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).

35. 从圣言可知, 教会若丧失信德, 就走到了尽头。人不知道的是, 教会若丧失仁爱, 也就丧失了信德。既然不知, 就有必要加以说明。在教会末期, 信德将要丧失, 这是主曾预言的。祂说:"人子来的时候, 遇得见世上有信德吗？"(路加福音18:8)同样, 仁爱也将丧失, 正如主说:"(在时代的末了)...只因不法的事增多, 许多人的爱心才渐渐冷淡了...这天国的福音要传遍天下, 对万民作见证, 然后末期才来到。"(马太福音 如申命记24:12, 14)

"时代的末了"指教会的末了。在这一章中, 主描述了教会是如何逐步丧失仁爱与信德的。不过主是用对应来描述的, 若不了解每句话所对应的灵义, 主的预言就无从领会。因此, 主许我解释当中的灵义, 涉及到时代的末了, 主的再临, 教会的逐渐堕落, 最后的审判等。相关解释, 可参看《天国的奥秘》一书(天国的奥秘3353-3356, 3486-3489, 3650-3655, 3751-3757, 3897-3901, 4056-4060, 4229-4231, 4332-4335, 4422-4424, 4635-4638, 4661-4664, 4807-4810, 4954-4959, 5063-5071)。

84. And behold I am alive unto the ages of the ages, signifies that eternal life is from Him. This is evident from the signification of "I am alive," which means to be from eternity, and that in Him alone is life from Himself (on which see above, n. 82); but here as being life in others, and His life in others is eternal life. For it is said just before that He "became dead," which signifies that He was rejected, because not received in faith and love; here, therefore, "I am alive" signifies that He is received by those who are in His life, which life is in faith and love with man, and that life is eternal life. That "unto the ages of the ages" signifies to eternity, is clear without explanation. That the life of the Lord is a life of faith in Him and love to Him, and that this life is eternal life is evident from many passages in the Word, as the following from John:

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life. He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life (John 3:14-16, 36).

In the same:

The water that I shall give shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up unto eternal life (John 4:10-11, 14).

Water is the truth of faith (See above, n. 71).

In the same:

Everyone that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on Him, hath eternal life. The words that I speak unto you are spirit and are life (John 6:40, 63).

The "words" that the Lord speaks are also the truths of faith. In the same:

I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he die, yet shall he live (John 11:25-26).

In the same:

Work for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man giveth (John 6:27).

The "food" which the Lord gives is also the truth and good of faith, because spiritual food is meant (See Arcana Coelestia 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 8562, 9003). It was said that the life of the Lord is in faith in Him and love to Him with man; this is because everything of faith and love is from Him, and that which is from Him is also Himself, for it is His proceeding Divine, which is called "the Spirit of Truth" and "the Holy Spirit;" and as the Lord is therein, and it is Himself, therefore it is said that they should abide in the Lord, which means in faith in Him and love to Him, from Him; as in John:

Jesus said, Abide in Me, and I in you. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask whatever ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Abide in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love. He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for without Me ye cannot do anything (John 15:4-10).

From this it may be known what is meant by these words in John:

Ye see Me; because I live ye shall live also (John 14:19).

(That to "see" the Lord is to believe in Him, see above, n. 14, 25, 37; and that "to have faith," or "to believe" in the Lord, is to be in love and charity, see the little work on The Last Judgment 33-39; and New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine, n. 108-142.)