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Obadiah 1

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1 ορασις αβδιου ταδε λεγει κυριος ο θεος τη ιδουμαια ακοην ηκουσα παρα κυριου και περιοχην εις τα εθνη εξαπεστειλεν αναστητε και εξαναστωμεν επ' αυτην εις πολεμον

2 ιδου ολιγοστον δεδωκα σε εν τοις εθνεσιν ητιμωμενος συ ει σφοδρα

3 υπερηφανια της καρδιας σου επηρεν σε κατασκηνουντα εν ταις οπαις των πετρων υψων κατοικιαν αυτου λεγων εν καρδια αυτου τις με καταξει επι την γην

4 εαν μετεωρισθης ως αετος και εαν ανα μεσον των αστρων θης νοσσιαν σου εκειθεν καταξω σε λεγει κυριος

5 ει κλεπται εισηλθον προς σε η λησται νυκτος που αν απερριφης ουκ αν εκλεψαν τα ικανα εαυτοις και ει τρυγηται εισηλθον προς σε ουκ αν υπελιποντο επιφυλλιδα

6 πως εξηρευνηθη ησαυ και κατελημφθη αυτου τα κεκρυμμενα

7 εως των οριων σου εξαπεστειλαν σε παντες οι ανδρες της διαθηκης σου αντεστησαν σοι ηδυνασθησαν προς σε ανδρες ειρηνικοι σου εθηκαν ενεδρα υποκατω σου ουκ εστιν συνεσις αυτοις

8 εν εκεινη τη ημερα λεγει κυριος απολω σοφους εκ της ιδουμαιας και συνεσιν εξ ορους ησαυ

9 και πτοηθησονται οι μαχηται σου οι εκ θαιμαν οπως εξαρθη ανθρωπος εξ ορους ησαυ

10 δια την σφαγην και την ασεβειαν την εις τον αδελφον σου ιακωβ και καλυψει σε αισχυνη και εξαρθηση εις τον αιωνα

11 αφ' ης ημερας αντεστης εξ εναντιας εν ημερα αιχμαλωτευοντων αλλογενων δυναμιν αυτου και αλλοτριοι εισηλθον εις πυλας αυτου και επι ιερουσαλημ εβαλον κληρους και συ ης ως εις εξ αυτων

12 και μη επιδης ημεραν αδελφου σου εν ημερα αλλοτριων και μη επιχαρης επι τους υιους ιουδα εν ημερα απωλειας αυτων και μη μεγαλορρημονησης εν ημερα θλιψεως

13 μηδε εισελθης εις πυλας λαων εν ημερα πονων αυτων μηδε επιδης και συ την συναγωγην αυτων εν ημερα ολεθρου αυτων μηδε συνεπιθη επι την δυναμιν αυτων εν ημερα απωλειας αυτων

14 μηδε επιστης επι τας διεκβολας αυτων του εξολεθρευσαι τους ανασωζομενους αυτων μηδε συγκλεισης τους φευγοντας εξ αυτων εν ημερα θλιψεως

15 διοτι εγγυς ημερα κυριου επι παντα τα εθνη ον τροπον εποιησας ουτως εσται σοι το ανταποδομα σου ανταποδοθησεται εις κεφαλην σου

16 διοτι ον τροπον επιες επι το ορος το αγιον μου πιονται παντα τα εθνη οινον πιονται και καταβησονται και εσονται καθως ουχ υπαρχοντες

17 εν δε τω ορει σιων εσται η σωτηρια και εσται αγιον και κατακληρονομησουσιν ο οικος ιακωβ τους κατακληρονομησαντας αυτους

18 και εσται ο οικος ιακωβ πυρ ο δε οικος ιωσηφ φλοξ ο δε οικος ησαυ εις καλαμην και εκκαυθησονται εις αυτους και καταφαγονται αυτους και ουκ εσται πυροφορος εν τω οικω ησαυ διοτι κυριος ελαλησεν

19 και κατακληρονομησουσιν οι εν ναγεβ το ορος το ησαυ και οι εν τη σεφηλα τους αλλοφυλους και κατακληρονομησουσιν το ορος εφραιμ και το πεδιον σαμαρειας και βενιαμιν και την γαλααδιτιν

20 και της μετοικεσιας η αρχη αυτη τοις υιοις ισραηλ γη των χαναναιων εως σαρεπτων και η μετοικεσια ιερουσαλημ εως εφραθα και κληρονομησουσιν τας πολεις του ναγεβ

21 και αναβησονται ανδρες σεσωσμενοι εξ ορους σιων του εκδικησαι το ορος ησαυ και εσται τω κυριω η βασιλεια

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #164

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164. "'I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you.'" This symbolically means that the things of which their worship consists will be taken from them, without their knowing when or how.

This says that the Lord will come like a thief because a person engaged in a lifeless worship has the outward good of worship taken from him. For lifeless worship has some good in it, inasmuch as the worshipers think about God and eternal life. Still, good without its truths is nevertheless not good, unless it is merit-seeking or hypocritical, and evils and falsities take that away, like a thief. This occurs progressively in the world, and totally after death, and moreover without the person's knowing when or how.

It is said in attribution to the Lord that He will come like a thief, but in the spiritual sense the meaning is that hell will take something away and rob people of it. The case here is the same as when the Word says that God does evil to a person, lays him waste, takes revenge, becomes wrathful, and leads into trial or temptation, when in fact it is hell that does these things; for it is so stated in accordance with the appearance to mankind.

In Matthew 25:26-30 and Luke 19:24-26 it may be seen that a talent or mina with which a person is to do business is taken from him if does not make a profit by it. To do business and make a profit means, symbolically, to acquire for oneself truths and goods.

[2] Since the taking away of goodness and truth from people engaged in a lifeless worship comes about as though by a thief in the dark, therefore in the Word it is sometimes likened to a thief, as in the following places:

Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked... (Revelation 16:15)

Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come. Know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. (Matthew 24:42-43)

If thieves have come to you, if robbers by night - oh, how you will be cut off! - will they not steal till they have enough? (Obadiah v. 5)

They run to and fro in the city, they run on the wall; they climb into the houses, they enter through the windows like a thief. (Joel 2:9)

They have concocted a lie, and a thief comes, and a mob spreads outside. (Hosea 7:1)

Do not lay up... treasures on earth..., but... in heaven..., where thieves do not come and will not steal. (Matthew 6:19-20)

A person should watch and not know the hour at which the Lord comes in order that he may think and act as though of himself, thus in freedom in accordance with his reason, and not have fear interject anything. For everyone would be fearful if he were to know. Moreover, whatever a person does of himself in freedom remains to eternity, while what he does out of fear does not remain.

  
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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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