9389. “按以色列十二支派, 立十二根柱子” 表在完全和彻底源于祂的神之真理方面的主之神性人身的一个代表. 这从 “柱子”,

“十二” 和 “十二支派” 的含义清楚可知:

“柱子” 是真理方面的主之神性人身的一个代表.

“柱子” 具有这种含义的原因是,

“祭坛” 表示良善方面的主之神性人身的一个代表,

“柱子” 在代表意义上表示来自主的真理之圣洁 (参看4580, 4582节);

“十二” 和 “十二支派” 是指指整体上的一切真理和良善 (577, 2089, 3858, 3913, 3926, 3939, 4060, 6335, 6337, 6397, 6640, 7973节), 因而是指源于主的一切.

“祭坛” 和 “柱子” 之所以表示主的神性人身, 是因为就至高意义而言, 圣言中所论述的教会的一切代表都与主自己有关. 正因如此, 就其至内或至高意义而言, 圣言唯独论述主, 尤其论述祂人身的荣耀. 圣言的一切圣洁由此而来. 不过, 这至高意义主要出现在至内层或第三层天堂, 就是那些处于对主之爱, 由此比所有人都更有智慧的人所在的地方.

12. The Word has been written through correspondences, and thus through representative ideas

The Word as regards its literal sense has been written through correspondences alone, and thus through such things as represent and signify the spiritual aspects of heaven and the Church: 1404, 1408-1409, 1540, 1619, 1659, 1709, 1783, 2179, 2763, 2899. This was done because of the internal sense in each particular instance: 2899; thus too for the sake of heaven, since those who are in heaven do not understand the Word according to its literal or natural sense but according to its internal, or spiritual sense: 2899. The Lord spoke through correspondences, through representative and signifying ideas, because He spoke from His divine being: 9049, 9063, 9086, 10126, 10276. The Lord thus spoke directly to the world and at the same time to heaven: 2533, 4807, 9049, 9063, 9086. Whatever the Lord spoke filled the whole of heaven: ¹ 4637. The historical narratives of the Word are representative, and their actual words have significances: 1540, 1659, 1709, 1783, 2686. The Word could not have been written in any other style for there to be communication through it with heaven: 2899, 6943, 9401. Those who treat the Word with contempt because of its simple and seemingly uncultivated style, and think that they would accept it if it had been written in a different style, are greatly mistaken: 8783. Also, the manner and style of writing of the most ancient authors was through correspondences and representative ideas: 605, 1756, 9942. I found through my own experience that the wise men of ancient times were delighted by the Word, because they found there representative and significant ideas: 2592-2593. If someone of the most ancient Church had read the Word, he would have seen clearly those things which are in the internal sense and obscurely those things in the external sense: 4493. The sons of Jacob were brought down into the land of Canaan because all places in that land were from very ancient times made representative: 1585, 3686, 4447, 5136, 6516; and so that the Word might be written there, where places were to be named because of their internal meaning: 3686, 4447, 5136, 6516. But in fact the Word in its external sense was altered on account of that people, though not as regards its internal sense: 10453, 10461, 10603-10604. Many passages from the Word are quoted about that nation, which must however be understood according to their internal sense-that is, other than according to the literal sense: 7051. Since that nation represented the Church, and because the Word was written among and about that nation, therefore heavenly ideas were signified by their names, for example Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Ephraim, Joseph and the rest; and by Judah in the internal sense is signified the Lord as regards celestial love, and His heavenly kingdom: 3654, 3881, 5583, 5782, 6362-6381.

