The Bible

 

Jóel 2

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1 Trubte trubou na Sionu, a křičte na hoře svaté mé, nechť se třesou všickni obyvatelé této země, nebo přichází den Hospodinův, nebo blízký jest,

2 Den temnosti a mračna, Den oblaku a mrákoty, jako záře jitřní rozprostřená po horách: Lid mnohý a silný, jemuž rovného nebylo od věků, aniž po něm kdy bude až do let národů i pronárodů.

3 Před tváří jeho oheň zžírati bude, a za ním plamen plápolati; Před ním země tato jako zahrada Eden, ale po něm bude poušť přehrozná, a aniž bude, což by ušlo Před ním.

4 Způsob jeho bude jako způsob koní, a jako jízdní, tak poběhnou.

5 Jako s hřmotem vozů po vrších hor skákati budou, jako hluk plamene ohně zžírajícího strniště, jako lid silný zšikovaný k bitvě.

6 Tváři jeho děsiti se budou lidé, všecky tváře zčernají jako hrnec.

7 Jako rekové poběhnou, jako muži váleční vstoupí na zed, a jeden každý cestou svou půjde, aniž se uchýlí z stezek svých.

8 Jeden druhého nebude tlačiti, každý silnicí svou půjde, a byť i na meč upadli, nebudou raněni.

9 Po městě těkati budou, po zdech běhati, na domy vstupovati, a okny polezou jako zloděj.

10 Před tváří jeho třásti se bude země, pohnou se nebesa, slunce i měsíc se zatmí, a hvězdy potratí blesk svůj.

11 Hospodin pak sám vydá hlas svůj před vojskem svým, proto že velmi veliký bude tábor jeho, proto že silný ten, kdož vykoná slovo jeho. (Nebo veliký bude den Hospodinův a hrozný náramně), i kdož jej bude moci snésti?

12 A protož ještě nyní dí Hospodin: Obraťte se ke mně samému celým srdcem svým, a to s postem a s pláčem i s kvílením.

13 A roztrhněte srdce vaše, a ne roucha vaše, a navraťte se k Hospodinu Bohu vašemu; neboť jest on milostivý a lítostivý, dlouhočekající a hojný v milosrdenství, a kterýž lituje zlého.

14 Kdo , neobrátí-li se a nebude-li želeti, a nezůstaví-li po něm požehnání, oběti suché a mokré Hospodinu Bohu vašemu.

15 Trubte trubou na Sionu, uložte půst, svolejte shromáždění.

16 Shromažďte lid, posvěťte shromáždění, shromažďte starce, shromažďte maličké i ty, jenž prsí požívají; nechť vyjde ženich z pokojíka svého a nevěsta z schrany své.

17 Kněží, služebníci Hospodinovi, ať plačí mezi síňcí a oltářem, a řeknou: Odpusť, ó Hospodine, lidu svému, a nevydávej dědictví svého v pohanění, tak aby nad nimi panovati měli pohané. Proč mají říkati mezi národy: Kde jest Bůh jejich?

18 I bude horlivou milostí zažžen Hospodin k zemi své, a slituje se nad lidem svým.

19 A ohlásí se Hospodin, a řekne lidu svému: Aj, já pošli vám obilé, mest a olej, i budete jím nasyceni, aniž vás vydám více v pohanění mezi pohany.

20 Nebo půlnoční vojsko vzdálím od vás, a zaženu je do země vyprahlé a pusté, přední houf jeho k moři východnímu, konec pak jeho k moři nejdalšímu; i vzejde z něho smrad a puch, jakžkoli sobě mocně počíná.

21 Neboj se země, plésej a vesel se; neboť mocně dělati bude Hospodin dílo své.

22 Nebojtež se zvířátka polí mých; neboť se zotaví pastviska na poušti, a stromoví přinese ovoce své, fík i vinný kmen vydadí moc svou.

23 I vy, synové Sionští, plésejte a veselte se v Hospodinu Bohu vašem; nebo vám dá déšť příhodný, a sešle vám déšť hojný, podzimní i jarní, v čas.

24 I budou naplněny stodoly obilím, a oplývati budou presové mstem a olejem.

25 A tak nahradím vám léta, kteráž sežraly kobylky, brouci, chroustové a housenky, vojsko mé veliké, kteréž jsem posílal na vás.

26 Budete zajisté míti co jísti, a nasyceni jsouce, chváliti budete jméno Hospodina Boha svého, kterýž učinil s vámi divné věci, aniž zahanben bude lid můj na věky.

27 A poznáte, že já jsem u prostřed Izraele, a že já Hospodin jsem Bohem vaším, a že není žádného jiného; neboť nebude zahanben lid můj na věky.

28 I stane se potom, že vyleji Ducha svého na všeliké tělo, a budou prorokovati synové vaši i dcery vaše; starci vaši sny mívati budou, mládenci vaši vidění vídati budou.

29 Nýbrž i na služebníky a na služebnice v těch dnech vyleji Ducha svého,

30 A ukáži zázraky na nebi i na zemi, krev a oheň a sloupy dymové.

31 Slunce obrátí se v tmu a měsíc v krev, prvé než přijde den Hospodinův veliký a hrozný,

32 A však stane se, že kdož by koli vzýval jméno Hospodinovo, vysvobozen bude; nebo na hoře Sion a v Jeruzalémě bude vysvobození, jakož pověděl Hospodin, totiž v ostatcích, kterýchž povolá Hospodin.

