Apocalypse Explained #1143
1143. And of fine linen and of purple, signifies truths and goods from a celestial origin that have been profaned. This is evident from the signification of "fine linen," as being truths from a celestial origin (of which presently); also from the signification of "purple," as being goods from a celestial origin (of which above, n.1042. But here such truths and goods profaned are meant, because the fine linen and purple are called "merchandise of Babylon," and "Babylon," as "a harlot and the mother of whoredoms and of the abominations of the earth," signifies profanations of truth and good. Truths and goods from a celestial origin are truths and goods with those who are in love to the Lord; these are called celestial, and are distinguished from the truths and goods from a spiritual origin, which are signified by "silk and scarlet," which will be spoken of presently. Truths and goods from a celestial origin are profaned by their transferring to themselves the Lord's Divine power of saving the human race, thus transferring their love to the Lord to the Pope as a vicar and to his ministers. And yet the Lord cannot be loved when He has no power to save; but the man is loved who is put in the Lord's place. They say that the Lord is loved because He has given that power to a man, and that He is loved and is held in holy respect by those who have received that power, and is worshipped by the rest. But love to the Lord cannot exist with them, because the love of having dominion over heaven and over the church is wholly contrary to it; for such love is love of self, which is a diabolical love, from which the Lord cannot be loved. Such love regarded in itself is rather hatred against the Lord, and it is turned into hatred when they become spirits and dominion is taken away from them. Then they persecute all who are in love to the Lord. All this makes clear how they profane truths and goods which are from a celestial origin.
[2] That "fine linen" signifies truths from a celestial origin can be seen from the following passages. In Ezekiel:
I clothed thee with embroidered work, I shod thee with the skin of the badger, and I girded thee with fine linen, and covered thee with silk. Thus wast thou adorned with gold and silver, and thy garments were fine linen, and silk, and embroidered work (Ezekiel 16:10, 13).
This is said of Jerusalem, which means the church, here in its first establishment. "Embroidered work and the skin of the badger" here signify the knowledges of truth and good from the Word; "fine linen and silk" signify truths from a celestial origin and truths from a spiritual origin. These are said to be "garments," because "garments" signify the truths with which good is clothed. In the same:
Fine linen in embroidered work was thy spreading forth, and purple from the isles of Elishah was thy covering (Ezekiel 27:7).
This is said of Tyre, which signifies the church as to the knowledges of good and truth. These knowledges are signified by "embroidered work from Egypt," truths by "fine linen," and good by "purple," both from a celestial origin. In Luke:
There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and indulged in luxuries every day splendidly (Luke 16:19).
The "rich man" means the Jewish nation, which is said to be "clothed in purple and fine linen," because they have the Word from which they might have goods and truths; goods are here meant by "purple," and truths by "fine linen," both from a celestial origin. "Lazarus lying at the rich man's porch" means the Gentiles that did not have the Word.
[3] Since "fine linen" [byssus] which is also called cotton [xylinum] signified truths from a celestial origin, and the garments of Aaron represented Divine truths, because he represented the Lord, therefore:
His miter and belt were woven of fine linen and cotton (Exodus 28:39; 39:27).
And because the curtains and hangings of the tabernacle represented those things of the church that cover, and these are truths, therefore:
These were woven of cotton or fine linen (Exodus 26:1; 27:9, 18; 36:8; 38:9, 16).
"Fine linen" has the same signification in the following passages of Revelation:
The time of the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready; and it was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, clean and bright (Revelation 19:7-8).
The armies of Him that sat upon the white horse followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (Revelation 19:14).
"Fine linen" signifies truth from a celestial origin because fine linen was a kind of very shining flax of which garments were made; "flax," and also "whiteness," signify truth, and "a garment" made of it signifies truth that is clean and pure according to the shining.
