The Bible

 

但以理書 11

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1 又說:當瑪代王大利烏元年,我曾起來扶助米迦勒,使他堅強。

2 現在我將真事指示你:波斯還有興起,第四必富足遠勝諸。他因富足成為強盛,就必激動眾攻擊希利尼國。

3 必有一個勇敢的王興起,執掌大權,隨意而行。

4 他興起的時候,他的國必裂,向方(方:原文是風)分開,卻不歸他的後裔,治國的權勢也都不及他;因為他的國必被拔出,歸與他後裔之外的人。

5 方的王必強盛,他將帥中必有一個比他更強盛,執掌權柄,他的權柄甚大。

6 過些年後,他們必互相連合,方王的女兒必就了北方立約;但這女子幫助之力存立不住,王和他所倚靠之力也不能存立。這女子和引導他的,並生他的,以及當時扶助他的,都必交與死地。

7 但這女子的本家(原文是)必另生一子(子:原文是枝)繼續王位,他必率領軍隊進入北方王的保障,攻擊他們,而且得勝;

8 並將他們的像和鑄成的偶像,與的寶器掠到埃及去。數年之內,他不去攻擊北方的王。

9 北方的王(原文是他)必入方王的國,卻要仍回本地。

10 北方王(原文是他)的二子必動干戈,招聚許多軍兵。這軍兵前去,如洪水氾濫,又必再去爭戰,直到南方王的保障。

11 方王必發烈怒,出來與北方王爭戰,擺列大軍;北方王的軍兵必交付他

12 他的眾軍傲,他的心也必自;他雖使數萬人仆倒,卻不得常勝。

13 北方王必回來擺列軍,比先前的更多。滿了所定的年數,他必率領軍,帶極多的軍裝

14 那時,必有許多起來攻擊方王,並且你本國的強暴人必興起,要應驗那異象,他們卻要敗亡。

15 北方王必築壘攻取堅固城;方的軍兵必站立不住,就是選擇的精兵(原文是民)也無力站住。

16 攻擊他的,必任意而行,無人在北方王(原文是他)面前站立得住。他必站在那榮美之,用施行毀滅。

17 他必定意用全國之力而,立公正的約,照約而行,將自己的女兒南方王為妻,想要敗壞他(或譯:埃及),這計卻不得成就,與自己毫無益處。

18 其後他必回奪取了許多。但有一大帥,除掉他令人受的羞辱,並且使這羞辱歸他本身。

19 他就必向本的保障,卻要絆跌仆倒,歸於無有。

20 那時,必有人興起接續他為王,使橫征暴斂的人通行國中的榮美地。這王不多日就必滅亡,卻不因忿怒,也不因爭戰。

21 必有一個卑鄙的人興起接續為王,人未曾將國的尊榮他,他卻趁人坦然無備的時候,用諂媚的話得國。

22 必有無數的軍兵勢如洪水,在他面前沖沒敗壞;同盟的君也必如此。

23 與那君結盟之後,他必行詭詐,因為他必上來以微小的軍(原文是民)成為強盛。

24 趁人坦然無備的時候,他必到國中極肥美之地,行他列祖和他列祖之祖所未曾行的,將擄物、掠物,和財寶散給眾人,又要設計攻打保障,然而這都是暫時的。

25 他必奮勇向前,率領軍攻擊方王;方王也必以極極強的軍兵與他爭戰,卻站立不住,因為有人設計謀害方王。

26 王膳的,必敗壞他;他的軍隊必被沖沒,而且被殺的甚多。

27 至於這,他們心懷惡計,同席謊,計謀卻不成就;因為到了定期,事就了結。

28 北方王(原文是他)必帶許多財寶回往本國,他的心反對約,任意而行,回到本

29 到了定期,他必返回方。後一次卻不如前一次,

30 因為基提戰船必攻擊他,他就喪膽而回,又要惱恨約,任意而行;他必回來聯絡背棄約的人。

31 他必興兵,這兵必褻瀆聖地,就是保障,除掉常獻的燔祭,設立那行毀壞可憎的。

32 作惡違背聖約的人,他必用巧言勾引;惟獨認識的子民必剛強行事。

33 民間的智慧人必訓誨多人;然而他們多日必倒在刀下,或被火燒,或被擄掠搶奪。

34 他們仆倒的時候,稍得扶助,卻有許多人用諂媚的話親近他們。

35 智慧人中有些仆倒的,為要熬煉其餘的人,使他們清淨潔白,直到末了;因為到了定期,事就了結。

36 王必任意而行,自自大,超過所有的神,又用奇異的話攻擊萬神之神。他必行事亨通,直到主的忿怒完畢,因為所定的事必然成就。

37 他必不顧他列祖的,也不顧婦女所羨慕的,無論何他都不顧;因為他必自大,過一切。

38 他倒要敬拜保障的神,用、寶和可愛之物敬奉他列祖所不認識的神。

39 他必靠外邦神的幫助,攻破最堅固的保障。凡承認他的,他必將榮耀加給他們,使他們管轄許多人,又為賄賂分地與他們。

40 到末了,方王要與他交戰。北方王必用戰車、馬兵,和許多,勢如暴風攻擊他,也必進入列國,如洪水氾濫。

41 又必進入那榮美之,有許多國就被傾覆,但以東人、摩押人,和一大半亞捫人必脫離他的

42 他必伸攻擊列國;埃及也不得脫離。

43 他必把持埃及財寶和各樣的寶物。呂彼亞人和古實人都必跟從他。

44 但從東方和北方必有消息擾亂他,他就發烈怒出去,要將多人殺滅淨盡。

45 他必在和榮美的中間設立他如宮殿的帳幕;然而到了他的結局,必無人能幫助他。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #1045

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1045. Having in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and the uncleanness of whoredoms, signifies having doctrine from profaned goods and truths. This is evident from the signification of a "cup," as being falsity from hell, for a "cup" has a similar signification as "wine," and "wine" signifies truth from heaven, and in the contrary sense falsity from hell (See n. 887, 960, 1022). And as a "cup" signifies truth or falsity, and the doctrine of every church is either of truth or of falsity, for all truth or falsity of the church is contained in doctrine, so a "cup" also signifies doctrine, and "a golden cup" the doctrine of falsity from evil.

[2] As in Jeremiah:

Babylon is a golden cup in the hand of Jehovah, making the whole earth drunken (Jeremiah 51:7).

It is called "a golden cup" for the same reason that the woman is said to be "arrayed in purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold, precious stones and pearls," that is, from the appearance in externals; and yet in internals it is like a cup "full of abominations and uncleanness." For it is like what the Lord says of the externals and internals with the Scribes and Pharisees:

Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, who cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. And ye make yourselves like unto whited sepulchers, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of bones of the dead and all uncleanness (Matthew 23:25-27).

The above is evident also from the signification of "abominations," as being the profanations of good (of which presently); also from the signification of "the uncleanness of whoredom," as being the profanation of truth. For "whoredom" signifies falsification of truth (See above), therefore its "uncleanness" signifies profanation.

[3] In regard to the profanations that are signified by "abominations," they are perversions of the holy things of the church, thus conversions of its goods into evils, and of its truths into falsities. They are called "abominations" because the angels abominate them; for so far as they have been holy things of the church, derived from goods and truths from the Word, they ascend into heaven; but so far as they have been applied to evils, and thus profaned, they carry with them what is infernal, which lies hidden within; and consequently they are perceived as things dead, in which there was once a living soul; and this is why heaven abominates and detests them.

[4] That this is the meaning of "abominations" in the Word is evident from the account of the abominations of Jerusalem in Ezekiel:

As that she took of the garments of her adorning which were given to her, and made for herself high places of various colors, and committed whoredom upon them;

That of the gold and silver given to her, she made herself images of a male, and committed whoredom with them;

That the oil, incense, bread, fine flour, and honey, that were given to her, she gave for an odor of rest;

That they sacrificed their sons and daughters;

That she committed whoredom first in Egypt, and afterwards with the sons of Assyria, and finally with the Chaldeans; besides other things that are there called abominations. (Ezekiel 16:2-63).

All these things signify profanations of the Word, of the church, and of worship. So in other passages where abominations are either recounted or mentioned (as Jeremiah 7:9, 10; 16:18; 32:35; Ezekiel 5:11; 7:19, 20; 8:6-18; 11:21; 14:6; 20:7, 8; Deuteronomy 7:25, 26; 12:31; 18:9, 10; Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14; Daniel 9:27; 11:31).

