4453. “做买卖, 置产业” 表因他们交流而将彼此一致的教义. 这从 “做买卖” 和 “置产业” 的含义清楚可知: “做买卖” 是指为自己获取认知, 以及交流它们 (参看2967节), 因此在这地 “做买卖” 表示进入哈抹的儿子示剑及其城所表示的良善与真理的认知; “置产业” 是指合一, 因而是指彼此一致. “做买卖” 之所以表示为自己获取认知, 以及交流它们, 是因为在天上, 就是照内义觉悟圣言的地方, 是没有买卖的; 事实上, 天上没有金, 银, 或诸如在这个世上用来交易的那类事物; 因此, 当我们在圣言中读到 “买卖” (trading, 或译贸易, 交易等) 时, 是以灵义来理解的, 在天上被感知为与 “买卖” (trading, 或译贸易, 交易等) 相对应的某种事物, 一般来说, 是认知的获取和交流, 具体来说是所提到的物体所指的实体. 例如, 若提到 “金”, 就理解为爱与智慧的良善 (113, 1551, 1552节); 若提到 “银”, 就理解为属于聪明和信仰的真理 (1551, 2048, 2954节); 若提到人们在古时用来交易的 “母绵羊”, “公绵羊”, “小山羊” 或 “羔羊”, 就理解为诸如这些动物所表示的那类事物, 等等.

如以西结书:

告诉推罗, 你居住海口, 跟众民到许多海岛交易; 他施人因你多有各类的财物, 就作你的客商, 拿银, 铁, 锡, 铅兑换你的货物. 雅完人, 土巴人, 米设人都用人口与你交易, 拿铜器兑换你的商品. 底但人与你交易; 许多海岛成了你手里的货品. 亚兰人因你的手工艺品很多, 就作你的客商; 犹大和以色列地的人都与你交易; 他们用米匿的麦子, 饼, 蜜, 油, 乳香兑换你的商品. 大马色人因你的手工艺品很多, 又因你多有各类的财物, 就拿黑本酒和沙哈 (Zahar) 羊毛与你交易. 威但人和雅完人拿纺成的线兑换你的货物. 底但人用马车的敞篷与你交易. 亚拉伯人和基达的一切首领都作你手下的客商, 用羊羔, 公绵羊, 公山羊与你交易. 示巴和拉玛的商人与你交易, 他们用各类上好的香料, 各类的宝石和黄金兑换你的货物. 哈兰人, 干尼人, 伊甸人, 示巴的商人和亚述人, 基抹人与你交易. 这些商人以美好的货物与你交易, 用蓝色包袱, 刺绣的衣服; 盛华丽衣服香柏木的宝箱, 用绳捆着兑换你的货物. 他施的船只接连成帮为你运货, 你便在海心丰满, 极其荣华. (以西结书 27:3, 12-13, 15-19, 21-25)

由此处和圣言中的许多其它经文明显可知, “交易”, “商品”, “货品” 和 “货物” 无非是指与良善并真理的认知有关的事物. 因为若非推罗的交易活动表示属灵和属天的事物, 预言的圣言与这些活动有什么相干呢? 既如此, 那么显而易见, 不仅 “货物” 表示其它事物, 而且此处所提到的民族也表示拥有这些其它事物的人民. 还显而易见, 若不凭内义, 没有人知道所有这些表示什么; 如不知道他施, 雅完人, 土巴人, 米设人, 底但人, 亚兰人, 犹大, 以色列, 威但人, 雅完, 底但人, 阿拉伯人, 示巴, 拉玛, 哈兰人, 干尼人, 伊甸人, 亚述人, 基抹人表示什么; 也不知道他们的货物表示什么, 如银, 铁, 锡, 铅, 铜器, 麦子, 米匿, 饼, 蜜, 油, 乳香, 黑本酒, 沙哈羊毛, 纺成的线, 马车敞篷, 羊羔, 公绵羊, 公山羊, 香料, 宝石, 黄金, 蓝色包袱, 刺绣的衣服, 捆绳, 香柏木制成的物件. 这些及类似事物表示教会和主国度的良善与真理, 以及对这些良善与真理的认知. 正因推罗表示认知 (1201节), 所以此处论述的主题是推罗. 由于这类财物, 也就是良善与真理, 就存在于主的教会和国度中, 故表示主的教会和国度的迦南地自上古时代就具有一个源于表示货物或货品的词的名字, 因为这就是原文中 “迦南” 这个名的含义. 综上所述, 明显可知在这地 “做买卖” 是什么意思.

70. The feet are said to be "like unto burnished brass," because burnished brass is polished brass, shining from something fiery; and "brass" in the Word signifies natural good. Metals are equally significative with the rest in the Word. "Gold" in the Word signifies celestial good, which is inmost good; "silver" signifies the truth thereof, which is spiritual good: "brass" natural good which is outmost good, and "iron" the truth thereof, which is natural truth.

