8875. “是妒忌的神” 表虚假和邪恶由此而来. 这从以下事实清楚可知: “妒忌的神” 在真正意义上表示神性良善的神性真理, 因为 “神” 论及真理 (2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921末尾, 4287, 4402, 7010, 7268, 8301节), 以及对良善的 “妒忌”, 这一点可见于下文. 不过, 就那些不接受主的神性良善的神性真理之人而言, “妒忌的神” 是指虚假和邪恶. 因为那些反对祂的人视神性真理为虚假, 视神性良善为邪恶; 事实上, 每个人看待这真理和良善的方式都取决于他自己的品质. 正因如此, 主的热情虽本为爱和怜悯, 但在他们看来却像愤怒; 因为当主出于爱和仁慈保护祂在天上的属自己的东西时, 那些陷入邪恶的人就会气愤, 并向善人发怒. 他们冲进神性良善和神性真理所在的气场, 努力毁灭在那里的人. 不过, 这时神性良善的神性真理会作用于他们, 使他们感受到诸如地狱里的那种痛苦折磨. 结果, 他们把烈怒和怒气都归于神性, 将一切邪恶也归地神性; 而事实上, 神性里面绝无一丝怒气, 也绝无任何邪恶, 只有纯粹的宽容和怜悯.

由此明显可知为何 “妒忌” 表示虚假和邪恶, 而 “热情或热心” 表示愤怒. 关于这些主题, 可参看前面的说明, 即: 烈怒和怒气被归于主, 而事实上, 它们存在于那些陷入邪恶的人或那些对神性充满愤怒的人身上 (5798, 6997, 8284, 8483节). 祸事, 惩罚和荒凉的时代同样被归于主, 而事实上, 主里面除了爱和怜悯之外什么也没有 (参看2447, 6071, 6559, 6991, 6997, 7533, 7632, 7643, 7679, 7710, 7877, 7926, 8214, 8223, 8226-8228, 8282, 8632节). 恶人通过努力摧毁良善和真理而毁灭自己, 把自己扔进诅咒和地狱中 (7643, 7679, 7710, 7926, 7989节). 每个人看待主的方式皆取决于他的品质, 或说主照各人的品质而向各人显现 ((1861结尾, 6832, 8197节).

“主的热情或热心” 表示爱和怜悯, 当主保护善人, 反对恶人时, 这种热情就看似敌意, 还看似愤怒; 这一点从以下圣言经文明显看出来. “主的热情或热心” 是爱和怜悯. 以赛亚书:

求你从天上垂看, 从你圣洁荣耀的居所观看. 你的热心和你大能的作为在哪里呢? 你爱慕的心肠和对我的怜悯止住了. (以赛亚书 63:15)

此处 “热心” 表示怜悯, 这怜悯就是 “爱慕的心肠”, 与良善有关. 因为经上说 “你的热心和你大能的作为”, “热心” 一词论及良善, “大能的作为” 一词论及真理; 同样, “爱慕的心肠” 论及良善, “怜悯” 论及真理; 照样, “圣洁的居所” 表示属天国度的成员所住的天堂, “荣耀的居所” 则表示属灵国度的成员所住的天堂. 由此也明显要知, 在圣言中, 凡提及良善的地方, 也会提及真理, 这是因为天上的婚姻, 也就是良善和真理的婚姻在对圣言的每一个细节中. 主的两个名字, 即 “耶稣” 和 “基督” 就是这种情形; 它们表示主里面的神性良善 (对此, 可参看683, 793, 801, 2516, 4138末尾, 5138, 5502, 6343, 7945, 8339末尾节).

同一先知书:

因有一婴孩为我们而生, 有一子赐给我们, 政权必担在祂的肩头上. 祂名称为奇妙, 策士, 神, 勇士, 永恒的父, 和平的君! 祂的政权与平安必加增无穷. 耶和华的热心必成就这事. (以赛亚书 9:6, 7)

这论及主和主的降临; “耶和华的热心必成就这事” 表示祂的行为出于对拯救人类的一种热烈的爱. 又:

必有余剩的人从耶路撒冷而出; 必有逃脱的人从锡安山而来. 耶和华的热心必成就这事. (以赛亚书 37:32)

“耶和华的热心必成就这事” 表示祂的行为出于爱和怜悯.

以西结书:

主耶和华如此说: 我要使雅各被掳的人归回, 要怜悯以色列全家, 又为我的圣名发热心. (以西结书 39:25)

“发热心” 表示有怜悯心. 诗篇:

为你殿的热心把我吞灭. (诗篇 69:9)

这论及主; “为耶和华殿的热心” 表示祂对那些接受良善和真理之人的爱, 因为这些人是 “耶和华的殿”.

