耶利米書 44
1
有臨到耶利米的話,論及一切住在埃及地的猶大人,就是住在密奪、答比匿、挪弗、巴忒羅境內的猶大人,說:
2
萬軍之耶和華─以色列的神如此說:我所降與耶路撒冷和猶大各城的一切災禍你們都看見了。那些城邑今日荒涼,無人居住;
3
這是因居民所行的惡,去燒香事奉別神,就是他們和你們,並你們列祖所不認識的神,惹我發怒。
4
我從早起來差遣我的僕人眾先知去說,你們切不要行我所厭惡這可憎之事。
6
因此,我的怒氣和忿怒都倒出來,在猶大城邑中和耶路撒冷的街市上,如火著起,以致都荒廢淒涼,正如今日一樣。
7
現在耶和華─萬軍之神、以色列的神如此說:你們為何作這大惡自害己命,使你們的男人、婦女、嬰孩,和吃奶的都從猶大中剪除、不留一人呢?
8
就是因你們手所做的,在所去寄居的埃及地向別神燒香惹我發怒,使你們被剪除,在天下萬國中令人咒詛羞辱。
9
你們列祖的惡行,猶大列王和他們后妃的惡行,你們自己和你們妻子的惡行,就是在猶大地、耶路撒冷街上所行的,你們都忘了麼?
10
到如今還沒有懊悔,沒有懼怕,沒有遵行我在你們和你們列祖面前所設立的法度律例。
11
所以萬軍之耶和華─以色列的神如此說:我必向你們變臉降災,以致剪除猶大眾人。
12
那定意進入埃及地、在那裡寄居的,就是所剩下的猶大人,我必使他們盡都滅絕,必在埃及地仆倒,必因刀劍饑荒滅絕;從最小的到至大的都必遭刀劍饑荒而死,以致令人辱罵、驚駭、咒詛、羞辱。
13
我怎樣用刀劍、饑荒、瘟疫刑罰耶路撒冷,也必照樣刑罰那些住在埃及地的猶大人;
14
甚至那進入埃及地寄居的,就是所剩下的猶大人,都不得逃脫,也不得存留歸回猶大地。他們心中甚想歸回居住之地;除了逃脫的以外,一個都不能歸回。
15
那些住在埃及地巴忒羅知道自己妻子向別神燒香的,與旁邊站立的眾婦女,聚集成群,回答耶利米說:
17
我們定要成就我們口中所出的一切話,向天后燒香、澆奠祭,按著我們與我們列祖、君王、首領在猶大的城邑中和耶路撒冷的街市上素常所行的一樣;因為那時我們吃飽飯、享福樂,並不見災禍。
18
自從我們停止向天后燒香、澆奠祭,我們倒缺乏一切,又因刀劍饑荒滅絕。
19
婦女說:我們向天后燒香、澆奠祭,做天后像的餅供奉他,向他澆奠祭,是外乎我們的丈夫麼?
21
你們與你們列祖、君王、首領,並國內的百姓,在猶大城邑中和耶路撒冷街市上所燒的香,耶和華豈不記念,心中豈不思想麼?
22
耶和華因你們所作的惡、所行可憎的事,不能再容忍,所以你們的地荒涼,令人驚駭咒詛,無人居住,正如今日一樣。
23
你們燒香,得罪耶和華,沒有聽從他的話,沒有遵行他的律法、條例、法度,所以你們遭遇這災禍,正如今日一樣。
24
耶利米又對眾民和眾婦女說:你們在埃及地的一切猶大人當聽耶和華的話。
25
萬軍之耶和華─以色列的神如此說:你們和你們的妻都口中說、手裡做,說:我們定要償還所許的願,向天后燒香、澆奠祭。現在你們只管堅定所許的願而償還罷!
26
所以你們住在埃及地的一切猶大人當聽耶和華的話。耶和華說:我指著我的大名起誓,在埃及全地,我的名不再被猶大一個人的口稱呼說:我指著主─永生的耶和華起誓。
27
我向他們留意降禍不降福;在埃及地的一切猶大人必因刀劍、饑荒所滅,直到滅盡。
28
脫離刀劍、從埃及地歸回猶大地的人數很少;那進入埃及地要在那裡寄居的,就是所剩下的猶大人,必知道是誰的話立得住,是我的話呢?是他們的話呢?
