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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

 

Coronis (An Appendix to True Christian Religion) #3

  
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3. The same four Churches on this earth are described by four beasts rising up out of the sea, in Daniel; of which it is there written:

The first was seen like a lion, but it had eagle's wings. I beheld until the wings thereof were plucked out, and it was lifted up from the earth, and set up upon feet, erect like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. Afterwards, behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side; three ribs were in its mouth between the teeth: moreover, they were saying thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After these things, I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had four wings, like birds' wings, upon the back of it; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this, I saw in the night visions, and beheld a fourth beast, terrible and dreadful, and strong exceedingly, which had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; but it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I beheld till thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit; and the judgment was set, and the books were opened; and, behold, one like the Son of Man was coming with the clouds of the heavens. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; and all peoples, nations and languages should worship Him: His dominion is a dominion of an age, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not perish (Dan. 7:3-9, [7:10], 7:13-14, etc.).

That by these beasts, in like manner, are meant and described those four Churches, is manifest from all the particulars there (which shall be unfolded in their order in the following pages); more especially from the last expressions there, that after those four beasts there will come "the Son of Man, to whom shall be given dominion, and a kingdom which shall not pass away nor perish"; who, also, is meant by the Stone made into "a great Rock, which shall fill the whole earth," as may be seen above (n. 2, at the end).

[2] That the states of the Church are likewise described by beasts, as well as by metals, in the Word, is evident from numberless passages, some only of which I will adduce here; which are as follows:

Thou causest the rain of benefits to drop; thou wilt confirm thy wearied inheritance; the beast 1 -thy assembly-shall dwell therein (Psalm 68:9-10).

Every wild beast of the forest is Mine, the beasts in the mountains of thousands; I know every bird of the mountains, the beasts of My fields are with Me (Psalm 50:10-11).

Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon, his height was exalted; all the birds of the heavens made their nests in his branches, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth, and in his shadow dwelt all great nations (Ezek. 31:3, 5-6, 13; Dan. 4:7-13).

In that day will I make a covenant for them with the beast of the field, and with the bird of the heavens, and I will betroth Myself unto thee to eternity (Hosea 2:18-19).

Rejoice and be glad; be not afraid, ye beasts of My fields; for the habitations of the desert are become full of grass (Joel 2:21-22).

Thou, son of man, say unto the bird of every wing, and to every beast of the field, Gather yourselves together to My sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel: thus I will set My glory among the nations (Ezek. 39:17, 20-21).

The enemy hath reproached Jehovah; deliver not the soul of the turtle-dove unto the beast 2 (Psalm 74:18-19).

Jehovah gathereth the outcasts of Israel; every beast of My fields, come (Isa. 56:8-9).

The spirit urging, made Jesus to go forth into the wilderness and He was with the beasts; and angels ministered unto Him (Mark 1:12-13).

He was not with beasts, but with devils, with whom He fought and whom He subdued-(not to mention a thousand other passages, which are adduced in part in the APOCALYPSE REVEALED , n. 567). Moreover, it is well known that the Lord Himself, in the Word, is called a "Lamb" and also a "Lion"; likewise, that the Holy Spirit was represented as a "Dove"; that the cherubs, also, by which the Word in the literal sense is signified, appeared like "four beasts," in Ezekiel and in the Apocalypse; and that the man of the Church who acknowledges the Lord as his God and Shepherd, is called a "sheep"; and, on the other hand, he who does not acknowledge Him, is called a "he-goat" and also a "dragon"; and that an assembly of the latter is described, in like manner as in Daniel, by

The beast out of the sea, like a leopard, whose feet were as it were a bear's, and his mouth as it were a lion's (Rev. 13:1-2).

These comparisons originate from the spiritual world, where all the affections and thoughts therefrom, of angels and spirits, are presented at a distance from them as beasts, which also appear in a form in all respects similar to that of the beasts in the natural world; the affections of the love of good as gentle beasts and good uses, but the affections of the love of evil as savage beasts and evil uses. Hence it is that beasts are so often named in the Word; and by them in the spiritual sense are signified affections, inclinations, perceptions and thoughts. From these considerations it is manifest what is meant by creatures in the following passages:

Jesus commanded the disciples to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).

If any one be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away, and all things are become new (2 Cor. 5:17).

These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creature of God (Rev. 3:14).

By "creatures," here, are meant those who are capable of being created anew, that is, regenerated, and thus becoming of the Lord's Church.

Footnotes:

1. "Thy beast" is the literal rendering of the Hebrew in this passage, which is [Hebrew]; but it is assumed, in the text here, to be used figuratively for "thy congregation." See Fuerst, in loc. [Hebrew].

2. See R.V.; also the previous footnote.

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

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2 Corinthians 5:17

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17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.