The Bible

 

但以理書 7

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1 巴比倫王伯沙撒元年,但以理在床上做夢,見了腦中的異象,就記錄這夢,述其中的大意。

2 但以理:我夜裡見異象,看見天的四風陡起,颳在大海之上。

3 有四個大獸從海中上來,形狀各有不同:

4 頭一個像獅子,有鷹的翅膀;我正觀看的時候,獸的翅膀被拔去,獸從地上得立起來,用兩腳站立,像人一樣,又得了人心。

5 又有一獸如,就是第二獸,旁跨而坐,口齒內啣著根肋骨。有吩咐這獸的起來吞吃多肉。

6 此後我觀看,又有一獸如豹,背上有鳥的四個翅膀;這獸有四個頭,又得了權柄。

7 其後我在夜間的異象中觀看,見第四獸甚是可怕,極其強壯,大有力量,有大鐵牙,吞吃嚼碎,所剩下的用腳踐踏。這獸與前三獸大不相同,頭有十角。

8 我正觀看這些角,見其中又長起一個小角;先前的角中有角在這角前,連根被他拔出來。這角有眼,像人的眼,有口說誇大的話。

9 我觀看,見有寶座設立,上頭坐著亙古常在者。他的衣服潔白如雪,頭髮如純淨的羊毛。寶座乃火燄,其乃烈火。

10 從他面前有火,像河發出;事奉他的有千千,在他面前侍立的有萬萬;他坐著要行審判,案卷都展開了

11 那時我觀看,見那獸因小角誇大話的聲音被殺,身體損壞,扔在火中焚燒。

12 其餘的獸,權柄都被奪去,生命卻仍存留,直到所定的時候和日期。

13 我在夜間的異象中觀看,見有一位像人子的,駕著天雲而來,被領到亙古常在者面前,

14 得了權柄、榮耀、國度,使各方、各國、各族的人都事奉他。他的權柄是永遠的,不能廢去;他的國必不敗壞。

15 至於我─但以理,我的靈在我裡面愁煩,我腦中的異象使我驚惶。

16 我就近一位侍立者,問他這一切的真情。他就告訴我,將那事的講解給我明。

17 這四個大獸就是四王將要在世上興起。

18 然而,至者的聖民,必要得國享受,直到永永遠遠。

19 那時我願知道第四獸的真情,他為何與那三獸的真情大不相同,甚是可怕,有牙銅爪,吞吃嚼碎,所剩下的用腳踐踏;

20 頭有十角和那另長的一角,在這角前有角被他打落。這角有眼,有誇大話的口,形狀強橫,過於他的同類。

21 我觀看,見這角與聖民爭戰,勝了他們。

22 直到亙古常在者來給至者的聖民伸冤,聖民得國的時候就到了。

23 那侍立者這樣:第四獸就是世上必有的第四國,與一切國大不相同,必吞吃全地,並且踐踏嚼碎。

24 至於那十角,就是從這國中必興起的十王,後來又興起一王,與先前的不同;他必制伏王。

25 他必向至誇大的話,必折磨至者的聖民,必想改變節期和律。聖民必交付他手一載、二載、半載。

26 然而,審判者必坐著行審判;他的權柄必被奪去,毀壞,滅絕,一直到底。

27 國度、權柄,和天諸國的大權必賜給至者的聖民。他的國是永遠的;一切掌權的都必事奉他,順從他。

28 那事至此完畢。至於我─但以理,心中甚是驚惶,臉色也改變了,卻將那事存記在心。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #476

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476. That there should be no more time. This symbolically means that there will be no church or any state of the church unless people acknowledge one God, and that the Lord is that God.

Time symbolizes state, and because the church is the subject here, it symbolizes a state of the church. Consequently, that there should be no more time means, symbolically, that there should be no state of the church.

It follows also that it means there would be no church unless people acknowledge one God, and that the Lord is that God. But what is the case today? No one denies that there is one God, but people do deny that the Lord is that God. And yet there cannot be one God in whom there is at the same time a Trinity unless that God is the Lord. No one denies that the church originates from Him who is the Savior and Redeemer, but people do deny that they should turn to Him directly as their Savior and Redeemer.

It is apparent from this that the church will die unless a new one arises, one that acknowledges the Lord alone as God of heaven and earth and accordingly turns to Him directly (see Matthew 28:18 1 ). Consequently the statement here that there should be no more time, that is to say, no church, is related to what is said in verse 7 of this chapter, 2 and verse 7 in turn is related to what is said in chapter 11:15, 3 where we are told that there would be a church which would be the Lord's alone.

[2] Time symbolizes state because in the spiritual world time is not measured by days, weeks, months and years, but instead by states which are progressions of the inhabitants' lives, by which they recall the past. (On which subject, see the book Heaven and Hell, published in London in 1758, nos. 162-169, where we dealt with time in heaven.)

The state of the church is meant here by time because although day and night, morning and evening, summer and winter mark periods of time in the world, when interpreted in the spiritual sense they mark states of the church. Consequently, when these states come to an end, there is no church; and that is the case when there is no longer any good and truth, thus when the light of truth has become dark, and the warmth of goodness cold. That is what is meant by the statement that there should be no more time.

The following passages in the Word have similar meanings:

(The fourth beast) shall think to change times... (Daniel 7:25)

There shall be one day which is known to Jehovah - neither day nor night (and so not a period of time). (Zechariah 14:7)

...I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight (and so not in a period of time). (Amos 8:9)

...a single evil, behold, it has come! An end has come, the end has come... The morning has come upon you, who dwell in the land; the time has come... (Ezekiel 7:5-7)

The morning is the commencement of the New Church (no. 151), which is why it says, "The time has come."

Footnotes:

1. "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."

2. ."..in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, as He declared to His servants the prophets."

3. "Then the seventh angel sounded: and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'"

  
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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.