726# “是将来要用铁棒照管所有民族的”表示这教义将凭来自属灵真理的属世真理的能力反驳并说服那些处于虚假和邪恶，却又在圣言所在的教会中的人。这从“照管”、“所有民族”和“铁棒”的含义清楚可知：“照管”是指教导(对此，参看AE 482节)，但在此是指说服和反驳，因为经上说他“将来要用铁棒”；“所有民族”是指那些处于虚假和邪恶的人(对此，参看AE 175, 331b, 625节)；“铁棒”是指来自属灵真理的属世真理的能力，因为“杖”或“棍、棒”表示能力，论及属灵的神性真理，“铁”表示属世人中的真理。“铁棒”之所以表示来自属灵真理的属世真理的能力，是因为属世人中的真理所拥有的一切能力都来自从属灵人那里而来的真理与良善的流注，也就是说，来自从主通过属灵人进入属世人的神性真理的流注；因为唯独主拥有能力，祂通过从祂发出的神性真理行使这能力。但为了更清楚地理解这些事，必须说明：
(1)主拥有无限能力。
(2)主从祂自己通过祂的神性真理拥有这能力。
(3)一切能力都共存于终端中，因此主从最初事物或初始通过终端拥有无限能力。
(4)天使和世人在何等程度上是来自主的神性真理的接受者，就在何等程度上拥有能力。
(5)只要属世人接受从主通过属灵人而来的流注，能力就居于属世人的真理中。
(6)没有这流注，属世人的真理没有任何能力。
(1)主拥有无限能力，这一点可从以下事实清楚看出来：主是天堂的神，大地的神；祂创造了充满无数恒星，也就是太阳的宇宙，又在宇宙中创造了如此多的星系和这些星系中的星球；这些星系和其中的星球数量超过数十万；唯独祂不断保存并维持这些东西，因为祂创造了它们。此外，祂不仅创造了自然的世界，还创造了在它们之上的属灵的世界，并且持续不断地使这些世界充满天使和灵人，直到他们有无数；祂将地狱安置在他们下面，这些地狱在数量上和天堂一样多。唯独祂将生命赐予在自然的世界和自然之上的世界中的一切事物，无论集体的还是单个的；由于唯独祂赐予生命，所以若不从祂那里，天使、灵人或世人都没有移动手或脚的能力。主的无限能力的性质尤其从这一事实明显看出来：唯独主接收所有从众多星球来到属灵世界的人，单单从我们地球来的，每周就有数千万人，因此从宇宙中成千上万个星球来的，就有无数人；主通过上千种神性智慧的秘密方法将每个人引到他生活的地方，引导信徒到他们在天堂的地方，引导非信徒到他们在地狱的地方；祂掌管所有人的思维、意图和意愿，无论他们在哪里，无论最具体地还是最普遍地；祂使天堂里的每一个和所有人都享受自己的幸福，将地狱里的每一个和所有人都拘守在他们的束缚中，如此他们就没有一个人敢举手，更不说起来伤害任何天使了；所有人就这样被保持在秩序和束缚中，直到永远，无论天堂和地狱如何增多。如果主没有无限能力，多到无法提及的这些和其它许多事物根本不可能存在。主自己在马太福音中教导，唯独祂掌管一切事物：
天上地上的一切权柄都赐给我了。(马太福音28:18)
约翰福音：
祂就是生命。(约翰福音5:26; 11:25, 26; 14:6)
(2)主从祂自己通过祂的神性真理拥有无限能力，因为神性真理就是发出的神性，前面所说关于主的无限能力的所有那些事都从主所发出的神性实现。就本身而言，神性真理就是神性智慧，它像我们世界太阳的光和热一样朝各个方向延伸；因为在天使和灵人所在的灵界，主凭神性之爱而显为一轮太阳；从这太阳发出的一切都被称为神性真理；发出之物也会产生，而且发出之物就是祂自己，因为它来自主；因此，在众天堂里的主就是神性真理。但为叫人们知道，主通过神性真理拥有无限能力，必须说一说它的本质和存在。这一点只能通过诸如从世界的太阳发出的那类事物从属世人及其光来理解，这太阳从这些事物并通过它们在其世界，以及它的热和光之下的星球中拥有一切能力。被称为以太和空气的灵气(auras)和大气从我们世界的太阳，如同从它们的源头那样发出。因此，离这太阳最近的，是纯以太，离它更远的，是不太纯的以太，最后是空气；但这些以太和空气在星球周围。这些以太和空气当全体活跃时，就会产生热，当在其最小组成部分上被调整时，就会发光。太阳通过这些行使其一切能力，并在其自身之外产生一切结果，因而通过以太和空气，以热为媒介，同时又以光为媒介如此行。
由此可对主通过神性真理所拥有的无限能力形成某种概念。灵气和大气以同样的方式从祂那里，如同从一轮太阳散发出来，但它们是属灵的，因为它们来自构成那太阳的神性之爱。灵界就有这些大气，这一点从天使和灵人的呼吸明显看出来。那些离显为太阳的主最近的属灵的灵气和大气是最纯的；但照着它们远离主的程度，它们越来越不纯。因此，天堂有三层，至内层天堂在纯粹的灵气中，中间天堂在不那么纯的灵气中，最低层或终端天堂在更不纯的灵气中。这些灵气或大气是属灵的，因为它们源于显为太阳的主，当它们作为一个整体变得活跃时，就会显为热，但当单个或在其最小部分上被调整时，则显为光。本质上为爱的这热和本质上为智慧的这光尤其被称为神性真理；但它们与同样属灵的灵气一起，被称为发出的神性或神性发出。众天堂和世界都是从这些被造的；因为所有存在于自然界中的事物都是从灵界产生的，如同结果从其有效原因产生一样。从这些事如同从一面属世的镜子中可以看出，通过从显为在天使天堂之上的太阳的主发出的神性真理对天地的创造。由此还可以在某种程度上理解，主通过发出的神性拥有无限能力，这发出的神性通常被称为神性真理。约翰福音中的这些话也是这个意思：
起初有圣言，圣言与神同在，神就是圣言；万物都是藉着祂造的，凡被造的，没有一样不是藉着祂造的。世界是藉着祂造的。(约翰福音1:1, 3, 10)
诗篇：
诸天藉耶和华的话而造。(诗篇33:6)
“圣言”表示神性真理。
(3)一切能力都共存于终端中，因此主从最初事物或初始通过终端拥有无限能力。首先要解释一下终端是什么意思。最初事物或初始就是在主里面的事物和最近地从祂发出的事物；终端就是离祂最远的事物，也就是自然界中的事物和自然界中的最后或终端事物。这些被称为终端，是因为在先的属灵事物终止于它们，在它们上面如同在自己的根基之上那样生存和安歇；因此，它们是固定的，因而被称为神序的终端。一切能力都在终端中，因为在先事物都一起在它们里面，以被称为同步秩序的那种秩序共存于其中。事实上，一切事物都从主自己那里通过属于天堂的事物和属于世界的事物，甚至直到这些终端而有一种联系；由于相继发出的在先事物都同步共存于终端中，如前所述，所以可知，能力本身从最初事物或初始而在终端中。但神性能力是通过被称为神性真理的发出神性而来的能力，如前所示。
