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دانيال 5

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1 بيلشاصّر الملك صنع وليمة عظيمة لعظمائه الالف وشرب خمرا قدام الالف.

2 واذ كان بيلشاصر يذوق الخمر أمر باحضار آنية الذهب والفضة التي اخرجها نبوخذناصّر ابوه من الهيكل الذي في اورشليم ليشرب بها الملك وعظماؤه وزوجاته وسراريه.

3 حينئذ احضروا آنية الذهب التي أخرجت من هيكل بيت الله الذي في اورشليم وشرب بها الملك وعظماؤه وزوجاته وسراريه.

4 كانوا يشربون الخمر ويسبحون آلهة الذهب والفضة والنحاس والحديد والخشب والحجر

5 في تلك الساعة ظهرت اصابع يد انسان وكتبت بازاء النبراس على مكلس حائط قصر الملك والملك ينظر طرف اليد الكاتبة.

6 حينئذ تغيّرت هيئة الملك وافزعته افكاره وانحلّت خرز حقويه واصطكت ركبتاه.

7 فصرخ الملك بشدة لادخال السحرة والكلدانيين والمنجمين. فاجاب الملك وقال لحكماء بابل اي رجل يقرأ هذه الكتابة ويبيّن لي تفسيرها فانه يلبّس الارجوان وقلادة من ذهب في عنقه ويتسلط ثالثا في المملكة.

8 ثم دخل كل حكماء الملك فلم يستطيعوا ان يقرأوا الكتابة ولا ان يعرّفوا الملك بتفسيرها.

9 ففزع الملك بيلشاصر جدا وتغيّرت فيه هيئته واضطرب عظماؤه.

10 اما الملكة فلسبب كلام الملك وعظمائه دخلت بيت الوليمة فاجابت الملكة وقالت ايها الملك عش الى الابد. لا تفزعك افكارك ولا تتغيّر هيئتك.

11 يوجد في مملكتك رجل فيه روح الآلهة القدوسين وفي ايام ابيك وجدت فيه نيّرة وفطنة وحكمة كحكمة الآلهة والملك نبوخذناصّر ابوك جعله كبير المجوس والسحرة والكلدانيين والمنجمين. ابوك الملك.

12 من حيث ان روحا فاضلة ومعرفة وفطنة وتعبير الاحلام وتبيين ألغاز وحلّ عقد وجدت في دانيال هذا الذي سماه الملك بلطشاصر. فليدع الآن دانيال فيبيّن التفسير

13 حينئذ ادخل دانيال الى قدام الملك. فاجاب الملك وقال لدانيال أأنت هو دانيال من بني سبي يهوذا الذي جلبه ابي الملك من يهوذا.

14 قد سمعت عنك ان فيك روح الآلهة وان فيك نيّرة وفطنة وحكمة فاضلة.

15 والآن أدخل قدامي الحكماء والسحرة ليقرأوا هذه الكتابة ويعرّفوني بتفسيرها فلم يستطيعوا ان يبيّنوا تفسير الكلام.

16 وانا قد سمعت عنك انك تستطيع ان تفسر تفسيرا وتحل عقدا. فان استطعت الآن ان تقرأ الكتابة وتعرّفني بتفسيرها فتلبّس الارجوان وقلادة من ذهب في عنقك وتتسلط ثالثا في المملكة

17 فاجاب دانيال وقال قدام الملك. لتكن عطاياك لنفسك وهب هباتك لغيري. لكني اقرأ الكتابة للملك واعرّفه بالتفسير.

18 انت ايها الملك فالله العلي اعطى اباك نبوخذناصّر ملكوتا وعظمة وجلالا وبهاء.

19 وللعظمة التي اعطاه اياها كانت ترتعد وتفزع قدامه جميع الشعوب والامم والألسنة. فايّا شاء قتل وايّا شاء استحيا وايّا شاء رفع وايّا شاء وضع.

20 فلما ارتفع قلبه وقست روحه تجبّرا انحط عن كرسي ملكه ونزعوا عنه جلاله

21 وطرد من بين الناس وتساوى قلبه بالحيوان وكانت سكناه مع الحمير الوحشية فاطعموه العشب كالثيران وابتلّ جسمه بندى السماء حتى علم ان الله العلي سلطان في مملكة الناس وانه يقيم عليها من يشاء.

22 وانت يا بيلشاصر ابنه لم تضع قلبك مع انك عرفت كل هذا.

23 بل تعظمت على رب السماء فاحضروا قدامك آنية بيته وانت وعظمائك وزوجاتك وسراريك شربتم بها الخمر وسبّحت آلهة الفضة والذهب والنحاس والحديد والخشب والحجر التي لا تبصر ولا تسمع ولا تعرف. اما الله الذي بيده نسمتك وله كل طرقك فلم تمجده.

24 حينئذ أرسل من قبله طرف اليد فكتبت هذه الكتابة.

25 وهذه هي الكتابة التي سطّرت. منا منا تقيل وفرسين.

26 وهذا تفسير الكلام منا احصى الله ملكوتك وانهاه.

27 تقيل وزنت بالموازين فوجدت ناقصا.

28 فرس قسمت مملكتك وأعطيت لمادي وفارس

29 حينئذ أمر بيلشاصر ان يلبّسوا دانيال الارجوان وقلادة من ذهب في عنقه وينادوا عليه انه يكون متسلطا ثالثا في المملكة.

