The Bible

 

Amos 3

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1 Hear ye this word that Jehovah hath spoken concerning you, O sons of Israel, concerning all the family that I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:

2 Only you I have known of all families of the land, Therefore I charge on you all your iniquities.

3 Do two walk together if they have not met?

4 Roar doth a lion in a forest and prey he hath none? Give out doth a young lion his voice from his habitation, If he hath not caught?

5 Doth a bird fall into a snare of the earth, And there is no gin for it? Doth a snare go up from the ground, And prey it captureth not?

6 Is a trumpet blown in a city, And do people not tremble? Is there affliction in a city, And Jehovah hath not done [it]?

7 For the Lord Jehovah doth nothing, Except He hath revealed His counsel unto His servants the prophets.

8 A lion hath roared -- who doth not fear? The Lord Jehovah hath spoken -- who doth not prophesy?

9 Sound ye unto palaces in Ashdod, And to palaces in the land of Egypt, and say: Be ye gathered on mountains of Samaria, And see many troubles within her, And oppressed ones in her midst.

10 And they have not known to act straightforwardly, An affirmation of Jehovah, Who are treasuring up violence and spoil in their palaces.

11 Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: An adversary -- and surrounding the land, And he hath brought down from thee thy strength, And spoiled have been thy palaces.

12 Thus said Jehovah: As the shepherd delivereth from the lion's mouth Two legs, or a piece of an ear, So delivered are the sons of Israel, Who are sitting in Samaria on the corner of a bed, And in Damascus [on that of] a couch.

13 Hear ye and testify to the house of Jacob, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, God of Hosts.

14 For in the day of My charging the transgressions of Israel on him, I have laid a charge on the altars of Beth-El, And cut off have been the horns of the altar, And they have fallen to the earth.

15 And I have smitten the winter-house with the summer-house, And perished have houses of ivory, And consumed have been many houses, An affirmation of Jehovah!

   

Commentary

 

Strength

  

In Psalm 96:6, this signifies divine good and truth in the church. (Apocalypse Explained 288[4])

In Isaiah 49:5, this is attributed to truth which cannot be resisted. (Arcana Coelestia 426[3])

In Isaiah 52:1, this relates to Zion because Zion signifies the celestial church which is in the good of love to the Lord. (Arcana Coelestia 4545[2])

In Luke 10:27, this signifies the will and understanding extended to extremes. Strength' relates truth and falsity.

'Strength,' as in Revelation 1:6, signifies divine omnipotence, and relates to divine love.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 3727 [1-8]; Luke 10)


From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #289

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289. To Him that sitteth upon the throne, that liveth unto ages of ages, signifies from whom are all things of heaven and of the church and eternal life. This is evident from the signification of "throne," as being, in reference to the Lord, in general the whole heaven, in particular the spiritual heaven, and abstractly Divine truth proceeding; and as through this the heavens have existence, therefore "throne" here signifies all things of heaven and of the church (See above n. 253; that "He that sitteth upon the throne" is the Lord, see also above (n. 267, 268). This is also evident from the signification of "living unto ages of ages," as being that eternal life is from Him (See above, n. 84); for "He that liveth" signifies that He alone is life, and therefore that everything of life with angels and men is from Him; and "unto ages of ages" signifies eternity. "Unto ages of ages" signifies eternity because in the world it signifies time throughout its whole extent; but in heaven, where there is not time like that in the world, it signifies eternity; for the sense of the letter of the Word is made up of such things as are in the world, but its spiritual sense is made up of such things as are in heaven; and this in order that the Divine may close into the natural things of the world as into its ultimates, and may rest in them, and subsist upon them; therefore it is said, "ages of ages," and not eternity.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.