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Jóel 2

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1 Trubte trubou na Sionu, a křičte na hoře svaté mé, nechť se třesou všickni obyvatelé této země, nebo přichází den Hospodinův, nebo blízký jest,

2 Den temnosti a mračna, Den oblaku a mrákoty, jako záře jitřní rozprostřená po horách: Lid mnohý a silný, jemuž rovného nebylo od věků, aniž po něm kdy bude až do let národů i pronárodů.

3 Před tváří jeho oheň zžírati bude, a za ním plamen plápolati; Před ním země tato jako zahrada Eden, ale po něm bude poušť přehrozná, a aniž bude, což by ušlo Před ním.

4 Způsob jeho bude jako způsob koní, a jako jízdní, tak poběhnou.

5 Jako s hřmotem vozů po vrších hor skákati budou, jako hluk plamene ohně zžírajícího strniště, jako lid silný zšikovaný k bitvě.

6 Tváři jeho děsiti se budou lidé, všecky tváře zčernají jako hrnec.

7 Jako rekové poběhnou, jako muži váleční vstoupí na zed, a jeden každý cestou svou půjde, aniž se uchýlí z stezek svých.

8 Jeden druhého nebude tlačiti, každý silnicí svou půjde, a byť i na meč upadli, nebudou raněni.

9 Po městě těkati budou, po zdech běhati, na domy vstupovati, a okny polezou jako zloděj.

10 Před tváří jeho třásti se bude země, pohnou se nebesa, slunce i měsíc se zatmí, a hvězdy potratí blesk svůj.

11 Hospodin pak sám vydá hlas svůj před vojskem svým, proto že velmi veliký bude tábor jeho, proto že silný ten, kdož vykoná slovo jeho. (Nebo veliký bude den Hospodinův a hrozný náramně), i kdož jej bude moci snésti?

12 A protož ještě nyní dí Hospodin: Obraťte se ke mně samému celým srdcem svým, a to s postem a s pláčem i s kvílením.

13 A roztrhněte srdce vaše, a ne roucha vaše, a navraťte se k Hospodinu Bohu vašemu; neboť jest on milostivý a lítostivý, dlouhočekající a hojný v milosrdenství, a kterýž lituje zlého.

14 Kdo , neobrátí-li se a nebude-li želeti, a nezůstaví-li po něm požehnání, oběti suché a mokré Hospodinu Bohu vašemu.

15 Trubte trubou na Sionu, uložte půst, svolejte shromáždění.

16 Shromažďte lid, posvěťte shromáždění, shromažďte starce, shromažďte maličké i ty, jenž prsí požívají; nechť vyjde ženich z pokojíka svého a nevěsta z schrany své.

17 Kněží, služebníci Hospodinovi, ať plačí mezi síňcí a oltářem, a řeknou: Odpusť, ó Hospodine, lidu svému, a nevydávej dědictví svého v pohanění, tak aby nad nimi panovati měli pohané. Proč mají říkati mezi národy: Kde jest Bůh jejich?

18 I bude horlivou milostí zažžen Hospodin k zemi své, a slituje se nad lidem svým.

19 A ohlásí se Hospodin, a řekne lidu svému: Aj, já pošli vám obilé, mest a olej, i budete jím nasyceni, aniž vás vydám více v pohanění mezi pohany.

20 Nebo půlnoční vojsko vzdálím od vás, a zaženu je do země vyprahlé a pusté, přední houf jeho k moři východnímu, konec pak jeho k moři nejdalšímu; i vzejde z něho smrad a puch, jakžkoli sobě mocně počíná.

21 Neboj se země, plésej a vesel se; neboť mocně dělati bude Hospodin dílo své.

22 Nebojtež se zvířátka polí mých; neboť se zotaví pastviska na poušti, a stromoví přinese ovoce své, fík i vinný kmen vydadí moc svou.

23 I vy, synové Sionští, plésejte a veselte se v Hospodinu Bohu vašem; nebo vám dá déšť příhodný, a sešle vám déšť hojný, podzimní i jarní, v čas.

24 I budou naplněny stodoly obilím, a oplývati budou presové mstem a olejem.

25 A tak nahradím vám léta, kteráž sežraly kobylky, brouci, chroustové a housenky, vojsko mé veliké, kteréž jsem posílal na vás.

