23# “就是来自那昔在、今在、以后永在的”表示来自那从永恒到永恒就是天堂和教会全部中的全部的。这从“昔在、今在、以后永在的”的含义清楚可知，“昔在、今在、以后永在的”是指从永恒到永恒，而且祂是天堂和教会全部中的全部。之所以是指从永恒到永恒，是因为在圣言中，一切时间都不是指时间，而是指生命状态(这一点可参看《天堂与地狱》一书关于天堂里的时间的阐述和说明，162–169节)；由于一切时间都表示生命状态，所以论到主，它们都表示无限状态，时间上的无限状态就是永恒。一切时间都包含在“昔在、今在、以后永在的”中，这是显而易见的。关于唯独属于主的永恒，有许多可以说的；但属世人不明白这些话，他们的思维主要建立在时间、空间和物质的基础上，而永恒本身并不包含这类事物。事实上，世人若能像天堂天使那样思想永恒，就有可能获得对它的某种观念，因而能明白“昔在”所表示的“从永恒”是什么意思；还能明白什么是神性预见，即它从永恒就包含最细微的事物；并能明白什么是圣治，或说神性治理，即它延伸到最细微的事物，直到永恒；因而明白凡从主发出之物都是从永恒到永恒；若非如此，天堂和宇宙就无法持续存在。但目前我们还无法深入了解这个奥秘(可参看《天堂与地狱》167节关于它的一些内容)。在此只让人们知道，“耶和华”与“昔在、今在、以后永在的”意思是一样的，因为“今在”，就是耶和华的意思，包含过去，也就是“昔在”，也包含将来，也就是“以后永在的”，因而表示从永恒到永恒。
基督教界从大卫诗篇也知道，“今在”(is)表示从永恒，在那里经上说：
我要传圣旨。耶和华曾对我说，你是我的儿子，我今日生你。(诗篇2:7)
众所周知，这些话论及主，“今日”表示从永恒。在圣言中论述主的地方，“明天或次日”也表示到永恒(参看《属天的奥秘》，3998节)。“昔在、今在、以后永在的”之所以还表示天堂和教会全部中的全部，是因为它表示永恒；在天堂，永恒只能以神性来表述，因为无限无法落入天使的观念，更无法落入人类的观念；永恒是来自无限存在的无限显现或实存；但能由此形成的唯一观念是，永恒，也就是显现或实存方面的神性，是天堂和教会全部中的全部。因为整个天堂不是凭天使的自我，而是凭主的神性而为天堂；教会不是凭世人的自我，也是凭主的神性而为教会；事实上，一切爱之良善和信之真理都来自主，正是爱之良善和信之真理构成天堂和教会。天使和世人只是接受者，并且天堂和教会根据他们的接受程度而在他们里面。这些事可参看《天堂与地狱》，7–12节通过许多事物解释了它们，那里说明：主的神性构成天堂，构成天堂的神性是神性人身，也就是来自神性存在的神性显现或实存(HH78–86节)。
23. From him who is, and who was, and who is to come. That this signifies, from Him who is the All in all of heaven and of the church from eternity to eternity, is evident from the signification of who is, and who was, and who is to come, as being from eternity to eternity; and also, that He is the All in all of heaven, and of the church. The reason why from eternity to eternity is signified by these words is, because all times, in the Word, signify not times, but states of life (as may be evident from what is said and shown concerning time in heaven, in the work, Heaven and Hell 162-169); and because all times signify states of life, therefore, when the Lord is treated of, they signify infinite state, and infinite state, in reference to time, is eternity. That all times are embraced in the expressions, "who is, and who was, and who is to come," is manifest. Much might be said about eternity, as a term applicable to the Lord alone; but it would not be understood by the natural man, whose thoughts are chiefly based on time, space and matter, although eternity does not involve such things. If a man could think of eternity as the angels of heaven think, he might possibly have some idea of it, and be able to comprehend what "from eternity" means, which is signified by the expression "who was"; also what the Divine foresight is, that it embraces the most particular things from eternity; and what, the Divine providence is, that it extends to the most particular things, to eternity; consequently, that whatever proceeds from the Lord is from eternity to eternity, and that unless such were the case, heaven and the universe could not subsist.
