The Bible

 

Daniel 8

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1 ἔτους τρίτου βασιλεύοντος βαλτασαρ ὅρασις ἣν εἶδον ἐγὼ δανιηλ μετὰ τὸ ἰδεῖν με τὴν πρώτην

2 καὶ εἶδον ἐν τῷ ὁράματι τοῦ ἐνυπνίου μου ἐμοῦ ὄντος ἐν σούσοις τῇ πόλει ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐν ἐλυμαΐδι χώρᾳ ἔτι ὄντος μου πρὸς τῇ πύλῃ αιλαμ

3 ἀναβλέψας εἶδον κριὸν ἕνα μέγαν ἑστῶτα ἀπέναντι τῆς πύλης καὶ εἶχε κέρατα καὶ τὸ ἓν ὑψηλότερον τοῦ ἑτέρου καὶ τὸ ὑψηλότερον ἀνέβαινε

4 μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα εἶδον τὸν κριὸν κερατίζοντα πρὸς ἀνατολὰς καὶ πρὸς βορρᾶν καὶ πρὸς δυσμὰς καὶ μεσημβρίαν καὶ πάντα τὰ θηρία οὐκ ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ῥυόμενος ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐποίει ὡς ἤθελε καὶ ὑψώθη

5 καὶ ἐγὼ διενοούμην καὶ ἰδοὺ τράγος αἰγῶν ἤρχετο ἀπὸ δυσμῶν ἐπὶ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ οὐχ ἥπτετο τῆς γῆς καὶ ἦν τοῦ τράγου κέρας ἓν ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ

6 καὶ ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸν κριὸν τὸν τὰ κέρατα ἔχοντα ὃν εἶδον ἑστῶτα πρὸς τῇ πύλῃ καὶ ἔδραμε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐν θυμῷ ὀργῆς

7 καὶ εἶδον αὐτὸν προσάγοντα πρὸς τὸν κριόν καὶ ἐθυμώθη ἐπ' αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπάταξε καὶ συνέτριψε τὰ δύο κέρατα αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκέτι ἦν ἰσχὺς ἐν τῷ κριῷ στῆναι κατέναντι τοῦ τράγου καὶ ἐσπάραξεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ συνέτριψεν αὐτόν καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ῥυόμενος τὸν κριὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ τράγου

8 καὶ ὁ τράγος τῶν αἰγῶν κατίσχυσε σφόδρα καὶ ὅτε κατίσχυσε συνετρίβη αὐτοῦ τὸ κέρας τὸ μέγα καὶ ἀνέβη ἕτερα τέσσαρα κέρατα κατόπισθεν αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς τέσσαρας ἀνέμους τοῦ οὐρανοῦ

9 καὶ ἐξ ἑνὸς αὐτῶν ἀνεφύη κέρας ἰσχυρὸν ἓν καὶ κατίσχυσε καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐπὶ μεσημβρίαν καὶ ἐπ' ἀνατολὰς καὶ ἐπὶ βορρᾶν

10 καὶ ὑψώθη ἕως τῶν ἀστέρων τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἐρράχθη ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀστέρων καὶ ἀπὸ αὐτῶν κατεπατήθη

11 ἕως ὁ ἀρχιστράτηγος ῥύσεται τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν καὶ δι' αὐτὸν τὰ ὄρη τὰ ἀπ' αἰῶνος ἐρράχθη καὶ ἐξήρθη ὁ τόπος αὐτῶν καὶ θυσία καὶ ἔθηκεν αὐτὴν ἕως χαμαὶ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ εὐωδώθη καὶ ἐγενήθη καὶ τὸ ἅγιον ἐρημωθήσεται

12 καὶ ἐγενήθησαν ἐπὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι καὶ ἐρρίφη χαμαὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἐποίησε καὶ εὐωδώθη

13 καὶ ἤκουον ἑτέρου ἁγίου λαλοῦντος καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἕτερος τῷ φελμουνι τῷ λαλοῦντι ἕως τίνος τὸ ὅραμα στήσεται καὶ ἡ θυσία ἡ ἀρθεῖσα καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐρημώσεως ἡ δοθεῖσα καὶ τὰ ἅγια ἐρημωθήσεται εἰς καταπάτημα

14 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἕως ἑσπέρας καὶ πρωὶ ἡμέραι δισχίλιαι τριακόσιαι καὶ καθαρισθήσεται τὸ ἅγιον

15 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ θεωρεῖν με ἐγὼ δανιηλ τὸ ὅραμα ἐζήτουν διανοηθῆναι καὶ ἰδοὺ ἔστη κατεναντίον μου ὡς ὅρασις ἀνθρώπου

16 καὶ ἤκουσα φωνὴν ἀνθρώπου ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ ουλαι καὶ ἐκάλεσε καὶ εἶπεν γαβριηλ συνέτισον ἐκεῖνον τὴν ὅρασιν καὶ ἀναβοήσας εἶπεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσταγμα ἐκεῖνο ἡ ὅρασις

