563# “按着希伯来话，他名叫亚巴顿；按着希腊话，他有名叫亚玻伦”表示这种流注的品质，即：它对一切真理和良善都具有毁灭性。这从“名”、希伯来语的亚巴顿和希腊语的亚玻伦的含义清楚可知：“名”是指一个状态的品质和一个事物的品质(参看AE 148节)。希伯来语的亚巴顿是指毁灭，希腊语的亚玻伦具有相同的含义；因此，所表示的是对真理和良善具有毁灭性，因为这是所论述的主题。人的感官层，也就是他的智力或理解力的生命终端，之所以对一切属灵真理和良善，也就是教会的真理和良善具有毁灭性，是因为感官层最接近世界，也最紧密地粘附于身体；因此，它从这两者那里拥有情感和由此而来的思维，这些情感和思维就本身而言，与来自天堂的属灵情感和由此而来的思维截然相反。事实上，人出于这感官层爱自己和世界胜过一切，这些爱在何等程度上掌权，来自它们的邪恶和虚假就在何等程度上掌权，因为邪恶和虚假从这些爱，如同从它们的源头那样涌现和流出。所有通过生活的邪恶和由此而来的虚假而变得纯感官化的人都处于这些爱。凭每个人所拥有的理解官能，谁都能看出情况就是这样。因为如果最接近世界、最紧密地粘附于身体之物掌权，那么可知，世界本身和身体本身，及其被称为“眼目和肉体情欲”的快乐和欲望就会掌权，人若要进入属灵情感和由此而来的思维，就必须完全从这些感官事物中退出，并被提升。当人让自己被主按秩序的律法，也就是教会的真理和良善，引领到祂自己那里，因而被引领到天堂时，这种退出和提升唯独由主实现。当这种情况发生时，那么每当人处于一种属灵状态时，他就从这终端感官层中退出，并一直被提升到它之上。这也是因为人里面的这感官层完全败坏了，而每个人与生俱来的自我就在它里面，这自我本身无非是邪恶。由此可见，为何这感官层被称为毁灭，也就是“亚巴顿”和“亚玻伦”
要知道，每个人都有三个生命层级，一个至内在层级，一个中间层级和一个终端层级；随着人变得更内层，他变得更完善，也就是更智慧，因为通过这种方式，他更内层地进入天堂之光；而随着他变得更外层，他变得更不完善，也就是更不智慧，因为通过这种方式，他更接近世界之光，更远离天堂之光。由此可见，从天堂之光什么也看不见，只能从世界之光看见的纯感官人是何品质，即：对他来说，属于世界的一切事物都在光明和辉煌之中，而属于天堂的一切事物都在黑暗和幽暗之中；当后者在黑暗和幽暗之中，前者在光明和辉煌之中时，由此可知，唯一激发和引导人的生命之火或爱就是自我之爱，以及随之而来的对一切邪恶的爱，唯一抓住并教导思维视觉的生命之光，就是支持被爱的邪恶之物，这些事物就是邪恶之虚假。由此可见，本章到目前为止所论述的纯感官人是何品质。
563. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he hath the name Apollyon.- That this signifies its quality which is destructive of all truth and good, is evident from the signification of name, as denoting the quality of state and the quality of a thing; see above (n. 148); and from the signification of Abaddon in the Hebrew tongue as denoting destruction, and similarly Apollyon in the Greek tongue; consequently the destruction of truth and good, because this is the subject treated of. The reason why the Sensual of man, which is the ultimate of his intellectual life, is destructive of all spiritual truth and good, which is the truth and good of the church, is, that that Sensual lies nearest to the world, and adheres very closely to the body, therefore both from the world and the body it has affections, and thence thoughts, which, regarded in themselves, are diametrically opposed to spiritual affections and thoughts therefrom, which are from heaven. For man, from that Sensual, loves himself and the world above all things, and so far as these loves rule, so far evils and the falsities therefrom dominate, for evils and falsities spring up and go forth from these loves, as from their source. In these loves are all those who become utterly sensual through evils of life and the falsities thence. Any one, by virtue of the faculty of understanding which is given to every man, may see that this is the case. For if that which lies nearest to the world, and adheres very closely to the body dominates, it follows as a consequence, that the world itself and the body itself, with all their pleasures and lusts (concupiscentiae) which are called those of the eye and of the flesh, exercise dominion. And [every one may also see] that a man must be entirely withdrawn and elevated from these sensual things, in order that he may come into spiritual affections, and the thoughts thence. This withdrawing and elevation is effected by the Lord alone, when man suffers himself to be led of the Lord to Himself, and thus to heaven, by the laws of order, which are the truths and goods of the church; and when this is the case, man leaves this ultimate Sensual, as often as he is in a spiritual state, and is kept elevated above it. The reason also of this is, that this Sensual in men is altogether destroyed, for therein is the proprium, into which every one is born, which in itself is nothing but evil. It is evident from these considerations why this Sensual is called destruction, or Abaddon and Apollyon.
