以赛亚书 42
1
看哪，我的仆人─我所扶持所拣选、心里所喜悦的！我已将我的灵赐给他；他必将公理传给外邦。
3
压伤的芦苇，他不折断；将残的灯火，他不吹灭。他凭真实将公理传开。
4
他不灰心，也不丧胆，直到他在地上设立公理；海岛都等候他的训诲。
5
创造诸天，铺张穹苍，将地和地所出的一并铺开，赐气息给地上的众人，又赐灵性给行在其上之人的神耶和华，他如此说：
6
我─耶和华凭公义召你，必搀扶你的手，保守你，使你作众民的中保（中保：原文是约），作外邦人的光，
8
我是耶和华，这是我的名；我必不将我的荣耀归给假神，也不将我的称赞归给雕刻的偶像。
9
看哪，先前的事已经成就，现在我将新事说明，这事未发以先，我就说给你们听。
10
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，从地极赞美他。
11
旷野和其中的城邑，并基达人居住的村庄都当扬声；西拉的居民当欢呼，在山顶上呐喊。
13
耶和华必像勇士出去，必像战士激动热心，要喊叫，大声呐喊，要用大力攻击仇敌。
14
我许久闭口不言，静默不语；现在我要喊叫，像产难的妇人；我要急气而喘哮。
15
我要使大山小冈变为荒场，使其上的花草都枯乾；我要使江河变为洲岛，使水池都乾涸。
16
我要引瞎子行不认识的道，领他们走不知道的路；在他们面前使黑暗变为光明，使弯曲变为平直。这些事我都要行，并不离弃他们。
17
倚靠雕刻的偶像，对铸造的偶像说：你是我们的神；这等人要退後，全然蒙羞。
18
你们这耳聋的，听罢！你们这眼瞎的，看罢！使你们能看见。
19
谁比我的仆人眼瞎呢？谁比我差遣的使者耳聋呢？谁瞎眼像那与我和好的？谁瞎眼像耶和华的仆人呢？
21
耶和华因自己公义的缘故，喜欢使律法（或译：训诲）为大，为尊。
22
但这百姓是被抢被夺的，都牢笼在坑中，隐藏在狱里；他们作掠物，无人拯救，作掳物，无人说交还。
24
谁将雅各交出当作掳物，将以色列交给抢夺的呢？岂不是耶和华麽？就是我们所得罪的那位。他们不肯遵行他的道，也不听从他的训诲。
Apocalypse Revealed # 725
725. 17:4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet. This symbolizes the celestial Divine good and truth contained in the Word among Roman Catholics.
Purple symbolizes celestial Divine good, and scarlet symbolizes celestial Divine truth, as will be seen presently. To be arrayed in them means, symbolically, to have these about them, thus among them. They have these among them from the Word, because the scarlet beast on which the woman was sitting symbolizes the Word (no. 723).
People know that Roman Catholics have the Divine good and truth in the Word about them, thus among them, as a kind of garment, for they venerate the Word outwardly and not inwardly. They acknowledge it, because it tells about the Lord and about His authority over heaven and the church, which they have transferred to themselves. It also tells about the keys given to Peter, whose successors they say they are. So, because they found their majesty, grandeur and power on these two points, of necessity they acknowledge the holiness of the Word. But still the Word is for them only a kind of garment of purple and scarlet, and of gold, precious stones and pearls, upon a harlot holding a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and the filthiness of her licentiousness.
[2] Since the verse mentions purple and scarlet, and then gold, precious stones and pearls, and since purple and scarlet symbolize celestial Divine good and truth, while gold and precious stones symbolize spiritual Divine good and truth, both emanating from the Word, therefore we must say something about celestial Divinity and spiritual Divinity:
The Lord's whole heaven has been divided into two kingdoms - the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. The celestial kingdom consists of angels who are impelled by love from the Lord, and the spiritual kingdom of angels who are impelled by wisdom from the Lord. Each kingdom has in it goodness and truth. The goodness and truth among angels in the celestial kingdom are symbolized by purple and scarlet, while the goodness and truth among angels in the spiritual kingdom are symbolized by gold and precious stones. Angels have both the one and the other goodness and truth from the Lord by means of the Word. Consequently the Word has in it two interior levels of meaning, one celestial and the other spiritual.
This now is the reason that the woman sitting on the scarlet beast appeared arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold, precious stones and pearls.
[3] Like the symbolism of the woman here is the symbolism of the "rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day," at whose gate Lazarus lay prostrate, "desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table" (Luke 16:19-21). The rich man clothed in purple and fine linen refers to the Jews, who had the Word, and Lazarus refers to the gentiles who did not have it.
Similar symbolic meanings are found in the following places:
Those who ate delicacies are devastated in the streets; those who were brought up on scarlet embrace dunghills. (Lamentations 4:5)
When you are plundered, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold..., in vain you will make yourself fair. (Jeremiah 4:30)
O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with luxury, (and) who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. (2 Samuel 1:24)
Fine embroidered linen... was what you spread...; blue and purple... was your covering. (Ezekiel 27:7)
The last is said of Tyre, which symbolizes concepts of truth and goodness from the Word.
[4] Since purple and scarlet symbolize celestial goodness and truth, therefore Aaron's vestments and the veil and curtains of the Tabernacle were woven of blue, purple, scarlet and fine linen (Exodus 25:4; 26:31, 36; 27:16; 28:6, 15). Regarding the curtains (Exodus 26:1). The veil before the Ark (Exodus 26:31). The hem of the robe of the ephod (Exodus 28:33). The scarlet cloth over the showbread (Numbers 4:8).
It is apparent from this what is symbolized by the purple and scarlet with which the woman sitting on the scarlet beast appeared arrayed.
So likewise in the following passage, where we read:
Alas..., the great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet..., adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches were laid waste. (Revelation 18:16-17)
Moreover, purple and scarlet, gold, precious stones and pearls were among the merchandise of Babylon (Revelation 18:12).