正因如此，人类之于天堂，就像柱子的底座或宫殿的根基；因此，天堂按次序在与世人同在的教会事物上，因而在终端中的神性真理上生存，终端中的神性真理就是那些包含在圣言字义中的神性真理。在这些真理中的力量或能力究竟有多大，是无法用几句话来描述的；主从自己，因而从最初事物或初始流入世人那里的终端，并掌权，将灵界的一切事物都保持在秩序和联系中。
由于神性能力本身就居于这些终端中，所以主亲自降世，成为人，以便祂可以在终端中，同时在最初事物或初始中，目的是祂可以从初始或最初事物通过终端或最后事物使混乱无序的一切事物，即地狱里的一切事物和天堂里的一切事物都恢复秩序。这就是主降临的原因，因为就在祂降临前夕，世人那里的终端里面没有了神性真理，那时存在于犹太民族中间的教会也没有了任何神性真理，只有被歪曲和败坏的东西，故天堂没有基础。因此，除非主降世，从而为自己取得一个终端，否则为这个星球，即地球的居民所造的天堂就会转到别的地方，而地球上的整个人类则在永死中灭亡。但主在地上如在天上那样，在其完全中，因而在其全能中，因为祂在终端和初始或最初事物中。因此，主能拯救所有处于来自圣言的神性真理，并照之生活的人，因为祂能在来自圣言的终端真理中与这些人同在和居住；终端真理也是祂的，就是祂自己，因为它们来自祂，正如祂在约翰福音中所说的：
有了我的诫命又遵守的，这人就是爱我的；我父也要爱他，并且我们要到他那里去，在他那里作我们的住所。(约翰福音14:21, 23)
(4)天使和世人在何等程度上是来自主的神性真理的接受者，就在何等程度上拥有能力。这一点从前面所说的可以看出来，即：主拥有无限能力，唯独祂通过祂的神性真理拥有能力；这一点也可从以下事实看出来：天使和世人只不过是接受神性真理的形式；故在圣言中，“天使”表示神性真理，并被称为“神”。由此可知，他们照着他们接受来自主的神性真理的程度和品质或性质而是能力。
(5)只要属世人接受从主通过属灵人而来的流注，能力就居于属世人的真理中。这一点在逻辑上从前面的内容可推知，即：终端中的神性真理从最初事物或初始中拥有一切能力，属世人是终端的容器。但通向人的属世心智的路有两条，一条来自天堂，一条来自世界；来自天堂的路通过属灵心智进入理性心智，并通过理性心智进入属世心智，来自世界的路则通过最接近世界，并粘附于身体的感官心智而来。由此可见，主只通过属灵人以神性真理流入属世人；属世人接受由此而来的流注到何等程度，能力就在何等程度上居于其中。它里面的能力是指对抗地狱的能力，也就是抵制邪恶和虚假、将它们除去的能力；这些被抵制并除去到何等程度，人就在何等程度上进入天使的能力，也进入聪明，成为“天国之子”。关于天使的能力，可参看《天堂与地狱》(228–233节)；关于他们的聪明和智慧(参看HH 265–275节)。
(6)没有这流注，属世人的真理没有任何能力。这一点作为结果从刚才所说的可推知。没有经由属灵人而来的流注，属世人的真理本身没有主的任何东西，因而没有生命的任何东西；没有生命的真理不是真理，事实上，当从内层被观之时，它们就是虚假，虚假没有任何能力，因为它们是真理的对立面，而一切能力都属于真理。此处阐述这些事是为了让人们知道，来自属灵真理的属世真理的能力是什么意思，这能力由妇人所生的男孩子将来照管所有民族所用的“铁棒”来表示。
726. Who is to tend (pascere) all nations with a rod of iron.- That this signifies that this doctrine by the power of natural from spiritual truth will refute and convict those who are in falsities and evils, and yet are in the church in which is the Word, is evident from the signification of tending, as denoting to teach (concerning which see above n. 482), but in this case to refute and convict, because it is said that he is to tend them with a rod of iron; from the signification of all nations, as denoting those who are in falsities and evils (concerning which see above (n. 175, 331, 625); and from the signification of a rod of iron, as denoting the power of natural from spiritual truth, for a rod or staff signifies power, and is predicated of spiritual Divine Truth, and iron signifies truth in the natural man. The power of the truth of the natural from the spiritual man is signified by the rod of iron, because all the power belonging to truths in the natural man is from the influx of truth and good from the spiritual man, that is, from the influx of Divine Truth from the Lord through the spiritual into the natural man; for the Lord alone has power, and He exercises it through the Divine Truth which proceeds from Him.
