Apocalypse Revealed #451
451. And the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions. This symbolizes their delusions with respect to faith alone, as though they had power.
Heads symbolize the fanciful and illusory ideas that these people have regarding faith alone, which are the subject here, and for which we use the single term delusions. Horses symbolize the reasonings in the interiors of their minds, which are of this character (no. 449). Lions symbolize power (no. 241). It is a power based on fallacies, because these people are sense-oriented, and sense-oriented people base their reasoning on fallacies, which they use to persuade and captivate (no. 424).
[2] That their arguments in defense of faith alone are fanciful and illusory is something everyone can see who elevates his mind to some degree. What is faith in practice or faith as a condition but something illusory according to their notion of them? Who among them knows anything about putting faith into practice? And what constitutes faith as a condition when nothing good enters from the person into a faith in practice?
What is an instantaneous forgiveness of sins and consequent salvation but an illusory idea of the imagination? It is the "fiery flying serpent" 1 in the church, as may be seen in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Providence 340.
An attribution of immunity, merit, righteousness, and sanctification by imputation - what are these but illusory notions? See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord 18.
[3] What else is a Divine operation in someone's internal constituents without the person's cooperation as though of himself in external actions? For the idea that an internal condition can be divorced from its external expression, so that there is no conjunction of the two, is nothing but an illusory notion. See no. 606 below.
Faith divorced from charity is such an illusory notion, for charity expressed in works contains and supports faith. It is its soil and ground, its essence and life. In a word, faith arising from charity is the real person; but faith divorced from charity is a mirage, and a figment of the imagination, like a bubble floating in the air.
But perhaps someone will say, "If you detach the intellect from faith, you will not see any illusions." However, he should know that if he can detach the intellect from faith, he can also impose on any religious tenet a thousand illusory notions, as Roman Catholics have done for centuries.
Notes de bas de page:
以西结书 28
2
人子啊，你对推罗君王说，主耶和华如此说：因你心里高傲，说：我是神；我在海中坐神之位。你虽然居心自比神，也不过是人，并不是神！
3
看哪，你比但以理更有智慧，甚麽秘事都不能向你隐藏。
7
我必使外邦人，就是列国中的强暴人临到你这里；他们必拔刀砍坏你用智慧得来的美物，亵渎你的荣光。
9
在杀你的人面前你还能说我是神麽？其实你在杀害你的人手中，不过是人，并不是神。
10
你必死在外邦人手中，与未受割礼（或译：不洁；下同）的人一样，因为这是主耶和华说的。
12
人子啊，你为推罗王作起哀歌，说主耶和华如此说：你无所不备，智慧充足，全然美丽。
13
你曾在伊甸神的园中，佩戴各样宝石，就是红宝石、红璧玺、金钢石、水苍玉、红玛瑙、碧玉、蓝宝石、绿宝石、红玉，和黄金；又有精美的鼓笛在你那里，都是在你受造之日预备齐全的。
14
你是那受膏遮掩约柜的基路伯；我将你安置在神的圣山上；你在发光如火的宝石中间往来。
15
你从受造之日所行的都完全，後来在你中间又察出不义。
16
因你贸易很多，就被强暴的事充满，以致犯罪，所以我因你亵渎圣地，就从神的山驱逐你。遮掩约柜的基路伯啊，我已将你从发光如火的宝石中除灭。
17
你因美丽心中高傲，又因荣光败坏智慧，我已将你摔倒在地，使你倒在君王面前，好叫他们目睹眼见。
18
你因罪孽众多，贸易不公，就亵渎你那里的圣所。故此，我使火从你中间发出，烧灭你，使你在所有观看的人眼前变为地上的炉灰。
19
各国民中，凡认识你的，都必为你惊奇。你令人惊恐，不再存留於世，直到永远。
21
人子啊，你要向西顿预言攻击他，
22
说主耶和华如此说：西顿哪，我与你为敌，我必在你中间得荣耀。我在你中间施行审判、显为圣的时候，人就知道我是耶和华。
23
我必使瘟疫进入西顿，使血流在他街上。被杀的必在其中仆倒，四围有刀剑临到他，人就知道我是耶和华。
24
四围恨恶以色列家的人，必不再向他们作刺人的荆棘，伤人的蒺藜，人就知道我是主耶和华。
25
主耶和华如此说：我将分散在万民中的以色列家招聚回来，向他们在列邦人眼前显为圣的时候，他们就在我赐给我仆人雅各之地，仍然居住。
26
他们要在这地上安然居住。我向四围恨恶他们的众人施行审判以後，他们要盖造房屋，栽种葡萄园，安然居住，就知道我是耶和华─他们的神。
