5620. “一点乳香, 一点蜂蜜” 表外层属世层的良善之真理及其快乐. 这从 “乳香” 的含义清楚可知, “乳香” 是指良善之真理, 或源于良善的真理 (参看4748节). “乳香” 之所以具有这种含义, 是因为它属于香膏, 以及芳香物质. 芳香物质表示诸如属源于良善的真理的那类事物, 当这些物质还具有油膏的性质, 因而在它们的成分中有油质时, 更是如此; 因为 “油” 表示良善 (886, 3728, 4582节). 这乳香是芳香的 (参看创世记 37:25); 因此, 在原文, 这个词表示香膏. 显然, 它是软膏状的, 或油腻的. 由此可见, “乳香” 表示存在于属世层, 在此存在于外层属世层中的良善之真理, 因为经上首先提到 “乳香”, 然后又加上 “蜂蜜”, “蜂蜜” 表示那里的快乐. “蜂蜜” 之所以表示快乐, 是因为它是甜的, 自然界中的一切甜蜜皆对应于灵界中的某种快乐或愉悦. 之所以说它的快乐, 也就是存在于外层属世层中源于良善的真理之快乐, 是因为一切真理, 尤其一切良善之真理都有自己的快乐. 但这快乐源于对这类真理, 因而对它们所提供的功用的一种情感.

“蜂蜜” 表示快乐, 这一事实也可从圣言的其它经文看出来, 如以赛亚书:

必有童女怀孕生子, 给祂起名叫以马内利 (就是神与我们同在的意思). 到祂晓得弃恶择善的时候, 祂必吃奶油与蜂蜜. (以赛亚书 7:14-15)

这论及主; “奶油” 表示属天之物, “蜂蜜” 表示源于属天之物的东西.

同一先知书:

后来因为出的奶多, 他就得吃奶油; 在地中间所剩的人都要吃奶油与蜂蜜. (以赛亚书 7:22)

这论及主的国; “奶” 表示属灵良善; “奶油” 表示属天良善; “蜂蜜” 表示源于这些的事物, 即幸福, 快乐和愉悦.

以西结书:

这样, 你就妆饰了金银, 穿的是细麻衣和丝绸并绣花衣; 吃的是细面, 蜂蜜并油. 你也极其美貌, 发达到了王国的尊荣. 又将我赐给你的细面, 油和蜂蜜都摆在他们面前为馨香之气. (以西结书 16:13, 19)

这论及耶路撒冷, 耶路撒冷表示属灵教会, 经上描述了它在古人当中是什么样, 后来变成什么样; 它 “妆饰了金银” 表示妆饰了属天和属灵的良善和真理; 它 “穿的是细麻衣和丝绸并绣花衣” 表示存在于理性层和属世层的那两个部分中的真理; “细面” 表示属灵之物; “蜂蜜” 表示它的怡人; “油” 表示它的良善. 谁都能看出, 所有这些各自都表示诸如属于天堂的那类事物.

同一先知书:

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, 乳香兑换你的货物. (以西结书 27:17)

这论及推罗, 推罗表示属灵教会, 即就对良善与真理的认知而言, 它起初是什么样, 后来变成什么样 (1201节). “蜂蜜” 在此也表示从对认识并学习属天和属灵的良善和真理的情感那里所获得的愉悦和快乐.

摩西五经:

耶和华使他乘驾地的高处, 得吃田间的土产; 又使他从磐石中咂蜜, 从火石中吸油. (申命记 32:13)

这也论及古代的属灵教会; “从磐石中咂蜜” 表示从含有真理在里面的记忆知识中所得的快乐.

诗篇:

我必拿肥美的麦子给他们吃, 又拿从磐石出的蜂蜜叫他们饱足. (诗篇 81:16)

“拿从磐石出的蜂蜜叫他们饱足” 表示从信之真理中所获得的快乐, 或充满来自信之真理的快乐.

申命记:

耶和华领你进入美地, 那地有流水的河, 有从山谷中流出的泉, 源; 那地有小麦, 大麦, 葡萄树, 无花果树, 石榴树; 那地有橄榄树和蜜. (申命记 8:7-8)

这论及迦南地; 在内义上论及主在天上的国度. “那地有橄榄树和蜜” 表示属灵良善及其愉悦.

由于同样的原因, 迦南地被称为 “流奶与蜜之地” (民数记 13:27; 14:8; 申命记 26:9, 15; 27:3; 耶利米书 11:5; 32:22; 以西结书 20:6). 就这些经文的内义而言, 如前所述, “迦南地” 表示主的国度; “流奶” 表示丰盛的属天-属灵事物; “流蜜” 表示从这些所得的丰盛的幸福和快乐.

