919# 启14:19.“那天使就把镰刀扔在地上，收取了地上的葡萄园”表示这事完成了。这从刚才所说的清楚可知。“葡萄园”表示属灵教会，这一点从圣言中提到“葡萄园”的经文明显看出来(如以赛亚书1:8;3:14;5:1–10;16:10;36:17;37:30;65:21;耶利米书12:10;32:15;35:7,9;39:10;以西结书28:26;何西阿书2:15;阿摩司书4:9;5:11,17;9:14;弥迦书1:6;西番雅书1:13;撒母耳记上8:14,15;诗篇107:37;马太福音20:1–8;21:28,38–41;马可福音12:1–9;路加福音13:6,7;20:9–16)。关于“葡萄树”，可参看约翰福音(15:1–12)，以及圣言的历史部分。从这些经文很清楚地看出，“葡萄园”表示教会；也可参看前文(AE376b,c,403b,638a,918节)，那里解释了提到“葡萄园”的许多经文。从“葡萄园”的含义可以明显看出，“采摘葡萄”表示为了功用而收集那些可服务于理解，并赋予聪明和智慧的东西，在反面意义上表示使教会在属灵良善方面，因而在对真理的情感和理解方面荒废。当不再有任何串串果实或葡萄剩下时，经上就在这反面意义上提到“葡萄收获期或收获的季节”和“采摘或摘取葡萄”；这在灵义上表示一切属灵良善，因而本身为真理的一切真理都被摧毁了；这在教会主要是通过对圣言的歪曲造成的；当生活的邪恶败坏一切良善，教义的虚假扭曲一切真理时，也是如此；“毁灭者(或灭命的)”和“贼”也描述了这一点。
因此，“采摘或摘取葡萄”表示荒废或毁灭，这一点可从以下经文清楚看出来。以赛亚书：
在街上因酒有呼喊之声；一切喜乐都必混杂；地上的欢乐必消失。城中剩下的只是荒场，城门拆毁净尽。因为在地中间，必像打过的橄榄树，又像摘取完葡萄后所余的残粒。(以赛亚书24:11–13)
这些话描述了因教会在属天良善和属灵良善方面的毁灭而悲哀；属灵良善本质上是来自属天良善的真理。这种毁灭被比作“打过的橄榄树”和“摘取完葡萄后所余的残粒”；不过，前面解释了这段经文的细节(可参看AE313b,638c节)。
同一先知书：自信的女子啊，你们侧耳理解我的话；自信的女子啊，年复一年，你们必受困扰，因为葡萄收获期结束了，收成必不来。(以赛亚书32:9,10)
“自信的女子”表示教会中那些热爱虚假胜过真理的人。“年复一年，你们必受困扰”表示对这些人来说，真理在每个状态下都逐渐减少。“葡萄收获期结束了，收成必不来”表示一切真理的毁灭，直到什么东西都没有剩下。
耶利米书：那毁灭者已经临到你秋天的果子和你葡萄收获的季节了；因此，欢喜快乐都从迦密被收拾了去。(耶利米书48:32,33)
“秋天的果子”表示教会的良善；“葡萄收获的季节”表示教会的真理；因为此处“秋天的果子”所指的“粮食”表示教会的良善，来自葡萄收获期的“酒”表示教会的真理。临到他们的“毁灭者”表示邪恶和由此而来的虚假。“欢喜快乐都从迦密被收拾了去”表示属灵和属天之爱的快乐，也就是内心的真正喜乐即将灭亡。
弥迦书：我有祸了，我变得像夏天采摘果实，又像收获了葡萄所剩下的；没有一挂可吃的；我的灵魂渴望初熟的果子。(弥迦书7:1)
“像收获了葡萄所剩下的，没有一挂可吃的”表示教会的毁灭是这样：不再有任何良善或真理。其余的可参看前面的解释。耶利米书：
摘葡萄的若来到你那里，不会剩下残余；盗贼若夜间而来，就会毁坏够了。(耶利米书49:9)
俄巴底亚书：盗贼若来到你那里，毁灭者若夜间而来，你怎会被剪除呢？他们岂不偷窃，直到够了吗？摘葡萄的若来到你那里，岂不留下几串吗？(俄巴底亚书1:5)
“摘葡萄的”表示虚假，“盗贼”表示邪恶，这些虚假和邪恶使教会的真理和良善荒废；但“毁灭者”表示虚假和邪恶这两者；“他们不会留下几串”表示因没有真理而没有任何良善。不过，“采摘葡萄”表示为了功用而收集那些尤其可服务于理解的东西(参看耶利米书6:9;利未记19:10;26:5;申命记20:6,7;24:21)。
919. (Verse 19) And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the vineyard of the earth. That this signifies that this was done, is evident from what has been just said in the above article.
That vineyard signifies the spiritual church is evident from the passages in the Word, where vineyard is mentioned:
As in 376, 403, 638, 918), where many passages in which vineyard is mentioned are explained.
From the signification of vineyard it is evident, that by gathering the vintage, is signified to collect for uses those things that are to be serviceable to the understanding, and to impart intelligence and wisdom; and, in the opposite sense, to devastate the church as to spiritual good, and consequently as to the affection and understanding of truth. In this opposite sense, vintage and to gather the vintage are mentioned when there are no longer any clusters or grapes remaining; which, in the spiritual sense, signifies that all spiritual good, and thence all truth which in itself is truth, is destroyed; and this is chiefly effected in the church by falsifications of the Word. Also when evil of life corrupts all good, and then the falsity of doctrine perverts all truth; this is described also by devastators and thieves. That, therefore, by gathering the vintage is signified devastation, is evident from the following passages.
[2] In Isaiah:
"A cry over the wine in the streets; all joy shall be commingled; the gladness of the earth shall be banished. The remainder in the city shall be wasteness, and the gate shall be smitten even to devastation. For so shall it be in the midst of the earth, as the shaking of the olive tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is done" (313, 638).
[3] In the same:
"Ye confident daughters in your ears perceive my word; year upon year shall ye be moved, ye confident; for the vintage is ended, the gathering shall not come" (32:9, 10).
By confident daughters are signified those in the church who love falsities more than truths. That truths with them are successively diminished and in every state, is signified by being moved year upon year. The devastation of all truth even till there is nothing remaining, is signified by the vintage being ended, and the gathering not coming.
[4] In Jeremiah:
"Upon thy fruits of autumn, and upon thy vintage, hath the spoiler fallen, whence gladness is gathered and joy out of Carmel" (48:32, 33).
By the fruits of autumn are signified the goods of the church, by the vintage are signified the truths thereof; for bread, which is there meant by the fruit of autumn, signifies the good of the church, and wine, which is of the vintage, signifies the truth thereof. By the spoiler who fell upon them, is signified evil and falsity therefrom. That the delight of spiritual and celestial love, which is the very joy of the heart, is about to perish, is signified by gladness and joy being gathered out of Carmel.
[5] In Micah:
"Woe is me! I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage; not a cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first-fruit" (7:1).
As the gleanings of the vintage, not a cluster to eat, signifies the devastation of the church being such that there is no longer any good and truth. The rest may be seen explained in the article just preceding.
In Jeremiah:
"If the grape-gatherers come to thee, they will not leave any gleanings; if thieves in the night, they will destroy sufficiency" (49:9).
In Obadiah:
"If thieves come to thee, if destroyers by night, when thou shalt be cut off, will they not steal till they have enough? if the grape-gatherers come to thee, will they leave any clusters?" (vers. 4, 5).
By the grape-gatherers are signified falsities, and by thieves evils, which devastate the truths and goods of the church. But by destroyers are signified both falsities and evils. By their not leaving any clusters, is signified there not being any goods because there are no truths. But by gathering the vintage, is signified to gather for uses such things especially as are to be serviceable to the understanding,
In Jeremiah 6:9; Leviticus 19:10; 26:5; Deuteronomy 20:6, 7; 24:21.
919. Verse 19. And the angel cast his sickle into the earth and gathered the vineyard of the earth, signifies that this was done. This is evident from what has been just said in the preceding article. That a "vineyard" signifies the spiritual church is evident from the passages in the Word where "vineyard" is mentioned (as in 376, 403, 638, 918, where many passages in which "vineyard" occurs are explained). From the signification of "vineyard" it can be seen that "to gather the vintage" signifies to collect for uses those things that will be serviceable to the understanding, and which will give intelligence and wisdom; and in the contrary sense it signifies to lay waste the church as to spiritual good, and thus as to the affection of truth and the understanding of truth. In this contrary sense "vintage" and "to gather the vintage" are used in the sense that there are no longer any clusters or grapes remaining; and this signifies in the spiritual sense that all spiritual good, and thus all truth that is truth in itself, is destroyed; and this is especially effected in the church by falsifications of the Word, likewise when evil of life corrupts all good, and falsity of doctrine perverts all truth; this is described also by "spoilers" and by "thieves."
[2] That "gathering the vintage" signifies, for this reason, laying waste, can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:
A cry over the wine in the streets; every joy shall be mixed; the gladness of the earth shall be banished. The remnant in the city is a waste, and the gate shall be beaten down even to devastation. For so shall it be in the midst of the land as the beating of an olive-tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is finished (313, 638).
[3] In the same:
Ye confident daughters, perceive My word in your ears; year 1upon year shall ye be troubled, ye confident ones, for the vintage is finished, the ingathering shall not come (Isaiah 32:9, 10).
"Confident daughters" signify those in the church who love falsities more than truths. That with such, truths are gradually diminished in every state, is signified by "year 1upon year shall ye be troubled." The devastation of all truth until there is nothing left is signified by "the vintage is finished, and the ingathering shall not come."
[4] In Jeremiah:
Upon thy fruits of autumn and upon thy vintage hath the spoiler fallen, therefore gladness and joy are gathered out of Carmel (Jeremiah 48:32, 33).
"Fruits of autumn" signify the goods of the church; "the vintage" signifies its truths; for "bread," which is here meant by the "fruits of autumn," signifies the good of the church, and "wine," which is from the vintage, signifies its truth. "The spoiler" who fell upon them signifies evil and falsity therefrom. That the delight of spiritual and celestial love, which is the very joy of the heart, will perish, is signified by "gladness and joy shall be gathered out of Carmel."
[5] In Micah:
Woe is me, I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage; there is no cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first ripe fruit (Micah 7:1).
"As the gleanings of the vintage, there is no cluster to eat," signifies such devastation of the church that there is no longer any good or truth. (The rest may be seen explained in the preceding article.) In Jeremiah:
If the grape-gatherers came to thee they would leave no gleanings; if thieves in the night they would destroy sufficiency (Jeremiah 49:9).
In Obadiah:
If thieves came to thee, if destroyers by night, how wouldst thou be cut off? Would they not steal till they had enough? If the grape-gatherers came to thee would they leave any clusters? (Obadiah 1:5).
"Grape-gatherers" signify falsities, and "thieves" evils, which lay waste the truths and goods of the church; but "destroyers" signify both falsities and evils; that "they would leave no clusters" signifies that there are no goods because there are no truths. But "to gather the vintage" signifies to gather for uses such things especially as will be serviceable to the understanding, see in Jeremiah 6:9; Leviticus 19:10, 26:5; Deuteronomy 20:6, 7, 24:21.
Footnotes:
1. The Hebrew has "days upon a year," Schmidius has "year upon year."
919. [Vers. 19.] "Et misit angelus falcem suam in terram, et vindemiavit vineam terrae." Quod significet hoc factum, constat ex illis quae in mox superiori articulo dicta sunt.
Quod "vinea significet ecclesiam spiritualem, constat ex locis in Verbo
ubi "vinea" dicitur (Ut Esaias 1:8; 3:14; 5:1-10; 16:10; 36:17; 37:30; 65:21; Jeremias 12:10; 32:15; 35:7, 9; 39:10; Ezechiel 28:26; Hoschea 2:15; Amos 4:9; 5:11, 17; 9:14; Micham 1:6; Zephanias 1:13; 1
1 Sam. 8:14, 15; Psalms 107:37; Matthaeus 20:1-8; 21:28, 38-41; Marcus 12:1-9; Luca 13:6, 7; 20:9-16: de "Vite", Johannes 15:1-12: praeter in historicis Verbi):
ex quibus evidenter constare potest, quod per "vineam" intelligatur ecclesia. (Videatur etiam supra, n. 376 [b, c] 403 [b] 638 [a] , 918, ubi plura loca de "vinea" explicata sunt.) Ex significatione vineae" constare potest quod per "vindemiare" significetur colligere ad usus illa quae inservitura sunt intellectui, et datura intelligentiam et sapientiam, ac in opposito sensu devastare ecclesiam quoad bonum spirituale, et sic quoad affectionem ac intellectum veri: in opposito hoc sensu dicitur "vindemia" et "vindemiare", cum non amplius racemi seu uvae residuae sunt; per quod in spirituali sensu significatur quod omne bonum spirituale, et inde omne verum quod in se verum est, deperditum sit, quod imprimis in ecclesia fit per falsificationes Verbi; tum quando malum vitae corrumpit omne bonum, et tunc falsum doctrinae pervertit omne verum; hoc describitur etiam [per] "vastatores" et per "fures."
[2] Quod itaque per "vindemiationem" significetur devastatio, patet ex sequentibus locis: Apud Esaiam,
"Clamor super vino in plateis, commiscebitur omne gaudium, exulabit laetitia terrae; reliquum in urbe vastitas, et usque ad devastationem contundetur porta: sic namque erit in medio terrae.... sicut strictura oleae, sicut racemationes quando consummata est vindemia" (24:11-13);
per haec describitur luctus super devastatione ecclesiae quoad bonum caeleste et quoad bonum spirituale, quod in sua essentia est verum ex caelesti; devastatio illa comparatur "stricturae oleae", et "racemationibus dum consummata est vindemia." (sed haec prius, n. 313 [b] 638 [c] , explicata videantur.)
[3] Apud eundem,
"Filiae confidentes auribus, percipite sermonem meum; annum supra annum commovebimini, confidentes, quia consummatur vindemia, collectio non veniet" (32:9, 10):
per "filias confidentes" significantur illi in ecclesia qui plus amant falsa quam vera; quod vera apud illos successive et in omni statu diminuantur, significatur per quod "annum supra annum commoverentur"; devastatio omnis veri usque dum nihil superest, significatur per quod "consummabitur vindemia", et quod "collectio non veniet."
[4] Apud Jeremiam,
"Super fructus autumni tuos, et super vindemiam tuam vastator cecidit, unde collecta est laetitia, et gaudium ex Carmele" (48:32, 33):
per "fructus autumni" significantur bona ecclesiae, per "vindemiam" significantur vera ejus, nam "panis", qui ibi est "fructus autumni", significat bonum ecclesiae, ac "vinum" quod est "vindemiae", significat verum ejus; per "vastatorem" qui cecidit super illa, significatur malum et inde falsum; quod jucundum amoris spiritualis et caelestis, quod est ipsum gaudium cordis, periturum sit, significatur per quod "laetitia et gaudium ex Carmele colligentur."
[5] Apud Micham,
"Vae mihi, ..factus sum sicut collectiones aestatis, sicut racemationes vindemiae; non botrus ad comedendum, primitivum desiderat anima mea" (7:1):
"sicut racemationes vindemiae, non botrus ad comedendum", significat devastationem ecclesiae talem ut non amplius aliquod bonum et verum sit. (Reliqua videantur in mox praecedente articulo explicata.) Apud Jeremiam,
"Si vindemiatores venerint tibi, non. .relinquent racemationes; si fures in nocte, corrumpent sufficientiam" (49:9):
apud Obadiam,
"Si fures venerint tibi, si eversores noctu, 2
quomodo excisus eris, nonne furabuntur quod 3
illis satis? si vindemiatores venerint tibi, numquid relinquent racemos?" (vers. 5 4
):
per "vindemiatores" significantur falsa, et per "fures" mala, quae devastant vera et bona ecclesiae; per "eversores" autem, tam falsa quam mala; per quod "non relinquent racemos", significatur quod non aliqua bona quia non vera. Per "vindemiare" autem significatur colligere ad usus, imprimis talia quae inservitura sunt intellectui, Apud Jeremiam, cap. 6:9; Leviticus 19:10; 26:5; Deuteronomius 20:6, 7; 24:21.
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.