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The Bible

 

Daniel 12

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1 Zur selben Zeit wird der große Fürst Michael, der für die Kinder deines Volkes steht, sich aufmachen. Denn es wird eine solche trübselige Zeit sein, wie sie nicht gewesen ist, seitdem Leute gewesen sind bis auf diese Zeit. Zur selben Zeit wird dein Volk errettet werden, alle, die im Buch geschrieben stehen.

2 Und viele, so unter der Erde schlafen liegen, werden aufwachen: etliche zum ewigen Leben, etliche zu ewiger Schmach und Schande.

3 Die Lehrer aber werden leuchten wie des Himmels Glanz, und die, so viele zur Gerechtigkeit weisen, wie die Sterne immer und ewiglich.

4 Und du, Daniel, verbirg diese Worte und versiegle diese Schrift bis auf die Letzte Zeit; so werden viele darüberkommen und großen Verstand finden.

5 Und ich, Daniel, sah, und siehe, es standen zwei andere da, einer an diesem Ufer des Wassers, der andere an jenem Ufer.

6 Und er sprach zu dem in leinenen Kleidern, der über den Wassern des Flusses stand: Wann will's denn ein Ende sein mit solchen Wundern?

7 Und ich hörte zu dem in leinenen Kleidern, der über den Wassern des Flusses stand; und er hob seine rechte und linke Hand auf gen Himmel und schwur bei dem, der ewiglich lebt, daß es eine Zeit und zwei Zeiten und eine halbe Zeit währen soll; und wenn die Zerstreuung des heiligen Volkes ein Ende hat, soll solches alles geschehen.

8 Und ich hörte es; aber ich verstand's nicht und sprach: Mein Herr, was wird darnach werden?

9 Er aber sprach: Gehe hin, Daniel; denn es ist verborgen und versiegelt bis auf die letzte Zeit.

10 Viele werden gereinigt, geläutert und bewährt werden; und die Gottlosen werden gottlos Wesen führen, und die Gottlosen alle werden's nicht achten; aber die Verständigen werden's achten.

11 Und von der Zeit an, wenn das tägliche Opfer abgetan und ein Greuel; der Verwüstung aufgerichtet wird, sind tausend zweihundertundneunzig Tage.

12 Wohl dem, der da wartet und erreicht tausend dreihundert und fünfunddreißig Tage!

13 Du aber, Daniel, gehe hin, bis das Ende komme; und ruhe, daß du aufstehst zu deinem Erbteil am Ende der Tage!

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #8620

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8620. 'Write this [for] a memorial in the book' means for everlasting remembrance. This is clear from the meaning of 'a memorial' as that which should serve to remind or bring to remembrance, dealt with in 8066, 8067; and from the meaning of 'writing in the book' as to serve as an everlasting reminder. This is the meaning of 'writing in a book in Isaiah,

Come, write on a tablet among them, and express it in a book, 1 so that it may be for time to come, forever even to eternity. 2 Isaiah 30:8.

Since remembrance is meant by 'writing in a book', true believers are therefore said to have been 'written in the book of life'; for salvation is meant by God's remembering, and damnation by His not remembering or His forgetting. 'The book of life' is referred to in Daniel as follows,

The Ancient of Days [was seated], the judgement sat down, and the books were opened. Daniel 7:9-10.

In the same prophet,

At that time Your people will be rescued, every one who is found written in the book. Daniel 12:1.

In David,

Add 3 iniquity onto their iniquity, and do not let them reach Your righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, 4 and not be written with the righteous. Psalms 69:27-28.

In John,

He who conquers will be clad in white garments; I will not blot his name out of the book of life. Revelation 3:5.

In the same book,

None will enter the new Jerusalem except those who have been written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 21:26-27.

In the same book,

I saw that the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged by the things written in the books, according to their works. They were judged, all of them according to their works. And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:12-15.

See in addition Revelation 13:8; 17:8.

[2] Anyone who does not know from the internal sense what 'the book of life' is, and also what is meant by 'the books' whose contents are to be used to judge the dead, can have no other idea than this - that such books exist in heaven, and that they contain written down in them everyone's deeds, the memory of which is thus preserved. However, by the books mentioned in the places quoted above one should not understand books but the remembrance of all the deeds they had performed. For each person takes with him into the next life the memory of all his deeds, that is, the book of his life, 2474. But judging someone according to his deeds can be done by no one except the Lord alone. For all deeds emanate from final causes, 5 which lie inwardly and deeply hidden; and it is according to those causes that a person is judged. These are known to no one except the Lord, which is why judgement belongs to Him alone. This is also what the following words in John are used to mean,

I saw on the right hand 6 of Him sitting on the throne a book written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. After that I saw a strong angel crying out with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book and to loose its seals? One of the elders said to me, Behold, the Lion which is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the book and to loose its seals. And He took the book, and they sang a new song, You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals. Revelation 5:1-9

From all this it becomes clear that 'a book written' is used to mean the presence of someone's deeds. The book referred to in David has a similar meaning,

In Your book they all were written, the days that were assigned. Psalms 139:16.

Footnotes:

1. literally, on a book (i.e.. on a scroll)

2. literally, into a future day, into perpetuity even into eternity

3. literally, Give

4. literally, lives

5. i.e. ends in view

6. i.e. a scroll roll Lying on the open palm of the hand

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

The Bible

 

Revelation 22

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1 He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,

2 in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants serve him.

4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

5 There will be no night, and they need no lamp light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever.

6 He said to me, "These words are faithful and true. The Lord God of the spirits of the prophets sent his angel to show to his bondservants the things which must happen soon."

7 "Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."

8 Now I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had shown me these things.

9 He said to me, "See you don't do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."

10 He said to me, "Don't seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.

11 He who acts unjustly, let him act unjustly still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him do righteousness still. He who is holy, let him be holy still."

12 "Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work.

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14 Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.

15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the assemblies. I am the root and the offspring of David; the Bright and Morning Star."

17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" He who hears, let him say, "Come!" He who is thirsty, let him Come. He who desires, let him take the water of life freely.

18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, may God add to him the plagues which are written in this book.

19 If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, may God take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.

20 He who testifies these things says, "Yes, I come quickly." Amen! Yes, come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. Amen.

   

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