The Bible

 

Θλίψεις 1

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1 Πως εκαθησε μονη η πολις η πεπληθυμμενη λαων. Κατεστη ως χηρα η πεπληθυμμενη εν εθνεσιν, η αρχουσα εν ταις επαρχιαις· εγεινεν υποτελης.

2 Ακαταπαυστως κλαιει την νυκτα και τα δακρυα αυτης καταρρεουσιν επι τας σιαγονας αυτης· εκ παντων των αγαπωντων αυτην δεν υπαρχει ο παρηγορων αυτην· παντες οι φιλοι αυτης εφερθησαν προς αυτην απιστως· εχθροι εγειναν εις αυτην.

3 Ηχμαλωτισθη ο Ιουδας υπο θλιψεως και υπο βαρειας δουλειας· καθηται εν τοις εθνεσι· δεν ευρισκει αναπαυσιν· παντες οι διωκται αυτου κατελαβον αυτον εν μεσω των στενων.

4 Αι οδοι της Σιων πενθουσι, διοτι ουδεις ερχεται εις τας εορτας· πασαι αι πυλαι αυτης ειναι ερημοι οι ιερεις αυτης αναστεναζουσιν· αι παρθενοι αυτης ειναι περιλυποι και αυτη πληρης πικριας.

5 Οι εναντιοι αυτης εγειναν κεφαλη, οι εχθροι αυτης ευημερουσι· διοτι ο Κυριος κατεθλιψεν αυτην δια το πληθος των ανομιων αυτης· τα νηπια αυτης επορευθησαν εις αιχμαλωσιαν εμπροσθεν του εχθρου.

6 Και εφυγεν απο της θυγατρος Σιων πασα η δοξα αυτης· οι αρχοντες αυτης εγειναν ως ελαφοι μη ευρισκουσαι βοσκην, και εβαδιζον χωρις δυναμεως εμπροσθεν του διωκοντος.

7 Ενεθυμηθη η Ιερουσαλημ εν ταις ημεραις της θλιψεως αυτης και της εξωσεως αυτης παντα τα επιθυμητα αυτης, τα οποια ειχεν απο χρονων αρχαιων, οτε επεσεν ο λαος αυτης εις την χειρα του εχθρου και δεν υπηρχεν ο βοηθων αυτην· ειδον αυτην οι εχθροι, εγελασαν επι τη καταπαυσει αυτης.

8 Αμαρτιαν ημαρτησεν η Ιερουσαλημ· δια τουτο εγεινεν ως ακαθαρτος· παντες οι δοξαζοντες αυτην κατεφρονησαν αυτην, διοτι ειδον την ασχημοσυνην αυτης· αυτη δε ανεστεναζε και απεστραφη εις τα οπισω.

9 Η ακαθαρσια αυτης ητο εις τα κρασπεδα αυτης· δεν ενεθυμηθη τα τελη αυτης· οθεν εταπεινωθη εξαισιως· δεν υπηρχεν ο παρηγορων αυτην. Ιδε, Κυριε, την θλιψιν μου, διοτι εμεγαλυνθη ο εχθρος.

10 Ο εχθρος εξηπλωσε την χειρα αυτου επι παντα τα επιθυμητα αυτης· διοτι αυτη ειδε τα εθνη εισερχομενα εις το αγιαστηριον αυτης, τα οποια προσεταξας να μη εισελθωσιν εις την συναγωγην σου.

11 Πας ο λαος αυτης καταστεναζει, ζητων αρτον· εδωκαν τα επιθυμητα αυτων αντι τροφης, δια να επανελθη η ψυχη αυτων. Ιδε, Κυριε, και επιβλεψον· διοτι εγεινα εξουθενημενη.

12 Ω, προς υμας, παντες οι διαβαινοντες την οδον· επιβλεψατε και ιδετε, αν ηναι πονος κατα τον πονον μου, οστις εγεινεν εις εμε, με τον οποιον με εθλιψεν ο Κυριος εν τη ημερα της οργης του θυμου αυτου.

