The Bible

 

啟示錄 2

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1 你要信給以弗所教會的使者,:那右手拿著七、在七個金燈臺中間行走的,

2 我知道你的行為、勞碌、忍耐,也知道你不能容忍惡人。你也曾試驗那自稱為使徒卻不是使徒的,看出他們是假的來。

3 你也能忍耐,曾為我的名勞苦,並不乏倦。

4 然而有一件事我要責備你,就是你把起初的愛心離棄了。

5 所以,應當回想你是從那裡墜落的,並要悔改,行起初所行的事。你若不悔改,我就臨到你那裡,把你的燈臺從原處挪去。

6 然而你還有一件可取的事,就是你恨惡尼哥拉一黨人的行為,這也是我所恨惡的。

7 聖靈向眾教會所的話,凡有耳的,就應當!得勝的,我必將神樂園中生命樹的果子賜給他吃。

8 你要信給士每拿教會的使者,:那首先的、末後的、死過又活的,

9 我知道你的患難,你的貧窮(你卻是富足的),也知道那自稱是猶太人的毀謗話,其實他們不是猶太人,乃是撒但一會的人。

10 你將要受的苦你不用怕。魔鬼要把你們中間幾個人下在監裡,叫你們被試煉,你們必受患難日。你務要至死忠心,我就賜給你那生命的冠冕。

11 聖靈向眾教會所的話,凡有耳的,就應當!得勝的,必不受第二次死的害。

12 你要信給別迦摩教會的使者,:那有兩刃利劍的,

13 我知道你的居所,就是有撒但座位之處;當我忠心的見證人安提帕在你們中間、撒但所住的地方被殺之時,你還堅守我的名,沒有棄絕我的道。

14 然而,有幾件事我要責備你:因為在你那裡有人服從了巴蘭的教訓;這巴蘭曾教導巴勒將絆腳石放在以色列人面前,叫他們吃祭偶像之物,行姦淫的事。

15 你那裡也有人照樣服從了尼哥拉一黨人的教訓。

16 所以,你當悔改;若不悔改,我就快臨到你那裡,用我口中的劍攻擊他們。

17 聖靈向眾教會所的話,凡有耳的,就應當!得勝的,我必將那藏的嗎哪賜給他,並賜他一塊白石,石上著新名;除了那領受的以外,沒有人能認識。

18 你要信給推雅推喇教會的使者,:那眼目如火燄、腳像光明銅的神之子

19 我知道你的行為、愛心、信心、勤勞、忍耐,又知道你末後所行的善事,比起初所行的更多。

20 然而,有一件事我要責備你,就是你容讓那自稱是先知的婦人耶洗別教導我的僕人,引誘他們行姦淫,吃祭偶像之物。

21 我曾給他悔改的機會,他卻不肯悔改他的淫行。

22 看哪,我要叫他病臥在。那些與他行淫的人,若不悔改所行的,我也要叫他們同受大患難。

23 我又要殺死他的黨類(原文是兒女),叫眾教會知道,我是那察看人肺腑心腸的,並要照你們的行為報應你們各人。

24 至於你們推雅推喇其餘的人,就是一切不從那教訓、不曉得他們素常所撒但深奧之理的人,我告訴你們,我不將別的擔子放在你們身上。

25 但你們已經有的,總要持守,直等到我來。

26 那得勝又遵守我命令到底的,我要賜給他權柄制伏列國;

27 他必用鐵杖轄管(轄管:原文是牧)他們,將他們如同窯戶的瓦器打得粉碎,像我從我父領受的權柄一樣。

28 我又要把晨賜給他。

29 聖靈向眾教會所的話,凡有耳的,就應當

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1843

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1843. That 'your seed will be strangers' means that charity and faith will be scarce is clear from the meaning of 'strange' and from the meaning of 'seed'. 'Strange' means not born in the land, thus not recognized as a native of it, and therefore looked upon as foreign. But 'seed' means charity and its attendant faith, as shown already in 255, 1025, and above at verse 3. Since that which is looked upon as foreign is called 'strange' and foreign describes what is not within the land or of the land, that which is scarce is consequently meant. The meaning here therefore is that charity and its attendant faith, meant by 'seed', will be scarce. It is the time just before the close - when there is 'great darkness', or falsities - that is the subject; at this time the seed will be 'strangers', that is, charity and faith, will be scarce.

[2] The fact that faith would be scarce in the last times was foretold by the Lord when He described the close of the age, in Matthew 24:4-end; Mark 13:3-end; Luke 21:7-end. Everything that is stated in these places implies that in those times charity and faith will be scarce, and that at length there will not be any at all. Something similar was foretold through John in the Book of Revelation, and also occurs many times in the Prophets, besides what appears in the historical sections of the Word.

[3] But by the faith that is going to perish in the last times nothing other than charity is meant. No other faith can possibly exist, except faith that is grounded in charity. The person who has no charity is incapable of possessing any faith at all, charity being the soil in which faith is implanted, its heart from which it derives its being and life. The ancients for this reason compared love and charity to the heart, and faith to the lungs, both of which lie inside the breast. That comparison is also a perfect simile; for to imagine a life of faith without charity is like imagining life from the lungs alone without the heart, which is an impossibility, as may become clear to anyone. The ancients therefore used to call all things that belonged to charity those of the heart, and all that belonged to faith devoid of charity those of the lips alone, that is, of the lungs passing by means of breath into speech. From this came the sayings of old about the need for goods and truths to go forth from the heart.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #255

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255. 'The seed of the woman' is used to mean faith in the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'woman' as the Church, the seed of which is nothing else than faith. It is from faith in the Lord that the Church has its being and gets its name. In Malachi faith is called 'God's seed',

Jehovah was a witness between you and the wife of your youth. And not one has done so, though he has a residue of the spirit. And is there one seeking God's seed? But take heed within your spirit, lest he act treacherously against the wife of your youth. Malachi 2:14-15.

Here 'wife of your youth' is the Ancient Church and the Most Ancient, whose seed or faith is the subject. In Isaiah,

I will pour out waters upon the thirsty land, and streams on the dry. I will pour out [My] Spirit upon your seed and My blessing upon your descendants. Isaiah 44:3.

This too refers to the Church. In Revelation,

The dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her seed, who kept the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17.

And in David,

I have made a covenant with My Chosen One, I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed even for ever; and I will set up his seed in perpetuity, and his throne as the days of the heavens; his seed will be for ever, and his throne will be like the sun in front of Me. Psalms 89:7, 4, 29, 36.

Here David is used to mean the Lord, 'his throne' to mean His Kingdom, 'the sun' love, and 'seed' faith.

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