But in order that these things may be seen more clearly, it must be shown:- (I.) That the Lord possesses infinite power. (II.) That the Lord possesses this power from Himself by means of His Divine Truth. (III.) That all power coexists in ultimates, and that therefore the Lord possesses infinite power from primaries by means of ultimates. (IV.) That so far as angels and men are recipients of Divine Truth from the Lord, so far they are powers. (V.) That power resides in the truths of the natural man so far as he receives influx from the Lord through the spiritual man. (VI.) That the truths of the natural man have nothing of power, without that influx.
[2] (I.) The Lord possesses infinite power.- This is evident from the fact that He is the God of heaven and the God of earth; that He has created the universe, so full of stars - which are suns that they cannot be numbered, and in it so many systems, and earths in these systems, which systems and the earths in them exceed in number many hundreds of thousands; and that He alone continually preserves and sustains the same, because He created them. Moreover, He has created not only natural worlds, but also spiritual worlds above them, and these He perpetually fills with angels and spirits to the number of myriads of myriads, and under them He has placed the hells, which are also as many in number as the heavens. And He alone gives life to everything, both collectively and individually, both in the worlds of nature and in the worlds above nature; and because He alone gives life, no angel, spirit, or man, has the power to move hand or foot, except from Him. The nature of the Lord's infinite power is especially evident from this, that all those who come from such a multitude of earths into the spiritual worlds, numbering from our earth alone several myriads every week, and consequently as many myriads from many thousands of earths in the universe, He alone receives, and by a thousand secret ways of Divine Wisdom leads every one to the place of his life, the faithful to their places in the heavens, and the unfaithful to their places in the hells. And again He rules the thoughts, intentions, and wills of all, wherever they may be, both particularly and universally, and causes each and all in the heavens to enjoy their own happiness, and each and all in the hells to be retained in their bonds, in such a way that not one of them ventures to lift a hand, much less to rise up, and do harm to any angel. Also all are thus kept in order, and in bonds, to eternity, howsoever the heavens and the hells may be multiplied. These and many other things too numerous to mention could not possibly exist if the Lord did not possess infinite power. That the Lord alone rules all things, He Himself teaches in Matthew:
"All power is given to me in heaven and on earth" (28:18); and He said that "he is the life" (John 5:26; 11:25, 26; 14:6).
[3] (II.) The Lord possesses infinite power from Himself by means of His Divine Truth.- The reason of this is, that the Divine Truth is the proceeding Divine, and from the Divine which proceeds from the Lord, all those things that have been referred to above concerning His infinite power are effected. Divine Truth considered in itself is the Divine Wisdom, which extends itself in every direction, like the light and heat from the sun in our world. For in the spiritual world, where angels and spirits are, the Lord appears as a sun, from Divine Love; all that proceeds from that sun is called Divine Truth; and that which proceeds also produces, and also that which proceeds is Himself, because it is from Him, therefore the Lord in the heavens is Divine Truth. But in order that it may be known that the Lord does possess infinite power by means of Divine Truth, something shall be said concerning its essence and existence. This can be comprehended from the natural man and his light (lumen) only by means of such things as proceed from the sun of the world, from which and by means of which it possesses all power in its own system, and in the earths which enjoy its heat and light. From the sun of our system, as from their fountain, went forth (exiverunt) auras and atmospheres, which are called ethers and airs. In nearest proximity to the sun therefore is pure ether, at a greater distance from it are ethers less pure, and lastly the airs; but these ethers and airs are around the earths. These ethers and airs when actuated in the total volume (volumatim actae,) produce heat, but when modified in their component parts (singillatim modificatoe) they produce light. Through these the sun exercises all its power, and produces all its effect outside of itself, thus through ethers and airs, through the medium of heat and at the same time through the medium of light.
[4] From these things some idea may be formed of the Lord's infinite power by means of Divine Truth. From Him as the Sun there emanated in a similar manner auras and atmospheres, but spiritual, because from Divine Love, which constitutes that Sun. That there are such atmospheres in the spiritual world, is evident from the respiration of angels and spirits. Those spiritual auras and atmospheres which are nearest to the Lord as the Sun are the purest, but according to the degree in which they are remote from Him, they are less and less pure. Therefore there are three heavens, the inmost heaven in a purer aura, the middle heaven in an aura less pure, and the ultimate heaven in an aura still less pure. When these auras or atmospheres, which are spiritual, because they have come forth (exstiterunt) from the Lord the Sun, are actuated as a whole (communiter) they manifest heat, but when modified separately (singillatim) they manifest light. This heat, which in its essence is love, and this light, which in its essence is wisdom, are called specifically Divine Truth, and taken together with the auras, which are also spiritual, they are called the proceeding Divine. From these then the heavens were created, and worlds also; for all those things which exist in the natural world have been produced from the spiritual world (ex spirituali mundo producta sunt), as effects from their efficient causes. From these things now, the creation of heaven and earth by means of the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord as the sun, which is above the angelic heavens, may be seen as in a natural mirror. It may also in some degree be comprehended, that the Lord possesses infinite power by means of the proceeding Divine, which in general is called Divine Truth. This is also meant by these words in John:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word; all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made; and the world was made by him" (1:1, 3, 10).
