13. The literal or external sense of the Word

The literal sense of the Word accords with appearances in the world: 589, 926, 1832, 1874, 2242, 2520, 2533, 2719-2720, and is suited to the comprehension of the pure in heart: 2533, 9049, 9063, 9086. The Word in its literal sense is natural, see 8783, because what is natural is the final thing upon which spiritual and celestial things come to rest, and upon which they stand like a house on its foundation; furthermore, an internal sense without an external form would be like a house without a foundation: 9360, 9430, 9433, 9824, 10044, 10436. The Word, because that is its nature, is the container of a spiritual sense and a celestial sense: 9407. And because that is its nature, there is a divine holiness in the literal sense extending to every single detail, right down to the last jot: 639, 680, 1869-1870, 9198, 10321, 10637. Although the laws laid down before the children of Israel have now been totally abrogated they are still the holy Word because of the internal sense in them: 9211, 9259, 9349. The laws, judgements, and statutes laid down for the Israelite or Jewish Church, which was a representative church, are in some cases still valid in both senses, the external and the internal; some of them should be wholly observed according to their external sense; some may be of use if people wish; and some have been totally abrogated; about all these: 9349. The Word is divine even as regards those of the above which have been abrogated, because of the heavenly elements which are concealed in their internal sense: 10637.

What the nature of the Word is in its literal sense if it is not understood at the same time in its internal sense; or, expressed otherwise, according to the true doctrine from the Word: 10402. From the literal sense without the internal sense, or without genuine doctrine from the Word, a vast number of heresies comes gushing out: 10400. Those who live in external elements without internal elements cannot uphold the inner parts of the Word: 10694. Such were the Jews, and such are they today: 301-303, 3479, 4429, 4433, 4680, 4844, 4847, 10396, 10401, 10407, 10694, 10705, 10707.

3761. “雅各举起脚” 表属世层的提升. 这从 “举起” 和 “脚” 的含义清楚可知: “举起” 是指提升; “脚” 是指属世层, 如下文所述. 此处所指的提升就是本章所论述的主题, 即从外在真理提升到内在良善. 就至高意义而言, 所论述的主题是主如何照次序通过从外在真理逐步上升到内在良善而将祂的属世层甚至提升到神性; 就代表意义而言, 所论述的主题是主在使人重生时, 如何照同样的次序将人的属世层变成新的. 成年后正经历重生的人照着本章和随后各章的内义所描述的次序发展, 这一事实鲜为人知. 因为很少有人深思这个问题, 如今也很少有人能重生. 当仁不复存在, 随之信也不复存在之时, 教会的末日就到了. 正因如此, 人们甚至不知道何为信, 尽管所有人都声称人因信得救; 他们因此更不知道何为仁. 他们只知道信和仁这两个术语, 却不知道它们的本质是什么, 所以我们才说, 很少有人能深思人被造为新的或重生所遵循的次序, 也很少有人能重生.

由于此处论述的主题是属世层, 而这属世层由雅各来代表, 故经上说的是 “雅各举起脚”, 而不是说他起来, 到了东方之子的地. 这两种表述都表示提升, “起来” 也具有这种含义 (2401, 2785, 2912, 2927, 3171节). 此处之所以说 “雅各举起脚”, 是因为这话论及属世层, “脚” 表示属世层 (2162, 3147节). “脚” 表示属世层或属世之物是由于与大人的对应关系, 大人就是目前各章末尾所论述的主题. 在这个大人里面, 属于脚部区域的, 是那些居于属世之光和少许属灵之光中的人. 这也是为何脚下的部位, 如脚掌和脚跟, 表示最低级的属世之物 (参看259节); 以及在圣言中偶尔被提及的鞋表示肉体属世层, 它是最最低级的部分 (1748节).

10694. 'And they were afraid to approach him' means that they could not bear an outward form of the Church, worship, and the Word such as this. This is clear from the meaning of 'being afraid to approach' as not being able to bear something, for those who cannot bear interior things are afraid to approach them; and from the representation of 'Moses' as the outward form that the Word, the Church, and worship take, containing what is inward, dealt with in 10563, 10571, 10607, 10614. The situation in all this is that those whose interest lies solely in things of the Church, worship, and the Word on an outward level devoid of what is inward cannot bear interior things. The reason for this is that those whose interest lies in outward things devoid of what is inward are ruled by selfish and worldly love, and consequently see by an inferior light, called natural illumination. But those whose interest lies in things of the Church, worship, and the Word on an inward level as well as those on an outward one are governed by love towards the neighbour and love to the Lord, and consequently see by the light of heaven. And since the two kinds of love are opposites, and consequently the two kinds of light are as well, one cannot bear the other. For when heavenly love, that is, love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, flows into earthly loves, which are self-love and love of the world, it induces feelings of agony like the throes of death; and when heavenly light flows into worldly light, it induces thick darkness and consequently stupidity. So it is that an outward form devoid of inward content cannot bear any outward form when it does have an inner content. Since the Jewish nation was like this they could not bear to hear about the Lord, or about love and faith in Him, which are the interior things of the Word, the Church, and worship. These then are the things which are meant when it says that the children of Israel were afraid to approach Moses because the skin of his face gleamed. What it is that 'the skin of Moses' face' means, see above in 10691.