The Bible

 

創世記 15

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1 這事以耶和華異象中有亞伯蘭說:亞伯蘭,你不要懼!我是你的盾牌,必大大的賞賜你。

2 亞伯蘭耶和華阿,我既無子,你還賜我甚麼呢?並且要承受我家業的是大馬色人以利以謝。

3 亞伯蘭:你沒有兒子;那生在我家中的人就是我的後嗣。

4 耶和華又有對他:這人必不成為你的後嗣;你本身所生的才成為你的後嗣。

5 於是領他走到外邊,:你向觀看,算眾,能得過來麼?又對他:你的後裔將要如此。

6 亞伯蘭信耶和華耶和華就以此為他的

7 耶和華又對他:我是耶和華,曾領你出了迦勒底的吾珥,為要將這賜你為業。

8 亞伯蘭耶和華阿,我怎能知道必得這地為業呢?

9 :你為我取一隻年的母,一隻年的母山羊,一隻年的公綿,一隻斑鳩,一隻雛鴿。

10 亞伯蘭就取了這些來,每樣劈開,分成兩半,一半對著一半地擺列,只有沒有劈開。

11 有鷙鳥來,落在那死畜的肉上,亞伯蘭就把他嚇飛了。

12 日頭正落的時候,亞伯蘭沉沉地睡了;忽然有驚人的黑暗落在他身上。

13 耶和華對亞伯蘭:你要的確知道,你的後裔必寄居別人的,又服事那的人;那的人要苦待他們年。

14 並且他們所要服事的那國,我要懲罰,來他們必帶著許多財物從那裡出來。

15 但你要享大壽數,平平安安地歸到你列祖那裡,被人埋葬。

16 到了第四,他們必回到此地,因為亞摩利人的罪孽還沒有滿盈。

17 日落天黑,不料有冒煙的爐並燒著的把從那些肉塊中經過。

18 當那日,耶和華亞伯蘭立約,:我已賜你的後裔,從埃及直到伯拉

19 就是基尼人、基尼洗人、甲摩尼人、

20 赫人、比利洗人、利乏音人、

21 亞摩利人、迦南人、革迦撒人、耶布斯人之地。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1799

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1799. Behold a son of my house is mine heir. That this signifies that there would be only what is external in the Lord’s kingdom, is evident from the signification in the internal sense of an “heir” and of “inheriting.” To become an heir, or to inherit, signifies eternal life in the Lord’s kingdom. All who are in the Lord’s kingdom are heirs; for they live from the Lord’s life, which is the life of mutual love; and from this they are called sons. The Lord’s sons or heirs are all who are in His life, because their life is from Him, and they are born of Him, that is, are regenerate. They who are born of anyone are heirs; and so are all who are being regenerated by the Lord, for in this case they receive His life.

[2] In the Lord’s kingdom there are those who are external, those who are interior, and those who are internal. Good spirits, who are in the first heaven, are external; angelic spirits, who are in the second heaven, are interior; and angels, who are in the third, are internal. They who are external are not so closely related or so near to the Lord, as they who are interior; nor are these so closely related or so near to the Lord, as they who are internal. The Lord, from the Divine love or mercy, wills to have all near to Himself; so that they do not stand at the doors, that is, in the first heaven; but He wills that they should be in the third; and, if it were possible, not only with Himself, but in Himself. Such is the Divine love, or the Lord’s love; and as the church was then only in externals, He in these words complained, saying, “Behold, a son of my house is mine heir,” by which is signified that there would thus be only what is external in His kingdom. But consolation follows, and a promise concerning what is internal, in the verses that follow.

[3] What the external of the church is, has been stated before (see n. 1083, 1098, 1100, 1151, 1153). What pertains to doctrine does not itself make the external, still less the internal, as before said; nor with the Lord does it distinguish churches from each other, but that which does this is a life according to doctrinals, all of which, provided they are true, look to charity as their fundamental. What is doctrine but that which teaches how a man must live?

[4] In the Christian world it is doctrinal matters that distinguish churches; and from them men call themselves Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists, or the Reformed and the Evangelical, and by other names. It is from what is doctrinal alone that they are so called; which would never be if they would make love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor the principal of faith. Doctrinal matters would then be only varieties of opinion concerning the mysteries of faith, which truly Christian men would leave to everyone to hold in accordance with his conscience, and would say in their hearts that a man is truly a Christian when he lives as a Christian, that is, as the Lord teaches. Thus from all the differing churches there would be made one church; and all the dissensions that come forth from doctrine alone would vanish; yea, all hatreds of one against another would be dissipated in a moment, and the Lord’s kingdom would come upon the earth.

[5] The Ancient Church just after the flood, although spread through many kingdoms, was yet of this character, that is, men differed much among themselves as to doctrinal matters, but still made charity the principal; and they looked upon worship, not from doctrinal matters which pertain to faith, but from charity which pertains to life. This is meant where it is said (Genesis 11:1), that they all had one lip, and their words were one; concerning whom see above (n. 1285).

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.