816# “他有两角如同羔羊”表示似乎来自主的说服能力，即说服人相信分离之信与圣言有一个结合。这从“角”、“两”和“羔羊”的含义清楚可知：“角”是指能力(参看AE316,776节)；“两”是指结合(参看AE532节末尾)；“羔羊”是指神性人身方面的主(也可参看AE314节)。因此，“有两角如同羔羊”表示似乎来自主、说服人相信分离之信与圣言有一个结合的能力，这可从前文和接下来的内容明显看出来。从前文看出来，是因为“从地里上来的兽”表示来自圣言字义、支持信仰与生活分离的确认(参看AE815a节)；从接下来的内容看出来，是因为经上说，这兽“说话好像龙”、“他在龙面前施行第一只兽所有的权柄”，这表示与那些将信和信之生活，也就是仁爱分离的人相似的情感、思维、教义和讲道，以及来自属世人的推理的结合，分离之信的宗教由此被强化，对此，我们将在下文进一步予以论述。由此明显可知，由于这兽的“角”表示说服的能力，“两”表示结合，“羔羊”表示主，所以“这兽有两角如同羔羊”表示似乎来自主的说服能力，即说服人相信与生活分离之信与圣言有一个结合。之所以在这只兽的头上只看到两角，而在前一只兽的头上却看到十角，是因为这只兽表示来自圣言的确认；圣言里面有良善与真理的婚姻，该婚姻由“两或二”来表示。因此，角看上去“如同羔羊”，因为“羔羊”是指主，在此是指圣言方面的主。约翰福音以最明显的词语声明：在其神性人身方面的主就是圣言，也就是神性真理，即：
圣言成了肉身。(约翰福音1:14)从圣言说服并确认任何异端的能力的性质，在基督教界因那里盛行的众多异端而众所周知，其中每一个异端都从圣言字义得到确认，由此变得具有说服力。原因在于，圣言的字义适合简单人理解，因此大部分是真理的表象。真理的表象具有这种性质：它们能用来证实被视为宗教原则，因而被视为教义原则的任何东西，甚至也能用来证实虚假。因此，那些将真正的真理本身仅置于圣言字义的人若不从主那里处于一种光照的状态，并在这种状态下为自己形成可以作为一盏明灯为他们服务的教义，就可能会陷入许多错误。圣言的字义里面既有裸露的真理，也有穿着衣服的真理。后者就是真理的表象；真理的表象只能从那些有裸露真理在里面的经文来理解；一个被主光照的人可以从这些经文中形成教义，其余的可以照着这个教义来解释。这就是为何那些没有教义又阅读圣言的人被带入多种多样的错误。圣言这样来写，是为了天堂与世人的结合可以通过这种方式实现；这种结合的基础是，圣言中的每一个表述，以及一些经文的每一个字都包含一个天使所处的灵义；因此，当人照着圣言的真理表象来感知圣言时，围绕人的天使就属灵地理解它。天堂的属灵之物与世界的属世之物就这样在那些有助于人死后生活的事物上结合在一起。如果圣言不这样来写，天堂与人的结合是不可能的。
字面上的圣言因具有这种性质，所以可以说是天堂的一个支撑；因为天堂天使在属于教会的事物上的一切智慧都终止于圣言的字义，犹如终止于其基础；故字面上的圣言可称为天堂的支撑。因此，圣言的字义是最神圣的，甚至比它的灵义更强大，我已经通过灵界的大量经历得知了这一真相；因为当灵人照着字义提出任何一段经文时，他们立刻激发某个天堂社群来与他们结合。由此可见，教会教义的一切都要从圣言的字义被证实，以便它们里面可以有某种神圣和能力；事实上，教义的一切还可以从那些包含灵义的圣言书籍被证实。由此清楚可知，歪曲圣言，直到摧毁在其灵义中的神性真理是何等危险；因为如此行会使天堂向人关闭。前面已经说明，这就是那些从圣言确认信与其生活，也就是善行分离的人所做的事。
816. And he had two horns like a lamb. This signifies the power of persuading the conjunction with the Word of faith separated [from life], as from the Lord; is evident from the signification of horns, as denoting power (concerning which see above, n. 1:14).
[2] The nature of the power of persuading and confirming from the Word any heresy whatever, is well known in the Christian world from the many heresies that prevail therein, every one of which is confirmed, and thereby becomes persuasive, from the sense of the letter of the Word. The reason is, that the sense of the letter of the Word is accommodated to the apprehension of the simple, and therefore consists for the most part of appearances of truth. And appearances of truth are such that they may be drawn to confirm whatever is assumed as a principle of religion, and thence of doctrine, consequently also falsity. Therefore those who place genuine truth itself in the sense of the letter of the Word alone, may fall into many mistakes if they are not in a state of enlightenment from the Lord, and in that state form for themselves doctrine, that may serve for a lamp. In the sense of the letter of the Word there are both naked truths and clothed truths. The latter are appearances of truth; and appearances can be understood only from those passages where naked truths exist, from which doctrine may be formed by one who is in a state of enlightenment from the Lord, and the rest explained according thereto. This is why those who read the Word without doctrine are carried away into numerous errors.
[3] The reason why the Word was thus written is, in order that the conjunction of heaven with men might be brought about by this means; and the ground of this conjunction is, that every expression therein, and in some passages every letter, contains a spiritual sense, in which the angels are. When therefore a man perceives the Word according to the appearances of truth therein, the angels who encompass man understand it spiritually. Thus the spiritual of heaven is conjoined with the natural of the world, as to such things as conduce to man's life after death. If the Word had been differently written, no conjunction of heaven with man could have been brought about by its means. And because the Word in the letter is such, therefore it is, as it were, a support for heaven to rest on; for all the wisdom of the angels of heaven, as to things pertaining to the church, terminates in the sense of the letter of the Word as in its basis. Therefore the Word in the letter may be called the stay of heaven. The sense of the letter of the Word is most holy, indeed, it is even more powerful than its spiritual sense; a truth which has been made known to me from much experience in the spiritual world. For when spirits bring forward any passage according to the sense of the letter, they immediately excite some heavenly society to conjunction with them. From these things it is evident, that everything pertaining to the doctrine of the church must be confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word, in order that there may be any sanctity and power therein; and indeed from those books of the Word which contain the spiritual sense. Hence also it is clear, how dangerous it is to falsify the Word to the destruction of the Divine truth, which is in its spiritual sense; thus heaven is shut against a man. That this is done by those who, from the Word, confirm the separation of faith from its life, which are good works, was shown above.
816. And he had two horns like a lamb, signifies a power as if from the Lord, of persuading that there is a conjunction with the Word of faith separate. This is evident from the signification of "horns," as being power (See above, n. John 1:14).
[2] Such a power of persuading and confirming any heresy whatever from the Word is well known in the Christian world from the many heresies there, everyone of which is confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word and thus they are persuaded. The reason is that the sense of the letter of the Word is accommodated to the apprehension of the simple, and therefore consists in large part of appearances of truth; and it is the nature of appearances of truth to be capable of being adapted to confirm anything that anyone may adopt as a principle of religion and thence of doctrine, thus even when it is false. Consequently those who place genuine truth itself in the sense of the letter of the Word only, are open to many errors unless they are in enlightenment from the Lord, and in that enlightenment form doctrine for themselves that will serve them as a lamp. In the sense of the letter of the Word there are naked truths as well as truths clothed, and these latter are appearances of truth, and appearances of truth can be understood only from passages where naked truths stand out; out of these doctrine can be formed by one who is enlightened by the Lord, and according to that doctrine all other things can be explained. This is why those who read the Word without doctrine are led into manifold errors. The Word was so written in order that there might be a conjunction of heaven with man; and there is a conjunction because every expression in the Word, and in some passages every letter, contains a spiritual sense, in which the angels are; consequently when man perceives the Word according to its appearances of truth the angels that are about man understand it spiritually. Thus the spiritual of heaven is conjoined with the natural of the world in respect to such things as contribute to man's life after death. If the Word had been written otherwise no conjunction of heaven with man would have been possible.
[3] And because the Word in the letter is such it serves as it were as a support for heaven; for all the wisdom of the angels of heaven in respect to things pertaining to the church terminates in the sense of the letter of the Word as in its basis; consequently the Word in the letter may be called the support of heaven. For this reason the sense of the letter of the Word is most holy, and is even more powerful than its spiritual sense, as has been made known to me by much experience in the spiritual world, for when spirits bring forward any passage according to the sense of the letter they immediately excite some heavenly society to conjunction with them. From this it can be seen that all things of the doctrine of the church are to be confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word that there may be in them any sanctity and power, and moreover from those books of the Word in which there is a spiritual sense. Thence it is also evident how dangerous it is to falsify the Word even to the destruction of the Divine truth that is in its spiritual sense; for by so doing heaven is closed to man. That this is done by those who confirm by the Word the separation of faith from its life, which is good works, has been shown above.
816. "Et habebat cornua duo similia Agno." Quod significet potentiam persuadendi conjunctionem fidei separatae cum Verbo, sicut a Domino, constat ex significatione "cornuum", quod sint potentia (de qua supra, n. 316, 776); ex significatione "duo", quod sint conjunctio (de qua etiam supra, n. 532 fin. ); et ex significatione "Agni", quod sit Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum (de qua etiam supra, n. 314): quod itaque per "habere duo cornua similia Agno" significetur potentia persuadendi conjunctionem fidei separatae cum Verbo, sicut a Domino, constare potest ex illis quae praecedunt, et ex illis quae sequuntur; ex illis quae praecedunt, quod per "bestiam ascendentem e terra" significentur confirmationes ex sensu litterae Verbi pro fide separata a vita (videatur mox supra, n. 815 [a]); ex sequentibus, quod dicatur quod haec bestia "locuta sit sicut draco", et quod "potestatem prioris bestiae omnem fecerit coram eo", per quae significatur similis affectio, cogitatio, doctrina et praedicatio cum illis qui separant fidem a vita fidei quae est charitas; ac conjunctio ratiociniorum e naturali homine, per quae corroboratur religio fidei separatae, de quibus in articulis mox sequentibus: ex quibus patet quod cum "cornua" hujus bestiae significant potentiam persuadendi, "duo" conjunctionem, et "Agnus" Dominum, tunc per quod "bestia haec haberet duo cornua similia Agno", significetur potentia persuadendi conjunctionem fidei separatae a vita cum Verbo, sicut a Domino. Quod super capite hujus bestiae visa sint solum duo cornua, at super capite bestiae prioris decem cornua, est quia per hanc bestiam significantur confirmationes ex Verbo, et in Verbo est conjugium boni et veri, et hoc conjugium significatur per "duo"; inde etiam cornua erant visa "similia Agno", quia per "Agnum" intelligitur Dominus, hic quoad Verbum; quod Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum suum sit Verbum, hoc est, Divinum Verum, apertis verbis dicitur apud Johannem, nempe,
Quod Verbum Caro factum sit (cap. 1:14).
[2] Qualis potentia persuadendi et confirmandi quodcunque haereticum ex Verbo, notum est in orbe Christiano ex tot ibi haeresibus, quarum unaquaevis confirmatur et sic persuadetur ex sensu litterae Verbi: causa est quia sensus litterae Verbi est secundum captum simplicium, et ideo consistit quoad multam partem ex apparentiis veri; et apparentiae veri tales sunt ut trahi possint ad confirmandum omne quod a quodam pro principio religionis et inde doctrinae assumitur, ita quoque falsum; quapropter illi qui ipsum genuinum verum ponunt in solo sensu litterae Verbi, hallucinari possunt in multis, si non in illustratione sint a Domino, et in illa doctrinam, quae pro lucerna sit, sibi faciant: in sensu litterae Verbi sunt tam nuda vera, quam investita vera; haec sunt apparentiae veri, et apparentiae veri non aliter possunt intelligi quam ex locis ibi nuda vera exstant, ex quibus doctrina a Domino apud illustratum formari potest, et reliqua secundum illam explicari; inde est, quod qui Verbum absque doctrina legunt, in multiplices errores auferantur. Quod Verbum ita conscriptum sit, est causa, ut illud sit conjunctio caeli cum homine; et conjunctio est, quia unaquaevis vox ibi, et in quibusdam locis unaquaevis littera, sensum spiritualem, in quo sunt angeli, continet; quare cum homo Verbum secundum ejus apparentias veri percipit, angeli, qui circumdant hominem, illud spiritualiter intelligunt; ita conjungitur spirituale caeli cum naturali mundi quoad talia quae ad vitam hominis post mortem conducunt; si aliter conscriptum fuisset Verbum, non potuisset aliqua conjunctio caeli cum homine dari.
[3] Et quia Verbum in littera tale est, ideo est quasi fulcrum pro caelo; nam omnis sapientia angelorum caeli, quoad talia quae ecclesiae sunt, terminatur in sensu litterae Verbi, sicut in sua basi; quare Verbum in littera vocari potest sustentaculum caeli; inde est sensus litterae Verbi sanctissimus, immo etiam est prae sensu ejus spirituali potens, quod ex multa experientia in mundo spirituali notum mihi factum est; nam dum spiritus aliquem locum secundum sensum litterae proferunt, statim excitant aliquam societatem caelestem ad conjunctionem secum. Ex his constare potest quod omne doctrinae ecclesiae confirmandum sit ex sensu litterae Verbi, ut 1
ei aliqua sanctitas et potentia insit; et quidem ex illis Verbi Libris in quibus sensus spiritualis est. Exinde etiam patet quam periculosum est falsificare Verbum usque ad destructionem Divini Veri, quod est in sensu spirituali ejus; nam sic caelum homini occluditur: quod hoc fiat ab illis qui ex Verbo confirmant separationem fidei ab ejus vita, quae sunt bona opera, supra ostensum est.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.