[2] It must be observed, that there are three degrees of life in every man, an inmost, a middle, and an ultimate; and that man becomes more perfect, that is more wise, in the measure that he becomes more interior, because by that means he comes more interiorly into the light of heaven; and that he becomes more imperfect, that is, less wise, in the measure that he becomes more exterior, because by that means he comes out of the light of heaven nearer to the light of the world. It is therefore evident what the quality of the merely sensual man is, who sees nothing from the light of heaven, but only from the light of the world, namely, that every thing pertaining to the world, is to him in light and splendour, while every thing pertaining to heaven, is in darkness and thick darkness; and when the latter are in darkness and thick darkness, and the former in light and splendour, it follows that the only fire of life, or the [only] love that enkindles and leads, is the love of self and consequently the love of all evils, and that the only light of life, which lays hold of and instructs the sight of the thought, is that which favours the evils that are loved, and these are falsities of evil. The quality of the utterly sensual man, hitherto treated of in this chapter, is also evident from the above considerations.
563. His name in the Hebrew Abaddon, and in the Greek he hath the name Apollyon, signifies the quality of that influx, that it is destructive of all truth and good. This is evident from the signification of "name" 1as meaning the quality of a state and of a thing (See above, n. 148); also from the meaning of Abaddon in the Hebrew, which is destruction; Apollyon has the like meaning in the Greek; consequently the destruction of truth and good is meant, because these are treated of. The sensual of man, which is the ultimate of his intellectual life, is destructive of all spiritual truth and good, which is the truth and good of the church, because that sensual stands nearest to the world and clings most closely to the body; and from both these it has affections and consequent thoughts, which viewed in themselves are diametrically contrary to spiritual affections and the consequent thoughts, which are from heaven. For man from that sensual loves himself and the world above all things, and so far as these loves are dominant, so far evils and falsities from them are dominant, for evils and falsities swarm forth and flow out from these loves as from their origins. In such loves are all who have become merely sensual through evils of life and falsities therefrom.
This anyone can see from the faculty to understand that everyone possesses; for if that which stands nearest to the world and clings most closely to the body is dominant it follows that the world itself and the body itself, with all their pleasures and lusts, which are called pleasures "of the eye and of the flesh," will be dominant, and that man in order that he may come into spiritual affections and thoughts therefrom must be entirely withdrawn and elevated from these sensual things. This withdrawing and elevation are effected by the Lord alone, so far as man suffers himself, of the Lord, to be led to the Lord, and thus to heaven, by the laws of order which are the truths and goods of the church. When this takes place, as often as man is in a spiritual state he withdraws from this ultimate sensual and is kept elevated above it; and this also for the reason that this sensual in men is altogether corrupted, for in it is what is one's own (proprium) into which everyone is born, which in itself is nothing but evil. From this it can be seen why this sensual is called destruction, that is, "Abaddon" and "Apollyon. "
[2] It is to be known, that there are three degrees of life with every man, an inmost, a middle, and an ultimate; and that man becomes more perfect, that is, wiser, as he becomes more interior, because he thus comes so much the more interiorly into the light of heaven; also that man becomes more imperfect, that is, less wise, as he becomes more exterior, because he thus draws so much nearer to the light of the world and so much farther away from the light of heaven. From this it can be seen what is the quality of the merely sensual man who sees nothing from the light of heaven but solely from the light of the world, namely, that all things belonging to the world are to him in light and splendor, and all things belonging to heaven are in darkness and thick darkness; and when these are in darkness and in thick darkness, and the former in light and splendor, it follows that the only fire of life or the only love that incites and leads is the love of self, and the consequent love of all evils, and that the only light of life that touches and instructs the sight of the thought is that which favors the evils that are loved, and such are the falsities of evil. From this it can be seen of what quality the merely sensual man is, which is treated of thus far in this chapter.
