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Esekiel 12

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1 Og Herrens ord kom til mig, og det lød så:

2 Menneskesønn! Du bor midt iblandt den gjenstridige ætt, som har øine å se med, men ikke ser, og ører å høre med, men ikke hører; for en gjenstridig ætt er de.

3 Og du menneskesønn, rust dig ut til å gå i landflyktighet og dra ut om dagen midt for deres øine! Dra fra det sted hvor du bor, til et annet sted midt for deres øine! Kanskje de da vil komme til å se; for en gjenstridig ætt er de.

4 De ting du kan få med dig, skal du bære ut om dagen midt for deres øine, som om du skulde gå i landflyktighet. og selv skal du ta ut om aftenen midt for deres øine, likesom de som går i landflyktighet.

5 Bryt dig et hull i veggen midt for deres øine og bær dine ting ut gjennem den!

6 Midt for deres øine skal du ta det på skulderen; i mørket skal du bære det ut; ditt ansikt skal du tildekke, så du ikke ser landet; for jeg har satt dig til et varselstegn for Israels hus.

7 Og jeg gjorde således som det var sagt mig: Mine ting bar jeg ut om dagen. som om jeg skulde gå i landflyktighet, og om aftenen brøt jeg mig med hånden et hull i veggen; i mørket bar jeg mine ting ut; på skulderen tok jeg dem midt for deres øine.

8 Og Herrens ord kom til mig morgenen efter, og det lød så:

9 Menneskesønn! Har ikke Israels hus, den gjenstridige ætt, sagt til dig: Hvad gjør du?

10 Si til dem: Så sier Herren, Israels Gud: Denne flytning gjelder fyrsten* i Jerusalem og alt Israels hus som er der inne. / {* Sedekias.}

11 Si: Jeg er et varselstegn for eder; likesom jeg har gjort, så skal det gjøres med dem; i landflyktighet, i fangenskap skal de gå.

12 Og fyrsten som er iblandt dem, skal ta sine ting på skulderen i mørket og dra ut; de skal bryte et hull i muren og føre ham ut gjennem den; sitt ansikt skal han tildekke, forat han ikke skal se landet med sine øine.

13 Og jeg vil utspenne mitt garn over ham, og han skal fanges i mitt nett, og jeg vil føre ham til Babel i kaldeernes land; men det skal han ikke se*, og der skal han . / {* 2KG 25, 7.}

14 Alle som er omkring ham, hans hjelpere, og alle hans krigsskarer vil jeg sprede for alle vinder, og jeg vil forfølge dem med draget sverd.

15 Og de skal kjenne at jeg er Herren, når jeg spreder dem blandt folkene og strør dem ut i landene.

16 Bare nogen få av dem vil jeg la bli igjen efter sverdet og hungeren og pesten, forat de skal fortelle om alle deres vederstyggeligheter iblandt de folk som de kommer til, og de skal kjenne at jeg er Herren.

17 Og Herrens ord kom til mig, og det lød så:

18 Menneskesønn! Ditt brød skal du ete skjelvende, og ditt vann skal du drikke bevende og med frykt.

19 Og du skal si til landets folk: Så sier Herren, Israels Gud, om Jerusalems innbyggere i Israels land: Sitt brød skal de ete med frykt, og sitt vann skal de drikke med forferdelse, fordi deres land skal bli øde og miste sin fylde for de voldsgjerningers skyld som alle dets innbyggere har gjort.

20 Og de byer som det nu bor folk i, skal legges øde, og landet bli en ørken, og I skal kjenne at jeg er Herren.

21 Og Herrens ord kom til mig, og det lød så:

22 Menneskesønn! Hvad er dette for et ord I fører i munnen i Israels land, når I sier: Tiden blir lang, og hvert syn blir til intet?

23 Derfor skal du si til dem: Så sier Herren, Israels Gud: Jeg vil gjøre ende på dette ord som de fører i munnen, så de ikke mere skal bruke det i Israel; men si til dem: Nu er tiden nær da ordene i hvert syn skal bli opfylt!

24 For det skal ikke mere være noget tomt syn eller nogen dårende spådom i Israels hus;

25 for jeg, Herren, taler det ord jeg taler, og det skal skje, det skal ikke lenger utsettes; for i eders dager, du gjenstridige ætt, taler jeg et ord og setter det i verk, sier Herren, Israels Gud.

26 Og Herrens ord kom til mig, og det lød så:

27 Menneskesønn! Se, Israels hus sier: Det syn han skuer, opfylles først efter mange dager, og det er om fjerne tider han spår.

28 Derfor skal du si til dem: Så sier Herren, Israels Gud: Intet av alt jeg har sagt, skal utsettes lenger; det ord jeg taler, det skal skje, sier Herren, Israels Gud.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Coronis (An Appendix to True Christian Religion) #58

  
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58. The state of consummation of the Israelitish Church is described in both the historical parts of the Word, and its prophetic parts: in the prophetic, by the atrocious deeds of the kings, first of those of the Israelites, and afterwards of those of the Jews, by whom and under whom the land is said to have been profaned. But it is needless to recite them, because they are well known; only those passages from the prophetic parts shall be adduced in which the consummation and devastation of that Church are treated of. In these passages by "earth" and "land," "Zion," "Jerusalem," "cities," "mountains," "hills," "valleys," and "rivers," similar things are signified as above (n. 55). The following are from the prophetic parts of the Word:

[2] I saw the earth, and behold it was empty and void; and towards the heavens, and their light was not.... I saw, when, behold, Carmel 1 was a desert, and all the cities were desolated at the presence of Jehovah.... For thus hath Jehovah said, The whole land shall be wasteness, yet will I not make a consummation. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be blackened.

Thou, therefore, that art vastated, what wilt thou do? (Jer. 4:23-31; 5:10, 18).

The lion hath come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of nations... hath gone forth from his place, to reduce the land to a waste.... In that day... the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished (Jer. 4:7, 9).

In that day, every place where there were a thousand vines shall be... for thorns and briars,... because all the land shall be thorns and briars (Isa. 7:23-24).

A voice of the cry of the shepherds and... of the powerful ones of the flock, for Jehovah layeth waste their pastures: whence the sheepfolds of peace were devastated. Jehovah hath forsaken His tabernacle, for their land was reduced to a desolation (Jer. 25:36-38).

This house shall be like Shiloh, and Jerusalem shall be a devastation (Jer. 26:9; 27:17).

Jerusalem, and all the cities of Judah, shall be a desolation and a devastation in this day, because of the wickedness of your works; . . . your land is become a desolation, an astonishment and a curse (Jer. 44:2, 6, 22).

I will give the land to devastation, because they have committed transgression (Ezek. 15:8).

They shall be devastated in the midst of the devastated lands, and her cities in the midst of the desolated cities.... Then I will make the rivers drought,... the land into the hand of the evil, and I will vastate the land and the fulness thereof (Ezek. 30:7, 12).

When I shall extinguish thee, I will cover the heavens, and will make the stars thereof black. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine;... and I will set darkness upon the land... when I shall bring on thy breaking up (Ezek. 32:7-9);

in like manner as the Lord foretold concerning the consummation of the present Christian Church (Matt. 24:29).

[3] I will give Mount Seir to wasteness and to devastation.... I will make thee the wastes of eternity... (Ezek. 35:3-4, 7, 9, 12, 14-15).

In that day they shall bring up a proverb against you... and say, In vastating we are vastated (Micah 2:4).

Fear and the pit have taken hold of us, devastation and breaking up (Lam. 3:47).

The mountain of Zion is vastated (Lam. 5:18).

Thine iniquity is consummated, O daughter of Zion (Lam. 4:22).

Woe to the sinful nation, heavy with iniquity;... they have provoked the Holy One of Israel.... From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness;... your land is a solitude.... The daughter of Zion is left as a tent in a vineyard, as a besieged city (Isa. 1:4-8, and following verses).

What will ye do in the day of visitation and devastation? Consummation is finished, justice is overwhelmed; for the Lord Jehovih is making a consummation and decision in the whole land (Isa. 10:3, etc., Isa. 10:22-23).

I have heard a consummation and decision from the Lord Jehovih of hosts in the whole land (Isa. 28:22).

The prophet fell upon his face, and said, Lord Jehovih! Thou art making a consummation with the remnants of Israel (Ezek. 11:13).

My sanctuary was profaned, and the land of Israel was devastated (Ezek. 25:3).

Were even Noah, Daniel and Job in the midst of it,... they only shall be delivered, but the land shall become a desolation (Ezek. 14:14, 16).

[4] The completion of the consummation of the Israelitish and Jewish Church was accomplished when the Lord our Saviour, after receiving the sponge of vinegar, cried out upon the cross,

It is consummated (John 19:29-30);

for it is said in David:

They gave gall for My meat, and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink:... let their habitation be devastated (Psalm 69:21, 25).

And in another place:

Without cause have they hid for Me the pit of the net; without cause have they digged for My soul. Let devastation come upon him before he is aware;... let him fall into devastation. Rescue My soul from their devastators, and My only one,-that is, the Church-from the lions' whelps (Psalm 35:7-8, 17).

I will make Jerusalem heaps, a habitation of dragons; I will reduce the cities of Judah to a waste;... behold, I am feeding them, even this people, with wormwood, and I will give them waters of gall to drink (Jer. 9:11-15).

Full consummation, after this, is described in Hosea thus:

The sons of Israel shall sit many days: no king, no prince, no sacrifice, no image, no ephod, and no teraphim (Hosea 3:4).

Such is their state at the present day. There is no need to adduce more passages. The passages in which the vastation, desolation and consummation of this Church are further mentioned, shall be only named: as, for example, Isa. 9:13-21; 22:4-14: Jer. 7:31-34; 25:33; 47:4: Ezek. 13:14-15; 14:8, 15; 19:7; 25:12-13; 26:2; 29:9-10, 12; 32:12, 15: Joel 1:15-20; 2:3; 3:19: Nahum 1:8-9: Zeph. 1:15; 2:9: Lam. 1:16: Psalm 73:17-19; 74:3.

The devastated are also called "thrust through" 2 (Ezek. 11:6-7; 21:30, 34; 26:6; 28:8, 23; 31:17-18; 32:20-24, 28-32; 35:8: Zeph. 2:12: Lam. 4:9: Psalm 69:27: and in other places). They are said to be "thrust through" because a "sword," by which this is done, signifies falsity destroying truth.

Footnotes:

1. See R.V. margin.

2. In most of these passages our ordinary Bibles have "slain"; but Young's Literal Translation of the Bible has "pierced," which, of course, is the same as "thrust through."

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

The Bible

 

Lamentations 3:47

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47 Fear and the pit are come on us, devastation and destruction.