แหล่งกำเนิด 49:24
Many thanks to Philip Pope for the permission to use his 2003 translation of the English King James Version Bible into Thai. Here's a link to the mission's website: www.thaipope.org
Apocalypse Explained #164
164. And them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation. That this signifies grievous temptations to those who give themselves up to their falsities is evident from the signification of committing adultery, as being to falsify truths (concerning which see above, 141); hence to commit adultery with Jezebel is to give themselves up to the falsities of those signified by Jezebel; and from the signification of tribulation as being infestation of truth by falsities (concerning which also see above, n. 47), in this case temptation, inasmuch as temptation is nothing else but infestation of truth by falsities with man (as may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 188, 196, 197). Therefore by casting those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, is signified the grievous temptations of those who give themselves up to their falsities. The subject here treated of is those with whom the spiritual or internal man is not so much closed, because they are in some spiritual affection for truth, and yet suffer themselves to be led astray by those who are in the doctrine of falsities (as may be seen above, n. 162). Because these receive falsities into the memory of their natural man, with which the spiritual internal man cannot agree - for this receives nothing but truths - therefore a combat commences between the spiritual and the natural man: this combat is temptation, which is signified by great tribulation. (That temptation is a combat between the spiritual and natural man, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 190, 194, 197, 199.)
The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Teachings #188
188. There are evil spirits and good spirits with each of us. The evil spirits are in our evil tendencies and the good spirits are in our good tendencies. When the evil spirits come closer they stir up our evil tendencies, and the good spirits respond by stirring up our good ones. This leads to a collision and a battle that causes us the inner anxiety that is a crisis of the spirit.
We can see from this that spiritual crises are caused by hell and do not come from heaven. This is also what is taught by the faith of the church, which is that God does not test anyone. 1
Footnotes:
1. This seems to be a reference to James 1:13: "No one, when tempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God'; for God . . . tempts no one" (New Revised Standard Version). There are, however, several other biblical passages that either definitely state or strongly imply that God does tempt, or test, humans; for instance, Genesis 22:1: "God tested Abraham. " Swedenborg's exegesis of that particular verse applies more generally to these contrary examples; he says that its inner meaning is actually that God never tests anyone. At times when our characters are tested, he says, God "is constantly delivering us from our struggles, so far as he can, which is to say, so far as deliverance does no harm. At the same time he is constantly focusing on the good to which he can lead us when we are being tested. . . . Although it is fair to say he allows us to be tested, his permission does not work the way we think it does-that when he allows something, he approves of it" ( Secrets of Heaven 2768, paraphrased and referenced in New Jerusalem 200[2]). See also Spiritual Experiences (= Swedenborg 1998-2013) §343; Revelation Explained (= Swedenborg 1994-1997a) §246:2; True Christianity 256. For more on the concept of testing in Swedenborg's works, see note 2 in New Jerusalem 139. [SS, RS]
