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Joel 3

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1 Og derefter skal det skje at jeg vil utgyde min Ånd over alt kjød, og eders sønner og eders døtre skal tale profetiske ord; eders oldinger skal ha drømmer, eders unge menn skal se syner;

2 ja, endog over trælene og over trælkvinnene vil jeg i de dager utgyde min Ånd.

3 Og jeg vil gjøre underfulle tegn på himmelen og på jorden: blod og ild og røkstøtter.

4 Solen skal omskiftes til mørke, og månen til blod, før Herrens dag kommer, den store og forferdelige.

5 Og det skal skje: Hver den som påkaller Herrens navn, skal bli frelst; for på Sions berg og i Jerusalem skal det være en flokk av undkomne, således som Herren har sagt, og blandt de undslopne skal de være som Herren kaller.

6 For se, i de dager og på den tid, når jeg gjør ende på Judas og Jerusalems fangenskap,

7 da vil jeg samle alle hedningefolk og føre dem ned i Josafats* dal, og jeg vil der gå i rette med dem for mitt folks og min arvs, Israels skyld, fordi de spredte dem blandt hedningene og delte mitt land; / {* Josafat betyr: Gud dømmer; JOE 3, 17. 19.}

8 om mitt folk kastet de lodd, de gav en gutt for en skjøge, de solgte en pike for vin, og den drakk de op.

9 Og I, Tyrus og Sidon og alle Filisterlands bygder! Hvad vil mig? Er det noget I vil gjengjelde mig, eller vil I gjøre mig noget? Snart, i en hast, skal jeg la eders gjerning falle tilbake på eders eget hode,

10 I som tok mitt sølv og gull og førte mine dyreste skatter bort til eders templer,

11 og Judas barn og Jerusalems barn solgte I til Javans barn for å få dem langt bort fra sitt land.

12 Se, jeg kaller dem fra det sted som I har solgt dem til, og lar eders gjerning falle tilbake på eders eget hode.

13 Og jeg vil selge eders sønner og døtre til Judas barn, og de skal selge dem til sabeerne, et folk som bor langt borte; for Herren har talt.

14 op dette ut blandt hedningefolkene, rust eder til en hellig krig, kall på heltene, la alle krigsmenn stige frem og dra ut!

15 Smi eders hakker om til sverd og eders vingårdskniver til spyd! Den veke si: Jeg er en helt!

16 Skynd eder og kom, alle I hedningefolk fra alle kanter, og samle eder sammen! Dit la du, Herre, dine helter* stige ned! / {* SLM 103, 20.}

17 Hedningefolkene skal våkne op og dra til Josafats dal; for der vil jeg sitte og dømme alle hedningefolk fra alle kanter.

18 Send sigden ut, for høsten er moden! Kom og tred vinpersen, for den er full, persekarene flyter over, deres ondskap er stor!

19 Skare på skare samler sig i avgjørelsens dal. For nær er Herrens dag i avgjørelsens dal.

20 Sol og måne sortner, og stjernene holder op å lyse.

21 Og Herren skal brøle* fra Sion og la sin røst høre fra Jerusalem, og himmel og jord skal skjelve; men Herren er en tilflukt for sitt folk og et vern for Israels barn. / {* som en løve; sml. HSE 11, 10. AMO 1, 2 fg. 3, 8.}

22 Og I skal kjenne at jeg er Herren eders Gud, som bor på Sion, mitt hellige berg; og Jerusalem skal være et hellig sted, og fremmede skal ikke mere trenge inn der.

23 Og det skal skje på den dag at fjellene skal dryppe av most, og haugene flyte over av melk, og alle bekker i Juda strømme med vann; og det skal utgå en kilde fra Herrens hus og vanne Sittims dal.

24 Egypten skal bli til en ødemark og Edom til en øde ørken for deres vold mot Judas barn, fordi de har utøst uskyldig blod i sitt land.

