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Jeremiah 51

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1 ὁ λόγος ὁ γενόμενος πρὸς ιερεμιαν ἅπασιν τοῖς ιουδαίοις τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν ἐν γῇ αἰγύπτῳ καὶ τοῖς καθημένοις ἐν μαγδώλῳ καὶ ἐν ταφνας καὶ ἐν γῇ παθουρης λέγων

2 οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ισραηλ ὑμεῖς ἑωράκατε πάντα τὰ κακά ἃ ἐπήγαγον ἐπὶ ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις ιουδα καὶ ἰδού εἰσιν ἔρημοι ἀπὸ ἐνοίκων

3 ἀπὸ προσώπου πονηρίας αὐτῶν ἧς ἐποίησαν παραπικρᾶναί με πορευθέντες θυμιᾶν θεοῖς ἑτέροις οἷς οὐκ ἔγνωτε

4 καὶ ἀπέστειλα πρὸς ὑμᾶς τοὺς παῖδάς μου τοὺς προφήτας ὄρθρου καὶ ἀπέστειλα λέγων μὴ ποιήσητε τὸ πρᾶγμα τῆς μολύνσεως ταύτης ἧς ἐμίσησα

5 καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσάν μου καὶ οὐκ ἔκλιναν τὸ οὖς αὐτῶν ἀποστρέψαι ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶν αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸ μὴ θυμιᾶν θεοῖς ἑτέροις

6 καὶ ἔσταξεν ἡ ὀργή μου καὶ ὁ θυμός μου καὶ ἐξεκαύθη ἐν πόλεσιν ιουδα καὶ ἔξωθεν ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἐγενήθησαν εἰς ἐρήμωσιν καὶ εἰς ἄβατον ὡς ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη

7 καὶ νῦν οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἵνα τί ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε κακὰ μεγάλα ἐπὶ ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἐκκόψαι ὑμῶν ἄνθρωπον καὶ γυναῖκα νήπιον καὶ θηλάζοντα ἐκ μέσου ιουδα πρὸς τὸ μὴ καταλειφθῆναι ὑμῶν μηδένα

8 παραπικρᾶναί με ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν θυμιᾶν θεοῖς ἑτέροις ἐν γῇ αἰγύπτῳ εἰς ἣν εἰσήλθατε ἐνοικεῖν ἐκεῖ ἵνα ἐκκοπῆτε καὶ ἵνα γένησθε εἰς κατάραν καὶ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν τῆς γῆς

9 μὴ ἐπιλέλησθε ὑμεῖς τῶν κακῶν τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν καὶ τῶν κακῶν τῶν βασιλέων ιουδα καὶ τῶν κακῶν τῶν ἀρχόντων ὑμῶν καὶ τῶν κακῶν τῶν γυναικῶν ὑμῶν ὧν ἐποίησαν ἐν γῇ ιουδα καὶ ἔξωθεν ιερουσαλημ

10 καὶ οὐκ ἐπαύσαντο ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης καὶ οὐκ ἀντείχοντο τῶν προσταγμάτων μου ὧν ἔδωκα κατὰ πρόσωπον τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν

11 διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐφίστημι τὸ πρόσωπόν μου

12 τοῦ ἀπολέσαι πάντας τοὺς καταλοίπους τοὺς ἐν αἰγύπτῳ καὶ πεσοῦνται ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ ἐκλείψουσιν ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου καὶ ἔσονται εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν καὶ εἰς ἀπώλειαν καὶ εἰς κατάραν

13 καὶ ἐπισκέψομαι ἐπὶ τοὺς καθημένους ἐν γῇ αἰγύπτῳ ὡς ἐπεσκεψάμην ἐπὶ ιερουσαλημ ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ καὶ ἐν θανάτῳ

14 καὶ οὐκ ἔσται σεσῳσμένος οὐθεὶς τῶν ἐπιλοίπων ιουδα τῶν παροικούντων ἐν γῇ αἰγύπτῳ τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι εἰς γῆν ιουδα ἐφ' ἣν αὐτοὶ ἐλπίζουσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς αὐτῶν τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι ἐκεῖ οὐ μὴ ἐπιστρέψωσιν ἀλλ' ἢ ἀνασεσῳσμένοι

