The Bible

 

ارميا 44

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1 الكلمة التي صارت الى ارميا من جهة كل اليهود الساكنين في ارض مصر الساكنين في مجدل وفي تحفنحيس وفي نوف وفي ارض فتروس قائلة.

2 هكذا قال رب الجنود اله اسرائيل. انتم رأيتم كل الشر الذي جلبته على اورشليم وعلى كل مدن يهوذا فها هي خربة هذا اليوم وليس فيها ساكن

3 من اجل شرهم الذي فعلوه ليغيظوني اذ ذهبوا ليبخروا ويعبدوا آلهة اخرى لم يعرفوها هم ولا انتم ولا آباؤكم.

4 فارسلت اليكم كل عبيدي الانبياء مبكرا ومرسلا قائلا لا تفعلوا امر هذا الرجس الذي ابغضته.

5 فلم يسمعوا ولا امالوا اذنهم ليرجعوا عن شرهم فلا يبخروا لآلهة اخرى.

6 فانسكب غيظي وغضبي واشتعلا في مدن يهوذا وفي شوارع اورشليم فصارت خربة مقفرة كهذا اليوم.

7 فالآن هكذا قال الرب اله الجنود اله اسرائيل. لماذا انتم فاعلون شرا عظيما ضد انفسكم لانقراضكم رجالا ونساء اطفالا ورضعا من وسط يهوذا ولا تبقى لكم بقية.

8 لاغاظتي باعمال اياديكم اذ تبخرون لآلهة اخرى في ارض مصر التي اتيتم اليها لتتغربوا فيها لكي تنقرضوا ولكي تصيروا لعنة وعارا بين كل امم الارض.

9 هل نسيتم شرور آبائكم وشرور ملوك يهوذا وشرور نسائهم وشروركم وشرور نسائكم التي فعلت في ارض يهوذا وفي شوارع اورشليم.

10 لم يذلّوا الى هذا اليوم ولا خافوا ولا سلكوا في شريعتي وفرائضي التي جعلتها امامكم وامام آبائكم

11 لذلك هكذا قال رب الجنود اله اسرائيل. هانذا اجعل وجهي عليكم للشر ولأقرض كل يهوذا.

12 وآخذ بقية يهوذا الذين جعلوا وجوههم للدخول الى ارض مصر ليتغربوا هناك فيفنون كلهم في ارض مصر. يسقطون بالسيف وبالجوع يفنون من الصغير الى الكبير بالسيف والجوع يموتون ويصيرون حلفا ودهشا ولعنة وعارا.

13 واعاقب الذين يسكنون في ارض مصر كما عاقبت اورشليم بالسيف والجوع والوبإ.

14 ولا يكون ناج ولا باق لبقية يهوذا الآتين ليتغربوا هناك في ارض مصر ليرجعوا الى ارض يهوذا التي يشتاقون الى الرجوع لاجل السكن فيها لانه لا يرجع منهم الا المنفلتون

15 فاجاب ارميا كل الرجال الذين عرفوا ان نساءهم يبخّرن لآلهة اخرى وكل النساء الواقفات محفل كبير وكل الشعب الساكن في ارض مصر في فتروس قائلين

16 اننا لا نسمع لك الكلمة التي كلمتنا بها باسم الرب

17 بل سنعمل كل امر خرج من فمنا فنبخر لملكة السموات ونسكب لها سكائب كما فعلنا نحن وآباؤنا وملوكنا ورؤساؤنا في ارض يهوذا وفي شوارع اورشليم فشبعنا خبزا وكنا بخير ولم نر شرا.

18 ولكن من حين كففنا عن التبخير لملكة السموات وسكب سكائب لها احتجنا الى كل وفنينا بالسيف والجوع.

19 واذ كنا نبخر لملكة السموات ونسكب لها سكائب فهل بدون رجالنا كنا نصنع لها كعكا لنعبدها ونسكب لها السكائب

20 فكلم ارميا كل الشعب الرجال والنساء وكل الشعب الذين جاوبوه بهذا الكلام قائلا

21 أليس البخور الذي بخرتموه في مدن يهوذا وفي شوارع اورشليم انتم وآباؤكم وملوككم ورؤساؤكم وشعب الارض هو الذي ذكره الرب وصعد على قلبه.

22 ولم يستطع الرب ان يحتمل بعد من اجل شر اعمالكم من اجل الرجاسات التي فعلتم فصارت ارضكم خربة ودهشا ولعنة بلا ساكن كهذا اليوم.

23 من اجل انكم قد بخرتم واخطأتم الى الرب ولم تسمعوا لصوت الرب ولم تسلكوا في شريعته وفرائضه وشهاداته من اجل ذلكم قد اصابكم هذا الشر كهذا اليوم.

24 ثم قال ارميا لكل الشعب ولكل النساء اسمعوا كلمة الرب يا جميع يهوذا الذين في ارض مصر.

25 هكذا تكلم رب الجنود اله اسرائيل قائلا. انتم ونساؤكم تكلمتم بفمكم واكملتم باياديكم قائلين اننا انما نتمم نذورنا التي نذرناها ان نبخر لملكة السموات ونسكب لها سكائب فانهنّ يقمن نذوركم ويتممن نذوركم.

