The Bible

 

Ιεζεκιήλ 38

Study

   

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 #290

Study this Passage

  
/ 962  
  

290. And every created thing 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. (5:13) This symbolizes a confession and glorification of the Lord by angels of the lowest heavens.

That it is a confession and glorification of the Lord by angels of the lowest heavens is apparent from the series, because the preceding confessions and glorifications of the Lord were made by angels of the higher and lower heavens (nos. 275ff., 286ff.). For there are three heavens, and in each countless societies, every one of which is called a heaven.

It is apparent that angels are meant by every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea, for we are told, "I heard (them) saying," and they said "Blessing and honor and glory and strength be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!"

[2] Their being called created things accords with the style of the Word, in which all created things, both those of the animal kingdom and those of the plant kingdom, symbolize various constituents in a person - in general constituents having to do with his will or affection, and constituents having to do with his intellect or thought. They have symbolic meanings because they are correspondent forms. And because the Word was written solely in terms of things that correspond, similar things are therefore said in it about angels in heaven and people of the church. To confirm this we will cite just a few passages, as the following:

(Jesus) said (to the disciples,) "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or... the vegetation of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will recount to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of Jehovah has done this... (Job 12:7-9)

Let heaven and earth praise (Jehovah), the seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion... (Psalms 69:34-35)

Praise Jehovah from the earth, you whales and all the depths. (Psalms 148:7)

I will utterly consume everything from the face of the earth...; I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea. (Zephaniah 1:2-3, Revelation 8:7-9)

The heavens will be glad, the earth will rejoice, the sea will pitch and roll, and all its fullness; the field will exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing before Jehovah. For He is coming, coming to judge the earth. (Psalms 96:11-13)

And so on in many other places.

[3] The text says, "every created thing," and the meaning is every reformed thing, or all reformed people. For to create means, symbolically, to reform and regenerate (no. 254).

To be shown the meaning of "in heaven," "on the earth," and "under the earth," see no. 260 above. And for the meaning of the sea, no. 238. It is apparent from this what is symbolically meant by "such as are in the sea, and all that are in them." Such things as are in the Word are meant by the fish of the sea, and these are sensual affections, which are the lowest affections of the natural self. For in the spiritual world people's affections look at a distance like fish, and as being in a sea, because the atmosphere in which they exist appears as though made of water, and thus as a sea, in the eyes of the inhabitants who dwell in the heavens and on the earth there, as may be seen in no. 238 above, and as regards fish, in no. 405.

  
/ 962  
  

Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Acts 12:7-9

Study

      

7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.