大地。他們心中甚想歸回居住之地;除了逃脫的以外,一個都不能歸回。
15
那些住在埃及地巴忒羅知道自己妻子向別神燒香的,與旁邊站立的眾婦女,聚集成群,回答耶利米說:
17
我們定要成就我們口中所出的一切話,向天后燒香、澆奠祭,按著我們與我們列祖、君王、首領在猶大的城邑中和耶路撒冷的街市上素常所行的一樣;因為那時我們吃飽飯、享福樂,並不見災禍。
18
自從我們停止向天后燒香、澆奠祭,我們倒缺乏一切,又因刀劍饑荒滅絕。
19
婦女說:我們向天后燒香、澆奠祭,做天后像的餅供奉他,向他澆奠祭,是外乎我們的丈夫麼?
21
你們與你們列祖、君王、首領,並國內的百姓,在猶大城邑中和耶路撒冷街市上所燒的香,耶和華豈不記念,心中豈不思想麼?
22
耶和華因你們所作的惡、所行可憎的事,不能再容忍,所以你們的地荒涼,令人驚駭咒詛,無人居住,正如今日一樣。
23
你們燒香,得罪耶和華,沒有聽從他的話,沒有遵行他的律法、條例、法度,所以你們遭遇這災禍,正如今日一樣。
24
耶利米又對眾民和眾婦女說:你們在埃及地的一切猶大人當聽耶和華的話。
25
萬軍之耶和華─以色列的神如此說:你們和你們的妻都口中說、手裡做,說:我們定要償還所許的願,向天后燒香、澆奠祭。現在你們只管堅定所許的願而償還罷!
26
所以你們住在埃及地的一切猶大人當聽耶和華的話。耶和華說:我指著我的大名起誓,在埃及全地,我的名不再被猶大一個人的口稱呼說:我指著主─永生的耶和華起誓。
27
我向他們留意降禍不降福;在埃及地的一切猶大人必因刀劍、饑荒所滅,直到滅盡。
28
脫離刀劍、從埃及地歸回猶大地的人數很少;那進入埃及地要在那裡寄居的,就是所剩下的猶大人,必知道是誰的話立得住,是我的話呢?是他們的話呢?
29
耶和華說:我在這地方刑罰你們,必有預兆,使你們知道我降禍與你們的話必要立得住。
30
耶和華如此說:我必將埃及王法老合弗拉交在他仇敵和尋索其命的人手中,像我將猶大王西底家交在他仇敵和尋索其命的巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒手中一樣。
Arcana Coelestia # 9457
9457. 'And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying' means instructions regarding the holy things of heaven which had to be represented. This is clear from the verses that follow, for the things which Jehovah told Moses mean the holy things of heaven that were to be represented. Among the Israelite people a Church was being established in which outward forms would exist displaying in a representative fashion the celestial realities belonging to the good of love, and the spiritual realities belonging to the good and truth of faith, as such realities exist in heaven and ought to do so in the Church. From all this it is clear that 'Jehovah spoke' means instructions regarding the holy things of heaven which had to be represented. Since the matters described in the verses that follow are representative of the celestial and spiritual realities from the Lord in the heavens, something needs to be said about what a representative Church is and why it exists.
[2] There are three heavens - the inmost or third, the middle or second, and the lowest or first. In the inmost heaven the good of love to the Lord reigns, in the middle heaven the good of charity towards the neighbour reigns, and in the lowest the things which are thought, spoken, and come into being in the middle and inmost heavens are represented. The representatives there are countless, such as paradise parks, gardens, forests, fields, plains, as well as cities, palaces, and houses; also flocks and herds, as well as very many kinds of animals and birds; and countless other phenomena. These appear before the eyes of angelic spirits in that heaven more plainly than any such things do on earth in the light at midday; and what is astonishing, those spirits also discern what realities are meant by the things which appear.
[3] Such phenomena also appeared to prophets when their inner sight, which is the sight of the spirit, had been opened, for instance the horses that appeared to Zechariah, 6:1-8; the living creatures which were cherubs, and afterwards the new temple and everything in it that appeared to Ezekiel, Chapters 1, 9, 10, 40-48; the lampstand, thrones, living creatures (which again were cherubs), horses, new Jerusalem, and very many other phenomena, which appeared to John and are described in the Book of Revelation; and similarly the fiery horses and chariots that appeared to Elisha's servant, 2 Kings 6:17. Things such as these are constantly making their appearance in heaven before the eyes of spirits and angels. They are natural forms in which the inward things of heaven terminate and are given shape. The things which present themselves visually before the spirits and angels' actual eyes in this way are representations.
[4] A representative Church exists therefore when the holy, inner realities of love and faith which are derived from the Lord and look towards the Lord present themselves by means of visual forms in the world, such as those which are the subject in this and following chapters - the ark, the mercy-seat, the cherubs, the tables there, the lampstand, and everything else that was part of the tabernacle. For that tabernacle was constructed in such a way that it might represent the three heavens and everything there, the ark which contained the Testimony representing the inmost heaven and the Lord Himself there. This is why, when Moses was shown on the mountain the form it should take, Jehovah said at the same time, To the end that they may make for Him a sanctuary and He may dwell in their midst, verse 8. Everyone endowed with any ability to think on a deeper level can see that Jehovah could not have dwelt in a tent but that He dwells in heaven, and that this tent is called the sanctuary only because it presents an image of heaven, and the celestial and spiritual realities there. Let everyone ask himself, What would it have been for Jehovah, Creator of heaven and earth, to dwell in a small dwelling-place that was made of wood, overlaid with gold, and surrounded by curtains, if heaven and the things of heaven had not been represented there in outward forms?
[5] For the realities which are represented in outward forms do indeed reveal themselves in a similar way in the lowest or first heaven before the spirits there. But those in the higher heavens perceive the inner things that are being represented, which, as has been stated, are the celestial realities belonging to love to the Lord and the spiritual realities belonging to faith in the Lord. It was things of this nature that filled heaven when Moses and the people, moved by outward holiness, venerated that tent as the dwelling-place of Jehovah Himself. From this it is evident what a representative was, and also that by means of it heaven, and so the Lord, was present with mankind.
[6] A representative Church therefore was established among the Israelite people, when the ancient Church came to an end, in order that by means of such representatives heaven, and so the Lord, might be joined to the human race. (If the Lord did not join Himself to people through heaven they would cease to exist; for it is as a result of this joining of Himself to them that people possess the life they have.) Those representatives however were no more than outward means serving to conjoin, yet to which the Lord joined heaven in a wondrous manner, 4311. But when the joining together through those means also was about to perish the Lord came into the world and laid bare the actual realities which were being merely represented up to then, that is, the inner realities which belong to love to and faith in Him. These realities themselves now effect that joining together. But the only means by which such a joining together is effected at the present day is still the Word, since this has been written in such a way that every single part of it has a correspondence and as a consequence represents and serves to mean the Divine realities present in the heavens.