诗篇:

耶和华的典章真实, 全然公义. 都比金子且比极多的精金可羡慕; 比蜜且比蜂房滴下的甘甜. (诗篇 19:9-10)

“耶和华的典章” 表示神性真理; “比蜜且比蜂房滴下的甘甜” 表示从良善所得的快乐和从真理所得的愉悦. 又:

你的言语在我上颚何等甘美, 在我口中比蜜更甜! (诗篇 119:103)

此处意思也一样:

在摩西五经, 雅各的后代在旷野所得, 以之为食物的吗哪被描述如下:

这吗哪就像芫荽的种子, 白色; 它的滋味如同搀蜜的薄饼. (出埃及记 16:31)

“吗哪” 因表示经由天堂从主而降的神性真理, 故而表示主自己的神性人身, 如祂自己在约翰福音 (6:51, 58) 所教导的. 因为主的神性人身就是一切为神性的真理所来自的源头; 事实上, 所指的就是一切为神性的真理. 正因如此, 就赋予快乐和愉悦的吗哪的滋味而言, 经上描述它 “如同搀蜜的薄饼”. “滋味” 表示良善的快乐和真理的愉悦 (参看3502节).

由于和以利亚 (2762, 5247节) 一样, 施洗约翰也代表圣言方面的主, 圣言是地上的神性真理, 所以他是那在主之前 “先来的以利亚” (玛拉基书 4:5; 马太福音 17:10-12; 马可福音 9:11-13; 路加福音 1:17); 因此, 他的衣服和食物都是有意义的符号. 它们在马太福音中被描述如下:

这约翰身穿骆驼毛的衣服, 腰束皮带, 他的食物是蝗虫, 野蜜. (马太福音 3:4; 马可福音 1:6)

“骆驼毛的衣服” 显示了就圣言字义的真理而言, 圣言是什么样. 字义, 即属世之义就是内义有一件衣服; 因为 “毛” 和 “骆驼” 都表示属世之物; “食物是蝗虫, 野蜜” 显示了就圣言字义的良善而言, 圣言是什么样; “野蜜” 表示这良善的快乐.

就外在意义而言, 以西结书中的 “蜜” 也描述了神性真理的快乐:

他对我说, 人子啊, 要吃我所赐给你的这书卷, 充满你的肚腹. 我就吃了, 口中觉得其甜如蜜. (以西结书 3:3)

启示录:

天使对我说, 你拿着吃尽了, 便叫你肚子发苦, 然而在你口中要甜如蜜. 我从天使手中把小书卷接过来, 吃尽了, 在我口中果然甜如蜜, 及至吃完了, 肚子觉得发苦了. 他对我说, 你必在许多人民, 民族, 方言, 君王面前再说预言. (启示录 10:9-11)

以西结书中的 “书卷” 和启示录中的 “小书卷” 表示神性真理. 味道 “甜如蜜” 表示就外在形式而言, 这书卷令人快乐; 因为神性真理就像圣言, 在外在形式或字义上是令人快乐的, 因为这字义或外在形式允许各人以适合各人的任何方式来理解和诠释它. 但内义不允许这样, 这一点由它的苦味来表示; 因为内义揭示人内在的样子. 外在意义之所以令人快乐, 是因为如前所述, 人能以适合他的任何方式来解释其中的事物. 包含在外在意义中的真理都是总体真理, 并且在添加限定它们的具体真理, 以及添加限定具体真理的细节真理之前, 一直是总体真理. 外在意义也充满快乐, 因为它是属世的, 藏有属灵之物在自己里面. 此外, 它也必须充满快乐, 以便人能接受它, 也就是被引入其中, 而不是被吓阻在门槛处.

主复活后当着门徒的面所吃的 “蜜房和烧鱼” 也表示圣言的外在意义, “鱼” 表示与外在意义有关的真理, “蜜房” 表示它的愉悦; 对此, 我们在路加福音中读到:

耶稣就说, 你们这里有什么吃的没有? 他们便给祂一片烧鱼和一块蜜房, 祂接过来, 在他们面前吃了. (路加福音 24:41-43)

由于鱼和蜜房表示这些事物, 所以主对他们说:

这些就是我从前与你们同在之时对你们所讲的话, 就是: 摩西的律法, 先知的书和诗篇上所记的关于我的话都必须应验. (路加福音 24:44)

表面上看, 所表示的不是这类事物, 因为他们有一片烧鱼和一块蜜房似乎是很偶然的. 而事实上, 他们拥有这些东西是天意; 不仅这一点, 而且圣言中所提到的其它一切最小的事都是天意. 由于所表示的是这类事物, 所以主论到圣言说, 它里面所记的是关于祂自己的事. 然而, 旧约字义中所记关于主的事极少; 但包含在其内义中的一切都与主有关; 圣言的神圣性便由此而来. 这就是主说 “摩西的律法, 先知的书和诗篇上所记的关于我的话都必须应验” 所表示的.