But at present we cannot enter further into this arcanum. (Something may be seen respecting it in the work, Heaven and Hell 167.) Here let it be observed only that the same is understood by "Jehovah" as by, "who is, who was, and who is to come," because the word Is, which is JEHOVAH, involves the past, which is meant by "who was," and the future, which is meant by "who is to come," and thus signifies from eternity to eternity.
[2] That Is signifies from eternity is also known in the Christian world from that Psalm of David, where it is said,
"I will declare concerning the decree; Jehovah hath said unto me. Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee" (Arcana Coelestia 3998.) The reason why who is, who was, and who is to come signifies also the All in all of heaven and the church is, because it signifies eternal, and eternal cannot be expressed by any other word in heaven than by Divine. The reason of this is that Infinite cannot fall into an angelic idea, still less into a human idea; and by eternal is meant the infinite Manifestation (Existere) from the infinite as Being (Esse); but the only idea that can be formed of this is, that, the Eternal, which is the Divine as to Manifestation, is the All in all of heaven and the church. For the whole heaven is not heaven from the proprium of the angels, but from the Divine of the Lord; nor is the church the church from the proprium of men, but from the Divine of the Lord; for all the good of love and the truth of faith are from the Lord; and the good of love and the truth of faith constitute heaven and the church; angels and men are only recipients, and in proportion to their reception, heaven and the church dwell in them. (These things may be seen fully illustrated In the work. Heaven and Hell 7-12, where it is shown that the Divine of the Lord constitutes heaven, and that the Divine which constitutes heaven is the Divine Human, which is the Divine Manifestation (Existere) from the Divine as Being (Esse), n. 78-86.)
23. From Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, signifies from Him who is the All in all things of heaven and of the church from eternity to eternity. This is evident from the signification of "who is, and who was, and who is to come," as being from eternity to eternity, also the All in all things of heaven and of the church. From eternity to eternity is meant, because all times in the Word signify not times but states of life (as may be seen from what is said and shown concerning Time in Heaven, in the work on Heaven and Hell 162-169; and as all times signify states of life, so in reference to the Lord they signify infinite state, and infinite state as to time is eternity. That all times are comprised in "who is, and who was, and who is to come," is evident. Of eternity, which is of the Lord alone, many things might be said; but such things are not understood by the natural man, whose thoughts are chiefly based on time, space, and matter, while, nevertheless, eternity, in itself, does not include such things.
If, indeed, man could think of eternity as the angels of heaven do, he might arrive at some idea of it, and thus might comprehend what from eternity is, which is signified by "who was;" also what the Divine foresight is, that it is in the most particular things from eternity; and what Divine Providence is, that it is in the most particular things to eternity; consequently, that whatsoever proceeds from the Lord is from eternity to eternity; and unless it were so heaven and the universe would not subsist. But there is no time to go further into this arcanum as yet something may be seen respecting it in the work on Heaven and Hell 167; only let it be known, that the like is meant by "Jehovah" as by "who is, who was, and who is to come," since "Is," which is the meaning of Jehovah, involves what precedes, that is, "who was," and also what is future, that is, "who is to come," and thus signifies from eternity to eternity.
