9857. “你要做一个决断的胸牌” 表与从神性良善闪耀出来的神性真理有关的. 这从 “胸牌” 的含义清楚可知,

“胸牌” 是指在最后和最低事物里面从主的神性良善闪耀出来的神性真理 (参看9823节). 它之所以被称为 “一个决断的胸牌”, 是因为它给出答复, 通过这些答复揭示神性真理. 此外, 在圣言中,

“决断 (或审判, 判断)” 表示神性真理, 因而表示符合教义的教义教导和生活. 这就是为何这胸牌被称为 “一个决断的胸牌”, 在本章下文还被称为 “决断牌”, 即:

“亚伦要带着以色列人的决断牌, 在耶和华面前常放在心上” (28:30). 当约书亚被选中作百姓的领袖时, 经上说:

“他要站在祭司以利亚撒面前, 以利亚撒要凭乌陵的判断, 在耶和华面前为他求问” (民数记 27:21).

“决断 (judgement, 经上或译为审判, 判断, 公平, 公理, 典章)” 表示神性真理和源于它的聪明, 因此表示符合教义的教义教导和生活, 这一点从圣言中的许多经文明显看出来, 如以下经文:

万军之耶和华的葡萄园, 就是以色列家. 祂指望的是公平, 看哪, 却有溃烂; 指望的是公义, 看哪, 却有哀叫声.(以赛亚书 5:7)

“指望公平” 表示源于神性真理的聪明和遵照诫命的生活. 以赛亚书:

祂凭信实坐在宝座上, 在大卫帐幕中施行审判, 寻求公平.(以赛亚书 16:5)

这论及主的降临;

“祂要坐的宝座” 表示从祂发出的神性真理, 因而表示属灵国度 (参看2129, 5313, 6397, 8625, 9039节);

“施行审判” 表示教导神性真理,

“寻求公平” 表示人们对它的接受.

同一先知书:

到那日, 耶和华必作祂余剩之民的华美冠冕, 也作在位审判者的公平之灵.(以赛亚书 28:5, 6)

“华美冠冕” 当论及耶和华, 也就是主时, 是指神性聪明 (参看9828节);

“公平之灵” 表示源于神性真理的智慧 (9818节);

“在位审判者” 表示告知或教导神性真理的人. 又:

耶和华以公平公义充满锡安.(以赛亚书 33:5)

“锡安” 表示属天教会;

“以公平充满” 表示源于神性真理的聪明,

“以公义充满” 表示来自神性良善的智慧.

又:

谁曾指挥耶和华的灵呢? 祂与谁商议, 叫祂变得聪明, 将公平的路告知祂, 又将知识教授祂, 将聪明的道指示祂呢? (以赛亚书 40:13, 14)

“耶和华的灵” 表示神性真理 (9818节);

“将公平的路告知祂” 表示使祂有知识, 聪明和智慧, 这是显而易见的. 耶利米书:

空中的鹳鸟知道她的定期, 耶和华的百姓却不知道耶和华的典章. 你们怎么说: 我们有智慧, 耶和华的律法在我们这里? (耶利米书 8:7, 8)

“不知道耶和华的典章” 表示不知道神性真理, 智慧的源头; 这就是为何经上说:

“你们怎么说: 我们有智慧?”

同一先知书:

祸哉! 那以不公义盖房, 以不公平建内室的.(耶利米书 22:13)

“以不公平建内室” 表示吸收不真实的观念. 何西阿书:

我必以公义, 公平聘你永远归我, 也以真理聘你归我.(何西阿书 2:19-20)

“以公义聘” 表示通过神性真理, 因而通过信和信之生活而结合. 阿摩司书:

惟愿公平如水流动, 公义如洪流滔滔! (阿摩司书 5:24)

同一先知书:

你们却使公平变为苦胆, 使公义的果子变为茵陈.(阿摩司书 6:12)

此处 “公平” 也表示源于神性真理的聪明, 以及基于此的生活.

