1037# 启17:3.“在灵里，天使把我带到旷野”表示进入出现在异象中的一个地方，这个地方对应于这种宗教说服的状态。这从“旷野”和“在灵里”的含义清楚可知：“旷野”是指一种教会状态，其中不再有任何良善或真理（对此，参看AE730节）。但鉴于不再有任何良善和真理的教会不是一个教会，所以它被称为一种宗教说服。“在灵里”是指在异象中，因为约翰在灵里所看见的，是在异象中看见的。在异象中看见就是看见那些存在于天上的天使中间的事物，这些事物都代表、因而表示属灵事物。当这些出现在人面前时，它们不是出现在他的身体视觉面前，而是出现在他灵的视觉面前。因为人的灵和他的身体一样有眼睛；但他灵的眼睛看见灵界的事物，因为出现在灵界中的一切事物都来自一个属灵源头，属灵人以理解力看见属灵事物，以眼睛看见形式上像属世事物那样的属灵事物。但肉眼看见物质界中的事物，因为出现在物质界中的一切事物都来自一个属世源头；物质人以理解力看见属世事物，以眼睛看见物质形式上的属世事物。因此，当先知的灵眼被打开时，他们就会看见诸如代表、因而表示教会的神性-属天和神性-属灵事物，或说属天神性和属灵神性事物的那类事物，有时也看见诸如代表、因而表示教会未来将要发生之事的那类事物；这些就是约翰所看见的事物。他现在之所以看见一个旷野，是因为“旷野”表示一切良善和真理都被摧毁的一种教会状态；这种状态对应于已经成为巴比伦的教会。这就是为何圣言的许多经文都将巴比伦描述为旷野，如以下经文，以赛亚书：
那使世界如同旷野，翻毁其城邑的，是你吗？（以赛亚书14:17）同一先知书：巴比伦必像神所倾覆的所多玛、蛾摩拉一样；它必永远无人居住，世世代代无人居住；阿拉伯人也不在那里停留。猫头鹰的女儿必住在那里，萨梯在那里跳舞。（以赛亚书13:19–22;以及耶利米书50:37–40;51:2,25–26,37,41–43;以及别的地方）
1037. (Verse 3) And he carried me away into a wilderness, in the spirit. That this signifies into a place appearing in vision, which corresponded to the state of that religious persuasion, is evident from the signification of a wilderness, as denoting a state of the church in which there is no longer any good and truth (concerning which see n. 730); but whereas the church in which there is no longer any good and truth is not a church, therefore it is called a religious persuasion (religiosum); and from the signification of, in the spirit, as denoting in vision; for what John saw in the spirit he saw in vision. To see in vision is to see such things as exist with the angels in heaven, which are representative and thence significative of things spiritual. These, when they appear to a man, do not appear before the sight of his body, but before the sight of his spirit. For his spirit has eyes equally as his body; but the eyes of his spirit see the things in the spiritual world, because all the things that appear there are from a spiritual origin; and the spiritual man sees spiritual things with the understanding, and with the eyes the same things in a form like the natural. But the eyes of the body see those things that are in the material world, because all the things that appear there are from a natural origin, and the material man sees natural things with the understanding, and with the eyes the same things in a material form. When, therefore, the eyes of their spirits were opened in the case of the prophets, they then saw such things, as represented and thence signified the Divine-celestial and Divine-spiritual things of the church, and also sometimes such things as represented and thence signified what was to take place in the churches in the future. These are the things that John saw.
The reason why he now saw a wilderness is, that by a wilderness is signified a state of the church devastated of all good and truth; and this state corresponds to the church which was become Babylon. Therefore also Babel, in many passages in the Word, is described as a wilderness. As in the following:
Art thou "he who hath made the world into a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof?" (Isaiah 14:17).
Babel shall be "as the overthrowing of Sodom and Gomorrah; it shall not be inhabited for ever; it shall not be dwelt in even to generation and generation; so that the Arab shall not tarry there. The daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there" (Isaiah 13:19-22).
And also in Jeremiah (50:37-40; 51:2, 25, 26, 37, 41-43), and elsewhere.
1037. Verse 3. And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, signifies into a place appearing in vision that corresponded to the state of that religious persuasion. This is evident from the signification of "wilderness," as being a state of the church in which there is no longer any good or truth (See n. Isaiah 14:17).
Babylon shall be as God's overthrowing Sodom and Gomorrah; it shall not be inhabited forever; it shall not be dwelt in even from generation to generation; that the Arabian may not abide there. The daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and the satyrs shall dance there (Isaiah 13:19-22; also Jeremiah 50:37-40; 51:2, 25-26, 37, 41-43).
1037. (Vers. 3.) "Et detulit me in desertum in spiritu." - Quod significet in locum in visione apparentem, qui correspondebat statui illius religiosi, constat ex significatione "deserti", quod sit status ecclesiae, in qua non est aliquod bonum et verum amplius (de qua (supra), n. 730); at quia ecclesia in qua non est bonum et verum amplius, non est ecclesia, ideo vocatur religiosum; et ex significatione "in spiritu", quod sit in visione, nam quod Johannes in spiritu vidit, hoc in visione vidit. In visione videre est videre talia quae in caelo apud angelos existunt, quae sunt repraesentativa et inde significativa rerum spiritualium. Haec dum apparent homini non apparent coram visu corporis ejus, sed coram visu spiritus ejus; spiritus enim hominis aeque oculos habet ac corpus ejus, sed oculi spiritus ejus vident illa quae in mundo spirituali sunt, ex causa quia omnia quae ibi apparent ex origine spirituali sunt, ac spiritualis videt intellectu spiritualia, et oculis eadem in forma sicut naturali; sed oculi corporis vident illa quae in mundo materiali sunt, ex causa quia omnia quae ibi apparent ex origine naturali sunt, ac materialis videt intellectu naturalia, et oculis eadem in forma materiali: quare cum oculi spiritus aperti fuerunt apud prophetas, tunc viderunt talia quae repraesentabant et inde significabant Divina caelestia et Divina spiritualia ecclesiae, tum quandoque talia quae repraesentabant et inde significabant futura quae eventura sunt ecclesiis; haec sunt quae vidit Johannes. Quod nuncviderit desertum, est quia per "desertum" significatur status ecclesiae devastatae ab omni bono et vero; et hic status est correspondens ecclesiae quae facta est Babylonia; quare etiam Babel multis in locis in Verbo describitur ut desertum, ut in sequentibus: –
Num tu es "qui posuit orbem in desertum, et urbes ejus destruxit?" (Esaias 14:17):
Babel erit "sicut eversio .. Sodoma et Gomorrha, non habitabitur in aeternum, non incoletur usque in generationem et generationem, ita ut non moretur ibi Arabs; ... habitabunt ibi filiae noctuae, et saltabunt ibi satyri" (Esaias 13:19-22).
(Et quoque apud Jeremiam, cap. 50:37-40; 51:2, 25, 26, 37, 41-43: et alibi.)