9995. “你要用细麦面来作它们” 表源于神性良善的真理 (良善的那些属天种类就是由这些真理构成的). 这从 “细面”, “麦 (子)” 和 “作它们” 的含义清楚可知: “细面” 是指真理, 如下文所述; “麦 (子)” 是指爱之良善 (参看3941节), 因而在至高意义上是指神性良善; “作它们” 是指无酵的饼, 糕饼和薄饼所表示的属天良善的这些种类必须由这真理构成的要求. 此处的情形如下: 存在于天堂里的一切真理和良善皆来源于从主的神性良善发出的神性真理. 这神性真理在属天国度被天使接受, 就被称为属天良善; 但在属灵国度, 当被那里的天使接受时, 它就被称为属灵良善; 因为从主的神性良善发出的神性真理不管如何被称为真理, 它仍是良善. 它之所以被称为真理, 是因为它在天堂, 在那里的天使的外在视觉面前显为光; 事实上, 天堂里的光是神性真理, 但这光里面的热, 也就是爱之良善, 使得它成为良善. 这和世人的情况相似. 当信之真理从仁之良善发出时, 如当一个人已经重生时的情形, 真理就显为良善, 也由此被称为 “属灵良善”, 因为真理的内在存在是良善, 真理是良善的外在形式.

由此可见为何一个人很难分清思考和意愿; 因为当他意愿某事时, 却说自己在思考它; 而常常是, 当他思考某事时, 却说自己在意愿它. 然而, 它们就像真理和良善那样有别并分离; 因为思维的内在存在是意愿, 意愿的外在形式是思维; 正如真理的内在存在是良善, 良善的外在形式是真理一样, 如刚才所述. 一个人因很难分清这二者, 故不知道其生命的内在存在是什么, 或不知道构成它的, 是良善, 而不是真理, 除非这真理源于良善. 良善属于意愿, 意愿就是一个人的所爱之物; 因此, 在一个人热爱真理之前, 真理不会成为他生命的存在; 当此人热爱真理时, 他就会实行真理. 然而, 真理属于理解力, 理解力的功能是思考; 当一个人思考它时, 他就能谈论它. 此外, 理解并思考真理, 却不意愿或实行它是有可能的; 但当真理缺乏意愿时, 它不会变成此人自己的, 成为他生命的一部分, 因为它没有其生命的内在存在在自己里面. 人因对这一切一无所知, 故将救恩完全归于信, 几乎不归于仁; 而事实上, 信从仁获得自己的内在存在, 如同真理从良善获得自己的内在存在.

此外, 与人同在的一切良善都通过真理被赋予形式; 因为良善经由一条内在途径从主流入, 而真理则经由一条外在途径进入. 然后, 它们在内在人里面结婚; 不过, 对一个属灵人或属灵天使来说, 以一种方式结婚; 对一个属天人或属天天使来说, 则以另一种方式结婚. 对一个属灵人或属灵天使来说, 婚姻在心智的理解力部分实现; 但在一个属天人或属天天使里面, 则在意愿部分实现. 真理进入所经由的外在途径是通过听觉和视觉进入理解力; 但良善从主流入所经由的内在途径是通过此人的至内在之物进入意愿. 关于这个主题, 可参看9596节提到的地方所作的说明. 由此明显可知, 无酵的饼, 糕饼和薄饼所表示的良善的属天种类通过从主的神性良善发出的神性真理存在; 这就是 “你要用细麦面来作它们” 的意思. 这就解释了为何素祭虽制作方式各种各样, 但都用调油的细面来作 (利未记 2:1至末尾; 6:13-16; 民数记 7:13ff; 15:2-15; 28:11-15).

“细面”, 以及 “面粉” 表示源于良善的真理, 这一点从下列经文明显看出来:

你吃的是细面, 蜂蜜并油. 你变得极其美貌. (以西结书 16:13)

这些话论及耶路撒冷, 耶路撒冷在此表示古教会; “细面” 表示源于良善的古教会的真理; “蜂蜜” 表示它的快乐; “油” 表示爱之良善; “吃” 表示将它变成人自己的; 因此, 经上说 “你变得极其美貌”, 因为属灵的美貌来自真理和良善.

何西阿书:

他没有站着的禾稼; 穗子必不出面粉. 即或出了面粉, 外人必吞吃它. (何西阿书 8:7)

“站着的禾稼” 表示在孕育过程中的源于良善的信之真理 (9146节); “穗子必不出面粉” 表示不生育, 因为没有源于良善的真理; “必吞吃它的外人” 表示吞灭它的邪恶所产生的虚假.

列王纪上:

撒勒法的西顿女人对以利亚说, 她没有作糕饼的东西, 缸里只有一把面, 瓶里只有一点油. 以利亚对她说, 只要先为他做一个糕饼, 缸里的面粉必不用尽, 瓶里的油决不短缺; 这事果然发生了. (列王纪上 17:12-15)

“面粉” 在此表示教会的真理; “油” 表示教会的良善; 因为西顿女人代表一个拥有关于真理和良善的认知或知识的教会; 而先知以利亚代表圣言方面的主. 由此明显可知这个奇迹涉及什么, 因为圣言中所描述的一切奇迹都涉及诸如属于教会的那类事物 (7337, 8364, 9086节). 由此明显可知只要妇人用她仅有的一点先为以利亚作糕饼, 后为她儿子作糕饼, “缸里的面粉必不用尽, 瓶里的油决不短缺” 表示什么. “女人” 表示教会 (参看252, 253节); “西顿” 表示关于真理和良善的认知或知识 (1201节); “以利亚” 表示圣言方面的主 (2762, 5247末尾节).

以赛亚书:

巴比伦的女儿啊, 你要拿石磨去磨面. (以赛亚书 47:1, 2)

“巴比伦的女儿” 表示教会里那些外在神圣, 内在亵渎的人; “磨面” 表示从圣言的字义中选取诸如用来强化爱自己爱世界的邪恶的那类事物, 这种邪恶是亵渎的; “磨” 描述了选取, 以及解释, 以支持这些爱; 而 “面” 表示为此而服务的真理 (4335节).

由此明显可知 “推磨” 表示什么, 因而被 “磨碎” 的东西表示什么, 如在这些经文中:

首领被吊起手, 老年人的脸面不受尊敬; 年轻人被带去推磨. (耶利米哀歌 5:12, 13)

摩西五经:

摩西将他们所铸的牛犊用火焚烧, 磨得粉碎, 撒在水面上, 叫以色列人喝. (出埃及记 32:20; 申命记 9:21)

马太福音:

那时, 两个人在田里, 取去一个, 撇下一个. 两个女人推磨, 取去一个, 撇下一个. (马太福音 24:40, 41)

由此明显可知 “推磨” 表示什么, 即: 它表示从圣言选取真理并解释它们, 在好的意义上用来服务良善; 在坏的意义上则用来服务邪恶 (7780节). 由此也明显可知被 “磨碎” 的东西表示什么, 因而 “面粉” 和 “细面” 表示什么.

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: