10
Tehkäät vannanne miekoiksi ja viikahteenne keihäiksi. Ja joka heikko on, se sanokaan: minä olen väkevä.
Joel 3:10
SWORD version by Tero Favorin (tero at favorin dot com)
Apocalypse Revealed #645
645. Crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the hour has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth has dried." This symbolizes a supplication by angels in heaven to the Lord to bring things to an end and execute judgment, because the church had now reached its last state.
To cry with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud symbolizes a supplication by angels in heaven to the Lord, because they lacked anything corresponding to them on earth. For the church on earth is to the angelic heaven like the foundation on which a house rests, or like the feet on which a person stands and which he uses to walk. When the church on earth has been destroyed, therefore, the angels lament and supplicate the Lord. Their supplication is that He may bring the church to an end and raise up a new one. The angel's crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud accordingly symbolizes a supplication by angels in heaven to the Lord.
That He who sat on the cloud symbolizes the Lord in relation to the Word may be seen just above in no. 642. That to thrust in a sickle and reap means, symbolically, to put an end to something and execute judgment - this, too, may be seen in nos. 642, 643 above. For the hour has come to reap means symbolically that the church is at an end. For the harvest has dried means symbolically that the church has reached its last state. A harvest symbolizes the state of the church with respect to Divine truth. The reason is that a harvest yields the grain used to make bread, and grain and bread symbolize the church's goodness, which is achieved through truths.
[2] That this is the symbolic meaning of these words can be more clearly seen from passages in the Word where a harvest, reaping, or sickle are mentioned, as in the following:
...I will sit to judge all the... nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe... For their wickedness is great. (Joel 3:12-13)
Cut off the sower..., and him who handles the sickle at harvest time. (Jeremiah 50:16)
The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor...; a little while yet till the time of her harvest comes. (Jeremiah 51:33)
It shall be when the standing grain of the harvest is gathered, and his arm reaps the ears... ...in the morning your seed flourishes..., the harvest a heap in the day of your possession and desperate sorrow. (Isaiah 17:5-6, 11)
Be ashamed, you farmers..., because the harvest of the field has perished. (Joel 1:11)
(Jesus said to His disciples:) "There are still four months until the harvest comes. ...lift up your eyes and behold the fields, that they are already white for harvest! ...I sent you to reap...." (John 4:35-38)
(Jesus) said to His disciples, "The harvest... is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray... the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest." (Matthew 9:37-38, Luke 10:2)
In these places, and also in Isaiah 16:9, Jeremiah 5:17; 8:20, the harvest symbolizes the church with respect to Divine truth.
[3] Everything contained in these verses in the present chapter, however, and also in the following two chapters, was foretold by the Lord in the parable of a sower and his gathering in of the harvest, and because it shows and illustrates what the symbolism is, we will quote it here:
(Jesus said:) "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but... his enemy came and sowed tares... ...when the plants sprouted..., ...the tares also appeared....
"The servants said..., 'Do you want us to... gather them up?'
"But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn...." ' "
And His disciples came to (Jesus), saying, "Explain to us the parable...."
(Jesus) said...: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man (or the Lord). The field is the world (the church), the... seeds are the sons of the kingdom (the church's truths), the tares are the sons of the evil one (falsities from hell), the enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the culmination of the age (the end of the church), the reapers are the angels (Divine truths). Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the culmination of this age (at then end of the church)." (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)
Matthew 14
1
At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,
2
and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him."
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For Herod had laid hold of John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.
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For John said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."
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When he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
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But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod.
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Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask.
8
She, being prompted by her mother, said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer."
9
The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given,
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and he sent and beheaded John in the prison.
11
His head was brought on a platter, and given to the young lady: and she brought it to her mother.
12
His disciples came, and took the body, and buried it; and they went and told Jesus.
13
Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.
14
Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them, and healed their sick.
15
When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, "This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food."
16
But Jesus said to them, "They don't need to go away. You give them something to eat."
17
They told him, "We only have here five loaves and two fish."
18
He said, "Bring them here to me."
19
He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitudes.
20
They all ate, and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces.
21
Those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
22
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23
After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.
24
But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25
In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
26
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It's a ghost!" and they cried out for fear.
27
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying "Cheer up! It is I! Don't be afraid."
28
Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters."
29
He said, "Come!" Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to Come to Jesus.
30
But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
31
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
32
When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased.
33
Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, "You are truly the Son of God!"
34
When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.
35
When the people of that place recognized him, they sent into all that surrounding region, and brought to him all who were sick,
36
and they begged him that they might just touch the fringe of his garment. As many as touched it were made whole.
