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Jeremiah 31

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1 Sillä ajalla, sanoo Herra, tahdon minä kaikkein Israelin sukukuntain Jumala olla; ja heidän pitää minun kansani oleman.

2 Näin sanoo Herra: se kansa, joka miekalta jäi, on armon korvessa löytänyt siinä, että minä ahkeroitsin saattaa Israelin lepoon.

3 Herra ilmestyy minulle kaukaa: minä olen ijankaikkisella rakkaudella sinua rakastanut, sentähden olen minä vetänyt sinua puoleeni sulasta armosta.

4 Minä tahdon rakentaa sinua jälleen, ja sinun, neitsy Israel, pitää rakennetuksi tuleman. Sinun pitää kaunistetuksi tuleman sinun kanteleillas, ja menemän niiden kanssa, jotka ilossa hyppäävät.

5 Sinun pitää taas istuttaman viinapuita Samarian vuorilla, istuttaman ja nautitseman.

6 Sillä vielä on se aika tuleva, että vartiat pitää Ephraimin vuorella huutaman: nouskaat, käykäämme ylös Zioniin, Herran meidän Jumalamme tykö.

7 Sillä näin sanoo Herra: huutakaat Jakobista ilolla, ja ihastukaat pakanain pään tähden: huutakaat korkiasti, ylistäkäät ja sanokaat: Herra, auta kansaas, Israelin jääneitä.

8 Katso, minä tahdon antaa heidän tulla pohjoisesta maakunnasta, ja tahdon heitä koota maan ääristä, sokiat, rammat, raskaat, synnyttäväiset yhdessä; niin että heidän tänne suuressa joukossa pitää tuleman jällensä.

9 Heidän pitää itkien ja rukoillen tuleman, niin minä heitä johdatan. Minä tahdon heitä johdattaa vesiojain reunalla tasaista tietä, ettei he loukkaisi itseänsä; sillä minä olen Israelin isä, ja Ephraim on minun esikoiseni.

10 Kuulkaat pakanat,Herran sanaa, ja julistakaat kaukana luodoissa, ja sanokaat: joka Israelin hajoitti, se kokoo hänen jälleen, ja on häntä vartioitva niinkuin paimen laumaansa.

11 Sillä Herra on lunastava Jaakobin, ja on pelastava häntä sen kädestä, joka häntä väkevämpi on.

12 He tulevat ja Zionin korkeudella veisaavat, ja heidän pitää joukolla Herran lahjain tykö tuleman, jyväin, viinan, öljyn, karitsain ja vasikkain tykö; niin että heidän sielunsa pitää oleman niinkuin kastettu yrttitarha, eikä enää surullinen oleman.

13 Silloin pitää neitseet hypyssä iloiset oleman, siihen myös nuoret miehet ynnä vanhain kanssa; sillä minä tahdon heidän murheensa iloksi kääntää, ja lohduttaa heitä, ja ilahutan heitä murheestansa.

14 Ja minä tahdon pappien sydämet ilolla täyttää, ja minun kansani pitää minun lahjastani ravittaman, sanoo Herra.

15 Näin sanoo Herra: Raamasta kuuluu parkuvaisten ääni ja katkera itku; Raakel itkee lapsiansa, ja ei tahdo itsiänsä lohdutettaa lastensa tähden, ettei he ole.

16 Näin Herra sanoo näin: lakaa parkumasta ja itkemästä, ja pyyhi silmistäs kyyneleet; sillä sinun työlläs pitää palkka oleman, sanoo Herra, ja heidän pitää palajaman vihollisten maasta.

17 Ja sinun jälkeentulevaisillas pitää toivo oleman, sanoo Herra; sillä sinun lapses pitää tuleman maallensa jälleen.

18 Kyllä minä olen kuullut, kuinka Ephraim valittaa: sinä olet minua kurittanut minua, ja minä olen myös kuritettu, niinkuin hillimätöin vasikka. Palauta minua, niin minä palajan, sillä sinä, Herra, olet minun Jumalani.

19 Koska minä palautettiin, niin minä kaduin; sillä sittekuin minä taitavaksi tulin, niin minä löin lanteitani. Minä olin häväisty ja häpeen myös, sillä minun täytyy kärsiä nuoruuteni pilkkaa.

20 Eikö Ephraim ole rakas poikani ja ihana lapseni? Sillä minä kyllä hyvin muistan, mitä minä hänelle puhunut olen; sentähden minun sydämeni halkee laupiudesta hänen kohtaansa, että minä kaiketi armahdan häntä, sanoo Herra.

