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耶利米書 51

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1 耶和華如此:我必使毀滅的颳起,攻擊巴比倫和在立加米的人。

2 我要打發外邦人來到巴比倫,簸揚他,使他的空虛。在他遭禍的日子,他們要周圍攻擊他。

3 的,要向拉的和貫甲挺身的射箭。不要憐惜他的少年人;要滅盡他的全軍。

4 他們必在迦勒底人被殺仆倒,在巴比倫的街上被刺透。

5 以色列猶大雖然境內充滿違背以色列聖者的罪,卻沒有被他的─萬軍之耶和華丟棄。

6 你們要從巴比倫中逃奔,各自己的性命!不要陷在他的罪孽中一同滅亡;因為這是耶和華報仇的時候,他必向巴比倫施行報應。

7 巴比倫素來是耶和華中的杯,使天下沉;萬國了他的酒就顛狂了。

8 巴比倫忽然傾覆毀壞;要為他哀號;為止他的疼痛,拿乳香或者可以治好。

9 我們想醫治巴比倫,他卻沒有治好。離開他罷!我們歸回本國;因為他受的審判通於上,達到穹蒼。

10 耶和華已經彰顯我們的公罷!我們可以在錫安報告耶和華我們的作為。

11 你們要磨尖了箭頭,抓住盾牌。耶和華定意攻擊巴比倫,將他毀滅,所以激動了瑪代君的心;因這是耶和華報仇,就是為自己的殿報仇。

12 你們要豎立大旗,攻擊巴比倫的城牆;要堅固瞭望臺,派定守望的設下埋伏;因為耶和華指著巴比倫居民的話、所定的意,他已經作成。

13 住在眾水之上多有財寶的啊,你的結局到了!你貪婪之量滿了!

14 萬軍之耶和華指著自己起誓說:我必使敵人充滿你,像螞蚱一樣;他們必吶喊攻擊你。

15 耶和華用能力創造大,用智慧建立世界,用聰明鋪張穹蒼。

16 他一發聲,空中便有多水激動;他使雲霧從極上騰。他造電隨而閃,從他府中帶出來。

17 各人都成了畜類,毫無知識。各銀匠都因他的偶像羞愧;他所鑄的偶像本是虛假的,其中並無氣息,

18 都是虛無的,是迷惑人的工作,到追討的時候,必被除滅。

19 雅各的分不像這些,因他是造作萬有的;以色列也是他產業的支派。萬軍之耶和華是他的名。

20 你是我爭戰的斧子和打仗的兵器;我要用你打碎列國,用你毀滅列邦;

21 用你打碎和騎的;用你打碎戰車和坐在其上的;

22 用你打碎男人女人;用你打碎老年和少年;用你打碎壯丁和處女;

23 用你打碎牧人和他的群畜;用你打碎農夫和他一對牛;用你打碎省長和副省長。

24 耶和華:我必在你們眼前報復巴比倫人和迦勒底居民在錫安所行的諸惡。

25 耶和華:你這行毀滅的哪,就是毀滅天下的,我與你反對。我必向你伸,將你從巖滾下去,使你成為燒燬的

26 人必不從你那裡取石頭為房角,也不取石頭根基;你必永遠荒涼。這是耶和華的。

27 要在境內豎立大旗,在各國中吹角,使列國預備攻擊巴比倫,將亞拉臘、米尼、亞實基拿各國招來攻擊他;又派軍長來攻擊他,使馬匹上來如螞蚱,

28 使列國和瑪代君,與省長和副省長,並他們所管全之人,都預備攻擊他。

29 必震動而瘠苦;因耶和華向巴比倫所定的旨意成立了,使巴比倫之荒涼,無人居住

30 巴比倫的勇士止息爭戰,藏在堅壘之中。他們的勇力衰盡,好像婦女一樣。巴比倫的處有火著起,門閂都折斷了。

31 通報的要彼此相遇,送信的要互相迎接,報告巴比倫王說:城的四方被攻取了,

32 渡口被佔據了,葦塘被燒了,兵丁也驚慌了。

33 萬軍之耶和華以色列的如此:巴比倫城(原文作女子)好像踹穀的禾場;再過片時,收割他的時候就到了。

34 以色列人說:巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒滅我,壓碎我,使我成為空虛的器皿。他像大魚將我吞下,用我的美物充滿他的肚腹,又將我趕出去。

35 錫安的居民:巴比倫以強暴待我,損害我的身體,願這罪歸給他。耶路撒冷人要:願流我們血的罪歸到迦勒底居民

36 所以,耶和華如此:我必為你伸冤,為你報仇;我必使巴比倫的枯竭,使他的泉源乾涸。

37 巴比倫必成為亂,為野狗的處,令人驚駭、嗤笑,並且無人居住

38 他們要像少壯獅子咆哮,像小獅子吼叫。

39 他們火熱的時候,我必為他們設擺酒席,使他們沉醉,好叫他們快樂,睡了長覺,永不醒起。這是耶和華的。

40 我必使他們像羊羔、像公綿羊和公山羊到宰殺之地。

41 示沙克(就是巴比倫)何竟被攻取,天下所稱讚的何竟被佔據?巴比倫在列國中何竟變為荒場?

