但以理書 9
2
就是他在位第一年,我但以理從書上得知耶和華的話臨到先知耶利米,論耶路撒冷荒涼的年數,七十年為滿。
4
我向耶和華─我的神祈禱、認罪,說:主啊,大而可畏的神,向愛主、守主誡命的人守約施慈愛。
6
沒有聽從你僕人眾先知奉你名向我們君王、首領、列祖,和國中一切百姓所說的話。
7
主啊,你是公義的,我們是臉上蒙羞的;因我們猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民,並以色列眾人,或在近處,或在遠處,被你趕到各國的人,都得罪了你,正如今日一樣。
8
主啊,我們和我們的君王、首領、列祖因得罪了你,就都臉上蒙羞。
10
也沒有聽從耶和華─我們神的話,沒有遵行他藉僕人眾先知向我們所陳明的律法。
11
以色列眾人都犯了你的律法,偏行,不聽從你的話;因此,在你僕人摩西律法上所寫的咒詛和誓言都傾在我們身上,因我們得罪了神。
12
他使大災禍臨到我們,成就了警戒我們和審判我們官長的話;原來在普天之下未曾行過像在耶路撒冷所行的。
13
這一切災禍臨到我們身上是照摩西律法上所寫的,我們卻沒有求耶和華─我們神的恩典,使我們回頭離開罪孽,明白你的真理。
14
所以耶和華留意使這災禍臨到我們身上,因為耶和華─我們的神在他所行的事上都是公義;我們並沒有聽從他的話。
15
主─我們的神啊,你曾用大能的手領你的子民出埃及地,使自己得了名,正如今日一樣。我們犯了罪,作了惡。
16
主啊,求你按你的大仁大義,使你的怒氣和忿怒轉離你的城耶路撒冷,就是你的聖山。耶路撒冷和你的子民,因我們的罪惡和我們列祖的罪孽被四圍的人羞辱。
17
我們的神啊,現在求你垂聽僕人的祈禱懇求,為自己使臉光照你荒涼的聖所。
18
我的神啊,求你側耳而聽,睜眼而看,眷顧我們荒涼之地和稱為你名下的城。我們在你面前懇求,原不是因自己的義,乃因你的大憐憫。
19
求主垂聽,求主赦免,求主應允而行,為你自己不要遲延。我的神啊,因這城和這民都是稱為你名下的。
20
我說話,禱告,承認我的罪和本國之民以色列的罪,為我神的聖山,在耶和華─我神面前懇求。
21
我正禱告的時候,先前在異象中所見的那位加百列,奉命迅速飛來,約在獻晚祭的時候,按手在我身上。
22
他指教我說:但以理啊,現在我出來要使你有智慧,有聰明。
23
你初懇求的時候,就發出命令,我來告訴你,因你大蒙眷愛;所以你要思想明白這以下的事和異象。
24
為你本國之民和你聖城,已經定了七十個七。要止住罪過,除淨罪惡,贖盡罪孽,引進(或譯:彰顯)永義,封住異象和預言,並膏至聖者(者:或譯所)。
25
你當知道,當明白,從出令重新建造耶路撒冷,直到有受膏君的時候,必有七個七和六十二個七。正在艱難的時候,耶路撒冷城連街帶濠都必重新建造。
26
過了六十二個七,那(或譯:有)受膏者必被剪除,一無所有;必有一王的民來毀滅這城和聖所,至終必如洪水沖沒。必有爭戰,一直到底,荒涼的事已經定了。
27
一七之內,他必與許多人堅定盟約;一七之半,他必使祭祀與供獻止息。那行毀壞可憎的(或譯:使地荒涼的)如飛而來,並且有忿怒傾在那行毀壞的身上(或譯:傾在那荒涼之地),直到所定的結局。
Arcana Coelestia # 9965
9965. 'That they may not bear iniquity and die' means the elimination of the whole of worship. This is clear from the meaning of 'bearing the iniquity', when the subject is the priestly office of Aaron and his sons, as a removal or shifting away of falsities and evils with those who are governed by good derived from the Lord, dealt with above in 9937. But when it speaks of them 'bearing iniquity and dying' the elimination of the whole of worship is meant, see 9928; for the representative worship died because nothing of it appeared any longer in heaven. The situation in all this may become clear from what has been stated and shown above in 9959-9961. They also died when they did not act in accordance with the statutes, 1 as is evident from Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu, who were devoured by fire from heaven when they did not take the fire of the altar to burn incense but foreign 2 fire, Leviticus 10:1-2ff. 'The fire of the altar' represented God's love, thus love from the Lord, whereas 'foreign fire' represented love from hell. The elimination of worship was meant by their burning incense with this fire and their consequent death. For the meaning of 'fire' as love, see 5215, 6832, 7324, 7575, 7852.