21 Pane sinulles muistomerkit, ja aseta sinulles murheenmuisto, ja kohenna sydämes oikialle tielle, jota sinun vaeltaman pitää. Palaja, neitsy Israel, palaja näiden sinun kaupunkeis tykö.

22 Kuinka kauvan sinä tahdot eksyksissä käydä, sinä vastahakoinen tytär? Sillä Herra on jotakin uutta maalla luova, vaimon pitää miestä piirittämän.

23 Näin sanoo Herra Zebaot, Israelin Jumala: Vielä täm sana sanotaan Juudan maassa ja hänen kaupungeissansa, kun minä heidän vankiutensa kääntävä olen: Herra siunatkoon sinua, sinä vanhurskauden asumus, sinä pyhä vuori.

24 Ja Juuda ynnä kaikkein hänen kaupunkeinsa kanssa pitää siellä asuman, niin myös peltomiehet, ja jotka laumansa kanssa vaeltavat.

25 Sillä minä tahdon väsyneen sielut virvoittaa, ja murheelliset sielut ravita.

26 Sentähden minä heräsin ja katselin, jossa minä olin makiasti maannut.

27 Katso, aika tulee, sanoo Herra, että minä tahdon Israelin huoneen ja Juudan huoneen kylvää ihmisen siemenellä ja karjan siemenellä.

28 Ja pitää tapahtuman, että niinkuin minä olin valpas heitä hävittämään, repimään, raatelemaan, kadottamaan ja rankaisemaan: niin minä myös tahdon valpas olla heitä rakentamaan ja istuttamaan, sanoo Herra.

29 Ei silloin enään pidä sanottaman: isät ovat happamia viinamarjoja syöneet, ja lasten hampaat ovat huoltuneet.

30 Vaan jokaisen pitää pahan tekonsa tähden kuoleman, ja kuka ihminen syö happamia viinamrjoja, hänen hampaansa pitää huoltuman.

31 Katso, se aika tulee, sanoo Herra, että minä teen uuden liiton Israelin huoneen kanssa ja Juudan huoneen kanssa.

32 En senkaltaista kuin entinen liitto oli, jonka minä heidän isäinsä kanssa tein, kun minä heidän käteensä rupesin, heitä Egyptin maalta johdattaakseni; jota liittoa ei he pitäneet, ja minä vallitsin heitä, sanoo Herra.

33 Mutta tämän pitää se liitto oleman, jonka minä Israelin huoneen kanssa teen tämän ajan perästä, sanoo Herra: minä tahdon minun lakini antaa heidän sydämeensä ja sen ehidän mieliinsä kirjoittaa; ja minä tahdon olla heidän Jumalansa, ja heidän pitää minun kansani oleman.

34 Ja ei pidä kenenkään lähimmäistänsä opettaman, eikä veli veljeänsä, ja sanoman: tunne Herraa; sillä heidän pitää kaikkein minun tunteman, sekä pienten että suurten, sanoo Herra; sillä minä tahdon hedän pahat tekonsa antaa anteeksi, ja en ikinä enään muista heidän syntejänsä.

35 Näin sanoo Herra, joka auringon antaa päivällä valkeudeksi, kuun ja tähtien järjestyksen yöllä valkeudeksi: joka meren liikuttaa, että hänen aaltonsa pauhaavat, Herra Zebaot on hänen nimensä:

36 Kun senkaltaiset säädyt minun edestäni hukkuvat, sanoo Herra,silloin myös Israelin siemenen pitää puuttuman, ettei se ole enään kansa minun edessäni ijankaikkisesti.

37 Näin sanoo Herra: jos taivasta taidetaan ylhäällä mitata, ja maan perustusta alhaalla tyynni tutkiskella; niin myös minä tahdon heittää pois koko Israelin siemenen kaikkein, niiden tähden, mitkä he tehneet ovat, sanoo Herra.

38 Katso, aika tulee, sanoo Herra, että Herran kaupunki rakennetaan jälleen Hananeelintornista Kulmaporttiin asti.

39 Ja mittanuora pitää siellä kohdastansa käymänhamaan Garebin kukkulaan asti, ja käymän ympäri Goaan.

40 Ja kaiken ruumiisten ja tuhkalaakson, ja kaikki pellot, hamaan Kidronin ojaan saakka, ja hamaan Hevosportin kulmaan, itään päin, pitää Herralle pyhä oleman, niin ettei sitä ikänä särjetä eli rikota.

