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Ezequiel 38

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1 Y vino Palabra del SEÑOR a mí, diciendo:

2 Hijo de hombre, pon tu rostro contra Gog en tierra de Magog, príncipe de la cabecera de Mesec y Tubal, y profetiza sobre él.

3 Y di: Así dijo el Señor DIOS: He aquí, yo voy a ti, oh Gog, príncipe de la cabecera de Mesec y Tubal.

4 Y yo te quebrantaré, y pondré anzuelos en tus quijadas, y te sacaré a ti, y a todo tu ejército, caballos y caballeros, vestidos de todo todos ellos, gran multitud con paveses y escudos, teniendo todos ellos espadas;

5 Persia, y Etiopía, y Libia con ellos; todos ellos con escudos y almetes;

6 Gomer, y todas sus compañías; la casa de Togarma, que habitan a los lados del norte, y todas sus compañías; muchos pueblos contigo.

7 Aparéjate, y apercíbete, tú, y toda tu multitud que se ha reunido a ti, y séles por guarda.

8 De aquí a muchos días tú serás visitado; al cabo de años vendrás a la tierra quebrantada por espada, recogida de muchos pueblos, a los montes de Israel, que siempre fueron para asolamiento; y ella de pueblos fue sacada, y todos ellos morarán confiadamente.

9 Y tú subirás, vendrás como tempestad; como nublado para cubrir la tierra serás tú, y todas tus compañías, y muchos pueblos contigo.

10 Así dijo el Señor DIOS: Y será en aquel día, que subirán palabras en tu corazón, y concebirás mal pensamiento;

11 y dirás: Subiré contra la tierra de aldeas sin muros, iré contra los reposados, y que habitan confiadamente; todos ellos habitan sin muro, no tienen cerrojos ni puertas;

12 para arrebatar despojos y para tomar presa; para tornar tu mano sobre las tierras desiertas ya pobladas, y sobre el pueblo recogido de los gentiles, que ya hace ganados y posesiones, que moran en el ombligo de la tierra.

13 Sabá, y Dedán, y los mercaderes de Tarsis, y todos sus leoncillos, te dirán: ¿Has venido a arrebatar despojos? ¿Has reunido tu multitud para tomar presa, para quitar plata y oro, para tomar ganados y posesiones, para tomar grandes despojos?

14 Por tanto, profetiza, hijo de hombre, y di a Gog: Así dijo el Señor DIOS: En aquel tiempo, cuando mi pueblo Israel habitará seguramente, ¿no lo sabrás tú?

15 Y vendrás de tu lugar, de las partes del norte, tú y muchos pueblos contigo, todos ellos a caballo, gran compañía y poderoso ejército;

16 y subirás contra mi pueblo Israel como nublado para cubrir la tierra; será al cabo de los días; y yo te traeré sobre mi tierra, para que los gentiles me conozcan, cuando fuere santificado en ti, oh Gog, delante de sus ojos.

17 Así dijo el Señor DIOS: ¿No eres tú aquél de quien hablé yo en los días pasados por mis siervos los profetas de Israel, los cuales profetizaron en aquellos tiempos que yo te había de traer sobre ellos?

18 Y será en aquel tiempo, cuando vendrá Gog contra la tierra de Israel, dijo el Señor DIOS, que mi ira subirá por mi enojo.

19 Porque he hablado en mi celo, y en el fuego de mi ira: Que en aquel día habrá gran temblor sobre la tierra de Israel;

20 que los peces del mar, y las aves del cielo, y las bestias del campo, y toda serpiente que se anda arrastrando sobre la tierra, y todos los hombres que están sobre la faz de la tierra, temblarán delante de mi presencia; y se arruinarán los montes, y las gradas caerán, y todo muro caerá a tierra.

21 Y en todos mis montes llamaré cuchillo contra él, dijo el Señor DIOS: el cuchillo de cada cual será contra su hermano.

22 Y yo litigaré con él con pestilencia y con sangre; y haré llover sobre él, y sobre sus compañías, y sobre los muchos pueblos que están con él, impetuosa lluvia, y piedras de granizo, fuego y azufre.

23 Y seré engrandecido y santificado, y seré conocido en ojos de muchos gentiles; y sabrán que yo soy el SEÑOR.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3240

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3240. 'And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan' means the derivatives from the first division. This is clear from the representation of 'Jokshan' and his sons 'Sheba and Dedan' dealt with below. Since they are mere names here and they mean states and derivatives of the Lord's spiritual Church, something about what they are in general must be stated. The celestial Church differs from the spiritual Church in that in those who belong to the celestial Church and who are called celestial, love - that is to say, the good and truth of love - is present; but in those who belong to the spiritual Church and who are called spiritual, faith - that is to say, the good and truth of faith - is present. Good as it exists with those who are celestial consists in love to the Lord, and truth as it exists with them in love towards the neighbour. But good as it exists with those who are spiritual consists in charity towards the neighbour, and truth as it exists with them in faith insofar as this is doctrine concerning charity. From this it may be seen that good and truth are present in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, as they are in His celestial kingdom, yet are considerably different.

