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Amos 9

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1 Ειδον τον Κυριον ισταμενον επι του θυσιαστηριου, και ειπε, Παταξον το ανωφλιον της πυλης, δια να σεισθωσι τα προπυλαια, και συντριψον αυτα κατα της κεφαλης παντων τουτων· τους δε υπολοιπους αυτων θελω θανατωσει εν ρομφαια· ουδεις εξ αυτων φευγων θελει διαφυγει και ουδεις εξ αυτων σωζομενος θελει διασωθη.

2 Εαν σκαψωσιν εως αδου, εκειθεν η χειρ μου θελει ανασπασει αυτους· και εαν αναβωσιν εις τον ουρανον, εκειθεν θελω καταξει αυτους.

3 Και εαν κρυφθωσιν εν τη κορυφη του Καρμηλου, εκειθεν θελω εξερευνησει και συλλαβει αυτους· και εαν κρυφθωσιν απο των οφθαλμων μου εις τα βαθη της θαλασσης, εκει θελω προσταξει τον δρακοντα και θελει δαγκασει αυτους.

4 Και εαν υπαγωσιν εις αιχμαλωσιαν εμπροσθεν των εχθρων αυτων, εκειθεν θελω προσταξει την μαχαιραν και θελει θανατωσει αυτους· και θελω στησει τους οφθαλμους μου επ' αυτους δια κακον και ουχι δια καλον.

5 Διοτι Κυριος ο Θεος των δυναμεων ειναι, οστις εγγιζει την γην και τηκεται, και παντες οι κατοικουντες εν αυτη θελουσι πενθησει· και θελει υπερεκχειλισει ολη ως ποταμος και θελει καταποντισθη ως υπο του ποταμου της Αιγυπτου.

6 Αυτος ειναι ο οικοδομων τα υπερωα αυτου εν τω ουρανω και θεμελιων τον θολον αυτου επι της γης, ο προσκαλων τα υδατα της θαλασσης και εκχεων αυτα επι το προσωπον της γης· Κυριος το ονομα αυτου.

7 δεν εισθε εις εμε ως υιοι Αιθιοπων, σεις υιοι Ισραηλ; λεγει Κυριος· δεν ανεβιβασα τον Ισραηλ εκ γης Αιγυπτου και τους Φιλισταιους απο Καφθορ και τους Συριους απο Κιρ;

8 Ιδου, οι οφθαλμοι Κυριου του Θεου ειναι επι το βασιλειον το αμαρτωλον, και θελω αφανισει αυτο απο προσωπου της γης· πλην οτι δεν θελω αφανισει ολοτελως τον οικον Ιακωβ, λεγει Κυριος.

9 Διοτι ιδου, εγω θελω προσταξει και θελω λικμησει τον οικον Ισραηλ μεταξυ παντων των εθνων, καθως λικμαται ο σιτος εν τω κοσκινω, και δεν θελει πεσει κοκκος επι την γην.

10 Υπο ρομφαιας θελουσιν αποθανει παντες οι αμαρτωλοι του λαου μου, οι λεγοντες, Δεν θελει μας εγγισει ουδε μας καταφθασει το κακον.

11 Εν τη ημερα εκεινη θελω αναστησει την σκηνην του Δαβιδ την πεπτωκυιαν, και θελω φραξει τας χαλαστρας αυτης, και θελω ανεγειρει τα ερειπια αυτης, και θελω ανοικοδομησει αυτην ως εν ταις αρχαιαις ημεραις·

12 δια να κληρονομησωσι το υπολοιπον του Εδωμ και παντα τα εθνη, επι τα οποια καλειται το ονομα μου, λεγει Κυριος, ο ποιων ταυτα.

13 Ιδου, ερχονται ημεραι, λεγει Κυριος, και ο αροτρευς θελει φθασει τον θεριστην και ο ληνοβατης τον σπειροντα τον σπορον, και τα ορη θελουσι σταλαξει γλευκος και παντες οι βουνοι θελουσι ρεει αγαθα.

