The Bible

 

Ezequiel 5

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1 E tu, ó filho do homem, toma uma espada afiada; como navalha de barbeiro a usarás, e a farás passar pela tua cabeça e pela tua barba. Então tomarás uma balança e repartirás os cabelos.

2 A terça parte, queimá-la-ás no fogo, no meio da cidade, quando se cumprirem os dias do cerco; tomarás outra terça parte, e com uma espada feri-la-ás ao redor da cidade; e espalharás a outra terça parte ao vento; e eu desembainharei a espada atrás deles.

3 E tomarás deles um pequeno número, e atá-los-ás nas bordas da tua capa.

4 E ainda destes tomarás alguns e, lançando-os no meio do fogo, os queimarás no fogo; e dali sairá um fogo contra toda a casa de Israel.

5 Assim diz o Senhor Deus: Esta é Jerusalém; coloquei-a no meio das nações, estando os países ao seu redor;

6 ela, porém, se rebelou perversamente contra os meus juízos, mais do que as nações, e os meus estatutos mais do que os países que estão ao redor dela; porque rejeitaram as minhas ordenanças, e nao andaram nos meus preceitos.

7 Portanto assim diz o Senhor Deus: Porque sois mais turbulentos do que as nações que estão ao redor de vós, e não tendes andado nos meus estatutos, nem guardado os meus juízos, e tendes procedido segundo as ordenanças das nações que estão ao redor de vós;

8 por isso assim diz o Senhor Deus: Eis que eu, sim, eu, estou contra ti; e executarei juízos no meio de ti aos olhos das nações.

9 E por causa de todas as tuas abominações farei sem ti o que nunca fiz, e coisas às quais nunca mais farei semelhantes.

10 portanto os pais comerão a seus filhos no meio de ti, e os filhos comerão a seus pais; e executarei em ti juízos, e todos os que restarem de ti, espalhá-los-ei a todos os ventos.

11 Portanto, tão certo como eu vivo, diz o Senhor Deus, pois que profanaste o meu santuário com todas as tuas coisas detestáveis, e com todas as tuas abominações, também eu te diminuirei; e não te perdoarei, nem terei piedade de ti.

12 uma terça parte de ti morrerá da peste, e se consumirá de fome no meio de ti; e outra terça parte cairá à espada em redor de ti; e a outra terça parte, espalha-la-ei a todos os ventos, e desembainharei a espada atrás deles.

13 Assim se cumprirá a minha ira, e satisfarei neles o meu furor, e me consolarei; e saberão que sou eu, o Senhor, que tenho falado no meu zelo, quando eu cumprir neles o meu furor.

14 Demais te farei uma desolação, e objeto de opróbrio entre as nações que estão em redor de ti, à vista de todos os que passarem.

15 E isso será objeto de opróbrio e ludíbrio, e escarmento e espanto, às nações que estão em redor de ti, quando eu executar em ti juízos com ira, e com furor, e com furiosos castigos. Eu, o Senhor, o disse.

16 Quando eu enviar as malignas flechas da fome contra eles, flechas para a destruição, as quais eu mandarei para vos destruir; e aumentarei a fome sobre vós, e tirar-vos-ei o sustento do pão.

17 E enviarei sobre vós a fome e feras, que te desfilharão; e a peste e o sangue passarão por ti; e trarei a espada sobre ti. Eu, o Senhor, o disse.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

True Christian Religion #782

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782. 1 The reason why the new church is meant by the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven (Revelation 21), is that Jerusalem was the capital city in the land of Canaan. It was there that the temple was and the altar where sacrifices were made, and so the Divine worship to which three times a year every male in the whole land was commanded to come. It was also because Jerusalem is where the Lord was, and taught in its temple; and He afterwards there glorified His Human. These are the reasons why Jerusalem means the church. It is perfectly plain that Jerusalem means the church from the prophecies in the Old Testament about the new church to be founded by the Lord, since it is there called Jerusalem.

[2] It is only necessary to quote the passages themselves, for anyone possessed of inward reason to be able to see, that Jerusalem there means the church. Let the following passages suffice:

Behold, I create a new heaven and a new earth; the former ones will not be remembered. Look, I shall make Jerusalem an exultation, and its people happiness, so that I may exult over Jerusalem and rejoice over my people. Then the wolf and the lamb will feed together. They will do no harm in all the mountain of my holiness, Isaiah 65:17-19, 25.

For Zion's sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth like a beam of light, and her salvation burns like a lamp. Then the nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. And you will be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah will utter, and you will be a crown of beauty [in the hand of Jehovah] 2 and a diadem of kingship in the hand of your God. Jehovah will be pleased in you, and your land will be married. Behold, your salvation will come, behold, His reward is with Him. And they will call them the people of holiness, the redeemed of Jehovah. And you will be called a city sought after, not abandoned, Isaiah 62:1-4, 11-12.

