The Bible

 

約珥書 2

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1 你們要在錫安吹角,在我吹出大聲。國中的居民都要發顫;因為耶和華的日子將到,已經臨近。

2 那日是黑暗、幽冥、密、烏黑的日子,好像晨光鋪滿嶺。有一隊蝗蟲(原文是民)又大又強;從來沒有這樣的,以直到萬也必沒有。

3 他們前面如燒滅,面如燄燒盡。未到以前,伊甸園;過去以,成了荒涼的曠野;沒有一樣能躲避他們的。

4 他們的形狀如,奔跑如兵。

5 頂蹦跳的響聲,如車輛的響聲,又如燄燒碎秸的響聲,好像強盛的民擺陣預備打仗。

6 他們一來,眾民傷慟,臉都變色。

7 他們如勇士奔跑,像戰士爬城;各都步行,不亂隊伍。

8 彼此並不擁擠,向前各行其,直闖兵器,不偏左右。

9 他們蹦上城,躥上,爬上房屋進入窗戶如同盜賊。

10 他們一來,動,日月昏暗,宿無光。

11 耶和華在他軍旅前發聲,他的隊伍甚;成就他命的是強盛者。因為耶和華的日子而可畏,誰能當得起呢?

12 耶和華:雖然如此,你們應當禁食、哭泣、悲哀,一心歸向我。

13 你們要撕裂心腸,不撕裂衣服。歸向耶和華─你們的;因為他有恩典,有憐憫,不輕易發怒,有豐盛的慈愛,並且後悔不降所說的災。

14 或者他悔,留下餘福,就是留下獻給耶和華─你們的素祭和奠祭,也未可知。

15 你們要在錫安吹角,分定禁食的日子,宣告嚴肅會。

16 聚集眾民,使會眾自潔:招聚老者,聚集孩童和吃奶的;使新郎出離洞房,新婦出離內室。

17 事奉耶和華的祭司要在廊子和祭壇中間哭泣,耶和華啊,求你顧惜你的百姓,不要使你的產業受羞辱,列邦管轄他們。為何容列國的人:他們的在哪裡呢?

18 耶和華就為自己的發熱心,憐恤他的百姓。

19 耶和華應允他的百姓:我必賜給你們五穀、新酒,和油,使你們飽足;我也不再使你們受列國的羞辱;

20 卻要使北方來的軍隊遠離你們,將他們趕到乾旱荒廢之:前隊趕入東,後隊趕入西;因為他們所行的大惡(原文作事),臭氣上升,腥味騰空。

21 地土啊,不要懼;要歡喜快樂,因為耶和華行了大事。

22 田野的走啊,不要懼;因為,曠野的草發生,樹木結果,無花果樹、葡萄也都效

23 錫安的民哪,你們要快樂,為耶和華─你們的歡喜;因他賜你們合宜的秋雨,為你們降甘霖,就是秋雨、春雨,和先前一樣。

24 禾場必滿了麥子;酒醡與油醡必有新酒和油盈溢。

25 我打發到你們中間的軍隊,就是蝗蟲、蝻子、螞蚱、剪,那些年所的,我要補還你們。

26 你們必多而得飽足就讚美為你們行奇妙事之耶和華─你們的名。我的百姓必永遠不至羞愧

27 你們必知道我是在以色列中間,又知道我是耶和華─你們的;在我以外並無別。我的百姓必永遠不致羞愧

28 ,我要將我的靈澆灌凡有血氣的。你們的兒女要預言;你們的老年人要做異夢,少年人要見異象。

29 在那些日子,我要將我的靈澆灌我的僕人和使女。

30 下,我要顯出奇事,有血,有,有煙柱。

31 日頭要變為黑暗月亮要變為血,這都在耶和華而可畏的日子未到以前。

32 到那時候,凡求告耶和華名的就必得;因為照耶和華的,在錫安耶路撒冷必有逃脫的人,在剩下的人中必有耶和華所召的。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3580

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3580. 'And abundance of grain' means natural good from this, 'and of new wine' means natural truth from the same. This is clear from the meaning of 'grain' as good, and from the meaning of 'new wine' as truth. When these two are used in reference to the natural they mean natural good and truth, but when they are used in reference to the rational they are 'bread and wine' - 'bread' being celestial good, see 276, 680, 1798, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, and 'wine' that which is spiritual, namely truth deriving from good, 1071, 1798. These meanings of 'grain' and 'wine' may also be seen from the following places in the Word:

In Haggai,

The heavens have withheld their dew, and the earth has withheld its increase. And I have called for a drought over the land, and over the mountains, and over the grain, and over the new wine, and over that which the earth brings forth. Haggai 1:10-11.

