The Bible

 

Ezekiel 38

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1 HE ENs Ord kom til mig således:

2 Menneskesøn, vend dit Ansigt mod Gog i Magogs Land, Fyrsten over osj, Mesjek og Tubal, og profeter imod ham

3 og sig: Så siger den Herre HE EN: Se, jeg kommer over dig, Gog, Fyrste over osj, Mesjek og Tubal.

4 Jeg vender dig og sætter Kroge i dine Kæber og trækker dig frem med hele din Hær, Heste og yttere, alle i smukke Klæder, en vældig Skare med store og små Skjolde, alle med Sværd i Hånd.

5 Persere, Ætiopere og Putæere er med dem, alle med Skjold og Hjelm,

6 Gomer med alle dets Hobe, Togarmas Hus fra det yderste Nord med alle dets Hobe, mange Folkeslag er med.

7 ust dig og hold dig rede med hele din Skare, som er samlet om dig, og vær mig rede til Tjeneste.

8 Lang Tid herefter skal der komme Bud efter dig; ved Årenes Fjende skal du overfalde et Land, som atter er unddraget Sværdet, et Folk, som fra mange Folkeslag er sanket sammen på Israels Bjerge, der stadig lå øde hen, et Folk, som er ført bort fra Folkeslagene og nu bor trygt til Hobe.

9 Du skal trække op som et Uvejr og komme som en Sky og oversvømme Landet, du og alle dine Hobe og de mange Folkeslag, som følger dig.

10 siger den Herre HE EN: På hin Dag skal en Tanke stige op i dit Hjerte, og du skal oplægge onde åd

11 og sige: "Jeg vil drage op imod et åbent Land og overfalde fredelige Folk, som bor trygt, som alle bor uden Mure og hverken har Portstænger eller Porte,

12 for at gøre Bytte og røve ov, lægge Hånd på genopbyggede ruiner og på et Folk, der er indsamlet fra Folkene og vinder sig Fæ og Gods, og som bor på Jordens Navle."

13 Sabæerne og Dedaniterne, Tarsiss Købmænd og alle dets Handelsfolk skal sige til dig: "Kommer du for at gøre Bytte, har du samlet din Skare for at røve ov, for at bortføre Sølv og Guld, rane Fæ og Gods og gøre et vældigt Bytte?"

14 Profeter derfor, Menneskesøn, og sig til Gog: Så siger den Herre HE EN: Ja, på hin Dag skal du bryde op, medens mit Folk Israel bor trygt,

15 og komme fra din Hjemstavn yderst i Nord, du og de mange Folkeslag, der følger dig, alle til Hest, en stor Skare, en vældig Hær;

16 som en Sky skal du drage op mod mit Folk Israel og oversvømme Landet. I de sidste Dage skal det ske; jeg fører dig imod mit Land; og Folkene skal kende mig, når jeg for deres Øjne helliger mig på dig, Gog.

17 siger den Herre HE EN: Er det dig, jeg talede om i gamle dage ved mine Tjenere, Israels Profeter, som profeterede i hine Tider, at jeg vilde bringe dig over dem?

18 Men på hin dag, når Gog overfalder Israels Land, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN, vil jeg give min Vrede Luft.

19 I Nidkærhed, i glødende Vrede udtaler jeg det: Sandelig, på hin Dag skal et vældigt Jordskælv komme over Israels Land;

20 for mit Åsyn skal Havets Fisk, Himmelens Fugle, Markens vilde Dyr og alt kryb på Jorden og alle Mennesker på Jordens Flade skælve, Bjergene skal styrte, Klippevæggene falde og hver Mur synke til Jord.

21 Jeg nedkalder alle ædsler over ham, lyder det fra den Herre HE EN; den enes Sværd skal rettes mod den anden;

22 jeg går i ette med ham med Pest og Blod, med egnskyl og Haglsten; Ild og Svovl lader jeg regne over ham, hans Hobe og de mange Folkeslag, som følger ham.

23 Jeg viser mig stor og hellig og giver mig til Kende for de mange Folks Øjne; og de skal Kende, at jeg er HE EN.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Conjugial Love #26

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26. Again I swear in truth that these events and words occurred as I have related them, the first ones in the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and the subsequent ones in a society of heaven, the society from which came the angel with the trumpet, who acted as guide.

