耶利米書 23
2
耶和華─以色列的神斥責那些牧養他百姓的牧人，如此說：你們趕散我的羊群，並沒有看顧他們；我必討你們這行惡的罪。這是耶和華說的。
3
我要將我羊群中所餘剩的，從我趕他們到的各國內招聚出來，領他們歸回本圈；他們也必生養眾多。
4
我必設立照管他們的牧人，牧養他們。他們不再懼怕，不再驚惶，也不缺少一個；這是耶和華說的。
5
耶和華說：日子將到，我要給大衛興起一個公義的苗裔；他必掌王權，行事有智慧，在地上施行公平和公義。
6
在他的日子，猶大必得救，以色列也安然居住。他的名必稱為耶和華─我們的義。
7
耶和華說：日子將到，人必不再指著那領以色列人從埃及地上來永生的耶和華起誓，
8
卻要指著那領以色列家的後裔從北方和趕他們到的各國中上來、永生的耶和華起誓。他們必住在本地。
9
論到那些先知，我心在我裡面憂傷，我骨頭都發顫；因耶和華和他的聖言，我像醉酒的人，像被酒所勝的人。
10
地滿了行淫的人！因妄自賭咒，地就悲哀；曠野的草場都枯乾了。他們所行的道乃是惡的；他們的勇力使得不正。
11
連先知帶祭司都是褻瀆的，就是在我殿中我也看見他們的惡。這是耶和華說的。
12
因此，他們的道路必像黑暗中的滑地，他們必被追趕，在這路中仆倒；因為當追討之年，我必使災禍臨到他們。這是耶和華說的。
13
我在撒瑪利亞的先知中曾見愚妄；他們藉巴力說預言，使我的百姓以色列走錯了路。
14
我在耶路撒冷的先知中曾見可憎惡的事；他們行姦淫，做事虛妄，又堅固惡人的手，甚至無人回頭離開他的惡。他們在我面前都像所多瑪；耶路撒冷的居民都像蛾摩拉。
15
所以萬軍之耶和華論到先知如此說：我必將茵蔯給他們吃，又將苦膽水給他們喝；因為褻瀆的事出於耶路撒冷的先知，流行遍地。
16
萬軍之耶和華如此說：這些先知向你們說預言，你們不要聽他們的話。他們以虛空教訓你們，所說的異象是出於自己的心，不是出於耶和華的口。
17
他們常對藐視我的人說：『耶和華說：你們必享平安』；又對一切按自己頑梗之心而行的人說：『必沒有災禍臨到你們。』」
18
有誰站在耶和華的會中得以聽見並會悟他的話呢？有誰留心聽他的話呢？
19
看哪！耶和華的忿怒好像暴風，已經發出；是暴烈的旋風，必轉到惡人的頭上。
20
耶和華的怒氣必不轉消，直到他心中所擬定的成就了。末後的日子你們要全然明白。
21
我沒有打發那些先知，他們竟自奔跑；我沒有對他們說話，他們竟自預言。
22
他們若是站在我的會中，就必使我的百姓聽我的話，又使他們回頭離開惡道和他們所行的惡。
24
耶和華說：人豈能在隱密處藏身，使我看不見他呢？耶和華說：我豈不充滿天地麼？
25
我已聽見那些先知所說的，就是託我名說的假預言，他們說：我做了夢！我做了夢！
26
說假預言的先知，就是預言本心詭詐的先知，他們這樣存心要到幾時呢？
27
他們各人將所做的夢對鄰舍述說，想要使我的百姓忘記我的名，正如他們列祖因巴力忘記我的名一樣。
28
得夢的先知可以述說那夢；得我話的人可以誠實講說我的話。糠秕怎能與麥子比較呢？這是耶和華說的。
30
耶和華說：那些先知各從鄰舍偷竊我的言語，因此我必與他們反對。
31
耶和華說：那些先知用舌頭，說是耶和華說的；我必與他們反對。
32
耶和華說：那些以幻夢為預言，又述說這夢，以謊言和矜誇使我百姓走錯了路的，我必與他們反對。我沒有打發他們，也沒有吩咐他們。他們與這百姓毫無益處。這是耶和華說的。
33
無論是百姓，是先知，是祭司，問你說：耶和華有甚麼默示呢？你就對他們說：甚麼默示啊？耶和華說：我要撇棄你們。
34
無論是先知，是祭司，是百姓，說耶和華的默示，我必刑罰那人和他的家。
35
你們各人要對鄰舍，各人要對弟兄如此說：耶和華回答甚麼？耶和華說了甚麼呢？
36
耶和華的默示你們不可再提，各人所說的話必作自己的重擔（重擔和默示原文同），因為你們謬用永生神、萬軍之耶和華─我們神的言語。
37
你們要對先知如此說：耶和華回答你甚麼？耶和華說了甚麼呢？
38
你們若說耶和華的默示，耶和華就如此說：因你們說耶和華的默示這句話，我也打發人到你們那裡去，告訴你們不可說耶和華的默示。
39
所以我必全然忘記你們，將你們和我所賜給你們並你們列祖的城撇棄了；
Apocalypse Explained #126
126. And I will give thee the crown of life, signifies wisdom and eternal happiness therefrom. This is evident from the signification of "crown," as being wisdom, in reference to those who are in the spiritual affection of the knowledges of truth and good (of which more in what follows); and from the signification of "life," as being eternal happiness, which is also called life eternal. Those who are in the spiritual affection of truth and good, and who are here treated of, have eternal happiness, because heaven with man is implanted by means of the knowledges of truth and good from the Word. He who believes that heaven is implanted by other means is much deceived; for man is born merely natural, with the faculty of becoming spiritual, and he becomes spiritual by means of truths from the Word and a life according to them. Who can ever become spiritual unless he has some knowledge of the Lord, of heaven, of the life after death, of faith, and of love, and of the other things that are means of salvation? If man had no knowledge of these things he would remain natural; and a merely natural man can have nothing in common with the angels of heaven, who are spiritual. Man has two minds, one exterior, the other interior.
The exterior mind is called the natural mind, but the interior is called the spiritual mind. The former or natural mind is opened by means of the knowledges of the things that are in the world; but the latter or spiritual mind by means of the knowledges of the things that are in heaven, which the Word teaches, and the church from the Word; by means of these man becomes spiritual when he knows them and lives according to them.
[2] This is meant by the Lord's words in John:
Except a man has been born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5).
"Water" signifies the truths of faith, and "spirit" a life according to them (See above, n. 71); and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 202-209). Most people at this day believe that they are to come into heaven solely by virtue of holy worship in temples and by adorations and prayers; but such of them as do not care for the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, and who fail to imbue with these the life, as well as the memory, remain natural as before, and do not become spiritual; for their holy worship, adorations, and prayers, do not proceed from any spiritual origin; since their spiritual mind has not been opened by the knowledges of spiritual things and a life according to them, but is empty; and worship that proceeds from what is empty is merely natural gesture, with nothing spiritual in it. If such persons are insincere and unjust in respect to moral and civil life, their holy worship, adorations, and prayers have within them what repels heaven from them, instead of opening heaven to them as they believe; for their holy worship is like a vessel containing things putrid and filthy, which are oozing forth, or like a splendid garment investing a body covered with ulcers. I have seen many thousands of such cast into hell. But wholly different are holy worship, adorations, and prayers with those who are in the knowledges of truth and good and in a life according to them; with such these acts are pleasing to the Lord, for they are the effects wrought by their spirit in the body, or the effects of their faith and love, thus they are not merely natural gestures, but spiritual acts.
From this it can be seen that the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, and a life according to them, alone make man spiritual; and that in him who is thereby made spiritual, angelic wisdom from the Lord can be implanted together with eternal happiness. Angels derive happiness from no other source than from wisdom.
[3] A "crown" signifies wisdom, because all things by which man is clothed or distinguished derive their signification from the part of man that they clothe or distinguish (See Arcana Coelestia 9827), and "crown" signifies wisdom, because it is a sign upon the head, and "head" in the Word signifies wisdom, for there wisdom resides. So in Ezekiel:
I decked thee with ornaments, I put bracelets upon thy hands; and a chain upon thy throat. And I put a jewel upon thy nose, and earrings in thine ears, and a crown of adorning upon thy head (Ezekiel 16:11, 12).
Jerusalem, which signifies the church, is here treated of, such as it was when it was established by the Lord; by these various insignia are meant, in the spiritual sense, such things as are of the church; and each one takes its signification from the part to which it is applied, and "the crown of adorning" here means wisdom. (But what is meant by "ornament," may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 10536, 10540; by "bracelets," n. 3103, 3105; by "chain" n . 5320; by "jewel," n. 4551; by "earrings," n. 4551, 10402) Wisdom, which is from the knowledges of truth and good from the Word and from a life according to them, is likewise signified by "crown" in many other passages in the Word (as in Isaiah 28:5; Jeremiah 13:18; Lamentations 5:15, 16; Ezekiel 21:25, 26; 23:42; Zechariah 6:11-14; Psalms 89:38, 39; Psalms 132:17, 18; Job 19:9; Revelation 3:11; 4:4). The crowning of kings is from ancient times, when men were familiar with representatives and significatives, and it was known that "kings" represented the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and that a "crown" was intended to signify wisdom (that "kings" represented the Lord in respect to Divine truth, see Arcana Coelestia 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4581, 4966, 5068, 6148); that those that are in truths are called "kings" and "king's sons" see above n. 31; and as these are called "kings" in the Word, and kings have crowns, so here where these are treated of it is said that they were to receive "the crown of life."
