The Bible

 

創世記 12

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1 耶和華亞伯蘭:你要離開本、本族、父家,往我所要指示你的去。

2 我必叫你成為國。我必賜福給你,叫你的名為;你也要叫別人得福。

3 為你祝福的,我必賜福與他;那咒詛你的,我必咒詛他。地上的萬族都要因你得福。

4 亞伯蘭就照著耶和華的吩咐去了;羅得也和他同去。亞伯蘭哈蘭的時候年七十五歲。

5 亞伯蘭將他妻子撒萊和姪兒羅得,連他們在哈蘭所積蓄的財物、所得的人口,都帶往迦南去。他們就到了迦南

6 亞伯蘭經過那,到了示劍地方、摩利橡樹那裡。那時迦南人住在那

7 耶和華亞伯蘭顯現,:我要把這你的後裔。亞伯蘭就在那裡為向他顯現的耶和華築了一座

8 從那裡他又遷到伯特利東邊的,支搭帳棚;西邊是伯特利,東邊是艾。他在那裡又為耶和華築了一座,求告耶和華的名。

9 後來亞伯蘭又漸漸遷往地去。

10 遭遇饑荒。因饑荒甚大,亞伯蘭埃及去,要在那裡暫居。

11 將近埃及,就對他妻子撒萊:我知道你是容貌俊美的婦人。

12 埃及人見你必:這是他的妻子,他們就要殺我,卻叫你存活。

13 求你,你是我的妹子,使我因你得平安,我的命也因你存活。

14 及至亞伯蘭到了埃及埃及人見那婦人極其美貌。

15 法老的臣宰見了他,就在法老面前誇獎他。那婦人就被帶進法老的宮去。

16 法老因這婦人就厚待亞伯蘭亞伯蘭得了許多牛、駱駝、公、母、僕婢。

17 耶和華亞伯蘭妻子撒萊的緣故,降災與法老和他的全家。

18 法老就召了亞伯蘭來,:你這向我作的是甚麼事呢?為甚麼沒有告訴我他是你的妻子

19 為甚麼他是你的妹子,以致我把他取來要作我的妻子?現在你的妻子在這裡,可以帶他走罷。

20 於是法老吩咐人將亞伯蘭和他妻子,並他所有的都送走了。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #482

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482. Until now nobody has known what the years and the numbers of years occurring in this chapter mean in the internal sense. People who stay within the sense of the letter imagine that they are no more than chronological years. But none of the content from here down to Chapter 12 is history as it seems to be in the sense of the letter, for every single detail contains something of a different nature. What applies to names applies to numbers as well. In the Word the number three occurs frequently, and so does the number seven; and in every instance they mean something holy or inviolable as regards those states which the periods of time or whatever else that is mentioned embody or represent. This applies as much to the shortest as to the longest time-intervals; for just as parts makeup the whole, so do the shortest make up the longest. For a similarity must exist in order that a whole may emerge satisfactorily out of the parts, or that which is largest out of that which is smallest.

[2] As in Isaiah,

Jehovah has now spoken, saying, In three years, according to the years of a hireling, the glory of Moab will be rendered worthless. Isaiah 16:14.

In the same prophet,

The Lord said to me, Within yet a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar will be brought to an end. Isaiah 21:6.

Here both the shortest as well as the longest time-intervals are meant. In Habakkuk,

O Jehovah, I have heard Your fame; I was afraid. O Jehovah, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years do You make it known. Habakkuk 3:2.

Here 'the midst of the years' stands for the Lord's Coming. If the intervals are shorter this stands for every coming of the Lord, as when a person is being regenerated; but if longer it stands for the rising anew of the Lord's Church. It is also called in Isaiah 'the year of the redeemed', The day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come. Isaiah 63:4.

So too 'the thousand years' for which Satan is to be bound, Revelation 20:2-3, 7, and 'the thousand years' associated with the first resurrection, Revelation 20:4-6. These in no way mean a thousand years but the states associated with them. For just as 'days, as shown 'already, are interpreted as a state, so too are 'years', and the states are described by the number of the years. From this it becomes clear that periods of time in this chapter also embody states, for every Church experienced a different state of perception from the next, according to differences of disposition resulting from inherited and acquired characteristics.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.