14 Και θελω επιστρεψει τους αιχμαλωτους του λαου μου Ισραηλ, και θελουσιν ανοικοδομησει τας πολεις τας ηρημωμενας και κατοικησει· και θελουσι φυτευσει αμπελωνας και πιει τον οινον αυτων, και θελουσι καμει κηπους και φαγει τον καρπον αυτων.

15 Και θελω φυτευσει αυτους επι την γην αυτων, και δεν θελουσιν εκσπασθη πλεον απο της γης αυτων, την οποιαν εδωκα εις αυτους, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος σου.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #704

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704. That perform signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. This symbolizes assertions that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

To perform signs is to testify and also to assert that something is true, as may be seen in nos. 598, 599 above, here that their falsities are true. Kings of the earth and of the whole world symbolize people who are caught up primarily in falsities springing from evil, here all who are caught up in the same falsities throughout the church. For kings symbolize people impelled by truths that spring from goodness, and in an opposite sense people impelled by falsities springing from evil (no. 483). The earth symbolizes the church (no. 285), and so likewise does the world (no. 551). To go away to gather them to battle means, symbolically, to stir those people to fight or attack; for war symbolizes a spiritual war, which is one of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity (nos. 500, 586). It is to attack the truths of the New Church because it is called the battle of that great day of God Almighty, and that day symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then. That this is the symbolic meaning of the great day there will be seen below.

We are told that the spirits of demons would do this, because the spirits of demons symbolize lusts to falsify truths and to reason on the basis of falsities, as just said in no. 703 above.

It is apparent from this that spirits of demons performing signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty, symbolize assertions by the people meant by the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, as described in nos. 701, 702 above, that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

[2] That the great day of God Almighty symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then, is clear from many passages in the Word, as from the following:

Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. (Isaiah 2:11)

...in that day... Israel... will depend on Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (Isaiah 10:20)

In that day a Root of Jesse... shall the Gentiles seek, and His resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10-11)

In that day... eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 17:7, 9)

They will say in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, to set us free." (Isaiah 25:9)

...My people shall know My name...(and) in that day, I am He who speaks: "Behold, it is I." (Isaiah 52:6)

Alas! ...great is (the day of Jehovah, and) there is none like it. (Jeremiah 30:7)

Behold, the days are coming... when I will make a new covenant... and the city shall be built for Jehovah... (Jeremiah 31:27, 31, 38)

In those days... I will cause to grow up to David a righteous Branch... (Jeremiah 33:15)

(They will not) stand in battle on the day of Jehovah. (Ezekiel 13:5)

In that day Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the children of your people... In that day... shall be delivered everyone who is found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1)

...in that day... you will call Me "My Husband."... In that day I will make a covenant for them... ...in that day I will hear... (Hosea 2:16, 18, 21).

Behold, I am sending you Elijah... before the coming of the great... day of Jehovah. (Malachi 4:5)

Jehovah... will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. (Zechariah 9:16)

In that day Jehovah will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:8)

Behold, the day of Jehovah is coming... It shall be one day which is known to Jehovah... In that day Jehovah shall be one and His name one... In that day there shall be a great tumult... In that day "Holiness to the Lord" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. (Zechariah 14:1, 4, 6-9, 13, 20-21)

There are many other passages in addition to these in which "the day of Jehovah" means the Lord's advent and a new church from Him then, as in the following: Isaiah 4:2; 19:16, 18, 21, 24; 22:20; 28:5; 29:18; 30:25-26; 31:7; and elsewhere.

Since the end of an age or final period of a former church is the time when the Lord's advent takes place and a new church begins, therefore the day of Jehovah in many places symbolizes the end of a previous church, and we are told that then there will be rumors, tumult, and wars. 1 See the passages collected in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 4, 5.

Footnotes:

1. E.g., Matthew 24:6

  
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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.

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