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Joel 2

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1 σαλπισατε σαλπιγγι εν σιων κηρυξατε εν ορει αγιω μου και συγχυθητωσαν παντες οι κατοικουντες την γην διοτι παρεστιν ημερα κυριου οτι εγγυς

2 ημερα σκοτους και γνοφου ημερα νεφελης και ομιχλης ως ορθρος χυθησεται επι τα ορη λαος πολυς και ισχυρος ομοιος αυτω ου γεγονεν απο του αιωνος και μετ' αυτον ου προστεθησεται εως ετων εις γενεας γενεων

3 τα εμπροσθεν αυτου πυρ αναλισκον και τα οπισω αυτου αναπτομενη φλοξ ως παραδεισος τρυφης η γη προ προσωπου αυτου και τα οπισθεν αυτου πεδιον αφανισμου και ανασωζομενος ουκ εσται αυτω

4 ως ορασις ιππων η οψις αυτων και ως ιππεις ουτως καταδιωξονται

5 ως φωνη αρματων επι τας κορυφας των ορεων εξαλουνται και ως φωνη φλογος πυρος κατεσθιουσης καλαμην και ως λαος πολυς και ισχυρος παρατασσομενος εις πολεμον

6 απο προσωπου αυτου συντριβησονται λαοι παν προσωπον ως προσκαυμα χυτρας

7 ως μαχηται δραμουνται και ως ανδρες πολεμισται αναβησονται επι τα τειχη και εκαστος εν τη οδω αυτου πορευσεται και ου μη εκκλινωσιν τας τριβους αυτων

8 και εκαστος απο του αδελφου αυτου ουκ αφεξεται καταβαρυνομενοι εν τοις οπλοις αυτων πορευσονται και εν τοις βελεσιν αυτων πεσουνται και ου μη συντελεσθωσιν

9 της πολεως επιλημψονται και επι των τειχεων δραμουνται και επι τας οικιας αναβησονται και δια θυριδων εισελευσονται ως κλεπται

10 προ προσωπου αυτων συγχυθησεται η γη και σεισθησεται ο ουρανος ο ηλιος και η σεληνη συσκοτασουσιν και τα αστρα δυσουσιν το φεγγος αυτων

11 και κυριος δωσει φωνην αυτου προ προσωπου δυναμεως αυτου οτι πολλη εστιν σφοδρα η παρεμβολη αυτου οτι ισχυρα εργα λογων αυτου διοτι μεγαλη η ημερα του κυριου μεγαλη και επιφανης σφοδρα και τις εσται ικανος αυτη

12 και νυν λεγει κυριος ο θεος υμων επιστραφητε προς με εξ ολης της καρδιας υμων και εν νηστεια και εν κλαυθμω και εν κοπετω

13 και διαρρηξατε τας καρδιας υμων και μη τα ιματια υμων και επιστραφητε προς κυριον τον θεον υμων οτι ελεημων και οικτιρμων εστιν μακροθυμος και πολυελεος και μετανοων επι ταις κακιαις

14 τις οιδεν ει επιστρεψει και μετανοησει και υπολειψεται οπισω αυτου ευλογιαν θυσιαν και σπονδην κυριω τω θεω ημων

15 σαλπισατε σαλπιγγι εν σιων αγιασατε νηστειαν κηρυξατε θεραπειαν

16 συναγαγετε λαον αγιασατε εκκλησιαν εκλεξασθε πρεσβυτερους συναγαγετε νηπια θηλαζοντα μαστους εξελθατω νυμφιος εκ του κοιτωνος αυτου και νυμφη εκ του παστου αυτης

17 ανα μεσον της κρηπιδος του θυσιαστηριου κλαυσονται οι ιερεις οι λειτουργουντες κυριω και ερουσιν φεισαι κυριε του λαου σου και μη δως την κληρονομιαν σου εις ονειδος του καταρξαι αυτων εθνη οπως μη ειπωσιν εν τοις εθνεσιν που εστιν ο θεος αυτων

18 και εζηλωσεν κυριος την γην αυτου και εφεισατο του λαου αυτου

19 και απεκριθη κυριος και ειπεν τω λαω αυτου ιδου εγω εξαποστελλω υμιν τον σιτον και τον οινον και το ελαιον και εμπλησθησεσθε αυτων και ου δωσω υμας ουκετι εις ονειδισμον εν τοις εθνεσι

20 και τον απο βορρα εκδιωξω αφ' υμων και εξωσω αυτον εις γην ανυδρον και αφανιω το προσωπον αυτου εις την θαλασσαν την πρωτην και τα οπισω αυτου εις την θαλασσαν την εσχατην και αναβησεται η σαπρια αυτου και αναβησεται ο βρομος αυτου οτι εμεγαλυνεν τα εργα αυτου

