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Deuteronomy 32

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1 `Give ear, O heavens, and I speak; And thou dost hear, O earth, sayings of my mouth!

2 Drop as rain doth My doctrine; Flow as dew doth My sayings; As storms on the tender grass, And as showers on the herb,

3 For the Name of Jehovah I proclaim, Ascribe ye greatness to our God!

4 The Rock! -- perfect [is] His work, For all His ways [are] just; God of stedfastness, and without iniquity: Righteous and upright [is] He.

5 It hath done corruptly to Him; Their blemish is not His sons', A generation perverse and crooked!

6 To Jehovah do ye act thus, O people foolish and not wise? Is not He thy father -- thy possessor? He made thee, and doth establish thee.

7 Remember days of old -- Understand the years of many generations -- Ask thy father, and he doth tell thee; Thine elders, and they say to thee:

8 In the Most High causing nations to inherit, In His separating sons of Adam -- He setteth up the borders of the peoples By the number of the sons of Israel.

9 For Jehovah's portion [is] His people, Jacob [is] the line of His inheritance.

10 He findeth him in a land -- a desert, And in a void -- a howling wilderness, He turneth him round -- He causeth him to understand -- He keepeth him as the apple of His eye.

11 As an eagle waketh up its nest, Over its young ones fluttereth, Spreadeth its wings -- taketh them, Beareth them on its pinions; --

12 Jehovah alone doth lead him, And there is no strange god with him.

13 He maketh him ride on high places of earth, And he eateth increase of the fields, And He maketh him suck honey from a rock, And oil out of the flint of a rock;

14 Butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, With fat of lambs, and rams, sons of Bashan, And he-goats, with fat of kidneys of wheat; And of the blood of the grape thou dost drink wine!

15 And Jeshurun waxeth fat, and doth kick: Thou hast been fat -- thou hast been thick, Thou hast been covered. And he leaveth God who made him, And dishonoureth the Rock of his salvation.

16 They make Him zealous with strangers, With abominations they make Him angry.

17 They sacrifice to demons -- no god! Gods they have not known -- New ones -- from the vicinity they came; Not feared them have your fathers!

18 The Rock that begat thee thou forgettest, And neglectest God who formeth thee.

19 And Jehovah seeth and despiseth -- For the provocation of His sons and His daughters.

20 And He saith: I hide My face from them, I see what [is] their latter end; For a froward generation [are] they, Sons in whom is no stedfastness.

21 They have made Me zealous by `no-god,' They made Me angry by their vanities; And I make them zealous by `no-people,' By a foolish nation I make them angry.

22 For a fire hath been kindled in Mine anger, And it burneth unto Sheol -- the lowest, And consumeth earth and its increase, And setteth on fire foundations of mountains.

23 I gather upon them evils, Mine arrows I consume upon them.

24 Exhausted by famine, And consumed by heat, and bitter destruction. And the teeth of beasts I send upon them, With poison of fearful things of the dust.

25 Without bereave doth the sword, And at the inner-chambers -- fear, Both youth and virgin, Suckling with man of grey hair.

26 I have said: I blow them away, I cause their remembrance to cease from man;

27 If not -- the anger of an enemy I fear, Lest their adversaries know -- Lest they say, Our hand is high, And Jehovah hath not wrought all this.

28 For a nation lost to counsels [are] they, And there is no understanding in them.

29 If they were wise -- They deal wisely [with] this; They attend to their latter end:

30 How doth one pursue a thousand, And two cause a myriad to flee! If not -- that their rock hath sold them, And Jehovah hath shut them up?

31 For not as our Rock [is] their Rock, (And our enemies [are] judges!)

32 For of the vine of Sodom their vine [is], And of the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes [are] grapes of gall -- They have bitter clusters;

33 The poison of dragons [is] their wine And the fierce venom of asps.

34 Is it not laid up with Me? Sealed among My treasures?

35 Mine [are] vengeance and recompense, At the due time -- doth their foot slide; For near is a day of their calamity, And haste do things prepared for them.

36 For Jehovah doth judge His people, And for His servants doth repent Himself. For He seeth -- the going away of power, And none is restrained and left.

37 And He hath said, Where [are] their gods -- The rock in which they trusted;

38 Which the fat of their sacrifices do eat, They drink the wine of their libation! Let them arise and help you, Let it be for you a hiding-place!

