The Bible

 

以西結書 7

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1 耶和華的又臨到我

2 人子啊,耶和華以色列如此:結局到了,結局到了境!

3 現在你的結局已經臨到,我必使我的怒氣歸與你,也必按你的行為審判你,照你一切可憎的事刑罰你。

4 我眼必不顧惜你,也不可憐你,卻要按你所行的報應你,照你中間可憎的事刑罰你。你就知道我是耶和華

5 耶和華如此:有災,獨有災;看哪,臨近了!

6 結局來了,結局來了,向你興起。看哪,到了!

7 境內的居民哪,所定的災臨到你,時候到了,日子近了,乃是鬨嚷並非在上歡呼的日子。

8 我快要將我的忿怒傾在你身上,向你成就我怒中所定的,按你的行為審判你,照你一切可憎的事刑罰你。

9 我眼必不顧惜你,也不可憐你,必按你所行的報應你,照你中間可憎的事刑罰你。你就知道擊打你的是我耶和華

10 看哪,看哪,日子快到了,所定的災已經發出。杖已經開花,驕傲已經發芽。

11 強暴興起,成了罰惡的杖。以色列人,或是他們的群眾,或是他們的財寶,無一存留,他們中間也沒有得尊榮的。

12 時候到了,日子近了,買主不可歡喜,賣主不可愁煩,因為烈怒已經臨到他們眾人身上。

13 主雖然存活,卻不能歸回再得所的,因為這異象關乎他們眾。誰都不得歸回,也沒有在他的罪孽中堅立自己。

14 他們已經吹角,預備齊全,卻無一人出戰,因為我的烈怒臨到他們眾人身上。

15 在外有刀,在內有瘟疫、饑荒;在田野的,必遭刀;在城中的,必有饑荒、瘟疫吞滅他。

16 其中所逃脫的就必逃脫,各人因自己的罪孽在上發出悲聲,好像谷中的鴿子哀鳴。

17 都發軟,膝弱如

18 要用麻布束腰,被戰兢所蓋;各人臉上羞愧,上光禿

19 他們要將子拋在街上,子看如污穢之物。當耶和華發怒的日子,他們的不能救他們,不能使心裡知足,也不能使肚腹飽滿,因為這作了他們罪孽的絆腳石。

20 論到耶和華妝飾華美的殿,他建立得威嚴,他們卻在其中製造可憎可厭的偶像,所以這殿我使他們看如污穢之物。

21 我必將這殿交付外邦人為掠物,交付上的惡人為擄物;他們也必褻瀆這殿。

22 我必臉不顧以色列人,他們褻瀆我隱密之所,強盜也必進去褻瀆。

23 要製造鎖鍊;因為這遍滿流血的罪,城邑充滿強暴的事,

24 所以我必使列國中最惡的人佔據他們的房屋;我必使強暴人的驕傲止息,他們的聖所都要被褻瀆。

25 毀滅臨近了,他們要求平安,卻無平安可得。

26 災害加上災害,風聲接連風聲;他們必向先知異象,但祭司講的律法、長老設的謀略都必斷絕。

27 君要悲哀,王要披淒涼為衣,國民的都發顫。我必照他們的行為待他們,按他們應得的審判他們,他們就知道我是耶和華

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #538

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538. Having seven heads. This symbolizes irrationality owing to their falsifying and profaning the Word's truths.

A head symbolizes wisdom and intelligence, and in an opposite sense, irrationality. However, the seven heads here, being the heads of the dragon, symbolize more specifically irrationality owing to a falsification and profanation of the Word's truths. For the number seven is predicated of things that are holy, and in an opposite sense, of things that are profane (no. 10). Consequently we are told next that on its heads were seen seven jewels, 1 and jewels symbolize the Word's truths, there truths falsified and profaned.

That a head symbolizes wisdom and intelligence is apparent from the following passages:

I will give you wise and intelligent men..., and I will make them your heads. (Deuteronomy 1:13)

...Jehovah... has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. (Isaiah 29:10)

In Daniel 2:32 the head of Nebuchadnezzar's image of fine gold symbolizes the wisdom of the first age, which existed in people of the Most Ancient Church.

That in an opposite sense a head symbolizes irrationality and foolishness is apparent in the book of Psalms:

God will smite the head of His enemies, the hairy crown of the one who walks in his guilty ways. (Psalms 68:21)

In Genesis 3:15 the head of the serpent that would be trampled has the same symbolism, and so does "striking the head over much land" in Psalms 110:6-7; Lamentations 2:10; 2 Samuel 13:19).

Moreover, seven heads later in the book of Revelation, namely, in Revelation 13:1, 3; 17:3, 7, 9, also symbolize irrationality owing to a falsification and profanation of truths.

Footnotes:

1. The word translated as "jewels" here means diadems or crowns in the original Greek and Latin, but the writer's definition of the term elsewhere make plain that he regularly and consistently interpreted it to mean jewels or gems.

  
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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.