当主保护善人时, 祂的热心或怜悯看似敌意, 这一点明显可见于以赛亚书:

耶和华必像勇士出去, 必像战士激动热心, 要喊叫, 大声呐喊, 要战胜祂的仇敌. (以赛亚书 42:13)

约珥书:

耶和华就为自己的地发热心, 怜恤祂的百姓. (约珥书 2:18)

主的热心或妒忌被称为 “怒气” 和 “烈怒”, 因为怜悯在恶人看来就是这样, 这一点明显可见于这些经文:

不可随从别神, 就是你们四围国民的神, 因为在你们中间的耶和华你　神, 是妒忌的神. 惟恐耶和华你神的怒气向你发作, 就把你从地面上除灭. (申命记 6:14, 15)

申命记:

他们用外邦神明祂妒忌, 以可憎之物惹祂发怒. 他们祭祀鬼魔. 他们以那不算为神的触动我的妒忌; 以虚无的偶像惹了我的怒气. (申命记 32:16, 17, 21)

以西结书:

我的怒气发尽, 我使我的烈怒在他们身上止息的时候, 我要后悔; 我交将我的烈怒在他们身上发尽的时候, 他们就知道我耶和华怀着热心说话. (以西结书 5:13)

撒迦利亚书:

在我里面说话的天使对我说, 你要呼喊说: 万军之耶和华如此说, 我为耶路撒冷妒忌, 为锡安大怀热心. 我大大恼怒那安逸的列族. (撒迦利亚书 1:14, 15; 8:2)

西番雅书:

我要将我的恼怒, 就是我猛烈的怒气, 都倾在他们身上; 因为全地必在我妒忌的火中被烧灭. (西番雅书 3:8)

申命记:

耶和华必不情愿饶恕他, 耶和华的怒气与妒忌向那人如烟冒出, 一切咒诅都停在他身上. (申命记 29:20)

诗篇:

耶和华啊, 这到几时呢? 你要动怒到永远吗? 你的妒忌要如火焚烧吗? 愿你将你的怒气倒在那不认识你的列族身上. (诗篇 79:5, 6)

在相关经文 (诗篇 38:1; 以西结书 16:42; 23:25; 38:19) 中, 耶和华的热心或妒忌同样被描述为 “怒气”. 由此可见 “耶和华的热心” 或 “妒忌的神” 表示什么, 即在纯正意义上表示爱和怜悯; 但在不纯正的意义, 就是那些沉浸于邪恶和虚假的人所理解的那种意义上, 则表示愤怒和毁灭.

要知道, 当应该在教会成员那里普遍掌权的东西, 也就是说, 必须被高于一切地热爱, 铭记在心或敬畏的神性正遭到败坏时, 耶和华, 就是主, 尤其被称为 “妒忌者” 或 “复仇者”. 当这一切已经遭到败坏或毁灭时, 完全和纯粹的黑暗就取代天堂之光接踵而来; 这光不再从神性流入, 因为没有对它的接受. 这就是为何经上说 “我是耶和华你的神, 是妒忌的神. 我必追讨自父及子的罪, 恨我的, 直到第三和第四代”, 如果他们敬拜别神, 或为自己作雕像或形像, 祂就会这样做; 因为这些事败坏了应当普遍掌权的神性.

因此, 经上同样在摩西五经的别处宣称:

你们要谨慎, 免得你们为自己作任何形状的雕像, 因为耶和华你的神乃是吞灭的火, 是妒忌的神. (申命记 4:23, 24)

出埃及记:

不可敬拜别神, 因为耶和华名为妒忌者, 祂是妒忌的. (出埃及记 34:14)

以色列民族之所以被如此严厉地禁止做这些做, 是因为对别神, 雕像和其它形像的崇拜会毁灭他们当中的教会的一切代表. 因为在天堂, 耶和华, 也就是主普遍掌权; 祂的神性或生命充满那里的一切事物, 并构成所有人的生命. 如果敬拜其它东西, 而不是神性, 一切代表, 因而与天使的接触就会灭亡.

