เอมัส 5:10
Many thanks to Philip Pope for the permission to use his 2003 translation of the English King James Version Bible into Thai. Here's a link to the mission's website: www.thaipope.org
Apocalypse Explained # 366
366. That they should slay one another, signifies the falsification or extinction of truths. This is evident from the signification of "slaying," as meaning the extinction of truths; for "to slay" in the Word signifies to slay spiritually, that is, to slay the spiritual part of a man or his soul, which is to extinguish truths. It also means to falsify, because when truths are falsified they are also extinguished; for falsification produces a different understanding of truths, and truth is true to everyone according to his understanding of it; for the love and principle that rule in man draw and apply all things to themselves, even truths themselves; consequently when the love is evil, or the principle is false, then truths are infected with the evil of the love or the falsity of the principle, and thus are extinguished. This, therefore, is what is here signified by "they should slay one another." That this takes place when there is no good with man, and especially when there is no good in the doctrine of his church, is evident from the preceding words, where it is said, "When he had opened the second seal there went forth a red horse; and to him that sat upon him it was given to take peace from the earth;" which signifies a second state of the church when the understanding of the Word is destroyed in respect to good, which is the source of dissensions in the church (of which see above, n. 361, 364, 365).
[2] That the understanding of the Word, or what is the same, the understanding of the truth, is destroyed when there is no good with man, that is, when there is no love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor, may be seen above n. 365; for good with man, or what is the same, love with him, is the fire of his life, and truth with him, or the faith of truth, is the light therefrom; consequently such as the good is, or such as the love is in man, such is truth, or such the faith of truth in him. From this it can be seen that when evil or an evil love is with man there can be no truth or faith of truth with him; for the light that goes forth from such fire is the light that those have who are in hell, which is a fatuous light like the light from burning coals, which light, when light from heaven flows in, is turned into mere thick darkness. Such also is the light that with the evil, when they reason against the things of the church, is called natural light [lumen].
[3] That they would falsify and thereby extinguish truths is meant also by the Lord's words in Matthew:
Jesus said to the disciples, The brother shall deliver up the brother, the father the son; children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death (Matthew 10:21).
And in Luke:
Ye shall be delivered up by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death (Luke 21:16).
"Parents," "brethren," "children," ["kinsfolk, "] and "friends," do not mean here parents, brethren, children, kinsfolk, friends, nor do "disciples" mean disciples, but the goods and truths of the church, also evils and falsities; it is also meant that evils would extinguish goods and falsities truths. (That such is the signification of these words, see Arcana Coelestia 10490.)
Luke 20
1
It happened on one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, that the priests and scribes came to him with the elders.
2
They asked him, "Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?"
3
He answered them, "I also will ask you one question. Tell me:
4
the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?"
5
They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why didn't you believe him?'
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But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."
7
They answered that they didn't know where it was from.
8
Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."
9
He began to tell the people this parable. "A man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time.
10
At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty.
11
He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12
He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out.
13
The lord of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.'
14
"But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'
15
They threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?
16
He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others." When they heard it, they said, "May it never be!"
17
But he looked at them, and said, "Then what is this that is written, 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the chief cornerstone?'
18
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust."
19
The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people--for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.
20
They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
21
They asked him, "Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right, and aren't partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God.
22
Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
23
But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test me?
24
Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" They answered, "Caesar's."
25
He said to them, "Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
26
They weren't able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer, and were silent.
27
Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection.
28
They asked him, "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up children for his brother.
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There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless.
30
The second took her as wife, and he died childless.
31
The third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died.
32
Afterward the woman also died.
33
Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife."
34
Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry, and are given in marriage.
35
But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage.
36
For they can't die any more, for they are like the angels, and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.
37
But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord 'The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'
38
Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him."
39
Some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you speak well."
40
They didn't dare to ask him any more questions.
41
He said to them, "Why do they say that the Christ is David's son?
42
David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand,
43
until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."'
44
"David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?"
45
In the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples,
46
"Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;
47
who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these will receive greater condemnation."
