六、圣言灵义显明奇妙之事
209# 在自然界中，圣言并不显出什么奇事，因为灵义在那里并不显现；人也不能在内里照其本相接受它。然而在灵界中，由圣言而来的奇事却显现出来；因为那里众人皆为属灵者，而属灵事物感动属灵人，正如自然事物感动自然人。由圣言在灵界所产生的奇事甚多，兹略举数端。
在那里，圣殿内殿中的圣言本身，在天使眼前发光，有如一颗巨大的星，有时如同太阳；并且由其周围的光辉显出极其美丽的虹彩。这事一当内殿开启，便即发生。
【2】圣言中的一切真理，无论整体或细节，皆发光；此事我由以下经验得以确知：若有人将圣言中某一小节抄写在纸上，并将纸抛向空中，那纸便按其被裁成的形状发光。因此，灵能藉圣言产生各种发光的形体，亦能产生鸟与鱼的形状。更为奇异的是：若有人以打开的圣言摩擦自己的面、手，或所穿的衣服，使圣言的文字触及其上，则其面、手与衣服便发光，仿佛此人立于星中，为其光所环绕。此事我曾屡次目睹，并甚为惊异；由此我明白，摩西从西奈山携约版下来时，其面为何发光。
除此之外，灵界中尚有许多由圣言而来的奇事。例如，若某人处于教义的伪谬中，而观看安放在圣所中的圣言，其眼前便生出幽暗；圣言因而在他看来呈黑色，有时仿佛被煤烟所覆。若此人触摸圣言，便有爆裂之声轰然发出，他被抛掷到房间一角，并在那里躺卧片时，如同死人。若一个处于伪谬中的人，将圣言某些内容抄写在纸上，再把纸抛向天空，则在他眼与天之间的空中，便发生类似的爆裂；那纸被撕裂成絮片，随即消散。若将那纸掷向近旁站立的天使，也发生同样之事。此事我曾屡次看见。
由此向我显明：凡处于教义伪谬中的人，不能藉圣言与天堂有任何交通；他们对圣言的诵读在途中散逸而灭没，如同包在纸中的火药，一经点燃并抛向空中，便粉碎消散。与此相反，那些由主藉圣言而处于教义真理中的人，其诵读圣言能穿透直达天堂，并与那里的天使形成联结。天使自己从天降下、往下界执行某种职事时，显现为周身环绕小星，尤其在头部周围；这标志着由圣言而来的神性真理在他们里面。
209# （6）由圣言的灵义产生的关于圣言的奇妙事物或效果。在自然界，奇妙的事物或效果不是由圣言产生的，因为灵义在那里并不明显；人也没有从内在去接受它本来的样子。但在灵界，奇妙的事物或效果会从圣言中出现，因为那里的所有人都是属灵的，属灵事物影响属灵人，就像属世事物影响属世人一样。在灵界，由圣言产生的奇妙事物或效果有很多；我在此只提其中几个。在灵界圣殿的圣所中，圣言本身在天使眼前像一颗大星一样闪闪发光，有时像太阳一样闪闪发光；极其美丽的彩虹从它周围的明亮光芒中出现。一旦圣所打开，这种情况就会发生。
圣言的每个真理和一切真理都闪闪发光；我已经通过以下事实清楚看到这一点，即：当有人将圣言中的一节经文写在一张纸上，并把它抛到空中时，这张纸本身就会以它被裁剪的形式发光。因此，灵人能通过圣言产生各种发光的形式，包括鸟和鱼的形式。但更奇妙的是，当有人用打开的圣言擦脸、手或穿的衣服，以至于它们触摸到字迹时，脸本身、手和衣服都会闪闪发光，仿佛他正站在一颗被自己的光包围的星星上。我经常看到这一幕，对此感到大为惊奇。我由此明白了为什么当摩西带着约版从西乃山上下来时，他的脸会发光。
除此之外，还有其它许多奇妙的事物或效果是由圣言产生的。例如，如果处于虚假的人仰望如位于圣所那样的圣言，那么黑暗就会在他眼前升起，因此圣言在他看来是黑色的，有时仿佛蒙上了烟灰；而如果他触摸到圣言，那么巨大的爆炸声就会随之响起，他被扔到房间的一个角落里，在那里躺上一会儿，就像死了一样。再者，如果一个处于虚假的人将来自圣言的一段经文写在一张纸上，并把它扔向天堂，那么一种类似的爆炸随之出现在他的眼睛和天堂之间的空中，这张纸被撕成碎片，然后消失不见。如果这张纸被扔向站在附近的天使，同样的事会发生，如我经常所看到的。
通过这种方式，我清楚地看到，那些处于教义虚假的人没有通过圣言与天堂建立联系；相反，他们对圣言的阅读在路上就消散了，并像包在纸里的火药被点燃并扔到空中时一样消失了。对那些通过圣言处于来自主的教义真理的人来说，情况正好相反；他们对圣言的阅读甚至穿透到天堂，并与那里的天使产生结合。而天使们自己在从天堂降下来履行下面的某种职责时，似乎被小星星围绕，尤其头部周围；这是一种迹象，表明来自圣言的神性真理在他们里面。
此外，灵界有类似地上的事物；但灵界的一切事物，无论总体还是细节，都来自一个属灵的源头，或说有一个属灵的源头。因此，那里有金银和各种宝石，它们的属灵源头是圣言的字义。这就是为何在启示录，新耶路撒冷城墙的根基被描述为十二样宝石，因为其城墙的根基表示新教会的教义，这些教义源于圣言的字义。出于同样的原因，在亚伦的以弗得中有十二块宝石，被称为乌陵和土明，通过这些宝石从天上得到答复。除此之外，还有更多奇妙的事物或效果是由圣言产生的，这些事物或效果与圣言里面真理的力量有关。这力量如此之大，以至于对它的描述会超出一切想象；因为在灵界，圣言的力量足以倾覆大山小山，把它们移到远处，抛入大海；等等。简言之，从圣言发出的主的力量是无限的。
