The Bible

 

耶利米书 51

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1 耶和华如此:我必使毁灭的刮起,攻击巴比伦和在立加米的人。

2 我要打发外邦人来到巴比伦,簸扬他,使他的空虚。在他遭祸的日子,他们要周围攻击他。

3 的,要向拉的和贯甲挺身的射箭。不要怜惜他的少年人;要灭尽他的全军。

4 他们必在迦勒底人被杀仆倒,在巴比伦的街上被刺透。

5 以色列犹大虽然境内充满违背以色列圣者的罪,却没有被他的─万军之耶和华丢弃。

6 你们要从巴比伦中逃奔,各自己的性命!不要陷在他的罪孽中一同灭亡;因为这是耶和华报仇的时候,他必向巴比伦施行报应。

7 巴比伦素来是耶和华中的杯,使天下沉;万国了他的酒就颠狂了。

8 巴比伦忽然倾覆毁坏;要为他哀号;为止他的疼痛,拿乳香或者可以治好。

9 我们想医治巴比伦,他却没有治好。离开他罢!我们归回本国;因为他受的审判通於上,达到穹苍。

10 耶和华已经彰显我们的公罢!我们可以在锡安报告耶和华我们的作为。

11 你们要磨尖了箭头,抓住盾牌。耶和华定意攻击巴比伦,将他毁灭,所以激动了玛代君的心;因这是耶和华报仇,就是为自己的殿报仇。

12 你们要竖立大旗,攻击巴比伦的城墙,要坚固瞭望台,派定守望的设下埋伏,

13 住在众水之上多有财宝的啊,你的结局到了!你贪婪之量满了!

14 万军之耶和华指着自己起誓说:我必使敌人充满你,像蚂蚱一样;他们必呐喊攻击你。

15 耶和华用能力创造大,用智慧建立世界,用聪明铺张穹苍。

16 他一发声,空中便有多水激动;他使云雾从极上腾。他造电随而闪,从他府中带出来。

17 各人都成了畜类,毫无知识。各银匠都因他的偶像羞愧;他所铸的偶像本是虚假的,其中并无气息,

18 都是虚无的,是迷惑人的工作,到追讨的时候,必被除灭。

19 雅各的分不像这些,因他是造作万有的;以色列也是他产业的支派。万军之耶和华是他的名。

20 你是我争战的斧子和打仗的兵器;我要用你打碎列国,用你毁灭列邦;

21 用你打碎和骑的;用你打碎战车和坐在其上的;

22 用你打碎男人女人;用你打碎老年和少年;用你打碎壮丁和处女;

23 用你打碎牧人和他的群畜;用你打碎农夫和他一对牛;用你打碎省长和副省长。

24 耶和华:我必在你们眼前报复巴比伦人和迦勒底居民在锡安所行的诸恶。

25 耶和华:你这行毁灭的哪,就是毁灭天下的,我与你反对。我必向你伸,将你从岩滚下去,使你成为烧毁的

26 人必不从你那里取石头为房角,也不取石头根基;你必永远荒凉。这是耶和华的。

27 要在境内竖立大旗,在各国中吹角,使列国预备攻击巴比伦,将亚拉腊、米尼、亚实基拿各国招来攻击他;又派军长来攻击他,使马匹上来如蚂蚱,

28 使列国和玛代君,与省长和副省长,并他们所管全之人,都预备攻击他。

29 必震动而瘠苦;因耶和华向巴比伦所定的旨意成立了,使巴比伦之荒凉,无人居住

30 巴比伦的勇士止息争战,藏在坚垒之中。他们的勇力衰尽,好像妇女一样。巴比伦的处有火着起,门闩都折断了。

31 通报的要彼此相遇,送信的要互相迎接,报告巴比伦王说:城的四方被攻取了,

32 渡口被占据了,苇塘被烧了,兵丁也惊慌了。

33 万军之耶和华以色列的如此:巴比伦城(原文作女子)好像踹谷的禾场;再过片时,收割他的时候就到了。

34 以色列人说:巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒灭我,压碎我,使我成为空虚的器皿。他像大鱼将我吞下,用我的美物充满他的肚腹,又将我赶出去。

