The Bible

 

Hoseas 8

Study

   

1 Sett basunen for din munn*! - Som en ørn kommer fienden over Herrens hus, fordi de har brutt pakten med mig og forsyndet sig mot min lov. / {* JES 58, 1.}

2 De skal rope til mig: Min Gud! Vi israelitter kjenner dig.

3 Israel har støtt det gode fra sig - fienden skal forfølge ham.

4 De har valgt sig konger, som ikke kom fra mig, de har satt inn fyrster, uten at jeg visste om det. Av sitt sølv og gull har de gjort sig avgudsbilleder, så de skulde bli utryddet.

5 Motbydelig er din kalv, Samaria! Min vrede er optendt mot dem. Hvor lenge skal renhet synes dem utålelig?

6 For et verk av Israel er den, en kunstner har gjort den, og den er ikke nogen gud; ja, til splinter skal den bli Samarias kalv.

7 For vind sår de, og storm skal de høste; deres korn får ikke aks, deres grøde gir ikke føde; om den gir noget, skal fremmede opsluke det.

8 Israel er opslukt; nu er de blandt folkene lik en ting som ingen bryr sig om;

9 for de drog op til Assur lik et villesel, som går sine egne veier; Efra'im tinger om elskov;

10 men om de enn tinger blandt folkene, vil jeg nu samle dem dit, og de skal begynne å bli færre under storkongens byrder.

11 Fordi Efra'im har gjort sig så mange alter til å synde med, er de blitt ham alter til synd.

12 Om jeg enn skriver ham mine lover i tusentall, så blir de allikevel aktet for noget fremmed.

13 Som offergaver til mig ofrer de kjøtt som de selv eter; Herren har ikke behag i dem. Nu vil han komme deres misgjerning i hu og hjemsøke dem for deres synder - de skal vende tilbake til Egypten.

14 Israel glemte sin skaper og bygget sig palasser, og Juda bygget mange faste byer; men jeg vil sende ild mot hans byer, og den skal fortære hans palasser.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #923

Study this Passage

  
/ 962  
  

923. 21:26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. This symbolically means that those who enter the New Jerusalem will bring with them a confession, acknowledgment and faith that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, and that every truth of the church and every good of religion comes from Him.

To bring glory and honor into the city means, symbolically, to confess the Lord and attribute to the Lord all the goodness that people possess, as may be seen in no. 921 above. The symbolism is the same here, with the difference that before it was people meant by the kings of the earth who would bring it with them, while here it is people meant by the nations. For we are told that they will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it, and nations symbolize people who live a good life and believe in the Lord (no. 920). The verse also refers to the reception of those who possess truths that spring from the goodness of love from the Lord, as said in no. 922 above. It follows, therefore, that the people's bringing the glory and the honor of the nations into the city means, symbolically, that those who enter will bring with them a confession, acknowledgment and faith that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, and that every truth of the church and every good of religion comes from Him.

Almost the same symbolism occurs in the following verse in Isaiah:

...I will spread peace over (Jerusalem)..., and the glory of the nations like a... stream. (Isaiah 66:12)

We say the truth of the church and the good of religion because the church is one thing and religion another. The church is called a church because of its doctrine, and religion is called religion because of its life in accordance with doctrine. Every teaching of doctrine is called truth, and the good of doctrine is also truth, because doctrine only teaches it. But every effect of a life in accordance with what doctrine teaches is what we call good. Putting the truths of doctrine into practice is also good. This is the distinction between the church and religion. But still, where there is doctrine and not life, neither the church nor religion can be said to exist, because doctrine regards life as united with it, altogether like truth and good, faith and charity, wisdom and love, and intellect and will. Consequently, where there is doctrine and not life, the church does not exist.

  
/ 962  
  

Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.