The Bible

 

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

 

Arcana Coelestia #9331

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9331. 'And I will send the hornet before you' means the dread felt by those who are steeped in falsities arising from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'hornets' as falsities that are stinging and lethal and therefore cause feelings of dread. Terror is used in reference to those immersed in evils, and dread to those steeped in falsities; regarding the terror felt by the former, see above in 9327. The reason why the dread felt by those steeped in falsities is meant by 'hornets' is that these are winged creatures equipped with stings with which they can administer venomous pricks. For living creatures both great and small mean such things as compose human affections, that is, such as are connected with the will, or else they mean such things as compose human thoughts, that is, such as are connected with the understanding. For everything without exception in the human being has connection either with his will or with his understanding. Things that have no connection with one or the other do not exist in the human being, and so are not part of the human being. Creatures that walk and also ones that creep mean affections in both senses, and so mean forms of good or else evils since these belong to the affections, whereas flying creatures, including insects with wings, mean such things as belong to thought in both senses, and so mean truths or else falsities since these belong to thoughts.

Living creatures mean forms of good or else evils, see 9280. Ones that creep mean forms of good or else evils on the external level of the senses, 746, 909, 994. Flying creatures mean truths or falsities, 40, 745, 776, 778, 866, 911, 988, 3219, 5149, 7441. Consequently insects with wings mean the same things, but as they exist on the outermost levels of the human mind.

[2] But falsities, which are the subject now, are of many kinds. There are falsities which do no harm, there are falsities which do slight harm and those which do serious harm, and there are also those which are lethal. What kind they are is recognized from the evils they arise from. Every falsity that is harmful or that is lethal owes its existence to evil; for falsity arising from evil is evil revealing itself in an outward form. In the next life also, when such falsities are represented visually, they are seen as swarms of filthy insects and flying creatures, a terrifying sight that is determined by the type of evil from which the falsities derive. From all this it is evident why it is that the dread felt by those steeped in falsities arising from evil is meant by 'hornets'. Similarly in Deuteronomy,

Jehovah your God will send the hornet among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you have perished. Deuteronomy 7:20.

[3] Throughout the Word various types of insects are mentioned, and wherever they are mentioned they mean falsities or evils in the outermost levels of the human mind, or the external level of the senses. These evils and falsities have their origin in the illusions of the senses and in various bodily pleasures and appetites, which mislead by means of their allurements and by outward appearances, and cause reason to assent to and so become immersed in falsities arising from evil. This type of falsities is meant by 'the noxious flying insects' of Egypt, see 7441, and likewise by 'the locusts' there, 7643. By 'the frogs' of Egypt reasonings arising from falsities are meant, 7351, 7352, 7384; by 'the lice' there evils of the same kind are meant, 7419; and by 'worms' falsities that devour and torment, 8481.

[4] Such evils and falsities are also meant by the various types of insects referred to in the following places: In Isaiah,

It will happen on that day, that Jehovah will whistle for the fly that is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Asshur. They will come and all of them will rest in the river of desolations, and in the clefts of the rocks, and in all bushes. Isaiah 7:18-19.

This refers to the Lord's Coming, and to the state of the Church then. 'The fly in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt' is falsity on the outermost levels of the human mind, that is, on the external level of the senses, 7441. 'The bee in the land of Asshur' is falsity perverting reasonings in the mind; for 'Asshur' means reasoning, 1186. 'The river of desolations' is falsity reigning everywhere; 'the clefts of the rocks' are the truths of faith lying in obscurity, because they have been removed from the light of heaven, 8581 (end); and 'bushes' are similar but newly developing truths, 2682.

[5] In Amos,

I struck you with blight and mildew; your very many gardens, and your vineyards, and your fig trees, and your olive trees the caterpillar (eruca) devoured. Amos 4:9.

In Joel,

What the caterpillar (eruca) has left the locust will devour, and what the locust has left the beetle (melolontha) will devour, and what the beetle has left the bruchus 1 will devour. Awake, you drunkards; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine that has been cut off from your mouth. Joel 1:4-5.

In the same prophet,

The threshing-floors are full of clean grain; the presses overflow with new wine and oil. And I will recompense for you the years that the locust has consumed, the beetle (melolontha), and the bruchus, and the caterpillar (eruca), My great army which I sent among you. Joel 2:24-25.

Here falsities and evils on the outermost levels or the external level of the senses of a member of the Church are meant by these types of insects, as is evident from the specific details in these quotations; for they refer to the perversion of the Church's truth and good. What 'the locust' and what 'the bruchus' mean may be seen in 7643; and the fact that the Church's forms of good and its truths in general are meant by 'gardens', 'vineyards', 'fig trees', 'olive trees', 'wine', and 'new wine', which are destroyed by such creatures, has been shown often in explanations.

[6] In David,

He caused frogs to crawl forth onto their land, into the chambers of their kings. He spoke, that a swarm might come, lice in all their borders. Psalms 105:30-31.

This refers to Egypt. What is meant by 'frogs' there, see 7351, 7352, 7384; and what by 'lice', 7419. In Moses,

You will plant and dress vineyards, but not drink wine nor gather [the fruit]; for the worm will eat it. Deuteronomy 28:39.

'The worm' stands for all such falsity and evil in general.

[7] In Isaiah,

Do not fear the reproach of man (homo), and do not be dismayed by their slanders. For the moth will devour them as a garment, and the grub will devour them as wool. Isaiah 51:7-8.

'The moth' stands for falsities on the outermost levels of the human mind, and 'the grub' for evils there. For 'a garment' which the moth will devour means the lower or more external truths that belong to the sensory level of the human mind, 2576, 5248, 6377, 6918, 9158, 9212; and 'wool' which the grub will devour means the lower or more external forms of good that belong to the sensory level of the human mind, as is evident from many places in the Word, and also from the meaning of 'a sheep', from which wool is obtained, as the good of charity, 4169. What exactly are the outermost levels of the natural man, which are called those of the senses, and what they are like, see 4009, 5077, 5081, 5084, 5089, 5094, 5125, 5128, 5580, 5767, 5774, 6183, 6201, 6310-6318, 6564, 6598, 6612, 6614, 6622, 6624, 6844, 6845, 6948, 6949, 7442, 7645, 7693, 9212, 9216.

Footnotes:

1. i.e. a (wingless) kind of locust, possibly the larva of a locust

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.