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Daniel 9

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1 ἔτους πρώτου ἐπὶ δαρείου τοῦ ξέρξου ἀπὸ τῆς γενεᾶς τῆς μηδικῆς οἳ ἐβασίλευσαν ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν χαλδαίων

2 τῷ πρώτῳ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἐγὼ δανιηλ διενοήθην ἐν ταῖς βίβλοις τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἐτῶν ὅτε ἐγένετο πρόσταγμα τῇ γῇ ἐπὶ ιερεμιαν τὸν προφήτην ἐγεῖραι εἰς ἀναπλήρωσιν ὀνειδισμοῦ ιερουσαλημ ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη

3 καὶ ἔδωκα τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἐπὶ κύριον τὸν θεὸν εὑρεῖν προσευχὴν καὶ ἔλεος ἐν νηστείαις καὶ σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ

4 καὶ προσηυξάμην πρὸς κύριον τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἐξωμολογησάμην καὶ εἶπα ἰδού κύριε σὺ εἶ ὁ θεὸς ὁ μέγας καὶ ὁ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ ὁ φοβερὸς τηρῶν τὴν διαθήκην καὶ τὸ ἔλεος τοῖς ἀγαπῶσί σε καὶ τοῖς φυλάσσουσι τὰ προστάγματά σου

5 ἡμάρτομεν ἠδικήσαμεν ἠσεβήσαμεν καὶ ἀπέστημεν καὶ παρέβημεν τὰς ἐντολάς σου καὶ τὰ κρίματά σου

6 καὶ οὐκ ἠκούσαμεν τῶν παίδων σου τῶν προφητῶν ἃ ἐλάλησαν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου ἐπὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς ἡμῶν καὶ δυνάστας ἡμῶν καὶ πατέρας ἡμῶν καὶ παντὶ ἔθνει ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

7 σοί κύριε ἡ δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἡμῖν ἡ αἰσχύνη τοῦ προσώπου κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην ἀνθρώποις ιουδα καὶ καθημένοις ἐν ιερουσαλημ καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ ισραηλ τῷ ἔγγιστα καὶ τῷ ἀπωτέρω ἐν πάσαις ταῖς χώραις εἰς ἃς διεσκόρπισας αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖ ἐν τῇ πλημμελείᾳ ᾗ ἐπλημμέλησαν ἐναντίον σου

8 δέσποτα ἡμῖν ἡ αἰσχύνη τοῦ προσώπου καὶ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἡμῶν καὶ δυνάσταις καὶ τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν ὅτι ἡμάρτομέν σοι

9 τῷ κυρίῳ ἡ δικαιοσύνη καὶ τὸ ἔλεος ὅτι ἀπέστημεν ἀπὸ σοῦ

10 καὶ οὐκ ἠκούσαμεν τῆς φωνῆς κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν κατακολουθῆσαι τῷ νόμῳ σου ᾧ ἔδωκας ἐνώπιον μωσῆ καὶ ἡμῶν διὰ τῶν παίδων σου τῶν προφητῶν

11 καὶ πᾶς ισραηλ ἐγκατέλιπε τὸν νόμον σου καὶ ἀπέστησαν τοῦ μὴ ἀκοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς σου καὶ ἐπῆλθεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἡ κατάρα καὶ ὁ ὅρκος ὁ γεγραμμένος ἐν τῷ νόμῳ μωσῆ παιδὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι ἡμάρτομεν αὐτῷ

12 καὶ ἔστησεν ἡμῖν τὰ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ ὅσα ἐλάλησεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς κριτὰς ἡμῶν ὅσα ἔκρινας ἡμῖν ἐπαγαγεῖν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς κακὰ μεγάλα οἷα οὐκ ἐγενήθη ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν καθότι ἐγενήθη ἐν ιερουσαλημ

13 κατὰ τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐν διαθήκῃ μωσῆ πάντα τὰ κακὰ ἐπῆλθεν ἡμῖν καὶ οὐκ ἐξεζητήσαμεν τὸ πρόσωπον κυρίου θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἀποστῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν καὶ διανοηθῆναι τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου κύριε

14 καὶ ἠγρύπνησε κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ τὰ κακὰ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ὅτι δίκαιος κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐπὶ πάντα ὅσα ἂν ποιήσῃ καὶ οὐκ ἠκούσαμεν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ

15 καὶ νῦν δέσποτα κύριε ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ὁ ἐξαγαγὼν τὸν λαόν σου ἐξ αἰγύπτου τῷ βραχίονί σου τῷ ὑψηλῷ καὶ ἐποίησας σεαυτῷ ὄνομα κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην ἡμάρτομεν ἠγνοήκαμεν

16 δέσποτα κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου ἀποστραφήτω ὁ θυμός σου καὶ ἡ ὀργή σου ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεώς σου ιερουσαλημ ὄρους τοῦ ἁγίου σου ὅτι ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀγνοίαις τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ιερουσαλημ καὶ ὁ δῆμός σου κύριε εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς περικύκλῳ ἡμῶν

17 καὶ νῦν ἐπάκουσον δέσποτα τῆς προσευχῆς τοῦ παιδός σου καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς δεήσεις μου καὶ ἐπιβλεψάτω τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ ἅγιόν σου τὸ ἔρημον ἕνεκεν τῶν δούλων σου δέσποτα

18 πρόσχες κύριε τὸ οὖς σου καὶ ἐπάκουσόν μου ἄνοιξον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου καὶ ἰδὲ τὴν ἐρήμωσιν ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς πόλεώς σου ἐφ' ἧς ἐπεκλήθη τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐπ' αὐτῆς οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ ταῖς δικαιοσύναις ἡμῶν ἡμεῖς δεόμεθα ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς ἡμῶν ἐνώπιόν σου ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ σὸν ἔλεος

19 κύριε σὺ ἱλάτευσον κύριε ἐπάκουσον καὶ ποίησον καὶ μὴ χρονίσῃς ἕνεκα σεαυτοῦ δέσποτα ὅτι τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐπεκλήθη ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν σου σιων καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν σου ισραηλ

20 καὶ ἕως ἐγὼ ἐλάλουν προσευχόμενος καὶ ἐξομολογούμενος τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ μου ισραηλ καὶ δεόμενος ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς ἐναντίον κυρίου θεοῦ μου καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ ἁγίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν

21 καὶ ἔτι λαλοῦντός μου ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ μου καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἀνήρ ὃν εἶδον ἐν τῷ ὕπνῳ μου τὴν ἀρχήν γαβριηλ τάχει φερόμενος προσήγγισέ μοι ἐν ὥρᾳ θυσίας ἑσπερινῆς

22 καὶ προσῆλθε καὶ ἐλάλησε μετ' ἐμοῦ καὶ εἶπεν δανιηλ ἄρτι ἐξῆλθον ὑποδεῖξαί σοι διάνοιαν

23 ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς δεήσεώς σου ἐξῆλθε πρόσταγμα παρὰ κυρίου καὶ ἐγὼ ἦλθον ὑποδεῖξαί σοι ὅτι ἐλεεινὸς εἶ καὶ διανοήθητι τὸ πρόσταγμα

24 ἑβδομήκοντα ἑβδομάδες ἐκρίθησαν ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν σου καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν σιων συντελεσθῆναι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ τὰς ἀδικίας σπανίσαι καὶ ἀπαλεῖψαι τὰς ἀδικίας καὶ διανοηθῆναι τὸ ὅραμα καὶ δοθῆναι δικαιοσύνην αἰώνιον καὶ συντελεσθῆναι τὸ ὅραμα καὶ εὐφρᾶναι ἅγιον ἁγίων

25 καὶ γνώσῃ καὶ διανοηθήσῃ καὶ εὐφρανθήσῃ καὶ εὑρήσεις προστάγματα ἀποκριθῆναι καὶ οἰκοδομήσεις ιερουσαλημ πόλιν κυρίῳ

26 καὶ μετὰ ἑπτὰ καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ ἑξήκοντα δύο ἀποσταθήσεται χρῖσμα καὶ οὐκ ἔσται καὶ βασιλεία ἐθνῶν φθερεῖ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸ ἅγιον μετὰ τοῦ χριστοῦ καὶ ἥξει ἡ συντέλεια αὐτοῦ μετ' ὀργῆς καὶ ἕως καιροῦ συντελείας ἀπὸ πολέμου πολεμηθήσεται

