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 #478

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478. The mystery of God would be concluded, as He declared to His servants the prophets. This symbolically means that then will appear what was foretold in the Word of both Testaments and previously concealed, that after the Last Judgment upon those people who have destroyed the church, the Lord's kingdom will come.

To be concluded means, symbolically, to be fulfilled, to come to an end, and then to reappear. The mystery of God declared to the prophets symbolizes something foretold by the Lord in the Word and previously concealed. To declare good news means, symbolically, to proclaim the coming of the Lord and His kingdom, for the gospel is happy news. That this would come about after the Last Judgment was executed on the people who destroyed the church was also foretold in the Word. Therefore this, too, is symbolically meant.

It can be seen from this that all of these meanings are contained in these words.

[2] First we must say something here about the Lord's advent and His kingdom's being foretold in the Word of both Testaments:

In the Word of the Old Testament, in the spiritual sense of the prophetic portion, and also in its natural sense wherever the spiritual sense shines through, the subject is the Lord alone, namely, His advent in the fullness of time, a time when the goodness of charity and the truth of faith would no longer be present in the church, whose state then is called a consummation, a being laid waste, a desolation, and a cutting off. It includes as well His battles with the hells and victories over them, which constitute also the last judgment that He executed, and after that the creation of a new heaven and the establishment of a new church, which are the Lord's kingdom to come. All of this is found in the Word of the New Testament, too, in the portion called the Gospels, and in particular in the book of Revelation.

[3] That it is the Lord's kingdom that would be declared in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel is apparent in the next chapter (chapter 11) from the following:

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!" And the twenty-four elders... fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God..., who are and who were and who are to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned. (Revelation 11:15-17)

[4] This mystery, in almost the same words as in Revelation here, is described in Daniel, where we find the following:

I heard the man clothed in linen..., when he held up his (hands) to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a set time of set times and a half..., when... all these things shall be finished... But he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." (Daniel 12:7, 9)

Till the time of the end refers to the present time. That the Son of Man would then receive His kingdom - this Daniel foretells in these words:

I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! ...Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, and all peoples, nations, and languages will worship Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one which shall not perish. (Daniel 7:13-14)

[5] That declaring good news symbolizes the Lord's advent and His kingdom then, is apparent from the following passages:

Get up into the... mountain, O Zion, who brings good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, who brings good tidings... Say..., "Behold your God!" Behold, the Lord Jehovih is coming with strength, and His arm shall rule for Him. (Isaiah 40:9-10)

How delightful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of goodness, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, "Your King shall reign!" (Isaiah 52:7, cf. Nahum 1:15)

Sing to Jehovah, bless in His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day... ...Jehovah, for He is coming... (Psalms 96:2, 13)

The Spirit of the Lord Jehovih is upon Me; therefore Jehovah has anointed Me to bring good tidings to the poor..., to proclaim liberty to the captives..., to proclaim the year of Jehovah's good pleasure... (Isaiah 61:1-2)

The angel said to (Zacharias), "(Behold)..., your wife... will bear... a son..., (who) will go before (the Lord God) in the spirit and power of Elijah..., to prepare a people for the Lord... I am Gabriel..., and I was sent... to bring you these glad tidings." (Luke 1:13, 17, 19)

...the angel said to (the shepherds), "Do not be afraid, ...behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy... For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11)

The Lord brought good tidings of the kingdom of God: Matthew 4:23; 9:35; Mark 1:14-15. So did John the Baptist: Luke 3:18.

The Lord also said to the Disciples,

Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to every creature. (Mark 16:15)

This, too, is the everlasting good news or gospel that "the angel flying in the midst of heaven" had "to proclaim to the those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 14:6).

[6] Our being told that the mystery of God would be concluded means that something would be fulfilled that was not fulfilled before, namely, the coming of the Lord's kingdom. It was not fulfilled by the Jews because they did not acknowledge the Lord. Neither has it been fulfilled by Christians because they do not acknowledge the Lord to be God of heaven and earth even in respect to His human element; for they regard this as being like anyone else's human element. Consequently they do not turn to Him directly, even though He is Jehovah who came into the world.

  
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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.