1860. “天幽暗” 表仇恨取代仁爱之时. 这从 “幽暗” 的含义清楚可知. 在圣言中, “黑暗” 表虚假, 而 “幽暗” (或幽冥) 表邪恶, 如接下来所解释的. 当虚假取代真理时, 就会有 “黑暗”; 而当邪恶取代良善, 或也可说, 仇恨取代仁爱时, 就会有 “幽暗”. 当仇恨取代仁爱时, 这幽暗如此之大, 以致这人甚至不知道它是恶, 更不知道这恶如此之大, 以至于在来世会将他推入地狱. 事实上, 充满仇恨之人以仇恨为乐, 仿佛从中找到生命. 这种快乐和生命本身致使他除了知道仇恨是良善外, 几乎不知道别的. 凡支持人的乐趣和欲望的, 由于支持他的爱, 故他都感觉为善, 甚至到了这种程度: 当被告知它属于地狱时, 他几乎难以相信; 而当被告知这种快乐和生命在来世会转化为粪便和尸体的恶臭时, 他更难以相信; 他尤其不相信他会变成地狱的魔鬼和可怕的形像, 因为地狱无非是由各种仇恨和这类恶魔的形式构成.

然而, 凡有思考能力的人都能知道这一点. 因为若要他描述或表现仇恨, 或不管用什么方式来描绘仇恨, 他只会勾画出恶魔般的形像, 就是诸如仇恨之人死后所变成的样子. 说来奇妙, 在来世, 这种人仍声称他们能进入天堂, 有些人认为能进入天堂仅仅因为他们声称自己有信. 而事实上, 天堂只有仁爱的形式, 关于仁爱的性质, 我们可从灵界的经历 (553节) 看出来. 让这些人认真想一想, 这两种形式, 即仇恨的形式和仁爱的形式, 如何在同一个地方和谐共处?

“黑暗” 表虚假, 而 “幽暗” (或幽冥). 这从以下圣言经文清楚可知, 以赛亚书:

看哪! 黑暗遮盖大地, 幽暗遮盖万民. (以赛亚书 60:2)

约珥书:

这地所有的居民要发颤, 因为耶和华的日子快到, 那日是黑暗, 幽冥. (约珥书 2:1, 2)

西番雅书:

那日是忿怒的日子, 是荒废凄凉的日子, 是黑暗, 幽冥的日子. (西番雅书 1:15)

阿摩司书:

耶和华的日子, 不是黑暗没有光明吗? 不是幽暗毫无光辉吗? (阿摩司书 5:20)

在上述经文中, “耶和华的日子” 表教会的末期, 也就是此处所论述的主题. “黑暗” 表虚假, “幽暗” (或幽冥) 表邪恶. 故这二者都被提及, 否则这只是重复同一件事, 或没有意义的多余的话. 然而, 在本节, 用来表述幽暗的这个术语既包含邪恶, 也包含虚假, 也就是说, 既包含虚假所产生的浓密的邪恶, 也包含邪恶所产生的浓密的虚假.

10370. 'And the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath [throughout] their generations' means that the truly essential thing of the Church is the acknowledgement of the union of the Divine itself within the Lord's Human, and that this acknowledgement must be present in every single part of worship. This is clear from the meaning of 'keeping the sabbath' as thought which is holy and goes on unceasingly regarding the union of Divinity itself to the Lord's Human, dealt with above in 10356, and so also acknowledging it, for thinking without acknowledging and believing is not spiritual thinking; from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as the Church, dealt with in the places referred to in 9340; from the meaning of 'observing the sabbath' as worshipping that union in a holy way and so worshipping the Lord's Divine Human, since that union resides within His Human; and from the meaning of 'the generations of the children of Israel' as in every single thing of the Church, dealt with in 10282. From all this it is evident that 'the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath [throughout] your generations' means maintaining the acknowledgement of Divinity itself within the Lord's Human in every single part of worship. The reason why this is the essential thing of the Church and consequently of its worship is that the salvation of the human race depends solely on that union. For the sake also of this union the Lord came into the world; and therefore also that is what the whole Word in its inmost sense deals with and what the religious observances of the Church established among the children of Israel represented and meant spiritually.

[2] The Lord Himself teaches in a number of places that the salvation of the human race depends on that union, consequently that the acknowledgement of it is the essential thing of the Church and of its worship, for example in John,

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe in the Son will not see life. John 3:36.

See also John 3:15-16; 6:40; 11:25-26; 20:31. 'The Son' is the Lord's Divine Human. The reason why those who do not in faith acknowledge the Lord do not have eternal life is that this acknowledgement is made by the whole of heaven; for the Lord is Lord of heaven and earth, as He Himself teaches in Matthew,

All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Matthew 28:18.

Therefore heaven is closed to those who do not acknowledge Him; and those who do not acknowledge Him in the world - that is, those within the Church - do not acknowledge Him in the next life. Such is a person's condition after death.