5620. “一点乳香, 一点蜂蜜” 表外层属世层的良善之真理及其快乐. 这从 “乳香” 的含义清楚可知, “乳香” 是指良善之真理, 或源于良善的真理 (参看4748节). “乳香” 之所以具有这种含义, 是因为它属于香膏, 以及芳香物质. 芳香物质表示诸如属源于良善的真理的那类事物, 当这些物质还具有油膏的性质, 因而在它们的成分中有油质时, 更是如此; 因为 “油” 表示良善 (886, 3728, 4582节). 这乳香是芳香的 (参看创世记 37:25); 因此, 在原文, 这个词表示香膏. 显然, 它是软膏状的, 或油腻的. 由此可见, “乳香” 表示存在于属世层, 在此存在于外层属世层中的良善之真理, 因为经上首先提到 “乳香”, 然后又加上 “蜂蜜”, “蜂蜜” 表示那里的快乐. “蜂蜜” 之所以表示快乐, 是因为它是甜的, 自然界中的一切甜蜜皆对应于灵界中的某种快乐或愉悦. 之所以说它的快乐, 也就是存在于外层属世层中源于良善的真理之快乐, 是因为一切真理, 尤其一切良善之真理都有自己的快乐. 但这快乐源于对这类真理, 因而对它们所提供的功用的一种情感.

“蜂蜜” 表示快乐, 这一事实也可从圣言的其它经文看出来, 如以赛亚书:

必有童女怀孕生子, 给祂起名叫以马内利 (就是神与我们同在的意思). 到祂晓得弃恶择善的时候, 祂必吃奶油与蜂蜜. (以赛亚书 7:14-15)

这论及主; “奶油” 表示属天之物, “蜂蜜” 表示源于属天之物的东西.

同一先知书:

后来因为出的奶多, 他就得吃奶油; 在地中间所剩的人都要吃奶油与蜂蜜. (以赛亚书 7:22)

这论及主的国; “奶” 表示属灵良善; “奶油” 表示属天良善; “蜂蜜” 表示源于这些的事物, 即幸福, 快乐和愉悦.

以西结书:

这样, 你就妆饰了金银, 穿的是细麻衣和丝绸并绣花衣; 吃的是细面, 蜂蜜并油. 你也极其美貌, 发达到了王国的尊荣. 又将我赐给你的细面, 油和蜂蜜都摆在他们面前为馨香之气. (以西结书 16:13, 19)

这论及耶路撒冷, 耶路撒冷表示属灵教会, 经上描述了它在古人当中是什么样, 后来变成什么样; 它 “妆饰了金银” 表示妆饰了属天和属灵的良善和真理; 它 “穿的是细麻衣和丝绸并绣花衣” 表示存在于理性层和属世层的那两个部分中的真理; “细面” 表示属灵之物; “蜂蜜” 表示它的怡人; “油” 表示它的良善. 谁都能看出, 所有这些各自都表示诸如属于天堂的那类事物.

同一先知书:

犹大和以色列地的人都与你交易; 他们用米匿的麦子, 饼, 蜜, 油, 乳香兑换你的货物. (以西结书 27:17)

这论及推罗, 推罗表示属灵教会, 即就对良善与真理的认知而言, 它起初是什么样, 后来变成什么样 (1201节). “蜂蜜” 在此也表示从对认识并学习属天和属灵的良善和真理的情感那里所获得的愉悦和快乐.

摩西五经:

耶和华使他乘驾地的高处, 得吃田间的土产; 又使他从磐石中咂蜜, 从火石中吸油. (申命记 32:13)

这也论及古代的属灵教会; “从磐石中咂蜜” 表示从含有真理在里面的记忆知识中所得的快乐.

诗篇:

我必拿肥美的麦子给他们吃, 又拿从磐石出的蜂蜜叫他们饱足. (诗篇 81:16)

“拿从磐石出的蜂蜜叫他们饱足” 表示从信之真理中所获得的快乐, 或充满来自信之真理的快乐.

申命记:

耶和华领你进入美地, 那地有流水的河, 有从山谷中流出的泉, 源; 那地有小麦, 大麦, 葡萄树, 无花果树, 石榴树; 那地有橄榄树和蜜. (申命记 8:7-8)

这论及迦南地; 在内义上论及主在天上的国度. “那地有橄榄树和蜜” 表示属灵良善及其愉悦.