26 لذلك اسمعوا كلمة الرب يا جميع يهوذا الساكنين في ارض مصر. هانذا قد حلفت باسمي العظيم قال الرب ان اسمي لن يسمى بعد بفم انسان ما من يهوذا في كل ارض مصر قائلا حيّ السيد الرب.

27 هانذا اسهر عليهم للشر لا للخير فيفنى كل رجال يهوذا الذين في ارض مصر بالسيف والجوع حتى يتلاشوا.

28 والناجون من السيف يرجعون من ارض مصر الى ارض يهوذا نفرا قليلا فيعلم كل بقية يهوذا الذين أتوا الى ارض مصر ليتغربوا فيها كلمة ايّنا تقوم

29 وهذه هي العلامة لكم يقول الرب اني اعاقبكم في هذا الموضع لتعلموا انه لا بد ان يقوم كلامي عليكم للشر.

30 هكذا قال الرب. هانذا ادفع فرعون حفرع ملك مصر ليد اعدائه وليد طالبي نفسه كما دفعت صدقيا ملك يهوذا ليد نبوخذراصر ملك بابل عدوه وطالب نفسه

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #598

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598. 13:13 "It also performs great signs." This symbolizes certifications that their teachings are true, even though they are false.

Signs symbolize certifications that things are true, because signs once occurred to attest to a truth. But after signs and miracles ceased, their symbolism still remained, which is the certification of a truth. Here, however, signs symbolize certifications by the beast or false prophet that its falsities were true, because that is how falsities appear after they are defended.

That signs symbolize certifications that something is true can be seen from the following passages:

(At the end of the age) false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22).

There will also be fearful... signs from heaven... There will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars..., the sea and the waves roaring. (Luke 21:11, 25)

(Jehovah) frustrates the signs of liars, drives diviners mad, turning back wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish. (Isaiah 44:25)

Do not learn the way of the gentiles, and do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven. (Jeremiah 10:2)

...they are spirits of demons, performing signs..., to gather them to the battle of that great day... (Revelation 16:14)

Then the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who worked signs in its presence, (and) led astray... (Revelation 19:20)

[2] That signs were certifications that something was a truth is further apparent from the following:

(The disciples said to Jesus,) "What sign do You perform then, that we may... believe You? What work do You do?" (John 6:30-33)

The Jews, scribes and Pharisees sought a sign from the Lord, that they might know He was the Christ (Matthew 12:38-40; 16:1-4, Mark 8:11-12.

(The disciples said to Jesus,) "What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3, cf. Mark 13:4)

...if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, still they will believe the message of the latter sign. (Exodus 4:8-9)

The message of a sign is a certification.

They have set among them the messages of His signs... (Psalms 105:27)

(Jehovah said to Ahaz,) "Ask a sign for yourself from Jehovah...." (Isaiah 7:11, 14)

This is the sign to you from Jehovah...: "Behold, I will turn back the shadow on the sundial, which has gone down on the sundial of Ahaz...." (Isaiah 38:7-8)

Hezekiah said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of Jehovah?" (Isaiah 38:22)

This shall be a sign to you..., that I will visit you in this place, that you may know that My words will... stand... (Jeremiah 44:29-30)

Show me a sign (O Jehovah) for good, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed. (Psalms 86:17)

They will... announce to us what will happen..., that we may set our heart... Show the sign that is to come..., that we may know that you are gods. (Isaiah 41:22-23)

Your enemies roar in the midst of your festival; they set up their banners as signs. (Psalms 74:3-4, 9)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 45:11; 55:13; Jeremiah 32:20-21; Ezekiel 4:3; Psalms 65:6-8; 78:42, 43; Exodus 7:3; Numbers 14:11, 22; Deuteronomy 4:34; 13:1-3; Judges 6:17, 21; 1 Samuel 2:34; 14:10; Mark 16:17, 18, 20; Luke 2:11, 12, 16).

Signs of the covenant have a similar symbolic meaning in Genesis 9:13; 17:11, Ezekiel 20:12, 20.

[3] It can be clearly seen from this that the great signs that this beast of the dragon performed do not mean signs, but certifications by the clergy that their teachings are true. For every heretic who confirms himself in falsities, afterward certifies that his falsities are true. Indeed, he does not see truths any longer, since the certification of a falsity is a denial of the truth, and truth denied loses its light. Moreover, in the measure that the light of their certification causes falsities to shine with an illusory light, in the same measure the light of truth becomes darkness (as may be seen in no. 566 above).

  
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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.

The Bible

 

Matthew 16

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1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

2 But he answered them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.'

3 In the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can't discern the signs of the times!

4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah." He left them, and departed.

5 The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take bread.

6 Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

7 They reasoned among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread."

8 Jesus, perceiving it, said, "Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, 'because you have brought no bread?'

9 Don't you yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?

10 Nor the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?

11 How is it that you don't perceive that I didn't speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

12 Then they understood that he didn't tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"

14 They said, "Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."

15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17 Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

18 I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

19 I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in Heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in Heaven."

20 Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.

22 Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you."

23 But he turned, and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men."

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.

26 For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?

27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.

28 Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death, until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."