29
耶和華說:我在這地方刑罰你們,必有預兆,使你們知道我降禍與你們的話必要立得住。
30
耶和華如此說:我必將埃及王法老合弗拉交在他仇敵和尋索其命的人手中,像我將猶大王西底家交在他仇敵和尋索其命的巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒手中一樣。
Arcana Coelestia # 4292
4292. In the internal historical sense 'he said, Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel' means that they could not as [the descendants of] Jacob play the representative part, except by virtue of the new nature that was imparted to them. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Jacob' in the Word as his descendants, dealt with above in 4281, and from the meaning of 'name' as the essential nature, dealt with immediately above in 4291. The new nature itself is meant by 'Israel' in the internal sense, for 'Israel' is the celestial-spiritual man and consequently the internal man, 4286. And since 'Israel' means the celestial-spiritual man, and so the internal man, 'Israel' also means the internal spiritual Church. For whether you use the expression spiritual man or spiritual Church, it amounts to the same thing because any spiritual person in particular is the Church, even as many are in general. If the individual person in particular were not the Church, no Church in general could exist. The expression Church is used in everyday language to describe a congregation in general; but each member of the congregation must be a Church if that greater Church is to exist. Every general whole incorporates parts that are like that whole.
[2] The implications of this particular matter - the inability of [the descendants on Jacob to play the representative part, except by virtue of the new nature imparted to them, meant by 'Israel' - are as follows: It was specifically Jacob's descendants who were to represent the Church but not specifically Isaac's since Isaac's descended not only through Jacob but also through Esau. Still less was it specifically Abraham's, for Abraham's descended not only through Jacob but also through Esau, and likewise through Ishmael, as well as through his sons by his second wife Keturah, who were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, Shuah, and the sons of these, see Genesis 25:1-4. Now because Jacob's descendants insisted that they should be representative, as shown just above in 4290, they could not represent as Jacob, or as Isaac, or as Abraham. The reason why they could not do so as Jacob was that 'Jacob' represented the external aspect of the Church, but not the internal. And they could not do so as Isaac at the same time or as Abraham at the same time for the reason advanced immediately above.
[3] So that they could represent the Church therefore, a new name had inevitably to be given to Jacob, and through that name a new nature, which new nature was to be a sign of the internal spiritual man, or what amounts to the same, of the internal spiritual Church. That new nature is meant by 'Israel'. Every Church of the Lord is internal and external, as has been shown several times already, the internal Church being that which is represented, the external that which represents. The internal Church is also either spiritual or else celestial, the internal spiritual Church being represented by 'Israel', but the internal celestial Church at a later time by 'Judah'. Therefore a division also took place, and the Israelites became a kingdom on their own and the Jews another on their own. But these matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed later on. From this it is evident that 'Jacob', that is, Jacob's descendants, could not represent the Church as Jacob, for that would have been to represent solely the external aspect of the Church. They had to do so as Israel as well because 'Israel' is the internal aspect.
[4] It has been shown in various places already that it is the internal which is represented and the external which represents, as may also be seen in the human being. A person's speech represents his thought, and a person's action represents his will. Speech and action are the external aspects of the person, thought and will the internal. In addition the various looks seen on a person's face represent both, that is to say, both his thought and his will. It is well known to everyone that the looks on a person's face are representative, for the looks on the faces of people who are sincere enable their interior states to be seen. In short, every part of the body represents some facet of a person's inclination (animus) and mind (mens).
[5] It is similar with the external aspects of the Church, for these are like the body, while its internal aspects are like the soul. There were, for example, the altars and the sacrifices on them, which, as is well known, were external things. There was likewise the bread of the presence, also the lampstand with its lamps, as well as the fire that was kept burning all the time. Anyone can recognize that these external things represented internal ones, as likewise did everything else of a ritual nature. The fact that these external things could not represent anything external, only what was internal, becomes clear from the considerations introduced already. So 'Jacob' could not represent as Jacob, because 'Jacob' means the external aspect of the Church, but he could do so as Israel because 'Israel' means its internal aspect. This is what is meant by a new nature being imparted to enable the descendants of Jacob to play the representative part.