209. 6. The Word has amazing qualities because of its spiritual meaning. In the physical world, no amazing things happen because of the Word, since its spiritual meaning does not appear here and the true nature of that spiritual meaning is not being accepted at any deep level within us. In the spiritual world, however, amazing things do happen because of the Word, since all who are there are spiritual, and spiritual things affect spiritual people the way physical things affect physical people. There are many amazing things that happen in the spiritual world because of the Word; here I will mention just a few.
In the sanctuaries of church buildings in the spiritual world, the Word itself shines like a giant star before the eyes of the angels. Sometimes it shines like the sun. The glow around it causes exquisitely beautiful kinds of rainbows. This happens as soon as the sanctuary is opened.
[2] Each and every truth in the Word shines. This has been made clear to me by the fact that when anyone writes a verse from the Word on a piece of paper and throws it up in the air, the piece of paper generates a glowing form that takes the shape of the cut paper. As a result, spirits are able to use the Word to produce various light-emitting shapes such as birds and fish.
Something that is even more amazing is that when people rub the open Word - the writing itself - on their face or hands or the clothing they have on, their face, hands, or clothing shines as if they themselves were standing in a star and were surrounded by its light. I have very often seen this and I have been amazed. This made clear to me why Moses' face was shining when he carried the tablets of the covenant down from Mount Sinai [].
[3] In addition, there are many other amazing things that happen in the spiritual world because of the Word. For example, if people who have false beliefs look at the Word as it lies in its holy place, thick darkness overwhelms their eyesight, making the Word look black to them, sometimes as if it were coated with soot. If those same people touch the Word, there is an explosion with a loud bang, and they are thrown to the corner of the room and lie there as if dead for quite a while.
If people who have false beliefs write something from the Word on a piece of paper and toss it up toward heaven, when it is in the air between their eye and heaven a similar explosion takes place. The piece of paper is blown to bits and disappears. The same thing happens if the piece of paper is thrown toward an angel who is standing nearby. I have often seen this.