西番雅书:

耶和华每早晨显明祂的公平.(西番雅书 3:5)

“显明公平” 表示揭示神性真理. 摩西五经:

耶和华的一切道路都是公平.(申命记 32:4)

诗篇:

耶和华啊, 你的真理上及诸天; 你的公义好像神的大山; 你的判断如同大深渊.(诗篇 36:5, 6)

又:

耶和华要使你的公义如光发出, 使你的公平明如正午.(诗篇 37:6)

又:

求你照你的怜悯听我的声音. 耶和华啊, 求你照你的典章将我救活.(诗篇 119:149)

在这些经文中,

“公平” 和 “典章或判断” 表示神性真理.

路加福音:

你们法利赛人有祸了! 你们疏忽了神的公平和爱. 这些原是你们当行的.(路加福音 11:42)

“疏忽了神的公平” 表示回避或忽略神性真理;

“疏忽了神的爱” 表示回避或忽略神性良善和这二者所激发的生活. 由于所表示的也是这种生活, 所以经上说 “这些原是你们当行的”. 以赛亚书:

惟有万军之耶和华因公平而崇高; 神因公义显为圣.(以赛亚书 5:16)

同一先知书:

祂必在大卫的宝座上以公平公义使国坚定稳固, 从今直到永远.(以赛亚书 9:7)

又:

求你赐谋略, 行公平, 使你的影子在日中如黑夜.(以赛亚书 16:3)

“行公平” 表示照神之真理行动.

耶利米书:

我要给大卫兴起一个公义的枝条; 祂在地上施行公平和公义.(耶利米书 23:5; 33:15)

以西结书:

人若是公义, 且行公平和公义, 行在我的律例中, 谨守我的典章, 实行真理, 这人是公义的, 必定存活.(以西结书 18:5, 9)

西番雅书:

地上所有遵行耶和华典章的谦卑人哪, 你们都当寻求耶和华.(西番雅书 2:3)

“遵行神的典章” 表示实行神性真理, 也就是照神性真理行事. 以赛亚书:

我已使我的灵临到祂; 祂必将公理传给列族. 祂必不扑灭, 也不折断, 直到祂在地上设立公理.(以赛亚书 42:1, 4)

这论及主;

“将公理传给列族” 和 “在地上设立公理” 表示教导神性真理并在教会中确立它.

同一先知书:

律法必从我而出, 我必兴起我的公理为万民之光.(以赛亚书 51:4)

“公理” 表示神性真理,

“为万民之光” 表示带来启示. 约翰福音:

我为审判到这世上来, 叫不能看见的, 可以看见; 能看见的, 反瞎了眼.(约翰福音 9:39)

“为审判到这世上来” 表示来揭示神性真理, 神性真理使那些从主拥有智慧的人看见, 使那些从自己拥有智慧, 并由此而被视为有学问的人瞎眼.

耶利米书:

你必凭真理, 公平, 公义, 指着永生的耶和华起誓.(耶利米书 4:2)

同一先知书:

无人为康健施行判断; 你没有得以痊愈的良药.(耶利米书 30:13)

诗篇:

公义和公平是你宝座的支撑; 怜悯和真理要在你脸前坚立.(诗篇 89:14)

“公义” 表示属于怜悯的良善;

“公平” 表示属于信的真理; 这就是为何经上说 “怜悯和真理”. 以西结书:

耶路撒冷改变我的典章, 成为邪恶, 过于列族; 改变我的律例, 过于各地. 所以我必在列族的眼前施行审判, 我必分散你所剩下的.(以西结书 5:6-8, 10, 15)

“改变典章” 表示改变诸如存在于市民国家中的那种真理, 当经上也提及 “律例” 时,

“典章” 就表示这些真理 (参看8972节).

