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Ezekiel 34:27

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27 και-C ο- A--NPN ξυλον-N2N-NPN ο- A--NPN εν-P ο- A--DSN πεδιον-N2N-DSN διδωμι-VF--FAI3S ο- A--ASM καρπος-N2--ASM αυτος- D--GPM και-C ο- A--NSF γη-N1--NSF διδωμι-VF--FAI3S ο- A--ASF ισχυς-N3--ASF αυτος- D--GSF και-C καταοικεω-VF--FAI3P επι-P ο- A--GSF γη-N1--GSF αυτος- D--GPM εν-P ελπις-N3D-DSF ειρηνη-N1--GSF και-C γιγνωσκω-VF--FMI3P οτι-C εγω- P--NS ειμι-V9--PAI1S κυριος-N2--NSM εν-P ο- A--DSN συντριβω-VA--AAN εγω- P--AS ο- A--ASM ζυγος-N2--ASM αυτος- D--GPM και-C εκαιρεω-VF2-FMI1S αυτος- D--APM εκ-P χειρ-N3--GSF ο- A--GPM καταδουλοω-VA--AMPGPM αυτος- D--APM

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True Christianity # 689

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689. John's baptism prepared the way because, as shown above [677-678], it brought the baptized people into the Lord's church that was to come, and brought them into the company of those in heaven who were awaiting and desiring the Messiah. Therefore angels protected them by preventing devils from breaking out of hell and destroying them. This is why we read in Malachi, "Who can endure the day of his coming?" (Malachi 3:2), and "so that Jehovah will not come and strike the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4:6).

There are similar statements in Isaiah: "Behold, the cruel day of Jehovah has come, a day of indignation and wrath and anger. I will shake heaven, and the earth will quake out of its place in the day of the wrath of his anger" (Isaiah 13:9, 13; see also Isaiah 13:6; 22:5, 12).

In Jeremiah that day is called a day of devastation, vengeance, and disaster (Jeremiah 4:9; 7:32; 46:10, 21; 47:4; 49:8, 26). In Ezekiel it is called a day of anger, cloud, and darkness (Ezekiel 13:5; 30:2-3, 9; 34:11-12; 38:14, 16, 18-19). Amos, too, refers to it in similar terms (Amos 5:8, 18, 20; 8:3, 9, 13). We read in Joel: "Great and dreadful is the day of Jehovah. Who will endure it?" (Joel 2:11; see also Joel 2:1-2, 29, 31). Also in Zephaniah: "In that day there will be the sound of a cry. The great day of Jehovah is near. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and repression, a day of devastation and desolation. In the day of Jehovah's wrath the whole earth will be consumed, and he will make an end of all the inhabitants of the earth" (Zephaniah 1:7-18). There are similar statements in other passages as well.

[2] These passages make it clear that if baptism had not prepared the way for Jehovah as he was coming down into the world - a baptism that had the effect in heaven of closing off the hells and protecting the Jews from total annihilation - [all people there, as stated above, would have been struck with a curse and would have perished]. Likewise Jehovah says to Moses, "If I rise up among you, I will consume the entire population in a single moment" (Exodus 33:5). This is further reinforced by what John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him: "Brood of vipers, who warned you to escape from the impending anger?" (Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7). For references to John teaching about Christ and his Coming as he was baptizing, see Luke 3:16; , 31-33; 3:22 and following. All the passages just given clarify how John prepared the way.

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

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True Christianity # 677

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677. The First Function of Baptism Is to Bring People into the Christian Church and at the Same Time to Bring Them into the Company of Christians in the Spiritual World

Many things establish the fact that baptism is what first brings us into the Christian church.

(1) Baptism was instituted as a replacement for circumcision. Just as circumcision was a sign that people belonged to the Israelite church, baptism is a sign that people belong to the Christian church, as was shown under the previous heading [674]. This sign functions much like the ribbons of different colors tied to newborns of two mothers in order to tell them apart and not switch them by accident.

[2] (2) Baptism is only a sign that people belong to the church. This is clear from the fact that babies who are baptized have not yet developed the use of reason and are therefore no more capable of receiving any part of faith than new little branches on some tree would be.

[3] (3) Babies are not the only ones to be baptized; all who are converted to Christianity are also baptized, no matter how young or old they are. And they are baptized even before they receive instruction, based on nothing more than their declaring that they want to embrace Christianity. Baptism is what initiates them into the religion. This is the procedure the apostles followed when the Lord told them to "make disciples of all the nations and baptize them" (Matthew 28:19).

[4] (4) "John baptized in the Jordan river all who came to him from Judea and Jerusalem" (Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:5). The reason why he baptized them in the Jordan river was that crossing that river brought people into the land of Canaan. The land of Canaan meant the church, because the church existed there. Therefore the Jordan meant the way people become part of the church (see Revelation Unveiled 367).

This is the earthly effect of baptism.

[5] In the heavens, baptism has the added effect of making the babies who are baptized [on earth] part of the Christian heaven. The Lord assigns angels from that heaven to take care of these babies. Therefore as soon as the babies are baptized, angels are put in charge of them to keep them in a state that is receptive to faith in the Lord. As the children grow up and become independent and able to reason for themselves, these protective angels of theirs leave them, and the now-grown children draw to themselves spirits who have the same life and faith as they do.

This makes it clear that baptism also brings us into the company of Christians in the spiritual world.

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