15 καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν τῷ ιερεμια πάντες οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ γνόντες ὅτι θυμιῶσιν αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν θεοῖς ἑτέροις καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ γυναῖκες συναγωγὴ μεγάλη καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς οἱ καθήμενοι ἐν γῇ αἰγύπτῳ ἐν παθουρη λέγοντες

16 ὁ λόγος ὃν ἐλάλησας πρὸς ἡμᾶς τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου οὐκ ἀκούσομέν σου

17 ὅτι ποιοῦντες ποιήσομεν πάντα τὸν λόγον ὃς ἐξελεύσεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἡμῶν θυμιᾶν τῇ βασιλίσσῃ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ σπένδειν αὐτῇ σπονδάς καθὰ ἐποιήσαμεν ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς ἡμῶν καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ἡμῶν ἐν πόλεσιν ιουδα καὶ ἔξωθεν ιερουσαλημ καὶ ἐπλήσθημεν ἄρτων καὶ ἐγενόμεθα χρηστοὶ καὶ κακὰ οὐκ εἴδομεν

18 καὶ ὡς διελίπομεν θυμιῶντες τῇ βασιλίσσῃ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἠλαττώθημεν πάντες καὶ ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ ἐξελίπομεν

19 καὶ ὅτι ἡμεῖς θυμιῶμεν τῇ βασιλίσσῃ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἐσπείσαμεν αὐτῇ σπονδάς μὴ ἄνευ τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἡμῶν ἐποιήσαμεν αὐτῇ χαυῶνας καὶ ἐσπείσαμεν σπονδὰς αὐτῇ

20 καὶ εἶπεν ιερεμιας παντὶ τῷ λαῷ τοῖς δυνατοῖς καὶ ταῖς γυναιξὶν καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ τοῖς ἀποκριθεῖσιν αὐτῷ λόγους λέγων

21 οὐχὶ τοῦ θυμιάματος οὗ ἐθυμιάσατε ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ιουδα καὶ ἔξωθεν ιερουσαλημ ὑμεῖς καὶ οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς ὑμῶν καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ λαὸς τῆς γῆς ἐμνήσθη κύριος καὶ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ

22 καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο κύριος ἔτι φέρειν ἀπὸ προσώπου πονηρίας πραγμάτων ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῶν βδελυγμάτων ὧν ἐποιήσατε καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡ γῆ ὑμῶν εἰς ἐρήμωσιν καὶ εἰς ἄβατον καὶ εἰς ἀρὰν ὡς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ

23 ἀπὸ προσώπου ὧν ἐθυμιᾶτε καὶ ὧν ἡμάρτετε τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ οὐκ ἠκούσατε τῆς φωνῆς κυρίου καὶ ἐν τοῖς προστάγμασιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τοῖς μαρτυρίοις αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐπορεύθητε καὶ ἐπελάβετο ὑμῶν τὰ κακὰ ταῦτα

24 καὶ εἶπεν ιερεμιας τῷ λαῷ καὶ ταῖς γυναιξίν ἀκούσατε τὸν λόγον κυρίου

25 οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ισραηλ ὑμεῖς γυναῖκες τῷ στόματι ὑμῶν ἐλαλήσατε καὶ ταῖς χερσὶν ὑμῶν ἐπληρώσατε λέγουσαι ποιοῦσαι ποιήσομεν τὰς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν ἃς ὡμολογήσαμεν θυμιᾶν τῇ βασιλίσσῃ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ σπένδειν αὐτῇ σπονδάς ἐμμείνασαι ἐνεμείνατε ταῖς ὁμολογίαις ὑμῶν καὶ ποιοῦσαι ἐποιήσατε

26 διὰ τοῦτο ἀκούσατε λόγον κυρίου πᾶς ιουδα οἱ καθήμενοι ἐν γῇ αἰγύπτῳ ἰδοὺ ὤμοσα τῷ ὀνόματί μου τῷ μεγάλῳ εἶπεν κύριος ἐὰν γένηται ἔτι ὄνομά μου ἐν τῷ στόματι παντὸς ιουδα εἰπεῖν ζῇ κύριος κύριος ἐπὶ πάσῃ γῇ αἰγύπτῳ

