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但以理书 7

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1 巴比伦王伯沙撒元年,但以理在床上做梦,见了脑中的异象,就记录这梦,述其中的大意。

2 但以理:我夜里见异象,看见天的四风陡起,刮在大海之上。

3 有四个大兽从海中上来,形状各有不同:

4 头一个像狮子,有鹰的翅膀;我正观看的时候,兽的翅膀被拔去,兽从地上得立起来,用两脚站立,像人一样,又得了人心。

5 又有一兽如,就是第二兽,旁跨而坐,口齿内衔着根肋骨。有吩咐这兽的起来吞吃多肉。

6 此後我观看,又有一兽如豹,背上有鸟的四个翅膀;这兽有四个头,又得了权柄。

7 其後我在夜间的异象中观看,见第四兽甚是可怕,极其强壮,大有力量,有大铁牙,吞吃嚼碎,所剩下的用脚践踏。这兽与前三兽大不相同,头有十角。

8 我正观看这些角,见其中又长起一个小角;先前的角中有角在这角前,连根被他拔出来。这角有眼,像人的眼,有口说夸大的话。

9 我观看,见有宝座设立,上头坐着亘古常在者。他的衣服洁白如雪,头发如纯净的羊毛。宝座乃火焰,其乃烈火。

10 从他面前有火,像河发出;事奉他的有千千,在他面前侍立的有万万;他坐着要行审判,案卷都展开了

11 那时我观看,见那兽因小角夸大话的声音被杀,身体损坏,扔在火中焚烧。

12 其馀的兽,权柄都被夺去,生命却仍存留,直到所定的时候和日期。

13 我在夜间的异象中观看,见有一位像人子的,驾着天云而来,被领到亘古常在者面前,

14 得了权柄、荣耀、国度,使各方、各国、各族的人都事奉他。他的权柄是永远的,不能废去;他的国必不败坏。

15 至於我─但以理,我的灵在我里面愁烦,我脑中的异象使我惊惶。

16 我就近一位侍立者,问他这一切的真情。他就告诉我,将那事的讲解给我明。

17 这四个大兽就是四王将要在世上兴起。

18 然而,至者的圣民,必要得国享受,直到永永远远。

19 那时我愿知道第四兽的真情,他为何与那三兽的真情大不相同,甚是可怕,有牙铜爪,吞吃嚼碎,所剩下的用脚践踏;

20 头有十角和那另长的一角,在这角前有角被他打落。这角有眼,有夸大话的口,形状强横,过於他的同类。

21 我观看,见这角与圣民争战,胜了他们。

22 直到亘古常在者来给至者的圣民伸冤,圣民得国的时候就到了。

23 那侍立者这样:第四兽就是世上必有的第四国,与一切国大不相同,必吞吃全地,并且践踏嚼碎。

24 至於那十角,就是从这国中必兴起的十王,後来又兴起一王,与先前的不同;他必制伏王。

25 他必向至夸大的话,必折磨至者的圣民,必想改变节期和律。圣民必交付他手一载、二载、半载。

26 然而,审判者必坐着行审判;他的权柄必被夺去,毁坏,灭绝,一直到底。

27 国度、权柄,和天诸国的大权必赐给至者的圣民。他的国是永远的;一切掌权的都必事奉他,顺从他。

28 那事至此完毕。至於我─但以理,心中甚是惊惶,脸色也改变了,却将那事存记在心。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #574

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574. And its mouth like the mouth of a lion. This symbolizes their reasonings based on falsities as though on truths.

A mouth symbolizes doctrine, preaching and discourse (no. 454), here reasoning based on doctrinal falsities, because the head containing the mouth symbolizes irrationality resulting from absolute falsities (no. 568). A lion symbolizes Divine truth in its power (nos. 241, 471), but here falsities in their power appearing as truth as a result of reasonings (no. 573). Consequently its mouth like the mouth of a lion symbolizes reasonings based on falsities as though on truths.

That the symbolic meanings of a leopard, bear and lion are as stated can be seen from the similar beasts that Daniel saw, which are described as follows:

Four great beasts came up from the sea... The first was like a lion, but had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on its feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. ...a second beast (was) like a bear, and it raised itself up on one side, had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth, and was told, "Arise, devour much flesh!" ...(the third beast was) like a leopard, which had on its back four wings, like those of a bird, and the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. ...a fourth beast (was) dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong, which had... iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet. (Daniel 7:3-7)

[2] These four beasts describe succeeding states of the church, from its first state to its last, until it was completely desolate of any good or truth of the Word prior to the Lord's advent. The lion symbolizes the Divine truth of the Word in the first state, by which the church was established. This is what is meant by its being lifted up from the earth and made to stand on its feet like a man, and its being given a man's heart.

The bear describes the church's second state, a state in which the Word is indeed read, but not understood. The three ribs between its teeth symbolize appearances and misconceptions, and much flesh symbolizes the literal sense of the Word in its totality.

The church's third state is described by the leopard, which symbolizes the Word falsified in respect to its truths. The four wings on its back, like those of a bird, symbolize affirmations of falsities.

The fourth and last state of the church is described by the beast which was dreadful and terrible, which symbolizes the destruction of any goodness or truth. That is why we are told that it broke in pieces and devoured, and trampled the residue with its feet.

Finally the Lord's advent is described, and the destruction of the church at that time and the establishment of a new one, from verse 9 to the end of the chapter.

[3] Daniel saw these four beasts come up from the sea one after another, but John saw the aforementioned three beasts, also from the sea, united in a single body. That is because in Daniel they describe succeeding states of the church, whereas in the book of Revelation here they describe the last state, in which all the prior states are present concurrently. Moreover, because this beast was seen to have a body like a leopard, feet like a bear, and a mouth like a lion, the leopard and bear mentioned in the one place and the other have the same symbolism. However, the mouth like that of a lion symbolizes reasonings based on falsities, because we are later told that the beast used its mouth to speak blasphemies (verses 5, 6), and because its heads symbolize irrationality resulting from absolute falsities.

  
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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.