1158. “那些分布于岛上的民族就出于这些人, 有自己的陆地” 表源于这些人的更多民族的敬拜; “岛” 是指特定地区, 因而是指距离内在敬拜更遥远的特定敬拜形式; “陆地” 表这些敬拜形式的共同特征. 这从圣言中 “岛” 的含义清楚可知. 目前为止, 所论述的主题一直是那些具有与内在相对应的外在敬拜之人. 雅弗的七个儿子表那些更接近真正的内在敬拜之人, 歌篾的儿子和雅完的儿子一起表那些距离真正的内在敬拜相对遥远之人. “岛上的民族” 表那些更为遥远的人, 严格来说, 表那些彼此生活在仁爱中, 但仍处于无知, 对主, 教会的信之教义和内在敬拜一无所知的人. 然而, 他们具有某种虔诚遵守的外在敬拜形式. 在圣言中, 这种人被称作 “岛”, 因此, “岛” 的内义是指距离内在敬拜更为遥远的敬拜. 象天使那样通晓内义的人不知道岛是什么, 因为他们对这类事物不再有任何概念. 他们感知到的不是岛, 而是更遥远的敬拜, 诸如教会外的外邦人所具有的敬拜. 同样, 他们将 “岛” 理解为距离仁爱有点远的教会自身里面的那些事物, 如友谊和礼貌. 友谊不是仁爱, 礼貌更不是. 它们是从仁爱那里延伸下来的; 它们从仁爱汲取得越多, 就越纯粹.

“岛” 表这类事物, 这可从以下圣言经文看出来. 以赛亚书:

众海岛啊, 当在我面前静默; 众民当从新得力, 都要近前来. 海岛看见就都害怕; 地极也都战兢, 就近前来. (以赛亚书 41:1, 5)

此处, “岛” 表教会之外正直的外邦人, 他们虔诚遵守自己的外在敬拜. 教会的最远界限被称为 “地极”. 同一先知书:

他不灰心, 也不丧胆, 直到祂在地上设立公理, 海岛都等候祂的训诲. 航海的和海中所有的, 海岛和其上的居民, 都当向耶和华唱新歌, 从地极赞美祂! 他们当将荣耀归给耶和华, 在海岛中传扬他的颂赞. (以赛亚书 42:4, 10, 12)

此处, “海岛” 也表教会外的外邦人, 他们过着无知, 简单和正直的生活.

同一先知书:

众海岛啊, 当听我言! 远方的众民哪, 留心而听! (以赛亚书 49:1)

这同样表距离对主的敬拜和对信的认知更为遥远的外邦民族; 因此, 经上说 “远方”. 又:

海岛都要期待我, 等候倚赖我的膀臂. (以赛亚书 51:5)

“海岛” 所表相同. 由于他们是过着正直生活的人, 故经上说他们 “都要期待我, 等候倚赖我的膀臂”. 耶利米书:

列国啊, 要听耶和华的话, 传扬在远处的海岛. (耶利米书 31:10)

“海岛” 同样有相同的意思. 西番雅书:

耶和华必向他们显可畏之威; 因祂必叫地上的诸神瘦弱, 列国海岛的居民各在自己的地方敬拜祂. (西番雅书 2:11)

“列国海岛” 表距离对信的认知更为遥远的民族.

诗篇:

耶和华作王, 愿地快乐, 愿众海岛欢喜! 密云和幽暗在祂的四围. (诗篇 97:1, 2)

“海岛” 表相同的意思. 在此, 他们的无知通过 “密云和幽暗” 以代表性的方式来表述. 但由于他们过着简单和正直的生活, 故经上说 “在祂的四围”. 因 “岛” 表更远的事物, 故 “他施, 普勒, 路德, 土巴和雅完” (他们也表外在敬拜形式), 被称为 “海岛” (以赛亚书 66:19). 基提也是 (耶利米书 2:10; 以西结书 27:6).

与 “陆地” 或 “高山” 对比时, “海岛” 也表信之真理, 因为它们被种植在海里. 因此, 它们表教义, 也就是仪式.

6073. 'What are your works?' means regarding duties and services. This is clear from the meaning of 'works' as forms of good, dealt with in 6048, thus useful services and duties, for these are forms of good. Every good that is called a good of charity consists in nothing other than useful service, and useful services are nothing other than works done for one's neighbour, country, Church, and the Lord's kingdom. Regarded essentially charity does not actually become charity until it passes into action and becomes a work; for loving someone but not doing anything good for him when the possibility exists is not really loving him. Doing good for him when the possibility exists, and doing it with all one's heart, is loving him; for then the actual deed or work contains all that constitutes charity towards him. For works embrace every aspect of charity and faith present with a person and are called forms of spiritual good, made such through the exercise of charity, that is, through useful services.

[2] Because the angels in heaven are governed by good received from the Lord, they have no greater desire than to perform useful services. These are the very delights of their life, and in the measure that they perform useful services they enjoy blessing and happiness, 453, 696, 997, 3645.

This is also the Lord's teaching in Matthew,

The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father together with His angels, and at that time He will repay everyone according to his works. Matthew 16:17.

'Works' is not used here to mean works such as they are in outward appearance but such as they appear inwardly - that is to say, what kind of charity they hold within them. Angels do not look on works in any other way.

[3] Furthermore, since works are a combination of every aspect of charity and faith present with a person, and since life causes charity to be charity and faith to be faith, and so to be good, John was loved more than the other disciples by the Lord and leaned on His breast at the Last Supper, John 21:20. For that disciple represented the good deeds or works of charity, see the Prefaces to Genesis 18, 22. For the same reason the Lord said to him Follow Me; He did not say it to Peter, ¹ who represented faith, see those same Prefaces, and this led faith, which is Peter, to be indignant and say,

Lord, but what about this man? Jesus said to Him, If I will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You, follow Me. John 21:19, 11-23.

This was also a prediction that faith would come to despise works, even though the Lord associates Himself with them, as may also be seen quite clearly from the Lord's words addressed to the sheep and the goats at Matthew 25, where nothing else than works are listed in Verses Matthew 25:34-46. The fact that faith would disown the Lord is evident from the representation by Peter in his denial of Him three times, [Matthew 26:34.] His denial 'at night' means the final period of the Church when no charity would exist any longer, 6000; his denial 'three times' means that at that point the final period would be complete, 1825, 2788, 4495, 5159; and 'before the cock crowed' means before a new phase of the Church had arrived, for twilight and morning which follow night mean the first phase of a Church, 2405, 5962.

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