New Christian Bible Study

The Bible

 

Yoel 2

Study

   

1 תִּקְעוּ שֹׁופָר בְּצִיֹּון וְהָרִיעוּ בְּהַר קָדְשִׁי יִרְגְּזוּ כֹּל יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ כִּי־בָא יֹום־יְהוָה כִּי קָרֹוב׃

2 יֹום חֹשֶׁךְ וַאֲפֵלָה יֹום עָןָן וַעֲרָפֶל כְּשַׁחַר פָּרֻשׂ עַל־הֶהָרִים עַם רַב וְעָצוּם כָּמֹהוּ לֹא נִהְיָה מִן־הָעֹולָם וְאַחֲרָיו לֹא יֹוסֵף עַד־שְׁנֵי דֹּור וָדֹור׃

3 לְפָנָיו אָכְלָה אֵשׁ וְאַחֲרָיו תְּלַהֵט לֶהָבָה כְּגַן־עֵדֶן הָאָרֶץ לְפָנָיו וְאַחֲרָיו מִדְבַּר שְׁמָמָה וְגַם־פְּלֵיטָה לֹא־הָיְתָה לֹּו׃

4 כְּמַרְאֵה סוּסִים מַרְאֵהוּ וּכְפָרָשִׁים כֵּן יְרוּצוּן׃

5 כְּקֹול מַרְכָּבֹות עַל־רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים יְרַקֵּדוּן כְּקֹול לַהַב אֵשׁ אֹכְלָה קָשׁ כְּעַם עָצוּם עֱרוּךְ מִלְחָמָה׃

6 מִפָּנָיו יָחִילוּ עַמִּים כָּל־פָּנִים קִבְּצוּ פָארוּר׃

7 כְּגִבֹּורִים יְרֻצוּן כְּאַנְשֵׁי מִלְחָמָה יַעֲלוּ חֹומָה וְאִישׁ בִּדְרָכָיו יֵלֵכוּן וְלֹא יְעַבְּטוּן אֹרְחֹותָם׃

8 וְאִישׁ אָחִיו לֹא יִדְחָקוּן גֶּבֶר בִּמְסִלָּתֹו יֵלֵכוּן וּבְעַד הַשֶּׁלַח יִפֹּלוּ לֹא יִבְצָעוּ׃

9 בָּעִיר יָשֹׁקּוּ בַּחֹומָה יְרֻצוּן בַּבָּתִּים יַעֲלוּ בְּעַד הַחַלֹּונִים יָבֹאוּ כַּגַּנָּב׃

10 לְפָנָיו רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ רָעֲשׁוּ שָׁמָיִם שֶׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ קָדָרוּ וְכֹוכָבִים אָסְפוּ נָגְהָם׃

11 וַיהוָה נָתַן קֹולֹו לִפְנֵי חֵילֹו כִּי רַב מְאֹד מַחֲנֵהוּ כִּי עָצוּם עֹשֵׂה דְבָרֹו כִּי־גָדֹול יֹום־יְהוָה וְנֹורָא מְאֹד וּמִי יְכִילֶנּוּ׃

12 וְגַם־עַתָּה נְאֻם־יְהוָה שֻׁבוּ עָדַי בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶם וּבְצֹום וּבְבְכִי וּבְמִסְפֵּד׃

13 וְקִרְעוּ לְבַבְכֶם וְאַל־בִּגְדֵיכֶם וְשׁוּבוּ אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כִּי־חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם הוּא אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד וְנִחָם עַל־הָרָעָה׃

14 מִי יֹודֵעַ יָשׁוּב וְנִחָם וְהִשְׁאִיר אַחֲרָיו בְּרָכָה מִנְחָה וָנֶסֶךְ לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃ ף

15 תִּקְעוּ שֹׁופָר בְּצִיֹּון קַדְּשׁוּ־צֹום קִרְאוּ עֲצָרָה׃

16 אִסְפוּ־עָם קַדְּשׁוּ קָהָל קִבְצוּ זְקֵנִים אִסְפוּ עֹולָלִים וְיֹנְקֵי שָׁדָיִם יֵצֵא חָתָן מֵחֶדְרֹו וְכַלָּה מֵחֻפָּתָהּ׃

17 בֵּין הָאוּלָם וְלַמִּזְבֵּחַ יִבְכּוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים מְשָׁרְתֵי יְהוָה וְיֹאמְרוּ חוּסָה יְהוָה עַל־עַמֶּךָ וְאַל־תִּתֵּן נַחֲלָתְךָ לְחֶרְפָּה לִמְשָׁל־בָּם גֹּויִם לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ בָעַמִּים אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם׃

18 וַיְקַנֵּא יְהוָה לְאַרְצֹו וַיַּחְמֹל עַל־עַמֹּו׃

19 וַיַּעַן יְהוָה וַיֹּאמֶר לְעַמֹּו הִנְנִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֶת־הַדָּגָן וְהַתִּירֹושׁ וְהַיִּצְהָר וּשְׂבַעְתֶּם אֹתֹו וְלֹא־אֶתֵּן אֶתְכֶם עֹוד חֶרְפָּה בַּגֹּויִם׃

20 וְאֶת־הַצְּפֹונִי אַרְחִיק מֵעֲלֵיכֶם וְהִדַּחְתִּיו אֶל־אֶרֶץ צִיָּה וּשְׁמָמָה אֶת־פָּנָיו אֶל־הַיָּם הַקַּדְמֹנִי וְסֹפֹו אֶל־הַיָּם הָאַחֲרֹון וְעָלָה בָאְשֹׁו וְתַעַל צַחֲנָתֹו כִּי הִגְדִּיל לַעֲשֹׂות׃