30 في تلك الليلة قتل بيلشاصر ملك الكلدانيين

31 فاخذ المملكة داريوس المادي وهو ابن اثنتين وستين سنة

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #373

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373. And he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. That this signifies the estimation of truth from the Word in that state of the church, is clear from the signification of him that sat on the horse, as denoting the Word (see above, n. 355, 356, 365); and from the signification of the balance in his hand, as denoting the estimation of truth thence. For all measures and weights mentioned in the Word, signify the estimation of the thing treated of as to good and as to truth, the numbers adjoined determining the estimation as to the quality and quantity thereof; as in the present case, a measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny, which we shall explain presently. There were several measures in the representative church, as the omer, the homer, the ephah, the bath, the hin (concerning which see the Arcana Coelestia 10262); and besides there were balances and scales, by which weighings and balancings were effected, and by these specifically are signified estimations of anything as to truth. On this account the weights of the scales were stones, or made of stone, for by stones in the Word are signified truths. That the weights were stones, or of stone, appears from Leviticus 19:36; Deuteronomy 25:13; 2 Sam. 14:26; Isaiah 34:11; Zech. 4:10. That stones in the Word signify truths, may be seen, n. 643, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376. Here, therefore, by the balance in the hand of him that sat on the black horse, is signified the estimation of truth from the Word.

[2] That he who sat upon the horses, not only upon the white horse, but upon the red, the black, and the pale horses, signifies, the Word, and by the horses, according to their colours, is signified the understanding thereof - by the red horse the understanding of the Word destroyed as to good, and by the black horse the understanding of the Word destroyed as to truth has been shown above. But because it cannot easily be comprehended that he who sat on the horses signifies the Word, in consequence of the red and the black horses signifying the understanding of the Word destroyed as to good and as to truth, therefore it shall be explained how the case is. The Word in itself is the Divine truth itself, but the understanding thereof is according to the state of the man who reads it; the man who is not in good perceives nothing of the good therein, and the man who is not in truths sees nothing of the truth therein; the reason of this, therefore, is not in the Word, but in him who reads it. Hence it is evident that he who sat on the horses still signifies the Word, although the horses themselves signify the understanding of the Word destroyed as to good and as to truth. That he who sat upon the white horse signifies the Word, plainly appears in the Apocalypse (19:13), where it is said:

"The name of him who sat upon that horse is called the Word of God."

[3] That by a balance or scales is signified estimation, and also just arrangement, which is effected by truths, is clear in Daniel:

The writing appeared upon the wall before Belshazzar the king of Babylon when he was drinking out of the vessels of gold and silver belonging to the temple of Jerusalem, "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin," that is, numbered, numbered, weighed, divided. "This is the interpretation of these words: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting. Upharsin; the kingdom is divided, and given to the Mede and Persian" (5:5, 25-28).

By this matter of history, in the internal sense, is described the profanation of good and truth, which is signified by Babylon; for Belshazzar was king in Babylon, and by a king in the Word is signified the same as by the nation or kingdom itself over which he reigns. The profanation of the good and truth of the church is signified by his drinking out of the vessels of gold and silver belonging to the temple of Jerusalem, and at the same time praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone (as mentioned in verse 4). By the golden and silver vessels of the temple of Jerusalem the good and truth of heaven and the church are signified; by gold good, and by silver truth; and by praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone, is signified idolatrous worship of every kind, thus external worship without any internal, such as exists with those who are understood by Babylon. That there is no church at all with such persons, because there is nothing of the good and nothing of the truth of the church in them, is signified by the writing from heaven; for by, numbered, numbered, is signified exploration as to good and truth; and by being weighed in the balance, is signified, estimation according to their quality, and judgment; and by being divided, is signified dispersion, extermination, and separation from the good and truth of the church; and by kingdom is signified the church; hence it is evident, that by being weighed in the scale or balance, is signified estimation according to quality thereof. (That to divide signifies to disperse, to exterminate, and to separate from good and truth, may be seen, n. 4424, 6360, 6361, 9093.) The reason why a kingdom denotes the church, is because the Lord's kingdom is where the church is, therefore those who belong to the church are called "the sons of the kingdom" (Matthew 8:12; 13:38).

[4] In Isaiah:

"Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and measured the heavens with a span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a tierce, and weighed the mountains in a scale, and the hills in balances?" (40:12).

By the measures here are described the just arrangement and estimation of all things in heaven and in the church, according to the quality of good and truth. The measures here are, the hollow of the hand, the span, the tierce, the scale, and balances; by waters are signified truths; by the heavens, interior or spiritual truths and goods; by the dust of the earth, exterior or natural truths and goods, both of heaven and the church; by mountains, the goods of love; by hills, the goods of charity; and by weighing them, to estimate and arrange according to their quality. That these things are signified by those words, no one can see except from the knowledge of correspondences.

[5] Because the just estimation and exploration of good and truth are signified in the Word by measures, therefore it was commanded that the measures should be just, and not fraudulent, in Moses:

"Ye shall not deal perversely in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just stones, a just ephah, and a just hin shall ye have" (Leviticus 19:35, 36);

and therefore also justice, where there is meant thereby the estimation and exploration of men according to the quality of the good and truth with them, is everywhere in the Word expressed by scales, balances, and by ephahs, omers, homers, seas, hins (as in Job 6:2; 31:6); and injustice is expressed by scales and balances of fraud and deceit (as in Hosea 12:7; Amos 8:5; Micah 6:11).

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.