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Jeremias 44

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1 Det ord, som kom til Jeremias om alle de Judærere, der boede i Ægypten, i Migdol, Takpankes, Nof og Patros:

2 siger Hærskarers HE E, Israels Gud: I så selv al den Ulykke, jeg bragte over Jerusalem og alle Judas Byer; se, de ligger nu øde hen, og ingen bor i dem;

3 det er Straf for det onde, de gjorde, idet det krænkede mig ved at gå hen og tænde Offerild for og dyrke andre Guder, som hverken de eller deres Fædre før kendte til.

4 Jeg sendte årle og silde alle mine Tjenere Profeterne til dem, for at de skulde sige: "Gør dog ikke disse vederstyggelige Ting, som jeg hader!"

5 Men de hørte ikke og bøjede ikke deres Øre dertil, så de omvendte sig fra deres Ondskab og hørte op med at tænde Offerild for andre Guder.

6 Derfor udgød min Vrede og Harme sig og luede op i Judas Byer og Jerusalems Gader, så de blev til Ødemark og Ørk, som de er den Dag i Dag.

7 Og nu, så siger HE EN, Hærskarers Gud, Israels Gud: Hvorfor nedkalder I stor Ulykke over eder selv og udrydder Mænd og Kvinder, Børn og diende af Juda, så I ikke levner eder nogen est,

8 idet I krænker mig med eders Hænders Værker og tænder Offerild for andre Guder i Ægypten, hvor I kom hen for at bo som fremmede? Følgen bliver, at I udrydder eder selv og bliver et Forbandelsens og Spottens Tegn blandt alle Jordens Folk.

9 Har I glemt de onde Gerninger, eders Fædre og Judas Konger og Fyrster og eders Kvinder gjorde i Judas Land og på Jerusalems Gader?

10 Hidtil har de ikke ydmyget sig; de frygter ikke og vandrer ikke efter min Lov og mine Bud, som jeg forelagde eder og eders Fædre.

11 Derfor, så siger Hærskarers HE E, Israels Gud: Se, jeg har ondt i Sinde imod eder; jeg vil udrydde hele Juda.

12 Og jeg tager Judas est, dem, som fik i Sinde at drage til Ægypten og bo der som fremmede; de skal alle omkomme i Ægypten; de skal falde for Sværd og Hunger og omkomme, store og små; for Sværd og Hunger skal de og blive et Edens, ædselens, Forbandelsens og Spottens Tegn.

13 Og jeg hjemsøger dem, der bor i Ægypten, som jeg bjemsøgte Jerusalem, med Sværd, Hunger og Pest.

14 Og af Judas est, dem, der kom til Ægypten for at bo der som fremmede, skal ingen reddes eller undslippe, så han kan vende hjem til Judas Land, hvor de længes efter at bo igen; nej, ingen skal vende hjem undtagen enkelte, som reddes.

15 Men alle Mændene, der vel vidste, at deres Kvinder tændte Offerild for andre Guder, og alle Kvinderne, som stod der i en stor Klynge, og alt Folket, som boede i Ægypten, i Patros, svarede Jeremias:

16 "Det Ord, du har talt til os i HE ENs Navn, vil vi ikke høre;

17 nej, vi vil opfylde hvert Løfte; som er udgået af vor Mund, og tænde Offerild for Himmelens Dronning og udgyde Drikofre for hende, som vi og vore Fædre, vore konger og Fyrster gjorde det i Judas Byer og på Jerusalems, Gader. Dengang havde vi Brød nok og var lykkelige og kendte ikke til Ulykke;

18 men fra den Stund vi hørte op med at tænde Offerild for Himmelens Dronning og udgyde Drikofre for hende, led vi Mangel på alt og omkom ved Sværd og Hunger.

19 Og når vi tænder Offerild for Himmelens Dronning og udgyder Drikofre for hende, mon det så er uden vore Mænds Vidende, at vi bager hende Offerkager, som afbilder hende, og udgyder Drikofre for hende?"