[4] This has made it clear to me that people who have a body of false teaching have no communication with heaven by means of the Word. On the way to heaven, their reading of it blows apart and comes to an end like a firecracker lit and thrown in the air. The opposite happens to people who have a true perspective from the Lord through the Word. Their reading of the Word penetrates all the way into heaven and forms a connection with angels who are there.
When angels come down from heaven to carry out some task below, they look as if they are covered in little stars, especially around their heads. This is an indication that there are divine truths from the Word inside these angels.
[5] The same things that exist on earth exist in the spiritual world, except that there they have a spiritual origin. So gold and silver and all kinds of precious stones exist there. Their spiritual origin is the literal meaning of the Word. This is why the Book of Revelation describes the foundations of the New Jerusalem's wall as being twelve precious stones. The foundations of its wall stand for the beliefs of the new church that are based on the Word's literal meaning. This is also why there were twelve precious stones called the Urim and the Thummim on Aaron's ephod. Answers from heaven came through these stones.
Many other amazing things happen with the Word in the spiritual world. They relate to the power of truth there, which is so immense that if I described it, it would exceed belief. The Word has so much power that it overturns mountains and hills there, moves them far away, throws them into the sea, and more. Briefly put, the power of the Lord that comes through the Word is infinite.
209. (vi) REMARKABLE EFFECTS PRODUCED BY THE WORD FROM ITS SPIRITUAL SENSE.
In the natural world the Word does not produce any remarkable effects, because the spiritual sense is not evident there, and is not inwardly accepted by a person in its real form. In the spiritual world, however, remarkable effects can be seen produced by the Word, because all the people there are spiritual, and spiritual things affect people just as natural things do natural people. There are many remarkable effects produced by the Word in the spiritual world, a few of which I shall describe here.
The Word itself kept in the sanctuaries of churches there is seen by the angels shining like a great star, at times resembling the sun, and the most beautiful rainbows are to be seen produced by its radiance. This happens as soon as the sanctuary is opened.
[2] I was able to establish that every single truth in the Word shines from the fact that, if a verse from the Word is written out on a piece of paper and the paper is tossed into the air, the paper itself shines, outlining the shape into which it has been cut. Spirits are therefore able to use the Word to make various shining shapes, including birds and fishes. Something even more remarkable is that when anyone rubs his face, his hands or the clothes he is wearing with the open Word, putting the writing against them, his face, hands and clothes shine, as if he were standing in a star with its light streaming round him. I have often seen this happen to my astonishment. This showed me how it was that Moses' face shone when he carried down the tablets of the covenant from Mount Sinai.
[3] Apart from these there are many more remarkable effects in the spiritual world produced by the Word. For instance, if someone who is full of false notions looks towards the Word as it lies in its holy place, thick darkness descends upon his eyes making the Word look black to him, at times as if coated in soot. If the same person touches the Word, there is a loud explosion and he is hurled into the corner of the room, where he lies for some time as if dead. If anyone full of false notions copies out anything from the Word on a piece of paper, and then tosses the paper up towards heaven, then there is a similar explosion in the air between his eye and heaven, and the paper is shredded and disappears. The result is the same, if the paper is thrown towards the angel 1 who stands near by. I have seen this happen many times.
[4] This has made it plain to me that there can be no communication with heaven by means of the Word for those who have false notions about doctrine; their reading falls apart on the way up and vanishes, like gunpowder wrapped in a screw of paper, set alight and tossed into the air. The opposite is the case with those who have true ideas about doctrine, learned from the Lord by means of the Word; when they read the Word it reaches all the way to heaven and makes a link with angels there. The angels themselves, when they come down from heaven to perform a duty below, appear to be surrounded by small stars, especially round their heads; this is a sign that they possess Divine truths from the Word.
[5] Moreover, the spiritual world contains similar things to those on earth, but every one of them has a spiritual origin. So there are gold and silver there too, and precious stones of all kinds. The spiritual origin of these is the literal sense of the Word. That is why in Revelation the foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem are described as of twelve precious stones. The reason is that the foundations of its wall mean the teachings of the new church derived from the literal sense of the Word. That too is why the ephod of Aaron contained twelve precious stones called Urim and Thummim, and replies were given from heaven by means of them.
