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Joel 1

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1 λογος κυριου ος εγενηθη προς ιωηλ τον του βαθουηλ

2 ακουσατε δη ταυτα οι πρεσβυτεροι και ενωτισασθε παντες οι κατοικουντες την γην ει γεγονεν τοιαυτα εν ταις ημεραις υμων η εν ταις ημεραις των πατερων υμων

3 υπερ αυτων τοις τεκνοις υμων διηγησασθε και τα τεκνα υμων τοις τεκνοις αυτων και τα τεκνα αυτων εις γενεαν ετεραν

4 τα καταλοιπα της καμπης κατεφαγεν η ακρις και τα καταλοιπα της ακριδος κατεφαγεν ο βρουχος και τα καταλοιπα του βρουχου κατεφαγεν η ερυσιβη

5 εκνηψατε οι μεθυοντες εξ οινου αυτων και κλαυσατε θρηνησατε παντες οι πινοντες οινον εις μεθην οτι εξηρται εκ στοματος υμων ευφροσυνη και χαρα

6 οτι εθνος ανεβη επι την γην μου ισχυρον και αναριθμητον οι οδοντες αυτου οδοντες λεοντος και αι μυλαι αυτου σκυμνου

7 εθετο την αμπελον μου εις αφανισμον και τας συκας μου εις συγκλασμον ερευνων εξηρευνησεν αυτην και ερριψεν ελευκανεν κληματα αυτης

8 θρηνησον προς με υπερ νυμφην περιεζωσμενην σακκον επι τον ανδρα αυτης τον παρθενικον

9 εξηρται θυσια και σπονδη εξ οικου κυριου πενθειτε οι ιερεις οι λειτουργουντες θυσιαστηριω

10 οτι τεταλαιπωρηκεν τα πεδια πενθειτω η γη οτι τεταλαιπωρηκεν σιτος εξηρανθη οινος ωλιγωθη ελαιον

11 εξηρανθησαν οι γεωργοι θρηνειτε κτηματα υπερ πυρου και κριθης οτι απολωλεν τρυγητος εξ αγρου

12 η αμπελος εξηρανθη και αι συκαι ωλιγωθησαν ροα και φοινιξ και μηλον και παντα τα ξυλα του αγρου εξηρανθησαν οτι ησχυναν χαραν οι υιοι των ανθρωπων

13 περιζωσασθε και κοπτεσθε οι ιερεις θρηνειτε οι λειτουργουντες θυσιαστηριω εισελθατε υπνωσατε εν σακκοις λειτουργουντες θεω οτι απεσχηκεν εξ οικου θεου υμων θυσια και σπονδη

14 αγιασατε νηστειαν κηρυξατε θεραπειαν συναγαγετε πρεσβυτερους παντας κατοικουντας γην εις οικον θεου υμων και κεκραξατε προς κυριον εκτενως

15 οιμμοι οιμμοι οιμμοι εις ημεραν οτι εγγυς ημερα κυριου και ως ταλαιπωρια εκ ταλαιπωριας ηξει

16 κατεναντι των οφθαλμων υμων βρωματα εξωλεθρευθη εξ οικου θεου υμων ευφροσυνη και χαρα

17 εσκιρτησαν δαμαλεις επι ταις φατναις αυτων ηφανισθησαν θησαυροι κατεσκαφησαν ληνοι οτι εξηρανθη σιτος

18 τι αποθησομεν εαυτοις εκλαυσαν βουκολια βοων οτι ουχ υπηρχεν νομη αυτοις και τα ποιμνια των προβατων ηφανισθησαν

19 προς σε κυριε βοησομαι οτι πυρ ανηλωσεν τα ωραια της ερημου και φλοξ ανηψεν παντα τα ξυλα του αγρου

20 και τα κτηνη του πεδιου ανεβλεψαν προς σε οτι εξηρανθησαν αφεσεις υδατων και πυρ κατεφαγεν τα ωραια της ερημου

The Bible

 

Ezekiel 7:10

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #315

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315. "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius." This symbolically means, because the value these people placed on goodness and truth was so little as to be scarcely anything.

This is the symbolic meaning because a quart, which is a measure and its contents, symbolizes the character of a thing, as shown in no. 313 above. Wheat and barley symbolize goodness and truth, and a denarius, being a very small coin, symbolizes a value so little as to be scarcely anything.

Three quarts of barley are specified because the number three symbolizes all and is predicated of truths (no. 400).

Wheat and barley symbolizes goodness and truth, here the goodness and truth of the church acquired from the Word, because everything connected with a field or vineyard symbolizes something having to do with the church - a field symbolizing the church in respect to its goodness and consequent truth, and a vineyard symbolizing the church in respect to its truth and consequent goodness. Therefore, where these are mentioned in the Word, angels, who perceive everything spiritually, have no other understanding of them - as for example in Joel:

The field is wasted, the land mourns, because the grain is wasted, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails. Ashamed are the farmers, the vinedressers wail, over the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. (Joel 1:10-12)

All of these things symbolize things having to do with the church.

[2] That wheat and barley symbolize the goodness and truth of the church can be seen from the following passages:

(John said of Jesus that He would) gather his wheat into the granary and burn the chaff with fire... (Matthew 3:11-12)

(Jesus said,) "Let (weed and wheat) grow together..., and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, 'First gather together the weeds... to burn them, but gather the wheat into my granary.'" (Matthew 23:24-30)

...I have heard from Jehovah God... a consummation and determination... Plant the measured wheat, and the appointed barley... (Thus) He instructs him for judgment; His God teaches him. (Isaiah 28:21-26)

...Jehovah... will bring you into... a land of wheat and barley... (Deuteronomy 8:7-8)

The land of wheat and barley here is the land of Canaan, which symbolizes the church.

They shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of Jehovah, for wheat and new wine... (Jeremiah 31:12)

(Jehovah) will fill you with the finest wheat. (Psalms 147:12-14, cf. Deuteronomy 32:13-14, Psalms 81:13, 16)

Jehovah told the prophet Ezekiel to make himself a cake of barleycorn mixed with dung and eat it (Ezekiel 4:12, 15). And He told the prophet Hosea to take to himself an adulterous woman, whom he bought for one and a half omers of barleycorn (Hosea 3:1-2). The prophets did these things to represent the falsifications of truth in the church, for barleycorns are truths, and barleycorns mixed with dung are truths falsified and profaned. An adulterous woman also symbolizes truth falsified (no. 134).

  
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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.