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Jeremias 48

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1 Om Moab. Så siger Hærskares Herre, Israels Gud. Ve over Nebo, thi det er lagt øde, blevet til Skamme; indtaget er Kirjatajim, med Skam er Borgen brudt ned.

2 Der er ingen Lægedom mer for Moab, intet Fryderåb i Hesjbon; de oplægger onde åd imod det: "Kom, lad os udrydde det af Folkenes Tal!" Også du, Madmen, skal omkomme, Sværdet skal forfølge dig.

3 Hør Skriget fra Horonajim, frygteligt Brag og Sammenbrud!

4 Moab er brudt sammen; lad Skriget lyde til Zoar.

5 Ak, grædende stiger de op ad Luhits Skråning; ak, på Vejen til Horonajim hører de Jammerskrig.

6 Fly, red eders Liv, og I skal blive som en Enebærbusk i Ørkenen.

7 Ja, fordi du stolede på dine Borge og Skatte, skal også du fanges. Kemosj skal vandre i Landflygtighed, hans, Præster og Fyrster til Hobe.

8 Hærværksmænd skal komme over hver By, ingen By skal reddes; Dalen skal ødelægges og Højsletten hærges, som HE EN har sagt.

9 Giv Moab Vinger, at det kan flyve bort; dets Byer skal blive en Ørken, så ingen bor der.

10 Forbandet være den, der er lad til at gøre HE ENs Værk, forbandet den, som holder sit Sværd fra Blod.

11 Moab var tryg fra sin Ungdom, lå roligt på sin Bærme; det hældtes ikke fra Fad til Fad og vandrede ikke i Landflygtighed; derfor holdt det sin Smag, og dets Duft tabte sig ikke.

12 Se, derfor skal Dage komme, lyder det fra HE EN, da jeg sender Vintappere, som skal tappe det og tømme dets Fade og knuse dets Dunke.

13 Da skal MoabSkam af Kemosj, som Israels Hus havde Skam af Betel, som de stolede på.

14 Hvor kan I sige: "Helte er vi og djærve Folk til Krig?"

15 Moab skal hærges med sine Byer og dets ypperste Ynglinge stige ned til at slagtes, lyder det fra Kongen, hvis Navn er Hærskarers HE E.

16 Moabs Undergang er nær, dets Ulykke kommer såre hastigt.

17 Ynk det, alle dets Naboer og alle, som kender dets Navn; sig: Hvor knækkedes dog den stærke Stav, det herlige Spir!

18 Stig ned fra Æressædet, sæt dig i Skarnet, du, som bor der, Dibons Datter! Thi han, der hærger Moab, drager op imod dig, nedbryder dine Fæstninger.

19 Stå hen på Vejen og se dig om, du, som bor i Aroer, spørg Flygtningene og de undslupne Kvinder, sig: "Hvad er der sket?"

20 Moab er blevet til Skamme, ja knust. Jamrer og skrig, meld ved Arnon, at Moab er hærget,

21 at Dommen er kommet over Højslettelandet, over Holon, Jaza, Mefaat,

22 Dibon, Nebo, Bet-Diblatajim,

23 Kirjatajim, Bet-Gamul, Bet Meon,

24 Kerijot, Bozra og alle Byer i Moabs Land fjernt og nær.

25 Afhugget er Moabs Horn, og dets Arm er brudt, lyder det fra HE EN.

26 Gør det drukkent! Thi det hovmodede sig mod HE EN; og Moab skal falde omkuld i sit eget Spy, også det skal blive til Latter.

27 Var ikke Israel til Latter for dig? Blev det måske grebet blandt Tyve, siden du bliver så ivrig, hver Gang du taler derom?

28 Kom fra Byerne og fæst Bo på Klippen, Moabs Indbyggere, vær som Duen, der bygger ede hist ved Afgrundens and.

29 Vi har hørt om Moabs Hovmod, det såre store, dets Stolthed. Overmod og Hovmod, dets opblæste Hjerte.

30 Jeg kender, lyder det fra HE EN, dets Frækhed, dets tomme Snak, dets tomme Gerninger.

31 Derfor må jeg jamre over Moab, skrige over hele Moab, over Mændene i Kir-Heres må jeg sukke.

32 Jazers Gråd græder jeg over dig, Sibmas Vinstok; dine Skud overskred Havet, nåede til Jazer; på din Frugt og din Høst slog Hærværksmanden ned.

33 Glæde og Jubel er svundet fra Frugthaven og Moabs Land. Jeg lader Vinen svinde fra Persekarrene, ingen træder Vin.

34 Hesjbon og Elale skriger, det høres til Jahaz; Horonajim og Eglat-Sjelisjija skriger; ak, Nimrims Vande bliver Ødemarker.

35 Jeg udrydder af Moab den, der stiger op på Offerhøjen og tænder Offerild for dets Guder, lyder det fra HE EN.

36 Derfor klager mit Hjerte som Fløjter over Moab, og mit Hjerte klager som Fløjter over Kir-Heres's Mænd. Godset, de vandt, går derfor til Spilde.

37 Thi hvert Hoved er skaldet, hvert Skæg revet af; i alle Hænder er der ifter, over alle Lænder Sæk.

38 Alt er Klage på alle Moabs Tage og Torve; thi jeg sønderbryder Moab som et usselt Kar, lyder det fra HE EN.

39 Hvor er Moab forfærdet! Hvor vender det yg med Skam! Ja, Moab er blevet til Latter og ædsel for alle sine Naboer.

40 Thi så siger HE EN: Se, som en Ørn med udbredte Vinger svæver han over Moab.

41 Kerijot er taget og Borgene faldet. Moabs Heltes Hjerte bliver på hin Dag som en nødstedt Kvindes Hjerte.

42 Moab er ødelagt og ikke mer et Folk, fordi det hovmodede sig mod HE EN.

43 Gru og Grav og Garn kommer over dig, du, som bor i Moab, lyder det fra HE EN;

44 den, der flygter for Gru, falder i Grav, den, der når op af Grav, fanges i Garn. Thi jeg bringer over Moab deres Hjemsøgelses År, lyder det fra HE EN.

45 I Ly af Hesjbon står Flygtninge uden Kraft. Thi Ild farer ud fra Hesjbon, Ildsluefra Sihons Stad; den fortærer Moabs Tinding og de larmende Mænds isse.

46 Ve dig, Moab, det er ude med dig, Kemosjs Folk. Thi dine Sønner slæbes i Fangenskab, dine Døtre ligeså.

47 Menjeg vender Moabs Skæbne i de sidste Dage, lyder det fra HE EN. Så vidt Moabs Dom.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #62

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62. And being turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. That this signifies, the New Heaven and the New Church, which are in the good of love, is evident from the signification of turned to see, as denoting to understand from enlightenment (concerning which see what has just been said, n. 61); and from the signification of seven, as denoting all and what is full, and as being said of the holy things of heaven and the church (concerning this see above, n. 20, 24); from the signification of lampstands, as being the New Heaven and the New Church, as will be seen in what follows; and from the signification of gold, as being the good of love (respecting which, see Arcana Coelestia 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881). That the seven lampstands signify heaven and the church, is evident from the last verse of this chapter, where it is said, "The seven lampstands which thou sawest are the seven churches." That the seven churches signify all who belong to the church of the Lord, thus the church in general, may be seen above (n. 20); the reason why they also signify heaven, is, that heaven and the church make one. Heaven also is in those in whom the church is; the reason is, that the good of love and the good of faith constitute the church with man, and also constitute heaven with him, as with the angels; therefore those who, while in the world, had the church in them, that is to say, the goods and truths of the church, come into heaven after death. (That this is the case, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 12; and in the work, Heaven and Hell 57, 221-227.) The reason why the New Heaven and the New Church are here meant by the seven lampstands is, that these are ultimately treated of in the Apocalypse (as may be seen, chap. 21), and thus form the conclusion of all things therein; and since that which is ultimate is also the primary, therefore a prediction concerning them is presented in the beginning of that book.

