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Ezekiel 7

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1 και εγενετο λογος κυριου προς με λεγων

2 και συ υιε ανθρωπου ειπον ταδε λεγει κυριος τη γη του ισραηλ περας ηκει το περας ηκει επι τας τεσσαρας πτερυγας της γης

3 ηκει το περας

4 επι σε τον κατοικουντα την γην ηκει ο καιρος ηγγικεν η ημερα ου μετα θορυβων ουδε μετα ωδινων

5 νυν εγγυθεν εκχεω την οργην μου επι σε και συντελεσω τον θυμον μου εν σοι και κρινω σε εν ταις οδοις σου και δωσω επι σε παντα τα βδελυγματα σου

6 ου φεισεται ο οφθαλμος μου ουδε μη ελεησω διοτι τας οδους σου επι σε δωσω και τα βδελυγματα σου εν μεσω σου εσονται και επιγνωση διοτι εγω ειμι κυριος ο τυπτων

7 νυν το περας προς σε και αποστελω εγω επι σε και εκδικησω σε εν ταις οδοις σου και δωσω επι σε παντα τα βδελυγματα σου

8 ου φεισεται ο οφθαλμος μου επι σε ουδε μη ελεησω διοτι την οδον σου επι σε δωσω και τα βδελυγματα σου εν μεσω σου εσται και επιγνωση διοτι εγω κυριος

9 διοτι ταδε λεγει κυριος

10 ιδου το περας ηκει ιδου ημερα κυριου ει και η ραβδος ηνθηκεν η υβρις εξανεστηκεν

11 και συντριψει στηριγμα ανομου και ου μετα θορυβου ουδε μετα σπουδης

12 ηκει ο καιρος ιδου η ημερα ο κτωμενος μη χαιρετω και ο πωλων μη θρηνειτω

13 διοτι ο κτωμενος προς τον πωλουντα ουκετι μη επιστρεψη και ανθρωπος εν οφθαλμω ζωης αυτου ου κρατησει

14 σαλπισατε εν σαλπιγγι και κρινατε τα συμπαντα

15 ο πολεμος εν ρομφαια εξωθεν και ο λιμος και ο θανατος εσωθεν ο εν τω πεδιω εν ρομφαια τελευτησει τους δε εν τη πολει λιμος και θανατος συντελεσει

16 και ανασωθησονται οι ανασωζομενοι εξ αυτων και εσονται επι των ορεων παντας αποκτενω εκαστον εν ταις αδικιαις αυτου

17 πασαι χειρες εκλυθησονται και παντες μηροι μολυνθησονται υγρασια

18 και περιζωσονται σακκους και καλυψει αυτους θαμβος και επι παν προσωπον αισχυνη επ' αυτους και επι πασαν κεφαλην φαλακρωμα

19 το αργυριον αυτων ριφησεται εν ταις πλατειαις και το χρυσιον αυτων υπεροφθησεται αι ψυχαι αυτων ου μη εμπλησθωσιν και αι κοιλιαι αυτων ου μη πληρωθωσιν διοτι βασανος των αδικιων αυτων εγενετο

20 εκλεκτα κοσμου εις υπερηφανιαν εθεντο αυτα και εικονας των βδελυγματων αυτων εποιησαν εξ αυτων ενεκεν τουτου δεδωκα αυτα αυτοις εις ακαθαρσιαν

21 και παραδωσω αυτα εις χειρας αλλοτριων του διαρπασαι αυτα και τοις λοιμοις της γης εις σκυλα και βεβηλωσουσιν αυτα

22 και αποστρεψω το προσωπον μου απ' αυτων και μιανουσιν την επισκοπην μου και εισελευσονται εις αυτα αφυλακτως και βεβηλωσουσιν αυτα

23 και ποιησουσι φυρμον διοτι η γη πληρης λαων και η πολις πληρης ανομιας

24 και αποστρεψω το φρυαγμα της ισχυος αυτων και μιανθησεται τα αγια αυτων

25 εξιλασμος ηξει και ζητησει ειρηνην και ουκ εσται

26 ουαι επι ουαι εσται και αγγελια επ' αγγελιαν εσται και ζητηθησεται ορασις εκ προφητου και νομος απολειται εξ ιερεως και βουλη εκ πρεσβυτερων

27 αρχων ενδυσεται αφανισμον και αι χειρες του λαου της γης παραλυθησονται κατα τας οδους αυτων ποιησω αυτοις και εν τοις κριμασιν αυτων εκδικησω αυτους και γνωσονται οτι εγω κυριος

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #476

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476. That there should be no more time. This symbolically means that there will be no church or any state of the church unless people acknowledge one God, and that the Lord is that God.

Time symbolizes state, and because the church is the subject here, it symbolizes a state of the church. Consequently, that there should be no more time means, symbolically, that there should be no state of the church.

It follows also that it means there would be no church unless people acknowledge one God, and that the Lord is that God. But what is the case today? No one denies that there is one God, but people do deny that the Lord is that God. And yet there cannot be one God in whom there is at the same time a Trinity unless that God is the Lord. No one denies that the church originates from Him who is the Savior and Redeemer, but people do deny that they should turn to Him directly as their Savior and Redeemer.

It is apparent from this that the church will die unless a new one arises, one that acknowledges the Lord alone as God of heaven and earth and accordingly turns to Him directly (see Matthew 28:18 1 ). Consequently the statement here that there should be no more time, that is to say, no church, is related to what is said in verse 7 of this chapter, 2 and verse 7 in turn is related to what is said in chapter 11:15, 3 where we are told that there would be a church which would be the Lord's alone.

[2] Time symbolizes state because in the spiritual world time is not measured by days, weeks, months and years, but instead by states which are progressions of the inhabitants' lives, by which they recall the past. (On which subject, see the book Heaven and Hell, published in London in 1758, nos. 162-169, where we dealt with time in heaven.)

The state of the church is meant here by time because although day and night, morning and evening, summer and winter mark periods of time in the world, when interpreted in the spiritual sense they mark states of the church. Consequently, when these states come to an end, there is no church; and that is the case when there is no longer any good and truth, thus when the light of truth has become dark, and the warmth of goodness cold. That is what is meant by the statement that there should be no more time.

The following passages in the Word have similar meanings:

(The fourth beast) shall think to change times... (Daniel 7:25)

There shall be one day which is known to Jehovah - neither day nor night (and so not a period of time). (Zechariah 14:7)

...I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight (and so not in a period of time). (Amos 8:9)

...a single evil, behold, it has come! An end has come, the end has come... The morning has come upon you, who dwell in the land; the time has come... (Ezekiel 7:5-7)

The morning is the commencement of the New Church (no. 151), which is why it says, "The time has come."

Footnotes:

1. "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."

2. ."..in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, as He declared to His servants the prophets."

3. "Then the seventh angel sounded: and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!'"

  
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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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