The Bible

 

Jeremijine tužbalice 4

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1 Kako potamne zlato, promeni se čisto zlato? Kamenje je od svetinje razmetnuto po uglovima svih ulica.

2 Dragi sinovi sionski, cenjeni kao najčistije zlato, kako se cene zemljani sudovi, kao delo ruku lončarevih!

3 I zveri ističu sise svoje i doje mlad svoju, a kći naroda mog posta nemilostiva kao noj u pustinji.

4 Jezik detetu koje sisa prionu za grlo od žeđi; deca ištu hleba, a nema nikoga da im lomi.

5 Koji jeđahu poslastice, ginu na ulicama; koji odrastoše u skerletu, valjaju se po bunjištu.

6 I kar koji dopade kćeri naroda mog veći je od propasti koja dopade Sodomu, koji se zatre u času i ruke se ne zabaviše oko njega.

7 Nazireji njeni behu čistiji od snega, belji od mleka; telo im beše crvenije od dragog kamenja, glatki kao safir.

8 A sada im je lice crnje od uglja, ne poznaju se na ulicama; koža im se prilepila za kosti, osušila se kao drvo.

9 Bolje bi onima koji su pobijeni mačem nego onima koji mru od gladi, koji izdišu ubijeni od nestašice roda zemaljskog.

10 Svojim rukama žene žalostive kuvaše decu svoju, ona im biše hrana u pogibli kćeri naroda mog.

11 Navrši Gospod gnev svoj, izli žestoki gnev svoj, i raspali oganj na Sionu, koji mu proždre temelje.

12 Ne bi verovali carevi zemaljski i svi stanovnici po vasiljenoj da će neprijatelj i protivnik ući na vrata jerusalimska.

13 Ali bi za grehe proroka njegovih i za bezakonja sveštenika njegovih, koji prolivahu krv pravedničku usred njega.

14 Lutahu kao slepci po ulicama, kaljahu se krvlju, koje ne mogahu da se ne dotiču haljinama svojim.

15 Odstupite, nečisti, viču im, odstupite, odstupite, ne dodevajte se ničega. I odlaze i skitaju se; i među narodima se govori: Neće se više staniti.

16 Gnev Gospodnji raseja ih, neće više pogledati na njih; ne poštuju sveštenika, nisu žalostivi na starce.

17 Većnam oči iščileše izgledajući pomoćzaludnu; čekasmo narod koji ne može izbaviti.

18 Vrebaju nam korake, da ne možemo hoditi po ulicama svojim, približi se kraj naš, navršiše se dani naši, dođe kraj naš.

19 Koji nas goniše, behu lakši od orlova nebeskih, po gorama nas goniše, u pustinji nam zasedaše.

20 Disanje nozdrva naših, pomazanik Gospodnji, za kog govorasmo da ćemo živeti pod senom njegovim među narodima, uhvati se u jame njihove.

21 Raduj se i veseli se, kćeri edomska, koja živiš u zemlji Uzu! Doći će do tebe čaša, opićeš se, i otkrićeš se.

22 Svrši se kar za bezakonje tvoje, kćeri sionska; neće te više voditi u ropstvo; pohodiće tvoje bezakonje, kćeri edomska, otkriće grehe tvoje.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #312

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312. So I looked, and behold, a black horse. This symbolizes an understanding of the Word among them extinguished as to truth, thus extinguished as regards their doctrine.

We showed above that a horse symbolizes an understanding of the Word. Blackness symbolizes a lack of truth, thus falsity, because blackness is the opposite of whiteness, and whiteness is predicated of truth (nos. 167, 231, 232). Whiteness is also the result of light, while blackness results from darkness, thus from the absence of light, and light means truth.

In the spiritual world, however, blackness has a double origin, one resulting from the absence of a flaming light, the light possessed by inhabitants of the Lord's celestial kingdom, and the other resulting from the absence of a bright white light, the light possessed by inhabitants of the Lord's spiritual kingdom. The first kind of blackness has the same symbolism as a thick darkness, the second the same as a gloomy darkness. The two kinds differ from each other. One is dreadful, the other not so dreadful. It is the same with the falsities that they symbolize. The spirits who appear in a terrible darkness are called devils. They also abhor truth as owls do the light of the sun. In contrast, the spirits who appear in a darkness that is not so dreadful are called satanic spirits. They do not abhor truth, though they are still averse to it, and therefore they may be likened to barn owls, but the first to eagle owls.

The fact that blackness in the Word is predicated of falsity can be seen from the following passages:

Her Nazirites were brighter than snow... Darkened more than blackness is their form. (Lamentations 4:7-8)

...on the prophets... the day shall grow black. (Micah 3:6)

On the day that you go down to hell..., I will make Lebanon dark over you... (Ezekiel 31:15)

...the sun became as black as sackcloth of goat's hair... (Revelation 6:12)

The sun, moon and stars are darkened in Jeremiah 4:27-28, Ezekiel 32:7, Joel 2:10; 3:15, and elsewhere.

It was the third living creature that displayed the black horse because it had a face like a human being, which symbolized the Divine truth of the Word in respect to its wisdom (no. 243). Consequently it was this living creature that displayed the fact that there was no longer any truth of wisdom in the people who were third in order.

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