1097# “说大巴比伦倾倒了，倾倒了”表示最后的审判已经施行在那些因自称有权统治天堂和教会的圣物而亵渎了这些圣物的人身上。这从“倾倒了，倾倒了”和“巴比伦”的含义清楚可知：“倾倒了，倾倒了”是指彻底的倾覆和毁灭，因而是指最后的审判，彻底的倾覆和毁灭是通过最后的审判实现的，因为那时，这些人被扔进地狱。“巴比伦”是指那些因自称有权统治天堂和教会的圣物而亵渎了这些圣物的人。因为“巴比伦”与“骑在朱红色兽上的淫妇”，以及前一章“地上的淫乱和可憎之物的母”是一个意思，他们是指那些亵渎了教会圣物的人。我们在那一章论述了这些人和他们所造成的亵渎。
（关于《亚他那修信经》续）
关于一神的思维向人打开天堂，因为只有一位神；而关于多神的思维关闭天堂，因为多神的观念摧毁一神的观念。关于真神的思维打开天堂，因为天堂和属于天堂的一切都来自这位真神；而关于假神的思维关闭天堂，因为天上只承认真神，不承认别神。关于神，创造者或造物主，救赎主和光照者的思维打开天堂，因为这三位一体属于独一真神；再者，关于无限、永恒、非受造、全能、全在和全知的神的思维打开天堂，因为这些是属于那独一真神的本质的属性；而把活人当成神，死人当成神，或偶像当成神的思维关闭天堂，因为这些不是全知，全在，全能，非受造，永恒和无限的，创造和救赎不是从他们那里发出的，他们也不是光照的源头。
只有关于神是一个人，神性三位一体，也就是被称为父、子和圣灵的三位一体在祂里面的思维才能打开天堂；而关于神不是一个人的思维关闭天堂，表面上看，这种观念就像一朵小云，或像最细微部分中的自然界。因为神是一个人，就像整个天使天堂作为整体是一个人，因而每位天使和每个灵人也是一个人一样。因此，只有关于主是宇宙之神的思维才能打开天堂，因为主说：
父已将万有交在子手里。（约翰福音3:35）约翰福音：父赐给子权柄管理一切肉体。（约翰福音17:2）马太福音：一切都是父交给我的。（马太福音11:27）
又：天上地上所有的权柄都赐给我了。（马太福音28:18）
这一切清楚表明，没有诸如存在于天上的这种神观，人不能得救。对天上的神的观念就是主，因为天堂天使在主里面，主在他们里面；因此，思想主以外的其他任何神对他们来说是不可能的（参看约翰福音14:20,21）。请允许我补充一点，神是一个人的观念已经从天上被植入全世界每个民族，但让我哀叹的是，它却在基督教界被摧毁了。下文将阐述其原因。
1097. Saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.- That this signifies that the Last Judgment was accomplished upon those who had profaned the holy things of heaven and of the church, by the dominion which they claimed to themselves over them, is evident from the signification of, "fallen, fallen," as denoting complete ruin and destruction, thus the Last Judgment, for by the Last Judgment complete ruin and destruction are effected, because they are then cast into hell; and from the signification of Babylon, as denoting those who have profaned the holy things of heaven and of the church by dominion assumed over them. For Babylon has a meaning similar to that of the harlot sitting on the scarlet beast, and to that of the mother of whoredoms and of the abominations of the earth, in the preceding chapter, by whom are meant those who have profaned the holy things of the church; of these and their profanations we have treated in that chapter.
[2] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed.- Thought concerning one God opens heaven to man, because there is only one God; but, thought concerning several Gods closes heaven, since the idea of several Gods destroys the idea of one God. Thought concerning the true God opens heaven, for heaven, together with all that belongs to it, is from the true God; but thought concerning a false God closes heaven, for no other God is acknowledged in heaven but the true God. Thought concerning God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Enlightener, opens heaven, for this trinity belongs to the one true God; also, thought concerning God the infinite, eternal, uncreate, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, opens heaven, for these are attributes that pertain to the essence of the one, true God; but, thought concerning a living man as a God, a dead man as a God, or an idol as a God, closes heaven, because these are not omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, uncreate, eternal, and infinite, neither did creation and redemption proceed from them, nor are they the source of enlightenment.
[3] Only thought concerning God as a man, in whom is a Divine Trinity, which is called Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, opens heaven; but, thought concerning God as not being a man, which is presented to appearance like a little cloud, or like nature in her minutest parts, closes heaven. For God is a man, just as the whole angelic heaven in its entirety is a man, and every angel and every spirit is consequently a man. Therefore, only thought concerning the Lord, that he is the God of the universe, opens heaven; for the Lord says, "The Father hath given all things into the hand" of the Son (John 3:35). The Father hath given to the Son "power over all flesh" (John 17:2). "All things have been delivered to me by the Father" (Matthew 11:27). "All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18).
[4] From these things it is evident, that a man who does not possess such an idea of God as exists in heaven, cannot be saved. The idea of God in heaven is the Lord; for the angels of heaven are in the Lord, and the Lord is in them, and therefore, it is impossible for them to think of any other God than the Lord (see John 14:20, 21). Permit me to add, that the idea of God as a man, has been implanted from heaven in every nation throughout the whole world, but - and this I lament - it has been destroyed in Christendom; the reasons for this will be stated below.
1097. Saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, signifies that the Last Judgment has been effected upon those who have profaned the holy things of heaven and the church by the dominion they have assumed over them. This is evident from the signification of "Fallen, fallen," as being utter overthrow and downfall, thus the Last Judgment, for through the Last Judgment utter overthrow and downfall are effected, since such then are cast into hell. Also from the signification of "Babylon," as being those who have profaned the holy things of heaven and the church by the dominion they have assumed over them; for by "Babylon" the same is meant as by "the harlot sitting on the scarlet beast," and the same as by "the mother of whoredoms and of the abominations of the earth" in the preceding chapter, which mean those who have profaned the holy things of the church. These and the profanations wrought by them are treated of in that chapter.
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith)
[2] Thought about one God opens heaven to man, since there is but one God, while on the other hand thought about many gods closes heaven, since the idea of many gods destroys the idea of one God. Thought about the true God opens heaven, since heaven and everything belonging to it is from the true God, while on the other hand thought about a false God closes heaven, since no other than the true God is acknowledged in heaven. Thought about God the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Enlightener opens heaven, for this is the trinity of the one and true God. Again, thought about God infinite, eternal, uncreate, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient opens heaven, for these are attributes of the essence of the one and true God, while on the other hand thought about a living man as God, of a dead man as God, or of an idol as God closes heaven, because they are not omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, uncreate, eternal, and infinite, nor was creation or redemption wrought by them, nor is there enlightenment by them.
[3] Thought about God as Man, in whom is the Divine trinity, that is, the trinity called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, alone opens heaven; while on the other hand thought about God as not Man, which idea is presented in appearance as a little cloud, or as nature in her least parts, closes heaven, for God is Man, as the whole angelic heaven in its complex is Man, and every angel and every spirit is in consequence a man. For this reason thought about the Lord as being the God of the universe is what alone opens heaven, for the Lord says:
The Father hath given all things into the hand of the Son (John 3:35).
The Father hath given the Son power over all flesh (John 17:2).
All things have been delivered to Me by the Father (Matthew 11:27).
All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).
[4] All this makes clear that man without such an idea of God as exists in heaven cannot be saved. The idea of God in heaven is the Lord, for the angels of heaven are in the Lord and the Lord is in them; consequently to think of any other God than the Lord is to them impossible (See John 14:20, 21). Allow me to add that the idea of God as Man has been implanted from heaven in every nation throughout the whole world, but what I lament, it has been destroyed in Christendom. The causes of this will be told below.
1097. "Dicens, Cecidit, cecidit Babylon magna." - Quod significet quod ultimum judicium factum sit super illos qui sancta caeli et ecclesiae profanaverunt, per assumptam dominationem super illa, constat ex significatione "Cecidit, cecidit", quod sit interitus et exitium, ita ultimum judicium, nam per ultimum judicium fit interitus et exitium, conjiciuntur enim tunc in infernum; et ex significatione "Babylonis", quod sint qui profanarunt sancta caeli et ecclesiae per dominationem assumptam super illa; per "Babylonem" enim simile intelligitur quod per "meretricem sedentem super bestia coccinea", et simile quod per "matrem scortationum et abominationum terrae", in praecedente capite, per quam intelliguntur illi qui sancta ecclesiae profanaverunt; de quibus, et de profanatione ab illis, in eo capite actum est.
[2] (Continuatio de Fide Athanasiana.)
Cogitatio de Deo uno aperit homini caelum, quia non est nisi quam unus Deus; vicissim cogitatio de pluribus diis claudit caelum, quoniam idea plurium deorum destruit ideam unius Dei. Cogitatio de vero Deo aperit caelum, nam ex vero Deo est caelum et omne ejus; vicissim cogitatio de falso Deo claudit caelum, nam alius Deus quam verus non agnoscitur in caelo. Cogitatio de Deo Creatore, Redemptore et Illustratore aperit caelum, nam hoc Trinum est unius et veri Dei; tum cogitatio de Deo infinito, aeterno, increato, omnipotente, omnipraesente et omnisciente aperit caelum, nam haec sunt attributa essentiae unius et veri Dei; vicissim cogitatio de homine vivo ut Deo, de homine mortuo ut Deo, et de idolo ut Deo, claudit caelum, quia illi non sunt omniscii, omnipraesentes, omnipotentes, increati, aeterni et infiniti, nec ab illis fuit creatio, redemptio, 1
nec est illustratio.
[3] Sola cogitatio de Deo ut Homine, in quo Trinum Divinum est, nempe, quod vocatur Pater, Filius et Spiritus sanctus, aperit caelum; vicissim cogitatio de Deo ut non Homine, quae apparenter sistitur ut nubecula, vel sicut Natura in suis minimis, claudit caelum, nam Deus est Homo, sicut universum caelum angelicum in suo complexu est Homo, ac omnis angelus et omnis spiritus inde est homo. Ideo sola cogitatio de Domino, quod sit Deus universi, aperit caelum; nam dicit Dominus,
"Pater.... dedit omnia in manum" Filii (Johannes 3:35);
Pater dedit Filio "potestatem omnis carnis" (Johannes 17:2);
"Omnia mea tradita sunt a Patre" (Matthaeus 11:27);
"Data est Mihi omnis potestas in caelo et in terra" (Matth. 28:18 2
).
[4] Ex his patet quod homo absque idea Dei, qualis est in caelo, non possit salvari: idea Dei in caelo est Dominus; nam angeli caeli in Domino sunt, et Dominus in illis; quare cogitare de alio Deo quam de Domino, illis impossibile est (vide Johannes 14:20, 21). Sit venia quod addam: – Idea de Deo ut Homine est insita e caelo omni genti in universo terrarum orbe; at, quod lamentor, deperdita in Christiano: causae dicentur infra.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.