Joel 1
1
Herrens Ord, som kom til Joel, Petuels søn.
2
Hør dette, I Ældste, lån Øre, alle, som bor i Landet! Er sligt mon sket i eders eller eders Fædres Dage?
3
I skal fortælle det til eders Børn, og de igen til deres, og deles til næste Slægt.
4
Græshoppen åd, hvad Gnaveren levned, Springeren åd, hvad Græshoppen levned, Æderen åd, hvad Springeren levned.
5
Vågn op, I drukne, og græd; enhver, som drikker Vin, skal jamre over Most, der gik tabt for eders. Mund.
6
Thi et Folk drog op mod mit Land, vældigt og uden Tal; dets Tænder er Løvetænder, det har Kindtænder som en Løvinde.
7
Det lagde min Vinstok øde, knækked mit Figentræ, afbarked og hærgede det; dets Grene stritter hvide.
8
Klag som sørgeklædt Jomfru over sin Ungdoms Brudgom!
9
Afgrødeoffer og Drikoffer gik tabt for HE
ENs Hus; Præsterne, HE
ENs Tjenere sørger.
10
Marken er ødelagt, Jorden sørger; thi Kornet er ødelagt, Mosten slog fejl og Olien hentørres.
11
Bønder skuffes og Vingårdsmænd jamrer både over Hveden og Byggen; thi Markens Høst gik tabt;
12
fejl slog Vinstokken, Figentræet tørres; Granatæble, Palme og æbletræ, hvert Markens Træ tørres hen. Ja, med Skam veg Glæde fra Menneskens Børn:
13
Sørg, I Præster i Sæk, I AIterets Tjenere, jamrer! Gå ind og bær Sæk i Nat, I, som tjener min Gud! Thi Afgrødeoffer og Drikofer unddrages eders Guds Hus.
14
Helliger en Faste, udråb festlig Samling, I Ældste, kald alle, som bor i Landet, sammen til HE
EN eders Guds Hus og råb så til HE
EN!
15
Ak, hvilken Dag! Thi nær er HE
ENs Dag, den kommer som Vold fra den Vældige.
16
Så vi ej Føden gå tabt, vor Guds Hus tømt for Glæde og Jubel?
17
Sæden skrumper ind i den klumpede Jord; Lader er nedbrudt, Forrådshuse jævnet, thi Kornet er vissent.
18
Hvor Kvæget dog stønner! Oksernes Hjorde er skræmte, fordi de ikke har Græs; selv Småkvægets Hjorde lider.
19
Jeg råber til dig, o HE
E; thi Ild har fortæret Ørkenens Græsning, og Luen afsved hvert Markens Træ;
20
til dig skriger selv Markens Dyr, thi Bækkenes Lejer er tørre, og Ild har fortæret Ørkenens Græsning.
The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University
Arcana Coelestia #46
46. That 'beasts' means affections residing with man - evil affections in evil men and good affections in good men - becomes clear from many examples in the Word, as in Ezekiel,
Behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, so that you will be tilled and sown; and I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they will be multiplied and be fruitful, and I will resettle you 1 to be as in your ancient times. Ezekiel 36:9-11.
This refers to regeneration. In Joel,
Fear not, you beasts of My field, for the dwelling-places of the wilderness have been made green. Joel 2:22.
In David,
I was stupid, a beast 2 was I with God. Psalms 73:12.
In Jeremiah,
Behold, the days are coming when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast, and I will watch over them to build and to plant. Jeremiah 31:27-28.
This refers to regeneration.
[2] 'Wild animals' (fera) has a similar meaning, as in Hosea,
I will make for them a covenant on that day, with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air, 3 and with the creeping things of the earth. Hosea 2:18.
In Job,
You will not fear the wild animals of the earth, for your covenant will be with the stones of the field, and the wild beasts of the field will be at peace with you. Job 5:22-23.
In Ezekiel,
I will make with them 4 a covenant of peace, and I will banish the evil wild animal from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness. Ezekiel 34:25.
In Isaiah,
The wild animals of the field will honour me, for I have given water in the desert. Isaiah 43:20.
In Ezekiel,
In its branches all the birds of the air 3 made their nests and under its branches every wild animal of the field gave birth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. Ezekiel 31:6.
This refers to Assyria, which means the spiritual man and is compared to the Garden of Eden. In David,
Praise Jehovah, all his angels, praise Him from the earth, sea monsters, fruit trees, wild animals, and all beasts, creeping things, and flying birds! Psalms 148:2-4, 7, 9-10.
Here the list is precisely the same - sea monsters, fruit trees, wild animals, beasts, creeping things, and birds. Unless they all mean things that are alive in human beings, they cannot possibly be referred to as praising Jehovah.
[3] A careful distinction is made in the Prophets between beasts and wild animals of the earth, and between beasts and wild animals of the field. The practice of calling goods 'beasts' extends to calling people in heaven who are nearest to the Lord 'living creatures', both in Ezekiel and in John,
All the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God. 5 Revelation 7:11; 19:4.
The expression 'creatures' is also used of people who are to have the gospel preached to them because they are to be created anew, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15.
Footnotes:
1. literally, I will cause you to inhabit
2. literally, beasts
3. literally, bird of the heavens (or the skies)
4. The Latin means with you; but the Hebrew means with them which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
5. The Latin means the Lamb; but the Greek means God which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse.
