属天的奥秘 # 4599
4599. “在以得塔那边支搭帐棚” 表其内层事物. 这从 “支搭帐棚”, “塔那边” 和 “以得” 的含义清楚可知: “支搭帐棚” 是指在神圣之物上的发展, 在此是指朝向内层事物的发展, “帐棚” 表示神圣之物 (参看414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 3312, 4391节); “塔那边” 是指进入内层事物, 如下文所述; “以得” 是指状态的性质, 也就是说, 在神圣之物上朝向内层事物发展的性质. 自古时起, 这塔就具有这种含义, 但由于除了约书亚记 (15:21) 外, 在圣言中, 它没有在别的地方被提及, 所以这一点无法像其它名字那样从相关经文得以证实. “塔那边” 之所以表示朝向内层事物, 是因为更内层的事物由巍峨和高耸的物体来表示, 如大山, 小山, 塔, 屋顶等等. 原因在于, 从通过外在感官所感知到的尘世属世物体形成其观念的心智将内层事物看为比其它东西更高的物体 (2148节).
“塔” 表示内层事物, 这一点也可从圣言的其它经文看出来, 如以赛亚书:
我所亲爱的有葡萄园, 在肥美的山冈上. 他把它围起来, 清除石头, 栽种上等的葡萄树, 在园子当中建了一座塔. (以赛亚书 5:1-2)
“葡萄园” 表示属灵教会; “上等的葡萄树” 表示属灵良善; “在园子当中所建的塔” 表示真理的内层事物. 主在马太福音中的比喻也一样:
有一个做家主的人栽了一个葡萄园, 周围圈上篱笆, 里面挖了一个压酒池, 建了一座塔, 把它租给佃户, 就出外去了. (马太福音 21:33; 马可福音 12:1)
以西结书:
亚发人和你的军队都在你四围的墙上, 歌玛底人 (或译勇士) 在你的塔楼中, 他们把自己的盾, 挂在四周的城墙上, 成全你的美丽. (以西结书 27:11)
这论及推罗, 推罗表示对良善与真理的认知, 或那些拥有这些认知的人. “在其塔楼中的歌玛底人 (或译勇士)” 表示对内层真理的认知.
弥迦书:
耶和华要在锡安山作王治理他们, 从今直到永远; 你这羊群的塔楼, 锡安女子的山冈啊, 都必归于你了, 从前的王国, 就是耶路撒冷女子的王国必将归回. (弥迦书 4:7-8)
这描述了主的属天国度. “锡安山” 描述了它的至内在部分, 也就是对主之爱; “锡安女子的山冈” 表示它的直接衍生物, 也就是相爱, 这爱在灵义上被称为对邻之仁; “羊群的塔楼” 描述了其良善的内层真理; “耶路撒冷女子的王国” 表示一个属灵-属天国度由此而存在. 诗篇:
因你的判断, 锡安山应当欢喜, 犹大的女子应当快乐. 你们要绕着锡安山走, 数点她的塔楼. (诗篇 48:11, 12)
此处 “塔楼” 表示保卫构成爱与仁之物的内层真理.
路加福音:
凡不背着自己十字架跟从我的, 也不能作我的门徒. 你们哪一个想盖一座塔, 不先坐下算计花费, 能盖成不能呢? 或哪一个王去和别的王打仗, 岂不先坐下酌量, 能用一万兵去会那领二万兵来攻打他的吗? 这样, 你们无论什么人, 若不撇下一切所有的, 就不能作我的门徒. (路加福音 14:27-28, 31, 33)
凡不知道圣言内义的人必以为主在此通过打比方说话, “盖一座塔” 和 “打仗” 并没有别的意思. 殊不知, 在圣言中, 一切比方都具有属灵含义, 都是代表; “盖一座塔” 表示获得为人的自我获取内层真理; “打仗” 表示凭这些真理争战. 因为此处论述的主题是那些属于教会的人所经历的试探, 他们在此被称为主的 “门徒”. 他们必须背的 “十字架” 表示这些试探; “若不撇下一切所有的, 就不能作我的门徒” 表示若不靠着主, 他们凭自己, 或自己的东西绝不会得胜. 所有这些事就是这样连贯起来的; 但是, 若没有内层意义, 仅仅将涉及塔和打仗的事理解为简单的比方, 那它们就连贯不起来了. 由此可见, 是什么样的光从内义流出.
那些陷入爱自己, 爱世界之人的内层, 因而他们用来争战并巩固他们那种宗教信仰的虚假, 也以反面意义上的 “塔” 来表达, 如以赛亚书:
到那日, 人的高傲必降为卑, 惟独耶和华被尊崇; 因为万军之耶和华必有一日, 要攻击一切骄矜高傲的, 和一切自高的, 他必降为卑; 要攻击黎巴嫩所有高而昂的香柏树, 和巴珊所有的橡树, 又攻击所有的高山, 和所有耸峙的山冈, 攻击每一个高塔, 和每一道坚固的城墙. (以赛亚书 2:11-15)
此处以 “香柏树”, “橡树”, “高山”, “山冈”, “塔” 和 “城墙” 来描述这些爱的内层和外层: “塔” 描述了内层虚假; 因而又以高耸的事物来描述内层事物. 然而, 区别在于: 那些陷入邪恶与虚假的人自以为高, 在他人之上; 而那些处于良善与真理的人则自以为小, 在他人之下 (马太福音 20:26, 27; 马可福音 10:44). 尽管如此, 良善与真理仍被描述为高耸之物, 因为在天上, 它们更接近至高者, 也就是主. 在圣言中, “塔” 论及真理, 而 “山” 论及良善.
Arcana Coelestia # 1416
1416. That 'I will make you into a great nation' means a kingdom in heaven and on earth becomes clear from the meaning of 'nation' in the internal sense as the celestial entity of love and the good which flows from this, thus all throughout the world in whom the celestial element of love and charity is present. Since the subject here in the internal sense is the Lord, everything of the celestial and of the good deriving from it, thus His kingdom, is meant - which exists with those in whom love and charity are present. In the highest sense the Lord Himself is 'the great nation' since He is the Celestial itself and Good itself. For all good that flows from love and charity originates in Him alone, which also explains why the Lord comprises His own kingdom, that is, He is the All in all of His kingdom, as also all angels in heaven acknowledge. From this it is now clear that 'I will make you into a great nation' means the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth.
[2] That 'nation' in the internal sense, where the Lord and celestial things of love are the subject, means Him and all celestial things may become clear also from what has been introduced in 1258, 1259, regarding the meaning of a nation and nations. This matter may be confirmed further still from the following places: In reference to Abraham further on,
No longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. Genesis 17:5.
The soft 'h' sound in Abraham was taken from Jehovah's name because he represented Jehovah, that is, the Lord. Similarly in reference to Sarai,
You will not call her name Sarai, but Sarah will be her name, and I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her; thus will I bless her, and she will become nations; kings of peoples will be from her. Genesis 17:15-16.
'Nations' here stands for the celestial things of love, and 'kings of peoples' for the spiritual things of faith deriving from that love, which are the Lord's alone.
[3] In reference to Jacob likewise,
Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel will be your name. And He called his name Israel, and God said, I am God Almighty, 1 increase and multiply; a nation and an assembly of nations will come into being from you, and kings will go out from your loins. Genesis 35:10-11.
Here 'Israel' stands for the Lord, who Himself, as is well known to some, is in the highest sense Israel. And when He is meant by 'Israel' it is evident that 'a nation and an assembly of nations' and 'kings from his loins' mean the celestial and spiritual things of love, and therefore all in whom the celestial and spiritual things of love are present. In reference to Ishmael, Abram's son by Hagar, it is said,
The son of the servant-girl I will make into a nation, because he is your seed. Genesis 21:13, 18.
What Ishmael represents will be seen in that place. 'The seed of Abram' means love itself, and because of this the word nation is used for those begotten from Ishmael.
[4] That 'nation' means the celestial things of love is clear in Moses,
If you will surely hearken to My voice, and keep My covenant and be a peculiar treasure to Me from among all peoples, you will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Exodus 19:5-6.
Here 'a kingdom of priests', a phrase used to describe the Lord's kingdom in heaven and on earth, springing from the celestial things of love, is openly called 'a holy nation'. But the Lord's kingdom springing from His Royalty is described as such by virtue of the spiritual things of love and is called 'a holy people'. 'Kings from the loins' therefore, as above, 2 is spiritual things. In Jeremiah,
If these ordinances depart from before Me, said Jehovah, the seed of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me for ever. 3 Jeremiah 31:36.
'Seed of Israel' stands for the celestial entity of charity, and when this ceases to exist there is no longer a nation before the Lord.
[5] In Isaiah,
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. You have multiplied the nation. Isaiah 9:2-3.
Specifically this refers to the Church of the nations, 4 , but in general to all who are without knowledge but lead charitable lives. These are 'the nation' because they are members of the Lord's kingdom. In David,
O that I may see the good of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the joy of Your nation, that I may glory in Your heritage. Psalms 106:5.
Here 'nation' plainly stands for the Lord's kingdom. It was from an ability to perceive that 'a nation' meant the celestial entity of love and the good which flows from this that members of the Most Ancient Church came to be distinguished into separate houses, families, and nations. By this distinguishing they gained a perception of the Lord's kingdom; and because they had a perception of the Lord's kingdom they had a perception of the celestial itself. From that ability to perceive there arose that which held a spiritual meaning, and from this that which was representative.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. literally, the Lightning-Hurler or the Thunderbolt-Hurler. Generally Swedenborg retains the Hebrew Shaddai, usually translated the Almighty, regarding which see 1992 below; but here Swedenborg employs the Latin word fulminator.
2. i.e.. in Genesis 35:10-11
3. literally, all the days
4. i.e. the Church established among gentiles
