The Bible

 

Danieli 8

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1 Léta třetího kralování Balsazara krále ukázalo mi se vidění, mně Danielovi po onom, kteréž se mi ukázalo na počátku.

2 I viděl jsem u vidění, (tehdáž pak, když jsem viděl, byl jsem v Susan, na hradě, kterýž jest v krajině Elam), viděl jsem, pravím, byv u potoka Ulai.

3 A pozdvih očí svých, viděl jsem, a aj, u toho potoka stál skopec jeden, kterýž měl dva rohy. A ti dva rohové byli vysocí, a však jeden vyšší než druhý, ale ten vyšší zrostl posléze.

4 Viděl jsem skopce toho, an trkal k západu, půlnoci a poledni, jemuž žádná šelma odolati nemohla, aniž kdo co mohl vytrhnouti z moci jeho; pročež činil podlé vůle své, a to věci veliké.

5 A když jsem to rozvažoval, aj, kozel přicházel od západu na svrchek vší země, a žádný se ho nedotýkal na zemi, a ten kozel měl roh znamenitý mezi očima svýma.

6 A přišel až k tomu skopci majícímu dva rohy, kteréhož jsem byl viděl stojícího u potoka, a přiběhl k němu v prchlivosti síly své.

7 Viděl jsem také, an dotřel na toho skopce, a rozlítiv se proti němu, udeřil jej, tak že zlámal oba rohy jeho, a nebylo síly v skopci k odpírání jemu. A poraziv ho na zemi, pošlapal jej, aniž byl, kdo by vytrhl skopce z moci jeho.

8 Kozel pak velikým učiněn jest velmi. A když se ssilil, zlámal se roh ten veliký, i zrostli znamenití čtyři místo něho, na čtyři strany světa.

9 Z těch pak jednoho vyšel roh jeden maličký, a zrostl velmi ku poledni a východu, a k zemi Judské.

10 A zpjal se až k vojsku nebeskému, a svrhl na zemi některé z vojska toho i z hvězd, a pošlapal je.

11 Anobrž až k vojska toho knížeti zpjal se, nebo od něho zastavena byla ustavičná obět, a zavržen příbytek svatyně Boží,

12 Tak že vojsko to vydáno v převrácenost proti ustavičné oběti, a povrhlo pravdu na zemi, a což činilo, šťastně mu se dařilo.

13 Tedy slyšel jsem jednoho svatého mluvícího, a řekl ten svatý tomu, kterýž tajné věci v počtu maje, mluví: Dokudž toto vidění o oběti ustavičné, a převrácenost na zpuštění přivodící trvati bude, a svaté služby vydávány budou i vojsko v pošlapání?

14 A řekli mi: Až do dvou tisíc a tří set večerů a jiter, a přijdou k obnovení svému svaté služby.

15 Stalo se pak, že když jsem já Daniel hleděl na to vidění, a ptal jsem se na rozum jeho, aj, postavil se podlé mne na pohledění jako muž.

16 Slyšel jsem také hlas lidský mezi Ulaiem, kterýžto zavolav, řekl: Gabrieli, vylož tomuto vidění to.

17 I přišel ke mně, kdež jsem stál, a když přišel, zhrozil jsem se, a padl jsem na tvář svou. I řekl ke mně: Pozoruj, synu člověčí; nebo v času uloženém vidění toto se naplní.

18 Když pak on mluvil se mnou, usnul jsem tvrdě, leže tváří svou na zemi. I dotekl se mne, a postavil mne tu, kdež jsem byl stál,

19 A řekl: Aj, já oznámím tobě to, což se díti bude až do vykonání hněvu toho; nebo v uloženém času konec bude.

20 Skopec ten, kteréhož jsi viděl, an měl dva rohy, jsou králové Médský a Perský.

21 Kozel pak ten chlupatý jest král Řecký, a roh ten veliký, kterýž jest mezi očima jeho, jest král první.

22 Že pak zlámán jest, a povstali čtyři místo něho, čtvero království z svého národu povstane, ale ne s takovou silou.

23 Při dokonání pak království jejich, když na vrch vzejdou nešlechetníci, povstane král nestydatý a chytrý.

24 Jehož síla zmocní se, ačkoli ne jeho silou, tak že ku podivení hubiti bude, a šťastně se mu povede, až i vše vykoná; nebo hubiti bude silné i lid svatý.

25 A obmyslností svou šťastně svede lest v předsevzetí svém, a v srdci svém zvelebí sebe, a v čas pokoje zhubí mnohé; nadto i proti knížeti knížat se postaví, a však bez rukou potřín bude.

26 Vidění pak to večerní a jitřní, o němž povědíno, jest jistá pravda; pročež ty zavři to Vidění, nebo jest mnohých dnů.

27 Tedy já Daniel zchuravěl jsem, a nemocen jsem byl několik dnů. Potom povstav, konal jsem povinnost od krále poručenou, byv předěšen nad tím viděním, čehož však žádný na mně neseznal.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #716

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716. And ten horns.- That this signifies much power is evident from the signification of horn, as denoting the power of truth against falsity and evil, and, in the opposite sense, the power of falsity against truth and good (concerning which see above, n. 316, 567); and from the signification of ten, as denoting all men and things, also many men and things (concerning which also see above, n. 675); it is therefore plain that the ten horns signify much power. That the dragon had much power is evident from what follows, namely, that because of him the male child which the woman brought forth was caught up unto God; that his tail drew down from heaven the third part of the stars; also, that he fought with Michael and his angels; and afterwards, that he stirred up Gog and Magog, and the nations in great number, to war against the saints.

[2] The dragon had such power, because by him are meant those who have separated faith from the goods of charity, which are works, and have confirmed this by means of the sense of the letter of the Word, which they have thus twisted from its genuine sense, and as it were drawn down from heaven; and because, at the end of the church, which the Apocalypse treats of, there is no charity, the dragon then has power. For at the end of the church every one desires to live for himself, for the world, and according to his own natural bent, and few wish to live for the Lord, for heaven, and eternal life; and the principle concerning faith alone, which is faith separated from charity, favours that life, and like the current of a river draws in and bears all away to such belief and to such a life. This is why the dragon, which signifies such persons and such things, appeared to have ten horns.

[3] It has been previously said that falsities from evil have no power, but it must be understood that falsities have no power against truth from good; for truth from good is from the Lord, and all power belongs to the Lord through His Divine Truth. But falsities from evil have the power that is signified by the ten horns of the dragon, because they prevail against those who are in falsities from evil, for they act as one. And a man is hereditarily in evil and thence in falsities from his parents, and afterwards from actual life, especially at the end of the church, and those falsities from evil cannot be driven out from him in a moment, but only by degrees; for if they were to be expelled in a moment, a man would die, because they constitute his life. Because such is the state of man at the end of the church, therefore falsities of evil prevail, although they have not the least power against truth from good. The Lord by means of His Divine Truth could cast out the falsities of evil in a man instantly, but this would result in his being immediately cast into hell; these must first be removed, and as far as they are removed, so far room is given for truths from good to be implanted, and the man is reformed. Such as are here meant by the dragon are also meant by the goat that fought with the ram (Daniel viii.), and also by the goats inMatthew 25; for the goats there signify those who are in faith separated from charity, and the ram and the sheep, those who are in charity.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #567

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567. And I heard one voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God.- That this signifies revelation from the Lord out of the spiritual heaven, is evident from the signification of hearing a voice, as denoting revelation, because what was revealed by that voice follows; and from the signification of the golden altar which is before God, as denoting the spiritual Divine of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of the four horns of the altar, as denoting the spiritual Divine in its ultimates. For the horns were in the ultimates of both altars, as well the altar of burnt-offering, as the altar of incense which is the golden altar; and because the horns were the ultimates of those altars, therefore they signified the Divine as to power, for all power is in ultimates, and for this reason the horns of the altars signified the Divine as to omnipotence; concerning the signification of these, see above (n. 316). That the altar of burnt-offering signified the celestial Divine, which is the Divine Good, may be seen above (n. 391:1-21, 490, 496). But that the altar of incense, or the golden altar, represented and thence signified the spiritual Divine, which is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, is evident from its description to be dealt with below.

[2] It shall be first explained here why the voice was heard from the four horns of the altar. The horns, which projected and stood out from the altars above mentioned, signified every thing belonging to them as to power, as is evident from what has been said and shown above (n. 346, 417), and also from what has been said and shown concerning ultimates in the Arcana Coelestia, as, that interiors flow in successively into externals, even into the extremes or ultimates, and that there also they exist and subsist (n. 624, 6239, 6465, 9215, 9216); that they not only flow in successively, but also form in the ultimate what is simultaneous (in what order, n. 5897, 6451, 8603, 10099); that therefore strength and power are in ultimates (n. 9836); that therefore responses and revelations were given in ultimates (n. 9905, 10548). Since responses and revelations were given in ultimates, it is evident that the reason, why the voice was heard from the four horns of the golden altar, is that the golden altar signifies the spiritual Divine, which is the Divine Truth that reveals, and that the horns signify the ultimates thereof, by means of which revelation is made. The golden altar, upon which they offered incense, signifies the spiritual Divine, which is Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, because the offerings of incense which were offered upon that altar, signified worship from spiritual good, and the hearing and reception thereof by the Lord; see above (n. 324, 491, 492, 494).

[3] That the altar of incense signified the spiritual Divine, and that the offerings of incense upon it signified worship from spiritual good, and the favourable hearing and reception of it by the Lord, is evident from the construction of that altar, the details of which represented and signified those things. The construction of the altar of incense is thus described in Moses:

"Thou shalt make an altar of the offering of incense; of Shittim wood, shalt thou make it. A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be; and two cubits shall be the height thereof; the horns thereof shall be out of it. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the walls thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a border of gold round about. And two golden rings shalt thou make to it, under the border of it, upon the two ribs thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. And thou shalt make the staves of Shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put it before the veil that is over the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. And Aaron shall burn thereon incense of spices in the morning; in the morning, when he dresseth the lamps he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps between the evenings, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before Jehovah throughout your generations. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meal-offering; neither shall ye pour drink-offering thereon. And Aaron shall make an expiation upon the horns of it once in a year of the blood of the expiations of sin; once in the year shall he make expiation upon it throughout your generations; this is the holy of holies unto Jehovah" (Exodus 30:1-10).

That these details concerning that altar, signify, in the internal sense, worship from spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, and also the favourable hearing and reception of it by the Lord, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, (n. 10176-10213), where they are explained in their series.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.