The Bible

 

Ezekiel 37

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1 και εγενετο επ' εμε χειρ κυριου και εξηγαγεν με εν πνευματι κυριος και εθηκεν με εν μεσω του πεδιου και τουτο ην μεστον οστεων ανθρωπινων

2 και περιηγαγεν με επ' αυτα κυκλοθεν κυκλω και ιδου πολλα σφοδρα επι προσωπου του πεδιου ξηρα σφοδρα

3 και ειπεν προς με υιε ανθρωπου ει ζησεται τα οστα ταυτα και ειπα κυριε συ επιστη ταυτα

4 και ειπεν προς με προφητευσον επι τα οστα ταυτα και ερεις αυτοις τα οστα τα ξηρα ακουσατε λογον κυριου

5 ταδε λεγει κυριος τοις οστεοις τουτοις ιδου εγω φερω εις υμας πνευμα ζωης

6 και δωσω εφ' υμας νευρα και αναξω εφ' υμας σαρκας και εκτενω εφ' υμας δερμα και δωσω πνευμα μου εις υμας και ζησεσθε και γνωσεσθε οτι εγω ειμι κυριος

7 και επροφητευσα καθως ενετειλατο μοι και εγενετο εν τω εμε προφητευσαι και ιδου σεισμος και προσηγαγε τα οστα εκατερον προς την αρμονιαν αυτου

8 και ειδον και ιδου επ' αυτα νευρα και σαρκες εφυοντο και ανεβαινεν επ' αυτα δερμα επανω και πνευμα ουκ ην εν αυτοις

9 και ειπεν προς με προφητευσον υιε ανθρωπου προφητευσον επι το πνευμα και ειπον τω πνευματι ταδε λεγει κυριος εκ των τεσσαρων πνευματων ελθε και εμφυσησον εις τους νεκρους τουτους και ζησατωσαν

10 και επροφητευσα καθοτι ενετειλατο μοι και εισηλθεν εις αυτους το πνευμα και εζησαν και εστησαν επι των ποδων αυτων συναγωγη πολλη σφοδρα

11 και ελαλησεν κυριος προς με λεγων υιε ανθρωπου τα οστα ταυτα πας οικος ισραηλ εστιν και αυτοι λεγουσιν ξηρα γεγονεν τα οστα ημων απολωλεν η ελπις ημων διαπεφωνηκαμεν

12 δια τουτο προφητευσον και ειπον ταδε λεγει κυριος ιδου εγω ανοιγω υμων τα μνηματα και αναξω υμας εκ των μνηματων υμων και εισαξω υμας εις την γην του ισραηλ

13 και γνωσεσθε οτι εγω ειμι κυριος εν τω ανοιξαι με τους ταφους υμων του αναγαγειν με εκ των ταφων τον λαον μου

14 και δωσω το πνευμα μου εις υμας και ζησεσθε και θησομαι υμας επι την γην υμων και γνωσεσθε οτι εγω κυριος λελαληκα και ποιησω λεγει κυριος

15 και εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

16 υιε ανθρωπου λαβε σεαυτω ραβδον και γραψον επ' αυτην τον ιουδαν και τους υιους ισραηλ τους προσκειμενους επ' αυτον και ραβδον δευτεραν λημψη σεαυτω και γραψεις αυτην τω ιωσηφ ραβδον εφραιμ και παντας τους υιους ισραηλ τους προστεθεντας προς αυτον

17 και συναψεις αυτας προς αλληλας σαυτω εις ραβδον μιαν του δησαι αυτας και εσονται εν τη χειρι σου

18 και εσται οταν λεγωσιν προς σε οι υιοι του λαου σου ουκ αναγγελεις ημιν τι εστιν ταυτα σοι

19 και ερεις προς αυτους ταδε λεγει κυριος ιδου εγω λημψομαι την φυλην ιωσηφ την δια χειρος εφραιμ και τας φυλας ισραηλ τας προσκειμενας προς αυτον και δωσω αυτους επι την φυλην ιουδα και εσονται εις ραβδον μιαν εν τη χειρι ιουδα

20 και εσονται αι ραβδοι εφ' αις συ εγραψας επ' αυταις εν τη χειρι σου ενωπιον αυτων

21 και ερεις αυτοις ταδε λεγει κυριος κυριος ιδου εγω λαμβανω παντα οικον ισραηλ εκ μεσου των εθνων ου εισηλθοσαν εκει και συναξω αυτους απο παντων των περικυκλω αυτων και εισαξω αυτους εις την γην του ισραηλ

22 και δωσω αυτους εις εθνος εν εν τη γη μου και εν τοις ορεσιν ισραηλ και αρχων εις εσται αυτων και ουκ εσονται ετι εις δυο εθνη ουδε μη διαιρεθωσιν ουκετι εις δυο βασιλειας

23 ινα μη μιαινωνται ετι εν τοις ειδωλοις αυτων και ρυσομαι αυτους απο πασων των ανομιων αυτων ων ημαρτοσαν εν αυταις και καθαριω αυτους και εσονται μοι εις λαον και εγω κυριος εσομαι αυτοις εις θεον

24 και ο δουλος μου δαυιδ αρχων εν μεσω αυτων και ποιμην εις εσται παντων οτι εν τοις προσταγμασιν μου πορευσονται και τα κριματα μου φυλαξονται και ποιησουσιν αυτα

25 και κατοικησουσιν επι της γης αυτων ην εγω δεδωκα τω δουλω μου ιακωβ ου κατωκησαν εκει οι πατερες αυτων και κατοικησουσιν επ' αυτης αυτοι και δαυιδ ο δουλος μου αρχων αυτων εσται εις τον αιωνα

26 και διαθησομαι αυτοις διαθηκην ειρηνης διαθηκη αιωνια εσται μετ' αυτων και θησω τα αγια μου εν μεσω αυτων εις τον αιωνα

27 και εσται η κατασκηνωσις μου εν αυτοις και εσομαι αυτοις θεος και αυτοι μου εσονται λαος

28 και γνωσονται τα εθνη οτι εγω ειμι κυριος ο αγιαζων αυτους εν τω ειναι τα αγια μου εν μεσω αυτων εις τον αιωνα

   

The Bible

 

Ezekiel 39:28

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28 και γνωσονται οτι εγω ειμι κυριος ο θεος αυτων εν τω επιφανηναι με αυτοις εν τοις εθνεσιν

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #862

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862. We have said that the nations' surrounding the camp of the saints and the beloved city means, symbolically, that these people attempted to destroy everything connected with the New Church, both its truths and goods and its fundamental doctrine regarding the Lord and life, as stated in the preceding number. This is the symbolic meaning because the camp of the saints symbolizes all the truths and goods of the church which is the New Jerusalem.

That a camp in the spiritual sense symbolizes everything connected with the church with respect to its truths and goods can be seen from the following passages:

The sun and moon grew dark, and the stars diminished their brightness. Jehovah uttered His voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for numberless are those who obey His Word. (Joel 2:10-11)

I will encamp for My house some of the army... (Zechariah 9:8)

...God has scattered the bones of them who encamp against you..., because God has rejected them. (Psalms 53:5)

The angel of Jehovah encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. (Psalms 34:7)

(An angel of God met Jacob, and said to Jacob,) "This is God's camp." Therefore he called the name of that place Mahanaim (Two Camps). (Genesis 32:1-2)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 29:3, Ezekiel 1:24, Psalms 27:3.

That an army or host in the Word symbolizes the church's truths and goods, and also its falsities and evils, may be seen in nos. 447, 826, 833; and so, too, does a camp.

[2] Since the children of Israel and their twelve tribes symbolize the church in respect to all its truths and goods (nos. 349, 350), they were therefore called the armies or hosts of Jehovah (Exodus 7:4; 12:41, 51), and the places where they stopped and assembled were called camps, as in Leviticus 4:12; 8:17; 13:46; 14:8; 16:26, 28; 24:14, 23; Numbers 1; 2; 3; 4:5 ff., 5:2-4; 9:17-23; 10:1-10, 11-28; 11:31-32; 12:14-15; 21:10-15; 33:1-49; Deuteronomy 23:9-14; Amos 4:10.

It is apparent from this now that the nations' surrounding the camp of the saints and the beloved city means, symbolically, that these people tried to destroy all the truths and goods of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, and also its doctrine regarding the Lord and life.

The same symbolism is found in these verses in Luke:

When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near... (At length) Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:20, 24)

This is said in reference to the end of the age, which is the final period of the church. Jerusalem here also symbolizes the church.

That Gog and Magog, that is, people who engage in external worship divorced from any internal worship, will then invade the church and try to destroy it, is something we are told also in Ezekiel 38:8-9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 39:2, and that the New Church will then be established by the Lord, Ezekiel 39:17-29.

  
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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.