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Amos 3:2

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2 Voi soli ho conosciuto fra tutte le famiglie della terra; perciò io vi punirò per tutte le vostre iniquità.

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Iniquity, transgression and sin

  

In the Word three terms are used to refer to bad actions: transgression, iniquity, and sin. Transgression is the least bad. It means a violation of what is true in an external context, a violation of what is right and orderly. Iniquity is next and denotes acts that violate more interior truths. Sin is the worst. It is a violation of what is holy and righteous, a violation against the Lord. Sin is the deepest kind of evil. Regarding iniquity -- to be in charity, or live a life of charity is to live a life where the acts and thoughts that have top priority are those that have within them a love for the neighbor. Sometimes our love of self, our inborn desire to put ourselves first, is stronger than our charity and we do something for ourselves at the expense of our neighbor, or even do harm to our neighbor. Such an act, if our motive is selfish, is an iniquity.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 9156, 9965 [2-3])

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Apocalypse Revealed # 471

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471. And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. (10:3) This symbolizes a grievous lamentation that the church was taken from Him.

That to cry aloud as when a lion roars symbolizes a grievous lamentation over the church, which was taken from Him, is apparent from the explanations in the preceding chapter, where the states of life of people in the church were examined and exposed, states that were lamentable. It is apparent also from the following declaration in this chapter, that the angel swore by Him who lives forever and ever that there should be no more time, which symbolically means that there would be no more church. And in the next chapter as well, that the beast ascending from the bottomless pit killed His two witnesses. Especially is it apparent from the fact that people do not acknowledge the Lord and turn to Him, even though He is God of heaven and earth.

A lamentation over this is what the angel's roaring like a lion symbolizes; for a lion roars when it sees its enemies and is attacked by them, and when it sees its young or its prey carried off. The same is comparatively the case with the Lord when He sees His church carried off by devils.

[2] That this is the symbolic meaning of roaring like a lion can be seen from the following passages:

As a lion roars, and a young lion over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds comes against him..., so Jehovah of Hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion... (Isaiah 31:4)

...the anger of Jehovah is kindled against His people... His roaring is like that of a lion, He roars like young lions; He growls and lays hold of the prey... (For) behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened in its ruins. (Isaiah 5:25-30)

Jehovah will roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His habitations. (Jeremiah 25:30)

Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem. (Joel 3:16)

I will not... destroy Ephraim... They shall go after Jehovah. He will roar like a lion, for He will roar... (Hosea 11:9-10)

A lion roars. Who does not fear? The Lord Jehovih has spoken. Who will not prophesy? (Amos 3:8)

(God) roars with His voice; He thunders with His majestic voice... (Job 37:4-5)

That roaring symbolizes a grievous lamentation is clear from the following passages:

...my bones grew old through my roaring all the day long. (Psalms 32:3)

I am feeble and worn; I have roared because of the roaring of my heart. (Psalms 38:8)

...my sighing comes before bread, and my roarings pour out like water. (Job 3:24)

  
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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.