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《新教会教义纲要》 第118节

(道宏、一滴水译本 2022)

  BE118.接下来是取自《揭开启示》的几个灵界亲身见闻;第一个亲身见闻(AR926):我在解释第二十章经文,正思考龙、兽和假先知时,有人向我显现,问:“你在想什么?”我说:“假先知。”他说:“我带你去个地方,那里就是被称为‘假先知’的那些人所住之地,他们就是假先知。”他还告诉我,《启示录》第十三章所说的“另有一兽从地中上来、有两角如同羔羊、说话好像龙”,也是对这等人的描述。我跟着他,看到一群人聚集,其中还有一些是教会领袖,他们一直教导除了信,其它没有什么能使人得救;还说,要有好行为,但不是为了得救。不过,他们认为当照着圣经教导这些好行为,为了让平信徒,特别是头脑简单之人能更规矩地顺从他们的地方官的指令,因而易受管治。好让他们借着宗教信仰,去行出道德慈善。 【2】他们当中有个人看见我,说:“你想进去看看我们的教堂吗?里面有代表我们信仰的雕像。”我跟着进去看,颇为壮观,中央一个妇人的雕像,身穿朱红色衣裳,右手持一枚金币,左手持一串珍珠。不过,雕像和殿宇都是幻想造成的形像,因为地狱中的灵能用他们的幻想来表现一些壮观的场景,乃是通过关闭心智的内在成分,仅打开其外在来完成的。当我意识到所有这些只是魔法手段时,就向主祷告,我心智的内在突然被打开。取代殿宇,我见是一间破屋,从屋顶到地板,到处都是裂缝。那妇人所站之处,挂着一张画像,龙头、豹身、熊腿、狮口,正如《启示录》13:2所描述的海中上来的兽。而地板则成了充满青蛙的沼泽之地。我得知,在沼泽之下有一块巨大的方石,方石之下藏有圣经。 【3】看到这些,我问那行魔法的:“这是你们的殿?”他说是的。突然,他的心智之内在突然也被打开,让他看见我所见的真相。看到这些,他大叫道:“这是什么?从哪里来的?”我告诉他,是因为来自天上光照的结果,揭示了所有形式的真实本性。我告诉他:“这种景象正是你信仰的属性——与属灵之義分离之信。”突然间起了东风,将一切吹走,并吹干沼泽地,巨石露出来了(圣经在巨石下面)。之后,一阵犹如春天里的暖风从天上吹来。在那原处显出一座帐篷,外表极其简朴。与我同在的天使说:“看哪,亚伯拉罕的帐篷!那时三位天使到他那里,告诉他以撒将要降世。这个帐篷看起来简单,但随着从天降下的光照,会变得越来越壮观。”然后他们被赐能力,打开在智慧中的属灵天使所在之天,从那里倾下光芒使帐篷看起来如同耶路撒冷圣殿。我往里看,见那块基石,其下藏有圣经,那石头周围镶满宝石。有光从这些宝石发出、射到墙壁,墙上有基路伯的形像,光彩夺目。 【4】对此我惊叹不已,天使对我说:“你将看到更奇妙的景象。”然后许他们打开受爱驱使的属天天使所在的第三层天,从那里光芒照下,整个圣殿消失了;取代圣殿之处,只见主一人在那里,他站在那根基石之上,此石就是圣经,主的形像如同约翰在《启示录》第一章所见。众天使心智的内在于是被敬畏感充满,有俯伏敬拜的冲动。突然,从第三层天来的光照被主关闭了,第二层天的光照被再打开,圣殿重现,还见到帐篷,不过这次同帐篷在圣殿里面。这些经历可用来描述了启示录中这些话的意义:看哪、上帝的帐幕在人间、他要与人同住(启示录21:3);我未见(新耶路撒冷)城内有殿、因为主上帝全能者和羔羊为城的殿(启示录21:22)。


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A Brief Exposition of New Church Doctrine (Stanley translation 1953) 118

118. HERE FOLLOW THREE MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES TAKEN FROM THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED

The first Memorable Experience. 1When I was engaged on the explanation of chapter 20 of the Revelation, and was meditating on the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, a certain angelic spirit appeared before me and asked, "What are you thinking about?" I replied, "About the false prophet." Then he said, "I will lead you to the place where are those who are meant by the false prophet." He said that they are the same as those who are meant in chapter 13 by the beast out of the earth, which had two horns like a lamb, and spoke like a dragon. I followed him, and lo? I saw a crowd in the midst of which were prelates of the Church who taught that nothing else saves man but faith in Christ's merit; and that works are good, but not for salvation; yet that they are to be taught from the Word in order that the laity, especially the simple, may be kept more strictly in the bonds of obedience to the magistrates, and be constrained to exercise moral charity as if from religion, thus interiorly.