[2] That "Is," signifies from eternity is also known in the Christian world from the Psalm of David, where it is said:
I will declare of the decree; Jehovah said unto me; thou art My son; this day have I begotten thee (3998.) That the words "who is," "who was," and "who is to come," signify also the All in all things of heaven and the church is because they signify eternity; and in heaven eternity can be expressed by no other word than Divine, for the reason that what is infinite cannot fall into the angelic idea, and still less into a human idea; and eternity is infinite Existere from infinite Esse; but only this enters the idea, that eternity, which is the Divine in respect to Existere, is the All in all things of heaven and of the church. For the whole heaven is heaven not from the angels' proprium [selfhood, or what is their own], but from the Divine of the Lord; nor is the church the church from the proprium of men, but from the Divine of the Lord; for all the good of love and the truth of faith are from the Lord, and it is the good of love and the truth of faith that make heaven and the church. Angels and men are only recipients, and so far as they receive, heaven and the church are in them. (These things may be seen illustrated by many things in the work on Heaven and Hell, 7-12, where it is shown that the Divine of the Lord makes heaven, and that the Divine that makes heaven is the Divine Human, which is the Divine Existere from the Divine Esse, 78-86)
23. "Ab Ipso qui est et qui fuit et qui venturus." - Quod significet ab Ipso qui est omne in omnibus caeli et ecclesiae ab aeterno in aeternum, constat ex significatione "qui est et qui fuit et qui venturus", quod sit ab aeterno in aeternum, et quoque quod sit omne in omnibus caeli et ecclesiae: quod sit ab aeterno in aeternum, est quia omnia tempora in Verbo non significant tempora, sed status vitae (ut constare potest ex illis quae De Tempore in Caelo, in opere De Caelo et Inferno 162-169, dicta et ostensa sunt): et quia omnia tempora significant status vitae, ideo illa, cum agitur de Domino, significant statum infinitum; et status infinitus quoad tempus est aeternum: "quod omnia tempora comprehendantur per "qui est et qui fuit et qui venturus", patet. Plura de aeterno, quod est solius Domini, dici possunt; sed illa non intelligentur a naturali homine, cujus cogitationes praecipue fundatae sunt super tempore, spatio, et materia, cum tamen aeternum in se talia non includit; quare si homo posset cogitare de aeterno sicut angeli caeli cogitant, Potuisset in aliquam ideam ejus venire, et sic etiam comprehendere quid est ab aeterno quod significatur per "qui fuit", tum quid praevidentia Divina quod in singulis sit ab aeterno, et quid providentia Divina quod in singulis sit in aeternum; proinde quod quicquid a Domino procedit sit ab aeterno in aeternum, et nisi ita esset, non subsisteret caelum et universum. Sed in hoc arcanum ulterius progredi, nondum vacat; (videatur modo aliquid de eo in opere De Caelo et Inferno 167); id modo sciendum est, quod simile intelligatur per "Jehovam" quod per "qui est qui fuit et qui venturus"; quoniam "est", quod est Jehovah, involvit praecedens quod est "qui fuit", et quoque involvit futurum quod est "qui Venturus", ita significat ab aeterno in aeternum.
[2] Quod "est" significet ab aeterno; etiam notum est in orbe Christiano ex Psalmo Davidis, ubi dicitur,
"Annuntiabo de statuto, Jehovah dixit ad Me, Filius meus Tu, Ego hodie genui Te" (Psalms 2:7);
scitur quod ea de Domino dicta sint, et quod per "hodie" intelligatur ab aeterno. (Quod etiam "cras" in Verbo, ubi agitur de Domino, significet in aeternum, videatur n. 3998.) Quod "qui est, qui fuit, et qui venturus" etiam significet omne in omnibus caeli et ecclesiae, est quia significat aeternum; ac aeternum non alia voce in caelo exprimi potest quam per Divinum: causa est, quia infinitum in ideam angelicam, et minus adhuc in humanam, non potest cadere: ac aeternum est infinitum existere ex infinito esse; sed hoc solum cadit in ideam, quod aeternum, quod est Divinum quoad existere, sit omne in omnibus caeli et ecclesiae; universum enim caelum non est caelum ex proprio angelorum, sed ex Divino Domini; nec ecclesia est ecclesia ex proprio hominum, sed ex Divino Domini; omne enim bonum amoris et verum fidei est a Domino, ac bonum amoris et verum fidei faciunt caelum et ecclesiam: angeli et homines sunt modo receptiones; et quantum recipiunt, tantum in illis caelum et ecclesia est. (Sed haec pluribus illustrata videantur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 7-12, ubi ostenditur quod Divinum Domini faciat caelum; et quod Divinum quod facit caelum sit Divinum Humanum, quod est Divinum Existere ex Divino Esse, n. 78-86.)