The Bible

 

约珥书 1

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1 耶和华的临到毗土珥的儿子约珥。

2 老年人哪,当我的话;国中的居民哪,都要侧耳而。在你们的日子,或你们列祖的日子,曾有这样的事麽?

3 你们要将这事传与子,子传与孙,孙,传与後

4 剩下的,蝗虫蝗虫剩下的,蝻子来;蝻子剩下的,蚂蚱来

5 的人哪,要清醒哭泣;好酒的人哪,都要为甜酒哀号,因为从你们的中断绝了。

6 有一队蝗虫(原文是民)又强盛又无数,侵犯我的;他的牙齿狮子牙齿,大如母狮的大

7 他毁坏我的葡萄树,剥了我无花果树的皮,剥尽而丢弃,使枝条露白。

8 我的民哪,你当哀号,像处女腰束麻布,为幼年的丈夫哀号。

9 素祭和奠祭从耶和华的殿中断绝;事奉耶和华的祭司都悲哀。

10 田荒凉,地悲哀;因为五谷毁坏,新酒乾竭,油也缺乏。

11 农夫啊,你们要惭愧,修理葡萄园的啊,你们要哀号;因为大麦小麦与田间的庄稼都灭绝了。

12 葡萄枯乾;无花果树衰残。石榴树、棕、苹果树,连田野一切的树木也都枯乾;众人的喜乐尽都消灭。

13 祭司啊,你们当腰束麻布痛哭;伺候祭坛的啊,你们要哀号;事奉我的啊,你们要披上麻布过夜,因为素祭和奠祭从你们的殿中断绝了。

14 你们要分定禁食的日子,宣告严肃会,招聚长老和国中的一切居民耶和华─你们的殿,向耶和华哀求。

15 哀哉!耶和华的日子临近了。这日到,好像毁灭从全能者到。

16 粮食不是在我们眼前断绝了吗?欢喜快乐不是从我们的殿中止息了吗?

17 谷种在土块朽烂;仓也荒凉,廪也破坏;因为五谷枯乾了。

18 牲畜哀鸣;牛群混乱,因为无羊群也受了困苦。

19 耶和华啊,我向你求告,因为烧灭旷野的草场;火焰烧尽田野的树木

20 田野的走向你发喘;因为溪乾涸,也烧灭旷野的草场。

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #778

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778. "And wine, oil, flour, wheat." This symbolically means that these Roman Catholics no longer have any worship that springs from celestial truths and goods, because they have nothing inwardly in their worship that corresponds to the aforesaid things.

This statement is similar to ones explained just above and in previous numbers, the only difference being that the valuables here symbolize celestial goods and truths.

Just what goods and truths are called celestial, and what spiritual, may be seen in no. 773 above. It may also be seen that the Roman Catholics meant here possess none of these, nor are there any in their worship. For, as we said above, the goods and truths of doctrine are present in worship as the soul is in the body. Consequently worship without these is a lifeless worship. Of such a character is worship that is reverent in outward appearances, but which has in it no internal reverence.

That wine symbolizes truth springing from the goodness of love may be seen in no. 316 above. That oil symbolizes the goodness of love will be seen in the next number. Flour symbolizes celestial truth, and wheat symbolizes celestial good.

[2] Wine, oil, flour and wheat symbolize the truths and goods in worship, because they were the ingredients in drink offerings and grain offerings, which were offered on the altar along with other sacrifices, and sacrifices and other offerings offered on the altar symbolize worship, since it was in these that the Israelites' worship chiefly consisted.

That drink offerings, which were ones of wine, were offered on the altar along with other sacrifices, can be seen in Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:12-13, 18-19; Numbers 15:2-15; 28:11-15, 18-31; 29:1-7ff.; and also in Isaiah 57:6; 65:11; Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19; Ezekiel 20:28; Joel 1:9; Psalms 16:4; Deuteronomy 32:38.

That oil was also offered on the altar along with sacrifices, can be seen in Exodus 29:40.

That grain offerings, which consisted of wheat flour, were offered on the altar along with other sacrifices, can be seen in Exodus 29:40).

It can be seen from this that these four articles - wine, oil, flour and wheat - were sacred and celestial elements in their worship.

  
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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.