26 Budete zajisté míti co jísti, a nasyceni jsouce, chváliti budete jméno Hospodina Boha svého, kterýž učinil s vámi divné věci, aniž zahanben bude lid můj na věky.

27 A poznáte, že já jsem u prostřed Izraele, a že já Hospodin jsem Bohem vaším, a že není žádného jiného; neboť nebude zahanben lid můj na věky.

28 I stane se potom, že vyleji Ducha svého na všeliké tělo, a budou prorokovati synové vaši i dcery vaše; starci vaši sny mívati budou, mládenci vaši vidění vídati budou.

29 Nýbrž i na služebníky a na služebnice v těch dnech vyleji Ducha svého,

30 A ukáži zázraky na nebi i na zemi, krev a oheň a sloupy dymové.

31 Slunce obrátí se v tmu a měsíc v krev, prvé než přijde den Hospodinův veliký a hrozný,

32 A však stane se, že kdož by koli vzýval jméno Hospodinovo, vysvobozen bude; nebo na hoře Sion a v Jeruzalémě bude vysvobození, jakož pověděl Hospodin, totiž v ostatcích, kterýchž povolá Hospodin.

   

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Wilderness

  

'Wilderness' signifies something with little life in it, as described in the internal sense in Luke 1:80 'Wilderness' signifies somewhere there is no good because there is no truth. 'Wilderness,' as in Jeremiah 23:10, signifies the Word when it is adulterated.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 1927; Jeremiah 10, 23)


Ze Swedenborgových děl

 

Apocalypse Revealed # 419

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419. CHAPTER 9

1. Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth, and to him was given the key to the bottomless pit.

2. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.

3. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

4. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

5. And it was given them not to kill them, but to torment them for five months, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.

6. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

7. The locusts in appearance were like horses prepared for battle, and on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.

8. They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth.

9. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle.

10. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails, and their power was to hurt men five months.

11. And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but who in Greek has the name Apollyon.

12. One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

13. Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

14. saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."

15. And the four angels were released, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, to kill a third of mankind.

16. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million, and I heard the number of them.

17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision and those who sat on them, having breastplates that were fiery, hyacinthine and sulfurous; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.

18. By these three a third of mankind was killed - by the fire and smoke and brimstone coming out of their mouths.

19. Their power was in their mouth [and in their tails]; for their tails were like serpents, having heads, and with them they do harm.

20. But the rest of mankind, who were not killed in these plagues, still did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.

21. And they did not repent of their murders or their enchantments or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING

The Contents of the Whole Chapter

An examination and disclosure of the state of life of those people in the Protestant Reformed church who are called learned and wise because of their defense of faith divorced from charity and of justification and salvation by it alone. This is the subject of verses 1-12.

An examination and disclosure of the state of life of those people in that church who are not so learned and wise, who are caught up in faith alone and live as they please. This is the subject of verses 13-19.

Finally, concerning people in that church who know only that faith is the whole means by which a person is saved, and nothing more beyond that. Verses 20, 21.

The Contents of the Individual Verses:

