Apocalypse Explained #1144
1144. And of silk and of scarlet, signifies truths and goods from a spiritual origin that have been profaned. This is evident from the signification of "silk," as being truth from a spiritual origin (of which presently); also from the signification of "scarlet," as being good from a spiritual origin (See above, n.1142). This good coincides with truth from a celestial origin, and therefore that, too, is signified by "scarlet" in the Word. But "silk and scarlet" here signify such truths and goods profaned by Babylon, which are profaned when spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbor, has been perverted; for those who are in such love of self as the Babylonians are in, can have no love to the neighbor; if they love others it is for the sake of self, so that the end is the man himself and love to the neighbor the means, and the end loves the means so far as the means are serviceable to it; and casts them away when they cease to serve it. This can be seen in all the particulars of their works. Love towards the neighbor in the spiritual sense is the love of uses; and when uses are for the sake of self, it is not a love of uses but a love of self. That "silk" signifies truth from a spiritual origin, can be seen from the passage in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 16:10, 13) which has been explained just above (n. 1143). "Silk" signifies truth from a spiritual origin because of its gloss, for silk is glossy from light, and "light" signifies the Divine truth, which is also called the spiritual Divine.
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith)
[2] It has been said that the love of self and the love of the world are hell, but the source of those loves shall now be explained. Man was created to love self and the world, to love the neighbor and heaven, and to love the Lord. For this reason when a man is born he first loves himself and the world, and afterwards, so far as he becomes wise, he loves the neighbor and heaven, and as he becomes still wiser he loves the Lord. Such a man is in the Divine order, and is actually led by the Lord, although apparently by himself. But so far as he is not wise he stops in the first degree, which is to love himself and the world; and if he loves the neighbor, heaven, and the Lord, it is for the sake of self before the world. But if he is wholly unwise he loves himself alone, and the world and also the neighbor for the sake of self; while heaven and the Lord he either despises or denies or hates in heart, if not in words. These are the origins of the love of self and of the love of the world, and as these loves are hell, it is evident whence hell is.
[3] When a man has become a hell, he is like a tree cut off or like a tree whose fruits are malignant; or he is like sandy soil in which no seed will take root, or like soil, out of which springs nothing but the thorn that pricks or the nettle that stings. When a man becomes a hell the inner or higher parts of his mind are closed up and the outer and lower are opened. And as the love of self determines all things of the thought and will to itself and immerses them in the body, it inverts and twists back the outer parts of the mind, which, as has been said, are open, and as a consequence these incline and bend and are borne downwards, that is, towards hell.
[4] But since man has still an ability to think, to will, to speak and to do, and this ability is in no case taken away from him, because he was born a man, so having become inverted and no longer receiving any good or any truth from heaven, but only evil and falsity from hell, he acquires a kind of light by confirmations of evil from falsity, and of falsity from evil in order that he may be eminent above others. This he believes to be a rational light, when yet it is an infernal light, and in itself fatuous, producing vision like that of a dream in the night, or a delirious fantasy, by reason of which things that are appear as if they were not, and things that are not appear as if they were. But this will be seen more clearly from a comparison between an angel-man and a devil-man.