39 See ye, now, that I -- I [am] He, And there is no god with Me: I put to death, and I keep alive; I have smitten, and I heal; And there is not from My hand a deliverer,

40 For I lift up unto the heavens My hand, And have said, I live -- to the age!

41 If I have sharpened the brightness of My sword, And My hand doth lay hold on judgment, I turn back vengeance to Mine adversaries, And to those hating Me -- I repay!

42 I make drunk Mine arrows with blood, And My sword devoureth flesh, From the blood of the pierced and captive, From the head of the freemen of the enemy.

43 Sing ye nations -- [with] his people, For the blood of His servants He avengeth, And vengeance He turneth back on His adversaries, And hath pardoned His land -- His people.'

44 And Moses cometh and speaketh all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he and Hoshea son of Nun;

45 and Moses finisheth to speak all these words unto all Israel,

46 and saith unto them, `Set your heart to all the words which I am testifying against you to-day, that ye command your sons to observe to do all the words of this law,

47 for it [is] not a vain thing for you, for it [is] your life, and by this thing ye prolong days on the ground whither ye are passing over the Jordan to possess it.'

48 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, in this self-same day, saying,

49 `Go up unto this mount Abarim, mount Nebo, which [is] in the land of Moab, which [is] on the front of Jericho, and see the land of Canaan which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession;

50 and die in the mount whither thou art going up, and be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother hath died in the mount Hor, and is gathered unto his people:

51 `Because ye trespassed against me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribath-Kadesh, the wilderness of Zin -- because ye sanctified Me not in the midst of the sons of Israel;

52 but over-against thou seest the land, and thither thou dost not go in, unto the land which I am giving to the sons of Israel.'

   

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Apocalypse Revealed # 342

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342. CHAPTER 7

1. After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.

2. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,

3. saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."

4. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of Israel:

5. of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;

6. of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;

7. of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;

8. of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

9. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

10. and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

11. And all the angels stood around the throne, with the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

12. saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

13. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"

14. And I said to him, "Lord, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

15. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.

16. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; neither shall the sun strike them, nor any heat;

17. for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING

The Contents of the Whole Chapter

This chapter describes people who are and who will be in the Christian heaven. It describes first their separation from evil people (verses 1-3); after that, those of them who are impelled by love toward the Lord and so by wisdom, of whom the higher heavens consist (verses 4-8); and those who are impelled by charity from the Lord and its accompanying faith because they fought against evils, of whom the lower heavens consist (verses 9-17).

The Contents of the Individual Verses:

Verse ContentsSpiritual Meaning
1. After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,The whole of heaven now in an effort to execute the Last Judgment.
holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.The Lord's holding back and restraining a closer and thus stronger influx into the lower regions where good people were attached to evil ones.
2. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun,The Lord providing and moderating,
having the seal of the living God.who alone knows the character of each and every person, and can distinguish and separate them from each other.
And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3. saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the treesThe Lord's restraining and holding back the closer and stronger influx into the lower regions,
till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."before those people were separated who were governed by truths springing from goodness from the Lord.
4. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand,All people who acknowledge the Lord as God of heaven and earth and are governed by truths of doctrine springing from the goodness of love, received from Him through the Word.
sealed out of every tribe of Israel:The heaven and the Lord's church formed from them.
5. of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;Celestial love, which is love toward the Lord, and this in all those people who will be in the New Heaven and in the New Church.
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;Wisdom springing from celestial love in those people who will be there.
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;Useful life endeavors, which are the exercises of wisdom springing from that love, in those people who will be there.
6. of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;Mutual love in those people.
of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;A perception of useful endeavor, and of what is useful, in those people.
of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;A will to serve and to put into practice in those people.
7. of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;Spiritual love, which is love for the neighbor, in those people.
of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;An affection for truth springing from goodness, producing intelligence in those people.
of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;Goodness of life in those people.
8. of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;The conjugal love of goodness and truth in those people.
of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;A doctrine of goodness and truth in those people.
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.A life of truth springing from goodness in accord with doctrine in those people.
9. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number,All other people who are not among those enumerated and yet are in the New Heaven and the Lord's New Church, who form the lowest heaven and the external church, and whose character is known to the Lord alone.
of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues,All in the Christian world who have some religion springing from goodness and are guided by truths from doctrine,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb,listening to the Lord and doing what He commands.
clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,A communication and conjunction with the higher heavens, and a confession springing from Divine truths.
10. and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"An acknowledgment from the heart that the Lord is their Savior.
11. And all the angels stood around the throne, with the elders and the four living creatures,All in the whole of heaven listening and doing what the Lord commands.
and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,A humbling of their heart, and in their humility an adoration of the Lord.
12. saying, "Amen!Divine truth and an affirmation in response to it.
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving,The Lord's spiritual Divine attributes;
and honor and power and might,the Lord's celestial Divine attributes;
be to our God forever and ever.these being in the Lord and emanating from the Lord to eternity.
Amen."The agreement of all.
13. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" 14. And I said to him, "Lord, you know."Their desire to know and wish to inquire, and the reply and instruction given.
So he said to me, "These are ones who are coming out of the great tribulation,They are people who have undergone temptations or trials, and have fought against evils and falsities,
and have washed their robeswho have cleansed their religious beliefs of the evils accompanying falsity,
and made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.and by truths have purified those religious beliefs from the falsities accompanying evil, and so have been reformed by the Lord.
15. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.They are in the Lord's presence, and live constantly and faithfully in His church in accordance with the truths that they receive from Him.
16. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore;Hereafter they will not lack goods and truths.
neither shall the sun strike them, nor any heat;Hereafter they will not possess lusts for evil, nor for the falsity accompanying evil.
17. for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd themThe Lord alone will teach them
and lead them to living fountains of waters.and lead them by the truths in the Word to conjunction with Him.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."They will be caught up no longer in battles against evils and the accompanying falsities, and so will no longer experience times of distress, but will be surrounded by goods and truths and thus by heavenly joys emanating from the Lord.

