The Bible

 

Lamentations 2

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1 πῶς ἐγνόφωσεν ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ κύριος τὴν θυγατέρα σιων κατέρριψεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εἰς γῆν δόξασμα ισραηλ καὶ οὐκ ἐμνήσθη ὑποποδίου ποδῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ

2 κατεπόντισεν κύριος οὐ φεισάμενος πάντα τὰ ὡραῖα ιακωβ καθεῖλεν ἐν θυμῷ αὐτοῦ τὰ ὀχυρώματα τῆς θυγατρὸς ιουδα ἐκόλλησεν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐβεβήλωσεν βασιλέα αὐτῆς καὶ ἄρχοντας αὐτῆς

3 συνέκλασεν ἐν ὀργῇ θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ πᾶν κέρας ισραηλ ἀπέστρεψεν ὀπίσω δεξιὰν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ προσώπου ἐχθροῦ καὶ ἀνῆψεν ἐν ιακωβ ὡς πῦρ φλόγα καὶ κατέφαγεν πάντα τὰ κύκλῳ

4 ἐνέτεινεν τόξον αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐχθρός ἐστερέωσεν δεξιὰν αὐτοῦ ὡς ὑπεναντίος καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν πάντα τὰ ἐπιθυμήματα ὀφθαλμῶν μου ἐν σκηνῇ θυγατρὸς σιων ἐξέχεεν ὡς πῦρ τὸν θυμὸν αὐτοῦ

5 ἐγενήθη κύριος ὡς ἐχθρός κατεπόντισεν ισραηλ κατεπόντισεν πάσας τὰς βάρεις αὐτῆς διέφθειρεν τὰ ὀχυρώματα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπλήθυνεν τῇ θυγατρὶ ιουδα ταπεινουμένην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην

6 καὶ διεπέτασεν ὡς ἄμπελον τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ διέφθειρεν ἑορτὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπελάθετο κύριος ὃ ἐποίησεν ἐν σιων ἑορτῆς καὶ σαββάτου καὶ παρώξυνεν ἐμβριμήματι ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ βασιλέα καὶ ἱερέα καὶ ἄρχοντα

7 ἀπώσατο κύριος θυσιαστήριον αὐτοῦ ἀπετίναξεν ἁγίασμα αὐτοῦ συνέτριψεν ἐν χειρὶ ἐχθροῦ τεῖχος βάρεων αὐτῆς φωνὴν ἔδωκαν ἐν οἴκῳ κυρίου ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἑορτῆς

8 καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν κύριος τοῦ διαφθεῖραι τεῖχος θυγατρὸς σιων ἐξέτεινεν μέτρον οὐκ ἀπέστρεψεν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ καταπατήματος καὶ ἐπένθησεν τὸ προτείχισμα καὶ τεῖχος ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἠσθένησεν

9 ἐνεπάγησαν εἰς γῆν πύλαι αὐτῆς ἀπώλεσεν καὶ συνέτριψεν μοχλοὺς αὐτῆς βασιλέα αὐτῆς καὶ ἄρχοντας αὐτῆς ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν οὐκ ἔστιν νόμος καί γε προφῆται αὐτῆς οὐκ εἶδον ὅρασιν παρὰ κυρίου

10 ἐκάθισαν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἐσιώπησαν πρεσβύτεροι θυγατρὸς σιων ἀνεβίβασαν χοῦν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν περιεζώσαντο σάκκους κατήγαγον εἰς γῆν ἀρχηγοὺς παρθένους ἐν ιερουσαλημ

11 ἐξέλιπον ἐν δάκρυσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου ἐταράχθη ἡ καρδία μου ἐξεχύθη εἰς γῆν ἡ δόξα μου ἐπὶ τὸ σύντριμμα τῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐν τῷ ἐκλιπεῖν νήπιον καὶ θηλάζοντα ἐν πλατείαις πόλεως

12 ταῖς μητράσιν αὐτῶν εἶπαν ποῦ σῖτος καὶ οἶνος ἐν τῷ ἐκλύεσθαι αὐτοὺς ὡς τραυματίας ἐν πλατείαις πόλεως ἐν τῷ ἐκχεῖσθαι ψυχὰς αὐτῶν εἰς κόλπον μητέρων αὐτῶν

13 τί μαρτυρήσω σοι ἢ τί ὁμοιώσω σοι θύγατερ ιερουσαλημ τίς σώσει σε καὶ παρακαλέσει σε παρθένος θύγατερ σιων ὅτι ἐμεγαλύνθη ποτήριον συντριβῆς σου τίς ἰάσεταί σε

14 προφῆταί σου εἴδοσάν σοι μάταια καὶ ἀφροσύνην καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀδικίαν σου τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι αἰχμαλωσίαν σου καὶ εἴδοσάν σοι λήμματα μάταια καὶ ἐξώσματα

15 ἐκρότησαν ἐπὶ σὲ χεῖρας πάντες οἱ παραπορευόμενοι ὁδόν ἐσύρισαν καὶ ἐκίνησαν τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν θυγατέρα ιερουσαλημ ἦ αὕτη ἡ πόλις ἣν ἐροῦσιν στέφανος δόξης εὐφροσύνη πάσης τῆς γῆς

16 διήνοιξαν ἐπὶ σὲ στόμα αὐτῶν πάντες οἱ ἐχθροί σου ἐσύρισαν καὶ ἔβρυξαν ὀδόντας εἶπαν κατεπίομεν αὐτήν πλὴν αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα ἣν προσεδοκῶμεν εὕρομεν αὐτήν εἴδομεν

17 ἐποίησεν κύριος ἃ ἐνεθυμήθη συνετέλεσεν ῥήματα αὐτοῦ ἃ ἐνετείλατο ἐξ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων καθεῖλεν καὶ οὐκ ἐφείσατο καὶ ηὔφρανεν ἐπὶ σὲ ἐχθρόν ὕψωσεν κέρας θλίβοντός σε

18 ἐβόησεν καρδία αὐτῶν πρὸς κύριον τείχη σιων καταγάγετε ὡς χειμάρρους δάκρυα ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός μὴ δῷς ἔκνηψιν σεαυτῇ μὴ σιωπήσαιτο θύγατερ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου

19 ἀνάστα ἀγαλλίασαι ἐν νυκτὶ εἰς ἀρχὰς φυλακῆς σου ἔκχεον ὡς ὕδωρ καρδίαν σου ἀπέναντι προσώπου κυρίου ἆρον πρὸς αὐτὸν χεῖράς σου περὶ ψυχῆς νηπίων σου τῶν ἐκλυομένων λιμῷ ἐπ' ἀρχῆς πασῶν ἐξόδων

20 ἰδέ κύριε καὶ ἐπίβλεψον τίνι ἐπεφύλλισας οὕτως εἰ φάγονται γυναῖκες καρπὸν κοιλίας αὐτῶν ἐπιφυλλίδα ἐποίησεν μάγειρος φονευθήσονται νήπια θηλάζοντα μαστούς ἀποκτενεῖς ἐν ἁγιάσματι κυρίου ἱερέα καὶ προφήτην

21 ἐκοιμήθησαν εἰς τὴν ἔξοδον παιδάριον καὶ πρεσβύτης παρθένοι μου καὶ νεανίσκοι μου ἐπορεύθησαν ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ ἀπέκτεινας ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς σου ἐμαγείρευσας οὐκ ἐφείσω

22 ἐκάλεσεν ἡμέραν ἑορτῆς παροικίας μου κυκλόθεν καὶ οὐκ ἐγένοντο ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς κυρίου ἀνασῳζόμενος καὶ καταλελειμμένος ὡς ἐπεκράτησα καὶ ἐπλήθυνα ἐχθρούς μου πάντας

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #20

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20. And makes us kings and priests. (1:6) This symbolically means, who grants those who are born from Him, that is, who are reborn or regenerated, to be governed by wisdom from Divine truths, and by love from Divine goods.