20 Jeremias sagde til alt Folket, Mændene, Kvinderne og alt Folket, som havde svaret ham således:

21 "Mon ikke den offerild, som I, eders Fædre, eders Konger og Fyrster og Landets Befolkning tændte i Judas Byer og på Jerusalems Gader, randt HE EN i Hu og kom ham i Tanke?

22 HE EN kunde ikke mere holde det ud for eders onde Gerninger og de vederstyggelige Ting, I gjorde; derfor blev eders Land til Ørk, til et ædselens og Forbandelsens Tegn, som det er den Dag i Dag.

23 Fordi I tændte Offerild og syndede mod HE EN og ikke adlød HE ENs øst eller fulgte hans Lov, Vedtægter og Vidnesbyrd, derfor ramtes I af denne Ulykke, som varer ved den Dag i Dag."

24 Og Jeremias sagde til alt Folket og alle kvinderne: "Hør HE ENs Ord, hele Juda i Ægypten!

25 siger Hærskarers HE E, Israels Gud: I og eders Kvinder lover med eders Mund og opfylder det med eders Hænder! I siger: Vi vil opfylde de Løfter, vi har aflagt, og tænde Offerild for Himmelens Dronning og udgyde Drikofre for hende. Så hold da eders Løfter og indfri dem!

26 Men hør da også HE ENs Ord, alle I Judæere, som bor i Ægypten: Se, jeg sværger ved mit store Navn, siger HE EN: Ikke skal mere nogensteds i Ægypten mit Navn nævnes i nogen judæisk Mands Mund, så han siger: Så sandt den Herre HE EN lever!

27 Se, jeg er årvågen over dem til Ulykke og ikke til Lykke, og hver judæisk Mand i Ægypten skal omkomme ved Sværd og Hunger, indtil de er udryddet.

28 Kun de, der undslipper Sværdet, skal vende hjem fra Ægypten til Judas Land, et ringe Tal; og hele Judas est, der er kommet til Ægypten for at bo der som fremmede, skal kende, hvis Ord der står fast, mit eller deres.

29 Og dette, lyder det fra HE EN, skal være eder et Tegn på, at jeg hjemsøger eder på dette Sted, for at I skal kende, at mine Ord opfyldes på eder til eders Ulykke:

30 siger HE EN: Se, jeg giver Ægypterkongen Farao Hofra i hans Fjenders Hånd og i deres Hånd, som står ham efter Livet, ligesom jeg gav Kong Zedekias af Juda i hans Fjende, Kong Nebukadrezar af Babels Hånd, som stod ham efter livet.

   


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Apocalypse Revealed # 53

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53. And His countenance as the sun shining in its power. This symbolizes the Divine love and wisdom which are the Lord and which emanate from Him.

The fact that the face of Jehovah or of the Lord means the Divine itself in its essence, which is Divine love and wisdom, thus Himself, will be seen in explanations below where the face of God is mentioned. "The sun shining in its power" has the same symbolic meaning.

In the sight of angels the Lord is seen as the sun in heaven, and it is His Divine love accompanied by Divine wisdom that so appears. This may be seen in the book Heaven and Hell (London, 1758), nos. 116-125 and in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom, 83-172.

[2] It remains here simply to confirm from the Word that when the subject is the Lord, the sun is His Divine love and at the same time His Divine wisdom. This can be seen from the following passages:

...in (that) day... the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days... (Isaiah 30:25-26)

That day is the Lord's advent, when the old church has been destroyed and a new one is about to be established. The light of the moon is faith arising from charity, and the light of the sun is intelligence and wisdom arising from love emanating then from the Lord.

Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon wane; for Jehovah will be your everlasting light... (Isaiah 60:20)

The sun that will not go down is love and wisdom from the Lord.

...the Rock of Israel spoke to me... like the light of the morning when the sun rises... (2 Samuel 23:3-4)

The Rock of Israel is the Lord.

...his throne (shall be) as the sun... (Psalms 89:36-37)

This is said in reference to David, but David there means the Lord.