   

Commentary

 

Wilderness

  

'Wilderness' signifies something with little life in it, as described in the internal sense in Luke 1:80 'Wilderness' signifies somewhere there is no good because there is no truth. 'Wilderness,' as in Jeremiah 23:10, signifies the Word when it is adulterated.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 1927; Jeremiah 10, 23)


From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #1189

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1189. And the voice of bridegroom and of bride shall not be heard in thee any more signifies no joy from the conjunction of good and truth. This is evident from the signification of "bridegroom," as being in the highest sense the Lord; also from the signification of "bride," as being in that sense the church; and as the Lord flows into man from the Divine good of the Divine love, and is conjoined to the man of the church in the Divine truth, so "bridegroom and bride" mean the conjunction of the Lord with the church, and also the conjunction of good with truth. Because all spiritual joy is from that conjunction, it follows that "the voice of the bridegroom and bride" signifies the joy therefrom. Moreover, the angels have all their wisdom and intelligence, and thus all their joy and happiness from that conjunction and according to it. As this is the signification of "the voice of bridegroom and bride," heavenly joy is described in other places in the Word by "bridegroom and bride." As in Jeremiah:

I will take away from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of the millstone and the voice of the lamp (Jeremiah 25:10).

In the same:

Behold I cause to cease out of this place the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride (Jeremiah 16:9).

In the same:

I will cause to cease out of the cities of Judah, and out of the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride (Jeremiah 7:34).

In Joel:

Let the bridegroom go forth out of His chamber, and the bride out of her closet (Joel 2:16).

In Jeremiah:

Yet again shall be heard in this place the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, of them that say, Confess ye Jehovah of Hosts (Jeremiah 33:10-11).

In these passages, "the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride" signify joy and gladness from the conjunction of the Lord with the church, and thus from the conjunction of good and truth, for the state of the church is here treated of; and the terms "joy and gladness" are also used, "joy" from good and "gladness" from truth.

[2] So in Isaiah:

I will rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall exult in my God, as the bridegroom putteth on a miter, and as the bride adorneth herself with her jewels (Isaiah 61:10).

"To put on the miter" means to put on wisdom, and "to adorn herself with jewels" means with the knowledges of truth. In the same:

As the joy of the bridegroom over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee (Isaiah 62:5).

That the Lord is meant in the highest sense by the "bridegroom," and the church by the "bride, "' is evident in the Gospels:

When the disciples of John asked about fasting, Jesus said as long as the bridegroom is with them the sons of the nuptials cannot fast; but the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them; then shall they fast (Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:19, 20; Luke 5:34-35).

Here the Lord calls Himself the "bridegroom" and the men of the church He calls "sons of the nuptials;" "to fast" signifies to mourn on account of the lack of truth and good. In Matthew:

The kingdom of the heavens is likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-2).

Here the "bridegroom" means the Lord, and "virgins" mean the church, and "lamps" signify the truths of faith. In John:

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth with joy because of the bridegroom's voice (John 3:29).

John the Baptist said this of the Lord, who is meant by the "bridegroom," and the church is meant by the "bride." That the church is meant by the "bride" is evident from these passages in Revelation:

I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 21:2).

The "New Jerusalem" means the New Church. Again:

Come, I will show thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb; and he showed me the city Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9-10).

And again:

The Spirit and the bride say, Come; and he that heareth, let him say, Come (Revelation 22:17).

"The Spirit and the bride" signify the church as to good and truth.

(Continuation)

[3] As the love of rule and the love of riches prevail universally in the Christian world, and these loves at this day are so deeply rooted that it is not known that they in any wise lead astray, it is important that their quality should be set forth. They lead every man astray who does not shun evils because they are sins; for he who does not thus shun evils does not fear God, and therefore remains natural. And as the love of ruling and the love of riches are the natural man's own loves, he does not see with any interior acknowledgment what the quality of those loves are in him. This he does not see unless he is reformed, and he can be reformed only by combat against evils. It is believed that he can be reformed by faith; but there can be no faith of God in man until he fights against evils. When man has thus been reformed light flows in from the Lord through heaven and gives him the affection of seeing and the ability to see what those loves are, and whether they rule or serve in him, thus whether they are in the first place in him and make as it were the head, or are in the second place and make as it were the feet. If they rule and are in the first place they lead astray and become curses; but if they serve and are in the second place they do not lead astray but become blessings.

[4] I can assert that all in whom the love of rule is in the first place are inwardly devils. This love is known from its delight, for it exceeds every other delight of the life of man. It is continually exhaled from hell, and the exhalation appears like the fire of a great furnace, kindling the hearts of men whom the Lord does not protect from it. The Lord protects all who are reformed. Nevertheless, the former although in hell, are led by the Lord but only by means of external bonds, which are fears on account of the penalties of the law and the loss of reputation, honor, gain, and consequently pleasures. He leads them also by means of worldly rewards. He cannot lead them out of hell because the love of rule does not admit of internal bonds, which are the fear of God and affections of good and truth, by means of which the Lord leads all who will follow Him to heaven and in heaven.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.