The number "two" has two different meanings in the Bible. In most cases "two" indicates a joining together or unification. This is easy to see if we consider the conflicts we tend to have between our "hearts" and our "heads" -- between what we want and what we know. Our "hearts" tell us that we want pie with ice cream for dinner; our "heads" tell us we should have grilled chicken and salad. If we can bring those two together and actually want what's good for us, we'll be pretty happy. We're built that way -- with our emotions balanced against our intellect -- because the Lord is built that way. His essence is love itself, or Divine Love, the source of all caring, emotion and energy. It is expressed as Divine Wisdom, which gives form to that love and puts it to work, and is the source of all knowledge and reasoning. In His case the two aspects are always in conjunction, always in harmony. It's easy also to see how that duality is reflected throughout creation: plants and animals, food and drink, silver and gold. Most importantly, it's reflected in the two genders, with women representing love and men representing wisdom. That's the underlying reason why conjunction in marriage is such a holy thing. So when "two" is used in the Bible to indicate some sort of pairing or unity, it means a joining together. In rare cases, however, "two" is used more purely as a number. In these cases it stands for a profane or unholy state that comes before a holy one. This is because "three" represents a state of holiness and completion (Jesus, for instance, rose from the tomb on the third day), and "two" represents the state just before it.

59. IV．主为何容忍他们, 直到最后审判之日

因为照神的次序, 凡能保守者皆将得到保守, 即使他已不能归入善者之列。是故, 凡能表现出属灵,道德生活的人, 不论其内在的信与爱如何, 都将得到保守。表面虔诚, 实则不虔之人, 也在保守之列。许多属巴比伦者就是这种类型, 他们在百姓面前谈吐虔诚, 以虔诚的模样敬拜主, 为要在百姓心中植入信仰, 吸引他们思想天国地狱, 积极行善。如此, 他们能引很多人过良善的生活, 行天国之路。是故, 很多天主教徒能够得救, 虽然他们的领袖能够得救的很少。他们正是主所说的假先知:"你们要防备假先知, 他们到你们这里来, 外面披着羊皮, 里面却是残暴的狼。"(马太福音7:15)

在圣言的灵义上, "先知"系指教导真理, 引人向善之人, "假先知"则指教导假道, 诱人作恶之人。他们也好比文士和法利赛人, 主论到他们说:"文士和法利赛人坐在摩西的位上, 凡他们所吩咐你们的, 你们都要谨守遵行。但不要效法他们的行为, 因为他们能说不能行...他们一切所作的事, 都是要叫人看见...他们正当人前, 把天国的门关了, 自己不进去, 正要进去的人, 也不容他们进去...他们侵吞寡妇的家产, 假意作很长的祷告...你们这假冒为善的文士和法利赛人有祸了, 因为你们洗净杯盘的外面, 里面却盛满了勒索和放荡。你这瞎眼的法利赛人, 先洗净杯盘的里面, 好叫外面也干净了。你们这假冒为善的文士和法利赛人有祸了, 因为你们好像粉饰的坟墓, 外面好看, 里面却装满了死人的骨头和一切的污秽。你们也是如此, 在人前,外面显出公义来, 里面却装满了假善和不法的事。"(马太福音23:1-34)

主容忍他们的另外一个原因, 是人死后都会保留他在尘世所秉持的信仰原则, 当进入来生时, 首先会被引入自己的信仰当中。就巴比伦而言, 他们的信仰是被表面虔诚的人植入的。因其举止敬虔, 也就给人留下了能透过他们得救的印象。

但最主要的原因还是, 在两次审判之间, 凡过着表面属灵的生活, 内心仿佛虔诚圣洁的人, 都会得到保守, 通过他们, 单纯的人能获得指教和引导, 因为信仰,心思单纯的人只能看到外表。是故, 巴比伦就蒙主容忍, 从基督教会建立, 直到最后的审判。对于这地上已发生两次最后的审判, 前面已作说明。"先前天"正由他们构成, "于头一次复活无分的"(启示录20:5-6)也是指他们。只因他们徒有其表, "先前天"终究被毁灭了, 在第二次复活时被赶出去了。

但要知道, 只有情愿被社会和属灵的律法约束, 能和他人共同生活的人, 才在保守之列, 不服约束的人不被保守, 在最后审判之前已被投入了地狱。因为这种人不断被清除, 灵界的团体也就不断得到洁净和整饬。也就是说, 行为败坏, 引诱百姓作恶, 如地狱之灵惯行邪术的人(参看《天国与地狱》天国与地狱580), 已陆续被逐出团体。同样, 内心良善的人也被移出团体, 免得他们被表面虔诚,实则邪恶的人带坏。因为善人觉悟内心, 不重外表, 除非外表与内心相称。他们陆续被送往受教场所(参看《天国与地狱》天国与地狱512-520), 然后被收入天国。"新天"就是由他们构成, "在头一次复活有分的"也是指他们。我说这些, 是要大家明白, 如此众多的天主教徒为何被主容忍,保守, 直到最后审判之日。关于这个主题, 等下一章论述"先前的天已经过去了"时再作说明。