The Bible

 

Joel 3

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1 Thi se, i de Dage og på den Tid, når jeg vender Judas og Jerusalems Skæbne,

2 samler jeg alle Hedningefolk og fører dem ned i Josafats Dal. Der vil jeg holde ettergang med dem om mit Folk og min Arvelod Israel, som de spredte blandt Folkene; og de delte mit Land,

3 kastede Lod om mit Folk, gav en Dreng for en Skøge og solgte en Pige for Vin, som de drak.

4 Og desuden, hvad vil I mig, Tyrus og Zidon og alle Filisterlands Kredse? Er der noget, I vil gengælde mig, eller vil I gøre mig noget? Hastigt og brat lader jeg Gengældelse komme over eders Hoved,

5 I, som tog mit Sølv og Guld, bortførte mine kostbareste Ting til eders Borge

6 og solgte Judæerne og Jerusalems Borgere til Grækerne, for at de skulde føres langt bort fra deres Hjem.

7 Se, jeg vækker dem op fra det Sted, I solgte dem til, og lader Gengældelse komme over eders Hoved.

8 Jeg sælger eders Sønner og Døtre til Judæerne, og de skal sælge dem til Sabæerne, Folket i det fjerne Land, så sandt HE EN har talet.

9 åb det ud blandt Folkene, helliger en Krig, væk Heltene op! Lad alle våbenføre Mænd komme og drage op!

10 Smed eders Plovjern om til Sværd, eders Vingårdsknive til Spyd! Svæklingen skal sige: "Jeg er en Helt!"

11 Skynd eder og kom, alle Hedningefolk viden om, og saml eder! Før dine Helte derned, HE E!

12 Hedningefolkene skal vækkes op og drage til Josafats Dal; thi der vil jeg sidde til Doms over alle Hedningefolk viden om.

13 Sving Seglen, thi Høsten er moden; kom og stamp, thi Persekummen er fuld! Persekarrene løber over, thi stor er Folkenes Ondskab.

14 Skarer på Skarer i Opgørets Dal! Thi nær er HE ENs Dag i Opgørets Dal.

15 Sol og Måne sortner, og Stjernerne mister deres Glans.

16 HE EN brøler fra Zion, fra Jerusalem løfter han sin øst; Himmelen og Jorden skælver. Men HE EN er Ly for sit Folk og Værn for Israels Børn.

17 Og I skal kende, at jeg er HE EN eders Gud, som bor på Zion, mit hellige Bjerg. Jerusalem skal blive en Helligdom, og fremmede skal ikke mere drage derigennem.

18 På hin Dag skal Bjergene dryppe af Most og Højene flyde med Mælk; alle Judas Bække skal strømme med Vand, og en kilde skal vælde frem fra HE ENs Hus og vande Akaciedalen.

19 Ægypten skal blive øde, Edom en øde Ørk for deres Vold mod Judæerne, i hvis Land de udgød uskyldigt Blod.

20 Og Juda skal være beboet evindelig, Jerusalem fra Slægt til Slægt.

21 Jeg hævner deres Blod, som jeg endnu ikke har hævnet; og HE EN bor på Zion.

   


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From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #704

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704. That perform signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. This symbolizes assertions that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

To perform signs is to testify and also to assert that something is true, as may be seen in nos. 598, 599 above, here that their falsities are true. Kings of the earth and of the whole world symbolize people who are caught up primarily in falsities springing from evil, here all who are caught up in the same falsities throughout the church. For kings symbolize people impelled by truths that spring from goodness, and in an opposite sense people impelled by falsities springing from evil (no. 483). The earth symbolizes the church (no. 285), and so likewise does the world (no. 551). To go away to gather them to battle means, symbolically, to stir those people to fight or attack; for war symbolizes a spiritual war, which is one of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity (nos. 500, 586). It is to attack the truths of the New Church because it is called the battle of that great day of God Almighty, and that day symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then. That this is the symbolic meaning of the great day there will be seen below.

We are told that the spirits of demons would do this, because the spirits of demons symbolize lusts to falsify truths and to reason on the basis of falsities, as just said in no. 703 above.

It is apparent from this that spirits of demons performing signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty, symbolize assertions by the people meant by the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, as described in nos. 701, 702 above, that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

[2] That the great day of God Almighty symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then, is clear from many passages in the Word, as from the following:

Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. (Isaiah 2:11)

...in that day... Israel... will depend on Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (Isaiah 10:20)

In that day a Root of Jesse... shall the Gentiles seek, and His resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10-11)

In that day... eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 17:7, 9)

They will say in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, to set us free." (Isaiah 25:9)

...My people shall know My name...(and) in that day, I am He who speaks: "Behold, it is I." (Isaiah 52:6)

Alas! ...great is (the day of Jehovah, and) there is none like it. (Jeremiah 30:7)

Behold, the days are coming... when I will make a new covenant... and the city shall be built for Jehovah... (Jeremiah 31:27, 31, 38)

In those days... I will cause to grow up to David a righteous Branch... (Jeremiah 33:15)

(They will not) stand in battle on the day of Jehovah. (Ezekiel 13:5)

In that day Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the children of your people... In that day... shall be delivered everyone who is found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1)

...in that day... you will call Me "My Husband."... In that day I will make a covenant for them... ...in that day I will hear... (Hosea 2:16, 18, 21).

Behold, I am sending you Elijah... before the coming of the great... day of Jehovah. (Malachi 4:5)

Jehovah... will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. (Zechariah 9:16)

In that day Jehovah will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:8)

Behold, the day of Jehovah is coming... It shall be one day which is known to Jehovah... In that day Jehovah shall be one and His name one... In that day there shall be a great tumult... In that day "Holiness to the Lord" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. (Zechariah 14:1, 4, 6-9, 13, 20-21)

There are many other passages in addition to these in which "the day of Jehovah" means the Lord's advent and a new church from Him then, as in the following: Isaiah 4:2; 19:16, 18, 21, 24; 22:20; 28:5; 29:18; 30:25-26; 31:7; and elsewhere.

Since the end of an age or final period of a former church is the time when the Lord's advent takes place and a new church begins, therefore the day of Jehovah in many places symbolizes the end of a previous church, and we are told that then there will be rumors, tumult, and wars. 1 See the passages collected in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 4, 5.

Footnotes:

1. E.g., Matthew 24:6

  
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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

 

Joel 1:2

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2 Hør dette, I Ældste, lån Øre, alle, som bor i Landet! Er sligt mon sket i eders eller eders Fædres Dage?


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