Who in the Christian world would know anything about heaven and the joys and happiness there - knowledge of which is also knowledge of salvation - unless it pleased the Lord to open to someone the sight of his spirit and to show him and teach him?

Corroboration that things like these occur in the spiritual world appears plainly from the things seen and heard by the apostle John, as described in the book of Revelation. For example, he describes having seen the following:

The Son of Man in the midst of the seven lampstands. 1

A tabernacle, temple, ark, and altar in heaven. 2

A book sealed with seven seals. The book opened, and horses going out of it. 3

Four living creatures around a throne. 4

Twelve thousand taken from each tribe. 5

Locusts arising out of the abyss. 6

A dragon and its fight with Michael. 7

A woman giving birth to a male child and fleeing into the wilderness because of the dragon. 8

Two beasts, one rising up out of the sea, the other out of the earth. 9

A woman sitting on a scarlet beast. 10

The dragon cast into a lake of fire and brimstone. 11

A white horse, and a great supper. 12

A new heaven and a new earth, and the holy Jerusalem coming down, described as to its gates, wall, and foundations. 13

Also a river of water of life, and trees of life yielding fruits every month. 14

Besides many other things, all of which were seen by John, and seen when he was in the spirit 15 in the spiritual world and in heaven. In addition, those things which were seen by the apostles after the Lord's resurrection. 16 And which were later seen by Peter (Acts of the Apostles 11). 17 Also which were then seen and heard by Paul. 18

Moreover, there were the things seen by the prophets. For example, Ezekiel saw the following:

Four living creatures, which were cherubs. (Ezekiel 1 and 10)

A new temple and a new earth, and an angel measuring them. (Ezekiel 40-48)

Being carried off to Jerusalem, he saw the abominations there. (Ezekiel 8) And he was also carried off into Chaldea, to those in captivity. (Ezekiel 11) 19

Something similar happened with Zechariah:

He saw a man riding among myrtle trees. (Zechariah 1:8 ff.)

He saw four horns, and then a man with a measuring line in his hand. (Zechariah 1:18 ff., 2:1 ff.)

He saw a lampstand and two olive trees. (Zechariah 4:1 ff.)

He saw a flying scroll, and an ephah. (Zechariah 5:1, 6)

He saw four chariots coming from between two mountains, with horses. (Zechariah 6:1 ff.)

Likewise with Daniel:

He saw four beasts come up from the sea. (Daniel 7:1 ff.)

Also the combats of a ram and a goat. (Daniel 8:1 ff.)

He saw the angel Gabriel, who spoke at length with him. (Daniel 9) 20

Moreover, Elisha's young man saw fiery chariots and horses around Elisha, and he saw them when his eyes were opened. 21

From these and many other passages in the Word, it is evident that the things which exist in the spiritual world have appeared to many, before and after the Lord's Advent. Why should it be surprising for them to appear also now, when the Church is beginning and the New Jerusalem is coming down from the Lord out of heaven

Footnotes:

  
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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.

The Bible

 

Zechariah 6

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1 Again I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass.

2 In the first chariot were red horses; in the second chariot black horses;

3 in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot dappled horses, all of them powerful.

4 Then I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"

5 The angel answered me, "These are the four winds of the sky, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The one with the black horses goes out toward the north country; and the white went out after them; and the dappled went forth toward the south country."

7 The strong went out, and sought to go that they might walk back and forth through the earth: and he said, "go around and through the earth!" So they walked back and forth through the earth.

8 Then he called to me, and spoke to me, saying, "Behold, those who go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country."

9 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

10 "Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah; and come the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, where they have come from Babylon.

11 Yes, take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest;

12 and speak to him, saying, 'Thus says Yahweh of Armies, "Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of Yahweh;

13 even he shall build the temple of Yahweh; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on his throne; and he shall be a priest on his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

14 The crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Yahweh.

15 Those who are far off shall come and build in the temple of Yahweh; and you shall know that Yahweh of Armies has sent me to you. This will happen, if you will diligently obey the voice of Yahweh your God."'"