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Joel 2

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1 Trubite u trubu na Sionu! Dižite uzbunu na svetoj mi gori! Neka svi stanovnici zemlje dršću, jer dolazi Jahvin dan. Da, on je blizu.

2 Dan pun mraka i tmine, Dan oblačan i crn. K'o zora po gorama se prostire narod jak i mnogobrojan, kakva ne bje nikad prije, niti će ga igda biti do vremena najdaljih.

3 Pred njim oganj proždire, za njim plamen guta. Zemlja je k'o vrt rajski pred njim, a za njim pustinja tužna. Ništa mu ne umiče.

4 Nalik su na konje, jure poput konjanika.

5 Buče kao bojna kola, po gorskim vrhuncima skaču, pucketaju k'o plamen ognjeni kad strnjiku proždire, kao vojska jaka u bojnome redu.

6 Pred njima narodi dršću i svako lice problijedi.

7 Skaču k'o junaci, k'o ratnici se na zidove penju. Svaki ide pravo naprijed, ne odstupa od svog puta.

8 Ne tiskaju jedan drugog, već svak' ide svojom stazom. Padaju od strijela ne kidajuć' redova.

9 Na grad navaljuju, na zidine skaču, penju se na kuće i kroz okna ulaze poput lupeža.

10 Pred njima se zemlja trese, nebo podrhtava, sunce, mjesec mrčaju, zvijezdama se trne sjaj.

11 I Jahve glas svoj šalje pred vojsku svoju. I odista, tabor mu je silno velik, zapovijedi njegove moćan izvršitelj. Da, velik je Jahvin dan i vrlo strašan. Tko će ga podnijeti?

12 "Al' i sada - riječ je Jahvina - vratite se k meni svim srcem svojim posteć', plačuć' i kukajuć'."

13 Razderite srca, a ne halje svoje! Vratite se Jahvi, Bogu svome, jer on je nježnost sama i milosrđe, spor na ljutnju, a bogat dobrotom, on se nad zlom ražali.

14 Tko zna neće li se opet ražaliti, neće li blagoslov ostaviti za sobom! Prinose i ljevanice Jahvi, Bogu našemu!

15 Trubite u trubu na Sionu! Sveti post naredite, oglasite zbor svečani,

16 narod saberite, posvetite zbor. Saberite starce, sakupite djecu, čak i nejač na prsima. Neka ženik iziđe iz svadbene sobe a nevjesta iz odaje.

17 Između trijema i žrtvenika neka tuže svećenici, sluge Jahvine. Neka mole: "Smiluj se, Jahve, svojem narodu! Ne prepusti baštine svoje sramoti, poruzi naroda. Zašto da se kaže među narodima: Gdje im je Bog?"

18 Tad Jahve, ljubomoran na zemlju svoju, smilova se svom narodu.

19 Odgovori Jahve svojem narodu: "Šaljem vam, evo, žita, vina i ulja da se njime nasitite. Nikad više neću pustiti da budete na sramotu narodima.

20 Protjerat ću Sjevernjaka od vas daleko, odagnat ga u zemlju suhu i pustu, prethodnicu u Istočno more, zalaznicu u Zapadno more. Dići će se njegov smrad, dizat će se trulež njegova." (Jer učini stvari velike.)

21 O zemljo, ne boj se! Budi sretna, raduj se, jer Jahve učini djela velika.

22 Zvijeri poljske, ne bojte se; pašnjaci u pustinji opet se zelene, voćke daju rod, smokva i loza nose izobila.

23 Sinovi sionski, radujte se, u Jahvi se veselite, svojem Bogu; jer vam daje kišu jesensku u pravoj mjeri, izli na vas kišu, jesensku i proljetnu kišu kao nekoć.

24 Gumna će biti puna žita, kace će se prelijevati od vina i ulja.

25 "Nadoknadit ću vam godine koje izjedoše skakavac, gusjenica, ljupilac i šaška, silna vojska moja što je poslah na vas."

26 Jest ćete izobila, jest ćete do sita, slavit ćete ime Jahve, svojeg Boga, koji je s vama čudesno postupao. ("Moj se narod neće postidjeti nikad više.")

27 "Znat ćete da sam posred Izraela, da sam ja Jahve, vaš Bog, i nitko više. Moj se narod neće postidjeti nikad više."

   

The Bible

 

Amos 5:18

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18 "Jao vama što žudite za danom Jahvinim! Što će vam biti dan Jahvin? Tama, a ne svjetlost.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #546

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546. Then the woman fled into the wilderness. (12:6) This symbolizes the church, namely, the New Jerusalem, being at first among few.

The woman symbolizes the New Church (no. 533), and the wilderness symbolizes a circumstance in which there are no longer any truths. The church is symbolized as being at first among few because the statement follows, "Where she has a place prepared by God, that they may feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days," which symbolizes the state of that church then, that in the meantime provision may be made for it to exist among more people until it grows to its appointed state (no. 547).

A wilderness in the Word symbolizes:

1. A church devastated, or one in which the Word's truths have all been falsified, as was the case with the Jews at the time of the Lord's advent.

2. A church without truths, because it does not have the Word, as was the case with upright gentiles at the time of the Lord's advent.

3. A state of temptation or trial, in which a person is seemingly without truths, being surrounded by evil spirits who induce the temptation or trial and appear to rob him of his truths.

[2] 1. That a wilderness symbolizes a church devastated, or one in which the Word's truths have all been falsified, as was the case with the Jews at the time of the Lord's advent: This is apparent from the following passages:

Is this the man who shook the earth, who made kingdoms tremble, who made the world as a wilderness...? (Isaiah 14:16-17)

This said in reference to Babylon.

On the land of my people will come up thorns and briers...; ...the palace will be deserted... (Isaiah 32:13-14)

I beheld, and lo, Carmel was a wilderness... "The whole land shall be a wasteland." (Jeremiah 4:26-27)

The land is the church (no. 285).

...shepherds have destroyed My vineyard..., they have made the field of My desire a desolate wilderness... The devastators are coming... in the wilderness. (Jeremiah 12:10, 12)

...(the vine) is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. (Ezekiel 19:13)

...fire has devoured the habitations of the wilderness. (Joel 1:19-20)

...the day of Jehovah is coming... The land is like the Garden of Eden before it, but after it a desolate wilderness. (Joel 2:1, 3)

...see the word of Jehovah! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of darkness? (Jeremiah 2:31)

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God." (Isaiah 40:3)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 33:9; Jeremiah 3:2; 23:10; Lamentations 5:9; Hosea 2:2-3; 13:15; Joel 3:19; Malachi 1:3; Matthew 24:26; Luke 13:35.

That such is the state of the church today may be seen in no. 566 below.

[3] 2. That a wilderness symbolizes a church without truths, because it does not have the Word, as was the case with upright gentiles at the time of the Lord's advent: This is apparent from these passages:

...the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high, then the wilderness shall become a fertile field...; and judgment will dwell in the wilderness... (Isaiah 32:15-16)

(I will put) fountains in the midst of the valleys, [and turn] the wilderness into a pool of water... I will put in the wilderness the shittim cedar... and the oil tree. (Isaiah 41:18-19)

He will turn a wilderness into a pool of water, and dry land into springs of water. (Psalms 107:35-36)

I will make a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert... to give drink to My people, My chosen. (Isaiah 43:19-20)

...Jehovah... will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah; gladness and joy will be found in her... (Isaiah 51:3)

The habitations of the wilderness drip... (Psalms 65:12-13)

Let the wilderness... lift up (its) voice... Let the inhabitants of the rock sing... (Isaiah 43:10-11)

[4] 3. That a wilderness symbolizes a state of temptation or trial, in which a person is seemingly without truths, being surrounded by evil spirits who induce the temptation or trial and appear to rob him of his truths: This is apparent from Matthew 4:1-3, Mark 1:12-13.

  
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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.