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith)
[4] The hell where those are who are called devils is the love of self; and the hell where those are who are called satans is the love of the world. The diabolical hell is the love of self because that love is the opposite of celestial love which is love to the Lord; and the satanic hell is the love of the world because that love is the opposite of spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbor. Now as the two loves of hell are opposites of the two loves of heaven, hell and the heavens are in opposition to each other; for all who are in the heavens look to the Lord and to the neighbor, but all who are in the hells look to self and the world. All who are in the heavens love the Lord and the neighbor, and all who are in the hells love self and the world, and consequently hate the Lord and the neighbor. All who are in the heavens think what is true and will what is good, because they think and will from the Lord; but all who are in the hells think what is false and will what is evil, because they think and will from self. From this it is that all who are in the hells appear turned backward, with the face turned away from the Lord; they also appear turned upside down, with the feet upwards and the head downwards. They so appear in accordance with their loves, which are opposite to the loves of heaven.
[5] As hell is the love of self it is also fire, for all love corresponds to fire, and in the spiritual world is so presented as to appear like a fire at a distance, although it is not fire but love; and thus the hells appear within to be on fire, and without like outbursts of fire in smoke from furnaces or from conflagrations; and sometimes the devils themselves appear like fires of coals. Their heat from that fire is like a boiling up from impurities, which is lust, and their light from that fire is only an appearance of light from fantasies and from confirmations of evil by falsities, but still it is not light, for when the light of heaven flows in it becomes to them thick darkness, and when the heat of heaven flows in it becomes to them cold; nevertheless, they see from their light, and live from their heat; but they see like owls, birds of night, and bats, whose eyes are blinded in the light of heaven, and they live half dead. The living principle in them is from the ability to think, to will, to speak, to do, and in consequence to see, to hear, to taste, to smell, and to feel; and this living principle is merely the ability arising from action upon them from without of the life which is God, according to order, and continually impelling them towards order. It is from that power that they live to eternity. Their dead principle is from the evils and falsities that spring from their loves. Consequently their life viewed from their loves is not life but death; and this is why in the Word hell is called "death," and those who are there are called "the dead."
以西结书 38
2
人子啊,你要面向玛各地的歌革,就是罗施、米设、土巴的王发预言攻击他,
3
说主耶和华如此说:罗施、米设、土巴的王歌革啊,我与你为敌。
4
我必用钩子钩住你的腮颊,调转你,将你和你的军兵、马匹、马兵带出来,都披挂整齐,成了大队,有大小盾牌,各拿刀剑。
5
波斯人、古实人,和弗人(又作吕彼亚人),各拿盾牌,头上戴盔;
6
歌篾人和他的军队,北方极处的陀迦玛族和他的军队,这许多国的民都同着你。
7
那聚集到你这里的各队都当准备;你自己也要准备,作他们的大帅。
8
过了多日,你必被差派。到末後之年,你必来到脱离刀剑从列国收回之地,到以色列常久荒凉的山上;但那从列国中招聚出来的必在其上安然居住。
9
你和你的军队,并同着你许多国的民,必如暴风上来,如密云遮盖地面。
11
说:我要上那无城墙的乡村,我要到那安静的民那里,他们都没有城墙,无门、无闩,安然居住。
12
我去要抢财为掳物,夺货为掠物,反手攻击那从前荒凉、现在有人居住之地,又攻击那住世界中间、从列国招聚、得了牲畜财货的民。
13
示巴人、底但人、他施的客商,和其间的少壮狮子都必问你说:你来要抢财为掳物麽?你聚集军队要夺货为掠物麽?要夺取金银,掳去牲畜、财货麽?要抢夺许多财宝为掳物麽?
14
人子啊,你要因此发预言,对歌革说,主耶和华如此说:到我民以色列安然居住之日,你岂不知道麽?
15
你必从本地,从北方的极处率领许多国的民来,都骑着马,乃一大队极多的军兵。
16
歌革啊,你必上来攻击我的民以色列,如密云遮盖地面。末後的日子,我必带你来攻击我的地,到我在外邦人眼前,在你身上显为圣的时候,好叫他们认识我。
17
主耶和华如此说:我在古时藉我的仆人以色列的先知所说的,就是你麽?当日他们多年预言我必带你来攻击以色列人。
18
主耶和华说:歌革上来攻击以色列地的时候,我的怒气要从鼻孔里发出。
20
甚至海中的鱼、天空的鸟、田野的兽,并地上的一切昆虫,和其上的众人,因见我的面就都震动;山岭必崩裂,陡岩必塌陷,墙垣都必坍倒。
21
主耶和华说:我必命我的诸山发刀剑来攻击歌革;人都要用刀剑杀害弟兄。