6239. “你在他们以后所生的后裔” 表以后所生的内层真理与良善。这从 “后裔” 和 “他们以后” 的含义清楚可知: “后裔” 是指属于信与仁的事物 (参看613, 2020, 2584节), 因而是指真理与良善; “他们以后” 是指以后所生的内层事物。之所以表示内层事物, 是因为以后从内在所生的事物更为内在。事实上, 以前所生的那些事物相继作为手段或方法而服务于内在, 以便产生以后所生的更为内在的事物, 因为内在逐渐将属世层提升到自己这里。

这一点从构成人里面理解力的一切的产生明显看出来; 因为人一开始是感官的, 或说在感官层面, 后来变得越来越内在, 直到他能充分利用自己的理解力。通过信与仁所实现的新一代或新生与此类似。正因如此, 人是逐渐得以完善的 (参看前面关于当人正在重生时, 逐渐提升到内层的说明, 6183节)。

在圣言中, “后裔 (经上或译为族类、后代、世代、代、出身、出世、出生）” 表示属于信与仁的事物, 这是因为就内义而言, 所指的是属灵的出生, 而非其它出生。在诗篇, 所表示的也是这种后裔:

他们必大大地害怕, 因为神在义人的族类中。(诗篇 14:5)

“义人的族类” 表示从良善流出的真理, 因为 “义人” 论及良善。以赛亚书:

他们必不徒然劳碌, 也不在惊恐中生产后代。因为他们都是蒙耶和华赐福的种。(以赛亚书 65:23)

又:

谁做成这事, 从起初宣召历代呢？就是我耶和华; 我是首先的, 也与末后的同在。(以赛亚书 41:4)

以西结书:

你的根源, 你的出身, 是在迦南地; 你父亲是亚摩利人, 你母亲是赫人。论到你出世的景况, 在你出生的日子没有为你断脐带, 也没有用水洗你, 好使我看见。(以西结书 16:3, 4)

这段经文论及耶路撒冷的可憎, 很明显, “出生” 或 “后代” 表示灵义上的出生或后代。

以赛亚书:

像永恒之日、不朽的世代兴起一样。(以赛亚书 51:9)

“永恒之日” 表示上古教会的状态和时间。之所以用 “永恒” 来论及上古教会, 是因为这个教会处于对主之爱的良善, 该良善因直接从主流出, 故被称为 “永恒”; “不朽的世代” 表示源于这良善的良善。

与此类似的事也出现在摩西五经中:

你当追想永恒之日, 思念代代之年。(申命记 32:7)

此处 “永恒之日” 表示大洪水之前的上古教会的状态和时间, 该教会是一个属天教会; “代代之年” 表示大洪水后古教会的状态和时间, 该教会是一个属灵教会; 此处论述的是这些教会。

约珥书:

犹大必存到永远, 耶路撒冷必存到代代。(约珥书 3:20)

“永远” 在此论及犹大, 是因为 “犹大” 代表属天教会 (3881节); “代代” 论及耶路撒冷, 是因为 “耶路撒冷” 表示属灵教会 (402节)。

以赛亚书:

惟有我的公义永远长存, 我的救恩直到代代。(以赛亚书 51:8)

此处 “永远” 论及爱之良善, 因为 “公义” 论及这良善 (612, 2235节); “代代” 论及信之良善。

诗篇:

你的国是万世永恒的国; 你的统治代代长存。(诗篇 145:13)

此处意思也一样; 因为除非 “永恒” 论及属天之物, “代代” 论及属灵之物, 否则只提及其中一个就行了; 用这二者只是一个毫无意义的重复。

属于信之状态的事物也由以下律法来表示: 私生子直到十代不可入耶和华的会 (申命记 23:2); 亚扪人或是摩押人甚至直到十代不可入耶和华的会 (申命记 23:3), 以东人和埃及人第三代可以入耶和华的会 (申命记 23:8)。在十诫中, 同样表示与信之状态有关的事物, 在那里, 经上说: 恨耶和华神的, 祂必追讨自父及子, 直到三四代的罪 (出埃及记 20:5)。

“后裔 (经上或译为族类、后代、世代、代、出身、出世、出生）” 之所以表示属于信与仁的事物, 是因为就灵义而言, 所指的是与重生有关的事物, 或已经重生的人, 而非别的出生。在圣言中, “生产”、“生育”、“怀孕” 也一样; 这些词表示信与仁的生产、生育和怀孕 (1145, 1255, 3860, 3868, 4668, 5160, 5598节)。

10335. 'And I, behold, I have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, belonging to the tribe of Dan' means those in whom the good and truth of faith are present, among whom the Church is to be established. This is clear from the representation of 'Aholiab' as those in whom the good and truth of faith are present. The reason why these are represented by Aholiab is that he was from the tribe of Dan, and that tribe means those in whom the good and truth of faith are present, see 3923, 6396. And the reason why these two - Bezalel from the tribe of Judah, and Aholiab from the tribe of Dan - were chosen to carry out the work, by which Divine celestial and spiritual realities would be represented, was that by Bezalel all those in whom the good of love is present should be understood, and by Aholiab all those in whom the good and truth of faith are present. Thus those who are in the inmost parts of heaven and the Church should be understood by Bezalel, and those who are in the last and lowest parts of them by Aholiab. And when they who are inmost and those who are last and lowest are referred to by name, all who are within the whole of heaven and within the whole of the Church should be understood. For this matter, see above in 10329; and when reference is made to what is first and what is last all things should be understood, 10044.

[2] The tribe of Judah was also in reality the first of the tribes, and the tribe of Dan the last of them. The fact that the tribe of Judah was in reality the first of the tribes is clear from father Israel's blessing of his sons in Genesis 49, where Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, who were the firstborn, are cursed, and Judah is blessed. See regarding Reuben there, verses 3, 4; regarding Simeon and Levi, verses 5-7; and regarding Judah, verses 8-12. And the fact that Dan was the last of the tribes, see 1710, 3923, 6396. The inmost heaven furthermore is inhabited by those in whom the good of love to the Lord exists, and the lowest by those in whom the truth of faith springing from good is present. The expression 'in whom the truth of faith springing from good is present' is used because the truth of faith is not the truth of faith present in a person unless it springs from good; for truth is born from good. Therefore unless good resides within truth there is no soul and so no life within it. Those in whom the truths of faith springing from good are present inhabit the lowest parts of heaven, but not those in whom the truths of faith are devoid of good; the latter do not inhabit heaven. Since the truth of faith acts as a servant to the good of love, as what is last does to what is first, it says of Aholiab that Jehovah appointed him to be with Bezalel, that is, to be his assistant; and of Bezalel it says that Jehovah filled him with the spirit of God in wisdom, and in intelligence, and in knowledge, and in all [manner of] work, verse 3.