[2] Then one of them, seeing me, said, "Do you wish to see our place of worship in which is an image representative of our faith?" I approached and saw it; and behold, it was magnificent. And in the middle of it was the image of a woman clothed in a scarlet robe, and holding a gold coin in her right hand and a string of pearls in her left hand. But both the image and the temple were produced by phantasy; for infernal spirits can display magnificent objects by phantasies, by closing the interiors of the mind and opening only its exteriors. When, however, I perceived that such things were illusions, I prayed to the Lord, and suddenly the interiors of my mind were opened; and then, instead of a magnificent temple, I saw a house full of chinks from the roof to the foundations, in which nothing was connected. And, instead of a woman, I saw hanging up in that house an image, the head of which was like a dragon's, the body like a leopard's, the feet like a bear's, and the mouth like a lion's; thus, exactly like the beast out of the sea, described in the Revelation, chapter 13. And, instead of a floor, there was a marsh in which lay a multitude of frogs; and I was informed that beneath the marsh was a large hewn stone under which the Word lay entirely hidden.

[3] On seeing this I said to the illusionist, "Is this your place of worship?" He replied, "It is." Then suddenly his interior sight was opened also, so that he saw the same things that I did; whereupon he uttered a great cry, saying, "What and whence is this?" And I said, "This is from the light out of heaven which uncovers the quality of every form, and here is discovered the quality of your faith separate from spiritual charity." Then an east wind blew there and carried away the place of worship with the image, and also dried up the marsh, and so exposed the stone under which lay the Word. Afterwards there exhaled, as it were, a vernal warmth from heaven, and behold, in the same place there appeared a tent, simple in its outward form. And the angels who were with me said, "Behold the tent of Abraham such as it was when the three angels came to him and announced the birth of Isaac. It appears simple to the eye, nevertheless it becomes more and more magnificent according to the influx of light from heaven." And they were permitted to open the heaven which is the abode of spiritual angels who excel in wisdom; and then, from the light flowing in from there, the tent appeared like a temple similar to the one at Jerusalem. Then, on looking into it, I saw that the foundation stone under which the Word had been placed was set around with precious stones from which rays like lightning shot forth upon the walls, upon which were the forms of cherubs, beautifully variegating them with colours.

[4] As I was admiring these things, the angels said, "You shall see something still more wonderful." And they were allowed to open the third heaven which is the abode of celestial angels who excel in love; then, from the light flowing in from there, the whole of that temple disappeared, and in its place was seen the Lord alone, standing on a foundation stone which was the Word, in a form similar to that in which He appeared before John (Revelation 1). But as the interiors of the minds of the angels were then filled with holiness, by which they were impelled to fall prostrate upon their faces, suddenly the way of the light from the third heaven was closed by the Lord, and the way of the light from the second heaven was opened again, so that the former appearance of the temple returned, also of the tent, but within the temple. By this was portrayed the meaning of these words in the Revelation: Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them. Revelation 21:3. And of these words: And I saw no temple (in the New Jerusalem), for the Lord God omnipotent and the Lamb are the temple of it. Revelation 21:22.

Footnotes:

1. THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 926.

A Brief Exposition of New Church Doctrine (Whitehead translation 1892) 118

118. THE THREE FOLLOWING RELATIONS ARE TAKEN FROM THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED.

The First Relation. When I was engaged in the explanation of chapter 20 of Revelation, and was meditating about the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, an angelic spirit appeared to me, and asked, "What do you meditate about?" I answered, "About the false prophet." Then he said, "I will lead you to the place where they are who are meant by the false prophet; and who are the same that are meant in chapter 13 by the beast out of the earth, which had two horns like a lamb, and spoke like a dragon." I followed him, and lo, I saw a multitude, in the midst of which there were leaders of the church, who taught that nothing saves man but faith in the merit of Christ, and that works are good, but not for salvation, and that still they are to be taught from the Word, in order that the laity, especially the simple, may be kept more strictly within the bond of obedience to the magistracy, and forced, as if from religion, therefore interiorly, to exercise moral charity.

