1125# “就是死亡、悲哀、饥荒”表示当不再有任何良善或任何真理，只有邪恶和虚假时。这从“死亡”、“悲哀”和“饥荒”的含义清楚可知：“死亡”是指当没有任何良善时，因为那时，人属灵地死亡了（在圣言中，“死”表示属灵的死亡，可参看AE78,387,694节）。“悲哀”是指当不再有任何真理时，因而当教会荒凉时（可参看AE1119节）。“饥荒”是指当只有邪恶和虚假时，因为在圣言中，“饥荒”表示真理和良善的缺乏，但仍有对它们的渴望。“饥饿的”和“挨饿的”就是指那些具有这种缺乏和渴望的人。“饥荒”也表示当没有对真理和良善的渴望时，真理和良善的缺乏，因而表示它们的丧失。这就是临到那些完全处于虚假和邪恶之人的饥荒（可参看AE386a,b节）。
（关于《亚他那修信经》续，关于主）
对生命，也就是神持有一个观念是不可能的，除非获得层级的概念，生命按层级从至内层降至终端。有生命的至内在层级，也有生命的终端层级，还有生命的居间层级；这些层级之间的区别就像在先之物与在后之物之间的区别，因为在后层级从在先层级中存在，等等。这种区别又像不那么总体之物与更总体之物之间的区别，因为属于在先层级的事物，是不那么总体的，属于在后层级的事物，是更总体的。生命的这些层级自创造时就在每个人里面；它们照着对来自主的生命的接受而被打开。在有些人里面，紧邻终端的那个层级，即倒数第二个层级被打开，在有些人里面，中间层级被打开，在有些人里面，至内在层级被打开。至内在层级打开的人死后成为至内层或第三层天堂的天使，中间层级打开的人死后成为中间或第二层天堂的天使，而紧邻终端的层级，即倒数第二个层级打开的人死后成为最低层或终端天堂的天使。这些层级被称为人的生命层级，但它们是其智慧和爱的层级，因为它们照着他对智慧和爱，因而对来自主的生命的接受而被打开。这些生命层级也在身体的一切器官、一切脏腑和肢体中，并通过流注与脑中的生命层级一致行动，或说行如一体；皮肤、软骨和骨骼则形成它们的终端层级。
人里面之所以有这些层级，是因为从主发出的生命里面有这些层级；但在主里面，它们是生命，而在人里面，它们是生命的接受者。然而，要知道，主里面还有更高的层级，所有层级，无论最高的还是最低的，都是生命；因为主教导说，祂是生命，祂有肉有骨。不过，关于这些层级和连续层级，可参看《天堂与地狱》（33,34,38,39,208,209,211,435节），那里更全面地描述了它们。要从那本书中获得这些层级的知识，以备下文所用。
1125. Death, and mourning, and famine.- That this signifies, when there is no longer any good, or any truth, but only evil and falsity, is evident from the signification of death, which denotes when there is not any good, for then a man is spiritually dead (that death, in the Word, signifies spiritual death, may be seen above, n. 78, 387, 694); from the signification of mourning, which denotes when there is no longer any truth, that is when the church is desolated, as may be seen above (n. 1119); and from the signification of famine, which denotes when there is nothing but what is entirely evil and false; for in the Word famine signifies a want of truth and good and yet a desire for them, those who are in such want and desire being meant therein by the hungry and famished. Famine also signifies a want of truth and good where there is nevertheless no desire for them, thus to be deprived of them. Such a famine comes upon those who are utterly in falsities and evils, as may be seen above (n. 386).
[2] Continuation concerning the Athanasian Creed, and concerning the Lord.- There can be no idea of the life which is God unless there is also an idea of the degrees by which life descends from inmosts to its ultimates. There is an inmost and also an ultimate degree of life, and there are intermediate degrees of life. The distinction between these is like that between things prior and things posterior; for a posterior degree exists from a prior one, and so forth; and the difference is like that between things less and more general, for what belongs to a prior degree, is less general, and what to a posterior degree is more so. These degrees of life are in every man from creation, and they are opened according to his reception of life from the Lord. In some the penultimate degree is opened, in some the middle degree, and in some the inmost. Those in whom the inmost degree is opened become, after death, angels of the inmost or third heaven. Those in whom the middle degree is opened become, after death, angels of the middle or second heaven; but those in whom the penultimate degree is opened become, after death, angels of the ultimate heaven.
[3] Those degrees are called degrees of the life of man, but they are degrees of his wisdom and love, because they are opened according to his reception of wisdom and love, that is, of life from the Lord. Such degrees of life are, also, in every organ, in each of the viscera and members of the body, and they act in unison with the degrees of life in the brains by influx, the skins, cartilages, and bones forming their ultimate degree. The reason why these degrees are in man, is, that such are the degrees of the life that proceeds from the Lord; but in the Lord they are life, while in man they are recipients of life. It should be known, however, that in the Lord there are degrees still higher, and that all of them, both the highest and lowest, are life; for the Lord teaches that He is life, and also that He has flesh and bones. But concerning both these and continuous degrees, see Heaven and Hell 33, 34, 38, 39, 208, 209, 211, 435), where they are more fully described. A knowledge of these ought to be acquired from that work for use in what follows.
1125. Death and mourning and famine, signifies when there is no longer any good nor any truth, but only evil and falsity. This is evident from the signification of "death," as being when there is no good, for then man is spiritually dead. (That "death" signifies in the Word spiritual death may be seen n. 78, 387, 694.) Also from the signification of "mourning," as being when there is no longer any truth, thus when the church is desolated (See above, n. 1119). Also from the signification of "famine," as being when there is nothing but evil and falsity, for "famine" signifies in the Word a lack of truth and good, and still a desire for them. Those who have such a lack and desire are meant by "those who hunger" and the "famished." "Famine" signifies also a lack of truth and good when there is no desire for them, thus the loss of them. Such is the famine of those who are solely in falsities and evils (See above, n. 386).
(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith and respecting the Lord)
[2] An idea of the life that is God cannot be had unless an idea of the degrees by which life descends from its inmosts to its ultimates is gained. There is an inmost degree of life and there is an ultimate degree of life and there are intermediate degrees of life; the distinction between these is like the difference between things prior and things posterior, for a posterior degree exists from a prior one, and so on. Again, the difference is like the difference between things less and more general, for what is of a prior degree is less general, and what is of a posterior one is more general. Such degrees of life are in every man from creation; and they are opened according to the reception of life from the Lord. In some the degree next to the ultimate is being opened, in some the middle, and in some the inmost. Men in whom the inmost degree is being opened become after death angels of the inmost or third heaven, those in whom the middle degree is being opened become after death angels of the middle or second heaven, while those in whom the degree next to the ultimate is being opened become after death angels of the lowest heaven. These degrees are called degrees of man's life, but they are degrees of his wisdom and love, because they are opened according to the reception of wisdom and love, thus of life from the Lord. There are such degrees of life also in all the organs and viscera and members of the body, and by influx they act as one with the degrees of life in the brains. The skins, the cartilages, and the bones make their ultimate degree.
[3] There are such degrees in man because there are such degrees in the life that proceeds from the Lord, but in the Lord these are life, while in man they are recipients of life. But it is to be known that in the Lord there are still higher degrees, and that all, both the highest and the lowest, are life; for the Lord teaches both that He is the life and that He has flesh and bones. (But on these degrees, and on continuous degrees, see the work on Heaven and Hell 3 3, 34, 38, 39, 208, 209, 211, 435, where they are more fully described. A knowledge of these should be drawn from that work for use in what follows.)
1125. "Mors et luctus et fames." - Quod significet dum non amplius aliquod bonum, nec aliquod verum, sed modo malum et falsum, constat ex significatione "mortis", quod sit dum non aliquod bonum, tunc enim homo spiritualiter mortuus est; (quod "mors" in Verbo significet mortem spiritualem videatur [supra,] n. 78, 1
387, 694): ex significatione "luctus", quod sit cum non amplius aliquod verum, ita cum ecclesia desolata est (ut supra, n. 1119); et ex significatione "famis", quod sit cum mere malum et falsum, "fames" enim in Verbo significat defectum veri et boni, et usque desiderium ad illa; illi qui in defectu sunt et desiderant, intelliguntur in Verbo per "esurientes" et "famelicos": "fames" etiam significat defectum veri et boni et usque non desiderium ad illa, ita deprivationem illorum; haec fames illis est qui in mere falsis et malis sunt (videatur supra, n. 386 [a, b]).
[2] (Continuatio de Fide Athanasiana, et de Domino.)
Idea de Vita quae Deus, non haberi potest, nisi etiam comparetur idea graduum, per quos vita ab intimis ad ultima ejus descendit. Est gradus vitae intimus, et est gradus vitae ultimus, et sunt gradus vitae intermedii; distinctio eorum est sicut inter priora et posteriora, nam gradus posterior existit a priori, et sic porro; et discrimen est sicut inter minus et magis communia, nam quod prioris gradus est, minus commune est, et quod posterioris magis. Tales gradus vitae sunt in quovis homine ex creatione, et aperiuntur secundum receptionem vitae a Domino; in quibusdam aperitur penultimus gradus, in quibusdam medius, et in quibusdam intimus: homines in quibus aperitur intimus gradus, fiunt post mortem angeli intimi seu tertii caeli; illi in quibus aperitur medius gradus, fiunt post mortem angeli medii seu secundi caeli; illi autem in quibus aperitur penultimus gradus, fiunt post mortem angeli ultimi caeli. Illi gradus dicuntur gradus vitae hominis, sed sunt gradus sapientiae et amoris ejus, quia aperiuntur secundum receptionem sapientiae et amoris, ita vitae a Domino. Tales gradus vitae etiam sunt in omni organo, viscere et membro corporis, ac unum agunt cum gradibus vitae in celebris per influxum; cutes, cartilagines et ossa faciunt illorum gradum ultimum.
[3] Quod tales gradus in homine sint, est quia tales gradus sunt vitae quae procedit a Domino; sed illi in Domino sunt homine autem recipientes vitae. At sciendum est quod in Domino sint gradus adhuc superiores, et quod omnes tam supremi quam ultimi sint Vita; docet enim Dominus quod sit Vita, et quoque quod carnem et ossa habeat. (Sed de his gradibus, et de gradibus continuis, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 33, 34, 38, 39, 208, 209, 211, 2
435, ubi illi plenius sunt descripti; quorum cognitio inde haurienda est propter usum in sequentibus.)
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.