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Klagesangene 4

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1 Hvor Guldet blev sort, og skæmmet det ædle metal, de hellige Stene slængt hen på Gadernes Hjørner!

2 Zions de dyre Sønner, der opvejed Guld, kun regnet for Lerkar, Pottemagerhænders Værk

3 Selv Sjakaler byder Brystet til, giver Ungerne Die, men mit Folks Datter blev grum som Ørkenens Strudse.

4 Den spædes Tunge hang fast ved Ganen af Tørst, Børnene tigged om Brød, og ingen gav dem.

5 Folk, som levede lækkert, omkom på Gaden; Folk, som var båret på Purpur, favnede Skarnet.

6 Mit Folks Datters Brøde var større end Synden i Sodom, som brat blev styrted, så Hænder ej rørtes derinde.

7 Hendes Fyrster var renere end Sne, mer hvide end Mælk, deres Legeme rødere end Koral, som Safir deres Årer;

8 mer sorte end Sod ser de ud, kan ej kendes på Gaden, Huden hænger ved Knoglerne, tør som Træ.

9 Sværdets Ofre var bedre farne end Sultens, som svandt hen, dødsramte, af Mangel på Markens Grøde.

10 Blide kvinders Hænder kogte deres Børn; da mit Folks Datter brød sammen, blev de dem til Føde.

11 HE EN køled sin Vrede, udøste sin Harmglød,. han tændte i Zion en Ild, dets Grundvolde åd den.

12 Ej troede Jordens Konger, ja ingen i Verden, at Uven og Fjende skulde stå i Jerusalems Porte.

13 Det var for Profeternes Synd, for Præsternes Brøde, som i dets Midte udgød retfærdiges Blod.

14 De vanked som blinde på Gaderne, tilsølet af Blod, rørte med Klæderne Ting, som ikke må røres.

15 "Var jer! En uren!" råbte man; "Var jer dog for dem!" Når de flyr og vanker, råber man: "Bliv ikke her!"

16 HE EN spredte dem selv, han så dem ej mer, Præster regned man ej eller ynked Profeter.

17 End smægted vort Blik efter Hjælp, men kun for at skuffes, på Varden spejded vi efter det Folk, der ej hjælper.

18 De lured på vort Fjed, fra Torvene holdt vi os borte; Enden var nær, vore Dage var omme, ja, Enden var kommet.

19 Mer snare end Himlens Ørne var de, som jog os, på Bjergene satte de efter os, lured i Ørkenen,

20 vor Livsånde, HE ENs Salvede, blev fanget i deres Grave, han, i hvis Skygge vi tænkte at leve blandt Folkene.

21 Glæd dig og fryd dig, Edom, som bor i Uz! Også dig skal Bægeret nå, du skal blotte dig drukken.

22 Din Skyld er til Ende, Zion, du forvises ej mer; han hjemsøger, Edom, din Skyld, afslører dine Synder.

   


The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #305

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305. And another horse, fiery red, went out. (6:4) This symbolizes an understanding of the Word among them extinguished as to goodness and thus extinguished as regards their life.

A horse symbolizes an understanding of the Word (no. 298), and a fiery red color symbolizes good extinguished. To be shown that the color white is predicated of truths, because it takes its origin from the light of the sun in heaven, and that the color red is predicated of goods, because it takes its origin from the fire of the sun in heaven, see nos. 167, 231 above.

A fiery red, on the other hand, is predicated of good extinguished, because a fiery red means a hellish red, which takes its origin from hellfire, which is a love of evil. A fiery red, being a hellish red, is hideous and dreadful, because it has no spark of life in it, but is totally lifeless. So it is that a fiery red horse symbolizes an understanding of the Word extinguished as to goodness. This, too, can be seen from the description of its rider, that it was granted him "to take peace from the earth, so that people might kill one another," as said next.

Moreover, it was the second living creature, which was like a calf, symbolizing the Divine truth of the Word in respect to its affection (no. 242), that said, "Come and see," thus showing that the people described had no affection for good, thus no goodness, among them.

That redness is predicated of both a love of good and a love of evil, can be seen from the following passages:

Who... washed his garment in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes, with eyes redder than wine, and teeth whiter than milk. (Genesis 49:11-12)

This is said in reference to the Lord.

Who is this who comes from Edom..., red as to apparel, and apparel like that of one who treads in the winepress? (Isaiah 63:1-2)

This, too, said in reference to the Lord.

Her Nazirites were whiter than snow and brighter white than milk. Redder were they in their bones than rubies... (Lamentations 4:7)

Redness in these places is predicated of a love of good. In the following places it is predicated of a love of evil:

The shield... is made reddish, and the... men are in crimson. The chariots come with flaming torches...; their appearance is like that of torches... (Nahum 2:3-4)

Though your sins have been like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they have been red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

This is also the symbolic meaning of the fiery red dragon in Revelation 12:3, and of the fiery red horse standing among the myrtle trees in Zechariah 1:8.

Similar meanings are predicated of colors that derive their hue from the color red, such as scarlet and crimson.

  
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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.