Here 'a drought' stands for a lack of dew and rain, and so for a lack of truth deriving from any good. 'A drought over the grain' is the lack of good, and 'a drought over the new wine' the lack of truth.

[2] In Moses,

Israel will dwell securely, alone at Jacob's spring, in a land of grain and new wine; and his heavens will distill dew. Deuteronomy 33:28.

'Alone' stands for those who are not infested by evils and falsities, 139, 471. 'A land of grain and new wine' stands for the good and truth of the Church.

In Hosea,

I will be as the dew to Israel, he will blossom 1 as the lily, and strike root like Lebanon. His branches will go out, and his beauty will be like the olive, and his odour like that of Lebanon. Those dwelling in its shadow will turn back, they will quicken the grain and will blossom as the vine; the memory of it will be as the wine of Lebanon. Hosea 14:5-7.

Here 'the grain' stands for spiritual good, 'the wine' for spiritual truth.

In Isaiah,

A curse will consume the earth. The new wine will mourn, the vine will languish; all the merry-hearted will sigh. Isaiah 24:6-7.

This refers to the vastation of the spiritual Church. 'The new wine will mourn' stands for the fact that truth will come to an end.

[3] In Jeremiah,

Jehovah has redeemed Jacob. They will come and sing on the height of Zion, and they will converge towards the goodness of Jehovah. towards the grain, and towards the new wine, and towards the oil, and towards the young 2 of the flock and of the herd. Jeremiah 31:11-12.

'The grain' and 'the new wine' stand for good and for truth derived from good, 'the oil' for the good which is both a producer and a product of these, 'the young of the flock and of the herd' for the truth which is acquired in this manner. This being the meaning of those things they are called 'the goodness of Jehovah'.

In Hosea,

She did not know that it was I who gave her the grain and the new wine and the oil, and who multiplied the silver and the gold which they made for Baal. Therefore I will return and take back My grain and My new wine in its season, and I will snatch away My wool and My flax. Hosea 2:8-9.

This refers to the Church when perverted, and it is evident that 'grain' is not used to mean grain, nor 'new wine' new wine, nor yet oil, silver, gold, wool, and flax to mean such material things. Rather, spiritual things are meant, that is, those which consist in what is good and true.

Something similar is the case where in the same prophet a new Church is dealt with,

I will betroth you to Me in faith, and you will know Jehovah. And it will be on that day, that I shall hear the heavens, and they will hear the earth, and the earth will hear the grain, and the new wine, and the oil, and these will hear Jezreel. Hosea 2:20-22.

'Jezreel' stands for a new Church.

In Joel,

Awake, you drunkards, and weep; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine that has been cut off from your mouth. The field has been laid waste, the land is mourning because the grain has been laid waste; the new wine has dried up, the oil languishes. Joel 1:5, 10.

[4] In the same prophet,

Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God, for He has given you the morning rain for righteousness, and will cause the morning and the evening rain to come down on you in the first [month]. And the threshing-floors will be full of perfect grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and oil. Joel 2:23-24.

In the same prophet,

It will happen on that day, that the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the streams of Judah will flow with water, and a spring will come forth from the house of Jehovah. Joel 3:18.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom, it being spiritual things that are meant by 'new wine', 'milk', and 'water', the abundance of which is being described in this fashion.

In Zechariah,

Jehovah their God will serve them on that day, as a flock His people. For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins. Zechariah 9:16-17.

In David,

You visit the earth and delight in it; You greatly enrich it; the stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain. The meadows clothe themselves with flocks, and the valleys are covered over with grain; let them clap their hands, let them also sing. Psalms 65:9, 13.

From all these places it is now evident what 'grain' is and what 'new wine' is.

Footnotes:

1. literally, sprout

2. literally, the sons

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