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.
以西結書 16
3
說主耶和華對耶路撒冷如此說:你根本,你出世,是在迦南地;你父親是亞摩利人,你母親是赫人。
4
論到你出世的景況,在你初生的日子沒有為你斷臍帶,也沒有用水洗你,使你潔淨,絲毫沒有撒鹽在你身上,也沒有用布裹你。
5
誰的眼也不可憐你,為你做一件這樣的事憐恤你;但你初生的日子扔在田野,是因你被厭惡。
6
我從你旁邊經過,見你滾在血中,就對你說:你雖在血中,仍可存活;你雖在血中,仍可存活。
7
我使你生長好像田間所長的,你就漸漸長大,以致極其俊美,兩乳成形,頭髮長成,你卻仍然赤身露體。
8
我從你旁邊經過,看見你的時候正動愛情,便用衣襟搭在你身上,遮蓋你的赤體;又向你起誓,與你結盟,你就歸於我。這是主耶和華說的。
10
我也使你身穿繡花衣服,腳穿海狗皮鞋,並用細麻布給你束腰,用絲綢為衣披在你身上,
12
我也將環子戴在你鼻子上,將耳環戴在你耳朵上,將華冠戴在你頭上。
13
這樣,你就有金銀的妝飾,穿的是細麻衣和絲綢,並繡花衣;吃的是細麵、蜂蜜,並油。你也極其美貌,發達到王后的尊榮。
14
你美貌的名聲傳在列邦中,你十分美貌,是因我加在你身上的威榮。這是主耶和華說的。
15
只是你仗著自己的美貌,又因你的名聲就行邪淫。你縱情淫亂,使過路的任意而行。
16
你用衣服為自己在高處結彩,在其上行邪淫。這樣的事將來必沒有,也必不再行了。
17
你又將我所給你那華美的金銀、寶器為自己製造人像,與他行邪淫;
18
又用你的繡花衣服給他披上,並將我的膏油和香料擺在他跟前;
19
又將我賜給你的食物,就是我賜給你吃的細麵、油,和蜂蜜,都擺在他跟前為馨香的供物。這是主耶和華說的。
20
並且你將給我所生的兒女焚獻給他。
21
你行淫亂豈是小事,竟將我的兒女殺了,使他們經火歸與他麼?
22
你行這一切可憎和淫亂的事,並未追念你幼年赤身露體滾在血中的日子。
25
你在一切市口上建造高臺,使你的美貌變為可憎的,又與一切過路的多行淫亂。
26
你也和你鄰邦放縱情慾的埃及人行淫,加增你的淫亂,惹我發怒。
27
因此我伸手攻擊你,減少你應用的糧食,又將你交給恨你的非利士眾女(眾女是城邑的意思;本章下同),使他們任意待你。他們見你的淫行,為你羞恥。
28
你因貪色無厭,又與亞述人行淫,與他們行淫之後,仍不滿意,
29
並且多行淫亂,直到那貿易之地,就是迦勒底,你仍不滿意。
30
主耶和華說:你行這一切事,都是不知羞恥妓女所行的,可見你的心是何等懦弱!
31
因你在一切市口上建造圓頂花樓,在各街上做了高臺,你卻藐視賞賜,不像妓女。
33
凡妓女是得人贈送,你反倒贈送你所愛的人,賄賂他們從四圍來與你行淫。
34
你行淫與別的婦女相反,因為不是人從你行淫;你既贈送人,人並不贈送你;所以你與別的婦女相反。
36
主耶和華如此說:因你的污穢傾洩了,你與你所愛的行淫露出下體,又因你拜一切可憎的偶像,流兒女的血獻給他,
37
我就要將你一切相歡相愛的和你一切所恨的都聚集來,從四圍攻擊你;又將你的下體露出,使他們看盡了。
38
我也要審判你,好像官長審判淫婦和流人血的婦女一樣。我因忿怒忌恨,使流血的罪歸到你身上。
39
我又要將你交在他們手中;他們必拆毀你的圓頂花樓,毀壞你的高臺,剝去你的衣服,奪取你的華美寶器,留下你赤身露體。
41
用火焚燒你的房屋,在許多婦人眼前向你施行審判。我必使你不再行淫,也不再贈送與人。
42
這樣,我就止息向你發的忿怒,我的忌恨也要離開你,我要安靜不再惱怒。
43
因你不追念你幼年的日子,在這一切的事上向我發烈怒,所以我必照你所行的報應在你頭上,你就不再貪淫,行那一切可憎的事。這是主耶和華說的。
45
你正是你母親的女兒,厭棄丈夫和兒女;你正是你姊妹的姊妹,厭棄丈夫和兒女。你母親是赫人,你父親是亞摩利人。
46
你的姊姊是撒瑪利亞,他和他的眾女住在你左邊;你的妹妹是所多瑪,他和他的眾女住在你右邊。
47
你沒有效法他們的行為,也沒有照他們可憎的事去做,你以那為小事,你一切所行的倒比他們更壞。
48
主耶和華說:我指著我的永生起誓,你妹妹所多瑪與他的眾女尚未行你和你眾女所行的事。
49
看哪,你妹妹所多瑪的罪孽是這樣:他和他的眾女都心驕氣傲,糧食飽足,大享安逸,並沒有扶助困苦和窮乏人的手。
51
撒瑪利亞沒有犯你一半的罪,你行可憎的事比他更多,使你的姊妹因你所行一切可憎的事,倒顯為義。
52
你既斷定你姊妹為義(為義:或譯當受羞辱),就要擔當自己的羞辱;因你所犯的罪比他們更為可憎,他們就比你更顯為義;你既使你的姊妹顯為義,你就要抱愧擔當自己的羞辱。
53
我必叫他們被擄的歸回,就是叫所多瑪和他的眾女,撒瑪利亞和他的眾女,並你們中間被擄的,都要歸回,
54
好使你擔當自己的羞辱,並因你一切所行的使他們得安慰,你就抱愧。
55
你的妹妹所多瑪和他的眾女必歸回原位;撒瑪利亞和他的眾女,你和你的眾女,也必歸回原位。
56
在你驕傲的日子,你的惡行沒有顯露以先,你的口就不提你的妹妹所多瑪。那受了凌辱的亞蘭眾女和亞蘭四圍非利士的眾女都恨惡你,藐視你。
57
a
59
主耶和華如此說:你這輕看誓言、背棄盟約的,我必照你所行的待你。
60
然而我要追念在你幼年時與你所立的約,也要與你立定永約。