In addition, there are still more remarkable effects produced by the Word, relating to the power of truth there, which is so immense that no one would believe a description. Its power there is enough to overturn mountains and hills, carry them to a distance, throw them into the sea, and other things. In short, the Lord's power derived from the Word is boundless.
Footnotes:
1. An emendation for 'corner' (reading angelum for angulum); cf. 164, 6-7.
209. (6) Wonderful things in regard to the Word arising from its spiritual sense. In the natural world no wonderful things arise from the Word, because the spiritual sense is not there apparent, and such as it is in itself is not inwardly received by man. But in the spiritual world wonderful things from the Word appear, because all there are spiritual beings, and a spiritual man is affected by spiritual things as a natural man is by natural things. The wonderful things arising from the Word in the spiritual world are many, a few of which I will here mention. In the shrines of the temples there the Word itself shines before the eyes of the angels like a great star, sometimes like a sun; and also from the bright radiance round about it there are seen as it were most beautiful rainbows. This happens as soon as the shrine is opened.
[2] That each truth and all truths of the Word shine has been made evident to me by the fact that when any least sentence from it is written out upon paper, and this is thrown into the air, the very paper shines in the form in which it has been cut. Thus by means of the Word spirits can produce a variety of shining forms, also the forms of birds and fishes. Again, what is still more wonderful, when anyone rubs his face, his hands, or the clothing he has on, with the open Word, touching them with the writing, the face itself, the hands, and the clothing shine as though he were standing in a star encompassed by its light. This I have seen very often, and wondered at it. Thus it was made clear to me how it was that Moses' face shone when he brought the tables of the covenant down from Mount Sinai.
[3] Besides these there are many other wonderful things there which are from the Word; for instance, if anyone who is in falsities looks towards the Word as it lies in its holy place a darkness comes over his eyes, and in consequence the Word appears to him to be black, and sometimes as if covered with soot; and if he likewise touches the Word an explosion follows with a crash, and he is thrown to a corner of the room, and lies there for a brief hour as if dead. If something from the Word is written on a paper by one who is in falsities, and the paper is thrown up toward heaven, a like explosion follows in the air between his eyes and heaven, and the paper is torn to shreds and vanishes; the same thing happens if the paper is thrown towards an angel standing near. This I have often seen.
[4] It has thus been made clear to me that those who are in falsities of doctrine have no communication with heaven through the Word, but their reading of it is dissipated on the way and is lost, like gunpowder wrapped in paper when ignited and thrown into the air. The opposite occurs with those who are in truths of doctrine from the Lord through the Word; their reading of the Word penetrates even into heaven and effects conjunction with the angels there. The angels themselves, when they descend from heaven to discharge any duty below, appear surrounded with little stars, especially about the head; which is a sign that Divine truths from the Word are in them.
[5] Furthermore, in the spiritual world things exist similar to those on earth; but there each thing and all things are from a spiritual origin. Thus gold and silver exist there, and all kinds of precious stones, and the spiritual origin of these is the sense of the letter of the Word; and on this account in the Apocalypse the foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem are described by twelve precious stones. The reason of this is that the foundations of its wall signify the doctrinals of the New Church, which are derived from the sense of the letter of the Word. For the same reason there were twelve precious stones called Urim and Thummim in Aaron's ephod, by means of which responses were given from heaven. There are many other wonderful things proceeding from the Word that have relation to the power of the truth within it. This power is so great that if described it would surpass all belief; for it is such that it overturns mountains and hills there, and removes them afar off, and hurls them into the sea; and many things besides. In short the power of the Lord proceeding from the Word is infinite.
209. (8) SOME WONDERFUL THINGS CONCERNING THE WORD FROM ITS SPIRITUAL SENSE.
