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Ezekiel 32

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1 και εγενετο εν τω ενδεκατω ετει εν τω δωδεκατω μηνι μια του μηνος εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

2 υιε ανθρωπου λαβε θρηνον επι φαραω βασιλεα αιγυπτου και ερεις αυτω λεοντι εθνων ωμοιωθης και συ ως δρακων ο εν τη θαλασση και εκερατιζες τοις ποταμοις σου και εταρασσες υδωρ τοις ποσιν σου και κατεπατεις τους ποταμους σου

3 ταδε λεγει κυριος και περιβαλω επι σε δικτυα λαων πολλων και αναξω σε εν τω αγκιστρω μου

4 και εκτενω σε επι την γην πεδια πλησθησεται σου και επικαθιω επι σε παντα τα πετεινα του ουρανου και εμπλησω εκ σου παντα τα θηρια πασης της γης

5 και δωσω τας σαρκας σου επι τα ορη και εμπλησω απο του αιματος σου

6 και ποτισθησεται η γη απο των προχωρηματων σου απο του πληθους σου επι των ορεων φαραγγας εμπλησω απο σου

7 και κατακαλυψω εν τω σβεσθηναι σε ουρανον και συσκοτασω τα αστρα αυτου ηλιον εν νεφελη καλυψω και σεληνη ου μη φανη το φως αυτης

8 παντα τα φαινοντα φως εν τω ουρανω συσκοτασουσιν επι σε και δωσω σκοτος επι την γην σου λεγει κυριος κυριος

9 και παροργιω καρδιαν λαων πολλων ηνικα αν αγω αιχμαλωσιαν σου εις τα εθνη εις γην ην ουκ εγνως

10 και στυγνασουσιν επι σε εθνη πολλα και οι βασιλεις αυτων εκστασει εκστησονται εν τω πετασθαι την ρομφαιαν μου επι προσωπα αυτων προσδεχομενοι την πτωσιν αυτων αφ' ημερας πτωσεως σου

11 οτι ταδε λεγει κυριος ρομφαια βασιλεως βαβυλωνος ηξει σοι

12 εν μαχαιραις γιγαντων και καταβαλω την ισχυν σου λοιμοι απο εθνων παντες και απολουσι την υβριν αιγυπτου και συντριβησεται πασα η ισχυς αυτης

13 και απολω παντα τα κτηνη αυτης αφ' υδατος πολλου και ου μη ταραξη αυτο ετι πους ανθρωπου και ιχνος κτηνων ου μη καταπατηση αυτο

14 ουτως τοτε ησυχασει τα υδατα αυτων και οι ποταμοι αυτων ως ελαιον πορευσονται λεγει κυριος

15 οταν δω αιγυπτον εις απωλειαν και ερημωθη η γη συν τη πληρωσει αυτης οταν διασπειρω παντας τους κατοικουντας εν αυτη και γνωσονται οτι εγω ειμι κυριος

16 θρηνος εστιν και θρηνησεις αυτον και αι θυγατερες των εθνων θρηνησουσιν αυτον επ' αιγυπτον και επι πασαν την ισχυν αυτης θρηνησουσιν αυτην λεγει κυριος κυριος

17 και εγενηθη εν τω δωδεκατω ετει του πρωτου μηνος πεντεκαιδεκατη του μηνος εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

18 υιε ανθρωπου θρηνησον επι την ισχυν αιγυπτου και καταβιβασουσιν αυτης τας θυγατερας τα εθνη νεκρας εις το βαθος της γης προς τους καταβαινοντας εις βοθρον

20 εν μεσω τραυματιων μαχαιρας πεσουνται μετ' αυτου και κοιμηθησεται πασα η ισχυς αυτου

21 και ερουσιν σοι οι γιγαντες εν βαθει βοθρου γινου τινος κρειττων ει καταβηθι και κοιμηθητι μετα απεριτμητων εν μεσω τραυματιων μαχαιρας

22 εκει ασσουρ και πασα η συναγωγη αυτου παντες τραυματιαι εκει εδοθησαν και η ταφη αυτων εν βαθει βοθρου και εγενηθη η συναγωγη αυτου περικυκλω του μνηματος αυτου παντες οι τραυματιαι οι πεπτωκοτες μαχαιρα

23 οι δοντες τον φοβον αυτων επι γης ζωης

24 εκει αιλαμ και πασα η δυναμις αυτου περικυκλω του μνηματος αυτου παντες οι τραυματιαι οι πεπτωκοτες μαχαιρα και οι καταβαινοντες απεριτμητοι εις γης βαθος οι δεδωκοτες αυτων φοβον επι γης ζωης και ελαβοσαν την βασανον αυτων μετα των καταβαινοντων εις βοθρον

25 εν μεσω τραυματιων

26 εκει εδοθησαν μοσοχ και θοβελ και πασα η ισχυς αυτων περικυκλω του μνηματος αυτου παντες τραυματιαι αυτου παντες απεριτμητοι τραυματιαι απο μαχαιρας οι δεδωκοτες τον φοβον αυτων επι γης ζωης

27 και εκοιμηθησαν μετα των γιγαντων των πεπτωκοτων απο αιωνος οι κατεβησαν εις αδου εν οπλοις πολεμικοις και εθηκαν τας μαχαιρας αυτων υπο τας κεφαλας αυτων και εγενηθησαν αι ανομιαι αυτων επι των οστων αυτων οτι εξεφοβησαν γιγαντας εν γη ζωης

28 και συ εν μεσω απεριτμητων κοιμηθηση μετα τετραυματισμενων μαχαιρα

29 εκει εδοθησαν οι αρχοντες ασσουρ οι δοντες την ισχυν αυτου εις τραυμα μαχαιρας ουτοι μετα τραυματιων εκοιμηθησαν μετα καταβαινοντων εις βοθρον

30 εκει οι αρχοντες του βορρα παντες στρατηγοι ασσουρ οι καταβαινοντες τραυματιαι συν τω φοβω αυτων και τη ισχυι αυτων εκοιμηθησαν απεριτμητοι μετα τραυματιων μαχαιρας και απηνεγκαν την βασανον αυτων μετα των καταβαινοντων εις βοθρον

31 εκεινους οψεται βασιλευς φαραω και παρακληθησεται επι πασαν την ισχυν αυτων λεγει κυριος κυριος

32 οτι δεδωκα τον φοβον αυτου επι γης ζωης και κοιμηθησεται εν μεσω απεριτμητων μετα τραυματιων μαχαιρας φαραω και παν το πληθος αυτου λεγει κυριος κυριος

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #413

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413. And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, and a third of them was darkened. This symbolically means that because of their evils springing from falsities and their falsities springing from evils, they did not know what love is, or what faith is, or any truth.

A third means, symbolically, all (no. 400). The sun symbolizes love (no. 53). The moon symbolizes intelligence and faith (no. 332). The stars symbolize concepts of truth and goodness from the Word (no. 51). To be darkened means, symbolically, to be unseen and unknown because of evils springing from falsities and falsities springing from evils.

Evils springing from falsities are found in people who adopt falsities having to do with religion and defend them to the point that they appear to be true. Then, when they live in accordance with them, they do evils as a result of the falsities, or the evils of falsity.

On the other hand, falsities springing from evils are found in people who do not regard evils as being sins, and still more in people who employ reasonings issuing from their natural self, and moreover from the Word, to establish in themselves that evils are not sins. Their very arguments are falsities springing from evils, and what we call the falsities of evil.

[2] Darkness symbolizes these falsities because light symbolizes truth, and when the light has been extinguished, darkness is left.

To confirm this we will first cite passages where things similar to those here in the book of Revelation are said regarding the sun, moon and stars, and darkness ensuing upon their being extinguished:

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

...the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its rising, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. (Isaiah 13:10, cf. 24:21, 24:23)

When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens..., I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. All the luminaries of light in the heavens I will make dark over you, and bring darkness upon your land... (Ezekiel 32:7-8)

...the day of Jehovah... is at hand... The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness. (Joel 2:1, 10)

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

Who, if he elevates his mind, cannot see that in these places it is not the world's sun, moon and stars that are meant.

[3] That darkness symbolizes falsities of various kinds is clear from these passages:

Woe to you who desire the day of Jehovah! ...It will be one of darkness, and not light... Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light? Very dark, without any brightness? (Amos 5:18, 20)

(The day of Jehovah will be) a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of clouds and overcast... (Zephaniah 1:15)

In that day... it will look to the land, which, behold, will be darkness...; and the light will grow dark in its ruins. (Isaiah 5:30, cf. 8:22)

...behold, the darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. (Isaiah 60:2)

Give glory to Jehovah... before He causes darkness...; you look for light, but He turns it into thick darkness. (Jeremiah 13:16)

We look for light, but there is darkness and no brightness; we walk in thick darkness... We stumble at noonday as at twilight; among the living we are as dead men. (Isaiah 59:9-10)

Woe to those... who put darkness for light, and light for darkness. (Isaiah 5:20)

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. (Isaiah 9:2, cf. Matthew 4:16)

...the rising sun from on high (has appeared) to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death... (Luke 1:78-79)

If you give your soul to the hungry..., your light shall rise in the darkness, and your thick darkness shall be as the noonday. (Isaiah 58:10)

In that day... the eyes of the blind who are in thick darkness and gloom shall see. (Isaiah 29:18, cf. 42:16; 49:9)

(Jesus said,) "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you... I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. (John 12:35, 46)

When I sit in darkness, Jehovah is a light to me. (Micah 7:8)

This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness more than light... (John 3:19, cf. 1:4-5)

If... the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:23, cf. Luke 11:34-36)

...this is your hour, and the power of darkness. (Luke 22:53)

Darkness in these places symbolizes falsity arising either from ignorance of truth or from some false tenet of religion, or from a life of evil.

Regarding people caught up in falsities having to do with religion, who are therefore caught up in evils in life, the Lord says that they should be "cast out into outer darkness" (Matthew 8:12, cf. 22:13; 25:30).

  
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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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