2039. 'Every male [among you] is to be circumcised' means purity. This is clear from the representation and consequently the meaning of 'circumcising' in the internal sense. Circumcision or cutting off the foreskin meant nothing else than the removal and rejection of those elements which stand in the way of and defile heavenly love, namely evil desires, especially those of self-love, and falsities resulting from those desires. The reason why this is the meaning is that the genital organs of both sexes represent heavenly love. There are three kinds of love which constitute the heavenly things of the Lord's kingdom - conjugial love, the love of infants, and social or mutual love. Conjugial love is the chief love of all because it has within it the end of serving the greatest use, namely the propagating of the human race, and therefore of the Lord's kingdom for which it is the seminary. Next to conjugial love, and deriving from it, comes the love of infants, and after that social or mutual love. Whatever covers over, obstructs, and defiles those loves is meant by the foreskin, the cutting away of which, or circumcision, therefore became representative. Indeed to the extent evil desires and resulting falsities are removed, a person is purified and heavenly love can show itself. How contrary self-love is to heavenly love, and how filthy, has been stated and shown in 760, 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, 2045, 2057. From these considerations it is plain that circumcision in the internal sense means purity.

[2] That circumcision is no more than the sign of a covenant or of conjunction becomes quite clear from the fact that circumcising the foreskin counts for absolutely nothing if unaccompanied by circumcision of the heart; and that purification from those filthy loves is what circumcision of the heart means is quite evident from the following places in the Word: In Moses,

Jehovah God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, so that you will love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. Deuteronomy 30:6.

From these words it is clear that 'circumcising the heart' means being purified from filthy loves in order that Jehovah God or the Lord may be loved with all the heart and all the soul.

[3] In Jeremiah,

Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and remove the foreskin of your heart, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Jeremiah 4:3-4.

'Circumcising oneself to Jehovah and removing the foreskin of the heart' is nothing other than removing such things as stand in the way of heavenly love. From this it is also clear that circumcision of the heart is something more interior that is meant by circumcision of the foreskin. In Moses,

You shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and you shall be stiff-necked no longer. [Jehovah] executes judgement for the orphan and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him bread and clothing. Deuteronomy 10:16, 18.

Here also it is plain that 'circumcising the foreskin of the heart' means being purified from the evils that accompany filthy loves and from resulting falsities. The heavenly things of love are described as charitable works, namely 'executing judgement for the orphan and widow', and 'loving the sojourner to give him bread and clothing'.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Behold, the days are coming in which I will visit every one circumcised in the foreskin - Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that have the corners [of their hair] cut and who dwell in the wilderness, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart. Jeremiah 9:25-26.

This too shows that circumcision was a sign meaning purification. Although they are called 'circumcised in the foreskin', these nations - the Jews included along with the rest - are considered to be 'uncircumcised nations', and Israel to be 'uncircumcised in heart'. In Moses,

If at that time their uncircumcised heart is humbled. Leviticus 26:41.

Here the meaning is similar.

[5] That the foreskin and being uncircumcised means that which is unclean is clear in Isaiah,

Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for there will no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Isaiah 52:1.

'Zion' is used to mean the celestial Church and 'Jerusalem' the spiritual Church into which the uncircumcised, which means the unclean, will not enter.

[6] That circumcision is 'a sign of the covenant' or token of conjunction is quite clear from the fact that the same was represented by the requirement to circumcise the fruits of trees also, spoken of in Moses as follows,

When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food you shall circumcise its foreskin, its fruit. For three years it shall be to you uncircumcised; it shall not be eaten. And in the fourth all its fruit shall be holy. to the praises of Jehovah. Leviticus 19:23-24.

'Fruit' similarly represents and means charity, as becomes clear from many places in the Word. Their 'foreskin' accordingly means the uncleanness that obstructs and pollutes charity.

[7] Here is a marvel: When angels in heaven conceive the idea of purification from natural things that are filthy, something akin to circumcision is represented very speedily in the world of spirits, for in the world of spirits angelic ideas come over as representatives. In the Jewish Church there were some representative religious ceremonies which had those same origins and there were others which did not. The spirits with whom that swift circumcision was represented in the world of spirits were people who wished to be allowed into heaven, but before they were allowed in this representation took place. This explains why Joshua was commanded to circumcise the people after they had crossed the Jordan and were about to enter the land of Canaan. The people's entry into the land of Canaan represented nothing else than the admission into heaven of those who have had faith.

[8] This is why circumcision was commanded a second time, described in Joshua as follows,

Jehovah said to Joshua, Make swords of flint for yourself; circumcise the children of Israel a second time. And Joshua made swords of flint for himself, and circumcised the children of Israel on the hill of foreskins. And Jehovah said to Joshua, This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. And he called the name of that place Gilgal (rolling away). Joshua 5:2-3, 9.

'Swords of flint' means the truths which they were to be provided with to enable them to correct and cut back filthy loves, for without cognitions of truth no purification is possible. That 'stone' or 'flirt' means truths has been shown already, in 643, 1298, and that 'a sword' has reference to truths by which evils may be corrected is clear from the Word.