10256. “香菖蒲” 表对内层真理的感知和情感. 这从 “香菖蒲” 的含义清楚可知, “香菖蒲” 是指对内层真理的感知和情感, 因为 “菖蒲” 表示这真理, 而 “香 (味)” 表示对真理的感知和情感. “菖蒲” 表示真理, 这一点可见于下文; “香 (味)” 表示对它的一种感知和情感 (参看10254节).

此处的内层真理是指存在于内在人中的真理, 这真理在那里是外层. 这与前面所说的 (10254节) 是一致的, 即: 外在人里面有一个内层和一个外层, 内在人里面同样有一个内层和一个外层. 正因如此, 制备膏油要用到四种芳香物质或香料, 就是品质最高的没药, 香肉桂, 香菖蒲和桂皮. “品质最高的没药” 表示对外在人里面的外层真理, 就是感官真理的感知; “香肉桂” 表示那里的内层真理, 就是属世真理; “香菖蒲” 表示内在人里面的外层真理; “桂皮” 表示那里的内层真理. “橄榄油” 表示构成对这些真理的情感和感知的良善本身.

“菖蒲” 表示内层真理, 这一点从圣言中提到它的地方清楚看出来. 然而, 在这些地方, 它不是被称为 “香菖蒲”, 只是被称为 “菖蒲” 或 “上好的菖蒲”, 如在下列经文中, 以赛亚书:

雅各啊, 你并没有呼求我; 以色列啊, 你倒厌烦我. 你没有用银子为我买菖蒲, 也没有用祭物的脂油使我饱足. (以赛亚书 43:22, 24)

以西结书:

但人和雅完人拿纺成的线, 亮铁, 桂皮, 菖蒲兑换你的货物. (以西结书 27:19)

耶利米书:

从示巴出的乳香, 从远地出的上好菖蒲奉来给我有何益呢? (耶利米书 6:20)

在这些经文中, 显然, “菖蒲” 表示教会的某种属性, 以及那里的敬拜; 否则, 经上说他们用银子为耶和华买菖蒲, 或从远地来的上好菖蒲要奉给祂, 还能有其它什么原因吗? 由于所表示的是教会的某种属性, 以及它的敬拜, 故可推知, 所表示的是真理或良善, 因为教会及其敬拜的一切都与它们有关. 但至于所表示的是哪种真理或良善, 是属天的还是属灵的, 是外在人的还是内在人的, 这从当按内义考虑所提到的事物顺序时的内义清楚看出来. 显然, “菖蒲” 表示内层真理.

1059. 'This is the sign of the covenant that I am establishing between Me and all flesh that is on the earth' means that it was a token of the Lord's presence in charity not only with the member of the Church but also with him who is outside the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'all flesh' as all people, and therefore the whole human race. That the whole human race is meant, both those inside the Church and those outside the Church, is clear not only from the fact that the expression 'all flesh' is used but also that the expression 'living soul in all flesh', which appeared previously, is not used. And the point is made plainer still by the addition of the phrase 'which is on the earth'.

[2]That the Lord is as much present in charity with those outside the Church who are called gentiles as with those inside the Church may be seen above in 932, 1032. Indeed He is more present with them, for the reason that there is less cloud in the understanding part of their minds than is normally the case with so-called Christians. Indeed gentiles have no knowledge of the Word and do not know what the Lord is, and as a consequence do not know what the truth of faith is. This being so, they are incapable of opposition to the Lord and to the truth of faith. Consequently their cloud does not stand in opposition to the Lord or to the truth of faith, such cloud being dispersed easily when they are enlightened.

[3] But the cloud existing with Christians does stand in opposition to the Lord and to the truths of faith, and this cloud is so obscure as to be darkness. And when hatred is there instead of charity it is thick darkness. This applies even more to people who profane the truths of faith, something gentiles are incapable of doing because they live in ignorance of the truth of faith. Nobody can profane that of which he does not know the nature or the existence. This explains why more of the gentiles are saved than of Christians, as also the Lord said, in Luke 13:23, 28-30, in addition to saying that their children all belong to the Lord's kingdom, Matthew 18:10, 14; 19:14; Luke 18:16.