35 锡安的居民:巴比伦以强暴待我,损害我的身体,愿这罪归给他。耶路撒冷人要:愿流我们血的罪归到迦勒底居民

36 所以,耶和华如此:我必为你伸冤,为你报仇;我必使巴比伦的枯竭,使他的泉源乾涸。

37 巴比伦必成为乱,为野狗的处,令人惊骇、嗤笑,并且无人居住

38 他们要像少壮狮子咆哮,像小狮子吼叫。

39 他们火热的时候,我必为他们设摆酒席,使他们沉醉,好叫他们快乐,睡了长觉,永不醒起。这是耶和华的。

40 我必使他们像羊羔、像公绵羊和公山羊到宰杀之地。

41 示沙克(就是巴比伦)何竟被攻取,天下所称赞的何竟被占据?巴比伦在列国中何竟变为荒场?

42 水涨起,漫过巴比伦;他被许多浪遮盖。

43 他的城邑变为荒场、旱、沙漠,无居住,无经过之

44 我必刑罚巴比伦的彼勒,使他吐出所吞的。万民必不再流归他那里;巴比伦的城墙也必坍塌了。

45 我的民哪,你们要从其中出去!各自己,躲避耶和华的烈怒。

46 你们不要心惊胆怯,也不要因境内所见的风声惧;因为这年有风声传;那年也有风声传,境内有强暴的事,官长攻击官长。

47 日子将到,我必刑罚巴比伦雕刻的偶像。他全必然抱愧;他被杀的人必在其中仆倒。

48 那时,和其中所有的,必因巴比伦欢呼,因为行毁灭的要从北方到他那里。这是耶和华的。

49 巴比伦怎样使以色列被杀的人仆倒,照样他全被杀的人也必在巴比伦仆倒。

50 你们躲避刀的要快走,不要站住!要在远方记念耶和华,心中追想耶路撒冷

51 我们见辱骂就蒙羞,满面惭愧,因为外邦人进入耶和华殿的圣所。

52 耶和华:日子将到,我必刑罚巴比伦雕刻的偶像,通国受伤的人必唉哼。

53 巴比伦虽升到上,虽使他坚固的处更坚固,还有行毁灭的从我这里到他那里。这是耶和华的。

54 有哀号的声音从巴比伦出来;有毁灭的响声从迦勒底人发出。

55 耶和华使巴比伦变为荒场,使其中的声灭绝。仇敌彷佛众水波浪匉訇,响声已经发出。

56 这是行毁灭的临到巴比伦。巴比伦的勇士被捉住,他们的折断了;因为耶和华是施行报应的神,必定施行报应。

57 君王─名为万军之耶和华的:我必使巴比伦的首领、智慧人、省长、副省长,和勇士都沉醉,使他们睡了长觉,永不醒起。

58 万军之耶和华如此:巴比伦宽阔的城墙必全然倾倒;他大的城必被焚烧。众民所劳碌的必致虚空;列国所劳碌的被焚烧,他们都必困乏。

59 犹大王西底家在位第四年,上巴比伦去的时候,玛西雅的孙子、尼利亚的儿子西莱雅与王同去(西莱雅是王宫的大臣),先知耶利米吩咐他。

60 耶利米切要临到巴比伦的灾祸,就是论到巴比伦的上。

61 耶利米对西莱雅:你到了巴比伦务要念这书上的

62 耶和华啊,你曾论到这地方:要剪除,甚至连人带牲畜没有在这里居住的,必永远荒凉。

63 你念完了这,就把一块石头拴在上,扔在伯拉中,

64 :巴比伦因耶和华所要降与他的灾祸,必如此沉下去,不再兴起,人民也必困乏。耶利米到此为止。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #727