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #887

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887. Verse 10. Even he shall drink of the wine of the anger of God mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of His wrath, signifies appropriation of falsity and its evil, conjoined with falsified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word. This is evident from the signification of "to drink," as being to take in and to appropriate to oneself (See above, n. 617); also from the signification of "wine," as being truth from good, and in the contrary sense falsity from evil (See above, n. 376); also from the signification of "anger," as being evil, because evil is angry against good and wishes to destroy it (See n. 693, 754). It is said "the anger of God," but anger against God is meant, as in many passages where anger and wrath and evil in general are attributed to God (See n. 481, 647); so here, "to drink the wine of the anger of God" signifies to take in and appropriate falsity and its evil. The taking in and appropriation of evil is effected by faith separated from good works, because when goods of life, which are good works, are set aside as not justifying, thus as not saving, evils take their place; for so far as goods withdraw evils enter, "for no one can serve two masters," namely, evil and good, at the same time. The above is evident also from the signification of "mixed with unmixed wine," as being to be conjoined with falsified truths (of which presently); also from the signification of "cup," as being an external container of truth, thus the Word in the sense of its letter; for when "wine" signifies truth, "cup" signifies that which contains it, and the sense of the letter of the Word is the containant of truth, both natural and spiritual. (That "cup" has a similar signification as "wine," that is, what it contains, and that it signifies the containant, can be seen from the passages in the Word where "cup," "chalice," "goblet," and "vial" are mentioned, which will be cited in the explanation of chapters 16 and 17 that follows.) As "cup" signifies the external or containant of truth, thus the sense of the letter of the Word, and as this is falsified by those who are in the doctrine and at the same time in the life of faith separated, so it is called "the cup of God's wrath." The "anger" and the "wrath" of God are here mentioned as in many other passages of the Word, and "anger" means the love and desire for evil in man; and "wrath" the love and desire for falsity in him, for "anger" is predicated of evil, and "wrath" of falsity (See above, n. 481 at the end). All this makes clear that "the wine mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of the wrath of God" signifies conjunction with falsified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word.

[2] "To mix with unmixed wine" signifies to be conjoined with falsified truths of the Word, because "unmixed wine" means intoxicating wine, and thus intoxication, consequently in the spiritual sense delirium in respect to truths induced by falsities, for delirium in respect to truths induced by falsities is spiritual intoxication. Moreover, the word in the original translated "unmixed wine" is derived from a word that means to be intoxicated. As this is the signification of "unmixed wine," and those who falsify the Word are spiritually drunken, that is, are in a state of delirium in respect to truths, the two passages where "unmixed wine" is mentioned in the Word treat of the falsification of truth, as in Isaiah and Hosea.

[3] In Isaiah:

How hath the faithful city become a harlot; she was full of judgment, justice lodged in her; but now murderers. Thy silver hath become dross, thy unmixed wine mixed with waters (Isaiah 1:21, 22).

A "harlot" signifies everywhere in the Word falsified truth (See above, n. 141, 161); and "city" signifies doctrine; so "the faithful city becoming a harlot" signifies that doctrine that had previously been the doctrine of genuine truth has become the doctrine of falsified truth. "She was full of judgment, justice lodged in her," signifies where the truth of doctrine and the good of love had been abundant, for "judgment" is predicated in the Word of the truth of doctrine and the understanding, and "justice" of the good of love and of the will; "but now murderers" signifies that falsification has extinguished the understanding of truth and the perception of good. (That this is the signification of a "murderer" may be seen above, n. 589.) "Thy silver hath become dross" signifies that genuine truth has been changed into falsity; "thy unmixed wine mixed with waters" signifies that truth has been made vile and destroyed by falsifying it.

[4] In Hosea:

Ephraim is associated with idols, let him alone. Their wine 1 is gone; in whoring they have committed whoredom, they are given up to love (Hosea 4:17, 18).

"Ephraim" signifies the understanding of the truth of the church, "idols" signify the falsities of religion. This makes clear what is signified by "Ephraim is associated with idols." "Let him alone" signifies the rejection of the falsities of that religion by the church. "Their wine 1 is gone" signifies that the truth of the Word has perished; "in whoring they have committed whoredom" signifies the falsification of that truth; "they are given up to love" signifies the love of falsity. All this makes clear what is signified in particular by "unmixed wine."

Footnotes:

1. The Hebrew is the same expression as that used in the preceding passage translated "unmixed wine" merum, but Swedenborg has vinum, "wine."

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.