7418. “击打地上的尘土” 表他要移除属世层中那些被诅咒的事物. 这从 “击打”, “尘土” 和 “地” 的含义清楚可知: “击打” 是指移除; “尘土” 是指被诅咒的事物, 如下文所述; “地”, 此处即埃及, 是指属世心智 (7409节). “尘土” 之所以表示被诅咒的事物, 是因为恶灵所在的地方, 在脚底之下的边缘, 看似一块地; 事实上, 看似一块未耕种的干旱之地; 确切地说, 它们下面有一些地狱. 这地被称为 “诅咒之地”, 那里的尘土表示被诅咒之物. 有时我蒙恩得以看见当恶灵想给某人诅咒时, 就在那里跺下脚上的尘土. 我看见他们在朝向术士或巫师地狱的边缘处, 在我前面稍右的一个位置做这一切; 在那里, 那些活在世上时拥有信的知识, 然而却过着一种邪恶生活的灵人被投入地狱. 这就是为何 “尘土” 表示被诅咒之物, “跺下尘土” 表示诅咒.

由于它具有这种含义, 所以主吩咐祂的门徒们, 他们若不受接待, 就将脚上的尘土跺下去, 正如马太福音所说的:

凡不接待你们, 不听你们话的人, 你们离开那家或是那城的时候, 就把脚上的尘土跺下去. 我实在告诉你们: 当审判的日子, 所多玛和蛾摩拉那地所受的, 比那城还容易受呢! (马太福音 10:14-15; 马可福音 6:11; 路加福音 9:5; 10:10-12)

“门徒” 在此不是指门徒, 而是指教会的一切事物, 因而是指信与仁的一切事物 (2089, 2129, 2130末尾, 3354, 3858, 3913, 6397节); “不接受, 不听” 表示弃绝信之真理和仁之良善; “把脚上的尘土跺下去” 表示诅咒. 之所以 “所多玛和蛾摩拉所受的, 比那城还容易受呢”, 是因为 “所多玛和蛾摩拉” 表示那些过着邪恶生活, 但对主和圣言一无所知, 因而不能接待的人. 由此可见, 所指的不是不接待门徒的一家或一城, 而是指那些在教会中没有过着信之生活的人. 谁都能看出, 一整座城不可能因他们不接待门徒, 并立刻接受门徒所传讲的新教义, 就都受到诅咒.

在以前的时代, 人们在悲伤或悔罪时扬在头上的 “尘土” 也表示受到诅咒, 如这些经文:

锡安女子的长老, 坐在地上默默无声, 他们扬起尘土落在头上, 腰束麻布; 耶路撒冷的处女, 垂头至地. (耶利米哀歌 2:10)

以西结书:

他们必放声痛哭, 把尘土撒在头上, 在灰中打滚. (以西结书 27:30)

弥迦书:

不要在亚弗拉家里哭泣; 滚于灰尘之中. (弥迦书 1:10)

启示录:

他们又把尘土撒在头上, 哭泣悲哀, 喊着说. (启示录 18:19)

这些行为在圣言的历史部分处处提及. 把尘土撒在头上, 以及身体和头垂至地面, 在地上滚于灰尘之中代表谦卑; 真正的谦卑是这样: 此人会承认并发觉自己受到了诅咒, 然而又被主从诅咒中救了出来 (2327, 3994, 4347, 5420, 5957节).

“尘土”

他们在旷野中所祷的金牛犊被捣碎磨成的 “灰尘” 也表示被诅咒之物, 对此我们在摩西五经中如此读到:

我把那叫你们犯罪所铸的牛犊用火焚烧, 又捣碎磨得很细, 以致细如灰尘, 我就把这灰尘撒在从山上流下来的溪水中. (申命记 9:21)

在以下经文中, “灰尘” 也表示被诅咒之物:

耶和华神对蛇说, 你必用肚子行走, 尽你一生的日子吃土. (创世记 3:14)

弥迦书:

在往古之日牧放你的民, 列族看见, 就必为自己的势力惭愧. 他们必舔土如蛇. (弥迦书 7:14, 16-17)

以赛亚书:

尘土必作蛇的食物. (以赛亚书 65:25)

又:

巴比伦的处女啊, 下来坐在尘埃. (以赛亚书 47:1)

诗篇:

我们的灵魂伏于尘土; 我们的肚腹紧贴在地. (诗篇 44:25)

又:

我的灵魂紧贴着尘土, 求你将我救活. (诗篇 119:25)

在圣言中, “尘土” 也表示坟墓, 同样表示低级之物和众多之物.

5621. 'Wax and stacte' means the truths of interior natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'wax', in this case aromatic wax, as the truth of good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'stacte' too as truth derived from good, dealt with in 4748. The truths of interior natural good are meant because these spices are purer substances than resin or honey, and for that reason the mention of them comes second. For in the Word order determines the way in which such substances are listed. 'Wax' is not used here to mean ordinary wax but an aromatic kind, such as storax. This kind of wax is what the word in the original language is used to describe; and the same word is used for spice. From this one may see why this aromatic wax means the truth of good; for all spices, because they are sweet smelling, mean in the internal sense truths that are derived from good.

[2] This may be recognized from the consideration that in heaven truths derived from good are perceived with the same pleasure as sweet scents in the world. Also, when angels' perceptions are converted into odours, which in the Lord's good pleasure happens frequently, they are therefore detected as fragrances coming from spices and from flowers. This is why frankincense and incense were prepared from odiferous substances and put to a sacred use, and also why aromatic substances were mixed with oil for anointing. Anyone who does not know that the cause behind those practices lay among the perceptions enjoyed by those in heaven may suppose that they were practices enjoined solely to make external worship pleasant and that they held nothing of heaven and nothing holy at all within them, consequently that such religious practices held nothing Divine within them. See what has been shown already on these matters:

Frankincense and incense, as well as the fragrant substances in oil for anointing, were representative of spiritual and celestial things, 4748.

Spheres of faith and love are converted into pleasant odours; and therefore pleasant and sweet-smelling odours, also aromatic ones, mean the truths of faith which are derived from the good of love, 1514, 1517-1519, 4618.