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Ιεζεκιήλ 38

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1 Και εγεινε λογος Κυριου προς εμε, λεγων,

2 Υιε ανθρωπου, στηριξον το προσωπον σου επι Γωγ, την γην του Μαγωγ, του ηγεμονος της Ρως, Μεσεχ και Θουβαλ, και προφητευσον κατ' αυτου,

3 και ειπε, Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Ιδου, εγω ειμαι εναντιον σου, Γωγ, ηγεμων της Ρως, Μεσεχ και Θουβαλ·

4 και θελω σε περιστρεψει και βαλει αγκιστρα εις τας σιαγονας σου, και θελω εκβαλει σε και πασαν την δυναμιν σου, ιππους και ιππεας, παντας τουτους εντελως ωπλισμενους, μεγα αθροισμα μετα θυρεων και ασπιδων, παντας τουτους μεταχειριζομενους μαχαιρας.

5 Περσας, Αιθιοπας και Λιβυας μετ' αυτων· παντας τουτους μετ' ασπιδων και περικεφαλαιων·

6 τον Γομερ και παντα τα ταγματα αυτου, τον οικον Θωγαρμα απο των εσχατων του βορρα και παντα τα ταγματα αυτου και πολλους λαους μετα σου.

7 Ετοιμασθητι και ετοιμασον σεαυτον, συ και παν το αθροισμα σου το συναθροισθεν εις σε, και εσο φυλαξ εις αυτους·

8 μετα πολλας ημερας θελει γεινει επισκεψις εις σε· εν τοις εσχατοις χρονοις θελεις ελθει εις την γην, ητις ηλευθερωθη εκ της μαχαιρας και συνηχθη εκ πολλων λαων εναντιον των ορεων του Ισραηλ, τα οποια κατεσταθησαν ερημα διαπαντος· αυτος ομως μετεφερθη εκ μεσου των λαων, και θελουσι κατοικησει παντες ασφαλως.

9 Και θελεις αναβη και ελθει ως ανεμοζαλη· θελεις εισθαι ως νεφος, δια να σκεπασης την γην, συ και παντα τα ταγματα σου και πολυς λαος μετα σου.

10 Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Και εν εκεινη τη ημερα θελουσιν αναβη πραγματα επι την καρδιαν σου και θελεις βουλευθη βουλας πονηρας·

11 και θελεις ειπει, Θελω αναβη εις γην πολεων ατειχιστων· θελω ελθει προς ησυχαζοντας, κατοικουντας εν ασφαλεια, παντας τουτους κατοικουντας πολεις ατειχιστους και μη εχουσας μοχλους και πυλας·

12 δια να λεηλατησης λεηλασιαν και να λαφυραγωγησης λαφυρον, δια να επαναστρεψης την χειρα σου επι ερημωσεις κατοικισθεισας και επι λαον συνηγμενον εκ των εθνων αποκτησαντα κτηνη και αγαθα, κατοικουντα εν μεσω της γης.

13 Σεβα και Δαιδαν και οι εμποροι της Θαρσεις, μετα παντων των σκυμνων αυτης, θελουσιν ειπει προς σε, Ηλθες να λεηλατησης λεηλασιαν; συνηθροισας το πληθος σου δια να λαφυραγωγησης λαφυρον; δια να αρπασης αργυριον και χρυσιον, δια να λαβης κτηνη και αγαθα, δια να καμης λειαν μεγαλην;

14 Δια τουτο, υιε ανθρωπου, προφητευσον και ειπε προς τον Γωγ, Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Εν εκεινη τη ημερα, οτε ο λαος μου Ισραηλ θελει κατοικει εν ασφαλεια, συ δεν θελεις μαθει τουτο;

15 Και θελεις ελθει εκ του τοπου σου, εκ των εσχατων του βορρα, συ και πολλοι λαοι μετα σου, απαντες αναβαται ιππων, πληθος μεγα και δυναμις πολλη·

16 και θελεις αναβη εναντιον του λαου μου Ισραηλ ως νεφος, δια να σκεπασης την γην· τουτο θελει εισθαι εν ταις εσχαταις ημεραις· και θελω σε φερει εναντιον της γης μου, δια να με γνωρισωσι τα εθνη, οταν αγιασθω εν σοι, Γωγ, ενωπιον αυτων.

17 Ουτω λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· Συ εισαι εκεινος, περι του οποιου ελαλησα εν ταις αρχαιαις ημεραις, δια των δουλων μου των προφητων του Ισραηλ, οιτινες προεφητευσαν εν εκειναις ταις ημεραις δια πολλων ετων, οτι εμελλον να σε φερω εναντιον αυτων;

18 Αλλ' εν εκεινη τη ημερα, εν τη ημερα καθ' ην ο Γωγ ελθη εναντιον της γης Ισραηλ, η οργη μου θελει αναβη επι το προσωπον μου, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος.

19 Διοτι εν τω ζηλω μου, εν τω πυρι της οργης μου ελαλησα, Εξαπαντος εν τη ημερα εκεινη θελει εισθαι σεισμος μεγας εν γη Ισραηλ·

20 και οι ιχθυες της θαλασσης και τα πετεινα του ουρανου και τα θηρια του αγρου και παντα τα ερπετα τα ερποντα επι της γης και παντες οι ανθρωποι οι επι του προσωπου της γης θελουσι σεισθη απο της παρουσιας μου· και τα ορη θελουσιν ανατραπη και οι πυργοι θελουσι πεσει και παν τειχος θελει κατεδαφισθη.

21 Και θελω καλεσει εναντιον αυτου μαχαιραν κατα παντα τα ορη μου, λεγει Κυριος ο Θεος· η μαχαιρα εκαστου ανθρωπου θελει εισθαι κατα του αδελφου αυτου.

22 Και θελω ελθει εις κρισιν εναντιον αυτου εν λοιμω και εν αιματι· και θελω βρεξει επ' αυτον και επι τα ταγματα αυτου και επι τον πολυν λαον τον μετ' αυτου βροχην κατακλυσμου και λιθους χαλαζης, πυρ και θειον.

23 Και θελω μεγαλυνθη και αγιασθη, και θελω γνωρισθη ενωπιον πολλων εθνων και θελουσι γνωρισει οτι εγω ειμαι ο Κυριος.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #289

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289. "And blessing!" This symbolically means, all these being in Him and from Him in those angels of the lower heavens.

A blessing means every good that a person has from the Lord, such as power and wealth, and everything that accompanies these, but especially every spiritual good, such as love and wisdom, charity and faith, and the accompanying joy and happiness, which have to do with eternal life. And because all of these come from the Lord, it follows that He has them in Him; for if He did not have them in Him, they could not be present in others from Him.

It is for this reason that in the Word the Lord is called blessed, and also a blessing, which is to say, blessing itself.

That Jehovah, or the Lord, is called blessed, is apparent from the following passages:

...the high priest asked (Jesus)..., "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" (Mark 14:61)

(Jesus said,) "you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" (Matthew 23:39, cf. Luke 13:35)

(Melchizedek) blessed (Abram) and said: ."..blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." (Genesis 14:18-20)

Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem... (Genesis 9:26)

Blessed be Jehovah (who) has heard (my) voice... (Psalms 28:6)

Blessed be Jehovah, for He has shown me His marvelous clemency... (Psalms 31:21)

Blessed be Jehovah... from everlasting to everlasting! (Psalms 41:13)

So likewise Psalms 66:20; 68:19, 35; 72:18-19; 89:52; 119:12; 124:6; 135:21; 144:1, Luke 1:68.

It is owing to this that blessing is mentioned in this verse, as again in verse 12, and in chapter 7, 7:12. And in the book of Psalms:

Glory and honor You have placed upon Him, for You have made Him a blessing forever. (Psalms 21:5-6)

The subject is the Lord.

[2] It can be seen from this what blessing God means in the Word: that it is to attribute all blessing to Him, to pray for Him to bless, and to thank Him for blessing, as can be seen from the following passages:

(Zacharias's) mouth was opened... and he spoke, blessing God. (Luke 1:64, 68)

(Simeon) took (the infant Jesus) up in his arms and blessed God... (Luke 2:28, 30-31)

I will bless Jehovah who has given me counsel. (Psalms 16:7)

...bless (Jehovah's) name; proclaim His salvation from day to day. (Psalms 96:1-3)

Blessed be the Lord from day to day... Bless God in the congregations, the Lord, from the fountain of Israel. (Psalms 68:19, 26)

  
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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.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #260

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260. And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able. This symbolically means that no one in the higher heavens or in the lower heavens [had the power].

In heaven, on the earth, and under the earth mean in the higher and lower heavens, as also below in verse 13, where these words occur:

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying... [Revelation 5:13]

Because John heard them all speaking, it is apparent that the speakers were angels and spirits, inasmuch as John was in the spirit, as he himself says in the preceding chapter (4:2), and when he was in that state the only earth that appeared to him was that of the spiritual world. For there are lands there as in the natural world, as can be seen from the description of that world in the book Heaven and Hell, and in The Last Judgment (Supplement) 32-38.

The higher heavens in the spiritual world appear on mountains and hills, the lower heavens on lands below, and the lowest heavens as though underground. For the heavens are expanses, one above another, and each expanse is as ground beneath the feet of its inhabitants. The highest expanse is like a mountaintop, with the second expanse below it, but one spreading more broadly all around, with the lowest expanse being still more broadly spread. And because the last exists below the second, its inhabitants are those who are below ground.

The three heavens also so appear to angels in the higher heavens, because to them there are two heavens below them. To John they appeared likewise, therefore, for he was in the presence of those higher angels, having ascended to them, as is apparent from chapter 4:1, where he is told, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this."

Someone who knows nothing of the spiritual world and the lands there cannot possibly know what "under the earth" means, or by the same token what the lower parts of the earth in the Word mean, as in Isaiah,

Sing, O heavens...! Exult, you lower parts of the earth; ring with singing, you mountains...! For Jehovah has redeemed Jacob... (Isaiah 44:23)

And so elsewhere.

Who does not see that the lands of the spiritual world are meant there? For no one lives underground in the natural world.

  
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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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