Then one of them observing me, said, "Do you wish to see our shrine, wherein is an image representative of our faith?" I approached and saw it, and lo, it was magnificent. In the midst of it there was the image of a woman clothed in a scarlet robe, and holding in her right hand a gold coin and in her left a string of pearls. But both the image and the shrine were induced by fantasy; for infernal spirits can by fantasies represent magnificent objects, by closing the interiors of the mind, and opening only its exteriors. When I perceived, however, that they were such sorceries, I prayed to the Lord, and suddenly the interiors of my mind were opened, and then, instead of a magnificent shrine, I saw a house full of clefts from the roof to the bottom, in which nothing cohered together; and instead of the woman I saw hanging up in that house an image, the head of which was like a dragon's, the body like a leopard's, and the feet like a bear's, and a mouth like a lion's; thus altogether like the beast out of the sea which is described (Revelation 13:2); and instead of a floor there was a swamp containing a multitude of frogs; and I was informed, that beneath the swamp was a large hewn stone, under which the Word lay deeply hidden. On seeing this, I said to the juggler, "Is this your shrine?" and he said, "It is"; but then suddenly his interior sight was opened also, and he saw the same things that I did; whereupon he cried with a great cry, and said, "What and whence is this?" And I said, "This is from light from heaven, which discloses the quality of every form, and thus the quality of your faith separate from spiritual charity." Then immediately an east wind blew, and carried away that shrine with the image, and also dried up the swamp, and thereby exposed the stone under which lay the Word; and afterwards there breathed as it were a vernal warmth from heaven, and lo, then in the same place, there appeared a tabernacle, as to its outward form simple.

And the angels who were with me said, "Behold, the tabernacle of Abraham, such as it was when the three angels came to him and announced the future birth of Isaac. It appears indeed simple to the eye, but nevertheless according to the influx of light from heaven it becomes more and more magnificent." And they were permitted to open the heaven, in which were the spiritual angels who excel in wisdom, and then from the influx of light from heaven thence, the Tabernacle appeared as a temple resembling that of Jerusalem; and on looking into it, I saw that the stone in the floor, under which the Word was deposited, was set with precious stones, from which there issued forth bright rays as of lightning that shone upon the walls, and caused beautiful variegations of color on certain cherubic forms that were sculptured on them. As I was admiring these things, the angels said, "Thou shalt yet see something still more wonderful." And it was permitted them to open the third heaven, in which were the celestial angels who are in love, and then from the light thence inflowing that whole temple disappeared, and in its stead was seen the Lord alone, standing on the foundation stone, which was the Word, in the same form that He appeared to John (Revelation 1). But because holiness then filled the interiors of the minds of the angels, occasioning in them an inclination to fall on their faces, suddenly the way of light from the third heaven was closed by the Lord, and the way from the second heaven opened; in consequence of which the former appearance of the temple returned, and also of the tabernacle, but this was in the temple. Hereby was illustrated the meaning of these words in Chap. 21 of Revelation:

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them (Revelation 21:3).

And by these:

And I saw no temple in the New Jerusalem, for the Lord God Omnipotent and the Lamb are the temple of it (Revelation 21:22).

Summaria Expositio 118 (original Latin 1769)

118. SEQUUNTUR TRIA MEMORABILIA EX APOCALYPSI REVELATA DESUMPTA.

PRIMUM MEMORABILE. Quando in Explicatione Capitis XX(mi) Apocalypseos eram, et meditabar de Dracone, Bestia, et Pseudopropheta, apparuit mihi quidam Spiritus angelicus, et quaesivit, quid meditaris, et dixi quod de Pseudopropheta; tunc ille dixit, deducam te ad locum, ubi illi sunt qui per Pseudoprophetam intelliguntur; dixit, quod iidem sint, qui Capite 13 intelliguntur per Bestiam ex Terra, quae habebat duo cornua similia Agno, et loquuta est sicut Draco. Sequutus sum illum, et ecce vidi turbam, cujus medio erant Antistites Ecclesiae, qui docuerunt, quod nihil hominem salvet quam Fides in meritum Christi, et quod Opera sint bona, sed non ad Salutem; et quod usque docenda sint ex Verbo, ut Laici, imprimis simplices, strictius in vinculis obedientiae erga Magistratus teneantur, ac sicut ex Religione, ita interius, ad Charitatem moralem exercendam adigantur. Et tunc unus ex illis me videns dixit, vis videre nostrum Fanum, in quo est Imago repraesentativa nostrae Fidei; accessi et vidi, et ecce erat magnificum, et in medio ejus imago Mulieris, indutae veste coccinea, tenentis in dextra Nummum aureum, et in sinistra Catenam ex unionibus: sed erant et Imago et Fanum inducta per phantasiam; possunt enim Spiritus infernales per phantasias repraesentare magnifica, occludendo interiora mentis, et aperiendo solum exteriora ejus. Sed cum animadverti, quod tales praestigiae essent, oravi ad Dominum; et subito aperta sunt interiora mentis meae; et tunc vidi loco magnifici Fani Domum rimosam a tecto usque ad imum, in qua nihil cohaesit; et vidi loco Mulieris in Domo illa pendens Simulacrum, cujus Caput erat simile Draconi, Corpus simile Pardo, Pedes sicut Ursi, et Os sicut Leonis; ita prorsus sicut describitur Bestia e mari, Apoc. 13:2 Cap.; et loco Soli erat Palus in qua multitudo ranarum; et dictum est mihi, quod sub Palude esset Lapis magnus caesus, sub quo jaceret Verbum penitus reconditum. His visis, dixi ad Praestigiatorem, est hoc Fanum vestrum, et dixit, quod sit; at subito tunc etiam aperiebatur illi visus interior, ex quo vidit similia quae ego; quibus visis clamavit clamore magno, quid hoc, et unde hoc; et dixi, quod sit ex luce e Caelo, quae detegit quale cujusvis formae, et hic quale vestrae Fidei separatae a Charitate spirituali: et illico flavit Ventus orientalis, et sustulit Fanum cum Imagine, et quoque exsiccabat Paludem, et sic nudabat Lapidem, sub quo jacuit Verbum: et post haec spiravit Calor sicut vernalis e Caelo, et ecce tunc in eodem loco visum est Tabernaculum, quoad formam externam simplex; et dicebant Angeli, qui apud me erant, ecce Tabernaculum Abrahami, quale id fuit, quando tres Angeli ad illum venerunt, et annuntiarunt de Isaco 1nascituro; hoc apparet coram oculis simplex, sed usque fit secundum influxum lucis e Caelo magnificum plus et plus; et datum est illis aperire Caelum, in quo erant Angeli spirituales qui in sapientia sunt; et tunc ex Luce inde influente apparebat Tabernaculum illud sicut Templum simile Hierosolymitano; quod cum introspexi, vidi Lapidem fundi, sub quo Verbum fuerat repostum, circum obsitum lapidibus pretiosis, e quibus sicut fulgur emicuit in parietes, super quibus erant formae Cheruborum, et pulchre variegavit illos coloribus. Cum haec admiratus sum, dixerunt Angeli, videbis adhuc mirabilius; et datum est illis aperire Caelum Tertium, in quo erant Angeli caelestes, qui in amore sunt; et tunc ex Luce inde influente, totum illud Templum evanuit, et loco ejus visus est Dominus Solus, stans super Lapide fundi, qui erat Verbum, in simili Effigie, in qua visus Johanni Cap. 1. Apocal. At quia sanctitas tunc implevit interiora mentis Angelorum, ex qua illis fuit nisus procidendi super facies, subito claudebatur a Domino via lucis e Caelo Tertio, et aperiebatur via lucis e Caelo Secundo, ex quo rediit aspectus prior Templi, et quoque Tabernaculi, sed in Templo. Ex his illustratum est, quid intelligitur in Cap. 21. Apoc. per hoc "Ecce Tabernaculum Dei cum hominibus, et habitabit cum illis," Vers. 3; et per hoc "Templum non vidi in Nova Hierosolyma, quia Dominus Deus Omnipotens Templum ejus, et Agnus," Vers. 22.

Footnotes:

1. Isaco pro Ifaco.


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