And in David:
"By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made" (Psalm 33:6).
The Word signifies Divine Truth.
[5] (III.) All power coexists in ultimates, and therefore the Lord possesses infinite power from primaries by means of ultimates. What is meant by ultimates shall first be explained. Primaries are those things which are in the Lord, and which proximately go forth from Him. Ultimates are those things that are most remote from Him, which are in nature, and are the final things therein; these are called ultimates, because spiritual things, which are prior, terminate in them, and subsist and rest upon them as upon their foundations; therefore they are fixed, and are consequently called the ultimates of Divine order. All power is in ultimates because prior things are together in them, for they coexist therein in that order, which is called simultaneous order. For there is a nexus of all things from the Lord Himself through the things belonging to heaven and to the world even to those ultimates; and because prior things, which proceed successively, coexist simultaneously in ultimates, as has been said, it follows that power itself is in ultimates from primaries. But Divine power is power through the proceeding Divine which is called Divine Truth, as shown in the preceding article.
[6] It is for this reason that the human race is related to the heavens as the base to a column, or as a foundation to a palace; consequently, the heavens subsist in order upon those things of the church that are with men in the world, thus upon Divine truths in ultimates, which are such Divine truths as are contained in the sense of the letter of the Word. How great is the force in these truths cannot be described in a few words; they are the ultimates with man into which the Lord flows from Himself, thus from primaries, and rules, and preserves all things in the spiritual world in order and connection.
[7] Now because Divine power itself resides in these ultimates, therefore the Lord Himself came into the world, and became Man, that He might be in ultimates at the same time as in primaries, to the end that He might from primaries by means of ultimates reduce all things that were disorganised into order, namely, all things in the hells, and also in the heavens. This was the reason of the Lord's coming; for at the time immediately before His coming there was no Divine Truth in ultimates with men in the world, and none whatever in the church, which then existed among the Jewish nation, except what was falsified and perverted, and consequently there was no basis for the heavens. Unless therefore the Lord had come into the world, and had thus taken upon Himself an ultimate, the heavens, formed of the inhabitants of this planet (tellus), would have been transferred elsewhere, and the whole human race on the planet would have perished in eternal death. But now the Lord on earth, as in the heavens, is in His fulness, and thus in His Omnipotence, because He is both in ultimates and in primaries. Thus the Lord is able to save all those who are in Divine truths from the Word, and in a life according to them, for He can be present and dwell with such in ultimate truths from the Word, since ultimate truths also are His, and are Himself, because they are from Him, according to His words in John:
"He that hath my commandments, and doeth them, he it is that loveth me; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (14:21, 23).
[8] (IV.) So far as angels and men are recipients of Divine Truth from the Lord, so far they are powers.- This is evident from what has been said above, namely, that the Lord possesses infinite power, and that He alone by means of His Divine Truth has power; also from this, that angels and also men are nothing else but forms recipient of Divine Truth, for this reason angels, in the Word, signify Divine truths, and are called gods. It therefore follows from this, that according to the extent and nature of their reception of Divine Truth from the Lord, they are powers.
[9] (V.) Power resides in the truths of the natural man, so far as he receives influx from the Lord through the spiritual man.- This follows logically from those things which precede, namely, that Divine Truths in ultimates from primaries possess all power, the natural man being the receptacle of ultimates. But to the natural mind of man there are two ways, one from heaven, the other from the world; the way from heaven leads through the spiritual into the rational mind, and through this into the natural, and the way from the world is through the sensual mind, which is nearest to the world, and clings to the body. From this it is evident that the Lord flows in with Divine Truth into the natural, only through the spiritual man; and so far as the natural man receives influx therefrom, so far power resides therein. By power in it, is meant power against the hells, which is the power of resisting evils and falsities, and of removing them; and so far as these are resisted and removed, so far man comes into angelic power, and also into intelligence, and becomes a son of the kingdom. Concerning the power of the angels, see the work concerning Heaven and Hell 228-233); and concerning their wisdom and intelligence (n. 265-275).
[10] (VI.) The truths of the natural man have nothing of power without that influx.- This also follows as a result of what has been just said. The truths of the natural man, without influx through the spiritual man, have in themselves nothing of the Lord, thus nothing of life; and truths without life are not truths; in fact, viewed interiorly, they are falsities, and falsities have no power whatever, since they are the opposites of truths, to which all power belongs. These things have been here set forth, in order that it may be known what is meant by the power of natural truth from spiritual, which is signified by the rod of iron, with which the male child born of the woman will tend (pascere) all nations.
726. Who is to tend all the nations with an iron rod, signifies that this doctrine by the power of natural truth from spiritual will convince and refute those who are in falsities and evils and yet are in the church where the Word is. This is evident from the signification of "to tend," as being to teach (of which above, n. 482, but here to convince and refute, because it is said that "he is to tend with an iron rod;" also from the signification of "all the nations," as being those who are in falsities and evils (of which above, n. 175, 331, 625); also from the signification of an "iron rod," as being the power of a natural truth from spiritual, for "rod" or "staff" signifies power, and it is predicated of spiritual Divine truth, and "iron" signifies truth in the natural man. It is the power of the truth of the natural man from the spiritual that is signified by the "iron rod," because all the power that truths in the natural man have is from the influx of truth and good from the spiritual man, that is, from the influx of Divine truth from the Lord through the spiritual man into the natural; for the Lord alone has power, and He exercises it through Divine truth that proceeds from Him. But that this may be more clearly perceived it shall be shown:
1. That the Lord has infinite power.
2. That the Lord has this power from Himself through His Divine truth.
3. That all power is together in ultimates, and therefore that the Lord has infinite power from things first through ultimates.
