The Bible

 

Ezekielis 38

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1 Viešpats kalbėjo man:

2 “Žmogaus sūnau, pranašauk prieš Gogą, Magogo, Mešecho ir Tubalo vyriausiąjį kunigaikštį,

3 ir sakyk: ‘Taip sako Viešpats Dievas: ‘Gogai, Mešecho ir Tubalo vyriausiasis kunigaikšti, Aš esu prieš tave.

4 Aš tave apgręšiu, įversiu kablį į nasrus ir ištrauksiu tave su visa kariuomene: žirgais bei raiteliais, apsiginklavusiais ietimis, skydais ir kardais.

5 Persai, etiopai ir libiai su skydais ir šalmais yra su jais;

6 Gomero ir Bet Togarmos pulkai iš tolimos šiaurės ir daugybė tautų su tavimi.

7 Pasiruošęs budėk su visa kariuomene, kuri susirinko pas tave.

8 Po daugelio dienų tu būsi aplankytas, paskutiniais laikais tu ateisi į kraštą, išgelbėtą nuo kardo, kuris ilgą laiką buvo virtęs dykyne. Dabar surinkta ši tauta iš daugelio kraštų Izraelio kalnuose, jie visi čia saugiai gyvens.

9 Tu ateisi kaip audra, kaip debesis uždengsi šį kraštą, su tavimi bus tavo ir kitų tautų pulkai’.

10 Taip sako Viešpats Dievas: ‘Tavo širdyje kils pikta mintis tą dieną

11 ir tu sakysi: ‘Aš užpulsiu atvirą, neturintį tvirtovių kraštą, ramiai ir saugiai gyvenančią tautą, neturinčią nei sienų, nei vartų, nei užkaiščių’.

12 Tu ateisi plėšti, paimti grobį ir ištiesti ranką prieš kraštą, kuris buvo paverstas dykyne, bet vėl atstatytas; tauta surinkta iš daugelio tautų, dabar turinti gėrybių ir galvijų bei gyvenanti žemės vidury.

13 Šeba ir Dedanas bei Taršišo prekybininkai tavęs klaus: ‘Ar atėjai plėšti? Ar surinkai pulkus, kad išgabentum sidabrą, auksą, galvijus ir visus krašto turtus?’

14 Žmogaus sūnau, pranašauk Gogui, kad Aš, Viešpats Dievas, taip sakau: ‘Tuo metu, kai mano tauta Izraelis gyvens saugiai, tu sužinosi tai

15 ir ateisi iš tolimos šiaurės; su tavimi daugybė tautų, visi su savo raitelių pulkais ir galinga kariuomene.

16 Tu ateisi prieš mano tautą Izraelį ir kaip debesis apdengsi kraštą. Tai įvyks paskutinėmis dienomis. Aš atvesiu tave prieš savo kraštą, kad visos tautos pažintų mane, kai tavyje parodysiu savo šventumą.

17 Tu esi tas, apie kurį senovėje mano tarnai Izraelio pranašai kalbėjo, kad Aš tave prieš juos atvesiu.

18 Ir tuo metu, kai Gogas ateis prieš Izraelio kraštą,­sako Viešpats Dievas,­mano rūstybė užsidegs.

19 Apimtas pavydo ir savo rūstybės įkarštyje Aš sakiau: ‘Tą dieną Izraelio krašte bus didelis drebėjimas:

20 žuvys jūroje, padangių paukščiai, laukiniai žvėrys, visa, kas kruta žemėje, ir žmonės drebės mano akivaizdoje. Kalnai ir uolos subyrės, sienos grius ant žemės’.

21 Aš pašauksiu kardą prieš jį visuose savo kalnuose, ir jo vyrai kariaus vienas prieš kitą.

22 Aš bausiu jį maru ir kraujo praliejimu. Smarkus lietus, kruša ir siera su ugnimi kris ant jo kariuomenės ir ant tautų, esančių su juo.

