Apocalypse Explained # 1144
1144. And of silk and of scarlet, signifies truths and goods from a spiritual origin that have been profaned. This is evident from the signification of "silk," as being truth from a spiritual origin (of which presently); also from the signification of "scarlet," as being good from a spiritual origin (See above, n.1142). This good coincides with truth from a celestial origin, and therefore that, too, is signified by "scarlet" in the Word. But "silk and scarlet" here signify such truths and goods profaned by Babylon, which are profaned when spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbor, has been perverted; for those who are in such love of self as the Babylonians are in, can have no love to the neighbor; if they love others it is for the sake of self, so that the end is the man himself and love to the neighbor the means, and the end loves the means so far as the means are serviceable to it; and casts them away when they cease to serve it. This can be seen in all the particulars of their works. Love towards the neighbor in the spiritual sense is the love of uses; and when uses are for the sake of self, it is not a love of uses but a love of self. That "silk" signifies truth from a spiritual origin, can be seen from the passage in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 16:10, 13) which has been explained just above (n. 1143). "Silk" signifies truth from a spiritual origin because of its gloss, for silk is glossy from light, and "light" signifies the Divine truth, which is also called the spiritual Divine.
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith)
[2] It has been said that the love of self and the love of the world are hell, but the source of those loves shall now be explained. Man was created to love self and the world, to love the neighbor and heaven, and to love the Lord. For this reason when a man is born he first loves himself and the world, and afterwards, so far as he becomes wise, he loves the neighbor and heaven, and as he becomes still wiser he loves the Lord. Such a man is in the Divine order, and is actually led by the Lord, although apparently by himself. But so far as he is not wise he stops in the first degree, which is to love himself and the world; and if he loves the neighbor, heaven, and the Lord, it is for the sake of self before the world. But if he is wholly unwise he loves himself alone, and the world and also the neighbor for the sake of self; while heaven and the Lord he either despises or denies or hates in heart, if not in words. These are the origins of the love of self and of the love of the world, and as these loves are hell, it is evident whence hell is.
[3] When a man has become a hell, he is like a tree cut off or like a tree whose fruits are malignant; or he is like sandy soil in which no seed will take root, or like soil, out of which springs nothing but the thorn that pricks or the nettle that stings. When a man becomes a hell the inner or higher parts of his mind are closed up and the outer and lower are opened. And as the love of self determines all things of the thought and will to itself and immerses them in the body, it inverts and twists back the outer parts of the mind, which, as has been said, are open, and as a consequence these incline and bend and are borne downwards, that is, towards hell.
[4] But since man has still an ability to think, to will, to speak and to do, and this ability is in no case taken away from him, because he was born a man, so having become inverted and no longer receiving any good or any truth from heaven, but only evil and falsity from hell, he acquires a kind of light by confirmations of evil from falsity, and of falsity from evil in order that he may be eminent above others. This he believes to be a rational light, when yet it is an infernal light, and in itself fatuous, producing vision like that of a dream in the night, or a delirious fantasy, by reason of which things that are appear as if they were not, and things that are not appear as if they were. But this will be seen more clearly from a comparison between an angel-man and a devil-man.
如申命记 32
2
我的教訓要淋漓如雨；我的言語要滴落如露，如細雨降在嫩草上，如甘霖降在菜蔬中。
4
他是磐石，他的作為完全；他所行的無不公平，是誠實無偽的神，又公義，又正直。
6
愚昧無知的民哪，你們這樣報答耶和華麼？他豈不是你的父、將你買來的麼？他是製造你、建立你的。
7
你當追想上古之日，思念歷代之年；問你的父親，他必指示你；問你的長者，他必告訴你。
8
至高者將地業賜給列邦，將世人分開，就照以色列人的數目立定萬民的疆界。
10
耶和華遇見他在曠野─荒涼野獸吼叫之地，就環繞他，看顧他，保護他，如同保護眼中的瞳人。
11
又如鷹攪動巢窩，在雛鷹以上兩翅搧展，接取雛鷹，背在兩翼之上。
13
耶和華使他乘駕地的高處，得吃田間的土產；又使他從磐石中咂蜜，從堅石中吸油；
14
也吃牛的奶油，羊的奶，羊羔的脂油，巴珊所出的公綿羊和山羊，與上好的麥子，也喝葡萄汁釀的酒。
15
但耶書崙漸漸肥胖，粗壯，光潤，踢跳，奔跑，便離棄造他的神，輕看救他的磐石；
16
敬拜別神，觸動神的憤恨，行可憎惡的事，惹了他的怒氣。
17
所祭祀的鬼魔並非真神，乃是素不認識的神，是近來新興的，是你列祖所不畏懼的。
20
我要向他們掩面，看他們的結局如何。他們本是極乖僻的族類，心中無誠實的兒女。
21
他們以那不算為神的觸動我的憤恨，以虛無的神惹了我的怒氣。我也要以那不成子民的觸動他們的憤恨，以愚昧的國民惹了他們的怒氣。
22
因為在我怒中有火燒起，直燒到極深的陰間，把地和地的出產盡都焚燒，山的根基也燒著了。
24
他們必因飢餓消瘦，被炎熱苦毒吞滅。我要打發野獸用牙齒咬他們，並土中腹行的，用毒氣害他們。
25
外頭有刀劍，內室有驚恐，使人喪亡，使少男、童女、吃奶的、白髮的，盡都滅絕。
27
惟恐仇敵惹動我，只怕敵人錯看，說：是我們手的能力，並非耶和華所行的。
28
因為以色列民毫無計謀，心中沒有聰明。
29
惟願他們有智慧，能明白這事，肯思念他們的結局。
30
若不是他們的磐石賣了他們，若不是耶和華交出他們，一人焉能追趕他們千人？二人焉能使萬人逃跑呢？
31
據我們的仇敵自己斷定，他們的磐石不如我們的磐石。
32
他們的葡萄樹是所多瑪的葡萄樹，蛾摩拉田園所生的；他們的葡萄是毒葡萄，全挂都是苦的。
35
他們失腳的時候，伸冤報應在我；因他們遭災的日子近了；那要臨在他們身上的必速速來到。
36
耶和華見他百姓毫無能力，無論困住的、自由的都沒有剩下，就必為他們伸冤，為他的僕人後悔。
38
就是向來吃他們祭牲的脂油，喝他們奠祭之酒的，在那裡呢？他可以興起幫助你們，護衛你們。
39
你們如今要知道：我，惟有我是神；在我以外並無別神。我使人死，我使人活；我損傷，我也醫治，並無人能從我手中救出來。
41
我若磨我閃亮的刀，手掌審判之權，就必報復我的敵人，報應恨我的人。
42
我要使我的箭飲血飲醉，就是被殺被擄之人的血。我的刀要吃肉，乃是仇敵中首領之頭的肉。
43
你們外邦人當與主的百姓一同歡呼；因他要伸他僕人流血的冤，報應他的敵人，潔淨他的地，救贖他的百姓。
46
又說：我今日所警教你們的，你們都要放在心上；要吩咐你們的子孫謹守遵行這律法上的話。
47
因為這不是虛空、與你們無關的事，乃是你們的生命；在你們過約但河要得為業的地上必因這事日子得以長久。
49
你上這亞巴琳山中的尼波山去，在摩押地與耶利哥相對，觀看我所要賜給以色列人為業的迦南地。
50
你必死在你所登的山上，歸你列祖（原文作本民）去，像你哥哥亞倫死在何珥山上，歸他的列祖一樣。
