属天的奥秘 #8764
8764. “并且我怎样将你们背在鹰的翅膀上” 表并且他们因此通过真理被提入天堂之光. 这从 “将某人背在鹰的翅膀上” 的含义清楚可知, “将某人背在鹰的翅膀上” 是指被提到高处, 甚至被提入天堂之光; 因为 “背” 表示被提升, “鹰” 表示真理方面的理性层 (关于 “鹰” 的这种含义, 可参看3901节), 因为鹰在高处飞. 事实上, 古人将可见的天堂或天空理解为天使天堂. 简单人也认为天使在那里有自己的家; 另外, 由于高处的地方离太阳和众星更近, 所以天上的光也在那里闪耀. 正因如此, “被背在鹰的翅膀上” 表示被带到高处的那光中. 被提到那光中之所以通过信之真理实现, 是因为信之真理就是那将人甚至提到天堂, 就是信之真理所在之地的. 真理方面的理性层由 “鹰” 来表示, 是因为人的理性层是他的天堂, 属世层相对来说就像大地. 事实上, 理性层构成内在人, 属世层构成外在人.
“翅膀” 之所以是指属灵真理, 是因为 “鸟” 一般表示理性概念和思维 (40, 745, 776, 3219, 5149, 7441节); 因此, “翅膀” 是指属灵真理, 因为一切真正的理解力皆从这些真理形成. 从虚假所形成的理解力, 无论看上去多么清晰和敏锐, 都不是真正的理解力. 真正的理解力在天堂之光中观看, 天堂之光就是属灵真理, 也就是信之真理. 所以, 哪里没有信之真理, 哪里就没有光, 只有幽暗; 被置于幽暗中的理解力根本不是理解力. “翅膀” 也指属灵真理所拥有的源于其良善的能力; 因为鸟的双翅就像人的双手或双臂, 而 “臂” 和 “手” 表示能力 (878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 5544, 6292, 6947, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8153, 8281, 8305节). 至于属灵真理所拥有的源于良善的能力, 可参看前文 (3563, 4931, 5623, 6344, 6423节).
“翅膀” 是指拥有源于良善的能力的属灵真理, 或信之真理, 这一点从圣言中的其它经文明显看出来. 因此, 当 “翅膀” 被归于神性时, 它们表示拥有全能的神性真理; 如在它们被归于基路伯的地方, “基路伯” 表示主的圣治或天命, 如以西结书:
每个基路伯都有四个脸面, 每一个都有四个翅膀. 它们的直张, 彼此相对, 每活物有两个翅膀遮体. 我听见翅膀的声音, 像大水的声音, 像沙代的响声; 活物行走的时候, 哄嚷的声音像军营的声音; 活物站住的时候, 便将翅膀垂下. 我又听见那活物翅膀彼此相碰的声音, 与活物旁边轮子的噪声. 基路伯翅膀的声音听到外院, 好像沙代神的响声. 翅膀以下有人手的样式. (以西结书 1:6, 23, 24; 3:13; 10:5, 21)
此处 “翅膀” 是指神之真理. 这一点从包含在这段描述中的细节, 以及以下细节明显可知: 翅膀直张, 彼此相碰, 它们遮体; 翅膀的声音像大水的声音, 像轮子的声音, 像沙代的声音, 以及翅膀以下有人手的样式. 翅膀 “直张, 彼此相碰” 代表所有人在神性中的团契. 它们 “遮体” 表示神性真理对发出它的神性良善来说, 是一个包裹或衣服. 因为神性良善就是一团火焰, 神性真理是这团火焰发出的光. 这光包围, 因而遮盖或包裹这团火焰. 火焰本身不会显现在天堂, 只有包含火焰的光会显现, 这火焰由此被感觉为热, 也就是爱. 声音听上去 “像大水的声音” 表示存在于天堂中的神性真理的性质; 它的声音 “像轮子的噪声, 沙代的响声” 所表相同; 因为 “声音” (sound) 和 “响声” (voice) 被归于神性真理. 这解释了为何经上说 “大水的声音”, 因为 “水” 是指真理 (参看2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8137, 8138, 8568节); 经上还说 “轮子的噪声”, “轮子” 是指教义事物的真理, 因为 “马车或战车” (chariots) 是指支持真理的教义 (5321, 5945, 8146, 8148, 8215节); 经上又说 “沙代神的响声”, 因为 “沙代神” 是指在试探和随后的安慰中进行指责的真理 (1992, 4572, 5628节). “翅膀以下有人手的样式” 表示属于神性真理的全能, 因为 “手” 是指能力, 当被归于主时, 是指至高意义上的全能
由此可见在约柜施恩座上的基路伯的翅膀, 以及翅膀高张, 遮掩施恩座 (出埃及记 25:20) 代表什么; 帐幕帘子和幔子上, 以及所罗门圣殿中的基路伯又代表什么; 以西结书 (41:18-20) 所描述的新殿周围的基路伯代表什么; 还有 “宝座周围的四活物”, 每一个周围都有 “六个翅膀” (启示录 4:6, 8) 表示什么; “站在宝座上的撒拉弗”, 各有 “六个翅膀” (以赛亚书 6:1, 2) 表示什么.