People know that in the Word the Lord is called a king and also a priest. He is called a king owing to His Divine wisdom, and a priest owing to His Divine love. People who are governed by wisdom from the Lord are consequently called children of the king, and also kings, while people who are governed by love from Him are called ministers and priests. For the wisdom and the love in them do not originate from them, and so are not theirs but the Lord's. It is these people who are therefore meant in the Word by kings and priests. Not that they are kings and priests, but that they have the Lord in them, and He causes them to be termed such.

Such people are called also children born of Him, children of the kingdom, children of the Father, and heirs - children born of Him in John 1:12-13ff.), children of the kingdom in Matthew 8:12; 13:38, children of their Father in heaven in Matthew 5:45, and heirs in Psalms 127:3, 1 Samuel 2:8, Matthew 25:34. And being heirs, children of the kingdom, and children born of the Lord as their Father, they are therefore called kings and priests. Moreover, in Revelation 3:21 it is also said that they will sit with the Lord on His throne.

[2] The whole of heaven has been divided into two kingdoms - the spiritual kingdom and the celestial kingdom. The spiritual kingdom is what is called the Lord's kingship, and because all who are in it are governed by wisdom founded on truths, therefore it is they who are meant by the kings that the Lord will make those people who are governed by wisdom from Him. The celestial kingdom, on the other hand, is what is called the Lord's priesthood, and because all who are in it are governed by love arising from goodness, therefore it is they who are meant by the priests that the Lord will make those people who are governed by love from Him. The Lord's church on earth is likewise divided into two kingdoms. Regarding these two kingdoms, see nos. 24, 226 in the book Heaven and Hell, published in London, 1758.

[3] Someone who does not know the spiritual meaning of kings and priests may be deluded in regard to many things said in the prophets and in the book of Revelation about them. For example, in regard to these statements in the prophets:

The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you... You shall suck the milk of gentiles, even the breasts of kings you shall suck, that you may know that I, Jehovah, am your Savior and your Redeemer... (Isaiah 60:10, 16)

Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their princesses your wet nurses. (Isaiah 49:23)

Also elsewhere, as in Genesis 49:20; Psalms 2:10; Isaiah 14:9; 24:21; 52:15; Jeremiah 2:26; 4:9; 49:3; Lamentations 2:6, 9; Ezekiel 7:26-27; Hosea 3:4; Zephaniah 1:8. Kings there do not mean kings, but people who are governed by Divine truths from the Lord, and abstractly, Divine truths themselves, from which comes wisdom.

"The king of the south" and "the king of the north" who waged war with each other in Daniel 11 do not mean kings either, but the king of the south means people who are governed by truths, and the king of the north people who are caught up in falsities.

[4] Likewise in the book of Revelation, which many times mentions kings, as in the following passages:

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. (Revelation 16:12)

(With) the great harlot who sits on many waters... the kings of the earth committed whoredom... (Revelation 17:1-2)

...of the wine of the wrath of (Babylon's) whoredom all the nations have drunk, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her... (Revelation 18:3)

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war with Him who sat on the (white) horse... (Revelation 19:19)

And the nations that are saved shall walk in His light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into (the New Jerusalem). (Revelation 21:24)

Elsewhere also, as in Revelation 16:14; 17:9-14; 18:9-10. The kings there means people who are governed by truths, and in an opposite sense, people caught up in falsities, and abstractly, truths or falsities themselves. The whoredom of Babylon with the kings of the earth means the falsification of the truth of the church. Obviously Babylon, or the woman who sat on the scarlet beast, did not commit whoredom with kings, but rather falsified truths of the Word.

[5] It is apparent from this that the Lord's going to make people who are wise from Him kings does not mean that they will be kings, but that they will be wise. The reality of this is also something that enlightened reason sees.

Likewise in the following:

You have made us kings and priests to our God, that we may reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)

That by king the Lord meant truth is apparent from His words to Pilate:

Pilate... said to Him, "Are You a king then?"

