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Daniel 11

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1 καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ τῷ πρώτῳ κύρου τοῦ βασιλέως εἶπέν μοι ἐνισχῦσαι καὶ ἀνδρίζεσθαι

2 καὶ νῦν ἦλθον τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑποδεῖξαί σοι ἰδοὺ τρεῖς βασιλεῖς ἀνθεστήκασιν ἐν τῇ περσίδι καὶ ὁ τέταρτος πλουτήσει πλοῦτον μέγαν παρὰ πάντας καὶ ἐν τῷ κατισχῦσαι αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτοῦ ἐπαναστήσεται παντὶ βασιλεῖ ἑλλήνων

3 καὶ στήσεται βασιλεὺς δυνατὸς καὶ κυριεύσει κυριείας πολλῆς καὶ ποιήσει καθὼς ἂν βούληται

4 καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀναστῆναι αὐτὸν συντριβήσεται ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ καὶ μερισθήσεται εἰς τοὺς τέσσαρας ἀνέμους τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἀλκὴν αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν κυριείαν αὐτοῦ ἣν ἐδυνάστευσε ὅτι ἀποσταθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ καὶ ἑτέρους διδάξει ταῦτα

5 καὶ ἐνισχύσει βασιλείαν αἰγύπτου καὶ εἷς ἐκ τῶν δυναστῶν κατισχύσει αὐτὸν καὶ δυναστεύσει δυναστεία μεγάλη ἡ δυναστεία αὐτοῦ

6 καὶ εἰς συντέλειαν ἐνιαυτῶν ἄξει αὐτούς καὶ εἰσελεύσεται βασιλεὺς αἰγύπτου εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τὴν βορρᾶ ποιήσασθαι συνθήκας καὶ οὐ μὴ κατισχύσῃ ὅτι ὁ βραχίων αὐτοῦ οὐ στήσει ἰσχύν καὶ ὁ βραχίων αὐτοῦ ναρκήσει καὶ τῶν συμπορευομένων μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ μενεῖ εἰς ὥρας

7 καὶ ἀναστήσεται φυτὸν ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης αὐτοῦ καθ' ἑαυτόν καὶ ἥξει ἐπὶ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἰσχύι αὐτοῦ βασιλεὺς βορρᾶ καὶ ποιήσει ταραχὴν καὶ κατισχύσει

8 καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν καταστρέψει μετὰ τῶν χωνευτῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς ὄχλους αὐτῶν μετὰ τῶν σκευῶν τῶν ἐπιθυμημάτων αὐτῶν τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ τὸ χρυσίον ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ ἀποίσουσιν εἰς αἴγυπτον καὶ ἔσται ἔτος βασιλεῖ βορρᾶ

9 καὶ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς βασιλείαν αἰγύπτου ἡμέρας καὶ ἐπιστρέψει ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ

10 καὶ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐρεθισθήσεται καὶ συνάξει συναγωγὴν ὄχλου πολλοῦ καὶ εἰσελεύσεται κατ' αὐτὴν κατασύρων παρελεύσεται καὶ ἐπιστρέψει καὶ παροξυνθήσεται ἐπὶ πολύ

11 καὶ ὀργισθήσεται βασιλεὺς αἰγύπτου καὶ πολεμήσει μετὰ βασιλέως βορρᾶ καὶ παραδοθήσεται ἡ συναγωγὴ εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ

12 καὶ λήψεται τὴν συναγωγήν καὶ ὑψωθήσεται ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ καὶ ταράξει πολλοὺς καὶ οὐ μὴ φοβηθῇ

13 καὶ ἐπιστρέψει βασιλεὺς βορρᾶ καὶ συνάξει πόλεως συναγωγὴν μείζονα παρὰ τὴν πρώτην κατὰ συντέλειαν καιροῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ καὶ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς αὐτὴν ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐν ὄχλῳ πολλῷ καὶ ἐν χρήμασι πολλοῖς

14 καὶ ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς ἐκείνοις διάνοιαι ἀναστήσονται ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα αἰγύπτου καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσει τὰ πεπτωκότα τοῦ ἔθνους σου καὶ ἀναστήσεται εἰς τὸ ἀναστῆσαι τὴν προφητείαν καὶ προσκόψουσι

15 καὶ ἐπελεύσεται βασιλεὺς βορρᾶ καὶ ἐπιστρέψει τὰ δόρατα αὐτοῦ καὶ λήψεται τὴν πόλιν τὴν ὀχυράν καὶ οἱ βραχίονες βασιλέως αἰγύπτου στήσονται μετὰ τῶν δυναστῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἔσται αὐτῷ ἰσχὺς εἰς τὸ ἀντιστῆναι αὐτῷ

16 καὶ ποιήσει ὁ εἰσπορευόμενος ἐπ' αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ ἀνθεστηκὼς ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ καὶ στήσεται ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ καὶ ἐπιτελεσθήσεται πάντα ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ

17 καὶ δώσει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπελθεῖν βίᾳ πᾶν τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ καὶ συνθήκας μετ' αὐτοῦ ποιήσεται καὶ θυγατέρα ἀνθρώπου δώσει αὐτῷ εἰς τὸ φθεῖραι αὐτήν καὶ οὐ πείσεται καὶ οὐκ ἔσται

18 καὶ δώσει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ λήψεται πολλοὺς καὶ ἐπιστρέψει ὀργὴν ὀνειδισμοῦ αὐτῶν ἐν ὅρκῳ κατὰ τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτοῦ

19 ἐπιστρέψει τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ κατισχῦσαι τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ καὶ προσκόψει καὶ πεσεῖται καὶ οὐχ εὑρεθήσεται

20 καὶ ἀναστήσεται ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης αὐτοῦ φυτὸν βασιλείας εἰς ἀνάστασιν ἀνὴρ τύπτων δόξαν βασιλέως καὶ ἐν ἡμέραις ἐσχάταις συντριβήσεται καὶ οὐκ ἐν ὀργῇ οὐδὲ ἐν πολέμῳ

21 καὶ ἀναστήσεται ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ εὐκαταφρόνητος καὶ οὐ δοθήσεται ἐπ' αὐτὸν δόξα βασιλέως καὶ ἥξει ἐξάπινα κατισχύσει βασιλεὺς ἐν κληροδοσίᾳ αὐτοῦ

22 καὶ τοὺς βραχίονας τοὺς συντριβέντας συντρίψει ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ

23 καὶ μετὰ τῆς διαθήκης καὶ δήμου συνταγέντος μετ' αὐτοῦ ποιήσει ψεῦδος καὶ ἐπὶ ἔθνος ἰσχυρὸν ἐν ὀλιγοστῷ ἔθνει

24 ἐξάπινα ἐρημώσει πόλιν καὶ ποιήσει ὅσα οὐκ ἐποίησαν οἱ πατέρες αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ οἱ πατέρες τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ προνομὴν καὶ σκῦλα καὶ χρήματα αὐτοῖς δώσει καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἰσχυρὰν διανοηθήσεται καὶ οἱ λογισμοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς μάτην

25 καὶ ἐγερθήσεται ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα αἰγύπτου ἐν ὄχλῳ πολλῷ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς αἰγύπτου ἐρεθισθήσεται εἰς πόλεμον ἐν ὄχλῳ ἰσχυρῷ σφόδρα λίαν καὶ οὐ στήσεται ὅτι διανοηθήσεται ἐπ' αὐτὸν διανοίᾳ

26 καὶ καταναλώσουσιν αὐτὸν μέριμναι αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποστρέψουσιν αὐτόν καὶ παρελεύσεται καὶ κατασυριεῖ καὶ πεσοῦνται τραυματίαι πολλοί

27 καὶ δύο βασιλεῖς μόνοι δειπνήσουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ἐπὶ μιᾶς τραπέζης φάγονται καὶ ψευδολογήσουσι καὶ οὐκ εὐοδωθήσονται ἔτι γὰρ συντέλεια εἰς καιρόν

28 καὶ ἐπιστρέψει εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ ἐν χρήμασι πολλοῖς καὶ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν διαθήκην τοῦ ἁγίου ποιήσει καὶ ἐπιστρέψει ἐπὶ τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ

29 εἰς καιρόν καὶ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς αἴγυπτον καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὡς ἡ πρώτη καὶ ἡ ἐσχάτη

30 καὶ ἥξουσι ῥωμαῖοι καὶ ἐξώσουσιν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐμβριμήσονται αὐτῷ καὶ ἐπιστρέψει καὶ ὀργισθήσεται ἐπὶ τὴν διαθήκην τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ ποιήσει καὶ ἐπιστρέψει καὶ διανοηθήσεται ἐπ' αὐτούς ἀνθ' ὧν ἐγκατέλιπον τὴν διαθήκην τοῦ ἁγίου

31 καὶ βραχίονες παρ' αὐτοῦ στήσονται καὶ μιανοῦσι τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ φόβου καὶ ἀποστήσουσι τὴν θυσίαν καὶ δώσουσι βδέλυγμα ἐρημώσεως

32 καὶ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις διαθήκης μιανοῦσιν ἐν σκληρῷ λαῷ καὶ ὁ δῆμος ὁ γινώσκων ταῦτα κατισχύσουσι καὶ ποιήσουσι

33 καὶ ἐννοούμενοι τοῦ ἔθνους συνήσουσιν εἰς πολλούς καὶ προσκόψουσι ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ παλαιωθήσονται ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ καὶ ἐν προνομῇ ἡμερῶν κηλιδωθήσονται

34 καὶ ὅταν συντρίβωνται συνάξουσιν ἰσχὺν βραχεῖαν καὶ ἐπισυναχθήσονται ἐπ' αὐτοὺς πολλοὶ ἐπὶ πόλεως καὶ πολλοὶ ὡς ἐν κληροδοσίᾳ

35 καὶ ἐκ τῶν συνιέντων διανοηθήσονται εἰς τὸ καθαρίσαι ἑαυτοὺς καὶ εἰς τὸ ἐκλεγῆναι καὶ εἰς τὸ καθαρισθῆναι ἕως καιροῦ συντελείας ἔτι γὰρ καιρὸς εἰς ὥρας

36 καὶ ποιήσει κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ παροργισθήσεται καὶ ὑψωθήσεται ἐπὶ πάντα θεὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν τῶν θεῶν ἔξαλλα λαλήσει καὶ εὐοδωθήσεται ἕως ἂν συντελεσθῇ ἡ ὀργή εἰς αὐτὸν γὰρ συντέλεια γίνεται

37 καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς θεοὺς τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ προνοηθῇ καὶ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ γυναικὸς οὐ μὴ προνοηθῇ ὅτι ἐν παντὶ ὑψωθήσεται καὶ ὑποταγήσεται αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἰσχυρά

38 ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ κινήσει καὶ θεόν ὃν οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οἱ πατέρες αὐτοῦ τιμήσει ἐν χρυσίῳ καὶ ἀργυρίῳ καὶ λίθῳ πολυτελεῖ καὶ ἐν ἐπιθυμήμασι

39 ποιήσει πόλεων καὶ εἰς ὀχύρωμα ἰσχυρὸν ἥξει μετὰ θεοῦ ἀλλοτρίου οὗ ἐὰν ἐπιγνῷ πληθυνεῖ δόξαν καὶ κατακυριεύσει αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πολὺ καὶ χώραν ἀπομεριεῖ εἰς δωρεάν

40 καὶ καθ' ὥραν συντελείας συγκερατισθήσεται αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεὺς αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐποργισθήσεται αὐτῷ βασιλεὺς βορρᾶ ἐν ἅρμασι καὶ ἐν ἵπποις πολλοῖς καὶ ἐν πλοίοις πολλοῖς καὶ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς χώραν αἰγύπτου

41 καὶ ἐπελεύσεται εἰς τὴν χώραν μου

42 καὶ ἐν χώρᾳ αἰγύπτου οὐκ ἔσται ἐν αὐτῇ διασῳζόμενος

43 καὶ κρατήσει τοῦ τόπου τοῦ χρυσίου καὶ τοῦ τόπου τοῦ ἀργυρίου καὶ πάσης τῆς ἐπιθυμίας αἰγύπτου καὶ λίβυες καὶ αἰθίοπες ἔσονται ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ αὐτοῦ

44 καὶ ἀκοὴ ταράξει αὐτὸν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ βορρᾶ καὶ ἐξελεύσεται ἐν θυμῷ ἰσχυρῷ καὶ ῥομφαίᾳ ἀφανίσαι καὶ ἀποκτεῖναι πολλούς

45 καὶ στήσει αὐτοῦ τὴν σκηνὴν τότε ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν θαλασσῶν καὶ τοῦ ὄρους τῆς θελήσεως τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ ἥξει ὥρα τῆς συντελείας αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ βοηθῶν αὐτῷ

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #447

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447. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million. (9:16) This symbolizes their reasonings concerning faith alone, with which they had filled the interiors of their minds, springing from nothing but an abundance of falsities accompanying evil.

Armies symbolize goods and truths, and in an opposite sense, evils and falsities - here falsities accompanying evil, as we will see presently. Horsemen symbolize reasonings concerning faith alone, because a horse symbolizes an understanding of the Word (no. 298) and also a destroyed understanding of the Word (nos. 305, 312, 320). Horsemen consequently symbolize reasonings based on a destroyed understanding of the Word - here reasonings concerning faith alone, because the subject is people caught up in that faith. Two hundred million does not mean two hundred million, but an abundance. The number two is used because two is said in application to goodness, and in an opposite sense, to evil (no. 322); and a hundred million, or ten thousand times ten thousand, is said in application to truths, and in an opposite sense, to falsities (no. 287).

It can be seen from this that the number of the army of horsemen being two hundred million symbolizes reasonings concerning faith alone, with which these people had filled the interiors of their minds, springing from nothing but an abundance of falsities accompanying evil.

[2] That armies in the Word symbolize the goods and truths of heaven and the church, and in an opposite sense, evils and falsities, can be seen from passages where the sun, moon and stars are called armies or hosts, and where the sun symbolizes the goodness of love, the moon the truth of faith, and stars concepts of goodness and truth, and the antithesis in an opposite sense (nos. 51, 53, 332, 413). All of these are called armies or hosts in the following passages:

Praise (Jehovah), all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars...! (Psalms 148:2-3)

My hands stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded. (Isaiah 45:12)

By the word of Jehovah the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. (Psalms 33:6)

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. (Genesis 2:1)

(The male goat's horn) grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground... He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host... And the host was sent under the yoke for its transgression, (because) it cast truth to the ground... Then... a holy one said..., "How long will... the sanctuary and the host be trampled under foot?" (Daniel 8:10-14)

Jehovah has given forth His voice before His army. (Joel 2:11)

...(on the roofs of the houses) they have burned incense to all the host of heaven... (Jeremiah 19:13)

(Lest you bow down to and serve) the sun, the moon, the stars, and all the host of heaven... (Deuteronomy 4:19; cf. 17:3, Jeremiah 8:2)

So, too, Isaiah 13:4; 34:4; 40:26, Jeremiah 33:22, Zechariah 9:8, Revelation 19:14.

[3] Since the hosts of heaven symbolize the goods and truths of heaven and the church, therefore the Lord is called Jehovah Zebaoth, or Jehovah of Hosts. And therefore the ministry of the Levites was called military service (Numbers 4:3, 23, 30, 39).

Moreover, we read in the book of Psalms,

Bless Jehovah, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His will. (Psalms 103:21)

Evils and falsities in the church are symbolically meant by the armies of the nations in Isaiah 34:2; and by the army of the king of the north with which he came against the king of the south, in Daniel 11:13, 15, 20. The king of the north is the falsity accompanying evil in the church, and the king of the south is the truth accompanying goodness in it.

The Lord says,

When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its devastation is near. (Luke 21:20)

Jerusalem there symbolizes the church, and the armies symbolize the evils and falsities that will devastate it. The subject is the end of the age, which is the final period of the church.

Evils and falsities are symbolically meant by armies in Joel,

I will restore to you the years that the locust, the beetle grub, the locust's larva, and the caterpillar has eaten, My great army which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25)

To be shown that the locust and the rest symbolize falsity of the lowest sort, see no. 424 above.

  
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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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