1186. “亚述” 是指推理. 这从圣言中亚述的含义清楚可知, 它经常用来表示那些属于理性的事物, 具有双重含义, 即表示理性事物和理论 (reasonings). 严格来说, 理智和理性之物用来表真实的事物, 而推理 (reasoning) 和理论 (reasonings) 用来表虚假的事物. 由于 “亚述” 表理性和推理, 故它常与 “埃及” 连起来用, “埃及” 表知识, 因为理性和推理就基于这些知识. “亚述” 表推理, 这一点明显可见于以赛亚书:

有祸呀, 亚述, 我怒气的棍子, 他不思想公义, 他心也不这样打算, 因为他说, 我所成就的事, 是靠我手的能力和我的智慧, 我本有聪明. (以赛亚书 10:5, 7, 13)

此处 “亚述” 表推理, 因此经上指着他说 “他不思想公义, 他心也不这样打算”, 还说他 “靠自己的智慧行事, 因为他本有聪明. ”

以西结书:

有两个女子, 同是一母的女儿, 在埃及行邪淫; 她们在幼年时行邪淫. 阿荷拉行邪淫, 贪恋所爱的人, 就是她的邻邦亚述人, 这些人都穿蓝衣, 作首领和官长, 都骑着马, 是可爱的少年人. 巴比伦人来到她那里, 与她行淫玷污她. (以西结书 23:2-3, 5-6, 17)

此处 “埃及” 表知识, “亚述” 表推理, “巴比伦” 表源于恶欲的虚假.

同一先知书:

耶路撒冷啊, 你也和埃及人行淫, 又与亚述人行淫, 多行淫乱直到那迦南陆地, 就是迦勒底. (以西结书 16:26, 28-29)

此处 “埃及” 同样表知识, “亚述” 表推理. 无论此处还是别处, 基于知识推理属灵和属天的事物都被称为 “行淫”. 谁都能看出, 这不是指与埃及人和亚述人行淫.

耶利米书:

以色列, 现今你为何在埃及路上要喝西曷的水呢? 你为何在亚述路上要喝大河 (幼发拉底河) 的水呢? (耶利米书 2:18, 36)

此处 “埃及” 同样表知识, “亚述” 表推理. 又:

以色列是打散的羊, 是被狮子赶出的. 首先是亚述王将他吞灭, 末后是巴比伦王将他的骨头折断. (耶利米书 50:17-18)

“亚述” 表对属灵事物的推理.

弥迦书:

这位必作平安, 当亚述进入我们的陆地, 践踏我们宫殿的时候, 我们就立起七个牧者, 八个首领攻击他, 他们必用刀剑征服亚述地和宁录地的关口; 亚述人进入我们的陆地践踏的时候, 他必拯救我们. (弥迦书 5:5-6)

这论及以色列, 或属灵教会, 关于它, 经上说 “亚述必不进入”, 即推理必不进入. “宁录地” 表宁录所表示的这类敬拜, 它里面有内在的恶和假.

在圣言中, “亚述” 还表教会成员所具有的理性, 他凭这理性清楚明白何为真, 何为善. 这一事实清楚可见于何西阿书:

他们必如雀鸟从埃及急速而来, 又如鸽子从亚述地来到. (何西阿书 11:11)

此处 “埃及” 表教会成员所具有的知识, “亚述” 表他的理性. 前面说过, “雀鸟” 表所知道和理解的记忆知识 (或科学知识), “鸽子” 表理性的良善.

以赛亚书:

当那日, 必有从埃及通亚述去的大道, 亚述人要进入埃及, 埃及人也进入亚述, 埃及人必服侍亚述人. 当那日, 以色列必与埃及, 亚述三国一律, 使地上的人得福, 因为万军之耶和华赐福给说, 埃及我的百姓, 亚述我手的工作, 以色列我的产业, 都有福了. (以赛亚书 19:23-25)

这论及以色列所表示的属灵教会, “亚述” 是它的理性, “埃及” 是它的知识. 这三者一个接一个依次而来, 构成属灵教会成员的知识力量.

别处所提及的亚述表要么真实要么虚假的理性 (如以赛亚书 20:1至末尾; 23:13; 27:13; 30:31; 31:8, 36, 37; 52:4; 以西结书 27:23-24; 31:3至末尾; 32:22; 弥迦书 7:12; 西番雅书 2:13; 撒迦利亚书 10:11; 诗篇 83:8). “亚述” 表推理 (何西阿书 5:13; 7:11; 10:6; 11:5; 12:1; 14:3; 撒迦利亚书 10:10), 所论及的以法莲表心智的理性部分, 但这里已败坏.

