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Jeremias 49

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1 Om Ammonitterne. Så siger Herren, har Israel ingen sønner eller har det ingen arvinger? Hvorfor har Milkom taget Gad i Eje og hans Folk bosat sig i dets Byer?

2 Se, derfor skal Dage komme, lyder det fra HE EN, da jeg lader Krigsskrig lyde mod abba i Ammon, og det skal blive en Grusdynge, og dets Døtre skal gå op i Luer. Da arver Israel sine Arvinger, siger HE EN.

3 Klag, Hesjbon, thi Aj er ødelagt; skrig, I abbas Døtre klæd jer i Sæk og klag, gå rundt i Foldene! Thi Milkom vandrer i Landflygtighed, hans Præster og Fyrster til Hobe.

4 Hvorfor gør du dig til af dine Dale, du frafaldne Datter, som stoler på dine Skatte og siger: "Hvem kan komme til mig,?"

5 Se, jeg lader ædsel komme over dig fra alle Kanter, lyder det fra Hærskarers HE E. I skal drives bort i hver sin etning, og ingen samler de flygtende.

6 Men siden vender jeg Ammoniternes Skæbne, lyder det fra HE EN.

7 Om Edom. Så siger Hærskarers HE E: Er der ikke mer Visdom i Teman, svigter de kloges åd, er deres Visdom rådden?

8 Fly, søg Ly i det dybe, I, som bor i Dedan! Thi Esaus Ulykke sender jeg over ham, Straffens Tid.

9 Gæstes du af Vinhøstmænd, levner de ej Efterslæt, af Tyve om Natten, ødelægger de, hvad de lyster.

10 Thi selv blotter jeg Esau, hans Skjulesteder røber jeg; at gemme sig evner han ikke. Han er ødelagt ved Brødres og Naboers Arm, han er borte.

11 Lad mig om dine faderløse, jeg holder dem i Live, dine Enker kan stole på mig.

12 Thi så siger HE EN: Se, de, hvem det ikke tilkom at tømme Bægeret, må tømme det, og du skulde gå fri? Du går ikke fri, men kommer til at tømme det.

13 Thi jeg sværger ved mig selv. lyder det fra HE EN: til ædsel og Spot, til Ørk og til et Forbandelsens Tegn skal Bozra blive, og alle dets Byer skal blive til evige Tomter.

14 Fra HE EN har jeg hørt en Tidende: Et Bud skal sendes ud blandt Folkene: Samler eder! Drag ud imod det og rejs jer til Strid!

15 Se, ringe har jeg gjort dig iblandt Folkene, foragtet blandt Mennesker.

16 ædsel over dig! Dit Hjertes Overmod bedrog dig. Du, som bor i Klippekløft og klynger dig til Fjeldtop: Bygger du ede højt som Ørnen, jeg styrter dig ned, så lyder det fra HE EN.

17 Edom skal blive til ædsel; alle, der kommer forbi, skal slås af ædsel og spotte over alle dets Sår.

18 Som det gik, da Sodoma og Gomorra og Nabobyerne omstyrtedes, siger HE EN, skal intet Menneske bo der, intet Menneskebarn dvæle der.

19 Som en Løve, der fra Jordans Stolthed skrider op til den stedsegrønne Græsgang, således vil jeg i et Nu drive dem bort derfra. Thi hvem er den udvalgte, jeg vil sætte over dem? Thi hvem er min Lige, og hvem kræver mig til egnskab? Hvem er den Hyrde, der står sig mod mig?

20 Hør derfor det åd, HE EN har for mod Edom, og de Tanker, han har mod Temans Indbyggere: Visselig skal Hjordens ringeste slæbes bort, visselig skal deres Græsgang forfærdes over dem.

21 Ved Braget af deres Fald skal Jorden skælve; Skriget kan høres til det røde Hav.

22 Se, som en Ørn med udbredte Vinger svæver han over Bozra; og Edoms Heltes Hjerte bliver på hin Dag som en nødstedt Kvindes Hjerte.

23 Om Damaskus. Til Skamme er Hamat og Arpad, thi de hører ond Tidende; de er ude af sig selv, i Uro som Havet, der ikke kan falde til o.

24 Damaskus er modfaldent, vender sig til Flugt, Angst falder over det, Vånde og Veer griber det som en fødende Kvinde.

25 Ve det! Forladt er den lovpriste By, Glædens Stad.

26 Derfor falder dets Ynglinge på dets Torve, alle Krigsfolkene omkommer på hin Dag, lyder det fra Hærskarers HE E.

27 Jeg sætter Ild på Damaskuss Mur, og den skal fortære Benhadads Borge.

28 Om Kedar og Hazors iger, som Kong Nebukadrezar af Babel slog. Så siger HE EN: Kom og drag op mod Kedar, ødelæg Østens Sønner!

29 Man skal tage deres Telte og Hjorde, deres Telttæpper, alle deres Kar, bortføre Kamelerne fra dem og råbe til dem: "Trindt om er ædsel!"

30 Fly i Hast, søg Ly i det dybe, Hazors Borgere, lyder det fra HE EN. Thi kong Nebukadrezar af Babel har oplagt et åd imod eder og undfanget en Tanke imod eder.

31 Kom, drag op mod et roligt Folk, der bor i Tryghed, lyder det fra HE EN, uden Porte og Slåer; de bor for sig selv.

32 Deres Kameler gøres til Bytte, deres mange Hjorde til ov. Jeg spreder dem, der har rundklippet Hår, for alle Vinde, og fra alle kanter bringer jeg Undergang over dem, lyder det fra HE EN.

33 Hazor bliver Sjakalers Bo, en Ørken til evig Tid; der skal ej bo et Menneske, ej dvæle et Menneskebarn.

34 HE ENs Ord, som kom til Profeten Jeremias om Elam i Kong Zedekias af Judas første egeringstid:

35 siger Hærskarers HE E: Jeg knækker Elams Bue, det ypperste af deres Kraft;

36 og jeg bringer over Elam de fire Vinde fra de fire Verdenshjørner og spreder dem for alle disse Vinde; der skal ikke være et Folk, som de bortdrevne Elamiter ikke kommer hen til.

37 Jeg knuser dem foran deres Fjender og dem, der står dem efter Livet, og jeg sender Ulykke over dem, min glødende Vrede, lyder det fra HE EN. Jeg sender Sværdet efter dem, til jeg får dem udslettet.

38 Jeg rejser min Trone i Elam og tilintetgør der både Konge og Fyrster, lyder det fra HE EN.

39 Men i de sidste Dage vender jeg Elams Skæbne, lyder det fra HE EN.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #63

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63. (Verse 13) And in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man. That this signifies the Lord, from whom is the all of heaven and of the church, is evident from the signification of "in the midst," as denoting in the inmost (see Arcana Coelestia 1074, 2940, 2973); and, because all things proceed from the inmost as light from the centre into the circumferences, therefore, "in the midst," signifies from whom. This is evident also from the signification of the seven lampstands, as denoting the New Heaven and the New Church (concerning which see above, n. 62); and from the signification of the Son of man, as denoting the Lord as to the Divine Human, and also as to Divine truth, because this proceeds from His Divine Human. From these considerations it is evident that the Lord appeared in the midst of seven lampstands, because from Him proceeds the all of heaven and of the church; for the good of love and the good of faith constitute heaven and the church, and that these are from the Divine is known in the Christian world, and because they are from the Divine, they are from the Lord, because the Lord is the God of heaven, and because the Divine of the Lord makes heaven (see the work, Heaven and Hell 2-6, and n. 7-12; and that this is His Divine Human, n. 78-86).

[2] That by the Son of man is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human, and also as to Divine truth, because Divine truth proceeds from His Divine Human, is evident from those passages in the Word where mention is made of the Son of man. Thus in John:

The multitude said unto Jesus, "How sayest thou that the Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? Jesus answered them, Yet a little while the light is with you; walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you. While ye have the light believe in the light, that ye may be sons of light" (12:34-36).

From these words it is clear that by the Son of man is signified the same as by light; for when they inquired, "Who is this Son of man?" the Lord answered that He was the light in which they should believe. (That light is the Divine truth proceeding from the Divine Human of the Lord, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 126-140; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 49; thus also that the Son of man is the Divine truth.) It is said in Luke:

[3] "Blessed are ye when men shall hate you for the Son of man's sake" (6:22).

For the Son of man's sake is for the sake of the Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord. Divine truth is the all of faith and love to the Lord; and because they who are evil deny those things, and they who deny also hate them, and the good acknowledge them, therefore it is said, that these latter are blessed. Again, in the same:

[4] "The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, but ye shall not see it. Then they shall say to you, Behold here, or behold there; go not away, nor follow them" (17:22, 23).

To desire one of the days of the Son of man, is to desire something of genuine Divine truth. The end of the church is there meant, when there will be no longer any faith, because no charity, at which time all Divine truth will perish; and because Divine truth is signified by the Son of man, therefore it is said, "Then shall they say, Behold here, or behold there; follow them not." And in the same:

[5] "When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" (18:8);

that is, when Divine truth shall be revealed out of heaven, it will not be believed. The Son of man, in this place also, is the Lord as to Divine truth; the coming of the Lord is the revelation of Divine truth at the end of the church. (See Arcana Coelestia 3900, 4060.)

[6] And in Matthew:

"As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and glory" (24:27, 30).

(That by the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven, is there signified the revelation of Divine truth at the end of the church, may be seen above, n. 36.)

[7] And in the same:

"I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" (26:64).

And in Luke:

"Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God" (22:69).

The Son of man is the Lord as to the Divine Human, and as to Divine truth proceeding from It; to sit on the right hand of power, means that He has omnipotence; its being said that they should see this now, means, that Divine truth was in its omnipotence when the Lord in the world had conquered the hells, and reduced to order all things there and in the heavens, and that thus those would be saved who should receive Him in faith and love. (See Arcana Coelestia 9715. That to sit on the right hand denotes omnipotence, may be seen Arcana Coelestia 3387, 4592, 4933, 7518, 8281, 9133; that all the power of good is by truth, n. 6344, 6423, 8304, 9327, 9410, 9639, 9643. That Divine power itself is by Divine truth proceeding from the Divine Human of the Lord, see n. 6948; that the clouds in which the Son of man will come are the Word in the letter, which is Divine truth in the ultimate of order, see the preface to the eighteenth chapter of Genesis, Arcana Coelestia 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343, 6752, 8443, 8781; and that glory is the Divine truth itself, such as it is in the internal sense of the Word, see n. 4809, 5922, 8267, 9429.)

[8] From these considerations it is now evident what is signified by these words in the Apocalypse:

"I saw, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown" (14:14).

And in Daniel:

"I saw in the visions of the night, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of the heavens" (7:13).

Because all judgment is executed from truth, therefore it is said, that it is given to the Lord "to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man" (John 5:27); and that "the Son of man shall render to every one according to his deeds" (Matthew 16:27); and that "when the Son of man shall come, he shall sit upon the throne of his glory, and shall judge" (Matthew 25:31).

[9] And again in Matthew, it is said:

"He who soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the evil" (13:37, 38).

The good seed is Divine truth, therefore it is said that the Son of man soweth it; the sons of the kingdom are Divine truths in heaven and the church; for son denotes truth (see Arcana Coelestia 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623), and, in an opposite sense, falsity, which also is the son of evil.

[10] In the same:

"The Son of man hath not where to lay his head" (8:20);

by which is signified, that Divine truth had not a place anywhere, or with any man, at that time. Again it is said, that the Son of man would suffer and be put to death (Matthew 17:12, 22; 26:2, 24, 45; Mark 8:31; 9:12, 31); by which is signified, that thus they would treat Divine truth, consequently the Lord, who was Divine truth itself, as He also teaches in Luke:

"The Son of man must first suffer, and be rejected of this generation" (17:25).

[11] In Jeremiah:

"No man [vir] shall dwell there; neither shall a son of man [hominis] abide there" (49:18, 33).

In the same:

In the cities "no man shall dwell, nor shall a son of man pass through them" (51:43).

He who is not acquainted with the spiritual sense of the Word, believes that by cities here are meant cities, and that by man, and by a son of man, are meant a man and a son; also, that the cities were thus to be desolated, so that no one should be in them; but it is the state of the church as to the doctrine of truth which is described by those words; for cities denote the doctrinals of the church (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 402, 2449, 3216, 4492, 4493); and man is the essential truth thereof, conjoined with good (see n. 3134, 7716, 9007); thus the Son of man is truth. Because the Son of man signified Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, therefore the prophets also, through whom it was revealed, were called "sons of man," as Daniel (8:17); and Ezekiel (2:1, 3, 6, 8; 3:1, 3, 4, 10, 17, 25; 4:1, 16; 8:5, 6, 8, 12, 15; 12:2, 3, 9, 18, 22, 27). As most things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so also has the signification of a son of man, which in that sense denotes falsity opposed to truth. Thus in Isaiah:

"What art thou, that thou fearest man? he dies; and a son of man? he is as grass" (51:12).

And in David:

"Place not your trust in princes, in a son of man, with whom there is no salvation" (Psalm 146:3).

Princes denote primary truths (see Arcana Coelestia 2089, 5044); thus, in an opposite sense, primary falsities; and son of man denotes falsity itself.

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