The Bible

 

撒迦利亞書 1

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1 大利烏王第二年八耶和華的臨到易多的孫子、比利家的兒子先知撒迦利亞,說:

2 耶和華曾向你們列祖大大發怒。

3 所以你要對以色列人,萬軍之耶和華如此:你們要轉向我,我就轉向你們。這是萬軍之耶和華的。

4 不要效法你們列祖。從前的先知呼叫他們,萬軍之耶和華如此:你們要回頭離開你們的惡道惡行。他們卻不,也不順從我。這是耶和華的。

5 你們的列祖在哪裡呢?那些先知永遠存活麼?

6 只是我的言語和律例,就是所吩咐我僕人先知的,豈不臨到你們列祖麼?他們就回頭,:萬軍之耶和華定意按我們的行動作為向我們怎樣行,他已照樣行了。

7 大利烏第二年十一,就是細罷特二十日,耶和華的臨到易多的孫子、比利家的兒子先知撒迦利亞,說:

8 我夜間觀,見一著紅,站在窪地番石榴樹中間。在他身又有紅、黃,和白

9 我對與我話的天使啊,這是甚麼意思?他:我要指示你這是甚麼意思。

10 那站在番石榴樹中間的:這是奉耶和華差遣在遍走來走去的。

11 那些騎馬的對站在番石榴樹中間耶和華的使者:我們已在遍走來走去,見全都安息平靜

12 於是,耶和華的使者:萬軍之耶和華啊,你惱恨耶路撒冷猶大的城邑已經七十年,你不施憐憫要到幾時呢?

13 耶和華就用美善的安慰回答那與我說天使

14 與我話的天使對我:你要宣告,萬軍之耶和華如此:我為耶路撒冷為錫安,心裡極其火熱。

15 我甚惱怒那安逸的列國,因我從前稍微惱怒我民,他們就加害過分。

16 所以耶和華如此:現今我回到耶路撒冷,仍施憐憫,我的殿必重建在其中,準繩必拉在耶路撒冷之上。這是萬軍之耶和華的。

17 你要再宣告,萬軍之耶和華如此:我的城邑必再豐盛發達。耶和華必再安慰錫安,揀選耶路撒冷

18 我舉目觀,見有角。

19 我就問與我話的天使:這是甚麼意思?他回答:這是打散猶大以色列,和耶路撒冷的角。

20 耶和華又指個匠人給我看。

21 :他們做甚麼呢?他:這是打散猶大的角,使不敢抬;但這些匠威嚇列國,打掉他們的角,就是舉起打散猶大的角。

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #216

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216. "'Be zealous, therefore, and repent.'" This symbolically means, in order for this goal to come about from an affection for truth and an aversion to falsity.

The text here says, "Be zealous," because it said in verse 15 above, "Would that you were cold or hot," and the meaning here is for the angel to be hot; for zeal is a spiritual heat, and spiritual heat is an affection of love, here the affection of a love of truth. Moreover, someone who acts from an affection of the love of truth acts also from an aversion to falsity. Consequently this is the symbolic meaning of the command to repent.

In the Word, when zeal or jealousness is applied to the Lord, it symbolizes both love and anger - love in John 2:17, Psalms 69:9, Isaiah 37:32; 63:15, Ezekiel 39:25, Zechariah 1:14; 8:2, anger in Deuteronomy 32:16, 21, Psalms 79:5-6, Ezekiel 8:3, 5; 16:42; 23:25, Zephaniah 1:18; 3:8.

In the Lord's case, however, zeal or jealousness is not anger. It only seems as though it were in outward appearances. Inwardly it is love. It seems in outward appearances as though it were anger because the Lord appears to be angry when He admonishes a person, especially when the person is being punished by his evil, which love permits in order that his evil may be removed. The case is entirely like that of a parent. If he loves his children, he allows them to be chastised in order to remove their evils.

It is apparent from this why Jehovah declares Himself to be a jealous God (Deuteronomy 4:24; 5:9-10; 6:14-15).

  
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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.