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Joel 3

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1 Denn siehe, in den Tagen und zur selbigen Zeit, wenn ich das Gefängnis Judas und Jerusalems wenden werde,

2 will ich alle Heiden zusammenbringen und will sie ins Tal Josaphat hinabführen und will mit ihnen daselbst rechten von wegen meines Volks und meines Erbteils Israel, das sie unter die Heiden zerstreuet und sich in mein Land geteilet

3 und das Los um mein Volk geworfen haben und haben die Knaben um Speise gegeben und die Mägdlein um Wein verkauft und vertrunken.

4 Und ihr von Zor und Zidon und alle Grenze der Philister, was habt ihr mit mir zu tun? Wollt ihr mir trotzen? Wohlan, trotzet ihr mir, so will ich's euch eilend und bald wieder vergelten auf euren Kopf,

5 die ihr mein Silber und Gold und meine schönen Kleinode genommen und in eure Kirchen gebracht habt,

6 dazu auch die Kinder Judas und die Kinder Jerusalems verkauft habt den Griechen, auf daß ihr sie gar ferne von ihren Grenzen brächtet.

7 Siehe, ich will sie erwecken aus dem Ort, dahin ihr sie verkauft habt, und will's euch vergelten auf euren Kopf.

8 Und will eure Söhne und eure Töchter wiederum verkaufen, durch die Kinder Judas; die sollen sie denen in Reicharabien, einem Volk in fernen Landen, verkaufen; denn der HERR hat es geredet.

9 Rufet dies aus unter den Heiden; heiliget einen Streit, erwecket die Starken, laßt herzukommen und hinaufziehen alle Kriegsleute!

10 Machet aus euren Pflugscharen Schwerter und aus euren Sicheln Spieße! Der Schwache spreche: Ich bin stark.

11 Rottet euch und kommt her, alle Heiden um und um, und versammelt euch! Daselbst wird der HERR deine Starken daniederlegen.

12 Die Heiden werden sich aufmachen und heraufkommen zum Tal Josaphat; denn daselbst will ich sitzen, zu richten alle Heiden um und um.

13 Schlaget die Sichel an, denn die Ernte ist reif; kommt herab, denn die Kelter ist voll und die Kelter läuft über; denn ihre Bosheit ist groß.

14 Es werden hie und da Haufen Volks sein im Tal des Urteils; denn des HERRN Tag ist nahe im Tal des Urteils.

15 Sonne und Mond werden verfinstert und die Sterne werden ihren Schein verhalten.

16 Und der HERR wird aus Zion brüllen und aus Jerusalem seine Stimme lassen hören, daß Himmel und Erde beben wird. Aber der HERR wird seinem Volk eine Zuflucht sein und eine Feste den Kindern Israel.

17 Und ihr sollt es erfahren, daß ich, der HERR, euer Gott, zu Zion auf meinem heiligen Berge wohne. Alsdann wird Jerusalem heilig sein und kein Fremder mehr durch sie wandeln.

18 Zur selbigen Zeit werden die Berge mit süßem Wein triefen und die Hügel mit Milch fließen, und alle Bäche in Juda werden voll Wassers gehen; und wird eine Quelle vom Hause des HERRN herausgehen, die wird den Strom Sittim wässern.

19 Aber Ägypten soll wüst werden und Edom eine wüste Einöde um den Frevel, an den Kindern Judas begangen, daß sie unschuldig Blut in ihrem Lande vergossen haben.

20 Aber Juda soll ewiglich bewohnet werden und Jerusalem für und für.

21 Und ich will ihr Blut nicht ungerächt lassen. Und der HERR wird wohnen zu Zion.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #7573

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7573. 'And Jehovah gave forth voices' means the departure and severance of communication with those governed by good and guided by truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'voices', which are claps of thunder, as God's truths which enlighten and perfect those in heaven, but frighten those in hell and subject them to vastation; and since they devastate the latter they mean the departure and severance of communication with those governed by good and guided by truth, this being the way in which they are devastated. The situation in all this is evident from what has been stated already in 7502, 7541, 7542, 7545, 7554. In these places it was shown that those who have belonged to the Church and consequently absorbed cognitions of truth and good from the Word, yet have led an evil life, have a line of communication with heaven through the truths and forms of good which they have brought with them from their time in the world, where they were in the Church. (A person brings with him into the next life whatever he knew in the world, indeed whatever he saw, heard, thought, spoke, willed, or did, see 2474, 2475, 2481-2486, 7398). This communication is what is taken away when they undergo vastation; and when communication has been taken away, so are truths and forms of good, and cognitions of them, removed. For whatever spirits, and indeed angels know flows in from the Lord by way of heaven, thus through communications that are made, see 6053-6058, 6180, 6215, 6307-6717, 6466-6495, 6613-6626. All this shows what is meant by a departure and severance of communication with those who are guided by truth and governed by good. The situation with God's truth in heaven and in hell - the truth that is meant by 'voices' - is like that with claps of thunder on earth. On high mountains claps of thunder are heard as no more than a gentle, quiet sound; but on the land lying below they are heard as a frightening crash. In the same way God's truth in heaven is gentle and mild, whereas in hell it is frightening.

[2] The meaning of 'voices', which are claps of thunder, as God's truths that enlighten and perfect those in heaven, and that frighten those in hell and subject them to vastation, is evident from the following places: In Isaiah,

You will have joy of heart, as when one marches with a pipe to come to the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel. Then Jehovah will cause His glorious voice 1 to be heard, and will cause His arm to see repose, in the indignation of [His] anger, and the flame of a devouring fire, [in] scattering, and deluging, and hailstones. For by the voice of Jehovah Asshur will be dismayed. Isaiah 30:29-31.

Here 'the voice of Jehovah' stands for God's truth which enlightens and perfects those who are governed by good but frightens those under the influence of evil and subjects them to vastation. In Joel,

The earth quaked before Him, the sun and moon were darkened, and the stars withdrew their shining; and Jehovah uttered His voice before His army, His camp is exceedingly great; for that which executes His word is uncountable. For great is the day of Jehovah, and extremely frightening. Joel 3:16.

Here the meaning is similar.

[3] In the same prophet,

Jehovah will roar from Zion, and from Jerusalem will give forth His voice; and the heavens and the earth will be shaken. But Jehovah will be a shelter for His people, and a fortification for the children of Israel. Joel 3:16.

'The voice of Jehovah' likewise stands for God's truth. It is given forth 'from Jerusalem' because that city means the Lord's spiritual kingdom, inhabited by those who are moved by truth to be governed by good and moved by good to be guided by truth.

[4] In David,

Jehovah thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth His voice, hail, and coals of fire, so that He sent His arrows and scattered them, and many thunder-bolts, and threw them into confusion. Psalms 18:13-14.

'Giving forth voice, hail, and coals of fire' stands for the devastation of truth and good by means of falsities and evil desires. In the same author,

The clouds dropped water, the skies gave voice, also Your arrows went out, the voice of Your thunder into the earth; the lightnings lit up the earth. Psalms 77:16-18.

'A voice' stands for God's truth which enlightens those who belong to the Church.

[5] In the same author,

The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters, the God of glory causes it to thunder, Jehovah is over great waters; the voice of Jehovah is powerful; the voice of Jehovah is majestic; the voice of Jehovah breaks the cedars, Jehovah breaks to pieces the cedars of Lebanon; the voice of Jehovah strikes as flames of fire; the voice of Jehovah causes the wilderness to shake; the voice of Jehovah causes the hinds to calve, and strips the forests bare. Psalms 29:3-11.

Here 'the voice of Jehovah' stands for God's truth and the power it has. Thus it also stands for the Word since this is God's truth.

[6] In John,

A mighty angel coming down called out with a loud voice; and when he called out, seven thunders uttered their voices. I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them. Revelation 10:3-4.

'Voices' stands for God's truth, 'thunders' for those who convey it, bringing it from heaven to earth. No one can fail to see that 'thunders and 'voices' mean things that are Divine, not thunders and crashes. And since they mean Divine things and are called Jehovah's voices it is evident that they are Divine Truth. This was why, when Jehovah came down on Mount Sinai and proclaimed Divine Truth, there were voices, lightnings, and thunders, Exodus 19:16; 20:18, and why He spoke out of the midst of the fire, Deuteronomy 4:11-12; 5:22-24.

Footnotes:

1. literally, the voice of His glory

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