They shall fear You as long as the sun endures... In His days the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more... Before the sun He will have the name of Son, and all nations shall be blessed in Him... (Psalms 72:5, 7, 17)

These statements, too, are made in reference to the Lord.

[3] Because the Lord appears in heaven to angels as the sun, therefore when He was transfigured,

His face shone like the sun, and His garments became... as the light. (Matthew 17:1-2)

Moreover, in Revelation 10:1 it is said of the mighty angel coming down from heaven that he was "clothed with a cloud," and "his face was like the sun," and of the woman in Revelation 12:1 that she appeared "clothed with the sun." The sun there is love and wisdom emanating from the Lord. The woman there is the church called the New Jerusalem.

[4] Since the sun means the Lord with respect to love and wisdom, it is apparent what the sun symbolizes in the following places:

Behold, the day of Jehovah is coming, cruel... The sun will be darkened at its rising, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. I will visit upon the world its wickedness, and upon the impious their iniquity. (Isaiah 13:9-11)

...Jehovah will visit [punishment] in the high place upon the host of the high place, and on the earth upon the kings of the earth... Then the moon will blush and the sun be ashamed. (Isaiah 24:21, 23)

When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens, and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine... and I will... bring darkness upon your land. (Ezekiel 32:7-8)

...the day of Jehovah is coming..., a day of darkness... The sun and moon (will not cause their light to shine), and the stars have diminished their brightness. (Joel 2:1-2, 10)

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great... day of Jehovah. (Joel 2:31)

...the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon have grown dark... (Joel 3:14-15)

The fourth angel sounded: and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars..., and a third of the day did not shine... (Revelation 8:12)

...the sun became as black as sackcloth of goat's hair, and the moon became as blood... (Revelation 6:12)

...the sun was... darkened because of the smoke of the pit. (Revelation 9:2)

The sun in these places does not mean the world's sun, but the sun of the angelic heaven, which is the Lord's Divine love and wisdom. These are said to be obscured, darkened, covered, or become black when falsities and evils are present in a person.

[5] It is apparent, therefore, that something similar is meant by the Lord's words when speaking of the end of the age, which is the final period of the church:

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven... (Matthew 24:29, cf. Mark 13:24-25)

So, too, in the following places:

The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be dark for them. (Micah 3:6)

...in that day... I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight. (Amos 8:9)

She... who has borne seven... will breath her last; her sun will go down while it is yet day. (Jeremiah 15:9)

The subject here is the Jewish Church, which will breathe its last or perish. The sun's going down means that there will no longer be any love or charity.

[6] It is said in Joshua that the sun stood still in Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Aijalon (Joshua 10:12-13). This seems to be an historical statement, but in fact it is prophetic, for it comes from the book of Jasher, which was a prophetic book; for in verse 13 it says, "Is this not written in the Book of Jasher?" The same book is called a prophetic one by David in 2 Samuel 1:17, 18.

A similar statement is found in Habakkuk:

The mountains... were shaken... The sun and moon stood still in their habitation. (Habakkuk 3:10-11)

[In Isaiah:]

Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon wane. (Isaiah 60:20)

For to cause the sun and moon to stand still would be to destroy the universe.

[7] Since the sun means the Lord with respect to Divine love and wisdom, therefore in their holy worship ancient peoples turned their faces to the rising sun, and their temples also, a practice that continues to this day.

That the sun in these passages does not mean the world's sun is clear from the fact that it was profane and an abomination for people to worship the world's sun and moon (see Numbers 25:1-4, Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:3, 5, Jeremiah 8:1-2; 43:10, 13; 44:17-19, 25). For the world's sun means self-love and a conceit in one's own intelligence, and self-love is diametrically opposed to Divine love, while a conceit in one's own intelligence is opposed to Divine wisdom. To worship the world's sun is also to accept nature as the creator of all things and one's own prudence as the effecter of all things, which entails a denial of God and a denial of Divine providence.

  
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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.