42 水漲起,漫過巴比倫;他被許多浪遮蓋。

43 他的城邑變為荒場、旱、沙漠,無居住,無經過之

44 我必刑罰巴比倫的彼勒,使他吐出所吞的。萬民必不再流歸他那裡;巴比倫的城牆也必坍塌了。

45 我的民哪,你們要從其中出去!各自己,躲避耶和華的烈怒。

46 你們不要心驚膽怯,也不要因境內所見的風聲懼;因為這年有風聲傳;那年也有風聲傳,境內有強暴的事,官長攻擊官長。

47 日子將到,我必刑罰巴比倫雕刻的偶像。他全必然抱愧;他被殺的人必在其中仆倒。

48 那時,和其中所有的,必因巴比倫歡呼,因為行毀滅的要從北方到他那裡。這是耶和華的。

49 巴比倫怎樣使以色列被殺的人仆倒,照樣他全被殺的人也必在巴比倫仆倒。

50 你們躲避刀的要快走,不要站住!要在遠方記念耶和華,心中追想耶路撒冷

51 我們見辱罵就蒙羞,滿面慚愧,因為外邦人進入耶和華殿的聖所。

52 耶和華:日子將到,我必刑罰巴比倫雕刻的偶像,通國受傷的人必唉哼。

53 巴比倫雖升到上,雖使他堅固的處更堅固,還有行毀滅的從我這裡到他那裡。這是耶和華的。

54 有哀號的聲音從巴比倫出來;有毀滅的響聲從迦勒底人發出。

55 耶和華使巴比倫變為荒場,使其中的聲滅絕。仇敵彷彿眾水,波浪匉訇,響聲已經發出。

56 這是行毀滅的臨到巴比倫。巴比倫的勇士被捉住,他們的折斷了;因為耶和華是施行報應的神,必定施行報應。

57 君王─名為萬軍之耶和華的:我必使巴比倫的首領、智慧人、省長、副省長,和勇士都沉醉,使他們睡了長覺,永不醒起。

58 萬軍之耶和華如此:巴比倫寬闊的城牆必全然傾倒;他大的城必被焚燒。眾民所勞碌的必致虛空;列國所勞碌的被焚燒,他們都必困乏。

59 猶大王西底家在位第四年,上巴比倫去的時候,瑪西雅的孫子、尼利亞的兒子西萊雅與王同去(西萊雅是王宮的大臣),先知耶利米吩咐他。

60 耶利米切要臨到巴比倫的災禍,就是論到巴比倫的上。

61 耶利米對西萊雅:你到了巴比倫務要念這書上的

62 耶和華啊,你曾論到這地方:要剪除,甚至連人帶牲畜沒有在這裡居住的,必永遠荒涼。

63 你念完了這,就把一塊石頭拴在上,扔在伯拉中,

64 :巴比倫因耶和華所要降與他的災禍,必如此沉下去,不再興起,人民也必困乏。耶利米到此為止。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #342

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342. CHAPTER 7

1. After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.

2. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,

3. saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."

4. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of Israel:

5. of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;

6. of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;

7. of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;

8. of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

9. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

10. and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

11. And all the angels stood around the throne, with the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

12. saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

13. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"

14. And I said to him, "Lord, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

15. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.

16. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; neither shall the sun strike them, nor any heat;

17. for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING

The Contents of the Whole Chapter

This chapter describes people who are and who will be in the Christian heaven. It describes first their separation from evil people (verses 1-3); after that, those of them who are impelled by love toward the Lord and so by wisdom, of whom the higher heavens consist (verses 4-8); and those who are impelled by charity from the Lord and its accompanying faith because they fought against evils, of whom the lower heavens consist (verses 9-17).