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727. A rod and staff signify power, and indeed the power of Divine Truth, chiefly for the reason that they were branches or boughs of trees, and these signify the knowledges of truth and good, which are the truths of the natural man; and as they were used to support the body, they signified power. This is yet more true with a rod of iron, because iron also signifies the truth of the natural man, and because of its hardness it signifies power that cannot be resisted. That rods and staves signify the power of Divine Truth is from correspondence. It is from this fact that the use of staffs, in the spiritual world - where all things that appear are correspondences - is representative of the power of those [who use them]; similarly in the Jewish church, which, like the ancient churches, was a representative church. This is why Moses wrought miracles and signs in Egypt, and afterwards in the wilderness, by stretching forth his staff. For instance, the waters smitten by the staff were turned into blood (Exodus 7:1-21). Frogs came up from the rivers and pools, over which the staff was stretched forth (Exodus 8:1, and following verses). From the dust smitten with the staff there came forth lice (Exodus 8:12, and following verses). When the staff was stretched out towards heaven there came thunders and hail (Exodus 9:23). Locusts came forth (Exodus 10:12, and following verses). The sea Suph (Red Sea), when the staff was stretched over it, was divided and afterwards returned (Exodus 14:16, 21, 26). From the rock in Horeb, smitten with the staff, waters came forth (Exodus 17:5, and following verses; Numbers 20:7-13). Joshua prevailed against Amalek when Moses lifted up his hand with the staff, and Amalek prevailed when Moses let it down (Exodus 17:9-12); also, fire went out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes which Gideon offered, when the angel of Jehovah touched them with the end of his staff (Judg. 6:21). These miracles were wrought by the stretching out of the staff, because the staff signified, from correspondence, the power of the Lord by means of Divine Truth; this power was treated of in the preceding article.

[2] That Divine Truth as to power is also signified in other parts of the Word by rods and staves, is evident from the following passages.

In David:

"Yea, when I shall walk in the shady valley I will fear no evil, thy rod and thy staff shall comfort me; thou wilt set before me a table in the presence of mine enemies; and thou wilt make fat my head with oil, my cup shall run over" (Psalm 23:4, 5).

To walk in a shady valley, signifies, in the spiritual sense, an obscure understanding, which does not see truths in their light, Thy rod and thy staff shall comfort me, signifies that spiritual Divine Truth, together with natural Divine Truth, shall protect, because these have power, rod denoting spiritual Divine Truth, staff natural Divine Truth, the two together meaning these as to the power of protecting; for to comfort means to protect. As rod and staff signify Divine truth as to power, these words follow: "Thou wilt set before me a table, thou wilt make fat my head with oil, my cup shall run over," this signifies spiritual nourishment through Divine Truth; for to set a table signifies to be spiritually nourished, to make fat the head with oil signifies through the good of love, while the cup signifies truth of doctrine from the Word, the cup being used here for wine.

[3] In Ezekiel:

"Thy mother was like a vine planted near the waters, whence she had rods of strength for sceptres of them that rule; but she lifted herself up in her stature among the interwoven boughs, therefore she was overturned in anger, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind withered up her fruit; the rods of her strength were broken off and dried up, the fire consumed them all. Now she is planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst; a fire hath gone out from the rod of her branches, and hath consumed her fruit, so that there is not in her a rod of strength, a sceptre of them that rule" (19:10-14).

This describes the desolation of all truth in the Jewish church; the princes, against whom the lamentation is taken up, signify truths, and the mother who became a lioness signifies the church; about these the above is said. Thy mother was like a vine planted near the waters, signifies that the spiritual church, from its establishment, had been instructed in truths, mother denoting the church in general, a vine the spiritual church, in particular, waters truths, while to be planted denotes to be established. Whence she had rods of strength for sceptres of them that rule, signifies that the church had Divine Truth in its power, and thus dominion over the falsities of evil which are from hell, rods of strength denoting Divine Truth as to power, and sceptres Divine Truth as to dominion; for the sceptres of kings were short staves, from a significative tree, here, from the vine. But she lifted herself up in her stature among the thick boughs, signifies the pride of [their] own intelligence from the knowledges (scientifica) of the natural man; such pride is signified by She lifted herself up in her stature, and the knowledges of the natural man are signified by the interwoven boughs. She was overturned in anger, thrown to the ground, signifies its destruction by falsities of evils; the east wind withered her fruit, signifies the destruction of its good, the east wind signifying destruction, and fruit good; that good remaining from the Word with those who are in falsities of evil is meant; and its destruction is signified by the drying up of the fruit by an east wind. The rods of her strength were broken off and dried up, signifies that all Divine Truth was dissipated, consequently that the church had no power against the hells. The fire hath consumed them all, signifies pride from the love of self, which destroyed. Now she is planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst, signifies desolation, until there is no good of truth or truth of good left. A fire hath gone out from the rod of her branches, signifies pride in every particular of it; it hath consumed her fruit, signifies the consumption of good; so that there is not in her a rod of strength, a sceptre of them that rule, signifies the desolation of Divine Truth as to power and as to dominion, as above.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"Say ye, How is the staff of strength broken, the staff of beauty; come down from thy glory and sit in thirst, O thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon; for the spoiler of Moab hath come up against thee, and hath destroyed thy strongholds" (Jeremiah 48:17, 18).