[2] Many places in the Word state that they would bear iniquity when they did not do things in accordance with the statutes, and by this was meant damnation because sins had not been removed. Not that they themselves were condemned on account of disobeying the statutes. Rather by doing so they eliminated representative worship and in so doing represented the damnation of those who remain in their sins. For none are condemned because they fail in their performance of outward religious observances, only because of evils in the heart, thus because of failing in such observances as a result of evil in the heart. This is what 'bearing iniquity' means in the following places: In Moses,
If a soul sins and acts against any of Jehovah's commandments regarding what ought not to be done, 3 though he does not know it, yet he will be guilty and will bear his iniquity. Leviticus 5:17-18.
Here the retention of evils and consequent damnation should not be understood literally by 'bearing iniquity', although that is the spiritual meaning; for it says 'though he does not know it', implying that what the person has done does not spring from evil in the heart.
[3] In the same author,
If any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten at all on the third day, the one offering it will not be accepted. It is an abomination, and the soul that eats it will bear his iniquity, and will be cut off from his people. Leviticus 7:18; 19:7-8.
Here also 'bearing iniquity' means remaining in his sins and being as a result in a state of damnation. It does so not because the person ate some of his sacrifice on the third day, but because 'eating it on the third day' represented something abominable, namely an action leading to damnation. Thus 'bearing iniquity and being cut off from his people' represented the damnation of those who performed the abomination meant by that deed. Nevertheless there was no condemnation on account of his having eaten it, for interior evils that were represented are what condemn, not exterior actions in which those evils are not present.
[4] In the same author,
Every soul who eats a carcass 4 or that which has been torn, and does not wash his clothes and bathe his flesh shall bear his iniquity. Leviticus 17:15-16.
Since 'eating a carcass or that which has been torn' represented making evil or falsity one's own, the expression 'bearing iniquity' also has a representative meaning. In the same author,
If a man who is clean fails to keep the Passover, this soul shall be cut off from his people, because he did not bring the offering of Jehovah at its appointed time; he shall bear his sin. Numbers 9:13.
'The Passover' represented deliverance by the Lord from damnation, 7093 (end), 7867, 7995, 9286-9292; and 'the Passover supper' represented being joined to the Lord through the good of love, 7836, 7997, 8001. And since these things were represented it was decreed that anyone who did not keep the Passover should be cut off from his people and that he should bear his sin. The failure to keep it was not really so great a crime; rather it represented those who at heart refuse to accept the Lord and consequently deliverance from sins, and so who have no wish to be joined to Him through love. Thus it represented their damnation.
[5] In the same author,
The children of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting, or else they will bear iniquity and die. 5 Levites shall perform the work of the tent of meeting, and these shall bear the iniquity. Numbers 18:22-23.
The reason why the people would bear iniquity and die if they were to go near the tent of meeting to do the work there was that they would thereby eliminate the representative worship assigned to the function of the priests. The function of the priests or the priestly office represented the Lord's entire work of salvation, 9809; and this is why it says that the Levites, who also were priests, should bear the people's iniquity, by which expiation or atonement was meant, that is, removal from evils and falsities with those who are governed by good derived from the Lord alone, 9937. 'Bearing iniquity' means real damnation when this expression is used in reference to those who perform evil deeds because their heart is evil, such as those mentioned in Leviticus 20:17, 19-20; 24:15-16; Ezekiel 18:20; 23:49; and elsewhere.
Notas de rodapé:
1. i.e. the laws of worship; see 8972.
2. i.e. unauthorized or profane
3. literally, and does one of [all] Jehovah's commandments [about] things which ought not to be done
4. i.e. an animal that had not been slaughtered but had died naturally
5. literally, to bear iniquity, dying