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但以理書 6

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1 大利烏隨心所願,立一百二十個總督,治理通國。

2 又在他們以上立總長人(但以理在其中),使總督在他們人面前回覆事務,免得王受虧損。

3 因這但以理有美好的靈性,所以顯然超乎其餘的總長和總督,王又想立他治理通國。

4 那時,總長和總督尋找但以理誤國的把柄,為要參他;只是找不著他的錯誤過失,因他忠心辦事,毫無錯誤過失。

5 那些人便:我們要找參這但以理的把柄,除非在他神的律法中就尋不著。

6 於是,總長和總督紛紛聚集來見王,:願大利烏王萬歲!

7 國中的總長、欽差、總督、謀士,和巡撫彼此商議,要立一條堅定的禁令(或譯:求王下旨要立一條……),三十日內,不拘何人,若在王以外,或向神或向人求甚麼,就必扔在獅子坑中。

8 王啊,現在求你立這禁令,加蓋玉璽,使禁令決不更改;照瑪代和波斯人的例是不可更改的。

9 於是大利烏王立這禁令,加蓋玉璽。

10 但以理知道這禁令蓋了玉璽,就到自己家裡(他樓上的窗戶開向耶路撒冷),一日三次,雙膝跪在他神面前,禱告感謝,與素常一樣。

11 那些人就紛紛聚集,見但以理在他神面前祈禱懇求。

12 他們便進到王前,提王的禁令,:王啊,三十日內不拘何人,若在王以外,或向神或向人求甚麼,必被扔在獅子坑中。王不是在這禁令上蓋了玉璽麼?王回答:實有這事,照瑪代和波斯人的例是不可更改的。

13 他們對王:王啊,那被擄之猶大人中的但以理不理你,也不遵你蓋了玉璽的禁令,他竟一日三次祈禱。

14 見這話,就甚愁煩,一心要救但以理,籌劃解救他,直到日落的時候。

15 那些人就紛紛聚集來見王,:王啊,當知道瑪代人和波斯人有例,凡王所立的禁令和律例都不可更改。

16 王下令,人就把但以理帶來,扔在獅子坑中。王對但以理:你所常事奉的神,他必救你。

17 有人搬石頭放在坑口,王用自己的璽和大臣的印,封閉那坑,使懲辦但以理的事毫無更改。

18 王回宮,終夜禁食,無人拿樂器到他面前,並且睡不著覺。

19 次日黎明,王就起來,急忙往獅子坑那裡去。

20 臨近坑邊,哀聲呼叫但以理,對但以理:永生神的僕人但以理啊,你所常事奉的神能救你脫離獅子麼?

21 但以理對王:願王萬歲!

22 我的神差遣使者,封住獅子的口,叫獅子不傷我;因我在神面前無辜,我在王面前也沒有行過虧損的事。

23 王就甚喜樂,吩咐人將但以理從坑裡繫上來。於是但以理從坑裡被繫上來,身上毫無傷損,因為信靠他的神。

24 王下令,人就把那些控告但以理的人,連他們的妻子兒女都帶來,扔在獅子坑中。他們還沒有到坑底,獅子就抓住(原文是勝了)他們,咬碎他們的骨頭。

25 那時,大利烏王傳旨,曉諭住在全地各方、各國、各族的人說:願你們大享平安!

26 現在我降旨曉諭我所統轄的全國人民,要在但以理的神面前,戰兢恐懼。因為他是永遠長存的活神,他的國永不敗壞;他的權柄永存無極!

27 他護庇人,搭人,在天上地下施行神蹟奇事,了但以理脫離獅子的口。

28 如此,這但以理,當大利烏王在位的時候和波斯王古列在位的時候,大享亨通。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #664

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664. "For just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!" This symbolically means that everything that emanates from the Lord is just and true, because He is Divine goodness itself and Divine truth itself in heaven and in the church.

Ways symbolize truths that lead to good (no. 176). The title "king" in reference to the Lord symbolizes Divine truth, and "O King of saints" the Divine truth derived from Him in heaven and the church; for saints symbolize people who are governed by Divine truths from the Lord (nos. 173, 586). Consequently "just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!" means symbolically that everything emanating from the Lord is just and true, because He is Divine truth itself in heaven and in the church.

The Lord is called a king in reference to His Divine humanity, because this is the Messiah, the Anointed, the Christ, the Son of God. Messiah in Hebrew is Christ in Greek, and Messiah or Christ is the Son of God, as may be seen in no. 520 above. It is well known that Messiah in Hebrew means both king and anointed.

The Lord as king is the embodiment of Divine truth because that is the symbolic meaning of the title "king" (nos. 20, 483). Kings accordingly symbolize people who possess Divine truths from the Lord (Revelation 1:6; 5:10).

It is because of this that heaven and the church are called the Lord's kingdom, and that His advent into the world is called the gospel of the kingdom.

Heaven and the church are called the Lord's kingdom in Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14, 27; Luke 1:33; 4:43; 8:1, 10; 9:2, 11, 27; 10:11; 16:16; 19:11; 21:31; 22:18; 23:51. And His advent is called the gospel of the kingdom in Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 24:14. 1

But more on this subject may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord.

[2] That the Lord is called a king is apparent from the following passages:

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings. (Revelation 17:14)

(He who sat on the white horse) is called the Word... And... His... name (is) Lord of lords and King of kings. (Revelation 19:13, 16, cf. Daniel 2:47)

Nathanael... said..., ."..You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (John 1:49)

When the Son of Man comes in His glory..., ...He will sit on the throne of His glory... And the King will say to those on His right hand... (and) to those on the left hand... (Matthew 25:31, 34, 41)

...they cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' The King of Israel! " (John 12:13)

Pilate (asked the Lord:) "Are You a king...?" Jesus answered, ."..I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world...." (John 18:37)

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty... ...Jehovah our King, He will save us. (Isaiah 33:17 , 22)

I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. (Isaiah 43:15)

Thus said Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts: "I am the First and I am the Last, and beside Me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6)

Jehovah shall become King over all the earth. (Zechariah 14:9, cf. Psalms 47:2, 6-8)

Lift up your heads, O you gates..., that the King of glory may come in... Jehovah of hosts, He is the King of glory. (Psalms 24:7-10)

I will raise to David a righteous Branch, (who as) a king shall reign... and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. (Jeremiah 23:5, cf. 33:15)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 6:5; 52:7; Jeremiah 10:7, 10; 46:18; Ezekiel 37:22, 24; Zephaniah 3:15; Psalms 20:9; 45:11, 13-14; 68:24; 74:12.

Footnotes:

1. See also Mark 1:14

  
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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.

The Bible

 

Matthew 21:11

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11 The multitudes said, "This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."