The daughter of Dibon signifies the external of the church, and thus the external of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, and the spoiler of Moab signifies its adulteration. This makes it clear what is signified by The staff of strength is broken, the staff of beauty - namely, that they no longer possessed Divine Truth in its power, which, as it is in the natural sense of the Word, is signified by the staff of strength, and in the spiritual sense by the staff of beauty, Come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst, O thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon, signifies the deprivation and want of Divine Truth; to come down from glory denoting the deprivation thereof, glory meaning Divine Truth in light, and thirst the want of it; for the spoiler of Moab hath come up against thee, signifies the adulteration of the Word as to its literal sense; and hath destroyed thy strongholds, signifies the taking away of defence, a stronghold denoting defence against falsities and evils; the literal sense of the Word is that defence.

[5] In David:

"Jehovah shall send the staff of thy strength out of Zion" (Psalm 110:2).

The staff of strength here also signifies Divine Truth in its power, and Zion the church which is in love to the Lord, and is therefore called a celestial church.

[6] In Micah:

"Tend (pasce) thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine inheritance; they shall feed in Bashan and Gilead according to the days of an age" (7:14).

Tend thy people with thy rod, signifies the instruction of those who are of the church in Divine truths from the Word, to tend signifying to instruct; people mean those of the church who are in truths, and the rod means there the Word, because it is Divine Truth. The flock of heritage signifies those of the church who are in the spiritual things of the Word, which are the truths of its internal sense; they shall feed in Bashan and Gilead, signifies instruction in the goods of the church and in its truths from the natural sense of the Word.

[7] In Isaiah:

"He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the impious" (11:4).

Here also the rod of the mouth of Jehovah signifies Divine Truth or the Word in the natural sense; and the breath of his lips signifies Divine Truth or the Word in the spiritual sense, both of these destroying the falsities of evil in the church, which is signified by smiting the earth and slaying the impious. "To smite with a rod" (Micah 5:1), and "to pierce through with staves the head of the unfaithful" (Habak. 3:14), have a similar signification.

[8] In Moses:

"Israel sang a song" concerning the fountain in Beer; "O fountain, the princes digged, the chiefs of the people digged out, by [command of] the lawgiver with their staffs" (Numbers 21:17, 18).

The fountain in Beer here signifies doctrine from the Word, "Beer" in the original meaning a fountain; the princes who digged, and the chiefs of the people who digged, signify those who are intelligent, and wise from the Lord, who is meant by the lawgiver. The staves with which they digged and digged out, signify the understanding enlightened in Divine truths.

[9] In Zechariah:

"There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and a man in whose hand is a staff (scipio) by reason of the multitude of days" (8:4).

Old men and old women, signify those who are intelligent from doctrine and from affection for truth; the man in whose hand is a staff by reason of the multitude of days, signifies the wise who trust not to themselves but to the Lord alone; that these will be in the church, where there is the doctrine of genuine truth, is signified by In the streets of Jerusalem - Jerusalem denoting the church as to doctrine, and streets truths of doctrine, here genuine truths.

[10] In Jeremiah:

"Every man is become foolish by knowledge (scientia), every goldsmith is made ashamed by the graven image; the part of Jacob is not like these; but he is the Former of all things, and Israel is the staff of his inheritance, Jehovah Zebaoth is his name" (10:14, 16; chap. 51:19).

Every man is become foolish by knowledge, signifies by the knowledges (scientifica) of the natural man separated from the spiritual; every goldsmith is made ashamed by the graven image, signifies by falsities from [their] own intelligence. But He is the Former of all things, signifies the Lord from whom is all understanding of truth; Israel is the staff of his inheritance, signifies the church that has Divine Truth, and its power against falsities; and because the subject here treated of is intelligence through Divine Truth, it is said, "Jehovah Zebaoth is his name." The Lord is called Jehovah Zebaoth from Divine truths in their whole extent, for Zebaoth means armies, and armies signify all the truths and goods of the church and heaven.

