The Bible

 

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

 

True Christian Religion #761

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761. The final period of the Christian church is absolute night, in which the previous churches ended, as can be established from the Lord's prediction about it in the Gospels and in Daniel. A passage from the Gospels states that they would see the abomination of desolation, and there would be great affliction such as had not been since the beginning of the world up to now, and would not be in the future; and that unless those days were shortened, no flesh could be saved; and finally the sun would be darkened, the moon would not give its light, and the stars would fall from the sky (Matthew 24:15, 21-22, 29). This period is also called night elsewhere in the Gospels, as in Luke:

On that night there will be two in one bed; one will be received, the other left behind, Luke 17:34.

And in John:

I must do the work of Him that sent me. The night will come, when no one will be able to work, John 9:4.

[2] Since all light departs in the middle of the night, and the Lord is the true light (John 1:4ff; John 8:12; 12:35-36, 46), He said to the disciples when He went up into heaven:

I am with you until the ending of the age, Matthew 28:20.

Then He leaves them for the new church. There is further proof in Daniel for this final period of the church being absolute night, in which the previous churches ended, in this passage:

Finally upon the bird of abominations desolation, to the point of ending and cutting off; it shall be poured drop by drop upon devastation, Daniel 9:27.

It is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew 24:15 that this is a prediction of the end of the Christian church. It is also clear from this passage of Daniel about the fourth kingdom, that is, the fourth church, represented by the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw:

As you saw iron mixed with common clay, so will people intermingle by means of human seed; but they will not hold together, one with another, just as iron does not with clay, Daniel 2:43.

Human seed there is the truth of the Word.

[3] It is also clear from this passage about the fourth church represented by the fourth beast coming up out of the sea:

I saw in visions of the night, and there was the fourth beast, dreadful and frightening; it will devour the whole earth and trample it and crush it, Daniel 7:7, 23.

This means that it would put an end to all the truth of the church. Then it would be night, because the truth of the church is light. There are many similar predictions about this church in Revelation, especially chapter 16, where it speaks of the bowls of God's wrath being poured out upon the earth. These mean the falsities which will then swamp and destroy the church. There are many similar passages in the Prophets, as for example:

Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, thick darkness and no brilliance? Amos 5:18, 20; Zephaniah 1:15.

Also:

On that day Jehovah will look down on the earth, and behold, darkness, and the light will become dim in its ruins, Isaiah 5:30; 8:22.

The day of Jehovah is that of the Lord's coming.

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