但以理書第9章
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#4535
4535. The preliminary sections of previous chapters - Chapter 26 onwards - explained what the Lord foretold about His Coming or THE CLOSE OF THE AGE. Frequently in those sections it has been shown that His Coming or the Close of the Age means the last period of the Church, which in the Word is called the Last Judgement. Those who do not look beyond the literal sense cannot know of the Last Judgement as anything else than the destruction of the world, the particular source for such an idea being the Book of Revelation. There it is said that [John] saw 'a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away; and there was no more sea', and in addition that he saw 'the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven', Revelation 21:1-2. Prophetical utterances in Isaiah, where similar predictions occur, are also a source of the same idea,
Behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth; therefore the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 1 Be glad and rejoice for ever in the things I am creating; behold, I will create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. Isaiah 65:17-18; 66:22.
[2] Those who do not look beyond the literal sense cannot conceive of anything else than this - that the whole sky together with this planet will be annihilated, and then the dead - for the first time - will rise again and dwell in the new heaven and on the new earth. But these places in the Word should not be understood in that way, as may be recognized from other places in the Word where the heavens and the earth are referred to. Those who have any belief in an internal sense can see plainly that 'a new heaven' and 'a new earth' are used to mean a new Church which takes over when the previous one passes away, 1733, 1850, 3355 (end), and that 'heaven' is the internal aspect of that new Church and 'earth' the external aspect of it.
[3] This last period of the previous Church and the first of the new one are also called the Close of the Age, about which the Lord has spoken in Matthew 24. They are called also His Coming, for at that time the Lord departs from the previous Church and comes to the new. The description of that period as the Close of the Age may also be seen from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
On that day a remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the God of power. For though your people Israel will be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of it will return. The close has been determined, overflowing with righteousness, for the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth is bringing the whole earth to its close and to its determined end. Isaiah 10:20-23.
In the same prophet,
Now do not be derisive, lest your punishments increase, for a close and a cutting off I have heard from the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth over the whole earth. Isaiah 28:22.
In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, The whole earth will be a waste, yet I will not bring it to a close. Jeremiah 4:27.
In Zephaniah,
I will bring men into distress, and they will go as the blind, because they have sinned against Jehovah; and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. For Jehovah will bring to a close, indeed to a hasty one, all the inhabitants of the earth. Zephaniah 1:17-18.
From each detail stated here it is evident that 'a close' means the last period of the Church and 'the earth' the Church itself.
[4] The reason why 'the earth (or land)' means the Church is that the land of Canaan was the land where the Church had existed since most ancient times, and later on where among the descendants of Jacob a representative of the Church existed. When this land is said to have been 'brought to a close' it is not the nation dwelling there that is meant but the holiness of worship which existed with the nation where the Church was. For the Word is spiritual; but the actual land is not spiritual, nor is the nation dwelling in it, only that which constitutes the Church there. For evidence that the land of Canaan was the land where the Church had existed from most ancient times, see 567, 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517; and this explains why 'the land' or 'the earth' in the Word means the Church, 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 3355, 4447. From all this one may see what is meant in Isaiah by 'bringing the whole earth to a close', and in Zephaniah by 'bringing all the inhabitants of the earth to a hasty one'. It is well known that the Jewish nation which inhabited that land was not 'brought to a close' but that the holiness of worship among them was.
[5] This meaning of 'the close' is even clearer in Daniel,
Seventy weeks have been decreed concerning your people and your holy city to bring transgression to a close and to seal up sins and to atone for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. In the middle of the week he will cause sacrifice and offering to cease. At length upon the bird of desolations will come desolation; until a close and a cutting off will it drop upon the devastation. Daniel 9:24, 27.
[6] From this one may now see that the close of the age - about which the disciples were asking when they said to the Lord 'What will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age?' Matthew 24:3 - does not mean anything else than the final period of the Church. The same is also meant by the Lord's words, which are the very last in the same gospel,
Jesus said to the disciples, Teaching them to observe 2 all things whatever I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you at all times 3 even to the close of the age. Matthew 28:20.
The reason why the Lord said that He would be with the disciples even to the close of the age is that the Lord's twelve disciples are similar in meaning to the twelve tribes of Israel. That is to say, they mean all things of love and faith, and therefore all things of the Church, see 3354, 3488, 3858, as do the twelve tribes, 3858, 3926, 3939, 4060. The fact that the Church reaches its close when no charity exists there any longer, nor consequently any faith, has been shown several times already; and that within the Church at the present day, called the Christian Church, scarcely any trace of charity or consequently of faith survives there; and that the close of the age is accordingly now at hand, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown further on.
脚注:
1. literally, come up upon the heart
2. Reading servare (to observe) for the imperative servate (observe)
3. literally, I am with you all the days