So that it may be known what are the correspondences and their nature, and what is the nature of the representations in the Word, something will also be said about those. All things which correspond also represent and then signify something, such that correspondences and representations go together as one: 2896, 2899, 2973, 2987, 2989-2990, 3002, 3225. What those correspondences and representations are, from my own experience and examples: 2763, 2987-3002, 3213-3226, 3337-3352, 3472-3485, 4218-4228, 9280. The knowledge of correspondences and representations was the most important field of knowledge among the ancients: 3021, 3419, 4280, 4749, 4844, 4964, 4966, 6004, 7729, 10252; especially among people in eastern parts: 5702, 6692, 7097, 7779, 9391, 10252, 10407; in Egypt more than other places: 5702, 6692, 7097, 7779, 9391, 10407; even among the Gentiles, for example in Greece and elsewhere: 2762, 7729. But today it is among the lost fields of knowledge, especially in Europe: 2894-2895, 2995, 3630, 3632, 3747-3749, 4581, 4966, 10252. But always that type of knowledge is more important than all others, since without it the Word is not understood; nor are the rites of the Jewish Church which are written about in the Word; nor is it known what the nature of heaven is, nor is it known what that which is spiritual is, nor how it happens that there is an inflowing of the spiritual into the natural, nor how there is an inflowing of the soul into the body, and many other things: 4280, and in passages cited above. All things which appear among spirits and angels are representative in accord with correspondences: 1971, 3213-3226, 3475, 3485, 9457, 9481, 9576-9577. Heaven is full of representations: 1521, 1532, 1619. Representations are more beautiful and perfect the more interior they are in heaven: 3475. Representations there are real appearances since they come from the light of heaven, which is the divine truth; and this itself is the essential part of all things that are in existence: 3485.

The reason why every single thing in the spiritual world is represented in the natural world is that what is internal clothes itself as appropriate in what is its external guise, through which it presents itself visibly, and becomes apparent: 6275, 6284, 6299. Thus, an end clothes itself in suitable guises in order to present itself as a cause in a lower sphere, and then as an effect in a still lower sphere; and when an end passes by way of a cause into an effect, it presents itself visibly, or becomes apparent right before the eyes: 5711.

This is illustrated by the inflowing of the soul into the body: namely, the soul is clothed with such things in the body through which everything it thinks and wishes can present itself and become apparent visibly; therefore when thought flows down into the body it is represented by such gestures and actions as correspond to it: 2988. Quite clearly the feelings of the mind are represented in the face by its various expressions, to such an extent that they are seen there: 4791-4805, 5695. From this it is plain that in every single thing within the natural order there lies hidden deep inside a cause and an end from the spiritual world: 3562, 5711 since things which are in the natural order are final effects, within which are prior causes: 4240, 4939, 5651, 6275, 6284, 6299, 9216. Whatever is internal is that which is represented, and what is external that which serves to represent it: 4292.

What correspondences and representations are may be further seen in the work Heaven and Hell, where the correspondence of all things of heaven with all human things is dealt with: 87-102; the correspondence of heaven with all things of earth: 103-115; and representations and appearances in heaven: 170-176.

Since all things in the natural order are representative of spiritual and celestial realities, in ancient times there were churches in which all the external observances or rituals were representative: 519, 521, 2896. The Church was set up among the children of Israel as a representative church: 1003, 2179, 10149. There all the rituals were external forms representing the internal things of heaven and the Church: 4288, 4874. The representative things of the Church and worship ceased when the Lord came into the world and manifested Himself, because the Lord revealed the internal things of the Church, and all things of that Church, in a supreme sense, had regard to Him: 4835.

V:

3913. “拉结说, 看哪, 我的使女辟拉” 表属世真理与内在真理之间的肯定方法. 这从 “使女” 和 “婢女” 的含义, 以及 “辟拉” 的代表清楚可知, “使女” 和 “婢女” 是指对属于外层人 (exterior man) 的认知的情感 (1895, 2567, 3835, 3849节), 由于这种情感是用来联结内在真理与属世或外在真理的方法, 故 “使女” 在此表示它们之间的肯定方法; “辟拉” 是指该方法的性质. 就内义而言, 拉结和利亚为生育后代而送给雅各作妾的这两个使女无非代表并表示某种服务的事物, 在此代表并表示充当联结内在真理与外在真理手段的某种事物, “拉结” 代表内在真理, “利亚” 代表外在真理 (3793, 3819节). 事实上, 此处雅各的十二个儿子描述了十二种总体或基本事物, 人在重生或变成教会期间, 便通过这些事物被引入属灵和属天之物.