21 θαρσει γη χαιρε και ευφραινου οτι εμεγαλυνεν κυριος του ποιησαι

22 θαρσειτε κτηνη του πεδιου οτι βεβλαστηκεν πεδια της ερημου οτι ξυλον ηνεγκεν τον καρπον αυτου αμπελος και συκη εδωκαν την ισχυν αυτων

23 και τα τεκνα σιων χαιρετε και ευφραινεσθε επι τω κυριω θεω υμων διοτι εδωκεν υμιν τα βρωματα εις δικαιοσυνην και βρεξει υμιν υετον προιμον και οψιμον καθως εμπροσθεν

24 και πλησθησονται αι αλωνες σιτου και υπερεκχυθησονται αι ληνοι οινου και ελαιου

25 και ανταποδωσω υμιν αντι των ετων ων κατεφαγεν η ακρις και ο βρουχος και η ερυσιβη και η καμπη η δυναμις μου η μεγαλη ην εξαπεστειλα εις υμας

26 και φαγεσθε εσθιοντες και εμπλησθησεσθε και αινεσετε το ονομα κυριου του θεου υμων α εποιησεν μεθ' υμων εις θαυμασια και ου μη καταισχυνθη ο λαος μου εις τον αιωνα

27 και επιγνωσεσθε οτι εν μεσω του ισραηλ εγω ειμι και εγω κυριος ο θεος υμων και ουκ εστιν ετι πλην εμου και ου μη καταισχυνθωσιν ουκετι πας ο λαος μου εις τον αιωνα

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #704

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704. That perform signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. This symbolizes assertions that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

To perform signs is to testify and also to assert that something is true, as may be seen in nos. 598, 599 above, here that their falsities are true. Kings of the earth and of the whole world symbolize people who are caught up primarily in falsities springing from evil, here all who are caught up in the same falsities throughout the church. For kings symbolize people impelled by truths that spring from goodness, and in an opposite sense people impelled by falsities springing from evil (no. 483). The earth symbolizes the church (no. 285), and so likewise does the world (no. 551). To go away to gather them to battle means, symbolically, to stir those people to fight or attack; for war symbolizes a spiritual war, which is one of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity (nos. 500, 586). It is to attack the truths of the New Church because it is called the battle of that great day of God Almighty, and that day symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then. That this is the symbolic meaning of the great day there will be seen below.

We are told that the spirits of demons would do this, because the spirits of demons symbolize lusts to falsify truths and to reason on the basis of falsities, as just said in no. 703 above.

It is apparent from this that spirits of demons performing signs to go away to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty, symbolize assertions by the people meant by the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, as described in nos. 701, 702 above, that their falsities are true, and efforts to stir up all those throughout the church who are caught up in the same falsities to attack the truths of the New Church.

[2] That the great day of God Almighty symbolizes the Lord's advent and a new church then, is clear from many passages in the Word, as from the following:

Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. (Isaiah 2:11)

...in that day... Israel... will depend on Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (Isaiah 10:20)

In that day a Root of Jesse... shall the Gentiles seek, and His resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10-11)

In that day... eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 17:7, 9)

They will say in that day: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, to set us free." (Isaiah 25:9)

...My people shall know My name...(and) in that day, I am He who speaks: "Behold, it is I." (Isaiah 52:6)

Alas! ...great is (the day of Jehovah, and) there is none like it. (Jeremiah 30:7)

Behold, the days are coming... when I will make a new covenant... and the city shall be built for Jehovah... (Jeremiah 31:27, 31, 38)

In those days... I will cause to grow up to David a righteous Branch... (Jeremiah 33:15)

(They will not) stand in battle on the day of Jehovah. (Ezekiel 13:5)

In that day Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the children of your people... In that day... shall be delivered everyone who is found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1)

...in that day... you will call Me "My Husband."... In that day I will make a covenant for them... ...in that day I will hear... (Hosea 2:16, 18, 21).

Behold, I am sending you Elijah... before the coming of the great... day of Jehovah. (Malachi 4:5)

Jehovah... will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. (Zechariah 9:16)

In that day Jehovah will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:8)

Behold, the day of Jehovah is coming... It shall be one day which is known to Jehovah... In that day Jehovah shall be one and His name one... In that day there shall be a great tumult... In that day "Holiness to the Lord" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. (Zechariah 14:1, 4, 6-9, 13, 20-21)

There are many other passages in addition to these in which "the day of Jehovah" means the Lord's advent and a new church from Him then, as in the following: Isaiah 4:2; 19:16, 18, 21, 24; 22:20; 28:5; 29:18; 30:25-26; 31:7; and elsewhere.

Since the end of an age or final period of a former church is the time when the Lord's advent takes place and a new church begins, therefore the day of Jehovah in many places symbolizes the end of a previous church, and we are told that then there will be rumors, tumult, and wars. 1 See the passages collected in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 4, 5.

Footnotes:

1. E.g., Matthew 24:6

  
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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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