Jesus answered, "As you have said, because I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" (John 18:27, 38)

To bear witness to the truth is to be Himself the embodiment of truth. And because He called Himself a king by virtue of it, Pilate said, "What is truth?" - which is to say, "Is truth a king?

As for priests, we will see in later explanations that they symbolize people who are governed by the goodness of love, and abstractly, goods of love themselves.

  
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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.

The Bible

 

Daniel 11

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1 "As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.

2 Now will I show you the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and when he has grown strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.

3 A mighty king shall stand up, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.

4 When he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of the sky, but not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion with which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others besides these.

5 The king of the south shall be strong, and [one] of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.

6 At the end of years they shall join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the strength of her arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; but she shall be given up, and those who brought her, and he who became the father of her, and he who strengthened her in those times.

7 But out of a shoot from her roots shall one stand up in his place, who shall come to the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail.

8 Also their gods, with their molten images, [and] with their goodly vessels of silver and of gold, shall he carry captive into Egypt; and he shall refrain some years from the king of the north.

9 He shall come into the realm of the king of the south, but he shall return into his own land.

10 His sons shall war, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall come on, and overflow, and pass through; and they shall return and war, even to his fortress.

11 The king of the south shall be moved with anger, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north; and he shall set forth a great multitude, and the multitude shall be given into his hand.

12 The multitude shall be lifted up, and his heart shall be exalted; and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail.

13 The king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former; and he shall come on at the end of the times, [even of] years, with a great army and with much substance.

14 In those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the children of the violent among your people shall lift themselves up to establish the vision; but they shall fall.

15 So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mound, and take a well-fortified city: and the forces of the south shall not stand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to stand.

16 But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the glorious land, and in his hand shall be destruction.

17 He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and with him equitable conditions; and he shall perform them: and he shall give him the daughter of women, to corrupt her; but she shall not stand, neither be for him.

18 After this shall he turn his face to the islands, and shall take many: but a prince shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; yes, moreover, he shall cause his reproach to turn on him.

19 Then he shall turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.

20 Then shall stand up in his place one who shall cause a tax collector to pass through the kingdom to maintain its glory; but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle.

21 In his place shall stand up a contemptible person, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom: but he shall come in time of security, and shall obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

22 The overwhelming forces shall be overwhelmed from before him, and shall be broken; yes, also the prince of the covenant.

23 After the treaty made with him he shall work deceitfully; for he shall come up, and shall become strong, with a small people.

24 In time of security shall he come even on the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them prey, and spoil, and substance: yes, he shall devise his devices against the strongholds, even for a time.

25 He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall war in battle with an exceeding great and mighty army; but he shall not stand; for they shall devise devices against him.

26 Yes, they who eat of his dainties shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow; and many shall fall down slain.

27 As for both these kings, their hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table: but it shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

28 Then shall he return into his land with great substance; and his heart [shall be] against the holy covenant; and he shall do [his pleasure], and return to his own land.

29 At the time appointed he shall return, and come into the south; but it shall not be in the latter time as it was in the former.

30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and shall return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and shall do [his pleasure]: he shall even return, and have regard to those who forsake the holy covenant.

31 Forces shall stand on his part, and they shall profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and shall take away the continual [burnt offering], and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.

32 Such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he pervert by flatteries; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and do [exploits].

33 Those who are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by spoil, [many] days.

34 Now when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall join themselves to them with flatteries.

35 Some of those who are wise shall fall, to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for the time appointed.

36 The king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done.

37 Neither shall he regard the gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all.

38 But in his place shall he honor the god of fortresses; and a god whom his fathers didn't know shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses by the help of a foreign god: whoever acknowledges [him] he will increase with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price.

40 At the time of the end shall the king of the south contend with him; and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass through.

41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many [countries] shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

42 He shall stretch forth his hand also on the countries; and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

44 But news out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; and he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many.

45 He shall plant the tents of his palace between the sea and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.