The Bible

 

Joel 2

Study

   

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."

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #483

Study this Passage

  
/ 962  
  

483. And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about peoples, nations, tongues, and many kings." (10:11) This symbolically means that such being the case, the character of people caught up in faith alone must be further told.

That this is the symbolic meaning is apparent from what follows, in which the subject is people caught up in faith alone, to the end of chapter 16. After that the subject is the Roman Catholic religion, then the casting out of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet into hell, and afterward the New Church, which will worship the Lord alone.

To prophesy means, symbolically, to teach (nos. 8, 133), and so to prophesy again means to teach further. "Peoples" symbolize people who are impelled by doctrinal truths or doctrinal falsities, and "nations" symbolize people who are impelled by good practices or evil practices. More about these later. "Tongues" symbolize people who are impelled by truths and goods or falsities and evils externally (no. 282), and "kings" people who are impelled by them internally. To be shown that kings symbolize people who are impelled by truths springing from goodness, and in an opposite sense, people who are impelled by falsities springing from evil, and abstractly truths themselves springing from goodness or falsities themselves springing from evil, see nos. 20, 664, 704, 720, 830, 921. And as the subject in what follows is in particular people impelled by interior falsities, the text says, "and many kings," which symbolizes falsities accompanying evil in abundance.

The text says peoples, nations, tongues and kings in order to mean all people in the church who are of this character.

John's being told that he had to prophesy again means, symbolically, to teach further the character of people caught up in faith alone, in order that their falsities may be exposed and thus eradicated, since no falsity is eradicated before it has been exposed.

[2] That "peoples" symbolize people impelled by doctrinal truths or falsities, and "nations" people impelled by good or evil practices, can be seen from many passages in the Word where peoples and nations are mentioned. However, to demonstrate this we will cite here only some passages where peoples and nations are mentioned together, from which this conclusion may be drawn, as each and every particular in the Word contains a marriage of the Lord and the church, and consequently a marriage of goodness and truth; and "peoples" refer to truth, and "nations" to goodness. The presence of such a marriage in each and every particular of the Word may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 80-90.

[3] Here are the passages in the Word:

Woe to a sinful nation, to a people laden with iniquity... (Isaiah 1:4)

I will send him against a hypocritical nation, against the people of My wrath I will command him... (Isaiah 10:6)

(Jehovah) who is striking the peoples... with an incurable plague, who is ruling the nations in anger... (Isaiah 14:6)

At that time a present will be brought to Jehovah..., a people scattered and shaven..., and a nation marked off and downtrodden... (Isaiah 18:7)

...a strong people will honor You, a city of mighty nations will fear You. (Isaiah 25:3)

(Jehovah) will swallow up... the covering... over all peoples, and the veil... over all nations. (Isaiah 25:7)

Come near, you nations..., and pay heed, you peoples! (Isaiah 34:1)

I... have called You... as a covenant to the peoples, and as a light to the nations. (Isaiah 42:6)

Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples assemble. (Isaiah 43:9)

Behold, I will lift My hand... to the nations, and... My standard to the peoples. (Isaiah 49:22)

...I have given him as a witness to the peoples, a leader and lawgiver to the nations. (Isaiah 55:4)

Behold, a people is coming from the north country, and a great nation... from the edges of the earth. (Jeremiah 6:22)

Many peoples and numerous nations shall come to seek Jehovah of hosts in Jerusalem... (Zechariah 8:22)

Jehovah renders the counsel of the nations of no effect, He overturns the deliberations of the peoples. (Psalms 33:10)

(Jehovah) will subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet... (Jehovah) reigned over the nations... The willing of the peoples have gathered together... (Psalms 47:3, 8-9)

The peoples shall confess You... The nations shall be glad... For You shall judge the peoples righteously, and guide the nations on the earth. (Psalms 67:3-4)

Remember me, O Jehovah, with good pleasure toward Your people..., that I may rejoice in the joy of Your nations... (Psalms 106:4-5)

...all peoples, nations, and languages shall worship (the Son of Man). (Daniel 7:14)

And so on elsewhere, as in Psalms 18:43, Isaiah 9:2-3; 11:10, Ezekiel 36:15, Joel 2:17, Zephaniah 2:9, Revelation 5:9, Luke 2:30-32.

----------

  
/ 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.