Verse ContentsSpiritual Meaning
1. Then the fifth angel sounded,An examination and disclosure of the state of life of those people in the Protestant Reformed Church who are called learned and wise because of their defense of faith divorced from charity and of justification and salvation by it alone.
and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth,Spiritual Divine truth flowing in from heaven into the church with them, examining and exposing them.
and to him was given the key to the bottomless pit.Their hell opened.
2. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace,Falsities accompanying the lusts of the natural self springing from those people's evil loves.
and the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.Therefore the light of truth became thick darkness.
3. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth,From them issued falsities of the lowest sort, such as are found in the case of people who have become sensual and who view and judge everything in accordance with the senses and their fallacies.
and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.Their power to persuade that their falsities are true.
4. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.The Lord's Divinely providing that they be unable to take away any truth or good of faith, or any affection for or perception of these, from any others than people lacking in charity and so having no faith,
5. And it was given them not to kill them, but to torment them for five months,and that they also be unable to take away their faculty for understanding and willing truth and good, but be able only for a short time to induce a mental numbness,
and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.and this owing to their persuasiveness.
6. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.They wish the intellect to be closed and the will stopped up in matters of faith, which extinguishes spiritual light and life, but that this is impossible.
7. The locusts in appearanceThe appearance and likeness of those people who affirmed in themselves a faith divorced from charity,
were like horses prepared for battle,who because of their ability to reason appeared to themselves to be battling from an understanding of truth founded on the Word.
and on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold,They seemed to themselves to be conquerors.
and their faces were like the faces of men.They seemed to themselves to be wise.
8. They had hair like women's hair,They seemed to themselves to have an affection for truth.
and their teeth were like lions' teeth.Matters of the senses, which constitute the lowest elements of the natural self's life, appeared to them to have power over all else.
9. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron,Their arguments based on fallacies, with which they battled and prevailed, appeared to them too strong to be refuted.
and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle.Their reasonings, as though founded on doctrinal truths from the Word fully understood, which they had to ardently defend.
10. They had tails like scorpions,The Word's truths falsified, by which they induce a mental numbness.
and there were stings in their tails, and their power was to hurt men five months.Their clever falsifications of the Word, by which for a short time they darkened and enchanted the intellect, and so deceived and captivated it.
11. And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but who in Greek has the name Apollyon.Those caught up in falsities springing from lusts, who by a total falsification of the Word destroyed the church, are in a satanic hell.
12. One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.Further lamentations over the state of the church.
13. Then the sixth angel sounded,An examination and exposure of the state of life among those people in the Protestant Reformed Church who were not so wise, and yet who placed the whole of religion in faith, thinking of it alone and living as they pleased.
and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14. saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet,A command by the Lord out of the spiritual heaven to those who were to examine and expose it,
"Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."to remove from them external bonds, to enable the interiors of their minds to appear.
15. And the four angels were released,When the external bonds were removed, the interiors of their minds became apparent.
who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, to kill a third of mankind.Their being in a perpetual effort to take away spiritual light and life from the people of the church.
16. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million,Their reasonings concerning faith alone, with which they had filled the interiors of the minds, springing from nothing but an abundance of falsities accompanying evil.
and I heard the number of them.Their character perceived.
17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision and those who sat on them,The discovery then that the reasonings of the interiors of their minds concerning faith alone were fanciful and illusory, and that they themselves were insane because of them.
having breastplates that were fiery, hyacinthine and sulfurous;Their fanciful and illusory arguments springing from a hellish love and their own inherent intelligence, and from the attendant lusts.
and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions;Their delusions with respect to faith alone, as though they had power.
and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.Interiorly regarded, their thoughts and discourses contained nothing else, and issuing from them was nothing but a love of self and the world, a conceit in their own intelligence, and from these two the lusts attendant on evil and falsity.
18. By these three a third of mankind was killed - by the fire and smoke and brimstone coming out of their mouths.It is because of these that the people of the church perish.
19. Their power was in their mouthThey prevailed only by their discourse affirming faith.
[and in their tails,] for their tails were like serpents, having heads, and with them they do harm.The reason being that they are sensual and turned upside down, speaking truths with their mouths, but falsifying them by the postulate which forms the chief tenet of their religion, and thus deceiving others.
20. But the rest of mankind, who were not killed in these plagues,Those people in the Protestant Reformed Church who were not as spiritually dead as the former were because of their illusory reasonings and love of self, a conceit in their own intelligence, and the attendant lusts, and yet who made faith alone the chief tenet of their religion.
still did not repent of the works of their hands,Nor did they refrain from their native proclivities, which are evils of every kind, as being sins.
so as not to worship demons,Thus they were caught up in the evils of their lusts, and acted in concert with their like in hell.
and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood,Thus they engage in worship founded on nothing but falsities,
which can neither see nor hear nor walk.which do not have in them any spiritual or truly rational life.
21. And they did not repent of their murders or their enchantments or their sexual immorality or their thefts.The heretical belief in faith alone induces in their hearts stupidity, backsliding, and intransigence, so that they give no thought to the Ten Commandments, not even to any sin as something to be shunned because it is on the side of the Devil and against God.

THE EXPOSITION

Then the fifth angel sounded. (9:1) This symbolizes an examination and disclosure of the state of life of those people in the Protestant Reformed Church who are called learned and wise because of their defense of faith divorced from charity and of justification and salvation by it alone.

That this is the subject in what follows now up to verse 12, is clear from the several particulars, understood in their spiritual sense.

To sound a trumpet means, symbolically, to examine and expose the state of the church and consequent life in people for whom religion is faith alone, as may be seen in no. 397 above.

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.