THE EXPOSITION

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. (7:1) This symbolizes the whole of heaven now in an effort to execute the Last Judgment on the people who were in the world of spirits.

There follows now much concerning the state of the spiritual world just before the Last Judgment, which no one could know without its being revealed by the Lord. And because I have been given to see how the Last Judgment was executed, including the transformations which preceded it and the dispositions following it, I can relate therefore the symbolic meaning of everything in this chapter and in the chapters that follow.

[2] The four angels here symbolize the whole of heaven. The four corners of the earth symbolize the entire world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell. For the Last Judgment was executed on people who were in the world of spirits, and not on anyone in heaven, nor on anyone in hell.

Angels symbolize heaven because an angel in the highest sense means the Lord in respect to His Divine humanity (no. 344), and as heaven is heaven owing to the Lord, angels symbolize heaven as well.

[3] The four angels here symbolize the whole of heaven because they were seen standing at the four corners of the earth, and the four corners symbolize the four quarters of the compass.

They symbolize that the whole of heaven was now in an effort to execute the Last Judgment for the reason that when the Last Judgment was at hand, the Lord caused the heavens to draw closer over the world of spirits, and the closeness of the heavens produced such a change in the state of the inner constituents of the people's minds below that they saw nothing but terrors before their eyes.

[4] That corners symbolize quarters of the compass, and thus the four quarters all points, can be seen from the following passages:

You shall measure, outside the city, the corner toward the east..., the corner toward the south..., the corner toward the west..., and the corner toward the north... (Numbers 35:5)

You shall make the boards for the Tabernacle, ...for the south corner..., and for... the north corner... (Exodus 26:18, 20, 23)

And... the court..., for the south corner..., for the north corner..., for the west corner..., and... for the east corner... (Exodus 27:9, 11-13)

[5] The four quarters are also called four corners often in Ezekiel, as in Ezekiel 47:18-20, and 48.

Since corners symbolize the quarters of the compass, they also therefore symbolize everything, such as everything in heaven or in hell, or everything pertaining to goodness or to truth, as is apparent from the following:

(Satan) will go out to lead astray the nations which are at the four corners of the earth... (Revelation 20:8)

I will cut off nations, (and) their corners will be devastated. (Zephaniah 3:6)

...(Israel) gathered together as one man... And the corners of all the people stationed themselves... (Judges 20:1-2)

A scepter shall rise out of Israel, and crush the corners of Moab... (Numbers 24:17)

A day of trumpet and alarm... upon the high corners. (Zephaniah 1:16)

I will cast them into the ends of the corners. (Deuteronomy 32:26)

[6] That a corner symbolizes the lowest component supporting higher ones, as a foundation does a house, and so symbolizes also everything, is apparent from the following:

(He) will lay in Zion a corner stone..., the price of the laying of a foundation. (Isaiah 28:16)

They shall not take from it a stone for a corner... (Jeremiah 51:26)

From (Judah) shall come the corner stone... (Zechariah 10:4)

The stone which (they) rejected has become the corner stone. (Psalms 118:22, Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17-18)

  
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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.

©2024 New Christian Bible Study Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed from newchristianbiblestudy.org