[11] When the sons of Israel murmured in the wilderness against Moses and Aaron on account of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, because they were swallowed up by the earth, it was commanded that

"the princes of the twelve tribes should place their staves in the tent of assembly, before the testimony; and when this was done, the staff of Aaron blossomed, and brought forth almonds" (Numbers 17:2-10).

This happened, because they murmured against Jehovah, that is, against the Lord, and indeed against Divine Truth, which is from Him; for Moses and Aaron represented the Lord as to the law, which is the Word; for this reason it was commanded that the princes of the twelve tribes should place their staves in the tent of assembly, before the testimony. For the twelve tribes, and in particular their princes, and also their twelve staves signified the truths of the church in their whole extent, while the tent of assembly represented and thus signified heaven, from which are the truths of the church; and the testimony represented the Lord Himself. The staff of Aaron blossomed and produced almonds, because his staff represented and thus signified truth from the good of love; and because truth from the good of love is the only truth that brings forth fruit, which is the good of charity, therefore it was his staff that blossomed, and brought forth almonds, almonds signifying that good, the same as the tribe of Levi, as may be seen above (n. 444). It must be observed that tribe (tribus) and staff (baculus) are expressed by the same word (as in Numbers 1:16; chap, 2:5, 7); therefore the twelve staves have a similar signification to that of the twelve tribes, namely, the Divine truths of the church in their whole extent. Concerning the twelve tribes, see above (n. 39, 430, 431, 657).

[12] As a staff signifies the power of Divine Truth, it signifies also the power to resist evils and falsities.

In Isaiah:

"Behold, the Lord Jehovah Zebaoth doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the staff and the stay (scipio), the whole staff of bread, and the whole staff of water, the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet" (3:1, 2).

To remove the whole staff of bread and the whole staff of water, signifies here to take away all the good and truth of the church, and when these are taken away there is no longer any power to resist evils and falsities, so as to hinder their free entrance. Bread signifies the good of the church, water its truth, and staff good and truth as to their power to resist evils and falsities; the words therefore follow that the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, will also be removed, and the mighty man and the man of war signify truth fighting against evil and falsity, and the judge and prophet the doctrine of good and truth.

[13] In Ezekiel:

"Behold I break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, that they may eat bread by weight and in carefulness, and drink waters by measure and with astonishment" (4:16).

To break the staff of bread, signifies that good and truth shall fail in the church, for bread here signifies good and truth, therefore the words follow, "They shall eat bread by weight and in carefulness, and drink waters by measure," which signifies a deficiency of good and truth, and thus of the power to resist evils and falsities. To break the staff of bread and of water (Ezekiel 5:16; 14:13; Psalm 105:16; Leviticus 26:26) has a similar signification.

[14] As rod and staff signify the power of Divine Truth, and thus Divine Truth as to power, therefore in the opposite sense they also signify the power of infernal falsity, and thence infernal falsity as to power. In this sense rod and staff are named in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of them that rule" (14:5).

To break the staff of the wicked signifies to destroy the power of falsity from evil; and to break the rod of them that rule, signifies the rule of falsity.

[15] In David:

"The staff of impiety shall not rest upon the lot of the just, that the just may not put forth their hands to perversity" (Psalm 125:3).

The staff of impiety, signifies the power of falsity from evil; upon the lot of the just, signifies over truths from good, which the faithful have, and especially those who are in love to the Lord, for these, in the Word, are called the just; lest the just put forth their hands to perversity, signifies lest they falsify truths.

[16] In Lamentations:

"I am the man that hath seen misery by the rod of his fury; he hath led me into darkness, and not into light" (Lamentations 3:1, 2).

This is said of the devastation of the church; and by the rod of fury is signified the rule of infernal falsity; He hath led me and brought me into darkness, and not into light, signifies into mere falsities, and thus not into truths.

[17] In Isaiah:

"Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor" (9:4).

This is said of the nations who were in falsities from ignorance, because they had not the Word, and to whom therefore the Lord was not known. The evil with which they were oppressed, and the falsity by which they were infested, are signified by the yoke of the burden, the staff of the shoulder, and the rod of the oppressor; to break signifies to destroy these, for to break is said of a yoke, a staff, and a rod, but to destroy is said of evil and falsity, which heavily weigh upon, powerfully persuade and compel to obedience.

