The Bible

 

阿摩司書 5

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1 以色列家啊,要我為你們所作的哀歌

2 以色列民(原文是處女)跌倒,不得再起;躺在地上,無人攙扶。

3 耶和華如此以色列家的城發出一兵的,只剩一;發出一的,只剩個。

4 耶和華以色列家如此:你們要尋求我,就必存活。

5 不要往伯特利尋求,不要進入吉甲,不要過到別是巴;因為吉甲必被擄掠,伯特利也必歸於無有。

6 尋求耶和華,就必存活,免得他在約瑟家像發出,在伯特利焚燒,無人撲滅。

7 你們這使公平變為茵蔯、將公丟棄於的,

8 尋求那造昴星和參星,使死蔭變為晨光,使白日變為黑夜,命水來澆在上的─耶和華是他的名;

9 他使力強的忽遭滅亡,以致保障遭遇毀壞。

10 你們怨恨那在城門口責備人的,憎惡那正直話的。

11 你們踐踏貧民,向他們勒索麥子;你們用鑿過的石頭建造房屋,卻不得在其內;栽種美好的葡萄園,卻不得所出的酒。

12 知道你們的罪過何等多,你們的惡何等大。你們苦待人,收受賄賂,在城門口屈枉窮乏人。

13 所以通達人見這樣的時勢必靜默不言,因為時勢真惡。

14 你們要求善,不要求惡,就必存活。這樣,耶和華─萬軍之必照你們所的與你們同在。

15 要惡惡善,在城門口秉公行義;或者耶和華─萬軍之向約瑟的餘民施恩。

16 耶和華─萬軍之如此:在一切寬闊處必有哀號的聲音;在各街市上必有人:哀哉!哀哉!又必農夫來哭號,善唱哀歌的來舉哀。

17 在各葡萄園必有哀號的聲音,因為我必從你中間經過。這是耶和華的。

18 想望耶和華日子來到的有禍了!你們為何想望耶和華的日子呢?那日黑暗沒有明,

19 景況好像躲避獅子遇見,或是進房屋,就被咬。

20 耶和華的日子不是黑暗沒有明麼?不是幽毫無輝麼?

21 我厭惡你們的節期,也不喜悅你們的嚴肅會。

22 你們雖然向我獻燔祭和素祭,我卻不悅納,也不顧你們用肥畜獻的平安祭;

23 要使你們歌唱的聲音遠離我,因為我不你們彈琴的響聲。

24 惟願公平如大滾滾,使公如江滔滔。

25 以色列家啊,你們在曠野四十年,豈是將祭物和供物獻給我呢?

26 你們抬著為自己所造之摩洛的帳幕和偶像的龕,並你們的

27 所以我要把你們擄到大馬色以外。這是耶和華、名為萬軍之的。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #704

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704. That perform signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. This symbolizes assertions that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

To perform signs is to testify and also to assert that something is true, as may be seen in nos. 598, 599 above, here that their falsities are true. Kings of the earth and of the whole world symbolize people who are caught up primarily in falsities springing from evil, here all who are caught up in the same falsities throughout the church. For kings symbolize people impelled by truths that spring from goodness, and in an opposite sense people impelled by falsities springing from evil (no. 483). The earth symbolizes the church (no. 285), and so likewise does the world (no. 551). To go away to gather them to battle means, symbolically, to stir those people to fight or attack; for war symbolizes a spiritual war, which is one of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity (nos. 500, 586). It is to attack the truths of the New Church because it is called the battle of that great day of God Almighty, and that day symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then. That this is the symbolic meaning of the great day there will be seen below.

We are told that the spirits of demons would do this, because the spirits of demons symbolize lusts to falsify truths and to reason on the basis of falsities, as just said in no. 703 above.

It is apparent from this that spirits of demons performing signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty, symbolize assertions by the people meant by the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, as described in nos. 701, 702 above, that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

[2] That the great day of God Almighty symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then, is clear from many passages in the Word, as from the following:

Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. (Isaiah 2:11)

...in that day... Israel... will depend on Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (Isaiah 10:20)

In that day a Root of Jesse... shall the Gentiles seek, and His resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10-11)

In that day... eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 17:7, 9)

They will say in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, to set us free." (Isaiah 25:9)

...My people shall know My name...(and) in that day, I am He who speaks: "Behold, it is I." (Isaiah 52:6)

Alas! ...great is (the day of Jehovah, and) there is none like it. (Jeremiah 30:7)

Behold, the days are coming... when I will make a new covenant... and the city shall be built for Jehovah... (Jeremiah 31:27, 31, 38)

In those days... I will cause to grow up to David a righteous Branch... (Jeremiah 33:15)

(They will not) stand in battle on the day of Jehovah. (Ezekiel 13:5)

In that day Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the children of your people... In that day... shall be delivered everyone who is found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1)

...in that day... you will call Me "My Husband."... In that day I will make a covenant for them... ...in that day I will hear... (Hosea 2:16, 18, 21).

Behold, I am sending you Elijah... before the coming of the great... day of Jehovah. (Malachi 4:5)

Jehovah... will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. (Zechariah 9:16)

In that day Jehovah will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:8)

Behold, the day of Jehovah is coming... It shall be one day which is known to Jehovah... In that day Jehovah shall be one and His name one... In that day there shall be a great tumult... In that day "Holiness to the Lord" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. (Zechariah 14:1, 4, 6-9, 13, 20-21)

There are many other passages in addition to these in which "the day of Jehovah" means the Lord's advent and a new church from Him then, as in the following: Isaiah 4:2; 19:16, 18, 21, 24; 22:20; 28:5; 29:18; 30:25-26; 31:7; and elsewhere.

Since the end of an age or final period of a former church is the time when the Lord's advent takes place and a new church begins, therefore the day of Jehovah in many places symbolizes the end of a previous church, and we are told that then there will be rumors, tumult, and wars. 1 See the passages collected in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 4, 5.

Footnotes:

1. E.g., Matthew 24:6

  
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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.