以西結書 23
3
他們在埃及行邪淫，在幼年時行邪淫。他們在那裡作處女的時候，有人擁抱他們的懷，撫摸他們的乳。
4
他們的名字，姊姊名叫阿荷拉，妹妹名叫阿荷利巴。他們都歸於我，生了兒女。論到他們的名字，阿荷拉就是撒瑪利亞，阿荷利巴就是耶路撒冷。
5
阿荷拉歸我之後行邪淫，貪戀所愛的人，就是他的鄰邦亞述人。
6
這些人都穿藍衣，作省長、副省長，都騎著馬，是可愛的少年人。
7
阿荷拉就與亞述人中最美的男子放縱淫行，他因所戀愛之人的一切偶像，玷污自己。
8
自從在埃及的時候，他就沒有離開淫亂，因為他年幼作處女的時候，埃及人與他行淫，撫摸他的乳，縱慾與他行淫。
9
因此，我將他交在他所愛的人手中，就是他所戀愛的亞述人手中。
10
他們就露了他的下體，擄掠他的兒女，用刀殺了他，使他在婦女中留下臭名，因他們向他施行審判。
11
他妹妹阿荷利巴雖然看見了，卻還貪戀，比他姊姊更醜；行淫亂比他姊姊更多。
12
他貪戀鄰邦的亞述人，就是穿極華美的衣服，騎著馬的省長、副省長，都是可愛的少年人。
14
阿荷利巴又加增淫行，因他看見人像畫在牆上，就是用丹色所畫迦勒底人的像，
15
腰間繫著帶子，頭上有下垂的裹頭巾，都是軍長的形狀，仿照巴比倫人的形像；他們的故土就是迦勒底。
17
巴比倫人就來登他愛情的床，與他行淫玷污他。他被玷污，隨後心裡與他們生疏。
18
這樣，他顯露淫行，又顯露下體；我心就與他生疏，像先前與他姊姊生疏一樣。
21
這樣，你就想起你幼年的淫行。那時，埃及人擁抱你的懷，撫摸你的乳。
22
阿荷利巴啊，主耶和華如此說：我必激動你先愛而後生疏的人來攻擊你。我必使他們來，在你四圍攻擊你。
23
所來的就是巴比倫人、迦勒底的眾人、比割人、書亞人、哥亞人，同著他們的還有亞述眾人，乃是作省長、副省長、作軍長有名聲的，都騎著馬，是可愛的少年人。
24
他們必帶兵器、戰車、輜重車，率領大眾來攻擊你。他們要拿大小盾牌，頂盔擺陣，在你四圍攻擊你。我要將審判的事交給他們，他們必按著自己的條例審判你。
25
我必以忌恨攻擊你；他們必以忿怒辦你。他們必割去你的鼻子和耳朵；你遺留（或譯：餘剩；下同）的人必倒在刀下。他們必擄去你的兒女；你所遺留的必被火焚燒。
27
這樣，我必使你的淫行和你從埃及地染來的淫亂止息了，使你不再仰望亞述，也不再追念埃及。
28
主耶和華如此說：我必將你交在你所恨惡的人手中，就是你心與他生疏的人手中。
29
他們必以恨惡辦你，奪取你一切勞碌得來的，留下你赤身露體。你淫亂的下體，連你的淫行，帶你的淫亂，都被顯露。
30
人必向你行這些事；因為你隨從外邦人行邪淫，被他們的偶像玷污了。
32
主耶和華如此說：你必喝你姊姊所喝的杯；那杯又深又廣，盛得甚多，使你被人嗤笑譏刺。
33
你必酩酊大醉，滿有愁苦，喝乾你姊姊撒瑪利亞的杯，就是令人驚駭淒涼的杯。
34
你必喝這杯，以致喝盡。杯破又齦杯片，撕裂自己的乳；因為這事我曾說過。這是主耶和華說的。
35
主耶和華如此說：因你忘記我，將我丟在背後，所以你要擔當你淫行和淫亂的報應。
36
耶和華又對我說：人子啊，你要審問阿荷拉與阿荷利巴麼﹖當指出他們所行可憎的事。
37
他們行淫，手中有殺人的血，又與偶像行淫，並使他們為我所生的兒女經火燒給偶像。
38
此外，他們還有向我所行的，就是同日玷污我的聖所，干犯我的安息日。
39
他們殺了兒女獻與偶像，當天又入我的聖所，將聖所褻瀆了。他們在我殿中所行的乃是如此。
40
況且你們二婦打發使者去請遠方人。使者到他們那裡，他們就來了。你們為他們沐浴己身，粉飾眼目，佩戴妝飾，
41
坐在華美的床上，前面擺設桌案，將我的香料膏油擺在其上。
42
在那裡有群眾安逸歡樂的聲音，並有粗俗的人和酒徒從曠野同來，把鐲子戴在二婦的手上，把華冠戴在他們的頭上。
43
我論這行淫衰老的婦人說：現在人還要與他行淫，他也要與人行淫。
45
必有義人，照審判淫婦和流人血的婦人之例，審判他們；因為他們是淫婦，手中有殺人的血。
46
主耶和華如此說：我必使多人來攻擊他們，使他們拋來拋去，被人搶奪。
47
這些人必用石頭打死他們，用刀劍殺害他們，又殺戮他們的兒女，用火焚燒他們的房屋。
48
這樣，我必使淫行從境內止息，好叫一切婦人都受警戒，不效法你們的淫行。