   


SWORD version by Tero Favorin (tero at favorin dot com)

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Arcana Coelestia # 9229

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9229. 'And men of holiness shall you be to Me' means a state of life then composed of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'men of holiness' as those who are led by the Lord, for the Divine which emanates from the Lord is holiness itself, 6788, 7499, 8127 (end), 8302, 8806. Consequently those who receive that emanation in faith and also in love are called holy ones. Anyone who imagines that a person is holy from any other source, or that anything present with a person is holy apart from that which comes and is received from the Lord is very much mistaken; for that which is the person's own, and is called his proprium, is evil.

The human proprium is nothing but evil, see 210, 215, 694, 874-876, 987, 1047, 4328, 5660, 5786, 8480, 8944.

To the extent that a person can be withheld from his proprium, the Lord can be present with him, and therefore to the same extent holiness resides with him, 1023, 1044, 1581, 2256, 2388, 2406, 2411, 8206, 8393, 8988 (end), 9014.

[2] The truth that the Lord is the Only Holy One, and that nothing is holy except that which emanates from the Lord, and so that which a person receives from the Lord, is evident from everywhere in the Word, as in John,

I make Myself holy, that they also may be made holy in the truth. John 17:19.

'Making Himself holy' means making Himself Divine by His own power. Consequently those who receive Divine Truth emanating from the Lord in faith and life are said to be 'made holy in the truth'.

[3] This also explains why after the Resurrection, when the Lord spoke to the disciples, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit, John 20:22. 'Breathing on (or into)' was a sign that represented the imparting of life through faith and love, as also in Genesis,

Jehovah breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man (homo) became a living soul. Genesis 2:7.

Other examples like this may be seen elsewhere, such as Psalms 33:6; 104:29-30; Job 32:8; 33:4; John 3:8. Therefore also the Word is said to be inspired because it comes from the Lord, and those who wrote the Word have been called 'inspired'. Breathing, and so breathing on or inspiring, corresponds to the life of faith, see 97, 1119, 1120, 3883-3896. This explains why the term spirit in the Word is derived from the word for wind, and holiness from the Lord is called Jehovah's wind, 8286, and why the Holy Spirit is the holiness emanating from the Lord, 3704, 4673 (end), 5307, 6788, 6982, 6993, 8127 (end), 8302, 9199.

[4] So also it says in John 1:33 that the Lord baptizes with the Holy Spirit, and in Luke 3:16 that He baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 'Baptizing' in the internal sense means regenerating, 4255, 5120 (end), 9088; 'baptizing with the Holy Spirit' means regenerating by means of the good of faith; and 'baptizing with fire' means regenerating by means of the good of love, 'fire' being the good of love, see 934, 4906, 5215, 6314, 6832, 6834, 6849, 7324. In John,

Who is not going to fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. Revelation 15:4.

In Luke the angel telling Mary about the Lord said,

That which is holy will be born from you. Luke 1:35.

And in Daniel,

I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and behold, a vigilant and holy one came down from heaven. Daniel 4:13.

In these places 'that which is holy' and 'a holy one' stand for the Lord.

[5] Because the Lord alone is holy He is called in the Old Testament the Holy One of Israel, the Redeemer, the Saviour, and the Regenerator, as in Isaiah 1:4; 5:19, 24; 10:20; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19; 30:11-12, 15; 31:1; 37:23; 41:14, 16, 20; 43:3, 14; 45:11; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5; 55:5; 60:9, 14; Jeremiah 50:29; 51:5; Ezekiel 39:7; Psalms 71:22; 78:41; 89:18. This is why the Lord in heaven, and consequently heaven itself, is called the dwelling-place of holiness, Jeremiah 25:30; 31:23; 1 Isaiah 63:15; the sanctuary, 2 Ezekiel 11:16; 24:21; and also the mountain of holiness, Psalms 3:4. It is also why the middle of the tent [of meeting], where the ark containing the law was, was called The Holy of Holies, Exodus 26:33-34; for the law in the ark in the middle of the tent [of meeting], represented the Lord in respect of the Word. For the law is the Word, 6752, 7463.