13 Εξαπεστειλεν εξ υψους πυρ επι τα οστα μου και κατεκρατησεν αυτα· ηπλωσε δικτυον εις τους ποδας μου· με εστρεψεν εις τα οπισω· με κατεστησεν ηφανισμενην, ολην την ημεραν οδυνωμενην.

14 Ο ζυγος των ασεβηματων μου συνεσφιγχθη δια της χειρος αυτου· περιεπλεχθησαν, ανεβησαν επι τον τραχηλον μου, κατελυσε την δυναμιν μου· ο Κυριος με παρεδωκεν εις χειρας, εξ ων δεν δυναμαι να εγερθω.

15 Ο Κυριος κατεστρωσε παντας τους δυνατους μου εν τω μεσω μου· εκαλεσεν επ' εμε ωρισμενον καιρον δια να συντριψη τους εκλεκτους μου· ο Κυριος επατησεν εν ληνω την παρθενον, την θυγατερα Ιουδα.

16 Δια ταυτα εγω θρηνω· οι οφθαλμοι μου, οι οφθαλμοι μου καταρρεουσιν υδατα· διοτι απεμακρυνθη απ' εμου ο παρηγορητης ο αναζωοποιων την ψυχην μου· οι υιοι μου ηφανισθησαν, διοτι υπερισχυσεν ο εχθρος.

17 Η Σιων εκτεινει τας χειρας αυτης, δεν υπαρχει ο παρηγορων αυτην· ο Κυριος προσεταξε περι του Ιακωβ· οι εχθροι αυτου περιεκυκλωσαν αυτον· η Ιερουσαλημ εγεινε μεταξυ αυτων ως ακαθαρτος.

18 Δικαιος ειναι ο Κυριος διοτι απεστατησα απο του λογου αυτου. Ακουσατε, παρακαλω, παντες οι λαοι, και ιδετε τον πονον μου· αι παρθενοι μου και οι νεανισκοι μου επορευθησαν εις αιχμαλωσιαν.

19 Εκαλεσα τους αγαπωντας με, αλλ' αυτοι με ηπατησαν· οι ιερεις μου και οι πρεσβυτεροι μου εξεπνευσαν εν τη πολει, διοτι εζητησαν τροφην υπερ εαυτων δια να επανελθη η ψυχη αυτων.

20 Ιδε, Κυριε, διοτι θλιβομαι· τα εντοσθια μου ταραττονται, η καρδια μου αναστρεφεται εντος μου, διοτι μεγαλως απεστατησα· εξωθεν ητεκνωσεν η μαχαιρα· εν τω οικω ο θανατος.

21 Ηκουσαν, διοτι στεναζω· δεν υπαρχει ο παρηγορων με· παντες οι εχθροι μου ηκουσαν την συμφοραν μου· εχαρησαν οτι συ εκαμες τουτο · οταν φερης την ημεραν, την οποιαν εκαλεσας, αυτοι θελουσι γεινει ως εγω.

22 Ας ελθη ενωπιον σου πασα η κακια αυτων· και καμε εις αυτους ως εκαμες εις εμε δια παντα τα αμαρτηματα μου· διοτι πολλοι ειναι οι στεναγμοι μου και η καρδια μου εξελιπε.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #350

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350. Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed. (7:5) This symbolizes celestial love, which is love toward the Lord, and this in all those people who will be in the Lord's New Heaven and New Church.

In the highest sense Judah symbolizes the Lord in relation to celestial love; in the spiritual sense, the Lord's celestial kingdom and the Word; and in the natural sense, the doctrine of a celestial church drawn from the Word. Here, however, Judah symbolizes celestial love, which is love toward the Lord; and because it is named first in the series, it symbolizes that love in all those people who will be in the New Heaven and in the Lord's New Church. For the tribe named first is everything in the rest, being to them as though their head and serving as a universal property entering into all those that follow, tying them together, qualifying them and affecting them. This property is love toward the Lord.