“翅膀” 在内义上是指属灵真理, 或信之真理, 这一点清楚可见于以西结书:
主耶和华如此说: 有一大鹰, 翅膀大, 翎毛长, 羽毛丰满, 彩色俱备, 来到黎巴嫩, 将香柏树梢拧去, 叼到贸易之地; 后来它取了这地的种子, 栽于制种田里; 插在大水旁, 它就抽芽生长, 成为蔓延的葡萄树. 又有一鹰, 翅膀大, 羽毛丰满. 看哪, 这葡萄树从肥田多水的旁边中向这鹰伸出根来; 它被栽种, 好生枝子, 结果子, 成为佳美的葡萄树. (以西结书 17:3-8)
这段预言描述了主对属灵教会的重建. 此处提到的 “鹰” 是指信; “翅膀大, 翎毛长” 是指信之真理; “彩色俱备” 是指记忆知识; 由此而来的成长被描述为 “来自黎巴嫩的香柏树梢”, “大水旁, 制种田里的这地的种子”; 由此产生的教会本身是 “葡萄树”. “葡萄树” 表示属灵教会 (1069, 5113节); 它也表示外在教会 (6375节); 但来自另一鹰的 “佳美的葡萄树” 是指内在教会 (6376节); 因为教会的外在被描述为一只鹰, 它的内在被描述为另一只鹰. 在这一章, 后来先知描述了建在古人中间的这个教会如何在犹太人当中堕落的.
在诗篇, “翅膀” 以同样的方式表示信之真理:
你们若安卧在羊圈, 鸽子的翅膀就会镀白银, 翎毛镀黄金. (诗篇 68:13)
“鸽子的翅膀” 是指信之真理, “鸽子” 表示信 (870节); 经上之所以说它们 “镀白银”, 因为 “银子” 是指源于良善的真理 (1551, 2954, 5658, 6914, 7999节).
“翅膀” 是指神之真理, 这一点也可从以下经文明显看出来:
那等候耶和华的, 必从新得力. 他们必如鹰展翅上腾. (以赛亚书 40:31)
诗篇:
神骑着基路伯飞行; 祂藉着风的翅膀快飞. (诗篇 18:10; 104:3)
这论述的是神性真理及其能力. 又:
耶和华必用自己的翅膀遮蔽你, 你要投靠在祂的翅膀底下. 真理是盾牌圆楯. (诗篇 91:4)
“被耶和华的翅膀遮蔽” 和 “投靠在祂的翅膀底下” 表示属于信的保护和信靠. “在神翅膀的荫下” (诗篇 17:8), “投靠在祂翅膀的荫下” (诗篇 36:7; 57:1; 61:4), “在祂翅膀的荫下歌唱” (诗篇 63:7) 所表相同.
绝大多数事物也有一个反面意义, “翅膀” 也是, 它在反面意义上表示虚假, 如启示录:
有蝗虫从无底坑的烟中出来, 它们翅膀的声音, 好像许多马奔跑上阵的声音. (启示录 9:2, 3, 9)
此处 “翅膀” 是指与真理争战的虚假, 因为 “蝗虫” 是指最外围的虚假 (7643节).