27 ὅτι ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐγρήγορα ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τοῦ κακῶσαι αὐτοὺς καὶ οὐκ ἀγαθῶσαι καὶ ἐκλείψουσιν πᾶς ιουδα οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν γῇ αἰγύπτῳ ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ ἕως ἂν ἐκλίπωσιν

28 καὶ οἱ σεσῳσμένοι ἀπὸ ῥομφαίας ἐπιστρέψουσιν εἰς γῆν ιουδα ὀλίγοι ἀριθμῷ καὶ γνώσονται οἱ κατάλοιποι ιουδα οἱ καταστάντες ἐν γῇ αἰγύπτῳ κατοικῆσαι ἐκεῖ λόγος τίνος ἐμμενεῖ

29 καὶ τοῦτο ὑμῖν τὸ σημεῖον ὅτι ἐπισκέψομαι ἐγὼ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς εἰς πονηρά

30 οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ δίδωμι τὸν ουαφρη βασιλέα αἰγύπτου εἰς χεῖρας ἐχθροῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς χεῖρας ζητούντων τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ καθὰ ἔδωκα τὸν σεδεκιαν βασιλέα ιουδα εἰς χεῖρας ναβουχοδονοσορ βασιλέως βαβυλῶνος ἐχθροῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ζητοῦντος τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ

31 ὁ λόγος ὃν ἐλάλησεν ιερεμιας ὁ προφήτης πρὸς βαρουχ υἱὸν νηριου ὅτε ἔγραφεν τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ ἀπὸ στόματος ιερεμιου ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ τῷ τετάρτῳ τῷ ιωακιμ υἱῷ ιωσια βασιλέως ιουδα

32 οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος ἐπὶ σοί βαρουχ

33 ὅτι εἶπας οἴμμοι οἴμμοι ὅτι προσέθηκεν κύριος κόπον ἐπὶ πόνον μοι ἐκοιμήθην ἐν στεναγμοῖς ἀνάπαυσιν οὐχ εὗρον

34 εἰπὸν αὐτῷ οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος ἰδοὺ οὓς ἐγὼ ᾠκοδόμησα ἐγὼ καθαιρῶ καὶ οὓς ἐγὼ ἐφύτευσα ἐγὼ ἐκτίλλω

35 καὶ σὺ ζητεῖς σεαυτῷ μεγάλα μὴ ζητήσῃς ὅτι ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω κακὰ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα λέγει κύριος καὶ δώσω τὴν ψυχήν σου εἰς εὕρεμα ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ οὗ ἐὰν βαδίσῃς ἐκεῖ

   

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Apocalypse Revealed #53

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53. And His countenance as the sun shining in its power. This symbolizes the Divine love and wisdom which are the Lord and which emanate from Him.

The fact that the face of Jehovah or of the Lord means the Divine itself in its essence, which is Divine love and wisdom, thus Himself, will be seen in explanations below where the face of God is mentioned. "The sun shining in its power" has the same symbolic meaning.

In the sight of angels the Lord is seen as the sun in heaven, and it is His Divine love accompanied by Divine wisdom that so appears. This may be seen in the book Heaven and Hell (London, 1758), nos. 116-125 and in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom, 83-172.

[2] It remains here simply to confirm from the Word that when the subject is the Lord, the sun is His Divine love and at the same time His Divine wisdom. This can be seen from the following passages:

...in (that) day... the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days... (Isaiah 30:25-26)

That day is the Lord's advent, when the old church has been destroyed and a new one is about to be established. The light of the moon is faith arising from charity, and the light of the sun is intelligence and wisdom arising from love emanating then from the Lord.

Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon wane; for Jehovah will be your everlasting light... (Isaiah 60:20)

The sun that will not go down is love and wisdom from the Lord.

...the Rock of Israel spoke to me... like the light of the morning when the sun rises... (2 Samuel 23:3-4)

The Rock of Israel is the Lord.

