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).

887. Verse 10. Even he shall drink of the wine of the anger of God mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of His wrath, signifies appropriation of falsity and its evil, conjoined with falsified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word. This is evident from the signification of "to drink," as being to take in and to appropriate to oneself (See above, n. 617); also from the signification of "wine," as being truth from good, and in the contrary sense falsity from evil (See above, n. 376); also from the signification of "anger," as being evil, because evil is angry against good and wishes to destroy it (See n. 693, 754). It is said "the anger of God," but anger against God is meant, as in many passages where anger and wrath and evil in general are attributed to God (See n. 481, 647); so here, "to drink the wine of the anger of God" signifies to take in and appropriate falsity and its evil. The taking in and appropriation of evil is effected by faith separated from good works, because when goods of life, which are good works, are set aside as not justifying, thus as not saving, evils take their place; for so far as goods withdraw evils enter, "for no one can serve two masters," namely, evil and good, at the same time. The above is evident also from the signification of "mixed with unmixed wine," as being to be conjoined with falsified truths (of which presently); also from the signification of "cup," as being an external container of truth, thus the Word in the sense of its letter; for when "wine" signifies truth, "cup" signifies that which contains it, and the sense of the letter of the Word is the containant of truth, both natural and spiritual. (That "cup" has a similar signification as "wine," that is, what it contains, and that it signifies the containant, can be seen from the passages in the Word where "cup," "chalice," "goblet," and "vial" are mentioned, which will be cited in the explanation of chapters 16 and 17 that follows.) As "cup" signifies the external or containant of truth, thus the sense of the letter of the Word, and as this is falsified by those who are in the doctrine and at the same time in the life of faith separated, so it is called "the cup of God's wrath." The "anger" and the "wrath" of God are here mentioned as in many other passages of the Word, and "anger" means the love and desire for evil in man; and "wrath" the love and desire for falsity in him, for "anger" is predicated of evil, and "wrath" of falsity (See above, n. 481 at the end). All this makes clear that "the wine mixed with unmixed wine in the cup of the wrath of God" signifies conjunction with falsified truths from the sense of the letter of the Word.

[2] "To mix with unmixed wine" signifies to be conjoined with falsified truths of the Word, because "unmixed wine" means intoxicating wine, and thus intoxication, consequently in the spiritual sense delirium in respect to truths induced by falsities, for delirium in respect to truths induced by falsities is spiritual intoxication. Moreover, the word in the original translated "unmixed wine" is derived from a word that means to be intoxicated. As this is the signification of "unmixed wine," and those who falsify the Word are spiritually drunken, that is, are in a state of delirium in respect to truths, the two passages where "unmixed wine" is mentioned in the Word treat of the falsification of truth, as in Isaiah and Hosea.

[3] In Isaiah:

How hath the faithful city become a harlot; she was full of judgment, justice lodged in her; but now murderers. Thy silver hath become dross, thy unmixed wine mixed with waters (Isaiah 1:21, 22).

A "harlot" signifies everywhere in the Word falsified truth (See above, n. 141, 161); and "city" signifies doctrine; so "the faithful city becoming a harlot" signifies that doctrine that had previously been the doctrine of genuine truth has become the doctrine of falsified truth. "She was full of judgment, justice lodged in her," signifies where the truth of doctrine and the good of love had been abundant, for "judgment" is predicated in the Word of the truth of doctrine and the understanding, and "justice" of the good of love and of the will; "but now murderers" signifies that falsification has extinguished the understanding of truth and the perception of good. (That this is the signification of a "murderer" may be seen above, n. 589.) "Thy silver hath become dross" signifies that genuine truth has been changed into falsity; "thy unmixed wine mixed with waters" signifies that truth has been made vile and destroyed by falsifying it.

[4] In Hosea:

Ephraim is associated with idols, let him alone. Their wine ¹ is gone; in whoring they have committed whoredom, they are given up to love (Hosea 4:17, 18).

"Ephraim" signifies the understanding of the truth of the church, "idols" signify the falsities of religion. This makes clear what is signified by "Ephraim is associated with idols." "Let him alone" signifies the rejection of the falsities of that religion by the church. "Their wine ¹ is gone" signifies that the truth of the Word has perished; "in whoring they have committed whoredom" signifies the falsification of that truth; "they are given up to love" signifies the love of falsity. All this makes clear what is signified in particular by "unmixed wine."

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