The Contents of the Individual Verses:

Verse ContentsSpiritual Meaning
1. After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,The whole of heaven now in an effort to execute the Last Judgment.
holding back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.The Lord's holding back and restraining a closer and thus stronger influx into the lower regions where good people were attached to evil ones.
2. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun,The Lord providing and moderating,
having the seal of the living God.who alone knows the character of each and every person, and can distinguish and separate them from each other.
And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3. saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the treesThe Lord's restraining and holding back the closer and stronger influx into the lower regions,
till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."before those people were separated who were governed by truths springing from goodness from the Lord.
4. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand,All people who acknowledge the Lord as God of heaven and earth and are governed by truths of doctrine springing from the goodness of love, received from Him through the Word.
sealed out of every tribe of Israel:The heaven and the Lord's church formed from them.
5. of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed;Celestial love, which is love toward the Lord, and this in all those people who will be in the New Heaven and in the New Church.
of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed;Wisdom springing from celestial love in those people who will be there.
of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed;Useful life endeavors, which are the exercises of wisdom springing from that love, in those people who will be there.
6. of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed;Mutual love in those people.
of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed;A perception of useful endeavor, and of what is useful, in those people.
of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed;A will to serve and to put into practice in those people.
7. of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed;Spiritual love, which is love for the neighbor, in those people.
of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed;An affection for truth springing from goodness, producing intelligence in those people.
of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed;Goodness of life in those people.
8. of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed;The conjugal love of goodness and truth in those people.
of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed;A doctrine of goodness and truth in those people.
of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.A life of truth springing from goodness in accord with doctrine in those people.
9. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number,All other people who are not among those enumerated and yet are in the New Heaven and the Lord's New Church, who form the lowest heaven and the external church, and whose character is known to the Lord alone.
of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues,All in the Christian world who have some religion springing from goodness and are guided by truths from doctrine,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb,listening to the Lord and doing what He commands.
clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,A communication and conjunction with the higher heavens, and a confession springing from Divine truths.
10. and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"An acknowledgment from the heart that the Lord is their Savior.
11. And all the angels stood around the throne, with the elders and the four living creatures,All in the whole of heaven listening and doing what the Lord commands.
and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,A humbling of their heart, and in their humility an adoration of the Lord.
12. saying, "Amen!Divine truth and an affirmation in response to it.
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving,The Lord's spiritual Divine attributes;
and honor and power and might,the Lord's celestial Divine attributes;
be to our God forever and ever.these being in the Lord and emanating from the Lord to eternity.
Amen."The agreement of all.
13. Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" 14. And I said to him, "Lord, you know."Their desire to know and wish to inquire, and the reply and instruction given.
So he said to me, "These are ones who are coming out of the great tribulation,They are people who have undergone temptations or trials, and have fought against evils and falsities,
and have washed their robeswho have cleansed their religious beliefs of the evils accompanying falsity,
and made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.and by truths have purified those religious beliefs from the falsities accompanying evil, and so have been reformed by the Lord.
15. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.They are in the Lord's presence, and live constantly and faithfully in His church in accordance with the truths that they receive from Him.
16. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore;Hereafter they will not lack goods and truths.
neither shall the sun strike them, nor any heat;Hereafter they will not possess lusts for evil, nor for the falsity accompanying evil.
17. for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd themThe Lord alone will teach them
and lead them to living fountains of waters.and lead them by the truths in the Word to conjunction with Him.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."They will be caught up no longer in battles against evils and the accompanying falsities, and so will no longer experience times of distress, but will be surrounded by goods and truths and thus by heavenly joys emanating from the Lord.

THE EXPOSITION

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. (7:1) This symbolizes the whole of heaven now in an effort to execute the Last Judgment on the people who were in the world of spirits.

There follows now much concerning the state of the spiritual world just before the Last Judgment, which no one could know without its being revealed by the Lord. And because I have been given to see how the Last Judgment was executed, including the transformations which preceded it and the dispositions following it, I can relate therefore the symbolic meaning of everything in this chapter and in the chapters that follow.

[2] The four angels here symbolize the whole of heaven. The four corners of the earth symbolize the entire world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell. For the Last Judgment was executed on people who were in the world of spirits, and not on anyone in heaven, nor on anyone in hell.

Angels symbolize heaven because an angel in the highest sense means the Lord in respect to His Divine humanity (no. 344), and as heaven is heaven owing to the Lord, angels symbolize heaven as well.

[3] The four angels here symbolize the whole of heaven because they were seen standing at the four corners of the earth, and the four corners symbolize the four quarters of the compass.

They symbolize that the whole of heaven was now in an effort to execute the Last Judgment for the reason that when the Last Judgment was at hand, the Lord caused the heavens to draw closer over the world of spirits, and the closeness of the heavens produced such a change in the state of the inner constituents of the people's minds below that they saw nothing but terrors before their eyes.

[4] That corners symbolize quarters of the compass, and thus the four quarters all points, can be seen from the following passages:

You shall measure, outside the city, the corner toward the east..., the corner toward the south..., the corner toward the west..., and the corner toward the north... (Numbers 35:5)

You shall make the boards for the Tabernacle, ...for the south corner..., and for... the north corner... (Exodus 26:18, 20, 23)

And... the court..., for the south corner..., for the north corner..., for the west corner..., and... for the east corner... (Exodus 27:9, 11-13)

[5] The four quarters are also called four corners often in Ezekiel, as in Ezekiel 47:18-20, and 48.

Since corners symbolize the quarters of the compass, they also therefore symbolize everything, such as everything in heaven or in hell, or everything pertaining to goodness or to truth, as is apparent from the following:

(Satan) will go out to lead astray the nations which are at the four corners of the earth... (Revelation 20:8)

I will cut off nations, (and) their corners will be devastated. (Zephaniah 3:6)

...(Israel) gathered together as one man... And the corners of all the people stationed themselves... (Judges 20:1-2)

A scepter shall rise out of Israel, and crush the corners of Moab... (Numbers 24:17)

A day of trumpet and alarm... upon the high corners. (Zephaniah 1:16)

I will cast them into the ends of the corners. (Deuteronomy 32:26)

[6] That a corner symbolizes the lowest component supporting higher ones, as a foundation does a house, and so symbolizes also everything, is apparent from the following:

(He) will lay in Zion a corner stone..., the price of the laying of a foundation. (Isaiah 28:16)

They shall not take from it a stone for a corner... (Jeremiah 51:26)

From (Judah) shall come the corner stone... (Zechariah 10:4)

The stone which (they) rejected has become the corner stone. (Psalms 118:22, Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17-18)

  
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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.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #378

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378. "And have washed their robes." This symbolically means, who have cleansed their religious beliefs of the evils accompanying falsity.

Washing in the Word symbolizes a cleansing oneself of evils and falsities, and robes symbolize general truths (no. 328). General truths are concepts of goodness and truth drawn from the literal sense of the Word, in accordance with which these people have lived, so that they are religious beliefs. And because every matter of religion has relation to goodness and truth, therefore robes are mentioned twice - "have washed their robes" and "have made their robes white."

Robes or religious beliefs are cleansed only in the case of people who fight against evils and so reject falsities, who thus undergo temptations or trials, which are symbolically meant by "the great tribulation" (no. 377).

That to be washed means, symbolically, to be cleansed of evils and falsities, and so to be reformed and regenerated, can be seen from the following passages:

When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and rinsed away the blood of Jerusalem... by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of purification... (Isaiah 4:4)

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from My eyes. Cease to do evil... (Isaiah 1:16)

Wash your heart of its wickedness, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. (Jeremiah 4:14)

Wash me clean of my iniquity..., and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalms 51:2, 7)

...if you wash yourself with soda, and use much soap, your iniquity will still retain its spots. (Jeremiah 2:22)

If I wash myself with melted snow, and cleanse my hands with soap..., yet... my own clothes will abhor me. (Job 9:30-31)

Who... has washed his clothing in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes. (Genesis 49:11)

This is said of the celestial church, from which come people prompted by love toward the Lord, and in the highest sense it is said of the Lord Himself. Wine and the blood of grapes are spiritual and celestial Divine truth.

I washed you with water, and rinsed off your blood from upon you... (Ezekiel 16:9)

This is said of Jerusalem. Water is truth, and blood is an adulteration of truth.

[2] It can be seen from this what washing in the Israelite Church represented and thus symbolized. As, for example, that Aaron was to wash himself before he put on the vestments of his ministry (Leviticus 16:4, 24), and before he approached the altar to minister (Exodus 30:18-21; 40:30-31).

[3] It can be seen from this that among the children of Israel washing represented a spiritual washing, which is a cleansing from evils and falsities, and thus reformation and regeneration.

It is apparent also from the aforesaid what baptism by John in the Jordan symbolized (Matthew 3, Mark 1:4-13), and what the symbolic meaning of the following words by John regarding the Lord is, that He baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Luke 3:16, John 1:33), and regarding himself, that he baptized with water (John 1:26). The meaning is that the Lord washes or purifies a person by Divine truth and Divine goodness, and that John by his baptism represented this. For the Holy Spirit is Divine truth, the fire is Divine goodness, and the water is representative of these. For water symbolizes the truth in the Word, which becomes goodness by one's living in accordance with it (no. 50).

  
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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.