The Bible

 

以西结书 7

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1 耶和华的又临到我

2 人子啊,耶和华以色列如此:结局到了,结局到了境!

3 现在你的结局已经临到,我必使我的怒气归与你,也必按你的行为审判你,照你一切可憎的事刑罚你。

4 我眼必不顾惜你,也不可怜你,却要按你所行的报应你,照你中间可憎的事刑罚你。你就知道我是耶和华

5 耶和华如此:有灾,独有灾;看哪,临近了!

6 结局来了,结局来了,向你兴起。看哪,到了!

7 境内的居民哪,所定的灾临到你,时候到了,日子近了,乃是哄嚷并非在上欢呼的日子。

8 我快要将我的忿怒倾在你身上,向你成就我怒中所定的,按你的行为审判你,照你一切可憎的事刑罚你。

9 我眼必不顾惜你,也不可怜你,必按你所行的报应你,照你中间可憎的事刑罚你。你就知道击打你的是我耶和华

10 看哪,看哪,日子快到了,所定的灾已经发出。杖已经开花,骄傲已经发芽。

11 强暴兴起,成了罚恶的杖。以色列人,或是他们的群众,或是他们的财宝,无一存留,他们中间也没有得尊荣的。

12 时候到了,日子近了,买主不可欢喜,卖主不可愁烦,因为烈怒已经临到他们众人身上。

13 主虽然存活,却不能归回再得所的,因为这异象关乎他们众。谁都不得归回,也没有在他的罪孽中坚立自己。

14 他们已经吹角,预备齐全,却无一人出战,因为我的烈怒临到他们众人身上。

15 在外有刀,在内有瘟疫、饥荒;在田野的,必遭刀;在城中的,必有饥荒、瘟疫吞灭他。

16 其中所逃脱的就必逃脱,各人因自己的罪孽在上发出悲声,好像谷中的鸽子哀鸣。

17 都发软,膝弱如

18 要用麻布束腰,被战兢所盖;各人脸上羞愧,上光

19 他们要将子抛在街上,子看如污秽之物。当耶和华发怒的日子,他们的不能救他们,不能使心里知足,也不能使肚腹饱满,因为这作了他们罪孽的绊脚石。

20 论到耶和华妆饰华美的殿,他建立得威严,他们却在其中制造可憎可厌的偶像,所以这殿我使他们看如污秽之物。

21 我必将这殿交付外邦人为掠物,交付上的恶人为掳物;他们也必亵渎这殿。

22 我必脸不顾以色列人,他们亵渎我隐密之所,强盗也必进去亵渎。

23 要制造锁炼;因为这遍满流血的罪,城邑充满强暴的事,

24 所以我必使列国中最恶的人占据他们的房屋;我必使强暴人的骄傲止息,他们的圣所都要被亵渎。

25 毁灭临近了,他们要求平安,却无平安可得。

26 灾害加上灾害,风声接连风声;他们必向先知异象,但祭司讲的律法、长老设的谋略都必断绝。

27 君要悲哀,王要披凄凉为衣,国民的都发颤。我必照他们的行为待他们,按他们应得的审判他们,他们就知道我是耶和华

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #538

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538. Having seven heads. This symbolizes irrationality owing to their falsifying and profaning the Word's truths.

A head symbolizes wisdom and intelligence, and in an opposite sense, irrationality. However, the seven heads here, being the heads of the dragon, symbolize more specifically irrationality owing to a falsification and profanation of the Word's truths. For the number seven is predicated of things that are holy, and in an opposite sense, of things that are profane (no. 10). Consequently we are told next that on its heads were seen seven jewels, 1 and jewels symbolize the Word's truths, there truths falsified and profaned.

That a head symbolizes wisdom and intelligence is apparent from the following passages:

I will give you wise and intelligent men..., and I will make them your heads. (Deuteronomy 1:13)

...Jehovah... has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. (Isaiah 29:10)

In Daniel 2:32 the head of Nebuchadnezzar's image of fine gold symbolizes the wisdom of the first age, which existed in people of the Most Ancient Church.

That in an opposite sense a head symbolizes irrationality and foolishness is apparent in the book of Psalms:

God will smite the head of His enemies, the hairy crown of the one who walks in his guilty ways. (Psalms 68:21)

In Genesis 3:15 the head of the serpent that would be trampled has the same symbolism, and so does "striking the head over much land" in Psalms 110:6-7; Lamentations 2:10; 2 Samuel 13:19).

Moreover, seven heads later in the book of Revelation, namely, in Revelation 13:1, 3; 17:3, 7, 9, also symbolize irrationality owing to a falsification and profanation of truths.

Footnotes:

1. The word translated as "jewels" here means diadems or crowns in the original Greek and Latin, but the writer's definition of the term elsewhere make plain that he regularly and consistently interpreted it to mean jewels or gems.

  
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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.