The Bible

 

Postanak 15

Study

   

1 Poslije tih događaja Jahve uputi Abramu riječ u ukazanju: "Ne boj se, Abrame, ja sam ti zaštita; a nagrada tvoja bit će vrlo velika!"

2 Abram odgovori: "Gospodine moj, Jahve, čemu mi tvoji darovi kad ostajem bez poroda; kad je mojoj kući nasljednik Eliezer Damaščanin?

3 Kako mi nisi dao potomstva - nastavi Abram - jedan će, eto, od mojih ukućana postati moj baštinik."

4 Ali mu Jahve opet uputi riječ: "Taj neće biti tvoj baštinik, nego će ti baštinik biti tvoj potomak."

5 Izvede ga van i reče: "Pogledaj na nebo i zvijezde prebroj ako ih možeš prebrojiti." A onda doda: "Toliko će biti tvoje potomstvo."

6 Abram povjerova Jahvi, i on mu to uračuna u pravednost.

7 Tada mu on reče: "Ja sam Jahve koji sam te odveo iz Ura Kaldejskoga da ti predam ovu zemlju u posjed."

8 A on odvrati: "Gospodine moj, Jahve, kako ću ja doznati da ću je zaposjesti?"

9 Odgovori mu: "Prinesi mi junicu od tri godine, kozu od tri godine, ovna od tri godine, jednu grlicu i jednog golubića."

10 Sve mu to donese, rasiječe na pole i metnu sve pole jednu prema drugoj; ptica nije rasijecao.

11 Ptice grabežljivice obarale se na leševe, ali ih je Abram rastjerivao.

12 Kad je sunce bilo pri zalazu, dubok san obuzme Abrama, a onda se na nj spusti gust mrak pun jeze.

13 Tada Bog reče Abramu: "Dobro znaj da će tvoji potomci biti stranci u tuđoj zemlji; robovat će i biti tlačeni četiri stotine godina,

14 ali narodu kojem budu služili ja ću suditi; i konačno će izići s velikim blagom.

15 A ti ćeš k ocima svojim u miru poći, u sretnoj starosti bit ćeš sahranjen.

16 Oni će se ovamo vratiti za četvrtog naraštaja, jer mjera se zlodjela amorejskih još nije navršila."

17 Kad je sunce zašlo i pao gust mrak, pojavi se zadimljen žeravnjak i goruća zublja te prođu između onih dijelova.

18 Toga je dana Jahve sklopio Savez s Abramom rekavši: "Potomstvu tvojemu dajem zemlju ovu od Rijeke u Egiptu do Velike rijeke, rijeke Eufrata:

19 Kenijce, Kenižane, Kadmonce,

20 Hetite, Perižane, Refaimce,

21 Amorejce, Kanaance, Girgašane, Jebusejce."

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #422

Study this Passage

  
/ 962  
  

422. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. (9:2) This symbolizes falsities accompanying the lusts of the natural self springing from those people's evil loves.

The bottomless pit symbolizes the hell described just above in no. 421. The smoke from it symbolizes falsities arising from lusts, and because the smoke is said to be like that of a great furnace, it means falsities accompanying lusts springing from evil loves, inasmuch as fire symbolizes love (no. 468), and the fire of hell, evil love (no. 494). A great furnace has the same symbolism, since it smokes owing to fire.

Spirits of hell are not caught up in any material fire, but in a spiritual fire, which is the fire of their love. Consequently they do not feel any other fire. On this subject, see the book Heaven and Hell, nos. 134 566-575.

When any love is aroused in the spiritual world, it appears at a distance like fire - in the hells like a brightly burning fire, and outside the hells like the smoke of a conflagration or the smoke of a furnace.

Falsities accompanying lusts springing from evil loves are described also elsewhere in the Word by smoke from a fire or from a furnace or oven, as in the following places:

(Abraham) looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah..., and behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. (Genesis 19:28)

...the sun went down and it was dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between the pieces. (Genesis 15:17)

...they sin more and more... Therefore they shall be... like smoke from a flue. (Hosea 13:2-3)

...the wicked shall perish... In smoke they shall be consumed. (Psalms 37:20)

I will show wonders in heaven and on the earth: ...fire and pillars of smoke. (Joel 2:30)

(They) will cast (the evil) into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41-42, 49-50)

And elsewhere.

  
/ 962  
  

Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.