Apocalypse Explained # 963
963. Upon the men that had the mark of the beast and that adored his image, signifies those who acknowledge faith alone and its doctrine, and who live according to it. This is evident from the signification of "the beast," as being those who are in faith alone, or in faith separated from goods of life, and who confirm this by reasonings from the natural man (See in the preceding thirteenth chapter, from beginning to end). It is evident also from the signification of its "mark," as being acknowledgment, reception, and attestation thereof (See above, n. 838, 886). Also from the signification of its "image," as being doctrine, and of "adoring" it, as being to acknowledge it in heart and life (See n. 827, 833). That to such belong evil works and falsifications of the Word has been shown in the chapters that treat of the dragon and of the two beasts of the dragon, and is clearly evident from this, that such exclude good works from saving or justifying faith, teaching that faith justifies and saves without these, and as they are unnecessary they are omitted. It is from an eternal statute or from the Divine order that where there are not good works there are evil works; therefore these evil works are what are signified by "the great 1 and noxious sore in the earth," that is, in the church, with those who are in faith alone both in doctrine and in life.
(Continuation respecting the Second Commandment)
[2] He who abstains from profaning the name of God, that is, the holiness of the Word, by contempt, rejection, or any blasphemy, has religion; and such as his abstinence is such is his religion. For no one has religion except from revelation, and with us revelation is the Word. Abstinence from profaning the holiness of the Word must be from the heart, and not merely from the mouth. Those who abstain from the heart live from religion; but those who abstain merely from the mouth do not live from religion, for they abstain either for the sake of self or for the sake of the world, in that the Word can be made to serve them as a means of acquiring honor and gain; or they abstain from some fear. But of these many are hypocrites who have no religion.
Poznámky pod čarou:
1. In the text at the beginning of the chapter it reads "malum et noxium," "evil and noxious" here in the photolithograph Swedenborg first wrote "malum" but crossed this out and wrote over it "magnum" "great," through the following explanation he wrote "magnum" where the word is quoted. The Greek word means evil. In The Apocalypse Revealed Swedenborg translates it "malum" "evil," wherever quoted.
彌迦書 6
1
以色列人哪，當聽耶和華的話！要起來向山嶺爭辯，使岡陵聽你的話。
2
山嶺和地永久的根基啊，要聽耶和華爭辯的話！因為耶和華要與他的百姓爭辯，與以色列爭論。
3
我的百姓啊，我向你做了甚麼呢？我在甚麼事上使你厭煩？你可以對我證明。
4
我曾將你從埃及地領出來，從作奴僕之家救贖你；我也差遣摩西、亞倫，和米利暗在你前面行。
5
我的百姓啊，你們當追念摩押王巴勒所設的謀和比珥的兒子巴蘭回答他的話，並你們從什亭到吉甲所遇見的事，好使你們知道耶和華公義的作為。
6
我朝見耶和華，在至高神面前跪拜，當獻上甚麼呢？豈可獻一歲的牛犢為燔祭麼？
7
耶和華豈喜悅千千的公羊，或是萬萬的油河麼？我豈可為自己的罪過獻我的長子麼？為心中的罪惡獻我身所生的麼？
8
世人哪，耶和華已指示你何為善。他向你所要的是甚麼呢？只要你行公義，好憐憫，存謙卑的心，與你的神同行。
9
耶和華向這城呼叫，智慧人必敬畏他的名。你們當聽是誰派定刑杖的懲罰。
10
惡人家中不仍有非義之財和可惡的小升斗麼？
12
城裡的富戶滿行強暴；其中的居民也說謊言，口中的舌頭是詭詐的。
14
你要吃，卻吃不飽；你的虛弱必顯在你中間。你必挪去，卻不得救護；所救護的，我必交給刀劍。
15
你必撒種，卻不得收割；踹橄欖，卻不得油抹身；踹葡萄，卻不得酒喝。
16
因為你守暗利的惡規，行亞哈家一切所行的，順從他們的計謀；因此，我必使你荒涼，使你的居民令人嗤笑，你們也必擔當我民的羞辱。
