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han ledte mig vild, rev mig sønder og lagde mig øde;
Klagesangene 3:11
The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University
What does the Bible say about Peace?
By New Christian Bible Study Staff, John Odhner
Here's an extract from Swedenborg's explanation of the inner meaning of the Book of Revelation, in which he has collected a nice set of passages from the Word, about peace. It's powerful to read them as a set.
This is from Apocalypse Revealed 306:
"[In the Word,] Peace symbolizes everything whatever that comes from the Lord, and so everything pertaining to heaven and the church, and the blessings of life in them. In the highest or inmost sense, these are blessings of peace.
It follows from this that peace means charity, spiritual security, and inner rest, for when a person abides in the Lord, he is at peace with his neighbor, which is a state of charity, and he has protection from hell, which is spiritual security. And when he is at peace with his neighbor and has protection from hell, he enjoys an inner rest from evils and falsities.
Accordingly, since all these blessings come from the Lord, it can be seen what is symbolically meant by peace in general and in particular in the following passages:
...unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; the government will be upon His shoulder. His name will be called... God, Hero, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end... (Isaiah 9:6-7)
(Jesus said,) "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you." (John 14:27)
(Jesus said,) "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace." (John 16:33)
In His days the righteous shall flourish, and much peace... (Psalms 72:3, 7)
Then I will make a covenant of peace... (Ezekiel 34:25, 27; 37:25-26)
How delightful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace..., who says to Zion, "Your King reigns!" (Isaiah 52:7)
Jehovah bless you and... lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
Jehovah will bless His people with peace. (Psalms 29:11)
(Jehovah) will redeem my soul in peace... (Psalms 55:18)
The work of (Jehovah) is peace, [and] the labor of righteousness, rest and security forever, that (they) may dwell in a tabernacle of peace, in secure tents, and in tranquil places of rest. (Isaiah 32:17-18)
(Jesus said to the seventy that He sent out,) "Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it." (Luke 10:5-6, cf. Matthew 10:12-14)
The wretched shall possess the earth, and shall delight themselves in an abundance of peace... ...observe the upright man, for the final state for that man is peace. (Psalms 37:11, 37)
(Zacharias, prophesying, said,) ."..the Dayspring from on high has appeared..., to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:78-79)
Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (Psalms 34:14)
Much peace have those who love Your law... (Psalms 119:165)
"Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river...." "There is no peace," says Jehovah, "for the impious." (Isaiah 48:18, 22)
(Jehovah) will speak peace to His people... Righteousness and peace will kiss. (Psalms 85:8, 10)
There is no peace in my bones because of my sin. (Psalms 38:3)
He has filled me with bitterness... ...moved (is) my soul far from peace; I have forgotten goodness. (Lamentations 3:15, 17)
And so on in many other places, from which it can be seen that the aforesaid blessings are meant by peace. Fix your mind on spiritual peace, and you will clearly see.
So likewise in the following places: Isaiah 26:12; 53:5; 54:10, 13; Jeremiah 33:6, 9; Haggai 2:9; Zechariah 8:16, 19; Psalms 4:6-8; 120:6-7; 122:6-9; 128:5-6; 147:14."
Jeremiah 33
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Moreover the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the guard, saying,
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Thus says Yahweh who does it, Yahweh who forms it to establish it; Yahweh is his name:
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Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.
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For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are broken down [to make a defense] against the mounds and against the sword;
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while [men] come to fight with the Chaldeans, and to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have killed in my anger and in my wrath, and for all whose wickedness I have hidden my face from this city:
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Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them; and I will reveal to them abundance of peace and truth.
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I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.
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I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, by which they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, by which they have sinned against me, and by which they have transgressed against me.
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[This city] shall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do to them, and shall fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure to it.
10
Thus says Yahweh: Yet again there shall be heard in this place, about which you say, It is waste, without man and without animal, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without animal,
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the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, Give thanks to Yahweh of Armies, for Yahweh is good, for his loving kindness endures forever; [and of them] who bring [sacrifices of] thanksgiving into the house of Yahweh. For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, says Yahweh.
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Thus says Yahweh of Armies: Yet again shall there be in this place, which is waste, without man and without animal, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.
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In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks again pass under the hands of him who numbers them, says Yahweh.
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Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah.
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In those days, and at that time, will I cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up to David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
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In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; and this is [the name] by which she shall be called: Yahweh our righteousness.
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For thus says Yahweh: David shall never want a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel;
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neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to burn meal offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.
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The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying,
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Thus says Yahweh: If you can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, so that there shall not be day and night in their season;
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then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
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As the army of the sky can't be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured; so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites who minister to me.
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The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying,
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Don't consider what this people has spoken, saying, The two families which Yahweh did choose, he has cast them off? thus do they despise my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
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Thus says Yahweh: If my covenant of day and night fails, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;
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then will I also cast away the seed of Jacob, and of David my servant, so that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and will have mercy on them.