[2] It should be recognized in addition that the inhabitants of those kingdoms are distinguished from one another by means of good and truth for the reason that some are governed more by good, others more by truth. And it is from this that derivatives arise, that is to say, derivatives of good and derivatives of truth. The derivatives of good in the Lord's spiritual kingdom are those which are represented by the sons of Jokshan, who are referred to in this verse, but the derivatives of truth there are those which are represented by the sons of Midian, who are referred to in the next verse. Now because there are two categories of spiritual people - those governed more by good and those governed more by truth - two varieties of doctrine therefore exist among them, namely matters of doctrine concerning charity and matters of doctrine concerning faith. Matters of doctrine concerning charity exist for the sake of those governed by the good of faith, who are meant here by the sons of Jokshan. But matters of doctrine concerning faith exist for the sake of those governed by the truth of faith, who are meant by the sons of Midian.

[3] Sheba and Dedan are those who constitute the first category, that is, people in the Lord's spiritual kingdom who are governed by the good of faith and with whom matters concerning charity exist. This explains why Sheba and Dedan mean the cognitions of celestial things, or what amounts to the same, those with whom such cognitions exist, that is, with whom matters of doctrine concerning charity exist, for matters of doctrine are cognitions, and that which is celestial with the spiritual man is charity. For Sheba and Dedan mean those cognitions, as has been shown in Volume One, in 117, 1168, 1171, 1172, though there they are the great-grandsons of Ham, and are called the sons of Raamah. It should be realized however that Ham, like Japheth and Shem also, never was an actual person, but that those who belonged to the Church after the Flood called Noah were distinguished as regards goods and truths into three groups, and these groups were referred to by those names, 736, 1062, 1065, 1140, 1141, 1162, and in various other places. Nevertheless there were nations which were so called, but these were descended from different individuals, as is evident here from Sheba and Dedan who were descended from Jokshan, Abraham's son by Keturah.

[4] As regards 'Sheba' meaning those with whom cognitions of celestial things exist - thus those governed by the good of faith - this is clear from the places introduced in 117, 1171. 'Dedan' has a similar meaning, as is clear from the texts quoted in 1172, as well as from the following: In Isaiah,

The prophecy concerning Arabia. In the forest in Arabia you will spend the night, O bands of Dedanites. To the thirsty bring water; O inhabitants of the land of Tema, meet with his bread the fugitive, for they will flee before the swords, before the drawn sword. Isaiah 21:13-15.

'Spending the night in the forest in Arabia' stands for being made desolate as regards good. For 'Arabia' means those with whom celestial things exist, that is, the goods of faith, so that 'spending the night there in the forest' is when goods exist no longer, and therefore means desolation, which is also described by 'fleeing before the swords, before the drawn sword'. Celestial things, that is, the goods of faith - or what amount to the same, the works of charity - which are theirs, are meant by 'bringing water to the thirsty, and with bread meeting the fugitive'.

[5] In Jeremiah,

I took the cup from Jehovah's hand and made all the nations to whom Jehovah sent me drink it - Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and its kings and its princes, to turn them into a desolation; Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people; all the kings of Tyre and all the kings of Sidon; Dedan and Tema, and Buz, and all who have cut the corners [of their hair] all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Media, and all the kings of the north. Jeremiah 25:17-19, 22-23, 25-26.

This also refers to the desolation of the spiritual Church, different elements of which Church are mentioned in order and are meant by Jerusalem, the cities of Judah, Egypt, Tyre, Sidon, Dedan, Tema, Buz, Zimri, Elam, and Media.

[6] In Ezekiel,

Sheba and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, and all its young lions will say to you, Have you come to seize the spoil? Have you assembled your company to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, and to take cattle and possessions, and seize great spoil? Ezekiel 38:13.

This refers to Gog who means external worship separated from internal, which is idolatrous, 1151. 'Sheba and Dedan' stands for the internal aspects of worship, namely the goods of faith, 'Tarshish' for corresponding external worship. The silver, gold, cattle, possessions, and spoil which Gog - or external worship separated from the internal - wishes to 'carry away' are the cognitions of good and truth, which those who are meant by Sheba and Dedan fight for and defend, and who are on that account called 'young lions'. In the proper sense 'Sheba' is those with whom cognitions of good exist, 'Dedan' those with whom cognitions of truth derived from good are present.

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