27 καὶ δυναστεύσει ἡ διαθήκη εἰς πολλούς καὶ πάλιν ἐπιστρέψει καὶ ἀνοικοδομηθήσεται εἰς πλάτος καὶ μῆκος καὶ κατὰ συντέλειαν καιρῶν καὶ μετὰ ἑπτὰ καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα καιροὺς καὶ ἑξήκοντα δύο ἔτη ἕως καιροῦ συντελείας πολέμου καὶ ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἡ ἐρήμωσις ἐν τῷ κατισχῦσαι τὴν διαθήκην ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἑβδομάδας καὶ ἐν τῷ τέλει τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἀρθήσεται ἡ θυσία καὶ ἡ σπονδή καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἱερὸν βδέλυγμα τῶν ἐρημώσεων ἔσται ἕως συντελείας καὶ συντέλεια δοθήσεται ἐπὶ τὴν ἐρήμωσιν

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #3

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3. Which God gave Him to show His servants. This symbolically means, for people who have faith arising from charity, or truths of wisdom arising from the goodness of love.

To show means, symbolically, to make evident, and servants here symbolize people who have faith arising from charity. The following things are made evident to them because they understand and accept.

Servants mean, in the spiritual sense, people who are governed by truths; and because truths spring from goodness, servants mean people who are governed by truths arising from goodness, thus also people governed by wisdom arising from love, because wisdom has to do with truth, and love with goodness. They also are people who have faith arising from charity, because faith, too, has to do with truth, and charity with goodness. And because the spiritual sense in reality is abstracted from person, therefore servants in that sense symbolize truths.

Now because truths, by teaching goodness, serve it, therefore in general, and properly speaking, by a servant in the Word is meant something serving, or someone or something that serves. In this sense not only were prophets called servants of God, but so, too, was the Lord in respect to His humanity.

That prophets were called servants of God is evident from the following passages:

Jehovah has sent to you all His servants the prophets... (Jeremiah 25:4)

...He has revealed His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

...He has set before us by the hand of His servants the prophets. (Daniel 9:10)

Moses, too, is called a servant of Jehovah (Malachi 4:4). That is because a prophet, in the spiritual sense, means doctrinal truth, as discussed below.

[2] Moreover, because the Lord was the very embodiment of Divine truth, which also is the Word, and for that reason was called the prophet, and because He served in the world and serves all people to eternity by teaching, therefore He, too, is here and there called the servant of Jehovah, as in the following passages:

Of the labor of His soul He shall see; He shall be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many... (Isaiah 53:11)

Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. (Isaiah 52:13)

Behold! My Servant on whom I rest, My Elect. My soul has good pleasure! I have put My Spirit upon Him... (Isaiah 42:1, 19)

These things are said of the Lord. David is spoken of similarly, where by him is meant the Lord, as in the following:

I, Jehovah, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them... (Ezekiel 34:24)

David My servant shall be king over them, so that they all have one shepherd... (Ezekiel 37:24)

I will protect this city to save it, for My sake and for My servant David's sake. (Isaiah 37:35)

So, too, Psalms 78:70-72; 89:3-4, 20. (That by David in these places is meant the Lord, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 43, 44.)

The Lord Himself speaks similarly of Himself:

...whoever desires to become great among you must be your attendant, and whoever desires to be first among you must be your servant, even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister... (Matthew 20:25-28. Cf. Mark 10:42-45, Luke 22:27. So, too, Luke 12:37)

The Lord says this, because by a servant and attendant are meant one who serves and ministers by teaching, and abstractly from person, Divine truth, which He embodied.

[3] Since a servant therefore means someone who teaches Divine truth, it is apparent that servants in this place in the book of Revelation mean people who possess truths arising from goodness, or faith arising from charity, because they are able to teach from the Lord, that is to say, because the Lord is able to teach and minister through them.

It is in this sense that they are called servants in Matthew:

(At the end of the age,) who... is the faithful and prudent servant, whom his lord set over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he comes, will find so doing. (Matthew 24:45-46)

And in Luke:

Blessed are those servants whom the lord, when he comes, will find watching. Truly I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will (himself) come and attend to them. (Luke 12:37)

In heaven, all people in the Lord's spiritual kingdom are called His servants, while those in His celestial kingdom are called His ministers. That is because people in His spiritual kingdom are governed by wisdom derived from Divine truth, and those in the celestial kingdom by love derived from Divine good. And good ministers, while truth serves.

In an opposite sense, however, by servants are meant people who serve the devil. These are in a real state of servitude, whereas people who serve the Lord are in a state of freedom - as the Lord also teaches in John 8:31-36. 1

Footnotes:

1. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:31-36)

  
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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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