...his throne (shall be) as the sun... (Psalms 89:36-37)

This is said in reference to David, but David there means the Lord.

They shall fear You as long as the sun endures... In His days the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more... Before the sun He will have the name of Son, and all nations shall be blessed in Him... (Psalms 72:5, 7, 17)

These statements, too, are made in reference to the Lord.

[3] Because the Lord appears in heaven to angels as the sun, therefore when He was transfigured,

His face shone like the sun, and His garments became... as the light. (Matthew 17:1-2)

Moreover, in Revelation 10:1 it is said of the mighty angel coming down from heaven that he was "clothed with a cloud," and "his face was like the sun," and of the woman in Revelation 12:1 that she appeared "clothed with the sun." The sun there is love and wisdom emanating from the Lord. The woman there is the church called the New Jerusalem.

[4] Since the sun means the Lord with respect to love and wisdom, it is apparent what the sun symbolizes in the following places:

Behold, the day of Jehovah is coming, cruel... The sun will be darkened at its rising, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. I will visit upon the world its wickedness, and upon the impious their iniquity. (Isaiah 13:9-11)

...Jehovah will visit [punishment] in the high place upon the host of the high place, and on the earth upon the kings of the earth... Then the moon will blush and the sun be ashamed. (Isaiah 24:21, 23)

When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens, and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine... and I will... bring darkness upon your land. (Ezekiel 32:7-8)

...the day of Jehovah is coming..., a day of darkness... The sun and moon (will not cause their light to shine), and the stars have diminished their brightness. (Joel 2:1-2, 10)

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great... day of Jehovah. (Joel 2:31)

...the day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon have grown dark... (Joel 3:14-15)

The fourth angel sounded: and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars..., and a third of the day did not shine... (Revelation 8:12)

...the sun became as black as sackcloth of goat's hair, and the moon became as blood... (Revelation 6:12)

...the sun was... darkened because of the smoke of the pit. (Revelation 9:2)

The sun in these places does not mean the world's sun, but the sun of the angelic heaven, which is the Lord's Divine love and wisdom. These are said to be obscured, darkened, covered, or become black when falsities and evils are present in a person.

[5] It is apparent, therefore, that something similar is meant by the Lord's words when speaking of the end of the age, which is the final period of the church:

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven... (Matthew 24:29, cf. Mark 13:24-25)

So, too, in the following places:

The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be dark for them. (Micah 3:6)

...in that day... I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight. (Amos 8:9)

She... who has borne seven... will breath her last; her sun will go down while it is yet day. (Jeremiah 15:9)

The subject here is the Jewish Church, which will breathe its last or perish. The sun's going down means that there will no longer be any love or charity.

[6] It is said in Joshua that the sun stood still in Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Aijalon (Joshua 10:12-13). This seems to be an historical statement, but in fact it is prophetic, for it comes from the book of Jasher, which was a prophetic book; for in verse 13 it says, "Is this not written in the Book of Jasher?" The same book is called a prophetic one by David in 2 Samuel 1:17, 18.

A similar statement is found in Habakkuk:

The mountains... were shaken... The sun and moon stood still in their habitation. (Habakkuk 3:10-11)

[In Isaiah:]

Your sun shall no longer go down, nor shall your moon wane. (Isaiah 60:20)

For to cause the sun and moon to stand still would be to destroy the universe.

[7] Since the sun means the Lord with respect to Divine love and wisdom, therefore in their holy worship ancient peoples turned their faces to the rising sun, and their temples also, a practice that continues to this day.

That the sun in these passages does not mean the world's sun is clear from the fact that it was profane and an abomination for people to worship the world's sun and moon (see Numbers 25:1-4, Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:3, 5, Jeremiah 8:1-2; 43:10, 13; 44:17-19, 25). For the world's sun means self-love and a conceit in one's own intelligence, and self-love is diametrically opposed to Divine love, while a conceit in one's own intelligence is opposed to Divine wisdom. To worship the world's sun is also to accept nature as the creator of all things and one's own prudence as the effecter of all things, which entails a denial of God and a denial of Divine providence.

  
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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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