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Genesis 14

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1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel the king of Shinar, Arioch the king of El-lasar, Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and Tidal the king of nations,

2 [that] they made war with Bera the king of Sodom, and with Birsha the king of Gomorrah, Shinab the king of Admah, and Shemeber the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.

3 All these were joined in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.

4 Twelve years had they served Chedorlaomer; and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5 And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-Kirjathaim,

6 and the Horites on their mount Seir, to El-Paran, which is by the wilderness.

7 And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites that dwelt at Hazazon-Tamar.

8 And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar, went out, and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim,

9 with Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and Tidal the king of nations, and Amraphel the king of Shinar, and Arioch the king of Ellasar -- four kings with the five.

10 And the vale of Siddim was full of pits of asphalt. And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there: and they that remained fled to the mountain.

11 And they took all the property of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and departed.

12 And they took Lot and his property, Abram's brother's son, and departed. For he dwelt in Sodom.

13 And one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew. And he dwelt by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol, and the brother of Aner. And these were Abram's allies.

14 And Abram heard that his brother was taken captive; and he led out his trained [servants], born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued [them] as far as Dan.

15 And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is to the left of Damascus.

16 And he brought back all the property, and brought again his brother Lot and his property, and the women also, and the people.

17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after he had returned from smiting Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, into the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley.

18 And Melchisedec king of Salem brought out bread and wine. And he was priest of the Most High ùGod.

19 And he blessed him, and said, blessed be Abram of the Most High ùGod, possessor of heavens and earth.

20 And blessed be the Most High ùGod, who has delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him the tenth of all.

21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the souls, and take the property for thyself.

22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah, the Most High ùGod, possessor of heavens and earth,

23 if from a thread even to a sandal-thong, yes, if of all that is thine, I take [anything] ...; that thou mayest not say, I have made Abram rich;

24 save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men that went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, let them take their portion.

   

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True Christian Religion # 635

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635. Lastly I will reveal this secret. Seven chapters of Revelation describe the termination of the present church, in terms similar to the devastation of Egypt. In both cases this was by similar plagues, each of which stands in the spiritual sense for some falsity advancing its devastation to the point of destruction. This church, therefore, which is at the present time lost, is also called Egypt as spiritually understood (Revelation 11:8). The plagues in Egypt were as follows.

The waters were turned to blood, so that all the fish died and the river stank (Exodus 7; similar language in Revelation 8:8; 16:3). Blood means Divine truth falsified (see Apocalypse Revealed 379, 404, 681, 687-688). The fish that died mean likewise truths in the natural man (Apocalypse Revealed 290, 405).

Frogs came forth upon the land of Egypt (Exodus 8). There is also a mention of frogs in Revelation 16:13. Frogs mean reasonings as a result of a longing for the falsification of truth (see Apocalypse Revealed 702).

In Egypt foul ulcers appeared upon men and beasts (Exodus 9); similar language in Revelation 16:2. Ulcers mean inward evils and falsities which can destroy the good and truth in the church (see Apocalypse Revealed 678).

In Egypt hail fell mixed with fire (Exodus 9); similar language in Revelation 8:7; 16:21. Hail means hellish falsity (see Apocalypse Revealed 399, 714).

Locusts were sent upon Egypt (Exodus 10); similar language in Revelation 9:1-11. Locusts mean falsities in outermost things (see Apocalypse Revealed 424, 430).

Oppressive darkness was brought upon Egypt (Exodus 10:21); similar language in Revelation 8:12. Darkness means falsities arising from ignorance, or from false ideas of religion, or from evil living (see Apocalypse Revealed 110, 413, 695).

The Egyptians finally perished in the sea of Suph 1 (Exodus 14). In Revelation the dragon and the false prophet perished in the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 19:20; 20:10). Both the sea of Suph and that lake have the same meaning, hell.

The reason why similar language is used of Egypt and of the church, the termination and end of which is described in Revelation, is that Egypt stands for the church, which in its beginnings was outstanding. So before its church was devastated, Egypt is equated with the Garden of Eden and the garden of Jehovah (Genesis 13:10; Ezekiel 31:8). It is also called 'the corner-stone of the tribes', and 'the sons of wise men and of the kings of ancient time' (Isaiah 19:11, 13). More about Egypt in its earliest state and in its devastation will be found in Apocalypse Revealed 503.

Mga talababa:

1. Generally taken as 'the Red Sea', but the author keeps the Hebrew form.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Apocalypse Revealed # 681

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681. And it became blood as though of a dead man, and every living creature in the sea died. This symbolizes the infernal falsity in those people by which every truth in the Word was extinguished, and so also every truth in the church and in faith.

Blood as though of a dead man, or blood oozing and mixed with pus, symbolizes infernal falsity. For blood symbolizes Divine truth, and in an opposite sense, that truth falsified (no. 379). But blood as though of a dead man symbolizes infernal falsity, inasmuch as death symbolizes the extinction of spiritual life, and so a dead man symbolizes something infernal (nos. 321, 525). That every living creature died means symbolically that every truth in the Word, in the church, and in faith was extinguished. For a living creature symbolizes the truth of faith; accordingly a living creature that has died symbolizes the truth of faith extinguished.

A living creature in the Word, or a soul when referring to a human being, symbolizes his spiritual life, which is also the life of his intellect; and because the intellect is formed by truths, and truths have to do with faith, therefore a living creature or soul symbolizes the truth of faith. That this is the symbolic meaning of a living creature or soul can be seen from many passages in the Word, and also from those that mention both soul and heart. The soul and heart plainly mean a person's life, but it is his life in consequence of his will and intellect, or spiritually speaking, in consequence of his love and wisdom, or of his charity and faith; and the life of the will springing from the goodness of love is meant by heart, while the life of the intellect springing from truths of wisdom or of faith is meant by soul. These are meant by soul and heart in Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, 33, Luke 10:27; Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12; 11:13; 26:16; Jeremiah 32:41; and elsewhere. Also in passages which mention heart by itself and soul by itself.

The reason these terms are used comes from the correspondence of the heart with the will and love, and of the soul's action in the lungs with the intellect and wisdom, as may be seem in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom, Section Five, where this correspondence is discussed.

  
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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.