[18] In the same:

"At the voice of Jehovah, Asshur shall be dismayed, he shall be smitten with a staff; then every passage of the rod of foundation, upon which Jehovah shall cause to rest, shall be with timbrels and harps" (30:31, 32).

This treats of the time of a last judgment, when there shall be a new church. Asshur who shall be dismayed at the voice of Jehovah, and shall be smitten with a staff, signifies reasoning from falsities, which shall be dispersed by Divine Truth. That then the truths of the literal sense of the Word will be understood and received with joy, is signified by the words, "Then the passage of the rod of the foundation shall be with timbrels and harps," passage signifying opening and free reception, and timbrels and harps signifying the delights of the affection for truth. The truths of the literal sense of the Word are signified by the rod of the foundation, because that sense is a foundation for the truths of its spiritual sense; and as the spiritual sense rests upon the literal sense, it is said, "Upon which Jehovah shall cause to rest."

[19] In Zechariah:

"The pride of Asshur shall be cast down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart" (10:11).

The pride of Asshur signifies the pride of [man's] own intelligence, and the staff of Egypt signifies the power arising from the confirmation of its falsities by the knowledges (scientifica) of the natural man.

[20] In Isaiah:

"Woe to Asshur, the rod of mine anger and the staff of mine indignation, which is in their hand. O my people, inhabitant of Zion, be not afraid of Asshur, that he smite thee with a rod, and lift up his staff upon thee in the way of Egypt" (10:5, 24, 26).

Here also Asshur signifies reasonings from [man's] own intelligence, by which truths are perverted and falsified; the consequent falsities, and perversions of truth, are signified by the rod of mine anger, and by the staff of mine indignation, which is in their hand. That truths will not be perverted with those of the church who are in celestial love and in truths therefrom, is signified by Fear not, O inhabitant of Zion. That he smite thee with a rod, and lift up a staff upon thee in the way of Egypt, signifies that falsity urges, excites, and strives to pervert by means of such things as pertain to the natural man, the way of Egypt denoting the knowledges (scientifica) of the natural man from which reasonings arise. Since Egypt signifies the natural man with the things that are in it, and, the natural man separated from the spiritual is in mere falsities, therefore Egypt is called the staff of a bruised reed, which entereth into and pierceth the hand, when one leaneth upon it (Ezekiel 29:6, 7; Isaiah 36:6). This may be seen explained above (n. 627:10).

[21] In Isaiah:

"Rejoice not, O Philistia, that the rod of him that smiteth thee is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall go forth a basilisk, whose fruit is a fiery flying serpent (prester volans)" (14:29).

That Philistia signifies a religion of faith separated from charity, the serpent's root that false principle, the basilisk the destruction of the good and truth of the church, and the fiery flying serpent reasonings from the falsities of evil, may be seen above (n. 386:3). Thus these serpents have a similar signification to that of the dragon in this chapter of the Apocalypse. That Philistia should not rejoice that the rod of him that smiteth her is broken, signifies that she should not boast that the dominion of that falsity is not yet destroyed.

[22] In Hosea:

"My people ask questions of wood, and their staff answereth them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath seduced them, and they have committed whoredom under their god" (4:12).

This treats of the falsification of the Word. To ask questions of wood, or of an idol of wood, signifies to consult the intelligence which is from their proprium which favours its loves. The staff answereth them, signifies falsity in which confidence is reposed, for when the proprium is consulted falsity replies; the proprium is of the will, thus of the love, and its falsity is of the understanding, thus of the thought. The spirit of whoredoms that has seduced them, signifies the desire to falsify; to commit whoredom under their god, signifies to falsify the truths of the Word.

[23] From these things it is now evident what rod and staff signify in both senses; and also the meaning of the rod of iron, with which the male child is to tend all nations, can be seen; and also of these words in the Apocalypse, "Out of the mouth" of him who sat upon the white horse proceedeth a sharp sword, that with it he may smite the nations; and he shall tend (pascet) them with a rod of iron (19:15).

Also by these words above,

"To him that overcometh will I give power over the nations, that he may rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken" (2:26, 27).

The explanation of this may be seen above (n. 176). The signification of the following words in David is similar:

"Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, as the vessel of a potter thou shalt scatter them" (Psalm 2:9).

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