4229. 第32章

最后的审判 (续)

我们从第三卷 (系指拉丁文的第3卷) 开始解释主在马太福音 24章关于最后审判的预言. 这些解释被放在了那一卷最后几章的开头部分, 目前已解释到31节 (参看3353-3356, 3486-3489, 3650-3655, 3897-3901, 4056-4060节).

概括地说, 主的这些预言的内义从所给出的解释很清楚看出来, 即祂预言了教会的逐渐毁灭和最终一个新教会的建立, 其次序如下:

⑴教会成员不再知道何为良善与真理, 反而开始彼此争论它们.

⑵他们蔑视它们.

⑶他们从心里不承认它们.

⑷他们亵渎它们.

⑸由于信之真理和爱之良善仍存留在某些被称为 “选民” 的人当中, 故经上描述了那时信之真理所具有的状态.

⑹然后描述了仁的状态.

⑺最后论述了一个新教会的开始, 由最后所解释的那些话来表示, 即:

祂要差遣祂的使者, 用号筒的大声, 将祂的选民从四风, 从天这边到天那边, 都招聚了来. (马太福音 24:31)

这些话表示一个新教会的开始 (参看4060末尾节).

7857. 'Nor boiled at all in water' means that it must not come out of the truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'water' as the truths of faith, dealt with in 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, and therefore 'boiled in water' means what comes out of it, that is, good that is the outcome of the truth of faith. This kind of good is distinct from good that is the product of love, meant by 'roasted with fire', 7852. All spiritual good emanates either from faith, that is, comes through faith, or from love. While a person is being regenerated good in his case emanates from the truth of faith; for during that time he acts in accordance with truth not out of affection for truth but in obedience to it because it commands him so to act. Subsequently however, when he has been regenerated, he does what is good out of an affection for it, thus out of love. A very clear distinction is drawn in the Word between these two states with people, because no one can be in both states simultaneously. A person in the first state cannot enter the second before he has been regenerated; and a person in the second must not take himself back into the first. If anyone does take himself back he loses his affection to do what is good out of love, and slips back into the state of faith which had served to bring him to good, and even slides out of that state of faith. This is what is meant in the internal sense by the Lord's words on the subject of the last judgement in Matthew,

Then let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house; and let him who is in the field not return back to take his clothes. Matthew 24:17-18.

The same is also meant by Lot's wife, in that she looked back behind herself, Luke 17:31-32.

All this may enable one to understand what being allowed to enjoy good that comes out of love is, but not good that comes out of the truth of faith, meant by the regulation that they were to eat flesh roasted with fire, but not any boiled in water.

[2] Worship of the Lord springing from faith and love was meant by sacrifices and burnt offerings - from faith by sacrifices and from love by burnt offerings. And glorification of the Lord and feelings of gladness for the enjoyment of good things that came from the Lord were meant by feasts of consecrated things. All this being so, they were allowed to boil flesh on such occasions. For glorification of the Lord and gladness for the enjoyment of good things emanates from an affection for the truth of faith, and so too does all thanksgiving (confessio). For evidence that the sacrificial flesh was boiled, see Exodus 29:31-32; 1 Samuel 2:13, 15; 1 Kings 19:21. The same is meant by 'boiling' in Zechariah,

On that day every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holiness to Jehovah Zebaoth. And all who offer sacrifice will come and take from them and boil in them. Zechariah 14:21.