由于同样的原因, 迦南地被称为 “流奶与蜜之地” (民数记 13:27; 14:8; 申命记 26:9, 15; 27:3; 耶利米书 11:5; 32:22; 以西结书 20:6). 就这些经文的内义而言, 如前所述, “迦南地” 表示主的国度; “流奶” 表示丰盛的属天-属灵事物; “流蜜” 表示从这些所得的丰盛的幸福和快乐.

诗篇:

耶和华的典章真实, 全然公义. 都比金子且比极多的精金可羡慕; 比蜜且比蜂房滴下的甘甜. (诗篇 19:9-10)

“耶和华的典章” 表示神性真理; “比蜜且比蜂房滴下的甘甜” 表示从良善所得的快乐和从真理所得的愉悦. 又:

你的言语在我上颚何等甘美, 在我口中比蜜更甜! (诗篇 119:103)

此处意思也一样:

在摩西五经, 雅各的后代在旷野所得, 以之为食物的吗哪被描述如下:

这吗哪就像芫荽的种子, 白色; 它的滋味如同搀蜜的薄饼. (出埃及记 16:31)

“吗哪” 因表示经由天堂从主而降的神性真理, 故而表示主自己的神性人身, 如祂自己在约翰福音 (6:51, 58) 所教导的. 因为主的神性人身就是一切为神性的真理所来自的源头; 事实上, 所指的就是一切为神性的真理. 正因如此, 就赋予快乐和愉悦的吗哪的滋味而言, 经上描述它 “如同搀蜜的薄饼”. “滋味” 表示良善的快乐和真理的愉悦 (参看3502节).

由于和以利亚 (2762, 5247节) 一样, 施洗约翰也代表圣言方面的主, 圣言是地上的神性真理, 所以他是那在主之前 “先来的以利亚” (玛拉基书 4:5; 马太福音 17:10-12; 马可福音 9:11-13; 路加福音 1:17); 因此, 他的衣服和食物都是有意义的符号. 它们在马太福音中被描述如下:

这约翰身穿骆驼毛的衣服, 腰束皮带, 他的食物是蝗虫, 野蜜. (马太福音 3:4; 马可福音 1:6)

“骆驼毛的衣服” 显示了就圣言字义的真理而言, 圣言是什么样. 字义, 即属世之义就是内义有一件衣服; 因为 “毛” 和 “骆驼” 都表示属世之物; “食物是蝗虫, 野蜜” 显示了就圣言字义的良善而言, 圣言是什么样; “野蜜” 表示这良善的快乐.

就外在意义而言, 以西结书中的 “蜜” 也描述了神性真理的快乐:

他对我说, 人子啊, 要吃我所赐给你的这书卷, 充满你的肚腹. 我就吃了, 口中觉得其甜如蜜. (以西结书 3:3)

启示录:

天使对我说, 你拿着吃尽了, 便叫你肚子发苦, 然而在你口中要甜如蜜. 我从天使手中把小书卷接过来, 吃尽了, 在我口中果然甜如蜜, 及至吃完了, 肚子觉得发苦了. 他对我说, 你必在许多人民, 民族, 方言, 君王面前再说预言. (启示录 10:9-11)

以西结书中的 “书卷” 和启示录中的 “小书卷” 表示神性真理. 味道 “甜如蜜” 表示就外在形式而言, 这书卷令人快乐; 因为神性真理就像圣言, 在外在形式或字义上是令人快乐的, 因为这字义或外在形式允许各人以适合各人的任何方式来理解和诠释它. 但内义不允许这样, 这一点由它的苦味来表示; 因为内义揭示人内在的样子. 外在意义之所以令人快乐, 是因为如前所述, 人能以适合他的任何方式来解释其中的事物. 包含在外在意义中的真理都是总体真理, 并且在添加限定它们的具体真理, 以及添加限定具体真理的细节真理之前, 一直是总体真理. 外在意义也充满快乐, 因为它是属世的, 藏有属灵之物在自己里面. 此外, 它也必须充满快乐, 以便人能接受它, 也就是被引入其中, 而不是被吓阻在门槛处.

