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).

120. FROM THE ARCANA COELESTIA.

They who do not know that all things in the universe have relation to truth and good, and to the conjunction of both, that anything may be produced, do not know that all things of the church have relation to faith and love, and to the conjunction of both, that the church may be with man (n. 7752-7762, 9186, 9224). All things in the universe, which are according to Divine order have relation to good and truth, and to their conjunction (n. 2452, 3166, 4390, 4409, 5232, 7256, 10122, 10555). Truths are of faith and goods are of love (n. 4352, 4997, 7178, 10367). This is the reason that good and truth have been treated of in this doctrine; wherefore from what has been adduced, it may be concluded respecting faith and love; and it may be known what their quality is when they are conjoined, and what it is when they are not conjoined, by putting love in the place of good, and faith in the place of truth, and making applications accordingly.

They who do not know that each and all things in man have relation to the understanding and will, and to the conjunction of both, in order that man may be man, do not know clearly that all things of the church have relation to faith and love, and to the conjunction of both, in order that the church may be with man (n. 2231, 7752-7754, 9224, 9995, 10122). Man has two faculties, one of which is called the understanding and the other the will (n. 641, 803, 3623, 3539). The understanding is designed for receiving truths, thus the things of faith; and the will for receiving goods, thus the things of love (n. 9300, 9930, 10064). This is the reason why the will and the understanding have been also treated of in this doctrine; for from what has been adduced, conclusions may be drawn respecting faith and love, and it may be known what their quality is when they are conjoined, and what it is when they are not conjoined, by thinking of love in the will, and faith in the understanding.

They who do not know that man has an internal and an external, or an internal and an external man, and that all things of heaven have relation to the internal man, and all things of the world to the external, and that their conjunction is like the conjunction of the spiritual world and the natural world, do not know what spiritual faith and spiritual love are (n. 4392, 5132, 8610). There is an internal and an external man, and the internal is the spiritual man, and the external the natural (n. 978, 1015, 4459, 6309, 9701-9709). Faith is so far spiritual, thus so far faith, as it is in the internal man; and love likewise (n. 1594, 3987, 8443). And so far as the truths which are of faith are loved, so far they become spiritual (n. 1594, 3987). This is the reason why the internal and the external man have been treated of, for from what has been adduced, conclusions may be drawn respecting faith and love, what their quality is when they are spiritual, and what when they are not spiritual; consequently how far they are of the church, and how far they are not of the church.

3353. 26章

绝大多数人以为当最后审判到来时, 可见世界的一切事物都将毁灭; 大地被火吞噬; 太阳和月亮解体, 化为乌有; 众星都将消失不见; 然后, 一个新天新地将会诞生. 他们的这种观点是从预言的启示中得来的, 其中便提到了这种事. 但从关于最后审判的说明 (900, 931, 1850, 2117-2133节) 可以看出, 情况根本不是这样. 从这些说明清楚可知, 最后审判无非是教会在一群人当中的结束和在另一群人当中的开始. 当主不再得到承认, 或也可说, 信不复存在时, 这一个的结束和那一个的开始就发生了. 当仁不复存在时, 承认或信也就是不复存在了, 因为信只能存在于那些处于仁爱的人身上. 在这种时候, 教会就会走向终结, 转到其他人那里. 这从主自己在福音书中关于末日或今世的终结所教导和预言的一切事 (马太福音 24, 马可福音 13, 路加福音 21) 很明显地看出来.

没有钥匙, 没有人能明白主在那里所预言的这些事, 故我会依次解释包含在它们里面的事, 就从此处马太福音中的这些话开始:

耶稣坐在橄榄山上, 门徒暗暗地来说, 请告诉我们, 什么时候有这些事? 你降临和时代的完结, 有什么预兆呢? 耶稣回答他们说, 你们要小心, 免得有人迷惑你们. 因为将来有好些人冒我的名来, 说, 我是基督, 并且要迷惑许多人. 你们也要听见打仗和打仗的风声, 你们要小心, 不要惊慌, 因为这些事是必须有的, 只是末期还没有到. 因为民族要起来攻打民族, 国家要起来攻打国家; 并且到处要有饥荒, 瘟疫和地震. 这一切事却只是灾难的起头. (马太福音 24:3-8)

那些拘守于字义的人不可能知道这些以及本章接下来的话是指着耶路撒冷的毁灭和犹太民族的分散说的, 还是指着那些日子的末了, 也就是所谓的最后审判说的. 但那些被允许进入内义的人能清楚看出, 此处论述的是教会的结束, 这种结束就是那在此处以及别处被称为主的到来和世代末了的. 由于所表示的是教会的结束, 故可知, 主所说的所有这些话都是指与教会相关的事. 它们整体上的意思可从下面每句话的具体内义看出来, 如经上说: “将来有好些人冒我的名来, 说, 我是基督, 并且要迷惑许多人”, 此处 “名” 不是指名字, “基督” 也不是指基督, “名” 表示藉以敬拜主之物 (2724, 3006节); “基督” 表真理本身 (3009, 3010节). 因此, 这句话的意思是, 那些声称这就是信的全部和实质, 也就是说, 这就是真理, 而事实上这既不是信的全部和实质, 也不是真理, 而是虚假之人将要来. 他们 “要听见打仗和打仗的风声” 表关于真理的争论和冲突会产生, 这就是属灵意义上的打仗或战争. “民族要起来攻打民族, 国家要起来攻打国家” 表邪恶与邪恶交战, 虚假与虚假交战. “民族” 表良善, 但在反面意义上表邪恶 (参看1259, 1260, 1416, 1849节); “国家” 表真理, 但在反面意义上表虚假 (1672, 2547节). “到处要有饥荒, 瘟疫和地震” 表不再有对良善与真理的认知, 因而教会的状态会发生变化, 这就是 “地震”.