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Ezekiel 31

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1 καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἑνδεκάτῳ ἔτει ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ μηνὶ μιᾷ τοῦ μηνὸς ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρός με λέγων

2 υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου εἰπὸν πρὸς φαραω βασιλέα αἰγύπτου καὶ τῷ πλήθει αὐτοῦ τίνι ὡμοίωσας σεαυτὸν ἐν τῷ ὕψει σου

3 ἰδοὺ ασσουρ κυπάρισσος ἐν τῷ λιβάνῳ καὶ καλὸς ταῖς παραφυάσιν καὶ ὑψηλὸς τῷ μεγέθει εἰς μέσον νεφελῶν ἐγένετο ἡ ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ

4 ὕδωρ ἐξέθρεψεν αὐτόν ἡ ἄβυσσος ὕψωσεν αὐτόν τοὺς ποταμοὺς αὐτῆς ἤγαγεν κύκλῳ τῶν φυτῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ συστέματα αὐτῆς ἐξαπέστειλεν εἰς πάντα τὰ ξύλα τοῦ πεδίου

5 ἕνεκεν τούτου ὑψώθη τὸ μέγεθος αὐτοῦ παρὰ πάντα τὰ ξύλα τοῦ πεδίου καὶ ἐπλατύνθησαν οἱ κλάδοι αὐτοῦ ἀφ' ὕδατος πολλοῦ

6 ἐν ταῖς παραφυάσιν αὐτοῦ ἐνόσσευσαν πάντα τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ὑποκάτω τῶν κλάδων αὐτοῦ ἐγεννῶσαν πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ πεδίου ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ αὐτοῦ κατῴκησεν πᾶν πλῆθος ἐθνῶν

7 καὶ ἐγένετο καλὸς ἐν τῷ ὕψει αὐτοῦ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν κλάδων αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἐγενήθησαν αἱ ῥίζαι αὐτοῦ εἰς ὕδωρ πολύ

8 κυπάρισσοι τοιαῦται οὐκ ἐγενήθησαν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πίτυες οὐχ ὅμοιαι ταῖς παραφυάσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐλάται οὐκ ἐγένοντο ὅμοιαι τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ πᾶν ξύλον ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ὡμοιώθη αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ κάλλει αὐτοῦ

9 διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν κλάδων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐζήλωσεν αὐτὸν τὰ ξύλα τοῦ παραδείσου τῆς τρυφῆς τοῦ θεοῦ

10 διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει κύριος ἀνθ' ὧν ἐγένου μέγας τῷ μεγέθει καὶ ἔδωκας τὴν ἀρχήν σου εἰς μέσον νεφελῶν καὶ εἶδον ἐν τῷ ὑψωθῆναι αὐτόν

11 καὶ παρέδωκα αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖρας ἄρχοντος ἐθνῶν καὶ ἐποίησεν τὴν ἀπώλειαν αὐτοῦ

12 καὶ ἐξωλέθρευσαν αὐτὸν ἀλλότριοι λοιμοὶ ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν καὶ κατέβαλον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων ἐν πάσαις ταῖς φάραγξιν ἔπεσαν οἱ κλάδοι αὐτοῦ καὶ συνετρίβη τὰ στελέχη αὐτοῦ ἐν παντὶ πεδίῳ τῆς γῆς καὶ κατέβησαν ἀπὸ τῆς σκέπης αὐτῶν πάντες οἱ λαοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ ἠδάφισαν αὐτόν

13 ἐπὶ τὴν πτῶσιν αὐτοῦ ἀνεπαύσαντο πάντα τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ στελέχη αὐτοῦ ἐγένοντο πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ

14 ὅπως μὴ ὑψωθῶσιν ἐν τῷ μεγέθει αὐτῶν πάντα τὰ ξύλα τὰ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ οὐκ ἔδωκαν τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῶν εἰς μέσον νεφελῶν καὶ οὐκ ἔστησαν ἐν τῷ ὕψει αὐτῶν πρὸς αὐτὰ πάντες οἱ πίνοντες ὕδωρ πάντες ἐδόθησαν εἰς θάνατον εἰς γῆς βάθος ἐν μέσῳ υἱῶν ἀνθρώπων πρὸς καταβαίνοντας εἰς βόθρον

15 τάδε λέγει κύριος κύριος ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ κατέβη εἰς ᾅδου ἐπένθησεν αὐτὸν ἡ ἄβυσσος καὶ ἐπέστησα τοὺς ποταμοὺς αὐτῆς καὶ ἐκώλυσα πλῆθος ὕδατος καὶ ἐσκότασεν ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὁ λίβανος πάντα τὰ ξύλα τοῦ πεδίου ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἐξελύθησαν

16 ἀπὸ τῆς φωνῆς τῆς πτώσεως αὐτοῦ ἐσείσθησαν τὰ ἔθνη ὅτε κατεβίβαζον αὐτὸν εἰς ᾅδου μετὰ τῶν καταβαινόντων εἰς λάκκον καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν ἐν γῇ πάντα τὰ ξύλα τῆς τρυφῆς καὶ τὰ ἐκλεκτὰ τοῦ λιβάνου πάντα τὰ πίνοντα ὕδωρ

17 καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ κατέβησαν μετ' αὐτοῦ εἰς ᾅδου ἐν τοῖς τραυματίαις ἀπὸ μαχαίρας καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην αὐτοῦ ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῶν ἀπώλοντο

18 τίνι ὡμοιώθης κατάβηθι καὶ καταβιβάσθητι μετὰ τῶν ξύλων τῆς τρυφῆς εἰς γῆς βάθος ἐν μέσῳ ἀπεριτμήτων κοιμηθήσῃ μετὰ τραυματιῶν μαχαίρας οὕτως φαραω καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ λέγει κύριος κύριος

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #635

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635. Lastly I will reveal this secret. Seven chapters of Revelation describe the termination of the present church, in terms similar to the devastation of Egypt. In both cases this was by similar plagues, each of which stands in the spiritual sense for some falsity advancing its devastation to the point of destruction. This church, therefore, which is at the present time lost, is also called Egypt as spiritually understood (Revelation 11:8). The plagues in Egypt were as follows.

The waters were turned to blood, so that all the fish died and the river stank (Exodus 7; similar language in Revelation 8:8; 16:3). Blood means Divine truth falsified (see Apocalypse Revealed 379, 404, 681, 687-688). The fish that died mean likewise truths in the natural man (Apocalypse Revealed 290, 405).

Frogs came forth upon the land of Egypt (Exodus 8). There is also a mention of frogs in Revelation 16:13. Frogs mean reasonings as a result of a longing for the falsification of truth (see Apocalypse Revealed 702).

In Egypt foul ulcers appeared upon men and beasts (Exodus 9); similar language in Revelation 16:2. Ulcers mean inward evils and falsities which can destroy the good and truth in the church (see Apocalypse Revealed 678).

In Egypt hail fell mixed with fire (Exodus 9); similar language in Revelation 8:7; 16:21. Hail means hellish falsity (see Apocalypse Revealed 399, 714).

Locusts were sent upon Egypt (Exodus 10); similar language in Revelation 9:1-11. Locusts mean falsities in outermost things (see Apocalypse Revealed 424, 430).

Oppressive darkness was brought upon Egypt (Exodus 10:21); similar language in Revelation 8:12. Darkness means falsities arising from ignorance, or from false ideas of religion, or from evil living (see Apocalypse Revealed 110, 413, 695).

The Egyptians finally perished in the sea of Suph 1 (Exodus 14). In Revelation the dragon and the false prophet perished in the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 19:20; 20:10). Both the sea of Suph and that lake have the same meaning, hell.

The reason why similar language is used of Egypt and of the church, the termination and end of which is described in Revelation, is that Egypt stands for the church, which in its beginnings was outstanding. So before its church was devastated, Egypt is equated with the Garden of Eden and the garden of Jehovah (Genesis 13:10; Ezekiel 31:8). It is also called 'the corner-stone of the tribes', and 'the sons of wise men and of the kings of ancient time' (Isaiah 19:11, 13). More about Egypt in its earliest state and in its devastation will be found in Apocalypse Revealed 503.

Footnotes:

1. Generally taken as 'the Red Sea', but the author keeps the Hebrew form.

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

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