主复活后当着门徒的面所吃的 “蜜房和烧鱼” 也表示圣言的外在意义, “鱼” 表示与外在意义有关的真理, “蜜房” 表示它的愉悦; 对此, 我们在路加福音中读到:

耶稣就说, 你们这里有什么吃的没有? 他们便给祂一片烧鱼和一块蜜房, 祂接过来, 在他们面前吃了. (路加福音 24:41-43)

由于鱼和蜜房表示这些事物, 所以主对他们说:

这些就是我从前与你们同在之时对你们所讲的话, 就是: 摩西的律法, 先知的书和诗篇上所记的关于我的话都必须应验. (路加福音 24:44)

表面上看, 所表示的不是这类事物, 因为他们有一片烧鱼和一块蜜房似乎是很偶然的. 而事实上, 他们拥有这些东西是天意; 不仅这一点, 而且圣言中所提到的其它一切最小的事都是天意. 由于所表示的是这类事物, 所以主论到圣言说, 它里面所记的是关于祂自己的事. 然而, 旧约字义中所记关于主的事极少; 但包含在其内义中的一切都与主有关; 圣言的神圣性便由此而来. 这就是主说 “摩西的律法, 先知的书和诗篇上所记的关于我的话都必须应验” 所表示的.

由此可见 “蜂蜜” 表示从良善与真理, 也就是从对它们的情感所得的快乐, 尤其表示外在快乐, 因而表示外层属世层的快乐. 由于这快乐具有这样的性质: 它是从世界经由感官得来的, 因而包含大量源于尘世之爱的事物在里面, 所以人们被禁止在素祭中使用蜂蜜. 这一点在利未记中说明如下:

凡献给耶和华的素祭都不可发酵, 因为你们不可烧一点酵, 一点蜜, 当作火祭献给耶和华. (利未记 2:11)

“蜜” 表示这种外在快乐, 它因包含某种尘世之爱的东西在里面, 故类似于酵母, 因此被禁止. 至于 “酵” 或 “发酵” 是什么意思, 可参看前文 (2342节).

10236. 'And its pedestal from bronze' means good on the last level of the natural, which is that of the senses. This is clear from the meaning of 'the pedestal' of the laver, containing the water for washing, as the last level of the natural degree, which is called the level of the senses; and from the meaning of 'bronze' as good, dealt with above in 10235. The reason why 'the pedestal' means the last level of the natural, which is called the external level of the senses, is that 'the laver' which is above means the natural degree, in which purification takes place, and therefore that which is below means that which occupies the lowest, that is, the last place, which is the external level of the senses within a person. The natural degree within a person has an external level, a middle level, and an internal level. The external level of the natural degree is that which comes in contact with the world and is called the external level of the senses; the internal level of the natural degree is that which comes in contact with the internal man residing in heaven; and the middle level of the natural degree links the two together, for where an external and an internal exist there must be a middle linking them together. The human mind has a natural degree containing external, middle, and internal levels, see 4009, 4570, 5118, 5126, 5649, 9215.

[2] Strictly speaking, the level of the senses forming the last and lowest of the natural degree should be taken to mean that which is called the flesh and perishes when a person dies, thus that which has enabled the person to function in the world, namely the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It may be recognized that the senses exist on the ground-level so to speak of a person's life, forming the terminus and base on which it rests; for they open out directly onto the world, and through them the world comes in and heaven goes out. These senses the human being shares with animals. But an external aspect of the senses which the human being does not share so much with them, though still an external aspect of the senses, is the deposit in the human memory of impressions received from the world, consisting solely of worldly, bodily, earthly images. The person whose thought and reasoning are based on these alone and not on more internal ideas is called a sensory-minded person. This level of the senses remains with a person after death, though it becomes dormant. It is the external level of the senses that is meant, strictly speaking, by 'the pedestal'.

[3] The nature of this level of the senses was represented by the pedestals of the ten lavers which were placed next to the temple. These pedestals are described as follows,

Solomon made ten pedestals from bronze. Four cubits was the length of each pedestal, and four cubits the breadth; three cubits was the height. On the panels ¹ which were between the frames there were lions, oxen, and cherubs, and on the frames in like manner above. In addition each pedestal had four wheels, and boards of bronze ² ; but its four corners had shoulders ³ . Under a laver there were shoulders ³ of cast [bronze]. The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel; their axles ⁴ , and their rims ⁵ , and their tires, and their spokes were all of cast [bronze]. After this manner he made the ten pedestals. They were all of one casting, one measure, one symmetry. Therefore he made ten lavers from bronze; each laver contained forty baths, four cubits was each laver. 1 Kings 7:27-39.

[4] Here representative objects serve to describe the nature of the external level of the senses in a person, and in particular protection provided by the Lord to prevent a person from entering from the sensory level of his mind, thus from the world, into things of heaven or the Church. To do so is contrary to Divine order. For the world cannot enter into heaven, but heaven can into the world, which happens when the Lord coming by way of heaven flows into a person by means of the Word and resides in him, and so enlightens, teaches, and leads him. The fact that entering from the world into the things of heaven is contrary to Divine order may be recognized from the consideration that those who enter into them from the sensory level of their mind, thus who do so from factual knowledge derived from the world, have no belief at all.