21 אַל־תִּירְאִי אֲדָמָה גִּילִי וּשְׂמָחִי כִּי־הִגְדִּיל יְהוָה לַעֲשֹׂות׃

22 אַל־תִּירְאוּ בַּהֲמֹות שָׂדַי כִּי דָשְׁאוּ נְאֹות מִדְבָּר כִּי־עֵץ נָשָׂא פִרְיֹו תְּאֵנָה וָגֶפֶן נָתְנוּ חֵילָם׃

23 וּבְנֵי צִיֹּון גִּילוּ וְשִׂמְחוּ בַּיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם כִּי־נָתַן לָכֶם אֶת־הַמֹּורֶה לִצְדָקָה וַיֹּורֶד לָכֶם גֶּשֶׁם מֹורֶה וּמַלְקֹושׁ בָּרִאשֹׁון׃

24 וּמָלְאוּ הַגֳּרָנֹות בָּר וְהֵשִׁיקוּ הַיְקָבִים תִּירֹושׁ וְיִצְהָר׃

25 וְשִׁלַּמְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת־הַשָּׁנִים אֲשֶׁר אָכַל הָאַרְבֶּה הַיֶּלֶק וְהֶחָסִיל וְהַגָּזָם חֵילִי הַגָּדֹול אֲשֶׁר שִׁלַּחְתִּי בָּכֶם׃

26 וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אָכֹול וְשָׂבֹועַ וְהִלַּלְתֶּם אֶת־שֵׁם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה עִםָּכֶם לְהַפְלִיא וְלֹא־יֵבֹשׁוּ עַמִּי לְעֹולָם׃

27 וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי בְקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנִי וַאֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְאֵין עֹוד וְלֹא־יֵבֹשׁוּ עַמִּי לְעֹולָם׃ ס

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #397

Study this Passage

  
/ 962  
  

397. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. (8:6) This symbolizes their being prepared and ready to examine the state of the church and consequent life in people for whom religion is faith alone.

The symbolism of trumpets follows from the statute governing their use among the children of Israel, which Moses describes in this way: Jehovah told Moses to make silver trumpets for summoning the assembly and for the setting out of the camps, and they were also to sound them on days of celebration, feasts, new moons, and over burnt offerings and sacrifices. Furthermore, when they went to war against enemies oppressing them, they were to sound an alarm with the trumpets, and then they would come into remembrance before Jehovah God and be saved from their enemies. (Numbers 10:1-10)

It can be seen from this what sounding with trumpets symbolizes. Here, that the seven angels sounding symbolizes an examination and exposure of the state of the church and its character among people for whom religion is faith alone, as is apparent from the particulars in this chapter and from the particulars in the following chapters up to chapter 16 inclusive, understood in their spiritual sense.

[2] From the ways trumpets were used among the children of Israel it can also be seen what trumpets and sounding them symbolize in the following places:

Sound a trumpet in Zion, and sound it in My holy mountain! ...For the day of Jehovah is coming... (Joel 2:1-2)

Jehovah will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning; and the Lord Jehovih will sound the ram's horn... (Zechariah 9:14)

Jehovah shall go forth like a lion... (and) sound an alarm... (Isaiah 42:13)

...on that day a great ram's horn will be sounded, and those who perish in the land of Assyria, and those who are exiled in the land of Egypt, will come and bow themselves to Jehovah on the holy mountain... (Isaiah 27:13)

He will send His angels with the great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:31)

Blessed are the people who know the trumpet's sound! They walk, O Jehovah, in the light of Your countenance. (Psalms 89:15)

When the morning stars sing together, and... the sons of God sound the trumpet. (Job 38:7)

[3] Since the soundings of trumpets had these symbolic meanings, and in the Israelite Church everything was presented concretely in accordance with correspondences and the consequent symbolism, therefore it also came to pass, when Jehovah descended upon Mount Sinai, that there were voices and lightnings and a thick cloud, and the sound of a ram's horn, loud, with the sound of the ram's horn growing and becoming louder and louder, so that the people in the camp trembled greatly. (Exodus 19:16-25)

Therefore it also came to pass that when the three hundred men with Gideon sounded their ram's horns in the campaign against Midian, then every Midianite man's sword was set against his companion and they fled (Judges 7:16-22). Likewise that twelve thousand of the children of Israel with holy vessels and trumpets in their hands overcame Midian (Numbers 31:1-8). Also that the wall of Jericho fell after seven priests with seven ram's horns went around the city seven times (Joshua 6:1-20).

Therefore we read in Jeremiah:

Sound against (Babylon) all around..., her walls are thrown down. (Jeremiah 50:15)

And in Zephaniah:

...a day of darkness and blackness..., a day of ram's horn and its sounding against the fortified cities... (Zephaniah 1:15-16)

  
/ 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

 

Revelation 8

Study

   

1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

2 I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

3 Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.

4 The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.

5 The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it on the earth. There followed thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an earthquake.

6 The seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

7 The first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. One third of the earth was burnt up, and one third of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

8 The second angel sounded, and something like a great burning mountain was thrown into the sea. One third of the sea became blood,

9 and one third of the living creatures which were in the sea died. One third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch, and it fell on one third of the rivers, and on the springs of the waters.

11 The name of the star is called "Wormwood." One third of the waters became wormwood. Many people died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

12 The fourth angel sounded, and one third of the sun was struck, and one third of the moon, and one third of the stars; so that one third of them would be darkened, and the day wouldn't shine for one third of it, and the night in the same way.

13 I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe! Woe! Woe for those who dwell on the earth, because of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels, who are yet to sound!"

   

©2024 New Christian Bible Study Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed from newchristianbiblestudy.org