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以西結書 20

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1 第七年五初十日,有以色列的幾個長老求問耶和華在我面前。

2 耶和華的臨到我說:

3 人子啊,你要告訴以色列的長老耶和華如此:你們是求問我麼?耶和華:我指著我的永生起誓,我必不被你們求問。

4 人子啊,你要審問審問他們麼?你當使他們知道他們列祖那些可憎的事,

5 對他們耶和華如此:當日我揀選以色列,向雅各家的後裔起誓,在埃及將自己向他們顯現,:我是耶和華─你們的

6 那日我向他們起誓,必領他們出埃及,到我為他們察看的流奶與蜜之;那在萬國中是有榮耀的。

7 我對他們,你們各要拋棄眼所喜愛那可憎之物,不可因埃及偶像玷污自己。我是耶和華─你們的

8 他們卻悖逆我,不肯從我,不拋棄他們眼所喜愛那可憎之物,不離棄埃及偶像。我就,我要將我的忿怒傾在他們身上,在埃及向他們成就我怒中所定的。

9 我卻為我名的緣故沒有這樣行,免得我名在他們所住的列國人眼前被褻瀆;我領他們出埃及,在這列國人的眼前將自己向他們顯現。

10 這樣,我就使他們出埃及,領他們到曠野,

11 將我的律例賜他們,將我的典章指示他們;人若遵行就必因此活著。

12 又將我的安息日賜他們,好在我與他們中間為證據,使他們知道我─耶和華是叫他們成為的。

13 以色列家卻在曠野悖逆我,不順從我的律例,厭棄我的典章(人若遵行就必因此活著),大大干犯我的安息日。我就,要在曠野將我的忿怒傾在他們身上,滅絕他們。

14 我卻為我名的緣故,沒有這樣行,免得我的名在我領他們出埃及的列國人眼前被褻瀆。

15 並且我在曠野向他們起誓,必不領他們進入我所賜他們流奶與蜜之(那在萬國中是有榮耀的);

16 因為他們厭棄我的典章,不順從我的律例,干犯我的安息日,他們的隨從自己的偶像

17 雖然如此,我眼仍顧惜他們,不毀滅他們,不在曠野將他們滅絕淨盡。

18 我在曠野對他們的兒女:不要遵行你們父親的律例,不要謹守他們的惡規,也不要因他們的偶像玷污自己。

19 我是耶和華─你們的,你們要順從我的律例,謹守遵行我的典章,

20 且以我的安息日為。這日在我與你們中間為證據,使你們知道我是耶和華─你們的

21 只是他們的兒女悖逆我,不順從我的律例,也不謹守遵行我的典章(人若遵行就必因此活著),干犯我的安息日。我就,要將我的忿怒傾在他們身上,在曠野向他們成就我怒中所定的。

22 雖然如此,我卻為我名的緣故縮沒有這樣行,免得我的名在我領他們出埃及的列國人眼前被褻瀆。

23 並且我在曠野向他們起誓,必將他們分散在列國,四散在列邦;

24 因為他們不遵行我的典章,竟厭棄我的律例,干犯我的安息日,眼目仰望他們父親偶像

25 我也任他們遵行不美的律例,謹守不能使人活著的惡規。

26 因他們將一切頭生的經火,我就任憑他們在這供獻的事上玷污自己,好叫他們淒涼,使他們知道我是耶和華

27 人子啊,你要告訴以色列耶和華如此:你們的列祖在得罪我的事上褻瀆我;

28 因為我領他們到了我起誓應許賜他們的,他們見各山、各茂密,就在那裡獻祭,奉上惹我發怒的供物,也在那裡焚燒馨的祭牲,並澆上奠祭。

29 我就對他們:你們所上的那甚麼呢?(那處的名字巴麻直到今日。)

30 所以你要對以色列耶和華如此:你們仍照你們列祖所行的玷污自己麼?仍照他們可憎的事行邪淫麼?