[5] Protection against this is meant by 'lions, oxen, and cherubs'. By 'lions' protection to prevent truths from entering is meant, for lions are truths in their power, 6367, 6369, and by 'oxen' protection to prevent forms of good from entering, for oxen are forms of good in their power, 2781. By 'cherubs' the Lord's protection against such an occurrence is meant, see 308, 9509; and by 'the shoulders' of which also mention is made power and resistance are meant, see 1085, 4931-4937, 9836. By 'the chariot-like wheels' the ability to be made wise when everything enters from heaven is meant, for in this way everything moves on according to order, 'chariot wheels' being the ability to move on, thus to learn, 8215, 9872, and chariots being doctrinal teachings which heaven and the Church possess, 5321, 8215.

[6] What a sensory-minded person is must again be stated briefly. A person is called sensory-minded whose thought is based solely on such ideas in the memory as are derived from the world and whose mind cannot be raised to more internal levels. Such is the situation with those in particular who have no belief at all in heaven or in the Deity because they do not see them; for they trust solely in the senses, and what they do not perceive through these is not thought by them to have any existence. Such people come near to having a mind no different from that of animals, which too are led solely by their external senses. They are still wily and clever in action and reasoning, but they do not see truth in its own light. In former times such people were referred to as serpents of the tree of knowledge. Most of the hellish crew are of that sort. But what a sensory-minded person is and what the sensory level of the mind is, see the places referred to in 9331(end), and also 9726, 9730, 9731, 9922(end), 9996; and what it is to be raised above or drawn away from the level of the senses, the places referred to in 9922(end).

[7] Good on the level of the senses, meant by 'a pedestal made from bronze', is an expression which denotes the pleasure and delight that influence thought and imagination based solely on such things as are earthly, bodily, and worldly. It is distinguishable from other kinds of delight by the fact that it sees no other purposes to be served apart from those indulging the self or benefiting the self. For the sensory-minded person is steeped in self-love and love of the world, and the delights that are his go with those loves. And since the loves of a sensory-minded person are such as these, it is evident that he is cleverer than others in reasoning and in doing things for the sake of gain and position. For his body is burning with the fire of that love, and that fire produces a light that is called natural illumination. And when this light flares into brightness the light of heaven which belongs to the interior man is altogether blotted out. So it is that because the things belonging to the light of heaven are in thick darkness they are said not to exist. It is different in the case of those whose actions are burning with the fire of heaven and whose thoughts are lit by the light from it. All this shows what should be understood by good on the level of the senses, meant by the pedestal of the laver made from bronze.

Poznámky pod čarou:

9331. 'And I will send the hornet before you' means the dread felt by those who are steeped in falsities arising from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'hornets' as falsities that are stinging and lethal and therefore cause feelings of dread. Terror is used in reference to those immersed in evils, and dread to those steeped in falsities; regarding the terror felt by the former, see above in 9327. The reason why the dread felt by those steeped in falsities is meant by 'hornets' is that these are winged creatures equipped with stings with which they can administer venomous pricks. For living creatures both great and small mean such things as compose human affections, that is, such as are connected with the will, or else they mean such things as compose human thoughts, that is, such as are connected with the understanding. For everything without exception in the human being has connection either with his will or with his understanding. Things that have no connection with one or the other do not exist in the human being, and so are not part of the human being. Creatures that walk and also ones that creep mean affections in both senses, and so mean forms of good or else evils since these belong to the affections, whereas flying creatures, including insects with wings, mean such things as belong to thought in both senses, and so mean truths or else falsities since these belong to thoughts.

Living creatures mean forms of good or else evils, see 9280. Ones that creep mean forms of good or else evils on the external level of the senses, 746, 909, 994. Flying creatures mean truths or falsities, 40, 745, 776, 778, 866, 911, 988, 3219, 5149, 7441. Consequently insects with wings mean the same things, but as they exist on the outermost levels of the human mind.

[2] But falsities, which are the subject now, are of many kinds. There are falsities which do no harm, there are falsities which do slight harm and those which do serious harm, and there are also those which are lethal. What kind they are is recognized from the evils they arise from. Every falsity that is harmful or that is lethal owes its existence to evil; for falsity arising from evil is evil revealing itself in an outward form. In the next life also, when such falsities are represented visually, they are seen as swarms of filthy insects and flying creatures, a terrifying sight that is determined by the type of evil from which the falsities derive. From all this it is evident why it is that the dread felt by those steeped in falsities arising from evil is meant by 'hornets'. Similarly in Deuteronomy,

Jehovah your God will send the hornet among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you have perished. Deuteronomy 7:20.