实际上, 当人正在重生, 或变成教会, 即从死人变成活人, 或从属肉体的变成属天堂的时, 他会在主的引领下经历许多种状态. 这些总体状态由 “十二个儿子”, 后来由 “十二个支派” 来指定. 因此, “十二个支派” 表示信与爱的全部事物, 如前文所见 (3858节). 因为总体包含一切具体和个体细节, 而细节都与总体有关. 当人正在重生时, 内在人要与外在人联结, 故内在的良善与真理要与外在人的良善与真理联结, 因为人凭真理与良善而为人. 若没有方法, 这些不可能联结在一起. 这些方法就是诸如从这一方获得某种事物, 又从那一方获得某种事物的那类事物, 并且具有这样的效果: 人越靠近这一方, 那一方就越处于从属地位. 这些方法就是 “使女” 所表示的, 拉结的使女是指内在人那一方的方法, 而利亚的使女是指外在人那一方的方法.

结合须有方法, 这一点可从以下事实看出来: 属世人凭自己压根就不赞成属灵人, 而是与属灵人如此不合, 以至于完全反对它. 因为属世人关注并热爱自我和尘世, 而属灵人则不关注自我和尘世, 除非有助于在灵界发挥功用, 因而他关注它的服务并出于功用和目的而热爱它. 当地位高升, 从而高人一等时, 属世人便觉得自己有了生命; 而属灵人在谦卑, 因而在成为最小的时才觉得自己有了生命. 只要高位作为方法能使他服务邻舍, 整个社会和教会, 他也不会鄙视高位. 然而, 属灵人思想他所晋升的重要地位, 不是为了他自己, 而是为了他作为目的所关注的功用. 属世人的幸福在于比别人更富有, 拥有世俗的财富; 而属灵人的幸福在于拥有真理与良善的认知, 这些真理与良善便是他所拥有的财富, 尤其在于照着真理实践良善. 然而, 他并不鄙视财富, 因为财富能使他在世上提供服务.

从这几点考虑明显可知, 属世人的状态和属灵人的状态因其目的不同而彼此对立, 但这二者仍能彼此结合. 当外在人的事物处于从属地位, 并服从内在人所关注的目的时, 这种结合就会产生. 因此, 为了人能变得属灵, 外在人的事物有必要变得顺服, 从而脱去支持自我和尘世的目的, 披上支持邻舍和主国度的目的. 若不通过方法, 绝无可能脱去前者, 披上后者, 这二者也无法联结. 这些方法就是 “使女”, 特别是使女所生的四个儿子所表示的.

第一个方法就是肯定内在真理, 或对内在真理的肯定的方法; 也就是说, 肯定这的确是内在真理. 这种肯定态度一旦到来, 人便处于重生的开始阶段; 良善从内在起作用, 并通向肯定的灵. 这良善无法流入否定态度, 甚至无法充满怀疑的态度, 直到这态度变得肯定. 在此之后, 这良善便显现在情感中; 也就是说, 它使此人感受到对真理的一种情感, 并开始以之为乐, 先是以认识这真理为乐, 然后以照之行动为乐. 以这一真理为例, 即: 主是人类的救赎. 如果此人不针对该真理发展肯定的态度, 那么他从圣言或教会所学习, 并储存在其属世记忆的记忆知识当中有关主的一切事物就无法与他的内在人, 也就是那里能成为信之真理的真理结合. 因此, 情感也无法流入, 甚至无法流入这有助于此人救赎的真理总体上的方方面面. 但是, 一旦他发展一种肯定的态度, 那么无数事物就会加添, 并充满所流入的良善. 因为良善不断从主流入, 但那里若没有肯定态度, 它就不被接受. 故肯定态度是第一个方法, 可以说是从主所流入良善的第一个居所. 所有其它被称为信之真理的真理也是如此.