To be shown that twelve thousand symbolizes all who possess that love, see no. 348 above.

[2] People know that after the death of Solomon the twelve tribes of Israel were divided into two kingdoms: the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom of Israel. The kingdom of Judah represented the celestial kingdom or the Lord's priestly kingdom, while the kingdom of Israel represented the spiritual kingdom or the Lord's royal kingdom. But the latter was destroyed when the people had nothing spiritual left in them, whereas the kingdom of Judah was preserved, for the sake of the Word, and because the Lord would be born there. However, when the people adulterated the Word completely, and thus could not recognize the Lord, then their kingdom was destroyed.

It can be seen from this that the tribe of Judah symbolizes celestial love, which is love toward the Lord. But because the people were of the character they were with respect to the Word and with respect to the Lord, the tribe of Judah symbolizes also the opposite love, which is love of self - properly speaking, a love of dominating springing from a love of self - a love which we call diabolical love.

[3] The fact that Judah and his tribe symbolize the celestial kingdom and its love, which is love toward the Lord, follows from these passages:

Judah, your brothers shall praise you... The scepter shall not be taken from Judah... until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey's foal to the vine, his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his garment in wine... His eyes are redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk. (Genesis 49:8-12)

...David shall be their prince forever, and I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them..., and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. (Ezekiel 37:25-26)

Exult and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! ...Jehovah will make Judah an inheritance for Himself, His portion on the holy land. (Zechariah 2:10-12)

O Judah, celebrate your feasts, perform your vows. For Belial 1 shall no more pass through you; he is utterly cut off. (Nahum 1:15)

The Lord... will suddenly come to His temple... Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be sweet to Jehovah as in the days of old... (Malachi 3:1, 4)

Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. (Joel 3:20)

Behold, the days are coming..., that I will raise to David a righteous Branch... In His days Judah will be saved... (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah an heir of My mountains, that My elect may possess it... (Isaiah 65:9)

Judah became His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion. (Psalms 114:2)

Behold, the days are coming..., when I will make a new covenant... with the house of Judah... ...this will be the covenant...: I will put My law within them, and write it on their heart... (Jeremiah 31:27, 31, 33-34)

In those days ten men... shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, "We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." (Zechariah 8:23)

...as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me..., so shall your offspring and your name remain.

Kings (of the nations) shall be your foster fathers, their princesses your nursing mothers. They shall bow down to you, their faces to the ground, and lick the dust of your feet. (Isaiah 66:22; 49:23)

[4] From these and many other passages, which we do not have the space to cite because of their number, it can be clearly seen that Judah means not Judah but the church. We are told, for example, that the Lord would make a new and eternal covenant with that nation, that He would make it His heir and His sanctuary forevermore, and that kings of the nations and their princesses would bow down to them, licking the dust of their feet, and so on.

[5] That the tribe of Judah, regarded in itself, means the diabolic kingdom, which is one of a love of dominating springing from a love of self, can be seen from the following passages:

I will hide My face from them, I will see what their posterity will be. ...they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faith... ...they are a nation void of counsel... ...their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; its grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter. Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps. Is this not laid up in store with Me, sealed up in My treasuries? (Deuteronomy 32:20-34)

(Know that) it is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart... that Jehovah... is... giving you (the land of Canaan)..., for you are a stiff-necked people. (Deuteronomy 9:5-6)

...according to the number of your cities have been your gods, O Judah... ...according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars... to burn incense to Baal. (Jeremiah 2:28; 11:13)

You are of your father the devil, and you choose to do the desires of your father. (John 8:44)

Jews are said to be full of hypocrisy, iniquity, and uncleanness (Matthew 23:27-28.

Footnotes:

1. In the Old Testament, the personification of wickedness and destruction, originally conceived perhaps as some sort of spirit demon.

  
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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.