3355. 就内义而言, “地震” 表教会状态的改变. 这从 “地” 和 “震 (动)” 的含义清楚可知: “地” 是指教会 (566, 662, 1066, 1068, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2928节); “震 (动)” 或移动是指状态的改变, 在此是指构成教会的事物, 也就是良善与真理的改变. 这也可从圣言的其它地方明显看出来, 如以赛亚书:

躲避恐惧声音的必坠入陷坑; 从陷坑中上来的必被网罗缠住. 因为高处的水闸都开了, 地的根基也震动了. 地全然破坏, 尽都崩裂, 大大地震动了. 地要东倒西歪, 好像醉酒的人; 又摇来摇去, 好像茅屋. 它的罪过在其上沉重, 它必然塌陷, 不能复起. 到那日, 耶和华在高处必惩罚高处的众军, 在地面上必惩罚地面上的列王. (以赛亚书 24:18-21)

很明显, 在这段经文中, “地” 是指教会. 因为所论述的主题是教会, 当良善与真理不再为人所知时, 经上就说它的 “根基震动”, 而教会本身也 “尽都崩裂, 大大震动, 摇来摇去”. “地面上的列王” 是指真理, 在此是指将要面临惩罚的虚假. “王” 表真理, 在反面意义上表虚假 (参看1672, 2015节); “地面” 和 “地” 一样, 表教会, 不过也有区别 (参看566, 1068节).

又:

我必使人比精金还少, 使人比俄斐的金更少! 因此, 在万军之耶和华的震怒中, 当祂发烈怒的日子, 我必使天震动, 使地摇撼, 离其本位. (以赛亚书 13:12-13)

此处论述的主题也是审判之日, “地” 明显表教会, 当它经历状态的改变时, 经上说它 “离其本位”, “位 (置)” 或地方表状态 (参看1273-1275, 1377, 2625, 2837节). 又:

这不是那使大地战抖, 使列国震动, 使世界如同旷野, 使其城邑倾覆的人吗? (以赛亚书 14:16-17)

这论及路西弗. “地” 表教会, 当人将它的一切归给自己时, 经上说他 “战抖”. “国” 表示教会所接受的真理 (参看1672, 2547节).

以西结书:

到那日, 就是歌革上来攻击以色列陆地的时候, 我的震怒在怒气中升起; 我在妒恨和怒火之中说: 到那日, 以色列的地面上必有大地震. (以西结书 38:18-20)

“歌革” 表已经脱离内在, 从而变成偶像崇拜的外在敬拜 (1151节). “以色列陆地” (Israel's land') 和 “以色列的地面” (ground of Israel) 表属灵教会, “地震” 表其状态的改变. 约珥书:

地在祂面前震动, 天颤抖, 日月昏暗, 星宿无光. (约珥书 2:10)

此处论述的主题也是最后审判之日. “地震动” 表教会已改变的状态, “日和月” 表爱之善和信之真 (1529, 1530, 2441, 2495节), 当良善与真理不再得到承认时, 经上就它们 “昏暗”. “星宿” 表对良善与真理的认知 (2495, 2849节). 诗篇:

因祂发怒, 地就摇撼震动; 山的根基也战抖摇撼. (诗篇 18:7)

“地就摇撼震动” 表教会状态变得堕落.

启示录:

揭开第六印的时候, 我观看, 见大地震发生了, 日头变黑像毛布, 满月变得像血, 天上的星辰坠落于地. (启示录 6:12, 13)

此处 “地震, 日, 月和星辰” 的含义和上面约珥书中的一样. 又:

正在那时辰, 发生了大地震, 城就倒塌了十分之一, 因地震被杀的人名有七千. (启示录 11:13)

由所有这些经文明显可知, “地震” 无非是指教会状态的改变; 就内义而言, “地” 是指教会, 没有其它含义. 由于 “地” 是指教会, 故很明显, 将要取代先前的天与地的新天与新地 (以赛亚书 65:17; 66:22; 启示录 21:1) 无非是指既内在又外在的新教会 (1733, 1850, 2117, 2118节).

1. APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER 1.

[Note: The text from the Book of Revelation is shown first, followed by an explanation of its meaning.]

1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave Him to show unto His servants the things which must quickly come to pass, and signified, sending by His angel, unto His servant John.

2. Who bare witness to the Word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatsoever things he saw.

3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words of the prophecy, and keep the things which are written therein; for the time is near.

4. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you, and peace, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven spirits which are in sight of His throne;

5. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loveth us, and washeth us from our sins in His blood;

6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father: to Him be the glory and the might unto the ages of the ages. Amen.

7. Behold, He cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall lament over Him. Even so; Amen.

8. I am the Alpha and the Omega, Beginning and End, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

9. I, John, who also am your brother and partaker in the affliction and in the kingdom and patient expectation of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, ¹ for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

10. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day; and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

11. Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last; and what thou seest write in a book, and send to the churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and Smyrna, and Pergamum, and Thyatira, and Sardis, and Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

12. And I turned to see the voice which spake with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,

13. And in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the paps with a golden girdle.

14. And His head and hairs white as white wool, as snow: and His eyes as a flame of fire.

15. And His feet like unto burnished brass, as if glowing in a furnace; and His voice as the voice of many waters.

16. And having in His right hand seven stars; and out of His mouth a sharp two-edged sword going forth; and His face as the sun shineth in his power.

17. And when I saw Him I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last;

18. And the Living One; and I became dead; and behold I am alive unto the ages of the ages, Amen: and I have the keys of hell and of death.

19. Write the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which are to be hereafter.

20. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches; and the seven lampstands which thou sawest are the seven churches.

1. Many have expounded this prophetical book called Revelation, but none of them understood the internal or spiritual sense of the Word. They have therefore applied the particular things in the book to the successive states of the church, which they have learned from histories; many things, moreover, they have applied to civil affairs. For this reason those expositions are for the most part conjectures, which can never appear in such light that they can be affirmed as truths. As soon, therefore, as they are read, they are put aside as speculations. The expositions of Revelation now extant are of this character, because, as has been said, their authors had no knowledge of the internal or spiritual sense of the Word. Yet, in fact, all things recorded in Revelation are written in a style similar to that of the Old Testament prophecies, and to the style, in general in which everything in the Word is written. The Word in the letter is natural, but in its bosom it is spiritual; and being such, it contains within it a sense that is not at all apparent in the letter. How the one sense differs from the other may be seen from what is said and shown in the small work on the The White Horse and in the appendix there from the Arcana Coelestia. ²

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