The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Teachings #278
278. The inflow of life into human beings in particular. There is only one source of life; from it comes the life found in everyone in heaven and everyone in the world: 1954, 2021, 2536, 2658, 2886-2889, 3001, 3484, 3742, 5847, 6467. That life comes from the Lord alone: 2886-2889, 3344, 3484, 4319, 4320, 4524, 4882, 5986, 6325, 6468, 6469, 6470, 9276, 10196 (which include various illustrations). The Lord is life itself: see John 1:1, 4; 5:26; 14:6. Life flows from the Lord into angels, spirits, and people in this world in a wondrous way: 2886-2889, 3337, 3338, 3484, 3742. The Lord flows in because of his divine love, the nature of which is to want what belongs to it to belong to others: 3742, 4320. All love is like that, so divine love is infinitely that way: 1820, 1865, 2253, 6872. As a result, our life seems to be within us and does not seem to be flowing in: 3742, 4320. Another reason our life seems to be within us is that the principal cause, which is life from the Lord, and the instrumental cause, which is we ourselves as a recipient form, act as a single cause and therefore we as the instrument perceive life as our own 1 : 6325. The pinnacle of angels' wisdom and intelligence is to perceive and know that every bit of life comes from the Lord: 4318. I perceived a joy that angels were experiencing as a result of leading a life that comes from the Lord and not from themselves; things they said to me confirmed my perception: 6469. Evil people are unwilling to be persuaded that their life is flowing in: 3743. Doubts that our life flows in from the Lord cannot be removed as long as we are controlled by illusions, ignorance, and negativity: 6479. As all people in the church should know, everything good and true comes from heaven (that is, through heaven from the Lord) and everything evil and false comes from hell; in fact, every bit of life goes back to either goodness and truth or evil and falsity, and apart from these there can be no life at all: 2893, 4151. This is the clear message of the teachings of the church that have been drawn from the Word: 4249. Yet in spite of all this, people do not believe that life flows in: 4249. In reality, if our communication and connection with spirits and angels were taken away, we would die instantly: 2887. This also shows us that all life flows in from the primary reality underlying life. Nothing arises from itself; things arise only from other things that are prior (which means that absolutely everything arises from the primary underlying reality), and in all cases things maintain their existence in the same way that they arose, because continuing existence is constant coming into being: 4523, 4524. Angels, spirits, and people in this world have been created to receive life, so we are all simply forms that are receptive to life: 2021, 3001, 3318, 3344, 3484, 3742, 4151, 5114, 5986. The kind of forms we are depends on our receptivity: 2888, 3001, 3484, 5847, 5986, 6467, 6472. So the basic nature of people in this world, spirits, and angels depends on the basic nature of their forms for receiving life from the Lord: 2888, 5847, 5986, 6467, 6472. We have been created in such a way that in the inmost parts of ourselves, and therefore in other parts as well, we are capable of receiving what is divine and being raised up and joined to the Divine through the good things we love to do and the truths we believe; and therefore we, unlike animals, live forever: 5114.
[2] Life from the Lord also flows into evil people, so it flows into people in hell as well: 2706, 3743, 4417. However, they turn what is good into evil and what is true into falsity; so they turn life into spiritual death, since our nature is what determines how we accept the life that is flowing in: 4319, 4320, 4417. Goodness and truth are still constantly flowing into them from the Lord, but they reject or stifle or pervert them: 3743. The life that is in people who are devoted to evil and falsity is not genuine life; what the life they have is like: 726, 4623, 10284, 10286.
Imibhalo yaphansi:
1. In the usage of Scholastic philosophers, a principal cause is “a cause which works by the power of its own form and makes the effect in some way like itself”; an instrumental cause is “an instrument or tool serving as a subordinate cause; a cause without initiative in the start of action, but applied and directed as a help to its efforts and purpose by a principal agent, and influencing the product chiefly according to the form and intention of the principal” (Wuellner 1956, 19; compare the discussion by the Catholic theologian Aquinas in his Summa Theologiae 3:62:1 [= Aquinas 2012, 20:22]). Swedenborg’s point is that human beings, though merely instruments of life, experience divine life (the principal cause) as inhering in themselves. He uses this terminology of principal and instrumental cause in other contexts; for example, in Secrets of Heaven 10738[4] he refers to the body as the instrumental cause and to the will as the principal. He emphasizes the apparent but misleading unity of principal and instrumental in other passages as well; see, for example, Secrets of Heaven 2021; Soul-Body Interaction 11[2]; True Christianity 473. [SS]