Footnotes:
1. Latin has "man," the Greek and the Latin just before has "name."
563. "Nomen ei Hebraice Abaddon, et in Graeca nomen habet Apollyon." - Quod significet quale ejus, quod sit perdens omne verum et bonum, constat ex significatione " 1
nominis", quod sit quale status et quale rei (de qua supra, n. 148); et ex significatione "Abaddon" in lingua Hebraica, quod sit perditio, similiter "Apollyon" in lingua Graeca; proinde perditio veri et boni, quia de illis agitur. Quod sensuale hominis, quod est ultimum vitae intellectualis ejus, sit perdens omne verum et bonum spirituale, quod est verum et bonum ecclesiae, est quia illud sensuale proxime exstat mundo, et proxime adhaeret corpori; unde ei ex utroque sunt affectiones et inde cogitationes, quae in se spectatae e diametro sunt contra affectiones et inde cogitationes spirituales, quae e caelo sunt: nam homo ex sensuali illo amat se et mundum super omnia; et quantum hi amores dominantur, tantum dominantur mala et inde falsa, quae ex illis ut ex suis originibus scaturiunt et effluunt. In illis amoribus sunt omnes qui mere sensuales per mala vitae et inde falsa facti sunt. Haec quisque potest ex intellectus facultate, quae cuivis est, videre; si enim dominatur illud quod proxime exstat mundo et proxime adhaeret corpori, sequitur quod ipse mundus et ipsum corpus cum omnibus eorum voluptatibus et concupiscentiis, quae vocantur "oculi et carnis", dominentur; et quod homo omnino abducendus et elevandus sit ab his sensualibus, ut in spirituales affectiones et inde cogitationes venire possit. Haec abductio et elevatio fit a solo Domino, quando homo patitur se duci a Domino per leges ordinis, quae sunt vera et bona ecclesiae, ad Ipsum et sic ad caelum: et cum hoc fit, homo relinquit ultimum hoc sensuale, quoties in statu spirituali est, et elevatus supra illud tenetur; et hoc quoque ex causa, quia hoc sensuale est prorSus deperditum apud homines; in eo enim est cujusvis proprium, in quod nascitur, quod in se non est nisi quam malum. Ex his constare potest unde est quod id sensuale dicatur "perditio", seu "Abaddon" et "Apollyon. "
[2] Sciendum est quod tres gradus vitae apud unumquemvis hominem sint, intimus, medius et ultimus; et quod homo eo perfectior fiat, hoc est, sapientior, quo interior fit, ex causa quia eo interius in lucem caeli venit; et quod homo eo imperfectior fiat, hoc est, minus sapiens, quo exterior fit, ex causa quia a luce caeli eo propius ad lucem mundi venit. Inde constare potest qualis est mere sensualis homo, qui nihil videt ex luce caeli sed solum ex luce mundi; quod nempe ei in luce et splendore sint omnia quae mundi sunt, ac in tenebris et caligine sint omnia quae caeli; et quando haec in tenebris et caligine sunt, et illa in luce et splendore, sequitur quod non alius ignis vitae et amor sit qui accendit et ducit, quam amor sui et inde amor omnium malorum; et quod non alia lux vitae sit quae cogitationis visum stringit et instruit, quam quae favet malis quae amat, et haec sunt falsa mali. Ex his etiam videri potest qualis est mere sensualis homo, de quo huc usque in hoc capite actum est.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.