[6] All this shows why it is that the angels are called holy in Matthew 25:31; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; Psalms 149:1; Daniel 8:13; also the prophets, Luke 1:70; and the apostles too, Revelation 18:20. Not that they are holy by their own virtue but that the Lord, who alone is holy and the only source of holiness, makes them so. For truths are meant by 'the angels', because they are those who receive truth from the Lord, 1925, 4085, 4295, 4402, 7268, 7873, 8192, 8301; teachings which present the truth that comes through the Word from the Lord are meant by 'the prophets', 2534, 7269; and all the truths and forms of the good of faith in their entirety which come from the Lord are meant by 'the apostles', 3488, 3858 (end), 6397.

[7] Consecrations 3 among the Israelite and Jewish people took place in order that the Lord who alone was holy might be represented, and in order that holiness, which He alone is the source of, might be represented. This is the reason for the consecration of Aaron and his sons, Exodus 29:1ff; Leviticus 8:10-11, 13, 30; the consecration of their garments, Exodus 29:21ff; the consecration of the altar in order that it might be most holy, 4 Exodus 29:37ff; the consecration of the tent of meeting, the ark of the Testimony, the table, all the vessels, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and its vessels, and the laver and its base, Exodus 30:26ff.

[8] The truth that the Lord is the real Holiness that was represented is evident also from the Lord's words in Matthew when they are seen in the internal sense,

Fools and blind! Which of the two is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy? And which of the two is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? Matthew 23:17-19.

'The temple' represented the Lord Himself, and so did 'the altar', while 'the gold' was a sign of the good that comes from the Lord, and 'the gift' or a sacrifice was a sign of things constituting faith and charity that come from the Lord.

The Lord was represented by 'the temple', see 2777, 3720, and by 'the altar', 2777, 2811, 4489, 8935, 8940. 'Gold' was a sign of good that comes from the Lord, 1551, 1552, 5658, and 'a sacrifice' a sign of worship springing from faith and charity that come from the Lord, 922, 923, 2805, 2807, 2830, 6905, 8680, 8682, 8936.

[9] From all this it is now evident why it is that the children of Israel were called a holy people in Deuteronomy 26:19 and elsewhere, or as in the present verse men of holiness. That is to say, they were so called because every single aspect of their worship represented Divine realities that are the Lord's, and celestial and spiritual things of His kingdom and Church. On this account they were called holy in a representative sense; they themselves were not holy on that account, because representatives had regard to the holy things that were represented, not to the person who represented them, see 665, 1097 (end), 1361, 3147, 3881 (end), 4208, 4281, 4288, 4293, 4307, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 7439, 8588, 8788, 8806.

[10] On that account also was Jerusalem called holy, and Zion the mountain of holiness in Zechariah 8:3 and elsewhere, as well as in Matthew,

And the tombs were opened, and many bodies of dead holy ones were raised; and coming out of their tombs after the Lord's resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. Matthew 27:52-53.

Here Jerusalem is called 'the holy city', when in fact, quite to the contrary, it was unholy because the Lord was crucified there at that time, for which reason it is called 'Sodom and Egypt' in John,

Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Revelation 11:8.

Yet it is called holy, because it means the Lord's kingdom and the Church, 402, 2117, 3654. The appearance of 'dead holy ones' there, an event witnessed by some in vision, was a sign of the salvation of people who belonged to the spiritual Church, and of the raising of those people to the Holy Jerusalem, which is heaven - the people who had been kept up to that time on the lower earth, spoken of in 6854, 6914, 7091, 7828, 7932, 8049, 8054, 8159, 8321.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1Jeremiah 31:23 refers to a dwelling-place of righteousness [and] mountain of holiness, to be exact

2. i.e. an especially holy place

3. i.e. dedicating persons or things to holy functions or purposes

4. literally, the holiness of holinesses

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

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Arcana Coelestia # 5120

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5120. 'And put the cup onto Pharaoh's palm' means that the interior natural made these its own. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting the cup' to drink (and so the wine in the cup) as making one's own, for 'drinking' means making truth one's own, see 3168; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the interior natural, dealt with in 5080, 5095, 5118. As is evident from what has gone before, the subject here is the regeneration of the sensory power meant by 'the cupbearer' which is subject to the understanding part of the interior man; consequently the subject is also the influx of truth and good and their reception in the exterior natural. But since these matters are quite beyond the understanding of those who do not have any distinct idea about the rational and about the natural, or any about influx, all further explanation is therefore abandoned.