In the Word it is also usual to mention those things in the first place which are done in the last, because intermediate things are included in them; for the primary thing, in the spiritual sense, is the end for which all the other things exist, inasmuch as the end is the primary and the ultimate, and all other things have respect to it (as may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 98).

[2] That a lampstand signifies heaven and the church, may be evident from the description of the lampstand which was in the tabernacle; for by the tabernacle was represented heaven in its whole extent; and by the lampstand therein the spiritual heaven, which is the second heaven (see Arcana Coelestia 3478, 9457, 9481, 9485, 9548-9577, 9783). That this is the case is clearly evident from the fact, that John saw in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man; and the Son of man is the Lord as to the Divine Human, from which Divine truth proceeds, which is the all in all of heaven and the church. In the spiritual heaven the inhabitants see lampstands of great splendour; their heaven is represented by these; I have also been permitted to see them. It is, therefore, evident what is meant, in the spiritual sense of the Word, by lampstands and by lamps, in the following passages. In the Apocalypse:

"I will remove thy lampstand out of its place, except thou repent" (2:5)

To remove their lampstand, is to take away heaven or the church from them. In Zechariah:

The angel said to the prophet: "What seest thou? And I said, I saw, and behold a lampstand all of gold, its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon, with seven pipes to the lamps" (4:2, 3).

In this passage Zerubbabel is treated of, who was to lay the foundation of the house of God, and to perfect it; by whom is represented the Lord, who was about to come, and to restore heaven and the church, which are signified by the lampstand; and the holy truths therein are the seven lamps. Because a lampstand derives its representative signification from lamps, and lamps theirs from light, which in heaven is the Divine truth, therefore the Lord also is called a lamp, as in the Apocalypse:

The holy Jerusalem "had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof" (21:23; 22:5).

This is why David, and the kings after him, were called "lamps of Israel" (2 Sam. 21:17; 1 Kings 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19). For by David was represented the Lord as to his regal function; and similarly by the kings of Judah and Israel. (The representation by David may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 1888, 9954; and by kings, above, n. 31.) The reason why the lampstands that were seen were of gold, was, that gold signifies the good of love, and all that proceeds from the Lord is from Divine love; wherefore the Divine of the Lord in the heavens is love to Him and love towards the neighbour, which is charity (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 13-19). This is the reason why the lampstands here mentioned, and also the lampstand lit the tabernacle, was of gold.

  
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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

 

Arcana Coelestia #6423

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6423. 'And he will sit in the strength of his bow' means that he is protected by the militancy of the truth of doctrine. This is clear from the meaning of 'sitting' as being protected, for one who 'sits in the strength of his bow' is protected; and from the meaning of 'bow' as doctrine, dealt with in 2686, 2709. The strength that doctrine possesses resides in truth, for doctrine without truth in it has no strength. Regarding truth, that it possesses power and strength, see 878 (end), 3091, 4931, 4934, 4977, 6344. The reason why truth has 'strength' is that good acts by means of truth; for the nature of good is such that nothing at all evil or false can draw near it. Nor thus can any member of the hellish crew do so; that crew flees far away when good draws near, or when an angel governed by good does so. However, in order to fight that crew from hell present with a person and to protect him in every way, and in order also to protect spirits recently arrived from the world, as well as those on the lower earth, good acts by means of truth; for in that way it can draw near.

[2] How much power is contained in truth has been made clear to me from things I have been allowed to see in the next life. A certain person governed by natural truth, because he had been concerned for what was right when he had lived in the world, passed through many hells, from which he talked to me and described them. Such power and strength were present in him that hellish spirits were not at all able to molest him, so that he was protected as he passed from one hell to another, which is something people who are not guided by truth cannot possibly do. From all this one may see that 'he will sit in the strength of his bow' means that he is protected by the truth of doctrine. The fact that the militancy of truth provides such protection follows from what has gone before, where it says that the archers shoot at him and hate him.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.