31 你們奉上供物使你們兒子的時候,仍將一切偶像玷污自己,直到今日麼?以色列家啊,我豈被你們求問麼?耶和華:我指著我的永生起誓,我必不被你們求問。

32 你們:我們要像外邦人和列國的宗族一樣,去事奉頭與石頭。你們所起的這心意萬不能成就。

33 耶和華:我指著我的永生起誓,我總要作王,用大能的和伸出來的膀,並傾出來的忿怒,治理你們。

34 我必用大能的和伸出來的膀,並傾出來的忿怒,將你們從萬民中領出來,從分散的列國內聚集你們。

35 我必你們到外邦人的曠野,在那裡當面刑罰你們。

36 我怎樣在埃及的曠野刑罰你們的列祖,也必照樣刑罰你們。這是耶和華的。

37 我必使你們從杖經過,使你們被約拘束。

38 我必從你們中間除淨叛逆和得罪我的人,將他們從所寄居的方領出,他們卻不得入以色列。你們就知道我是耶和華

39 以色列家啊,至於你們,耶和華如此:從此以若不從我,就任憑你們去事奉偶像,只是不可再因你們的供物和偶像褻瀆我的名。

40 耶和華:在我的,就是以色列處的,所有以色列的全家都要事奉我。我要在那裡悅納你們,向你們要供物和初熟的土產,並一切的物。

41 我從萬民中領你們出來,從分散的列國內聚集你們,那時我必悅納你們好像馨之祭,要在外邦人眼前在你們身上顯為

42 我領你們進入以色列,就是我起誓應許賜你們列祖之,那時你們就知道我是耶和華

43 你們在那裡要追念玷污自己的行動作為,又要因所做的一切惡事厭惡自己。

44 耶和華以色列家啊,我為我名的緣故,不照著你們的惡行和你們的壞事待你們;你們就知道我是耶和華

45 耶和華的臨到我說:

46 人子啊,你要面向南方,向南滴下預言攻擊方田野的樹林。

47 方的,要耶和華的耶和華如此:我必使在你中間著起,燒滅你中間的一切青和枯,猛烈的燄必不熄滅。從,人的臉面都被燒焦。

48 凡有血氣的都必知道是我─耶和華使火著起,這火必不熄滅。

49 於是我:哎!耶和華啊,人都指著我:他豈不是比喻的麼?

   

Van Swedenborgs Werken

 

Apocalypse Explained #1045

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1045. Having in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and the uncleanness of whoredoms, signifies having doctrine from profaned goods and truths. This is evident from the signification of a "cup," as being falsity from hell, for a "cup" has a similar signification as "wine," and "wine" signifies truth from heaven, and in the contrary sense falsity from hell (See n. 887, 960, 1022). And as a "cup" signifies truth or falsity, and the doctrine of every church is either of truth or of falsity, for all truth or falsity of the church is contained in doctrine, so a "cup" also signifies doctrine, and "a golden cup" the doctrine of falsity from evil.

[2] As in Jeremiah:

Babylon is a golden cup in the hand of Jehovah, making the whole earth drunken (Jeremiah 51:7).

It is called "a golden cup" for the same reason that the woman is said to be "arrayed in purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold, precious stones and pearls," that is, from the appearance in externals; and yet in internals it is like a cup "full of abominations and uncleanness." For it is like what the Lord says of the externals and internals with the Scribes and Pharisees:

Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, who cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. And ye make yourselves like unto whited sepulchers, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of bones of the dead and all uncleanness (Matthew 23:25-27).

The above is evident also from the signification of "abominations," as being the profanations of good (of which presently); also from the signification of "the uncleanness of whoredom," as being the profanation of truth. For "whoredom" signifies falsification of truth (See above), therefore its "uncleanness" signifies profanation.

[3] In regard to the profanations that are signified by "abominations," they are perversions of the holy things of the church, thus conversions of its goods into evils, and of its truths into falsities. They are called "abominations" because the angels abominate them; for so far as they have been holy things of the church, derived from goods and truths from the Word, they ascend into heaven; but so far as they have been applied to evils, and thus profaned, they carry with them what is infernal, which lies hidden within; and consequently they are perceived as things dead, in which there was once a living soul; and this is why heaven abominates and detests them.

[4] That this is the meaning of "abominations" in the Word is evident from the account of the abominations of Jerusalem in Ezekiel:

As that she took of the garments of her adorning which were given to her, and made for herself high places of various colors, and committed whoredom upon them;

That of the gold and silver given to her, she made herself images of a male, and committed whoredom with them;

That the oil, incense, bread, fine flour, and honey, that were given to her, she gave for an odor of rest;

That they sacrificed their sons and daughters;

That she committed whoredom first in Egypt, and afterwards with the sons of Assyria, and finally with the Chaldeans; besides other things that are there called abominations. (Ezekiel 16:2-63).

All these things signify profanations of the Word, of the church, and of worship. So in other passages where abominations are either recounted or mentioned (as Jeremiah 7:9, 10; 16:18; 32:35; Ezekiel 5:11; 7:19, 20; 8:6-18; 11:21; 14:6; 20:7, 8; Deuteronomy 7:25, 26; 12:31; 18:9, 10; Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14; Daniel 9:27; 11:31).