由此可见 “蜂蜜” 表示从良善与真理, 也就是从对它们的情感所得的快乐, 尤其表示外在快乐, 因而表示外层属世层的快乐. 由于这快乐具有这样的性质: 它是从世界经由感官得来的, 因而包含大量源于尘世之爱的事物在里面, 所以人们被禁止在素祭中使用蜂蜜. 这一点在利未记中说明如下:

凡献给耶和华的素祭都不可发酵, 因为你们不可烧一点酵, 一点蜜, 当作火祭献给耶和华. (利未记 2:11)

“蜜” 表示这种外在快乐, 它因包含某种尘世之爱的东西在里面, 故类似于酵母, 因此被禁止. 至于 “酵” 或 “发酵” 是什么意思, 可参看前文 (2342节).

2781. 'And saddled [his] ass' means the natural man which He prepared. This is clear from the meaning of 'an ass', dealt with below. In man there are things of the will and there are those of the understanding; with the former go those things which spring from good, with the latter those which spring from truth. There are various kinds of animals, by which things of the will springing from good are meant, such as lambs, sheep, goats, she-goats, young bulls, and oxen, see 1823, 2179, 2180; and there are also those by which are meant things of the understanding springing from truth, namely horses, mules, wild asses, camels, and asses, in addition to birds. 'A horse' means the understanding part of the mind, as has been shown above in 2761, 2762; 'a wild ass' means rational truth separated from good, see 1949; and 'a camel' means factual knowledge in general, and 'an ass' factual knowledge in particular, see 1486.

[2] There are two elements which constitute the natural degree of man's mind, or what amounts to the same, the natural man - natural good and natural truth. Natural good is the delight that flows forth from charity and faith, natural truth is knowledge of these. That natural truth is what is meant by 'an ass', and rational truth by 'a mule', becomes clear from the following places:In Isaiah,

A prophecy of the beasts of the south. In the land of distress and repression are the lion and the tiger, and from them come the viper and the flying fiery-serpent. They will bear their riches on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels - on a people [who] will not be any use [to them]; for the Egyptians will help in vain and to no advantage. Isaiah 30:6-7.

The expression 'the beasts of the south' is used of those who possess cognitions of good and truth but who make them matters of knowledge, not of life. In reference to those beasts it is said that those people 'bear their riches on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels', for the reason that 'young asses' means facts in particular, and 'camels' facts in general. 'The Egyptians', of whom it is said that they will help in vain and to no advantage, means knowledge, see 1164, 1165, 1186. It is evident to anyone that this prophecy has an internal sense and that without this it is understood by nobody, for without the internal sense no one can know what 'the prophecy of the beasts of the south' is, or what 'the lion and the tiger', or what 'the viper and the flying fiery-serpent', or what is meant by the words that 'those beasts were to bear their riches on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels', or why the assertion immediately follows that 'the Egyptians will help in vain and to no advantage'. 'Ass' is used with a like meaning in Israel's prophecy concerning Issachar, in Moses,

Issachar is a bony ass lying down between burdens. Genesis 49:14.

[3] In Zechariah,

This will be the plague with which Jehovah will smite all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem. It will be a plague of the horse, the mule, the camel, and the ass, and every beast. Zechariah 14:12, 15.

'The horse, the mule, the camel, and the ass' means things of the understanding residing in man which will suffer from the plague. This is clear from every single detail before and after those verses, for the subject there is the plagues which are to precede the Last Judgement or. Close of the Age and to which John makes much reference in Revelation, as do the rest of the Prophets in various places. Those who are going to wage war at that time against Jerusalem, that is, against the Lord's spiritual Church and its truths, are meant by those animals. It will be the things of the understanding that will suffer from such plagues

[4] In Isaiah,

Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send forth the foot of the ox and the ass. Isaiah 32:20.

'Sowing beside all waters' stands for those who allow themselves to be taught spiritual things - 'waters' meaning spiritual things and so things that constitute an understanding of truth, see 680, 739, 2702. 'Who send forth the foot of the ox and the ass' stands for natural things that are to be of service, 'ox' meaning the natural as regards good, 2180, 2566, 'ass' the natural as regards truth.

[5] In Moses,

Binding his young ass to the vine and the foal ¹ of his she-ass to the choice vine. He washes his vesture in wine and his cloak in the blood of grapes. Genesis 49:11.

