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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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #778

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778. "And wine, oil, flour, wheat." This symbolically means that these Roman Catholics no longer have any worship that springs from celestial truths and goods, because they have nothing inwardly in their worship that corresponds to the aforesaid things.

This statement is similar to ones explained just above and in previous numbers, the only difference being that the valuables here symbolize celestial goods and truths.

Just what goods and truths are called celestial, and what spiritual, may be seen in no. 773 above. It may also be seen that the Roman Catholics meant here possess none of these, nor are there any in their worship. For, as we said above, the goods and truths of doctrine are present in worship as the soul is in the body. Consequently worship without these is a lifeless worship. Of such a character is worship that is reverent in outward appearances, but which has in it no internal reverence.

That wine symbolizes truth springing from the goodness of love may be seen in no. 316 above. That oil symbolizes the goodness of love will be seen in the next number. Flour symbolizes celestial truth, and wheat symbolizes celestial good.

[2] Wine, oil, flour and wheat symbolize the truths and goods in worship, because they were the ingredients in drink offerings and grain offerings, which were offered on the altar along with other sacrifices, and sacrifices and other offerings offered on the altar symbolize worship, since it was in these that the Israelites' worship chiefly consisted.

That drink offerings, which were ones of wine, were offered on the altar along with other sacrifices, can be seen in Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:12-13, 18-19; Numbers 15:2-15; 28:11-15, 18-31; 29:1-7ff.; and also in Isaiah 57:6; 65:11; Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19; Ezekiel 20:28; Joel 1:9; Psalms 16:4; Deuteronomy 32:38.

That oil was also offered on the altar along with sacrifices, can be seen in Exodus 29:40.

That grain offerings, which consisted of wheat flour, were offered on the altar along with other sacrifices, can be seen in Exodus 29:40).

It can be seen from this that these four articles - wine, oil, flour and wheat - were sacred and celestial elements in their worship.

  
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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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