[2] But there is more to be said about 'a cup' mentioned very many times in the Word - about how in the genuine sense it has the same meaning as wine, namely spiritual truth or the truth of faith which is derived from the good of charity, and about how in the contrary sense it means falsity which produces evil, and also falsity which is a product of evil. The reason 'a cup' has the same meaning as 'wine' is that the cup is the container and the wine the content and therefore the two constitute a single entity, with the result that one is used to mean the other. This meaning of 'a cup' in the Word is evident from the following places:

[3] In David,

O Jehovah, You will spread a table before me in the presence of enemies and will make my head fat with oil; my cup will overflow. Psalms 23:5.

'Spreading a table' and 'making the head fat with oil' stand for being endowed with the good of charity and love. 'My cup will overflow' stands for the fact that the natural will thereby be filled with spiritual truth and good. In the same author,

What shall I render to Jehovah? I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of Jehovah. Psalms 116:11, 17.

'Taking the cup of salvation' stands for making the goods of faith one's own.

[4] In Mark,

Whoever gives you drink from a cup of water in My name, because you are Christ's, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. Mark 9:41.

'Giving drink from a cup of water in My name' stands for imparting the truths of faith from a small measure of charity.

[5] In Matthew,

Then taking a cup, and giving thanks, He gave it to them, saying, Drink from this, all of you; for this is My blood - that of the New Testament. Matthew 26:17, 28; Mark 14:27, 24; Luke 22:20.

The word 'cup' is used, not wine, because 'wine' has reference to the spiritual Church but 'blood' to the celestial Church. Both wine and blood however mean holy truth going forth from the Lord, though in the spiritual Church the holiness of faith springing from charity towards the neighbour is meant, whereas in the celestial Church the holiness of charity springing from love to the Lord is meant. The spiritual Church differs from the celestial in that the spiritual is moved by charity towards the neighbour, whereas the celestial is moved by love to the Lord. Furthermore the Holy Supper was established to represent and be a sign of the Lord's love towards the whole human race and man's reciprocal love towards Him.

[6] Because 'a cup' meant that which served to contain and 'wine' that which was contained, 'the cup' consequently meaning the external aspect of man and 'wine' the internal aspect of him, the Lord therefore said,

Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the exterior of the cup and of the plate but the interiors are full of pillage and lack of restraint. Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the interior of the cup and of the plate and the exterior will be made clean also. Matthew 23:25, 16; Luke 11:39.

Here also 'cup' is used to mean in the internal sense the truth of faith. Cultivating the truth of faith without the good of faith is 'cleansing the exterior of the cup', the more so when the interiors are full of hypocrisy, deceit, hatred, revenge, and cruelty; for in this case the truth of faith exists solely in the external man and not at all in the internal, whereas cultivating and embracing the good of faith causes truths to be joined to good in the interior man. Furthermore when the truth of faith is cultivated without the good of faith, false ideas are accepted as truths; this is meant by 'cleansing first the interior of the cup, and the exterior will be made clean also'.

[7] It is similar with matters recorded in Mark,

There are many other things which the Pharisees and Jews have received carefully, the washing 1 of cups and of pots, and of bronze vessels, and of beds. Forsaking the commandment of God you keep to human tradition, the washing' of pots and of cups; and many other similar things you do. You reject the commandment of God, so that you may keep to your tradition. Mark 7:4, 8-9.

[8] As regards 'a cup' meaning in the contrary sense falsity which produces evil and also falsity produced by evil, this is clear from the following places: In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, the God of Israel, to me, Take this cup of the wine of anger from My hand, and make all the nations to which I send you drink it, in order that they may drink and stagger, and go mad because of the sword which I am going to send among them. So I took the cup from Jehovah's hand, and made all the nations drink to whom Jehovah sent me. Jeremiah 25:15-17, 28.

'The cup of the wine of anger' stands for falsity that produces evil. The reason falsity producing evil is meant is that as wine can make people drunk and make them of unsound mind, so too can falsity. Spiritual drunkenness is nothing other than unsoundness of mind caused by reasonings regarding matters of belief when a person does not believe anything which he does not apprehend - which unsoundness of mind leads to falsities and to evils that are the product of falsities, 1072. Hence the statement 'in order that they may drink and stagger, and go mad because of the sword which I am going to send'. 'Sword' means falsity at war against truth, 2799, 4499.

[9] In the Book of Lamentations,

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom. dweller in the land of Uz; to you also the cup will pass, you will be made drunk and uncovered. Lamentations 4:21.

'Being made drunk by the cup' stands for being made unsound in mind by falsities. 'Being uncovered', or shamelessly laid bare, stands for resulting evil, 213, 214.

