The Bible

 

Ezekijel 39

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1 Sine čovječji, prorokuj protiv Goga i reci: 'Ovako govori Jahve Gospod: Evo me na te, Gože, veliki kneže Mešeka i Tubala!

2 Namamit ću te i povesti, podići te s krajnjega sjevera i dovesti na gore Izraelove.

3 Izbit ću ti luk iz lijeve ruke i prosuti strijele iz tvoje desnice.

4 Na gorama ćeš Izraelovim pasti, ti i sve tvoje čete i narodi koji budu s tobom: pticama grabljivicama, svemu krilatom, i zvijerima dadoh te za hranu.

5 Na otvorenom ćeš polju pasti, jer ja tako rekoh - riječ je Jahve Gospoda.

6 Poslat ću oganj na Magog i na sve koji spokojno žive na otocima - i znat će da sam ja Jahve.

7 A svoje sveto ime objavit ću posred naroda svoga izraelskoga i neću dati da se više oskvrnjuje moje sveto ime! I znat će svi narodi da sam ja, Jahve, Svetac Izraelov.

8 Evo dolazi i biva - riječ je Jahve Gospoda! To je dan o kojem sam govorio!

9 Izići će stanovnici izraelskih gradova, naložiti vatru i spaliti oružje, štitove, štitiće, lukove i strelice, koplja i sulice - ložit će njima vatru sedam godina.

10 Neće nositi drva iz polja ni sjeći u šumama, nego će vatru oružjem ložiti. I oplijenit će one koji su njih plijenili, opljačkati one koji su njih pljačkali - riječ je Jahve Gospoda.

11 U onaj ću dan dati Gogu za grob glasovito mjesto u Izraelu: dolinu Abarim, istočno od Mora, koja zatvara put prolaznicima; ondje će pokopati Goga i sve njegovo mnoštvo. I dolina će se prozvati Hamon-Gog.

12 I ukopavat će ih dom Izraelov, sedam mjeseci, da očisti svu zemlju;

13 pokapat će ih sav narod zemlje. I bit će im slavan dan u koji se proslavim, riječ je Jahve Gospoda.

14 Izabrat će ljude da neprestano prolaze zemljom pa da s prolaznicima pokapaju one koji preostaše po zemlji, da je tako očiste.

15 I kad koji, prolazeći zemljom, vidi ljudske kosti, podignut će kraj njih nadgrobnik dok ih grobari ne ukopaju u dolini Hamon-Gog.

16 Hamona je ime i gradu. I tako će očistiti zemlju.

17 Sine čovječji, ovako govori Jahve Gospod: Reci pticama, svemu krilatom i svemu zvijerju: skupite se i dođite! Saberite se odasvud na žrtvu moju koju koljem za vas, na veliku gozbu po izraelskim gorama, da se najedete mesa i napijete krvi.

18 Najedite se mesa od junaka i napijte se krvi zemaljskih knezova, ovnova, janjaca, jaraca, junaca, ugojene stoke bašanske!

19 Najedite se do sita pretiline i napijte se krvi mojih klanica koje sam vam naklao.

20 Nasitite se za mojim stolom konja i konjanika, junaka i ratnika!' - riječ je Jahve Gospoda.

21 'Tako ću se proslaviti među narodima, i svi će narodi vidjeti sud koji ću izvršiti i ruku što ću je na njih podići.

22 Znat će dom Izraelov da sam ja, Jahve, Bog njihov - od toga dana zauvijek.

23 I znat će narodi da dom Izraelov bijaše odveden u ropstvo zbog svojih nedjela: iznevjerio mi se, pa sakrih lice svoje od njih i predadoh ih njihovim neprijateljima u ruke da od mača poginu.

24 Postupih s njima po nečistoći njihovoj i nedjelima te sakrih lice svoje od njih.'

25 Stoga ovako govori Jahve Gospod: 'Sad ću vratiti roblje Jakovljevo i pomilovati sav dom Izraelov - ljubomoran na ime svoje sveto,

26 oprostit ću im svu sramotu i nevjeru kojom mi se iznevjeriše dok još spokojno življahu u zemlji i nikoga ne bijaše da ih straši.

27 A kad ih dovedem iz naroda i skupim iz zemalja dušmanskih i na njima, naočigled mnogih naroda, svetost svoju pokažem,

28 znat će da sam ja Jahve, Bog njihov, koji ih u izgnanstvo među narode odvedoh i koji ih opet skupljam u njihovu zemlju, ne ostavivši ondje nijednoga od njih.

29 I nikada više neću kriti lica od njih, jer ću duh svoj izliti na dom Izraelov' - riječ je Jahve Gospoda."

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #859

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859. That Gog and Magog symbolize people who engage in external worship without any internal worship can be seen from chapter 38 in Ezekiel, where Gog is the subject from beginning to end, and from chapter 39 there, verses 1-16. But that these are symbolized by Gog and Magog is not clearly apparent there except through knowing the spiritual sense, which, because it has been revealed to me, will be disclosed. First, the contents of those two chapters:

The contents of chapter 38 in Ezekiel are as follows: The subject is people who attend to the Word's literal sense only, and whose worship is therefore an external worship without any internal worship, meant by Gog (verses 1, 2). That each and every component of that worship will perish (verses 3-7). That such worship will overwhelm the church and destroy it, so that it will be caught up in outward shows without any inward realities (verses 8-16). That the state of the church will change therefore (verse 17-19). That the truths and goods of religion will consequently perish and be replaced by false ones (verses 20-23).

[2] The contents of chapter 39 in the same prophetic book are as follows: Regarding people who attend to the Word's literal sense only and whose worship is an external one, that they will come into the church meant by Gog and perish (verses 1-6). That this will be the case when the Lord makes His advent and establishes His church (verses 7-8). That this church will then dispel all the people's evils and falsities (verses 9-10). It will entirely destroy them (verses 11-16). That the New Church to be established by the Lord will be instructed in truths and goods of every kind, and infused with goods of every kind (verses 17-21). That because of its evils and falsities, the previous church will be destroyed (verses 23-24). That the Lord will then gather together His church from all nations (verses 25-29).

[3] We must say something, however, about people who engage in external worship without any internal, spiritual worship. They are the kind of people who go often to church on the sabbath and on holy days, who sing hymns then and pray, who listen to sermons and attend then to the preacher's eloquence, but pay little or no attention to the substance, and who are moved somewhat by prayers uttered with feeling, such as that they are sinners, without reflecting on themselves or on their life; who also partake annually of the sacrament of the Holy Supper; who pour out prayers morning and evening, and pray also before midday and evening meals; and who also converse at times about God, heaven and eternal life, and know how to cite as well then some passages from the Word and to pretend to be Christians, even though they are not. For after they have done all these things, they think nothing of adulterous affairs and obscenities, of vengeance and hatred, of covert theft and robbery, of lying and blasphemy, and of lusting for and intending evils of every kind.

People of this character do not believe in any God, still less in the Lord. If asked what the good and truth of religion are, they do not know and think it of no great moment for them to know. In a word, they live for themselves and the world, thus for their inherent disposition and body, and not for God and the neighbor, thus not for their spirit and soul. It is apparent from this that their worship is an external worship without any internal worship. They also readily accept the heresy of faith alone, especially when they are told that a person cannot do good of himself, and that they are not under the yoke of the law. That is the reason we are told that the dragon will go out to lead astray the nations, Gog and Magog.

In the original Hebrew, too, Gog and Magog mean a roof and deck, which is something external.

  
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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.