4. That so far as angels and men are recipients of Divine truth from the Lord they are powers.
5. That power resides in the truths of the natural man so far as it receives influx from the Lord through the spiritual man.
6. That the truths of the natural man without that influx have nothing of power.
[2] 1. That the Lord has infinite power can be seen from this, that He is the God of heaven and the God of earth; that He created the universe filled with numberless stars, which are suns; and in the universe so many systems and earths in these systems; these systems and the earths in them exceeding in number many hundred thousands; also that He alone preserves and continually sustains these because He created them. Moreover, as He created the natural worlds, so He created the spiritual worlds above them, and these He perpetually fills with angels and spirits to the number of myriads and myriads. Under these, again, He has hid away the hells, as many in number as the heavens. And to each and every thing in the worlds of nature and in the worlds above nature He alone gives life; and because He alone gives life, no angel, spirit, or man is able to move a hand or foot except from Him. What infinite power the Lord has is especially evident from this, that all who come from so many earths into the spiritual worlds, numbering some myriads every week from our earth alone, consequently so many myriads from so many thousand earths in the universe, the Lord alone receives, and by a thousand secret ways of Divine wisdom leads everyone to the place of his life; the faithful to their places in the heavens, and the unfaithful to their places in the hells; and the thoughts, intentions, and wills of all, everywhere He rules in most particular and in most universal things; and He causes each and every one in the heavens to enjoy their happiness, and each and every one in the hells to be held in their bonds, even so that not one of them ventures to lift a hand, much less to rise up to do harm to any angel; and all are thus held in order and in bonds, howsoever the heavens and the hells may be multiplied to eternity. These and many other things too numerous to be mentioned, could not possibly be if the Lord did not have infinite power. That the Lord alone rules all things He Himself teaches in Matthew:
All authority is given to Me in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18).
And that He is the Life (John 5:26; 11:25, 26; 14:6).
[3] 2. The Lord has infinite power from Himself through His Divine truth, because Divine truth is the Divine proceeding, and from the Divine that proceeds from the Lord all those things that have been said above in respect to His infinite power are effected. Divine truth regarded in itself is Divine wisdom, which extends itself in every direction, like the light and heat from the sun in our world; for in the spiritual world, where angels and spirits are, the Lord is seen as a sun, from Divine love; all that proceeds from that sun is called 1Divine truth; and that which proceeds brings forth; also that which proceeds is Himself, because it is from Him; consequently the Lord in the heavens is Divine truth. But that it may be known that the Lord has infinite power through Divine truth, something must be said of its essence and existence. This cannot be comprehended from the natural man and its light but by means of such things as proceed from the sun of the world, from which and by which that sun has all power in its world and in the earths that are under its heat and light. From the sun, of our world auras and atmospheres proceed as from their fountain; these are called ethers and airs. From this source nearest about it is pure ether, at a greater distance from it are less pure ethers, and at length airs; but these ethers and airs are around the earths. These ethers and airs when made active in mass produce heat, but when modified in their least parts give light. Through these the sun exercises all its power and produces all its effect outside of itself, thus through ethers and airs by heat as a means and at the same time by light as a means.
[4] From this some idea can be formed of the Lord's infinite power through Divine truth. Likewise from Him as a sun similar auras and atmospheres emanated, but such as are spiritual, because they are from Divine love, which constitutes that sun. That there are such atmospheres in the spiritual world is clear from the respiration of angels and spirits. Those spiritual auras and atmospheres that are nearest to the Lord as a sun are the most pure; but according to the degrees in which they are removed from Him they are less and less pure. Therefore there are three heavens, the inmost heaven in a purer aura, the middle heaven in an aura less pure, and the lowest heaven in an aura still less pure. These auras or atmospheres, which are spiritual, because they have sprung from the Lord as a sun, when made active in common exhibit heat, but when modified in their least parts exhibit light. That heat, which in its essence is love, and that light, which in its essence is wisdom, are called specifically Divine truth; but together with the auras, which are also spiritual, they are called the Divine proceeding. Now from these the heavens were created, and also the worlds; for all things that exist in the natural world are produced from the spiritual world, as effects from their effecting causes. From this the creation of heaven and earth by means of Divine truth proceed from the Lord as a sun, which is above the angelic heavens, can be seen as in a natural mirror. It can also in some degree be comprehended that the Lord has infinite power by means of the Divine proceeding, which in general is called Divine truth. This also is meant by these words in John:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word; all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. And the world was made by Him (John 1:1, 3, 10).
And in David:
By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made (Psalms 33:6).
"The Word" signifies Divine truth.
[5] 3. All power is together in ultimates, and therefore the Lord has infinite power from first things through ultimates. What is meant by ultimates shall first be explained. First things are the things that are in the Lord, and those that most nearly proceed 2from Him; ultimates are those that are most remote from Him, that is, the things in nature, and the ultimate things in it. These are called ultimates because spiritual things, which are prior, close into them and rest and repose upon them as upon their foundation; therefore they are immovable, and are called the ultimates of Divine order. All power is in ultimates because prior things are together in them, coexisting therein in an order that is called simultaneous. For there is a connection of all things from the Lord Himself through the things which are of heaven and the things of the world even to these ultimates; and because prior things that proceed successively are together in ultimates, as has been said, it follows that power itself is in ultimates from things first. But Divine power is power by the Divine proceeding, which is called Divine truth, as has been shown in the preceding article.
