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Isaiah 9

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1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.

2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart,

10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.

11 Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;

12 The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

14 Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.

15 The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

18 For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.

19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.

20 And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

21 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #668

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668. "For Your judgments have been manifested." This symbolically means that the truths in the Word openly attest to this.

Judgments symbolize the Divine truths in accordance with which a person is to live, truths which reveal his character and are the precepts against which he will be judged. Moreover, because these Divine truths are found in the Word, and the Word now lies open, testifying that the Lord alone is God of heaven and earth, therefore the declaration that "Your judgments have been manifested" means symbolically that the truths in the Word attest to this.

That the Word now lies open, testifying that the Lord alone is God of heaven and earth, that a person ought to live in accordance with His precepts, and that today's faith is to be rejected, can be seen from four doctrinal works now published, one being The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, another The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, a third The Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem, and fourth The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding Faith. These are the doctrines meant by the declaration, "For Your judgments have been manifested."

[2] Since the Lord embodies Divine good and truth, and since judgment symbolizes Divine truth, and righteousness Divine good, therefore in many passages referring to the Lord we find mention of righteousness and judgment, as for example in the following:

Zion shall be redeemed in righteousness, and her repatriates with judgment. (Isaiah 1:27)

(He will sit) upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to... establish it with judgment and righteousness... (Isaiah 9:7)

Be Jehovah exalted, for He dwells on high, and has filled the earth with judgment and righteousness. (Isaiah 33:5)

...let him who glories glory in this..., that... Jehovah (exercises)...judgment and righteousness in the earth. (Jeremiah 9:24)

...I will raise to David a righteous Branch, who shall reign as a King... and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15)

I will betroth Myself to you forever... in righteousness and with judgment... (Hosea 2:19)

Judgment will flow like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream. (Amos 5:24)

Your righteousness, (O Jehovah,) is like the mountains of God, Your judgments like a great deep. (Psalms 36:6)

(Jehovah) shall bring forth His righteousness as the light, and judgment as the noonday. (Psalms 37:6)

(Jehovah) will judge His people with righteousness, and His wretched with judgment. (Psalms 72:2)

Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne. (Psalms 89:14)

...when I learn the judgments of Your righteousness... Seven times a day I praise You because of the judgments of Your righteousness. (Psalms 119:7, 164)

And elsewhere that people ought to exercise righteousness and judgment, as in Isaiah 1:21; 5:16; 56:1; 58:2; Jeremiah 4:2; 22:3, 13, 15; Ezekiel 18:5; 33:14, 16, 19; Amos 6:12; Micah 7:9; Deuteronomy 33:21; John 16:8, 10-11. Righteousness there refers to the goodness of truth, and judgment to the truth accompanying goodness.

[3] Since judgment refers to truth, and righteousness to goodness, therefore in some places we find references to truth and righteousness, as in Isaiah 11:5, Psalms 85:11. Also in Psalms:

The judgments of Jehovah are true; they are righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold..., and sweeter than honey... (Psalms 19:9-10)

That the Lord's government in the celestial kingdom is termed one of righteousness, and in the spiritual kingdom one of judgment, may be seen in the book Heaven and Hell (published in London), nos. 214-216.

  
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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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