New Christian Bible Study

The Bible

 

Genezo 15

Study

   

1 Post tiuj farigxoj la Eternulo diris al Abram en vizio jene: Ne timu, Abram, Mi estas via sxildo; via rekompenco estas tre granda.

2 Kaj Abram diris: Ho Eternulo, mia Sinjoro, kion Vi donos al mi? mi vagas ja seninfane, kaj la administranto de mia domo estas Eliezer el Damasko.

3 Kaj Abram diris: Al mi Vi ne donis ja idaron, kaj jen mia domano estos mia heredanto.

4 Kaj tiam la Eternulo diris al li jene: CXi tiu ne estos via heredanto; nur tiu, kiu eliros el via internajxo, estos via heredanto.

5 Kaj Li elirigis lin eksteren, kaj diris: Rigardu al la cxielo kaj kalkulu la stelojn, se vi povas ilin kalkuli. Kaj Li diris al li: Tiel estos via idaro.

6 Kaj li kredis al la Eternulo; kaj tio estis kalkulita al li kiel virto.

7 Kaj Li diris al li: Mi estas la Eternulo, kiu elirigis vin el Ur la HXaldea, por doni al vi cxi tiun landon kiel posedajxon.

8 Kaj li diris: Ho Eternulo, mia Sinjoro, per kio mi povas scii, ke mi gxin posedos?

9 Kaj Li diris al li: Prenu por Mi bovinon trijaran kaj kaprinon trijaran kaj sxafon trijaran kaj turton kaj junan kolombon.

10 Kaj li alportis al Li cxion cxi tion, kaj Li distrancxis ilin laux la mezo kaj metis cxiujn partojn unu kontraux la alia, sed la birdojn Li ne distrancxis.

11 Kaj la rabobirdoj mallevigxis sur la kadavrojn, sed Abram ilin forpelis.

12 CXe la subiro de la suno profunda dormo falis sur Abramon; kaj jen timego pro la granda mallumo atakis lin.

13 Kaj Li diris al Abram: Sciu, ke via idaro estos fremduloj en lando, kiu ne apartenos al ili; kaj oni sklavigos kaj turmentos ilin dum kvarcent jaroj.

14 Tamen la popolon, cxe kiu ili estos sklavoj, Mi jugxos; kaj poste ili eliros kun granda havo.

15 Kaj vi foriros al viaj prapatroj en paco; vi estos entombigita en bona maljuneco.

16 Kaj en la kvara generacio ili revenos cxi tien; cxar la krimoj de la Amoridoj ankoraux ne atingis plenecon.

17 Kiam la suno subiris kaj farigxis mallumo, subite forna fumo kaj fajra flamo trakuris inter tiuj distrancxitajxoj.

18 En tiu tago la Eternulo faris interligon kun Abram, dirante: Al via idaro Mi donos cxi tiun landon, de la rivero de Egiptujo gxis la granda rivero, la rivero Euxfrato:

19 la Kenidojn kaj la Kenizidojn kaj la Kadmonidojn

20 kaj la HXetidojn kaj la Perizidojn kaj la Rafaidojn

21 kaj la Amoridojn kaj la Kanaanidojn kaj la Girgasxidojn kaj la Jebusidojn.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1839

Study this Passage

  
/ 10837  
  

1839. That 'behold, a dread of great darkness was coming over him' means that it was a dreadful darkness, 'darkness' being falsities, is clear from the meaning of 'darkness' as falsities, to be dealt with immediately below. The state of the Church just before the close, or when the sun was going down, is described by 'the dread of great darkness', but the state when the sun had gone down is described by 'the thick darkness' and other details given in verse 17 below.

[2] The Lord spoke of it in the same way in Matthew,

The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29.

He did not mean that the sun of the world will be darkened but the celestial entity of love and charity. Nor will the moon be darkened but the spiritual entity of faith. Nor will the stars fall from heaven but the cognitions of good and truth with the member of the Church, which are 'the powers of the heavens'. Nor will these things take place in heaven but on earth, for heaven is never plunged into darkness.

[3] 'A dread of great darkness fell on him' means His horror at such great devastation. In the measure that the heavenly or celestial things of love find acceptance in anyone, so great is his horror when he perceives the close. This applied to the Lord more than anybody else, since His love was heavenly and Divine love itself.

[4] 'Darkness' means falsities, as is clear from very many places in the

Word, as in Isaiah,

Woe to those who put darkness for light, and light for darkness! Isaiah 5:20.

'Darkness' stands for falsities and 'light' for truths. In the same prophet, He will look to the land, and behold, darkness, distress; and the light has been darkened. Isaiah 5:30.

'Darkness' stands for falsities, 'darkened light' for the fact that truth does not appear.

[5] In the same prophet,

Behold, darkness is covering the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. Isaiah 60:2.

In Amos,

The day of Jehovah is that of darkness and not light. Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, thick darkness and no brightness in it? Amos 5:18, 20.

In Zephaniah,

The great day of Jehovah is near. A day of wrath is that day, a day of anguish and repression, a day of vastation and desolation, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and shadow. Zephaniah 1:14-15.

Here 'the day of Jehovah' stands for the final period and state of the Church, while 'darkness and thick darkness' stands for falsities and evils.

[6] The Lord too calls falsities 'darkness', in Matthew,

If your eye has been evil, the whole body has been made full of darkness. If therefore the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! Matthew 6:23.

'Darkness' is used to mean falsities that have overtaken people who possess cognitions, a greater darkness than that found in those called gentiles, who have no cognitions.

[7] Similarly in the same gospel,

The sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness. Matthew 8:12; 22:13.

'Outer darkness' stands for the quite dreadful falsities of those inside the Church, for those people shut out the light and oppose truths with falsities, something gentiles are not able to do. In John,

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men; but the light appears in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5.

'The darkness' stands for falsities inside the Church.

[8] Falsities outside the Church too are called 'darkness' but these are capable of receiving light. Of them it is said in Matthew,

The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light; and for those sitting in the region and shadow of death, the light has arisen. Matthew 4:16.

'Darkness' stands for falsities that go with not knowing, such as exist with gentiles.

[9] In John,

This is the judgement, that light has come into the world, but men have preferred darkness rather than light, for their deeds were evil. John 3:19.

'Light' stands for truths, and 'darkness' for falsities. 'The light' also stands for the Lord since He is the source of all truth, while 'darkness' stands for the hells since they are the source of all falsity.

[10] In the same gospel,

Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in darkness. John 8:12.

In the same gospel,

Walk, as long as you have the light, lest darkness overtakes you, for he who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. I have come as light into the world in order that all who believe in Me may not remain in darkness. John 12:35, 46.

'Light' stands for the Lord, the source of all good and truth, 'darkness' for falsities, which are dispersed by the Lord alone.

[11] The falsities that prevail in the last times and which are called 'the darkness' here, that is, to which 'the dread of great darkness' has reference, were represented and meant by the darkness that came over the whole earth from the sixth to the ninth hour, and also by the sun's being darkened at that time, by which was represented and meant that no love, that is, no faith, existed any more, Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44-45.

  
/ 10837  
  

Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

©2024 New Christian Bible Study Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed from newchristianbiblestudy.org