25 Men Juda skal bli til evig tid, og Jerusalem fra slekt til slekt.

26 Og jeg vil hevne deres blod, det som jeg ikke før har hevnet. Og Herren bor på Sion.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #482

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482. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them.- This signifies that the Lord shall teach them from heaven, as is evident from the signification of the Lamb, as denoting the Lord as to Divine Truth; see above (n. 297, 343, 464); and from the signification of the throne, as denoting heaven; see above (n. 253). In the midst of the throne, signifies in the whole heaven, for in the midst signifies in all collectively and individually, or in the whole; see above (n. 213); and from the signification of feeding, which denotes to teach, concerning which we shall treat presently. From these things it is evident that by the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne feeding them, is signified that the Lord will instruct them out of heaven. It is here said, "the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them," and above, that "he who sitteth on the throne shall dwell over them," from which it clearly appears that both by him who sitteth on the throne, and by the Lamb in the midst of the throne, is meant the Lord, but by Him who sitteth on the throne is meant the Lord as to Divine Good, and by the Lamb in the midst of the throne is meant the Lord as to Divine Truth. For to dwell, which is said of Him who sitteth upon the throne, is stated of good; see above (n. 470); and to feed, which is said of the Lamb, is said of truth, for to feed signifies to instruct in truths.

[2] In the Word of the Old Testament the terms Jehovah and God, and also Jehovah and the Holy One of Israel, are frequently used, and both mean the Lord alone. "Jehovah" means the Lord as to Divine Good, and "God" and the "Holy One of Israel" mean the Lord as to Divine Truth; both are named on account of the marriage of Divine Good and Divine Truth in every detail of the Word. That to feed signifies to teach is evident without further explanation, since it is a custom derived from the Word to call those who teach, pastors, and those who are taught, the flock; but the reason of this is not yet known, and therefore it shall be explained. In heaven, all things which appear before the eyes are representative, for they represent under a natural appearance the spiritual things which the angels think and with which they are affected. Their thoughts and affections are thus presented before their eyes in forms like those which are in the world, or in forms similar to those of natural things, and this by virtue of the correspondence which the Lord has caused to exist between spiritual and natural things. The subject of correspondence is dealt with in many places, and in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 87-102, and 103-115). As a result of this correspondence, flocks of sheep, lambs, and goats, feeding in green pastures, and also in gardens, appear in heaven; and these appearances have their existence from the thoughts of those who are in the goods and truths of the church, and who thus think intelligently and wisely. For this reason mention is so frequently made in the Word of flock, also of pastures, and feeding, and of a shepherd. For the Word in the letter consists of such things as in heaven appear before the eyes, and which signify correspondent spiritual thing.

[3] Since it is known in the church that to feed signifies to teach, that pasture signifies instruction, and a shepherd an instructor, we will simply quote a few passages from the Word where these expressions are used, without further explanation.

In Isaiah:

"In that day shall thy cattle feed in a large pasture" (30:23).

Again:

"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs into his arm, and shall gently lead those that give suck" (40:11).

Again:

"He will say to the bound, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed upon the ways, and their pastures shall be on all heights (49:9).

In Jeremiah:

"Against the shepherds that feed my people, ye have scattered my flock; because of the curse the land mourneth; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up" (23:2, 10).

Again:

Israel "shall feed on Carmel and Bashan" (50:19).

In Ezekiel:

"I will seek my flock, and search them out. I will feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel" (34:11, 13, 14).

In Hosea:

"I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of drought, when there was for them pasture" (13:5, 6).

In Joel:

"The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate" (1:18).

And in Micah:

Out of Bethlehem Ephratah shall he go forth, "who shall stand and feed in the strength of Jehovah" (5:2, 4).

Again,

"Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage; let them feed in Bashan and Gilead" (7:14).

In Zephaniah:

"The remnant of Israel shall feed and lie down" (3:13).

In David:

"Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want. He will cause me to lie down in pastures of grass" (Psalm 23:1, 2).

Again:

"The Lord chose David; from following the ewes giving suck he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart" (78:70-72).

Again,

Jehovah "hath made us his people, and the flock of his pasture, therefore we are his people and the flock of his pasture" (Psalm 100:3).

In John:

Jesus said to Peter, "Lovest thou me?" He said that he loved Him. He said unto him, "Feed my lambs." He said to him the second time, also the third time, "Feed my sheep" (21:15-17). And in very many other passages, in all of which, to feed denotes to instruct in truths, and pasture the truths in which they are instructed.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.