[6] For this reason the human race is to the heavens as a base to a column, or as a foundation to a palace; consequently the heavens subsist in order upon the things of the church that are with men in the world, thus upon Divine truths in ultimates which are such Divine truths as are in the sense of the letter of the Word. What power there is in these truths cannot be told in a few words; into these ultimates with man the Lord flows in from Himself, thus from things first, and rules and keeps together in order and connection all things in the spiritual world.
[7] Now because Divine power itself resides in these ultimates the Lord Himself came into the world and became Man that He might be in ultimates at the same time as in things first, to the end that through ultimates from things first, He might reduce all things to order that had become disordered, namely, all things in the hells and also all things in the heavens. This was the reason of the Lord's coming, for at the time just before His coming there was no Divine truth in ultimates with men in the world, and none whatever in the church which was then with the Jewish nation, that had not been falsified and perverted, and consequently there was no foundation for the heavens; unless, therefore, the Lord had come into the world and had thus Himself assumed the ultimate, the heavens that were made up of the inhabitants of this earth would have been transferred elsewhere, 3and the whole human race on this earth would have perished in eternal death. But now the Lord, on the earth as in the heavens, is in His fullness, and thus in His omnipotence, because He is in ultimates and in things first. Thus the Lord is able to save all who are in Divine truths from the Word, and in a life according to them, for He can be present and dwell with such in ultimate truths from the Word, because ultimate truths are also His, and are Himself, because they are from Him, according to His words in John:
He that hath My commandments and doeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with Him (John 14:21-23).
[8] 4. So far as angels and men are recipients of Divine truth from the Lord they are powers. This can be seen from what has been said above, namely, that the Lord has infinite power, and that He alone through His Divine truth has power; also from this, that angels, and men also, are nothing but forms recipient of Divine truth; for this reason angels signify in the Word Divine truths, and are called "gods." It therefore follows that according to the measure and quality of their reception of Divine truth from the Lord they are powers.
[9] 5. Power resides in the truths of the natural man so far as it receives influx from the Lord through the spiritual man. This follows from what precedes, namely, that Divine truths in ultimates from things first have all power, and the natural man is a receptacle of ultimates. But to the natural mind of man there are two ways, one from heaven, the other from the world; the way from heaven leads through the spiritual mind into the rational and through this into the natural, and the way from the world is through the sensual which stands forth nearest to the world and clings to the body. From this it can be seen that the Lord flows in with Divine truth into the natural man only through the spiritual, and so far as the natural man receives influx therefrom is there power in it. By the power in it is meant power against the hells, which is the power to resist evils and falsities, and to put them away; and so far as these are resisted and put away man comes into angelic power and also into intelligence, and becomes "a son of the kingdom." (On the Power of Angels, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 228-233; and on their intelligence and wisdom, n 265-275)
[10] 6. The truths of the natural man without that influx have nothing of power. This follows as a consequence from what has just been said. The truths of the natural man without influx through the spiritual man have in themselves nothing of the Lord, thus also nothing of life; and truths without life are not truths, and in fact when regarded interiorly are falsities, and falsities have nothing whatever of power, since they are opposites of truths, which have all power. These things have been here set forth to make known what is meant by the power of natural truth from spiritual, which is signified by the "iron rod with which the son a male born of the woman is to tend all nations.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin has "all that proceeds from that sun calls."
2. The Latin has "precede from him," for "proceed."
3. The Latin has "from elsewhere."
726. "Qui futurus pascere omnes gentes Virga ferrea." - Quod significet quae potentia veri naturalis ex spirituali convincet et arguet illos qui in falsis et malis sunt, et tamen in ecclesia ubi Verbum, constat ex significatione "pascere", quod sit docere (de qua supra. n. 482); hic autem convincere et arguere, quia dicitur quod "pasturus sit virga ferrea"; ex significatione "omnium gentium", quod sint qui in falsis et malis sunt (de qua etiam supra, n. 175, 331 [b] , 625); et ex significatione "virgae ferreae", quod sit potentia veri naturalis ex spirituali; per "virgam" enim seu "baculum" significatur potentia, et praedicatur de Divino Vero Spirituali, et per "ferrum" verum in naturali homine: quod sit potentia veri naturalis hominis ex spirituali, quae significatur per "virgam ferream", est quia omnis potentia quae est veris in naturali homine, est ex influxu veri et boni e spirituali homine; hoc est, ex influxu Divini Veri a Domino per spiritualem hominem in naturalem; soli enim Domino est potentia, et Ipse illam exercet per Divinum Verum quod procedit ab Ipso. Sed ut haec clarius percipiantur, ostendendum est,
(1) Quod Domino sit infinita potentia.
(2) Quod illa sit Domino ex Se per Divinum suum Verum.
(3) Quod omnis potentia simul sit in ultimis, et quod inde infinita potentia sit Domino ex primis per ultima.
(4) Quod angeli et homines, quantum receptiones sint Divini Veri a Domino, tantum potentiae sint.
(5) Quod potentia resideat in aeris naturalis hominis, quantum is recipit influxum a Domino per spiritualem hominem.
(6) Quod vera naturalis hominis nihil potentiae habeant absque illo influxu.
