7
Katso, minä tahdon heidät sieltä herättää, johonka te heidät myyneet olette; ja tahdon sen kostaa teidän päänne päälle;
Joel 3:7
SWORD version by Tero Favorin (tero at favorin dot com)
Apocalypse Explained # 849
849. Verse 1. And I saw, signifies a manifestation respecting the future separation of the good from the evil before the Last Judgment. This is evident from the signification of "I saw," as being the things seen by John, which now follow; these, regarded in the spiritual sense, treat of the calling together and assembling of the faithful, and their separation from the evil before the Last Judgment; and this is meant by the Lord by these words in Matthew:
They shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory; and He shall send His angels and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other (Matthew 24:30, 31).
That chapter treats also of the Last Judgment, which is there meant by "the consummation of the age and the coming of the Lord." The gathering together of the good and their separation from the evil is there described by those words, as well as in this chapter (verses 14, 16), where the Son of man is described as sitting upon a white cloud with a sickle in His hand reaping the earth.
[2] Similar things in this chapter are meant also by these words of the Lord in Matthew:
The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man that sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares and went away. But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit then appeared the tares. And the servants came and said, Wilt thou then that going we gather them up? But he said, Nay, lest haply while ye gather up the tares ye root up at the same time the wheat with them. Rather let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Collect first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn (Matthew 13:24-30).
Here the separation of the good from the evil, which was to take place at the time of the Last Judgment, is foretold by the Lord, and is meant by "Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Collect the tares to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." The "tares" mean the evil, who will then be cast into hell, and the "wheat" means the good, who having been separated from the evil will be raised up into heaven. Similar things are meant in this chapter where it is said:
The hour for thee to reap is come; for the harvest is dried up. And he that sat upon the cloud cast in his sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped (verses 15, 16, and what follows).
Why the good were not separated from the evil previous to the time of the Last Judgment, and the good raised up to heaven and the evil cast into hell, can be seen in the work on The Last Judgment, and also above (n. 391, 392, 394, 397, 411, 413, 418, 419, 426, 489, 493, 497, 668, 669, 670, 674, 675, 676, 754).
Lamentations 4:2-22
2
The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
3
Even the jackals draw out the breast, they nurse their young ones: The daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4
The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst: The young children ask bread, and no man breaks it to them.
5
Those who did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: Those who were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
6
For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, That was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands were laid on her.
7
Her nobles were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire.
8
Their appearance is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: Their skin clings to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
9
Those who are killed with the sword are better than those who are killed with hunger; For these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field.
10
The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children; They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11
Yahweh has accomplished his wrath, he has poured out his fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations.
12
The kings of the earth didn't believe, neither all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.
13
[It is] because of the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.
14
They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, So that men can't touch their garments.
15
Depart! they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more live [here].
16
The anger of Yahweh has scattered them; he will no more regard them: They didn't respect the persons of the priests, they didn't favor the elders.
17
Our eyes do yet fail [in looking] for our vain help: In our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.
18
They hunt our steps, so that we can't go in our streets: Our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
19
Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the sky: They chased us on the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
20
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Yahweh, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
21
Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwell in the land of Uz: The cup shall pass through to you also; you shall be drunken, and shall make yourself naked.
22
The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion; he will no more carry you away into captivity: He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom; he will uncover your sins.
