4229. 第32章

最后的审判 (续)

我们从第三卷 (系指拉丁文的第3卷) 开始解释主在马太福音 24章关于最后审判的预言. 这些解释被放在了那一卷最后几章的开头部分, 目前已解释到31节 (参看3353-3356, 3486-3489, 3650-3655, 3897-3901, 4056-4060节).

概括地说, 主的这些预言的内义从所给出的解释很清楚看出来, 即祂预言了教会的逐渐毁灭和最终一个新教会的建立, 其次序如下:

⑴教会成员不再知道何为良善与真理, 反而开始彼此争论它们.

⑵他们蔑视它们.

⑶他们从心里不承认它们.

⑷他们亵渎它们.

⑸由于信之真理和爱之良善仍存留在某些被称为 “选民” 的人当中, 故经上描述了那时信之真理所具有的状态.

⑹然后描述了仁的状态.

⑺最后论述了一个新教会的开始, 由最后所解释的那些话来表示, 即:

祂要差遣祂的使者, 用号筒的大声, 将祂的选民从四风, 从天这边到天那边, 都招聚了来. (马太福音 24:31)

这些话表示一个新教会的开始 (参看4060末尾节).

35. 从圣言可知, 教会若丧失信德, 就走到了尽头。人不知道的是, 教会若丧失仁爱, 也就丧失了信德。既然不知, 就有必要加以说明。在教会末期, 信德将要丧失, 这是主曾预言的。祂说:"人子来的时候, 遇得见世上有信德吗？"(路加福音18:8)同样, 仁爱也将丧失, 正如主说:"(在时代的末了)...只因不法的事增多, 许多人的爱心才渐渐冷淡了...这天国的福音要传遍天下, 对万民作见证, 然后末期才来到。"(马太福音 如申命记24:12, 14)

"时代的末了"指教会的末了。在这一章中, 主描述了教会是如何逐步丧失仁爱与信德的。不过主是用对应来描述的, 若不了解每句话所对应的灵义, 主的预言就无从领会。因此, 主许我解释当中的灵义, 涉及到时代的末了, 主的再临, 教会的逐渐堕落, 最后的审判等。相关解释, 可参看《天国的奥秘》一书(天国的奥秘3353-3356, 3486-3489, 3650-3655, 3751-3757, 3897-3901, 4056-4060, 4229-4231, 4332-4335, 4422-4424, 4635-4638, 4661-4664, 4807-4810, 4954-4959, 5063-5071)。

228. These things saith the Amen, the faithful and the Witness, signifies from whom is every truth and everything of faith. This is evident from the signification of "amen," as being verity or truth (of which presently); also from the signification of "the faithful and true Witness," as being, in reference to the Lord, everything of faith from Him; "for witness," in reference to the Lord signifies Divine truth which is from Him, and therefore everything of faith, for faith is of truth and truth is of faith. Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is called "a witness," because it is His Divine in heaven and in the church in which He is, and which is Himself there; for this proceeds from His Divine Human and fills the whole heaven and forms and makes it; and from this it is that heaven in the whole complex resembles one man. Because Divine truth is from that source and is such, it is called "a witness;" for it bears witness respecting the Lord's Divine Human, and makes it clear with all who receive the Divine truth from Him. From this it is that the angels of the higher heavens do not and cannot perceive any other Divine than the Lord's Divine Human, and this from the influx of the whole heaven into their minds. From this it can be seen why, in reference to the Lord, "witness" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth in heaven and in the church; and why "to bear witness," in reference to those who receive Divine truth from the Lord, signifies to acknowledge in heart the Lord's Divine in His Human (See above, n. 27). That heaven as a whole and in every part resembles one man, and that this is from the Lord's Divine Human, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 59-86, seq., 101; and that the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, which forms heaven, and forms angels into the image of heaven, is Divine truth, n. 13, 133, 139-140).

[2] This Divine truth is called by the Lord "the Comforter, the Spirit of truth," about which it is said that it should "bear Witness of Him," and that it is "from Him;" that it bears witness of Him, in John :

When the Comforter is come, the Spirit of truth, He shall bear witness of Me (John 15:26).

And that it is from Him, in the same:

The Comforter, the Spirit of truth, shall guide you into all the truth; for He shall not speak from Himself, but whatsoever things He shall hear, He shall speak. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall declare it unto you. All things whatsoever the Father hath are Mine; therefore said I, He shall take of Mine and shall declare it unto you (John 16:13-15).

That Divine truth is from the Lord, is meant by "He shall not speak from Himself, but He shall take of Mine, and shall declare it unto you;" and that Divine truth is from the Lord's Divine Human is meant by "All things whatsoever the Father hath are Mine, therefore said I that He shall take of Mine, and shall declare it unto you;" and that Divine truth manifests the Lord's Divine Human is meant by "He shall glorify Me;" "to glorify" is to make known the Lord's Divine Human. (That "to glorify," in reference to the Lord means this, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 294.)

[3] The like is signified by these words of the Lord:

I tell you the truth; it is expedient that I go away; if I go, I will send the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, unto you (John 16:7, 8).

From this it is clear that Divine truth is from the Lord's Divine Human. The Lord calls Himself the "Amen," because "amen" signifies verity, thus the Lord Himself, because when He was in the world He was Divine verity itself, or Divine truth itself. It was for this reason that He so often said "Amen," and "amen, amen [verily, verily]" (as in Matthew 5:18, 26; 6:16; 10:23, 42; 17:20; 18:3, 13, 18; 24:2, 28:20; John 1:51; 3:11; 5:19, 24, 25; 6:26, 32, 47, 53; 8:34, 51, 58; 10:1, 7; 12:24; 13:16, 20, 21; 21:18, 25).

[4] That the Lord was Divine truth itself when He was in the world, He teaches in John:

I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

In the same:

For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth (John 17:19).

That "holy" in the Word is predicated of Divine truth, and "to be sanctified [made holy]" is predicated of those who receive Divine truth, see above n. 204; therefore the Lord's sanctifying Himself [making Himself holy], is making His Human to be Divine. (But on these things more may be seen shown in the Arcana Coelestia, in the quotations therefrom inThe Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 303-306.) Moreover, that "Amen" signifies Divine confirmation, see above (n. 34); as also in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 27:15-26; 1 Kings 1:36; Isaiah 65:16; Jeremiah 11:5; 28:6; Psalms 41:13; 72:19; 89:52; 106:48).