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Ezekiel 31

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1 And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third [month], on the first of the month, [that] the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, say unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude: Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

3 Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches and a shadowing shroud, and of a high stature: and his top was amidst the thick boughs.

4 The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high; its streams ran round about his plantation, and it sent out its rivulets unto all the trees of the field.

5 Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long, because of great waters, when he shot forth.

6 All the fowl of the heavens made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all the great nations.

7 Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: because his root was by great waters.

8 The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him; the cypresses were not like his boughs, and the plane-trees were not as his branches: no tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

9 I had made him fair by the multitude of his branches; and all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.

10 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast lifted up thyself in stature, ... and he hath set his top amidst the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height,

11 I have given him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness.

12 And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off and have left him; upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken in all the watercourses of the land; and all the peoples of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.

13 Upon his fallen [trunk] do all the fowl of the heavens dwell, and all the beasts of the field are upon his branches:

14 to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves in their stature, nor set their top amidst the thick boughs, and that none of them that drink water stand up in his height by himself; for they are all given over unto death in the lower parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.

15 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In the day when he went down to Sheol, I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed; and I made Lebanon black for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.

16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to Sheol, with them that go down into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, were comforted in the lower parts of the earth.

17 They also went down into Sheol with him unto them that were slain with the sword, and [that were] his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the nations.

18 To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden, unto the lower parts of the earth; thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord Jehovah.

   

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True Christian Religion # 635

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635. Lastly I will reveal this secret. Seven chapters of Revelation describe the termination of the present church, in terms similar to the devastation of Egypt. In both cases this was by similar plagues, each of which stands in the spiritual sense for some falsity advancing its devastation to the point of destruction. This church, therefore, which is at the present time lost, is also called Egypt as spiritually understood (Revelation 11:8). The plagues in Egypt were as follows.

The waters were turned to blood, so that all the fish died and the river stank (Exodus 7; similar language in Revelation 8:8; 16:3). Blood means Divine truth falsified (see Apocalypse Revealed 379, 404, 681, 687-688). The fish that died mean likewise truths in the natural man (Apocalypse Revealed 290, 405).

Frogs came forth upon the land of Egypt (Exodus 8). There is also a mention of frogs in Revelation 16:13. Frogs mean reasonings as a result of a longing for the falsification of truth (see Apocalypse Revealed 702).

In Egypt foul ulcers appeared upon men and beasts (Exodus 9); similar language in Revelation 16:2. Ulcers mean inward evils and falsities which can destroy the good and truth in the church (see Apocalypse Revealed 678).

In Egypt hail fell mixed with fire (Exodus 9); similar language in Revelation 8:7; 16:21. Hail means hellish falsity (see Apocalypse Revealed 399, 714).

Locusts were sent upon Egypt (Exodus 10); similar language in Revelation 9:1-11. Locusts mean falsities in outermost things (see Apocalypse Revealed 424, 430).

Oppressive darkness was brought upon Egypt (Exodus 10:21); similar language in Revelation 8:12. Darkness means falsities arising from ignorance, or from false ideas of religion, or from evil living (see Apocalypse Revealed 110, 413, 695).

The Egyptians finally perished in the sea of Suph 1 (Exodus 14). In Revelation the dragon and the false prophet perished in the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 19:20; 20:10). Both the sea of Suph and that lake have the same meaning, hell.

The reason why similar language is used of Egypt and of the church, the termination and end of which is described in Revelation, is that Egypt stands for the church, which in its beginnings was outstanding. So before its church was devastated, Egypt is equated with the Garden of Eden and the garden of Jehovah (Genesis 13:10; Ezekiel 31:8). It is also called 'the corner-stone of the tribes', and 'the sons of wise men and of the kings of ancient time' (Isaiah 19:11, 13). More about Egypt in its earliest state and in its devastation will be found in Apocalypse Revealed 503.

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1. Generally taken as 'the Red Sea', but the author keeps the Hebrew form.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Psalms 104

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1 Bless Yahweh, my soul. Yahweh, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty.

2 He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.

3 He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.

4 He makes his messengers winds; his servants flames of fire.

5 He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever.

6 You covered it with the deep as with a cloak. The waters stood above the mountains.

7 At your rebuke they fled. At the voice of your thunder they hurried away.

8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down, to the place which you had assigned to them.

9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over; that they don't turn again to cover the earth.

10 He sends forth springs into the valleys. They run among the mountains.

11 They give drink to every animal of the field. The wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12 The birds of the sky nest by them. They sing among the branches.

13 He waters the mountains from his rooms. The earth is filled with the fruit of your works.

14 He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food out of the earth:

15 wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man's heart.

16 Yahweh's trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted;

17 where the birds make their nests. The stork makes its home in the fir trees.

18 The high mountains are for the wild goats. The rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.

19 He appointed the moon for seasons. The sun knows when to set.

20 You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the animals of the forest prowl.

21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God.

22 The sun rises, and they steal away, and lay down in their dens.

23 Man goes forth to his work, to his labor until the evening.

24 Yahweh, how many are your works! In wisdom have you made them all. The earth is full of your riches.

25 There is the sea, great and wide, in which are innumerable living things, both small and large animals.

26 There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there.

27 These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.

28 You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.

29 You hide your face: they are troubled; you take away their breath: they die, and return to the dust.

30 You send forth your Spirit: they are created. You renew the face of the ground.

31 Let the glory of Yahweh endure forever. Let Yahweh rejoice in his works.

32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

33 I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.

34 Let your meditation be sweet to him. I will rejoice in Yahweh.

35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless Yahweh, my soul. Praise Yah!