Metals have such significations from correspondence; for in heaven many things are seen shining as if from gold and silver, and also many things as if from brass and iron; and it is there known that by these the goods and truths mentioned above are signified. It was from this that the ancients, who had a knowledge of correspondences, named the ages according to these metals; calling the first age the "golden," because innocence, love, and wisdom therefrom then ruled; but the second "silver," because truth from that good, or spiritual good, and intelligence therefrom then ruled; the third age "brazen" or "copper," because mere natural good, which is justness and sincerity of moral life, then ruled; but the last age they called "iron," because mere truth without good then ruled, and when that rules, falsity also rules. All this was from the spiritual signification of these metals.

[2] From this it can be known what is signified by the image seen in a dream by Nebuchadnezzar:

The head of which was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and sides of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet partly of iron and partly of clay (Daniel 2:23, 33);

namely, the state of the church in respect to good and truth, from its first time to its last; its last time was when the Lord came into the world. When it is known that "gold" signifies celestial good, "silver" spiritual good, "brass" natural good, and "iron" natural truth, many arcana in the Word, where these metals are mentioned, can be understood. Thus what is signified by these words in Isaiah:

For brass I will bring gold, for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron; I will also make thy government peace, and thine exactors justice (Isaiah 60:17).

[3] But as the signification of "brass," as meaning natural good, is here treated of, I will cite only a few passages where "brass" is mentioned, as signifying that good. Thus in Moses:

Asher acceptable unto his brethren, and dipping his foot in oil. Thy shoe iron and brass, and as thy days thy fame (Deuteronomy 33:24-25).

"Asher," as one of the tribes, signifies the blessedness of life, and the delight of affections (See Arcana Coelestia 3938-3939, 6408); "to dip the foot in oil" signifies natural delight, "oil" is delight (See n. 9954), "foot" the natural (See just above, n. 69; "the shoe iron and brass" signifies the lowest natural from truth and good, "the shoe" is the lowest natural (See n. 1748, 1860, 6844), "iron" is its truth, and "brass" its good (as above). In the same:

Jehovah thy God will bring thee into a wealthy land; a land out of whose stones thou mayest hew out iron, and out of its mountains brass (Deuteronomy 8:7, 9).

In Jeremiah:

I will give thee unto this people for a fortified wall of brass, that they may fight against thee and not prevail against thee (Jeremiah 15:20).

And in Ezekiel:

Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy traffickers; with the soul of man and with vessels of brass they traded thy merchandise (Ezekiel 27:13).

In this chapter the traffickings of Tyre are treated of, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth; by the names "Javan," "Tubal," and "Meshech," are signified such things as are of good and truth, of which knowledges treat; the "soul of man" is truth of life; "vessels of brass" are scientifics of natural good. (What is signified by "Tyre" may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 1201; what by "traffickings," n. 2967, 4453; what by "Tubal and Meshech," n. 1151; what by "Javan," n. 1152, 1153, 1155; what by the "soul of man," n. 2930, 9050, 9281; what by "vessels," n. 3068, 3079, 3316, 3318) In the same:

The feet of the cherubs sparkled like the appearance of polished brass (Ezekiel 1:7).

What "cherubs" and "feet" signify, see above n. 69.

[4] In the same:

I saw and behold there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, and a line of flax was in his hand; and he was standing in the gate (Ezekiel 40:3).

It was because this angel measured the wall and the gates of the house of God, which signify the externals of the church, that his appearance was seen as the appearance of brass. He who knows that "brass" signifies the external of the church, which in itself is natural, can in some measure know why:

The altar of burnt-offering was overlaid with brass, and the grating about it was of brass, and the vessels of brass (Exodus 27:1-4);

as also why:

The great vessel, which was called the sea, with the twelve oxen under it, and the ten lavers with the bases, and also all the vessels of the tabernacle for the house of God, were made by Solomon of polished brass (1 Kings 7:43-47).

[5] He who knows what "brass" signifies may also enter into the arcanum why it was commanded that a serpent of brass be set up for the people to look at, of which it is thus written in Moses:

Jehovah sent serpents among the people, and they bit the people. And He said unto Moses, Make thee a serpent, and set it upon a standard, and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten, and looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon a standard; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, and he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived (Numbers 21:6, 8-9).

That this "serpent" signified the Lord, He Himself teaches in John:

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life (John 3:14-15).

By the "serpent" is signified that which is the ultimate of life with man, and is called the external sensual, which is the natural. Because this ultimate in the Lord was Divine, a serpent of brass was made among the sons of Israel, with whom all things were representative; and this signified that if they would look to the Divine Human of the Lord they would live again, that is, if they would believe in Him they would have eternal life, as the Lord Himself also teaches. (That to "see" is in the spiritual sense to believe, see above, n. 37, 68; and that the "serpent" is the external sensual, which is the ultimate of man's life, see Arcana Coelestia 195-197, 6398, 6949, 10313) That "brass" and "iron" in the Word also signify what is hard (as in Isaiah 48:4; Daniel 7:19 where), will be seen in what follows.