6125. 'In exchange for horses' means factual knowledge supplied from the understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'horses' as ideas forming the understanding, dealt with in 2760-2762, 3217, 5321; and since they are spoken of in connection with Egypt, which means factual knowledge, 'horses' here are factual knowledge supplied from the understanding. But what factual knowledge supplied from the understanding is must be stated. There is an understanding part and there is a will part in the human mind, and these are situated not only in his internal man but also in his external. The human understanding is developing and growing from early childhood through to manhood, and it consists in a discernment of things gained from experience and formal knowledge, also a discernment of causes from effects as well as of consequences from a chain of causes. Thus the understanding part consists in a comprehension and perception of such things as are part of everyday life, public and private. An inflowing of light from heaven brings it into existence, and for that reason everyone's understanding is capable of being made more perfect. Understanding is given to everyone in accordance with his effort to make use of what he knows, in accordance with the life he leads, and in accordance with his individual character; no one lacks it provided he is of sound mind. A person is given it to the end that he may have freedom of choice, that is, have the freedom to choose good or evil. Unless he possesses an understanding like the one just described, he has no power of his own to make that choice; thus nothing could possibly be made his own.

[2] In addition to this it should be recognized that the understanding part of a person's mind is that which receives what is spiritual, so that it is the recipient of spiritual truth and good. For no good at all, that is, no charity, nor any truth at all, that is, any faith, can be instilled into anyone if he does not have that understanding part; but they are instilled in the measure that he does have it. This also explains why a person is not regenerated by the Lord until adult life when he does possess an understanding. Till then the good of love and the truth of faith fall like seed into utterly infertile soil. But once a person has been regenerated his understanding serves the function of enabling him to see and perceive what good is and from this what truth is. For the understanding converts things belonging to the superior light of heaven into those belonging to the inferior light of the natural world, as a consequence of which the former are then seen within the latter in the same way as a person's inner affections are seen in his face when it lacks all pretence. And because the understanding serves that function, many places in the Word where the spiritual side of the Church is referred to refer also to its power of understanding, a matter which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with elsewhere.

[3] From all this one may now see what is meant by factual knowledge supplied from the understanding, namely known facts which lend support to the things a person grasps and perceives with his understanding, whether those things are bad or good. Such facts are what are meant in the Word by 'horses from Egypt', as in Isaiah,

Woe to those who go down into Egypt for help, and rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many, and on horsemen because they are extremely strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel and do not seek Jehovah. For Egypt is man (homo), not God; and his horses are flesh, not spirit. Isaiah 31:1, 3.

'Horses from Egypt' stands for factual knowledge supplied from a perverted understanding.

[4] In Ezekiel,

He rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that ha might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does this be rescued? Ezekiel 17:15.

'Horses from Egypt' again stands for factual knowledge supplied from a perverted understanding, which knowledge is resorted to in matters of faith, though there is no belief in the Word, that is, in the Lord, apart from what that knowledge provides. Thus no belief ever comes to exist, for within a perverted understanding a negative attitude reigns.

[5] The destruction which such factual knowledge underwent is represented by the drowning of Pharaoh's horses and chariots in the Sea Suph; and since that knowledge is meant by 'horses' and false matters of doctrine by 'chariots', his horses and chariots are mentioned so many times in the description of that event, see Exodus 14:17-18, 27, 26, 28. And the Song of Moses and Miriam consequently contains these words,

Pharaoh's horse went, also his chariot, also his horsemen, into the sea; but Jehovah made the waters of the sea come back over them. Sing to Jehovah, for He has highly exalted Himself; He has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea. Exodus 15:19, 21.

[6] Similar factual knowledge is also meant by the things required before-hand for a king over Israel, in Moses,

If they desire a king, from among their brothers shall a king be set over them. Only let him not multiply horses for himself nor lead the people back into Egypt in order to multiply horses. Deuteronomy 17:15-16.

'A king' represented the Lord as regards Divine Truth, 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4789, 4966, 5044, 5068, thus as regards intelligence since this comes, when it is genuine, from Divine Truth. The need for intelligence to be acquired through the Word, which is Divine Truth, and not through factual knowledge taken from one's own understanding is meant by the injunction that the king should not multiply horses or lead the people back into Egypt in order to multiply horses.