The Bible

 

約珥書 1

Study

1 耶和華的臨到毗土珥的兒子約珥。

2 老年人哪,當我的話;國中的居民哪,都要側耳而。在你們的日子,或你們列祖的日子,曾有這樣的事麼?

3 你們要將這事傳與子,子傳與孫,孫,傳與後

4 剩下的,蝗蟲蝗蟲剩下的,蝻子來;蝻子剩下的,螞蚱來

5 的人哪,要清醒哭泣;好酒的人哪,都要為甜酒哀號,因為從你們的中斷絕了。

6 有一隊蝗蟲(原文是民)又強盛又無數,侵犯我的;他的牙齒獅子牙齒,大如母獅的大

7 他毀壞我的葡萄樹,剝了我無花果樹的皮,剝盡而丟棄,使枝條露白。

8 我的民哪,你當哀號,像處女腰束麻布,為幼年的丈夫哀號。

9 素祭和奠祭從耶和華的殿中斷絕;事奉耶和華的祭司都悲哀。

10 田荒涼,地悲哀;因為五穀毀壞,新酒乾竭,油也缺乏。

11 農夫啊,你們要慚愧,修理葡萄園的啊,你們要哀號;因為大麥小麥與田間的莊稼都滅絕了。

12 葡萄枯乾;無花果樹衰殘。石榴樹、棕、蘋果樹,連田野一切的樹木也都枯乾;眾人的喜樂盡都消滅。

13 祭司啊,你們當腰束麻布痛哭;伺候祭壇的啊,你們要哀號;事奉我的啊,你們要披上麻布過夜,因為素祭和奠祭從你們的殿中斷絕了。

14 你們要分定禁食的日子,宣告嚴肅會,招聚長老和國中的一切居民耶和華─你們的殿,向耶和華哀求。

15 哀哉!耶和華的日子臨近了。這日到,好像毀滅從全能者到。

16 糧食不是在我們眼前斷絕了嗎?歡喜快樂不是從我們的殿中止息了嗎?

17 穀種在土塊朽爛;倉也荒涼,廩也破壞;因為五穀枯乾了。

18 牲畜哀鳴;牛群混亂,因為無羊群也受了困苦。

19 耶和華啊,我向你求告,因為燒滅曠野的草場;火焰燒盡田野的樹木

20 田野的走向你發喘;因為溪乾涸,也燒滅曠野的草場。

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3580

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

3580. 'And abundance of grain' means natural good from this, 'and of new wine' means natural truth from the same. This is clear from the meaning of 'grain' as good, and from the meaning of 'new wine' as truth. When these two are used in reference to the natural they mean natural good and truth, but when they are used in reference to the rational they are 'bread and wine' - 'bread' being celestial good, see 276, 680, 1798, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, and 'wine' that which is spiritual, namely truth deriving from good, 1071, 1798. These meanings of 'grain' and 'wine' may also be seen from the following places in the Word:

In Haggai,

The heavens have withheld their dew, and the earth has withheld its increase. And I have called for a drought over the land, and over the mountains, and over the grain, and over the new wine, and over that which the earth brings forth. Haggai 1:10-11.

Here 'a drought' stands for a lack of dew and rain, and so for a lack of truth deriving from any good. 'A drought over the grain' is the lack of good, and 'a drought over the new wine' the lack of truth.

[2] In Moses,

Israel will dwell securely, alone at Jacob's spring, in a land of grain and new wine; and his heavens will distill dew. Deuteronomy 33:28.

'Alone' stands for those who are not infested by evils and falsities, 139, 471. 'A land of grain and new wine' stands for the good and truth of the Church.

In Hosea,

I will be as the dew to Israel, he will blossom 1 as the lily, and strike root like Lebanon. His branches will go out, and his beauty will be like the olive, and his odour like that of Lebanon. Those dwelling in its shadow will turn back, they will quicken the grain and will blossom as the vine; the memory of it will be as the wine of Lebanon. Hosea 14:5-7.

Here 'the grain' stands for spiritual good, 'the wine' for spiritual truth.

In Isaiah,

A curse will consume the earth. The new wine will mourn, the vine will languish; all the merry-hearted will sigh. Isaiah 24:6-7.

This refers to the vastation of the spiritual Church. 'The new wine will mourn' stands for the fact that truth will come to an end.

[3] In Jeremiah,

Jehovah has redeemed Jacob. They will come and sing on the height of Zion, and they will converge towards the goodness of Jehovah. towards the grain, and towards the new wine, and towards the oil, and towards the young 2 of the flock and of the herd. Jeremiah 31:11-12.

'The grain' and 'the new wine' stand for good and for truth derived from good, 'the oil' for the good which is both a producer and a product of these, 'the young of the flock and of the herd' for the truth which is acquired in this manner. This being the meaning of those things they are called 'the goodness of Jehovah'.

In Hosea,

She did not know that it was I who gave her the grain and the new wine and the oil, and who multiplied the silver and the gold which they made for Baal. Therefore I will return and take back My grain and My new wine in its season, and I will snatch away My wool and My flax. Hosea 2:8-9.

This refers to the Church when perverted, and it is evident that 'grain' is not used to mean grain, nor 'new wine' new wine, nor yet oil, silver, gold, wool, and flax to mean such material things. Rather, spiritual things are meant, that is, those which consist in what is good and true.

Something similar is the case where in the same prophet a new Church is dealt with,

I will betroth you to Me in faith, and you will know Jehovah. And it will be on that day, that I shall hear the heavens, and they will hear the earth, and the earth will hear the grain, and the new wine, and the oil, and these will hear Jezreel. Hosea 2:20-22.

'Jezreel' stands for a new Church.

In Joel,

Awake, you drunkards, and weep; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine that has been cut off from your mouth. The field has been laid waste, the land is mourning because the grain has been laid waste; the new wine has dried up, the oil languishes. Joel 1:5, 10.

[4] In the same prophet,

Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God, for He has given you the morning rain for righteousness, and will cause the morning and the evening rain to come down on you in the first [month]. And the threshing-floors will be full of perfect grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and oil. Joel 2:23-24.

In the same prophet,

It will happen on that day, that the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the streams of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will come forth from the house of Jehovah. Joel 3:18.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom, it being spiritual things that are meant by 'new wine', 'milk', and 'water', the abundance of which is being described in this fashion.

In Zechariah,

Jehovah their God will serve them on that day, as a flock His people. For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins. Zechariah 9:16-17.

In David,

You visit the earth and delight in it; You greatly enrich it; the stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain. The meadows clothe themselves with flocks, and the valleys are covered over with grain; let them clap their hands, let them also sing. Psalms 65:9, 13.

From all these places it is now evident what 'grain' is and what 'new wine' is.

Footnotes:

1. literally, sprout

2. literally, the sons

  
/ 10837  
  

Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.