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).

398. Verses 12-14. And I saw when he had opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig-tree casteth her unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

12. "And I saw when he had opened the sixth seal," signifies still further prediction respecting the state of the church (n. 399); "and behold there was a great earthquake" signifies the state of the church entirely changed n. 400; "and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood," signifies that all the good of love was separated, and thence all truth of faith falsified n. 401.

13. "And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth," signifies that the knowledges of good and truth perished (n. 402); "as a fig-tree casteth her unripe figs when shaken by a great wind," signifies which knowledges the natural man has laid waste by reasonings (n. 403).

14. "And the heaven departed as a book rolled up," signifies that the spiritual man became closed up (n. 404); "and every mountain and island were moved out of their places," signifies that every good of love and every truth of faith perished (n. 405, 406).