921. “挪亚筑了一座祭坛给耶和华” 表主的一个代表. 这一点从刚才所述清楚可知. 古教会的所有宗教仪式都是主的代表, 如犹太教会那样. 但后世的主要代表是祭坛和燔祭. 献燔祭要用洁净的畜类和洁净的鸟类, 它们照各自的意义而具有代表性, 洁净的畜类表仁之善, 洁净的鸟类表信之真. 当古教会成员献上这些东西时, 就表示他们正在向主献上这些善与真的礼物. 只有将这些东西献给主才会讨祂喜悦. 而他们的后代, 如外邦人, 还有犹太人, 却败坏了这些祭物, 甚至不知道它们具有这样的意义. 他们的敬拜仅仅局限于外在事物.

这个祭坛是主的主要代表. 这一点可从以下事实清楚看出来, 即在设立其它仪式, 制作约柜, 建造圣殿之前, 连外邦人当中也有祭坛. 这可从亚伯兰明显看出来, 如他来到伯特利东边的山上, 在那里筑了一座坛, 求告耶和华的名 (创世记 12:8); 后来他被吩咐把以撒作为燔祭献在坛上 (创世记 22:2, 9), 雅各 (Jacob) 在路斯或伯特利筑了一座坛 (创世记 35:6, 7); 摩西在西奈山下筑了一座坛, 并献燔祭 (出埃及记 24:4-6). 所有这一切都发生在设立犹太人的祭祀和制作约柜之前, 后来在旷野有约柜的地方举行敬拜. 外邦人中也有祭坛的事实同样从巴兰明显看出来, 巴兰对巴勒说, 他当筑七座坛, 预备七只牛和七只羊 (民数记 23:1-7, 15-18, 29, 30); 还可从摧毁列国祭坛的命令明显看出来 (申命记 7:5; 士师记 2:2). 所以, 用祭坛和燔祭进行神圣敬拜并非犹太人所创的新鲜事. 事实上, 就在人们想宰杀小公牛和其它动物作祭品以示纪念之前, 他们就在筑坛了.

“祭坛” 表主的一个代表, 因此 “献燔祭” 表敬拜祂. 这一点明显可见于先知书, 如在摩西书中, 当论及拥有祭司职位的利未时:

他们要将你的典章教训雅各, 将你的律法教训以色列. 他们要把香焚在你鼻孔前, 把全牲的燔祭献在你的坛上. (申命记 33:10)

这段经文表敬拜的全部. “将你的典章教训雅各 (Jacob), 将你的律法教训以色列” 表内在敬拜, 而 “要把香焚在你鼻孔前, 把全牲的燔祭献在你的坛上” 则表相应的外在敬拜, 因而表敬拜的全部. 以赛亚书:

当那日, 人必仰望造他们的主, 眼目重看以色列的圣者. 他必不仰望祭坛, 就是自己手所筑的. (以赛亚书 17:7, 8)

此处 “仰望祭坛” 明显表示要被废除的一般代表性敬拜. 又:

当那日, 在埃及陆地中间必有为耶和华筑的一座坛, 在埃及的边界上必有为耶和华立的一根柱. (以赛亚书 19:19)

此处 “祭坛” 同样表外在敬拜.

耶利米哀歌:

主丢弃自己的祭坛, 憎恶自己的圣所. (耶利米哀歌 1:7)

“祭坛” 表变成偶像崇拜的代表性敬拜. 何西阿书:

以法莲为赎罪增添祭坛, 因此, 它们成了使他犯罪的祭坛. (何西阿书 8:11)

此处 “祭坛” 表脱离内在敬拜的所有代表性敬拜, 因而表偶像崇拜之物. 又:

亚文的高丘, 就是以色列取罪的地方, 必被毁灭. 荆棘和蒺藜必长在他们的祭坛上. (何西阿书 10:8)

此处 “祭坛” 也表偶像崇拜. 阿摩司书:

我讨罚以色列罪孽的日子, 也要讨罚伯特利的祭坛, 祭坛的角必被砍下. (阿摩司书 3:14)

此处 “祭坛” 同样表已变成偶像崇拜的代表性敬拜.

诗篇:

求你带我到你的圣山, 到你的居所! 我就走到神的祭坛, 到我最喜乐的神那里. (诗篇 43:3, 4)

此处 “祭坛” 明显表示主. 在古时和犹太教会, 制作一个祭坛表示主的一个代表. 由于对主的敬拜主要通过燔祭和祭物来进行, 因而这些事物表示主要的代表性敬拜, 故显而易见, 祭坛本身表示这种代表性敬拜本身.

10042. 'And you shall take one ram' means the good of innocence in the internal man. This is clear from the meaning of 'a ram' as the good of innocence and charity in the internal man, dealt with below. Since sacrifices and burnt offerings of rams and lambs are referred to in this chapter, the general meaning of the living creatures offered in sacrifices and burnt offerings must be stated. Those creatures were oxen, young bulls, and he-goats; rams, she-goats, and he-kids; and he-lambs, she-lambs, and she-kids of she-goats. Anyone who does not know what these creatures serve to mean cannot possibly know what is meant by a sacrifice or burnt offering of any of them in particular. It should be recognized that all living creatures on earth serve to mean things such as reside in the human being, which in general consist in affections present in his will and in thoughts present in his understanding, and so consist in forms of good and in truths; for forms of good belong to the will and truths to the understanding. And since those things consist in forms of good and in truths they also consist in love and faith; for all aspects of love are called forms of good, and all matters of faith are called truths.

[2] The reason why these different kinds of living creatures serve to mean such things lies in representatives in the next life, where creatures belonging to many genera and countless species appear. Such creatures there are wholly lifelike appearances corresponding to spirits' and angels' affections and thoughts. The truth of this is evident also from the visions of the prophets spoken of in places throughout the Word; for all the things that were seen by the prophets are such as appear in heaven before angels' eyes. This explains why mention in the Word is so often made of beasts or animals, each of which serves to mean something belonging to one of the categories of things residing in the human being. As to his outward self the human being is no more than an animal; but his inward self makes him different. By means of his inward self both this inward self and his outward self can be raised towards heaven and up to God, and can as a consequence receive faith and love. This is why animals were used in sacrifices and burnt offerings. The person who knows nothing of all this cannot possibly know the reason why it was commanded to offer young bulls, rams, or he-lambs on one occasion, oxen, she-goats, and she-lambs on another, and he-goats, he-kids, and she-kids of she-goats on yet another. What other reason could there be for these differences? For the meaning of animals or beasts in the Word as forms of good or evils present with a person, and also truths or falsities, see 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 776, 1823, 2179, 2180, 2781, 3218, 3519, 5198, 7523, 7872, 9090; and for their use in sacrifices on account of that meaning, 1823, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830.

[3] So far however as sacrifices and burnt offerings of those creatures are concerned it should be recognized that,

1. Representative worship among the Jewish and Israelite nation consisted first and foremost in sacrifices and burnt offerings.

2. Sacrifices and burnt offerings in general served to mean the regeneration of a person by means of the truths of faith and forms of the good of love received from the Lord, and in the highest sense the glorification of the Lord's Human.

3. Everything belonging to worship - all the different things constituting it, thus worship in all its variety - was represented by the sacrifices and burnt offerings; and this is why it was decreed that different kinds of living creatures should be used.

[4] But to deal with these considerations in detail,

1. Representative worship among the Jewish and Israelite nation consisted first and foremost in sacrifices and burnt offerings

This is clear from the fact that they were used for every sin and all guilt, and also for every consecration and admission to office, besides being used daily, on every sabbath, at each new moon, and at every feast; and for this reason the altar was the holiest object of all. Every other act of worship among that nation grew out of an occasion for sacrifice, which explains why it says in Daniel, when the abolition of representative worship is the subject, that the sacrifice and the offering will cease, Daniel 9:27, and the continual [sacrifice] will be removed, Daniel 8:10-13; 11:31; 12:11. In particular 'the continual' means the sacrifice that was offered daily, and in general all worship. But see what has been shown already on these matters,

Sacrifices in general mean all representative worship, 923, 2165, 6905, 8680, 8936.

The altar was the chief representative of the Lord and consequently of worship, 2777, 2811, 8935, 8940, 9388, 9389, 9714, 9964.

The ancients before Eber knew nothing about sacrifices, 2180.

Sacrifices were established in Eber's time, existing from then on among the Hebrew nation, and consequently among the descendants of Jacob, and why they did so, 1128, 1343, 2180, 2818.

Sacrifices were not commanded, only permitted, 2180.

[5] 2. Sacrifices and burnt offerings in general served to mean the regeneration of a person by means of the truths of faith in the Lord and forms of the good of love to Him, both received from the Lord

This is clear from the fact that all aspects of worship have regard to purification from evils and falsities, the implantation of truth and good, and the joining together of these, thus to regeneration since by means of those three a person is regenerated. This explains why sacrifices and burnt offerings were offered for every sin and all guilt; and it says, when they were offered, that it was expiated and would be pardoned, Leviticus 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:6, 10, 13, 18; 6:7; 7:7; 10:17; 14:18-19; 15:30-31; 16:6, 24; 17:11. The pardoning of sins, expiation, propitiation, and redemption are nothing other than purification from evils and falsities, the implantation of goodness and truth, and the joining together of these, which is regeneration, 9076, 9452-9454, 9937, 9938. The whole process of regeneration is also described by the specific observances belonging to each sacrifice and burnt offering, and a clear view of that process emerges when the internal sense is used to unfold the representative elements of it, 10022.

[6] In the highest sense sacrifices and burnt offerings serve to mean the glorification of the Lord's Human

This is so because all the ritual observances belonging to worship that were established among the Israelite and Jewish nation had regard solely to the Lord; thus more than all else the sacrifices and burnt offerings - by which in general everything belonging to worship was represented, as shown above - had regard to Him. Furthermore the only source of human regeneration is the Lord, 9486, 9487, 9506, 9715, 9809, 10019. When therefore the Word deals with human regeneration the subject in the highest sense is the glorification of the Lord's Human; for the regeneration of a person is an image of the glorification of the Lord, 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402, 5688. Glorifying His Human implies making it Divine, whereas regenerating a person implies making him heavenly, in order that what is Divine and the Lord's may dwell in him.

[7] 3. Everything belonging to worship - all the different things constituting it, thus worship in all its variety - was represented by the sacrifices and burnt offerings; and this is why it was decreed that different kinds of living creatures should be used

This is clear from all the different situations for which sacrifices and burnt offerings were prescribed - for sins committed through error, and for sins not committed through error; for every trespass and uncleanness, whether on the part of a priest, the whole congregation, a leader, or any ordinary person ¹ ; for cleansing from leprosy; for purification after childbirth; for consecration of the altar, the tent of meeting, and everything in it; for the cleansing of these when Aaron went once a year into the holy of holies; for the admission of Aaron and his sons to the priestly office; for the consecration of Nazirites; and in general at the three feasts, at each new moon, on the sabbaths, and morning and evening ² every day; and in addition votive offerings and free-will offerings.

[8] Since sacrifices and burnt offerings were prescribed for so many different situations and they represented all the different things constituting worship, it was also decreed that different kinds of creatures should be used - young bulls, oxen, and he-goats; rams, she-goats, and he-kids; and he-lambs, she-lambs, and she-kids of she-goats. Sacrifices and burnt offerings of young bull, ox, and he-goat represented the purification and regeneration of the external or natural man; those of ram, she-goat, and he-kid represented the purification and regeneration of the internal or spiritual man; and those of he-lamb, she-lamb, and she-kid of the she-goats represented the purification and regeneration of the inmost or celestial man. For there are three degrees that follow in order in a person, namely celestial, spiritual, and natural, see 9992, 10005, 10017; and if a person is to be regenerated the things that are internal and those that are external must be regenerated, see the places referred to in 9325(end).

[9] But what is meant specifically by the sacrifice and burnt offering of a ram that are referred to in the present chapter is clear from places in the Word where sacrifices and burnt offerings of rams are described or where a ram is mentioned. From those places it is evident that 'a ram' means the good of innocence and charity in the internal man, and that a sacrifice and burnt offering of it mean purification and regeneration of the internal man, and so the implantation of the good of innocence and charity there. This meaning of 'a ram' is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

All the flocks of Arabia will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; they will come up with acceptance on My altar. Isaiah 60:7.

This refers to the Lord, and to heaven and His Church. 'The flocks of Arabia' are all the forms of good belonging to the internal man, 'the rams of Nebaioth' are the forms of the good of innocence and charity there, 'flocks' being forms of good that belong to the internal man, see 8937, 9135, 'Arabia' a place where good exists, 3268, and 'Nebaioth' those there who are governed by that good, 3268, 3686, 3688.

[10] In Ezekiel,

Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, [these were] the merchants of your hand through [the trading of] small cattle, and rams, and he-goats. Ezekiel 27:21.

This refers to Tyre, by which is meant the Church where cognitions or knowledge of good and truth exist, 1201. 'The merchants' are those who possess them and pass them on, 2967, 4453; 'cattle' are forms of the good of love, 'rams' forms of the good of charity, and 'he-goats' forms of the good of faith. In the Word reference is made to 'flocks', 'small cattle' ³ , and 'members of the flock', for which the original language has distinct and separate terms. By 'flocks' internal things in general are meant, by 'members of the flock' the same things in particular, and by 'small cattle' inmost things in particular. But by 'herds' external things are meant. In Jeremiah,

I will cause them to come down like small cattle to the slaughter, like rams with he-goats. Jeremiah 51:40.

'Small cattle', 'rams', and 'he-goats' here have much the same meaning.

[11] In Ezekiel,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I am judging between members of the flock and members of the flock ⁴ , between rams, and between he-goats. Ezekiel 34:17.

'Between members of the flock and members of the flock' stands for between those with whom interior things of good and of evil are present. 'Between rams and between he-goats' stands for between those with whom charity and consequently faith are present and those with whom truths of faith without charity are present. 'Rams' here have the same meaning as 'sheep', rams being male sheep. For the meaning of 'sheep' as those with whom charity and consequently faith are present, see 4169, 4809; and for that of 'he-goats' as those with whom truths that are called the truths of faith are present but without charity, 4169(end), 4769. The ram and the he-goat in Daniel 8:1-end have the same meaning, as do the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:32-end.

[12] In Moses,

If a soul has sinned through error he shall bring his guilt offering to Jehovah, a ram without blemish out of the flock. Leviticus 5:15, 18; 6:6.

By sacrifices of rams is meant purification of the internal man and the implantation of the good of innocence there; for sin committed through error is sin owing to ignorance that has innocence within it, and the innocence of ignorance belongs to the internal man.

[13] In the same author,

At new moons they were to offer two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs, and afterwards a he-goat of the she-goats. The same thing was to be done every day during Passover, and also on the day of the firstfruits. Numbers 28:11, 15, 19, 22, 27, [Numbers 28:30.]

All this was done in order that the purification of the whole person - the external, the internal, and the inmost - might be represented. The purification of the external man was represented by the sacrifice and burnt offering of the young bulls, of the internal by those of the ram, and of the inmost by those of the lambs. And since purification was represented, so too was the implantation of the good of innocence; for a young bull is the good of innocence in the external man, a ram that good in the internal man, and a lamb that good in the inmost man, as has been stated above. The reason why the last of the creatures was a he-goat was that 'a he-goat' means the truth of faith in the external man, and the truth of faith there is last and lowest, 9959. Since the forms of good and the truths present with a person follow one another in this order, therefore also the gifts of the princes of Israel when the altar and the tent of meeting were anointed were a young bull, a ram, and a lamb for burnt offerings, and a he-goat of the she-goats for a sacrifice, Numbers 7:15-17, 21-23, 27-29, 33ff.

From all this it may now be recognized that 'a ram' means the good of innocence and charity in the internal man.

Poznámky pod čarou: