132、“就是你容许那妇人耶洗别”表示在教会,他们当中有些人将信与仁分离,并认为唯有信拯救人。“妇人耶洗别”是指与仁分离之信,这一点从接下来的事明显看出来,但前提是这些事要根据灵义按顺序来解释,并且它们与唯信进行比较;因为这些就是亚哈的妻子耶洗别的恶行;列王纪:
她去服侍巴力,在撒玛利亚为他筑坛,又做亚舍拉。(列王纪上16:31-33)
又:
她杀了耶和华的众先知。(列王纪上18:4, 13)
又:
她想杀以利亚。(列王纪上19:1-2)
又:
她利用诡计通过作假见证夺走了拿伯的葡萄园,并杀了他。(列王纪上21:6-7等)
由于这些恶行,以利亚预言她说,狗必吃她(列王纪上21:23)。又:
她从擦粉所站的窗户被扔下来,她的一些血溅在墙上和践踏她的马上。(列王纪下9:30-33)
正如圣言的一切历史和预言部分都表示教会的属灵事物,这些也是如此。它们表示与仁分离之信,这一点从灵义,以及把它们整理在一起明显看出来。因为“去服侍巴力”、“为他筑坛”和“做亚舍拉”表示服侍各种欲望,或也可说,服侍魔鬼,既不思想任何恶欲,也不思想任何罪,如那些没有仁爱和生活的教义,只有信仰教义的人所行的那样。“杀先知”表示摧毁取自圣言的教义真理;“想杀以利亚”表示想摧毁圣言本身;“夺走拿伯的葡萄园,并杀了他”表示摧毁教会,因为“葡萄园”是指教会;吃她的“狗”表示欲望;“从窗户上被扔下来,血溅在墙上,被马践踏”表示它们的毁灭,因为细节也表示这些;“窗户”表示在光中的真理;“血”表示虚假;“墙”表示终端中的真理,“马”表示对圣言的理解。由此可以得出结论,这些描述合在一起,与脱离仁的信,即与仁分离之信相吻合,这可从启示录中接下来的描述,就是论述这信的地方进一步明显看出来。
132. "'That you allow the woman Jezebel.'" This symbolically means that they have among them people in the church who divorce faith from charity and make faith by itself saving.
That the woman Jezebel means faith divorced from charity is apparent from the depictions that follow next when they are explained in order according to their spiritual meaning and compared then with that faith. For the evil deeds of Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, were as follows:
She went and served Baal, and set up an altar for Baal in Samaria, and made a shrine (1 Kings 16:31-33).
She killed the prophets of Jehovah (1 Kings 18:4, 13).
She wanted to kill Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-2).
Through a subterfuge, by appointing two false witnesses, she stole the vineyard from Naboth and had him killed (1 Kings 21:6-7ff.).
Because of these evil deeds, Elijah predicted to her that dogs would eat her (1 Kings 21:23).
She was thrown down from the window where she stood painted up, and some of her blood was spattered on the wall and on the horses which trampled her (2 Kings 9:30, 32-34).
[2] Since all of the historical portions of the Word as well as the prophetic ones symbolically refer to the spiritual components of the church, so also do the foregoing events. That they symbolize a faith divorced from charity follows from their spiritual meaning and then from comparing the two. For to go and serve Baal and set up an altar for him and make a shrine means, symbolically, to serve lusts of every kind, or to say the same thing, the devil, by giving no thought to any evil lust or any sin, as people do who have no doctrine having to do with charity or life, but only one having to do with faith.
Killing the prophets means, symbolically, destroying doctrinal truths drawn from the Word.
Wanting to kill Elijah means, symbolically, wanting to do the same with the Word.
Stealing the vineyard from Naboth and killing him means, symbolically, doing the same with the church. For a vineyard means the church.
The dogs which ate Jezebel symbolize lusts.
Being thrown down from the window, the spattering of the blood on the wall, and the trampling by horses, symbolizes the death of these things, for each of these also has a symbolic meaning, the window symbolizing truth in a state of light, the blood symbolizing falsity, the wall symbolizing truth in outward expressions, and a horse symbolizing an understanding of the Word.
It may be concluded from this that when the two are compared, these depictions accord with a faith divorced from charity, as can be seen as well from subsequent descriptions in the book of Revelation where this faith is the subject.
132. 'That thou permittest the woman Jezebel' signifies that in the Church with them there are those who separate faith from charity, and who make that faith alone saving. That faith separated from charity is understood by 'the woman Jezebel' is plain from the things now following, while they are being disclosed in a series by means of the spiritual sense, and when they are compared with that faith. For these were the evil deeds of Ahab's wife Jezebel:
That she went away and served Baal, and built him an altar in Samaria, and made a grove. 1 Kings 16:31-33.
That she killed the prophets of Jehovah, 1 Kings 18:4, 13.
That she wanted to kill Elijah, 1 Kings 19:1-2.
That by the treachery of substituting false witnesses she took the vineyard away from Naboth, and killed him, 1 Kings 21:6-7 seq.
That on account of those evil deeds it was foretold to her by Elijah, that the dogs would eat her, 1 Kings 21:23.
That she was thrown down out of the window where she stood in her make-up, and that some of her blood was sprinkled upon the wall, and upon the horses that trampled on her, 2 Kings 9:30-33.
[2] As all the historical as well as the prophetical parts of the Word signify spiritual things, so also do these. That they signify faith separated from charity is established out of the spiritual sense, and from a comparison of passages at the same time; for by 'going away and serving Baal,' and 'building him an altar,' and 'making a grove,' is signified serving all kinds of lusts, or what is the same, the devil, not thinking about a particular evil lust or a particular sin, but only of faith, as they do who have no doctrine of charity and life. By 'killing the prophets' is signified destroying the truths of doctrine out of the Word. By 'wanting to kill Elijah' is signified wanting the same for the Word itself. By 'taking away Naboth's vineyard, and killing him' is signified [destroying] the Church itself for the 'vineyard' is the Church. By 'the dogs that would eat her' are signified lusts. By 'the throwing down out of the window' 'the sprinkling of the blood on the wall,' and 'the trampling by the horses,' is signified their annihilation, for the single things also signify that; the 'window' signifying truth in the light; 'the blood' untruth; 'the wall' truth in ultimates; 'the horse' an understanding of the Word. Consequently it can be concluded that these things, when brought together for comparison, coincide with a faith separated from charity, as can be further established from the things following in the Apocalypse, where it treats of that faith.
132. That thou permittest the woman Jezebel, signifies that among them there are some in the church who separate faith from charity, and make faith alone saving. That faith separated from charity is meant by "the woman Jezebel" is evident from the things which now follow, when they are unfolded in series by means of the spiritual sense and when they are compared with that faith; for these were the evil deeds of Jezebel the wife of Ahab:
That she went and served Baal, and built him an altar in Samaria, and made a grove, (1 Kings 16:31-33).
That she slew the prophets of Jehovah, (1 Kings 18:4, 13).
That she wished to kill Elijah, (1 Kings 19:1-2).
That through deceit by substituting false witnesses, she took away the vineyard from Naboth, and killed him, (1 Kings 21:6-7 That on account of these evil deeds, it was foretold to her by Elijah, that the dogs should eat her, (1 Kings 21:23).
That she was thrown down from the window where she stood painted, and that some of her blood was sprinkled upon the wall, and upon the horses which trampled her, (2 Kings 9:30-33).
[2] As all the historical as well as the prophetical parts of the Word signify the spiritual things of the church, so also do these; and they signify faith separated from charity is evident from the spiritual sense, and from collating them together; for by "going and serving Baal" and "building him an altar" and "making a grove" is signified to serve lusts of all kinds, or what is the same, the devil, not thinking of any evil lust, nor of any sin, as they do who have no doctrine of charity and life, but of faith only. By "slaying the prophets" is signified to destroy the truths of doctrine from the Word. By "wishing to kill Elijah" is signified to wish to do the same to the Word itself. By "taking away the vineyard from Naboth and killing him" is signified the church, for "the vineyard" is the church: by "the dogs" which ate her, are signified lusts. By "casting from the window, sprinkling the blood on the wall, and being trampled by the horses" is signified their destruction, for the particulars signify that also; "window" signifies truth in the light; "blood" falsity; "wall" truth in ultimates, "horse" the understanding of the Word. Hence it may be concluded, that these things, collated together, coincide with faith separated from charity, as may further appear from what follows in Revelation, where this faith is treated of.
132. "Quod permittas mulierem Jesabel," significat quod in Ecclesia apud illos sint, qui fidem separant a charitate, et illam solam salvificam faciunt. - Quod fides separata a charitate per "mulierem Jesabel" intelligatur, patet a nunc sequentibus dum ea per Sensum spiritualem in serie evolvuntur, et cum fide illa conferuntur: haec enim erant malefacta Jesabelis Uxoris Achabi:
Quod abiverit et serviverit Baali, et ei erexerit altare in Samaria, et fecerit lucum, (1 Regnum 16:31-33)
Quod occiderit prophetas Jehovae, (1 Regnum 18:4, 13);
Quod occidere voluerit Eliam, (1 Regnum 19:1-2)
Quod per dolum substituendo falsos testes abstulerit vineam Nabotho, et illum occiderit, (1 Regnum 21:6-7, seq.);
Quod propter illa malefacta praedictum ei sit ab Elia, quod canes illam comederent, (1 Regnum 21:23);
Quod dejecta sit a fenestra ubi fucata stetit, et quod aspersum sit de sanguine ejus ad parietem, et ad equos qui conculcaverunt illam, (2 Regnum 9:30-33). 1
Quoniam omnia Historica aeque ac Prophetica Verbi Significant Spiritualia Ecclesiae, ita quoque haec: quod haec significent fidem separatam a charitate, constat ex Sensu spirituali, et tunc a collatione; nam per "abire et servire Baali," ac ei "erigere altare," et "facere lucum," significatur servire cupiditatibus omnis generis, seu quod idem, diabolo, non cogitando de aliqua mala cupiditate, nec de aliquo peccato, ut faciunt illi quibus nulla doctrina charitatis et vitae est, sed solius fidei: per "occidere prophetas" significatur destruere vera doctrinae ex Verbo: per "velle occidere Eliam" significatur velle ipsum Verbum similiter: per "auferre vineam Nabotho, et illum occidere," significatur ipsam Ecclesiam, nam "vinea" est Ecclesia: per "canes" qui illam comederent, significantur cupiditates: per "dejectionem e fenestra," "aspersionem sanguinis ad parietem," "et proculcationem ab equis," significatur interitus eorum, nam singula illa etiam significant: "fenestra" verum in luce, "sanguis" falsum, "paries" verum in ultimis, "equus" intellectum Verbi. Inde concludi potest, quod illa collata cum fide separata a charitate coincidant, ut amplius constare potest a sequentibus in Apocalypsi, ubi de fide illa agitur.
Footnotes:
1. 30-33 pro "32, 33, 34"