17 καὶ ἦλθε καὶ ἔστη ἐχόμενός μου τῆς στάσεως καὶ ἐν τῷ ἔρχεσθαι αὐτὸν ἐθορυβήθην καὶ ἔπεσα ἐπὶ πρόσωπόν μου καὶ εἶπέν μοι διανοήθητι υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου ἔτι γὰρ εἰς ὥραν καιροῦ τοῦτο τὸ ὅραμα

18 καὶ λαλοῦντος αὐτοῦ μετ' ἐμοῦ ἐκοιμήθην ἐπὶ πρόσωπον χαμαί καὶ ἁψάμενός μου ἤγειρέ με ἐπὶ τοῦ τόπου

19 καὶ εἶπέ μοι ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀπαγγέλλω σοι ἃ ἔσται ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῆς ὀργῆς τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ σου ἔτι γὰρ εἰς ὥρας καιροῦ συντελείας μενεῖ

20 τὸν κριὸν ὃν εἶδες τὸν ἔχοντα τὰ κέρατα βασιλεὺς μήδων καὶ περσῶν ἐστι

21 καὶ ὁ τράγος τῶν αἰγῶν βασιλεὺς τῶν ἑλλήνων ἐστί καὶ τὸ κέρας τὸ μέγα τὸ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ πρῶτος

22 καὶ τὰ συντριβέντα καὶ ἀναβάντα ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ τέσσαρα κέρατα τέσσαρες βασιλεῖς τοῦ ἔθνους αὐτοῦ ἀναστήσονται οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτοῦ

23 καὶ ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῆς βασιλείας αὐτῶν πληρουμένων τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν ἀναστήσεται βασιλεὺς ἀναιδὴς προσώπῳ διανοούμενος αἰνίγματα

24 καὶ στερεωθήσεται ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐν τῇ ἰσχύι αὐτοῦ καὶ θαυμαστῶς φθερεῖ καὶ εὐοδωθήσεται καὶ ποιήσει καὶ φθερεῖ δυνάστας καὶ δῆμον ἁγίων

25 καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἁγίους τὸ διανόημα αὐτοῦ καὶ εὐοδωθήσεται τὸ ψεῦδος ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ ὑψωθήσεται καὶ δόλῳ ἀφανιεῖ πολλοὺς καὶ ἐπὶ ἀπωλείας ἀνδρῶν στήσεται καὶ ποιήσει συναγωγὴν χειρὸς καὶ ἀποδώσεται

26 τὸ ὅραμα τὸ ἑσπέρας καὶ πρωὶ ηὑρέθη ἐπ' ἀληθείας καὶ νῦν πεφραγμένον τὸ ὅραμα ἔτι γὰρ εἰς ἡμέρας πολλάς

27 ἐγὼ δανιηλ ἀσθενήσας ἡμέρας πολλὰς καὶ ἀναστὰς ἐπραγματευόμην πάλιν βασιλικά καὶ ἐξελυόμην ἐπὶ τῷ ὁράματι καὶ οὐδεὶς ἦν ὁ διανοούμενος

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #8459

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8459. 'Tiny like hoar frost on the earth' means truth in the form of good - uninterrupted and flowing. This is clear from the meaning of 'tiny' as a word having reference to truth, dealt with immediately above; and from the meaning of 'like hoar frost' as in the form of good. The good of truth, the good existing with a member of the spiritual Church, 8458, is compared to hoar frost because it forms more of a continuous sheet than snow. Consisting of tiny white flakes snow has reference to truth, while hoar frost, being the nearest thing to it, has reference to truth that has become good, which is the good of truth. The use of 'snow' to refer to truth is evident from the following places: In Mark,

When Jesus was transfigured His clothes became glistening, intensely white like snow. Mark 9:3.

In Matthew,

The angel 1 at the tomb - his appearance was like lightning, and his garment white as snow. Matthew 28:2-3.

In John,

I saw in the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man. His head and hair were white, like white wool, like snow. Revelation 1:13-14.

In Jeremiah, The Nazirites were brighter than snow, they were whiter than milk. Lamentations 4:7.

In David,

You will purge me with hyssop and I shall become clean, You will wash me and I shall be made whiter than snow. Psalms 51:7.

In Daniel,

I saw, until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. Daniel 7:9.

In these places 'snow' has reference to truth because of its whiteness, with which clothes are compared because 'clothes' in the spiritual sense are truths, 4545, 4763, 5248, 5319, 5954, 6914, 6917, 6918. From all this it is evident what 'hoar frost' means, namely truth in the form of good. Truth in the form of good is said to be uninterrupted and flowing because truth is a form that holds good, and good is the life and so to speak soul within that form.

Footnotes:

1. Reading Angelus (The angel), which Swedenborg possibly has in his rough draft, for Angelis (To the angels)

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