“施行审判” 表示作出要么指向死亡, 即诅咒, 要么指向生命, 即拯救的判决. 拯救或诅咒也由提到 “审判之日” 或 “审判之时” 的地方中 “审判” 来表示 (如马太福音 11:22, 24; 12:36, 41, 42; 路加福音 10:14; 11:31, 32; 约翰福音 5:28-29; 启示录 14:7, 18:10). 拯救或诅咒还由提到作出审判或论断的地方中的 “审判或论断” 来表示 (如马太福音 5:21, 22; 7:1, 2; 23:14, 33; 约翰福音 5:24, 26, 27; 7:24; 8:15, 16; 12:31, 47, 48; 路加福音 6:37; 12:13, 14, 56, 57; 19:21, 22, 27; 20:47; 22:30; 马可福音 12:40; 以赛亚书 41:1; 3:14; 耶利米书 25:31; 48:21; Joel 3:12; 诗篇 7:8, 9; 9:4, 7, 8; 利未记 19:15; 申命记 1:16, 17; 25:1; 启示录 17:1; 18:10; 20:12, 13).

10. Verse 2. Who bare witness to the Word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, signifies to those who in heart acknowledge Divine truth, and the Divine of the Lord in His Human. This is evident from the signification of "bearing witness," as meaning to acknowledge in heart (of which hereafter), and from the signification of "the Word," or speech of God, as meaning Divine truth (SeeArcana Coelestia 4692, 5075, 9987); and from the signification of "[the testimony of] Jesus Christ," as meaning the acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine in His Human. This is signified by "the testimony of Jesus Christ," because "to testify" signifies to acknowledge in heart, and to acknowledge Jesus Christ in heart is to acknowledge the Divine in His Human; for he that acknowledges the Lord, and does not at the same time acknowledge the Divine in His Human, does not acknowledge the Lord; since His Divine is in His Human, and not out of it; for the Divine is in Its Human as the soul is in the body, consequently to think of the Lord's Human, and not at the same time of His Divine, is like thinking of a man abstractly from his soul or life, which is not thinking of a man.

[2] That the Lord's Divine is in His Human, and that together they are one person, the doctrine received throughout the Christian world teaches; which teaching is as follows: "Although Christ is God and Man, yet they are not two, but one Christ; one, but not by a change of the Divine into the Human, but the Divine took the Human to Itself. Altogether one, not by confusion of the two natures, but by unity of person; for as soul and body make one man, so God and Man are one Christ" (Athanasian Creed). From this it is manifest, moreover, that those who separate the Divine into three persons, when they think of the Lord as a second person, ought to think of both together, the Human and the Divine; for it is said that they are a single person, and that they are one, as soul and body are. Therefore those that think otherwise do not think of the Lord; and those that do not think of the Lord in that way are unable to think of the Divine that is called the Father's, for the Lord saith:

I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one cometh unto the Father but through Me (John 14:6).

Since this acknowledgment is signified by the "testimony of Jesus Christ," it is said that:

The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

"The spirit of prophecy" is the life and soul of doctrine (that "spirit" in the internal sense of the Word, signifies life or soul, may be seen Arcana Coelestia 5222, 9281, 9818; and that "prophecy" signifies doctrine, n. 2534, 7269); and the acknowledgment of the Lord is the very life or soul of all doctrine in the church. But of this more will be said in what follows.

[3] To "bear witness" is to acknowledge in heart, because spiritual things are treated of; and no one can bear witness respecting spiritual things except from the heart, because from no other source does he perceive that they are so. To bear witness of things that have existence in the world is to bear witness from knowledge, or from memory and thought, because the man has so seen or heard; but it is otherwise with things spiritual, for these fill the whole life and constitute it. The spirit of man, in which his life primarily resides, is nothing else than his will or his love, and his understanding and faith therefrom, and "heart" in the Word signifies the will and love, and understanding and faith therefrom. From this it is evident whence it is that by "bearing witness" in the spiritual sense, is meant to acknowledge in heart. Since by the "heart" is signified the good of love, and this alone is what acknowledges Divine truth, and the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and since that good is signified by "John," it is also said by John that he "bears witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ." So also in another place:

And he that hath seen hath borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye may believe (John 19:35);

and in another place:

This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his witness is true (John 21:24).