[3] Awake, awake, Zion, put on your strength. Put on the clothes of your beauty, Jerusalem, city of holiness; for no more will the uncircumcised and the unclean come into you. Shake off the dust, arise and take your seat, Jerusalem. The people will know my name on that day, for I am he that speaks, here I am. Jehovah has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem, Isaiah 52:1-2, 6, 9.

Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem. The king of Israel is in your midst. Fear evil no longer. He will rejoice over you with joy; he will be satisfied in his 3 love, he will exult over you with a shout of joy. I will make you a name and the object of praise to all the peoples of the earth, Zephaniah 3:14-17, 20.

Thus spoke Jehovah your Redeemer, telling Jerusalem, You will be dwelt in, Isaiah 44:24, 26.

Thus spoke Jehovah, I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Therefore Jerusalem will be called the city of truth, and the mountain of Jehovah Zebaoth the mountain of holiness, Zechariah 8:3, 20-23.

Then you will know that I am Jehovah your God, who dwell in Zion, the mountain of holiness; and Jerusalem will be holiness. And it will happen on that day that the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk. And Jerusalem will stay fixed from one generation to another, Joel 3:17-21.

[4] On that day the shoot of Jehovah will be an adornment and a glory; and it will come about that the one who is left in Zion, the one who remains in Jerusalem, will be called holy, everyone enrolled with a view to life in Jerusalem, Isaiah 4:2-3.

At the end of days the mountain of Jehovah's house will be established on the head of mountains; for from Zion will come forth teaching, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem, Micah 4:1-2, 8.

At that time they will call Jerusalem Jehovah's throne, and all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem for Jehovah's name's sake, and they will no longer follow the prompting of their evil hearts, Jeremiah 3:17.

Look to Zion, the city of our appointed feast, let you eyes behold Jerusalem, a tranquil dwelling, a tent which will not be blown away. Its pegs will never be removed, and its ropes will not be pulled up, Isaiah 33:20.

There are further passages such as Isaiah 24:23; 37:32; 66:10-14; Zechariah 12:3, 6-10; 14:8, 11-12, 21; Malachi 3:4; Psalms 122:1-7; 137:4-6.

[5] It is obvious from the details of the description of Jerusalem in the passages quoted that it means there the church to be founded by the Lord, and not the Jerusalem where the Jews lived. For instance, it is said Jehovah will create a new heaven and a new earth, and also at that time Jerusalem; that it will be a crown of beauty and a diadem of kingship; that it is to be called holiness and a city of truth, Jehovah's throne, a tranquil dwelling, a tent which will not be blown away. It is said that the wolf and the lamb will feed together there; that there the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills flow with milk, and it will stay fixed for one generation after another; and much more besides. It is also said of its people that they are holy, everyone enrolled with a view to life, and they are to be called Jehovah's redeemed. Moreover, all those passages deal with the Lord's coming, especially His second coming, when there will be a Jerusalem such as is there described; for it has not previously been married, that is, made the bride and wife of the Lamb, as the New Jerusalem is described in Revelation.

[6] The earlier, that is, the present-day church, is meant by Jerusalem in Daniel, and its beginnings are there described as follows:

Know and perceive, from the time the word went forth to restore and build Jerusalem, until the coming of the Messiah, the prince, will be seven weeks. Afterwards for sixty-two weeks the street and the moat will be restored and built, but at a time of distress, Daniel 9:25.

Its end is there described as follows:

At last upon the bird of abominations desolation, and it will drip upon devastation up to the point of ending and cutting off, Daniel 9:27.

It is this last passage which is meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:

When you see the abomination of desolation, foretold by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place - let him who reads take due note, Matthew 24:15.

It can be established that Jerusalem in the passages quoted above does not mean the Jerusalem inhabited by the Jews, from the passages in the Word which say that it has been utterly lost and is to be destroyed; for instance, Jeremiah 5:1; 6:6-7; 7:17ff; Jeremiah 8:6ff; Jeremiah 9:11-12, 14ff; Jeremiah 13:9-10, 14; 14:16; Lamentations 1:8-9, 17; Ezekiel 4:1 - end; Ezekiel 5:9- end; Ezekiel 12:18-19; 15:6-8; 16:1-63; 23; Matthew 23:37-38; Luke 19:41-44; 21:20-22; 23:28-30; and in many other passages. There are also passages where it is called Sodom: Isaiah 3:9; Jeremiah 23:14; Ezekiel 16:46, 48; and elsewhere.

Footnotes:

1. This section and 783 are repeated from Brief Exposition 100-101.

2. These words are missing from the printed text, but are added in the Author's copy.

3. The Latin has 'in your love', but this is corrected in the Author's copy.

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