This is the prophecy of Jacob, by then Israel, concerning the Lord. 'The vine' and 'the choice vine' stand for the spiritual Church, external and internal, 1069. 'Young ass' stands for natural truth, 'the foal of a she-ass' for rational truth. The reason 'the foal of a she-ass' means rational truth is that 'a she ass' means the affection for natural truth, 1486, while her foal means rational truth, see 1895, 1896, 1902, 1910.

[6] In former times a judge used to ride on a she-ass and his sons on young asses, the reason being that judges represented the goods of the Church and their sons truths derived from those goods. A king however used to ride on a she-mule and his sons on mules, the reason being that kings and their sons represented the truths of the Church, see 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069. The fact that a judge rode on a she-ass is clear in the Book of Judges,

My heart goes out to the law-givers of Israel offering themselves willingly among the people. Bless Jehovah, you who ride on white she-asses, you who sit on Middin. ² Judges 5:9-10.

The fact that judges' sons rode on young asses,

Jair the judge over Israel had thirty sons who rode on thirty young asses. Judges 10:3-4.

And elsewhere in the same book,

Abdon the judge of Israel had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy young asses. Judges 12:14.

David said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord and cause Solomon my son to ride on the she-mule which is mine. And they caused Solomon to ride on King David's she-mule. And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him king in Gihon. 1 Kings 1:33, 38, 44-45.

The fact that the king's sons rode on mules,

All King David's sons arose, and they rode each on his mule and fled because of Absalom. 2 Samuel 13:29.

[7] From all this it is evident that riding on a she-ass indicated the judge, and riding on a she-mule the king; riding on a young ass indicated the judge's sons, and doing so on a mule the king's sons. They indicated these personages because, as has been stated, 'a she-ass' represented and meant the affection for natural good and truth, 'a she-mule' the affection for rational truth, 'an ass or young ass' natural truth itself, and 'a mule' as well as 'the foal of a she-ass' rational truth. This shows what is meant by the prophetical words that refer to the Lord, in Zechariah,

Exult, O daughter of Zion! Rejoice, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King will come to you. He is just and having salvation, humble and riding on an ass, and on a young ass, the foal of she-asses. His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. Zechariah 9:9-10.

The fact that the Lord wished to ride on these when He was about to enter Jerusalem is well known from the Gospels. The event is referred to in Matthew as follows,

Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a she-ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet saying, Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, meek seated on a she-ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. And they brought the she-ass and the colt and laid their garments on them and set Him on them. Matthew 21:2, 4-5, 7.

[8] 'Riding on an ass' served to indicate that the natural was subordinate, and 'riding on a colt, the foal of a she-ass' that the rational was so; for 'the foal of a she-ass' is similar in meaning to 'a mule', as has been shown above, where Genesis 49:11 is referred to. ³ From this - the spiritual meaning of these animals - and because it was the right of the supreme judge and of the king to ride on them, and at the same time so that He might fulfil the representatives of the Church, the Lord was pleased to ride in this way. His doing so is described in John as follows,

The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! Jesus found a young ass and sat on it, as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a she-ass's colt! These things however His disciples had not understood at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of Him, and that they had done these things for Him. John 12:12-16; Mark 11:1-12; Luke 19:28-41.

[9] From an this it may now be clear that every single thing in the Church of that period was representative of the Lord, and consequently of the celestial and spiritual things that are in His kingdom; even the she-ass and the colt of the she-ass were so, which represented the natural man as regards good and truth. The reason for the representation was that the natural man ought to serve the rational, and the rational to serve the spiritual; but the spiritual ought to serve the celestial, and the celestial to serve the Lord. This is the order in which one is subordinated to another.

[10] Because 'an ox and an ass' meant the natural man as regards good and truth many laws were therefore laid down in which oxen and asses are mentioned. At first glance these laws do not seem to be worthy of mention in the Divine Word, but when they are interpreted as to their internal sense, that which is spiritual and of great importance is seen within these laws, such as the following laws in Moses,

If anyone opens a pit, or if anyone digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or an ass falls into it, the owner of the pit shall recompense its owner with silver, and the dead animal shall be his. Exodus 21:33-34.

If you meet your enemy's ox or his ass going astray you shall certainly lead it back to him. If you see the ass of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you are disinclined to remove it, you shall certainly help to remove it from it. Exodus 23:4-5; Deuteronomy 22:1, 3.

You shall not see your brother's ass or ox falling down in the road and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly help to lift them. Deuteronomy 22:4.

You shall not plough with an ox and an ass together. You shall not wear mingled material made of wool and linen together. Deuteronomy 22:10-11.

Six days you shall do your works, and on the seventh day you shall rest, in order that your ox and your ass may rest, and the son of your woman servant, and the settler. Exodus 23:12.

Here 'ox and ass' in the spiritual sense means nothing other than natural good and truth.

Poznámky pod čarou: