8215. “又使他的轮脱落” 表推进虚假的能力被夺走. 这从 “脱落”, “轮” 和 “法老的战车” 的含义清楚可知: “脱落” 是指夺走; “轮” 是指前行的能力, 如下文所述; “法老的战车” 是指支持虚假的教义事物 (8146, 8148节), 因而是指虚假. 至于 “轮” 在一般意义上表示什么, 这从 “马车” 的含义可以看出来. 马车分为两种: 一种用来运送货物, 一种用于战争. 用来运货的马车表示传达真理的教义事物, 在反面意义上表示传达虚假的教义事物; 用于战争的马车也表示这两个意义上的教义事物, 但表示进行争战的教义事物, 因而表示为战争所预备的真理本身和虚假本身. 由此可见 “轮” 表示什么, 即前行的能力, 在此表示推进虚假并与真理争战的能力. 由于这种能力属于人心智的理解力部分, 故就这些教义事物而言, “轮” 也表示理解力部分.

在来世, 满载各种货物的马车经常出现; 这些马车在形状和尺寸上各不相同; 它们出现时, 表示整体上的真理, 或教义事物, 这些教义事物可以说是真理的容器; 而它们所载的货物表示具有各种不同功用的认知或知识. 当天使谈论教义时, 这些事物就在天堂出现. 事实上, 由于他们下面的人无法理解天使的对话, 所以就用代表来表现它. 如前所述, 对有些人来说, 它表现为马车, 这些马车以一种形式将谈话的每一个细节呈现在眼前; 谈话内容通过这种代表能在一瞬间被理解和看见. 有些细节以马车的形式显现, 有些以马车的构造显现, 有些以马车的颜色显现, 有些以车轮显现, 有些以拉车的马匹显现, 有些以马车所载的货物显现. 在圣言中, “马车或战车” 表示教义事物正是源于这些代表.

由此在某种程度上可以看出, “轮” 表示理解力所拥有的能力; 因为正如马车通过车轮来移动和前行, 包含在教义事物中的真理通过理解力来付诸行动. 这也是以赛亚书中 “轮” 的含义:

他们的箭锐利, 弓都上了弦; 马蹄算如火石, 轮好像旋风. (以赛亚书 5:28)

这论及使真理荒废的人: “箭” 是指虚假, “弓” 是指虚假的教义 (2686, 2709节); 而 “马蹄” 是指属于败坏理解力的感官记忆知识 (7729节); “轮” 是指好像旋风的败坏并摧毁真理的能力.

以西结书:

我正观看活物的时候, 看哪, 有四张脸的活物旁边各有一个轮子在地上. 轮的形状和做法好像水苍玉. 四个都是一个样式, 其形状和作法好像轮中套轮. 轮行走的时候, 向四方都能直行, 行时并不掉转. 至于轮辋, 高而可畏; 其轮辋满有眼睛在它们的四个周围. 活物行走的时候, 轮子与它们同行. 活物的灵在轮中. (以西结书 1:15-20; 10:9-17)

“四活物”, 就是基路伯表示主的天命或旨意 (308节); “轮” 表示神性聪明或预见; 这就是为何经上说 “轮子与活物同行”, “其轮辋满有眼睛”, 以及 “活物的灵在轮中”, 活物的灵就是智慧的真理.

但以理书:

我观看, 直到宝座设立, 上头坐着亘古常在者, 祂的衣服洁白如雪, 头发如纯净的羊毛, 宝座乃火焰, 其轮乃烈火. (但以理书 7:9)

此处 “亘古常在者” 是指神性良善方面的主; “设立的宝座” 是指虚假; “祂的衣服” 是指外在形式上的神之真理; “祂的宝座” 是指天堂和教会; “祂的轮” 是指智慧和聪明的事物, 也就是神之真理; “烈火” 是指爱与仁的事物.

所罗门的圣殿周围十个盆座下面也有铜轮; 轮的做法像车轮的做法; 其轴, 辋, 辐, 毂都是铸的. (列王纪上 7:30-33)

这些 “盆座” 或架子表示真理的容器, 人通过真理被洁净和重生; “轮” 表示用来推进的理解力的能力.

9212. 'If you ever take your companion's clothing as a pledge' means if factual knowledge of truths is dispersed by illusions that are a product of sensory impressions. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking as a pledge' as receiving a token for goods that are supplied, for 'a pledge' is a token for goods that are being lent. When spiritual things are understood instead of these, supplying goods means giving instruction in truths, and the token or pledge in this instance means truth on the level of the senses. For 'the clothing' here which is given as a pledge means the lowest level of the natural, which is that of the senses. Since illusions abound on this level and illusions wipe out truths, 'taking your companion's clothing as a pledge' means the dispersing of truths by illusions that are a product of sensory impressions. The fact that these things are meant is clear from the whole train of thought in the internal sense.

[2] In general 'clothing' means everything that clothes another, and so whatever is relatively more external. Consequently the external or natural man is called the clothing in relation to the internal or spiritual man. In a similar way truth is called the clothing in relation to good, because truth clothes good; likewise factual knowledge of truth in relation to the truth of faith which belongs to the internal man. Sensory perception, which constitutes the lowest level of life with a person, is the clothing in relation to factual knowledge of truth.

'Clothes' are lower things that cover higher ones, or what amounts to the same thing, exterior things that cover interior ones, see 2576, 5248. In general they are truths, 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954, 6914, 6917, 9093, factual knowledge of truths, 6918, or truths on the level of the senses, 9158. Sensory perception constitutes the lowest level of life with a person, 4009, 5077, 5125, 5128, 5767, 5774, 6201, 6313, 7442, 7693, and sensory perception is subject to illusions, 5084, 5089, 6201, 6948, 6949, 7442.

[3] The meaning of 'clothes' as truths owes its origin to representatives in the next life. There angels and spirits appear dressed in clothes in keeping with the state of faith or truth that is theirs, and their clothes are varied in keeping with the changes which that state undergoes. Those governed by authentic truth appear dressed in white garments, and those governed by truths springing from good in shining ones. But those governed purely by good, as angels of the inmost heaven are, called celestial angels, appear naked. So it is then that clothes are truths, and that truths are meant in the Word by 'clothes', as may be seen from places referred to above. To these places let the following in the Gospels be added:

[4] In Matthew,

When Jesus was transfigured His face shone like the sun, and His garments became [white] as the light. Matthew 17:2.

'Face' in the Word means the interiors, in particular the affections, 358, 1999, 2434, 3527, 3573, 4066, 4796, 4797, 5102, 5695, 6604, 6848, 6849, and 'God's face' Goodness itself, 222, 223, 5585. 'The sun' means God's love, 2441, 2495, 3636, 3643, 4060, 4321 (end), 4696, 7083, 8644. From this it is evident what the meaning is when it says that the Lord's face shone like the Sun, namely that His interiors were the Good of Divine Love. 'His garments became [white] as the light' means Divine Truth radiating from Him, which also appears in heaven as the light, 1521, 1619-1632, 3195, 3222, 3485, 3636, 3643, 4415, 5400, 8644.

[5] In the same gospel,

When Jesus drew near to Jerusalem they brought the she-ass and the colt and laid their garments on them and set Him on them. But a very great crowd spread their garments on the road, while others were breaking off branches from trees and spreading them on the road. Matthew 21:1, 7-8.

Riding on a she-ass and her colt was a representative sign of the Supreme Judge and King, see 2781, as also is evident from what comes before in verse 5,

Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, meek, seated on a she-ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.

It is also evident in Mark 11:1-12; in Luke 19:28-41; in John 12:12-16; and in Zechariah 9:9-10, where it says of the Lord that He would ride on an ass, and on a young ass, a son of she-asses. There He is called a King, and in addition it says that His dominion will be from sea even to sea, and from the River even to the ends of the earth. The fact that the supreme judge rode on a she-ass, and his sons on young asses, see Judges 5:9-10; 10:3-4; 12:14; and that the king rode on a she-mule, and the king's sons on mules, 1 Kings 1:33, 38, 44-45; 2 Samuel 13:29.

[6] When the disciples laid their garments on the she-ass and her colt, it represented the recognition that truths in their entirety were the foundation on which the Lord as supreme Judge and King rested; for the disciples represented the Lord's Church in respect of truths and forms of good, see 2129, 3488, 3858 (end), 6397, and their garments truths themselves, 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954, 6914, 6917, 9093. This same recognition was likewise represented when the crowd spread their garments, also the branches of trees, on the road. Another reason why they spread them on the road was that 'the road' means the truth by means of which a member of the Church is led, see 627, 2333, 3477. And the reason why they also spread the branches of trees was that 'trees' meant perceptions and also cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, 2682, 2722, 2972, 4552, 7692, so that their branches are the truths themselves. Those actions were also performed then because it was customary for the chief persons among the people to lay their garments on supreme judges and kings' she-asses and mules when they rode in pomp on them, and for the people themselves to spread their garments on the road, or the branches of trees instead. For in heaven judgeship consists in Divine Truth derived from Good, and kingship in Divine Truth, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148.

[7] In Luke,

No one adds a piece of a new garment onto an old garment; in doing so he splits the new, and the binding from the new is unsuitable for the old.

Luke 5:36.

The Lord used this comparison to describe the truth of the new Church and the truth of the old Church; for 'garment' means truth. Sewing on one or binding it to the other means destroying both; for the truth of the new Church is interior truth, thus truth for the internal man, whereas the truth of the old Church is exterior truth, thus truth for the external man. The latter kind of truth prevailed in the Jewish Church, for by means of external things this Church represented internal ones, whereas the Church of today has knowledge of the internal truths that were represented then, because the Lord has revealed them. The fact that these truths are not suited to external ones in such a way that they can exist together is what the words used by the Lord serve to mean. From all this also it is evident that 'garment' means the Church's truth.

[8] In John,

Jesus said to Peter, Truly, truly I say to you, When you were a boy you girded your loins and walked where you wished. But when you are old you will stretch out your hands, [and] another will gird your loins and lead you where you do not wish. John 21:18.

No one without knowledge of the internal sense can see what these words imply; plainly, they contain arcana. In the internal sense 'Peter' means the Church's faith, see the Prefaces to Genesis 18, 22, and 3750, 6000, 6073 (end), 6344 (end). Consequently Peter when he was a boy means the nature of the Church's faith as it is initially, and Peter when he would be old means the nature of the Church's faith as it is finally. From this it is evident what 'when you were a boy you girded your loins and walked where you wished' means, namely that the Church's faith as it is initially is faith composed of truth derived from good, thus faith composed of charity towards the neighbour and of love to the Lord. And at this time a member of the Church in doing what is good acts freely, because his actions spring from the Lord. For aspects of the good of love are meant by 'the loins', 3021, 3294, 4280, 4575, 5050-5062, so that 'girding the loins' means clothing good with truths; and living is meant by 'walking', 519, 1794, 8417, 8420, so that 'walking where one wishes' means leading a life that is free. Those people lead a life that is free, or act freely, whose faith springs from love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour; for they are led by the Lord, 892, 905, 2870-2893, 6325, 9096. 'When you are old you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird your loins and lead you where you do not wish' means that the Church's faith as it is finally will be none at all, at which time falsities that arise from evil springing from self-love and love of the world will take the place of faith and enslave it. This is the arcanum which these words spoken by Lord contain and which can be seen only from their internal sense. All this shows once again the kind of way in which the Lord spoke, namely in such a way that an inner meaning might be present within every detail, to the end that heaven might be joined to the world by means of the Word. For without the Word, that is, without Divine Truth that has been revealed, they are not joined together; and if they are not so joined the human race perishes.