The Bible

 

Amos 5

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1 Dinggin ninyo ang salitang ito na aking itinataghoy sa inyo, Oh sangbahayan ni Israel.

2 Ang dalaga ng Israel ay nabuwal; siya'y hindi na magbabangon pa, siya'y nahagis sa kaniyang lupain; walang magbangon sa kaniya.

3 Sapagka't ganito ang sabi ng Panginoong Dios: Ang bayan na lalabas na isang libo, maiiwang isang daan, at ang lalabas na isang daan ay maiiwang sangpu, sa sangbahayan ni Israel.

4 Sapagka't ganito ang sabi ng Panginoon sa sangbahayan ni Israel; Hanapin ninyo ako, at kayo'y mangabubuhay;

5 Nguni't huwag ninyong hanapin ang Beth-el, ni magsipasok man sa Gilgal, at huwag kayong magsidaan sa Beer-seba: sapagka't walang pagsala ang Gilgal ay papasok sa pagkabihag, at ang Beth-el ay mauuwi sa wala.

6 Inyong hanapin ang Panginoon, at kayo'y mangabubuhay; baka siya'y sumigalbong parang apoy sa sangbahayan ni Jose, at supukin yaon, at sa Beth-el ay walang makapapatay niyaon:

7 Kayong nagpapaging ajenjo sa kahatulan, at nagwawaksi ng katuwiran sa lupa.

8 Inyong hanapin ang lumikha ng mga Pleyades at ng Orion, at ang lilim ng kamatayan ay pinapaging umaga, pinapagdilim ang araw sa pamamagitan ng gabi; yaong tumatawag sa tubig sa dagat, at nagbubugso ng mga yaon sa ibabaw ng lupa (Panginoon ang siya niyang pangalan);

9 Yaong nagdadala ng biglang kabuwalan sa malakas, na anopa't ang pagkasira ay dumarating sa katibayan.

10 Kanilang kinapopootan ang nananaway sa pintuang-bayan, at kanilang kinasusuklaman ang nagsasalita ng matuwid.

11 Palibhasa nga't inyong niyayapakan ang dukha, at inyong hinihingan siya ng trigo: kayo'y nangagtayo ng mga bahay na batong tinabas, nguni't hindi ninyo tatahanan; kayo'y nangagtanim ng mga maligayang ubasan, nguni't hindi kayo magsisiinom ng alak niyaon.

12 Sapagka't talastas ko kung gaano karami ang inyong mga pagsalangsang, at kung gaano kalaki ang inyong mga kasalanan: kayong nagsisidalamhati sa ganap, na kinukunan ninyo ng suhol, at inyong inililigaw sa kanilang matuwid ang mapagkailangan sa pintuang-bayan.

13 Kaya't siya na mabait ay tatahimik sa panahong yaon; sapagka't masamang panahon.

14 Magsihanap kayo ng kabutihan, at huwag kasamaan, upang kayo'y mangabuhay; at sa gayo'y ang Panginoon, ang Dios ng mga hukbo, ay sasa inyo, gaya ng inyong sinasabi.

15 Inyong kapootan ang masama, at ibigin ang mabuti, at kayo'y mangagtatatag ng kahatulan sa pintuang-bayan: marahil ang Panginoon, ang Dios ng mga hukbo ay magiging mapagbiyaya sa nalabi sa Jose.

16 Kaya't ganito ang sabi ng Panginoon, ng Dios ng mga hukbo, ng Panginoon: Panaghoy ay sa lahat na daan; at sila'y mangagsasabi sa lahat na lansangan, Sa aba! sa aba! at kanilang tatawagin ang mangbubukid sa pananambitan, at ang lahat na bihasa sa pananaghoy sa pagtaghoy.

17 At sa lahat ng ubasan ay magkakaroon ng panaghoy; sapagka't ako'y daraan sa gitna mo, sabi ng Panginoon.

18 Sa aba ninyo na nangagnanasa ng kaarawan ng Panginoon! bakit ninyo ninanasa ang kaarawan ng Panginoon? kadiliman nga, at hindi kaliwanagan.

19 Gaya ng kung ang tao ay tumatakas sa leon, at isang oso ang sumasalubong sa kaniya; o pumapasok sa bahay at ikinakapit ang kaniyang kamay sa pinid, at isang ahas ang tumutuka sa kaniya.

20 Hindi baga magiging kadiliman ang kaarawan ng Panginoon, at hindi kaliwanagan? na totoong madilim, at walang ningning?

21 Aking kinapopootan, aking hinahamak ang inyong mga kapistahan, at hindi ako malulugod sa inyong mga takdang kapulungan.