[2] (1) Quod Domino sit infinita potentia, constare potest ex eo, quod sit Deus caeli et Deus terrae; quod creaverit universum, tot innumerabilibus stellis, quae sunt soles, plenum; ac tot in illo mundos, et in mundis tellures, qui mundi et in illis tellures plura centena millia numero excedunt; et quod eadem, quia illa creavit, solus conservet et continue sustineat. Tum quod sicut mundos naturales, ita quoque mundos spirituales supra illos creaverit, et hos perpetuo impleat angelis et spiritibus, ad numerum myriadum et myriadum: et quod sub illis abdiderit inferna, tot quoque numero quot caeli sunt: et quod omnibus et singulis qui in mundis Naturae, et in mundis supra Naturam sunt, solus det vitam; et quia solus dat vitam, quod nullus angelus, spiritus et homo movere possit manum et pedem nisi ab Ipso. Qualis infinita Domino potentia sit, imprimis patet ex eo, quod omnes qui ex tot terris in mundos spirituales veniunt, qui sunt aliquot myriades ex sola nostra tellure quavis septimana, et consequenter tot myriades ex tot millenis telluribus in universo, solus recipiat, et per millia Divinae Sapientiae arcana ducat, quemque ad locum suae vitae; fideles ad sua loca in caelis, ac infideles ad sua loca in infernis: et utrobivis omnium cogitationes, intentiones, et voluntates singulariter sicut universaliter regat; ac faciat ut omnes et singuli in caelis sua felicitate gaudeant; ac ut omnes et singuli in infernis in suis vinculis sint, usque adeo ut ne quidem unus ex illis hiscat levare manum, minus exsurgere, et alicui angelo damnum inferre: et quod omnes ita in ordine, et in vinculis, teneantur, utcunque multiplicantur caeli et inferna in aeternum. Haec et plura, quae propter copiam enumerari non possunt, non dari possunt nisi infinita Domino potentia sit. Quod Dominus solus regat omnia, docet Ipse apud Matthaeum,
"Data est Mihi omnis potestas in caelo et in terra" (28:18):
et
Quod Ipse sit vita (Johannes 5:26; 11:25, 26; 14:6).
[3] (2) Quod infinita potentia sit Domino ex Se per Divinum suum Verum, est quia Divinum Verum est Divinum procedens; et ex Divino quod procedit ex Domino, omnia quae supra de infinita potentia Domini dicta sunt, fiunt. Divinum Verum in se spectatum est Divina Sapientia, quae se quaquaversum extendit, sicut lux et calor in nostro mundo a sole; apparet enim Dominus in mundo spirituali, ubi sunt angeli et spiritus, ut Sol, ex Divino Amore; omne quod procedit ex illo Sole 1
vocatur Divinum Verum; et quod procedit hoc producit; quod procedit hoc quoque est Ipse, quia ex Ipso; quare Dominus in caelis est Divinum Verum. Ut tamen sciatur quod Domino sit infinita potentia per Divinum Verum, aliquid dicetur de ejus essentia et existentia: hoc ex naturali homine et ejus lumine non comprehendi potest, nisi quam per talia quae procedunt ex sole mundi, ex quibus et per quae est illi omnis potentia in suo mundo, et in telluribus quae sub luce et calore ejus sunt. Ex Sole mundi, ut ex suo fonte, exiverunt aurae et atmosphaerae, quae aetheres et aeres vocantur; unde proxime circum illum est purus aether, et remotius ab illo aetheres minus puri, et tandem aeres, sed hi et illi circum tellures. Illi aetheres et aeres volumatim actae dant calorem, at singillatim modificatae dant lucem; per haec exercet sol ille omnem suam potentiam, et producit omnem suum effectum extra se, ita per aetheres et per aeres medio calore et simul media luce.
[4] Ex his potest aliqua idea formari de infinita potentia Domini per Divinum Verum. Ex Ipso ut Sole emanaverunt Similiter aurae et atmosphaerae, sed spirituales, quia ex Divino Amore, qui facit illum Solem: quod tales atmosphaerae in mundo spirituali sint, constare potest ex respiratione angelorum et spirituum. Aurae et atmosphaerae illae spirituales quae proximae Domino ut Soli sunt, purissimae sunt; at per gradus remotae sunt per gradus minus et minus purae: inde est quod tres caeli sint, intimum caelum in aura puriore, medium caelum in aura minus pura, et ultimum caelum in aura adhuc minus pura. Illae aurae seu atmosphaerae, quae spirituales sunt, quia ex Domino ut Sole exstiterunt, communiter actae sistunt calorem, et singillatim modificatae sistunt lucem; ille calor qui in sua essentia est amor, et illa lux quae in sua essentia est sapientia, in specie vocantur Divinum Verum, ac illa simul cum auris, quae quoque spirituales sunt, vocantur Divinum procedens. Ex his nunc caeli creati sunt, et quoque mundi; nam ex spirituali mundo omnia quae in naturali mundo existunt, producta sunt, sicut effectus ex suis causis efficientibus. Ex his nunc sicut in speculo naturali spectari potest creatio caeli et terrae per Divinum Verum procedens a Domino ut Sole, qui supra caelos angelicos est: et quoque aliquantum comprehendi potest quod Domino infinita potentia sit per Divinum procedens, quod in genere vocatur Divinum Verum. Hoc quoque intelligitur per haec verba [apud Johannem] ,
"In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum; .... omnia per Ipsum facta sunt, et sine Ipso factum est nihil quod factum est: .... et mundus per Ipsum factus est" (1:1, 3, 10):
et apud Davidem,
"Per Verbum Jehovae caeli facti sunt" (Psalms 33:6):
"Verbum" significat Divinum Verum.
[5] (3) Quod omnis potentia simul sit in ultimis, et quod inde infinita potentia Domino sit ex primis per ultima. Quid per ultima intelligitur, primum dicetur. Prima sunt quae in Domino, et quae proxime 2
procedunt ab Ipso; ultima sunt quae remotissima ab Ipso, quae in Natura sunt, et ultima ibi: haec ultima dicuntur, quia spiritualia, quae sunt priora, in illa desinunt, et super illis ut super basibus suis subsistunt et requiescunt; quare sunt immota: haec inde vocantur ultima ordinis Divini. Quod in ultimis sit omnis potentia est quia priora sunt in illis simul, coexistunt enim ibi in ordine, qui vocatur ordo simultaneus; est enim nexus omnium ab Ipso Domino per illa quae caeli sunt et quae mundi usque ad illa ultima; et quia in ultimis priora, quae successive procedunt, simul sunt, ut dictum est, sequitur quod in ultimis a primis sit ipsa potentia; sed potentia Divina est potentia per Divinum procedens, quod vocatur Divinum Verum, ut in mox superiori articulo ostensum est.
[6] Ex eo est quod humanum genus sit quasi basis columnae, aut quasi fundamentum est palatio, pro caelis; consequenter quod caeli ordine subsistant super illis quae ecclesiae sunt apud homines in mundo; ita super Divinis veris in ultimis, quae sunt Divina vera qualia sunt Verbi in sensu ejus litterae. Quale illis robur inest, non paucis describi potest; in illa ultima apud hominem influit Dominus a Se, ita a primis, ac regit, et in ordine inque nexu continet omnia quae in spirituali mundo sunt.
[7] Quia nunc ipsa Divina potentia in ultimis illis residet, ideo Ipse Dominus in mundum venit, et Homo factus est, ut in ultimis simul esset ut est in primis, ob finem ut per ultima ex primis omnia in ordinem, quae inordinata facta sunt, redigere potuisset, nempe omnia in infernis et quoque in caelis: haec causa adventus Domini fuit; nam proxime ante adventum Domini non fuit aliquod Divinum Verum in ultimis apud homines in mundo, et prorsus non in ecclesia, quae tunc fuit apud gentem Judaicam, nisi falsificatum et perversum, ac inde nec fuit aliqua basis caelis; quare nisi Dominus in mundum venisset, et sic Ipse ultimum assumpsisset, translati fuissent caeli, qui ex incolis hujus telluris fuerunt, 3
aliunde, et omne genus humanum in hac tellure periisset morte aeterna. At nunc est Dominus in suo pleno, et sic in sua omnipotentia in terris sicut est in caelis, quia est in ultimis et in primis: ita salvare potest Dominus omnes qui in veris Divinis ex Verbo sunt, et in vita secundum illa; nam apud hos in ultimis veris ex Verbo potest praesens esse et habitare, quoniam ultima vera etiam Ipsius sunt, et sunt Ipse quia ab Ipso, secundum Ipsius verba apud Johannem,
"Qui habet praecepta mea, et facit illa, ille est qui amat Me, .... et Pater meus 4
amabit illum, et ad illum veniemus, et mansionem apud illum faciemus" (14:21, 23).
[8] (4) Quod angeli et homines, quantum receptiones Divini Veri a Domino sunt, tantum potentiae sint, constare potest ex illis quae nunc supra dictum sunt, quod nempe Domino sit infinita potentia, et Ipsi soli potentia per Divinum suum Verum; et ex eo, quod angeli non sint nisi quam formae recipientes Divini Veri, similiter homines; inde est quod per "angelos" in Verbo significentur Divina vera, et quod dicantur "dii": ex eo sequitur quod quantum et qualiter recipiunt Divinum Verum a Domino, tantum et taliter potentiae sint.
[9] (5) Quod potentia resideat in veris naturalis hominis, quantum is recipit influxum a Domino per spiritualem hominem, consequitur ex illis quae praecedunt, quod nempe omnis potentia sit Divinis veris in ultimis ex primis, ac naturalis homo est receptaculum ultimorum. Sed ad naturalem mentem hominis sunt binae viae, una e caelo, altera e mundo; via e caelo ducit per spiritualem mentem in rationalem et per hanc in naturalem; et via e mundo per sensualem, quae proxime exstat mundo et adhaeret corpori: inde constare potest, quod Dominus cum Divino Vero non influat in naturalem hominem nisi per spiritualem, et quantum naturalis homo inde recipit influxum, tantum ibi potentia sit. Per potentiam ibi intelligitur potentia contra inferna, quae est potentia resistendi malis et falsis, et removendi illa; quae quantum resistuntur et removentur, tantum homo in potentiam angelicam venit, et quoque in intelligentiam, et fit "filius regni." (De Potentia Angelorum, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 228-233; et De Intelligentia et Sapientia illorum, n. 265-275.)
[10] (6) Quod vera naturalis hominis nihil potentiae habeant absque illo influxu, sequitur ut consequens ex mox dictis: vera naturalis hominis absque influxu per spiritualem hominem, nihil Domini in se habent, inde quoque nihil vitae; et vera absque vita non sunt vera, immo interius spectata sunt falsa; ac falsis prorsus nihil potentiae est, quia opposita sunt veris, quibus omnis potentia. Haec nunc allata sunt, ut sciatur quid intelligitur per potentiam veri naturalis ex spirituali, quae significatur per "virgam ferream", qua filius masculus ex muliere natus "omnes gentes pasturus est."
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.
3. The editors made a correction or note here.
4. The editors made a correction or note here.