[3] Throughout the Word various types of insects are mentioned, and wherever they are mentioned they mean falsities or evils in the outermost levels of the human mind, or the external level of the senses. These evils and falsities have their origin in the illusions of the senses and in various bodily pleasures and appetites, which mislead by means of their allurements and by outward appearances, and cause reason to assent to and so become immersed in falsities arising from evil. This type of falsities is meant by 'the noxious flying insects' of Egypt, see 7441, and likewise by 'the locusts' there, 7643. By 'the frogs' of Egypt reasonings arising from falsities are meant, 7351, 7352, 7384; by 'the lice' there evils of the same kind are meant, 7419; and by 'worms' falsities that devour and torment, 8481.

[4] Such evils and falsities are also meant by the various types of insects referred to in the following places: In Isaiah,

It will happen on that day, that Jehovah will whistle for the fly that is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Asshur. They will come and all of them will rest in the river of desolations, and in the clefts of the rocks, and in all bushes. Isaiah 7:18-19.

This refers to the Lord's Coming, and to the state of the Church then. 'The fly in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt' is falsity on the outermost levels of the human mind, that is, on the external level of the senses, 7441. 'The bee in the land of Asshur' is falsity perverting reasonings in the mind; for 'Asshur' means reasoning, 1186. 'The river of desolations' is falsity reigning everywhere; 'the clefts of the rocks' are the truths of faith lying in obscurity, because they have been removed from the light of heaven, 8581 (end); and 'bushes' are similar but newly developing truths, 2682.

[5] In Amos,

I struck you with blight and mildew; your very many gardens, and your vineyards, and your fig trees, and your olive trees the caterpillar (eruca) devoured. Amos 4:9.

In Joel,

What the caterpillar (eruca) has left the locust will devour, and what the locust has left the beetle (melolontha) will devour, and what the beetle has left the bruchus ¹ will devour. Awake, you drunkards; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine that has been cut off from your mouth. Joel 1:4-5.

In the same prophet,

The threshing-floors are full of clean grain; the presses overflow with new wine and oil. And I will recompense for you the years that the locust has consumed, the beetle (melolontha), and the bruchus, and the caterpillar (eruca), My great army which I sent among you. Joel 2:24-25.

Here falsities and evils on the outermost levels or the external level of the senses of a member of the Church are meant by these types of insects, as is evident from the specific details in these quotations; for they refer to the perversion of the Church's truth and good. What 'the locust' and what 'the bruchus' mean may be seen in 7643; and the fact that the Church's forms of good and its truths in general are meant by 'gardens', 'vineyards', 'fig trees', 'olive trees', 'wine', and 'new wine', which are destroyed by such creatures, has been shown often in explanations.

[6] In David,

He caused frogs to crawl forth onto their land, into the chambers of their kings. He spoke, that a swarm might come, lice in all their borders. Psalms 105:30-31.

This refers to Egypt. What is meant by 'frogs' there, see 7351, 7352, 7384; and what by 'lice', 7419. In Moses,

You will plant and dress vineyards, but not drink wine nor gather [the fruit]; for the worm will eat it. Deuteronomy 28:39.

'The worm' stands for all such falsity and evil in general.

[7] In Isaiah,

Do not fear the reproach of man (homo), and do not be dismayed by their slanders. For the moth will devour them as a garment, and the grub will devour them as wool. Isaiah 51:7-8.

'The moth' stands for falsities on the outermost levels of the human mind, and 'the grub' for evils there. For 'a garment' which the moth will devour means the lower or more external truths that belong to the sensory level of the human mind, 2576, 5248, 6377, 6918, 9158, 9212; and 'wool' which the grub will devour means the lower or more external forms of good that belong to the sensory level of the human mind, as is evident from many places in the Word, and also from the meaning of 'a sheep', from which wool is obtained, as the good of charity, 4169. What exactly are the outermost levels of the natural man, which are called those of the senses, and what they are like, see 4009, 5077, 5081, 5084, 5089, 5094, 5125, 5128, 5580, 5767, 5774, 6183, 6201, 6310-6318, 6564, 6598, 6612, 6614, 6622, 6624, 6844, 6845, 6948, 6949, 7442, 7645, 7693, 9212, 9216.

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