23 Taip Aš parodysiu savo didybę ir šventumą ir apsireikšiu daugelio tautų akivaizdoje. Tada jie žinos, kad Aš esu Viešpats’ ”.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #689

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689. The reason why John's baptising prepared the way was that by this means, as shown above, people were introduced into the coming church of the Lord, and brought into the company of those in heaven who were awaiting and longing for the Messiah. They were thus protected by angels to prevent devils breaking out of hell and destroying them. This is why it says in Malachi, 'Who will endure the day of his coming' and 'so that Jehovah may not come and strike the land with a curse' (Malachi 4:6). Likewise in Isaiah:

Look, the cruel day of Jehovah is coming, a day of wrath and an explosion of anger. I shall make the heaven tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place on the day of the explosion of His anger, Isaiah 13:6, 9, 13, 22; 22:5, 12.

Also in Jeremiah that day is called a day of laying waste, of revenge and ruin (Jeremiah 4:9; 7:32; 46:10, 21; 47:4; 49:8, 26). In Ezekiel it is called a day of wrath, of cloud and thick darkness (Ezekiel 13:5; 30:2-3, 9; 34:11-12; 38:14, 16, 18-19). Equally in Amos (Amos 5:13, 18, 20; 8:3, 9, 13); in Joel, the great and terrible day of Jehovah, and who will endure it? (Joel 2:1-2, 11; 3:2, 4). In Zephaniah:

On that day there will be a shout. The great day of Jehovah is at hand, the day of the explosion of His anger is that day, the day of anguish and affliction, the day of laying waste and devastation. On the day of the explosion of Jehovah's anger the whole earth will be consumed, and He will bring about an ending with all the inhabitants of the earth, Zephaniah 1:7-18.

There are other passages too.

[2] From these it is plain that if the way had not been prepared by baptism for Jehovah to come down into the world, the effect of which in the heavens was to shut off the hells and to protect the Jews from total extinction, [all there would have been struck with a curse and would have perished] 1 . Jehovah also says to Moses:

In a single moment, if I were to go up in your midst, I should consume the people, Exodus 33:5.

The truth of this is clearly to be seen from John's words to the crowds who came out to be baptised by him:

You brood of vipers, who has warned you to run away from the wrath to come? Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7.

For John also teaching about Christ and His coming when he baptised, see Luke 3:16; John 1:25-26, 31-33; 3:26. These passages make it plain how John prepared the way.

Footnotes:

1. The sentence is incomplete; the words in brackets are restored from 688.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Isaiah 22

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1 The burden of the valley of vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?

2 You that are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous town; your slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle.

3 All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away.

4 Therefore I said, "Look away from me. I will weep bitterly. Don't labor to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

5 For it is a day of confusion, and of treading down, and of perplexity, from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, in the valley of vision; a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains."

6 Elam carried his quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.

7 It happened that your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate.

8 He took away the covering of Judah; and you looked in that day to the armor in the house of the forest.

9 You saw the breaches of the city of David, that they were many; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

10 You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.

11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you didn't look to him who had done this, neither did you have respect for him who purposed it long ago.

12 In that day, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, called to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth:

13 and behold, joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die."

14 Yahweh of Armies revealed himself in my ears, "Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die," says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies.

15 Thus says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, "Go, get yourself to this treasurer, even to Shebna, who is over the house, and say,

16 'What are you doing here? Who has you here, that you have dug out a tomb here?' Cutting himself out a tomb on high, chiseling a habitation for himself in the rock!"

17 Behold, Yahweh will overcome you and hurl you away violently. Yes, he will grasp you firmly.

18 He will surely wind you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a large country. There you will die, and there the chariots of your glory will be, you shame of your lord's house.

19 I will thrust you from your office. You will be pulled down from your station.

20 It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,

21 and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

22 I will lay the key of the house of David on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open.

23 I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father's house.

24 They will hang on him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers.

25 "In that day," says Yahweh of Armies, "the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down, and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for Yahweh has spoken it."