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

Van Swedenborgs Werken

 

Apocalypse Explained #887

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887. Verse 10. Even he shall drink of the wine of the anger of God mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of His wrath, signifies appropriation of falsity and its evil, conjoined with falsified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word. This is evident from the signification of "to drink," as being to take in and to appropriate to oneself (See above, n. 617); also from the signification of "wine," as being truth from good, and in the contrary sense falsity from evil (See above, n. 376); also from the signification of "anger," as being evil, because evil is angry against good and wishes to destroy it (See n. 693, 754). It is said "the anger of God," but anger against God is meant, as in many passages where anger and wrath and evil in general are attributed to God (See n. 481, 647); so here, "to drink the wine of the anger of God" signifies to take in and appropriate falsity and its evil. The taking in and appropriation of evil is effected by faith separated from good works, because when goods of life, which are good works, are set aside as not justifying, thus as not saving, evils take their place; for so far as goods withdraw evils enter, "for no one can serve two masters," namely, evil and good, at the same time. The above is evident also from the signification of "mixed with unmixed wine," as being to be conjoined with falsified truths (of which presently); also from the signification of "cup," as being an external container of truth, thus the Word in the sense of its letter; for when "wine" signifies truth, "cup" signifies that which contains it, and the sense of the letter of the Word is the containant of truth, both natural and spiritual. (That "cup" has a similar signification as "wine," that is, what it contains, and that it signifies the containant, can be seen from the passages in the Word where "cup," "chalice," "goblet," and "vial" are mentioned, which will be cited in the explanation of chapters 16 and 17 that follows.) As "cup" signifies the external or containant of truth, thus the sense of the letter of the Word, and as this is falsified by those who are in the doctrine and at the same time in the life of faith separated, so it is called "the cup of God's wrath." The "anger" and the "wrath" of God are here mentioned as in many other passages of the Word, and "anger" means the love and desire for evil in man; and "wrath" the love and desire for falsity in him, for "anger" is predicated of evil, and "wrath" of falsity (See above, n. 481 at the end). All this makes clear that "the wine mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of the wrath of God" signifies conjunction with falsified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word.

[2] "To mix with unmixed wine" signifies to be conjoined with falsified truths of the Word, because "unmixed wine" means intoxicating wine, and thus intoxication, consequently in the spiritual sense delirium in respect to truths induced by falsities, for delirium in respect to truths induced by falsities is spiritual intoxication. Moreover, the word in the original translated "unmixed wine" is derived from a word that means to be intoxicated. As this is the signification of "unmixed wine," and those who falsify the Word are spiritually drunken, that is, are in a state of delirium in respect to truths, the two passages where "unmixed wine" is mentioned in the Word treat of the falsification of truth, as in Isaiah and Hosea.

[3] In Isaiah:

How hath the faithful city become a harlot; she was full of judgment, justice lodged in her; but now murderers. Thy silver hath become dross, thy unmixed wine mixed with waters (Isaiah 1:21, 22).

A "harlot" signifies everywhere in the Word falsified truth (See above, n. 141, 161); and "city" signifies doctrine; so "the faithful city becoming a harlot" signifies that doctrine that had previously been the doctrine of genuine truth has become the doctrine of falsified truth. "She was full of judgment, justice lodged in her," signifies where the truth of doctrine and the good of love had been abundant, for "judgment" is predicated in the Word of the truth of doctrine and the understanding, and "justice" of the good of love and of the will; "but now murderers" signifies that falsification has extinguished the understanding of truth and the perception of good. (That this is the signification of a "murderer" may be seen above, n. 589.) "Thy silver hath become dross" signifies that genuine truth has been changed into falsity; "thy unmixed wine mixed with waters" signifies that truth has been made vile and destroyed by falsifying it.

[4] In Hosea:

Ephraim is associated with idols, let him alone. Their wine 1 is gone; in whoring they have committed whoredom, they are given up to love (Hosea 4:17, 18).

"Ephraim" signifies the understanding of the truth of the church, "idols" signify the falsities of religion. This makes clear what is signified by "Ephraim is associated with idols." "Let him alone" signifies the rejection of the falsities of that religion by the church. "Their wine 1 is gone" signifies that the truth of the Word has perished; "in whoring they have committed whoredom" signifies the falsification of that truth; "they are given up to love" signifies the love of falsity. All this makes clear what is signified in particular by "unmixed wine."

Voetnoten:

1. The Hebrew is the same expression as that used in the preceding passage translated "unmixed wine" merum, but Swedenborg has vinum, "wine."

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