22 Oo, bagaman inyong ihandog sa akin ang inyong mga handog na susunugin at mga handog na harina, hindi ko tatanggapin; ni akin mang kalulugdan ang mga handog tungkol sa kapayapaan na inyong mga matabang hayop.

23 Ihiwalay mo sa akin ang ingay ng iyong mga awit; sapagka't hindi ko didinggin ang tinig ng iyong mga biola.

24 Kundi bumugso ang katarungan na parang tubig, at ang katuwiran na parang malakas na agos.

25 Nagdala baga kayo sa akin ng mga hain, at ng mga handog sa ilang na apat na pung taon, Oh sangbahayan ni Israel?

26 Oo, inyong pinasan ang tabernakulo ng inyong hari at ang dambana ng inyong mga larawan, ang bituin ng inyong dios, na inyong ginawa para sa inyong sarili.

27 Kaya't kayo'y aking papapasukin sa pagkabihag sa dako roon ng Damasco, sabi ng Panginoon, na ang pangala'y Dios ng mga hukbo.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #413

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413. And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, and a third of them was darkened. This symbolically means that because of their evils springing from falsities and their falsities springing from evils, they did not know what love is, or what faith is, or any truth.

A third means, symbolically, all (no. 400). The sun symbolizes love (no. 53). The moon symbolizes intelligence and faith (no. 332). The stars symbolize concepts of truth and goodness from the Word (no. 51). To be darkened means, symbolically, to be unseen and unknown because of evils springing from falsities and falsities springing from evils.

Evils springing from falsities are found in people who adopt falsities having to do with religion and defend them to the point that they appear to be true. Then, when they live in accordance with them, they do evils as a result of the falsities, or the evils of falsity.

On the other hand, falsities springing from evils are found in people who do not regard evils as being sins, and still more in people who employ reasonings issuing from their natural self, and moreover from the Word, to establish in themselves that evils are not sins. Their very arguments are falsities springing from evils, and what we call the falsities of evil.

[2] Darkness symbolizes these falsities because light symbolizes truth, and when the light has been extinguished, darkness is left.

To confirm this we will first cite passages where things similar to those here in the book of Revelation are said regarding the sun, moon and stars, and darkness ensuing upon their being extinguished:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and terrible day of Jehovah. (Joel 2:31)

...the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its rising, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. (Isaiah 13:10, cf. 24:21, 24:23)

When I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens..., I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. All the luminaries of light in the heavens I will make dark over you, and bring darkness upon your land... (Ezekiel 32:7-8)

...the day of Jehovah... is at hand... The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness. (Joel 2:1, 10)

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven... (Matthew 24:29, cf. Mark 13:24-25)

Who, if he elevates his mind, cannot see that in these places it is not the world's sun, moon and stars that are meant.

[3] That darkness symbolizes falsities of various kinds is clear from these passages:

Woe to you who desire the day of Jehovah! ...It will be one of darkness, and not light... Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light? Very dark, without any brightness? (Amos 5:18, 20)

(The day of Jehovah will be) a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of clouds and overcast... (Zephaniah 1:15)

In that day... it will look to the land, which, behold, will be darkness...; and the light will grow dark in its ruins. (Isaiah 5:30, cf. 8:22)

...behold, the darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. (Isaiah 60:2)

Give glory to Jehovah... before He causes darkness...; you look for light, but He turns it into thick darkness. (Jeremiah 13:16)

We look for light, but there is darkness and no brightness; we walk in thick darkness... We stumble at noonday as at twilight; among the living we are as dead men. (Isaiah 59:9-10)

Woe to those... who put darkness for light, and light for darkness. (Isaiah 5:20)

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. (Isaiah 9:2, cf. Matthew 4:16)

...the rising sun from on high (has appeared) to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death... (Luke 1:78-79)

If you give your soul to the hungry..., your light shall rise in the darkness, and your thick darkness shall be as the noonday. (Isaiah 58:10)

In that day... the eyes of the blind who are in thick darkness and gloom shall see. (Isaiah 29:18, cf. 42:16; 49:9)

(Jesus said,) "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you... I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. (John 12:35, 46)

When I sit in darkness, Jehovah is a light to me. (Micah 7:8)

This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness more than light... (John 3:19, cf. 1:4-5)

If... the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:23, cf. Luke 11:34-36)

...this is your hour, and the power of darkness. (Luke 22:53)

Darkness in these places symbolizes falsity arising either from ignorance of truth or from some false tenet of religion, or from a life of evil.

Regarding people caught up in falsities having to do with religion, who are therefore caught up in evils in life, the Lord says that they should be "cast out into outer darkness" (Matthew 8:12, cf. 22:13; 25:30).

  
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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.