[10] In Ezekiel,

You have walked in the way of your sister, therefore I will give her cup into your hand. Thus said the Lord Jehovih, You will drink your sister's cup, which is deep and wide; you will be laughed at and mocked, as an ample recipient. You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of devastation and desolation. You will drink the cup of your sister Samaria, and crush it and crumple the pieces. Ezekiel 27:31-34.

This refers to Jerusalem, by which the spiritual aspect of the celestial Church is meant. 'The cup' in this case stands for falsity that is a product of evil; and because such falsity lays waste or destroys the Church, the expression 'the cup of devastation and desolation' is used.

In Isaiah,

Stir, stir, surge up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of Jehovah the cup of His anger; you have drunk the dregs of the cup of consternation. Isaiah 51:17.

In Habakkuk,

Drink, you also - that your foreskin may be revealed. The cup of Jehovah's right hand will come round to you, so that disgusting vomit may be upon your glory. Habakkuk 2:16.

In David,

A cup is in the hand of Jehovah; and He has mixed the wine, filled it with the mixed, and poured out from it. But they will suck out the dregs of it; all the wicked of the earth will drink from it. Psalms 75:8.

[11] In these places 'a cup' also stands for the insanity caused by falsities and resulting evils. It is called 'the cup of Jehovah's anger' and also 'of His right hand' for the reason that the Jewish nation believed, as the common people believe, that evils, and the punishments of evils and falsities, had no other origin than Jehovah, though in fact they originate in man and in the hellish crew who are present with him. From the appearance, and from a belief based on it, such statements occur many times; but the internal sense teaches how one ought to understand them and what to believe. On these matters, see 245, 592, 696, 1093, 1683, 1874, 1875, 2335, 2447, 3605, 3607, 3614.

[12] Since 'a cup', like 'wine', in the contrary sense means falsities that produce evils, and also falsities produced by evils, cup, as a consequence also means temptation, for temptation arises when falsity conflicts with truth and therefore evil with good. The word cup is used instead of and in reference to such temptation in Luke,

Jesus prayed, saying, If You are willing, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. Luke 22:42; Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36.

'Cup' here stands for temptation. Similarly in John,

Jesus said to Peter, Put your sword into its sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it? John 18:11.

And also in Mark,

Jesus said to James and John, You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? They said, We are able. But Jesus said to them, The cup indeed that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized. Mark 10:38-39; Matthew 20:21, 13.

From this it is evident that 'cup' means temptation, for temptation comes about when evils use falsities to enter into conflict with goods and truths. 'Baptism' means regeneration which, being effected by means of spiritual conflicts, consequently means temptation also.

[13] In the completely contrary sense 'cup' means falsity that is a product of evil among those who are profaners, that is, with whom inwardly the exact opposites of charity are present but who put on an outward show of holiness. The word is used in this sense in Jeremiah,

Babel was a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, making the whole earth drunken. All nations have drunk of her wine, therefore the nations are mad. Jeremiah 51:7.

'Babel' stands for people with whom there is holiness outwardly but unholiness inwardly, 1182, 1326. The falsity which they veil with holiness is meant by 'a golden cup'. 'Making the whole earth drunken' stands for the fact that they lead those who belong to the Church, meant by 'the earth', into erroneous and insane ways. The profanities which they conceal beneath outward holiness involve nothing else than this - their intention to become the greatest and the wealthiest of all, to be worshipped as gods, the possessors of heaven and earth, and so to have dominion over people's souls as well as their bodies. And the means Used by them is their outward display of respect for Divine and holy things. Consequently they look, so far as their external man is concerned, like angels; but so far as their internal man is concerned they are devils.

[14] A similar description of Babel exists in John,

The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and covered 2 with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and the uncleanness of her whoredom. Revelation 17:4.

In the same book,

It has fallen, Babylon the great has fallen and become a dwelling-place of demons; for she has given all nations drink from the wine of the fury of her whoredom; and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her. I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Render to her as she has rendered to you; in the cup which she mixed, mix double for her. Revelation 18:2-4, 6.

In the same book,

The great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. The remembrance of Babylon the great was established before God, to give her the cup of the fury of the anger of God. Revelation 16:19.

In the same book,

The third angel said with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his Image, he will drink from the wine of God's anger, poured unmixed as it is in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone. Revelation 14:9-10.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. literally, baptisms or dippings

2. literally, gilded

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