In the natural world wonderful appearances do not proceed from the Word because the spiritual sense is not manifest there; nor is it interiorly received by man, as it is in itself. In the spiritual world, however, wonderful things do appear from the Word, for there all men are spiritual, and spiritual things affect the spiritual man just as natural things affect the natural man. I will now mention a few of the many wonderful things that arise in the spiritual world from the Word. The Word itself placed in the shrines of the temples there, shines before the eyes of the angels like a great star, and sometimes like a sun, and from the bright radiance which surrounds it there also appear as it were beautiful rainbows. This happens whenever a shrine is opened.
[2] I was also able to observe, that all the individual truths of the Word cast a radiance, from this fact that when any verse from the Word is written upon a piece of paper, and the paper is thrown into the air, the paper shines with a radiance in the form in which it has been cut; so that spirits by means of the Word can produce various shining forms, including those of birds and fish. But what is still more wonderful, if any person rubs his face, his hands, or the clothes he is wearing, against the open Word, so as to touch the writing with them, his face, hands and clothes shine as though he were standing in a star, encompassed with its light. This I have often seen to my great wonder; and it was thus evident to me why the face of Moses shone, when he brought down the Tables of the Covenant from Mount Sinai.
[3] Besides those wonderful things that appear in the spiritual world arising from the Word, there are many others of a different nature. For instance, if any one who is principled in falsities looks upon the Word as it lies in its sacred place, darkness rises up before his eyes, and the Word appears to him black, and at times as if covered with soot; while if he touches the Word, a loud explosion follows, and he is thrown into a corner of the room, where he lies for a time as if dead. Again, if a passage from the Word is written upon a piece of paper by a person who is in falsities, and the paper is thrown up towards heaven, then a similar explosion follows in the air between his eye and heaven; the paper is torn into shreds and disappears. The same thing happens if the paper is thrown towards an angel 1 standing near by, as I have often witnessed.
[4] In this way it has become clear to me that those who are in falsities of doctrine have no communication with heaven by means of the Word, but that their reading of it is dissipated on the way, and vanishes like gunpowder enclosed in paper, when ignited and thrown into the air. The reverse happens with those who are in truths of doctrine from the Lord through the Word. Their reading of the Word penetrates even into heaven and effects conjunction with the angels there. The angels themselves, when they descend from heaven to discharge any duty below, appear surrounded with little stars, particularly about the head, for this is a sign that they are principled in Divine truths from the Word.
[5] Moreover, in the spiritual world there are things similar to those on earth; but all things there have a spiritual origin. Thus there are gold and silver, and precious stones of all kinds; and the spiritual origin of these is the sense of the Letter of the Word. This is why, in the Revelation, the foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem are described as twelve precious stones, for the foundations of its wall signify the doctrines of the New Church derived from the sense of the Letter of the Word. For the same reason also, in Aaron's ephod there were twelve precious stones, called Urim and Thummim, and by means of these stones responses were given from heaven. Besides these, there are many more wonderful things arising from the Word, which have relation to the power of its indwelling truth. This power is so great that a description of it would surpass all belief. It is such that in the spiritual world it overturns mountains and hills, removes them to a distance and casts them into the sea. Many are the other wonders it performs, for in short, the power of the Lord by virtue of the Word is infinite.
Footnotes:
1. si charta illa projicitur ad augulum, reading angelum for angulum.
209. VI. MIRABILIA DE VERBO EX SENSU SPIRITUALI EJUS. In Mundo naturali non existunt aliqua Mirabilia ex Verbo, quia Sensus spiritualis ibi non apparet; nec intus ab homine recipitur, qualis ille in se est; at in Mundo spirituali apparent Mirabilia ex Verbo, quia omnes ibi spirituales sunt, ac spiritualia afficiunt hominem spiritualem, sicut naturalia naturalem. Mirabilia, quae in Mundo spirituali ex Verbo existunt, sunt plura, ex quibus pauca hic memorabo. Ipsum Verbum in adytis Templorum ibi lucet coram oculis Angelorum sicut magna Stella, quandoque sicut Sol, et quoque ex jubare circum circa apparent sicut Irides pulcherrimae; hoc fit ut primum aperitur adytum.
[2] Quod omnia et singula Vera Verbi luceant, hoc mihi constare potuit ex hoc, quod quando aliquis versiculus ex Verbo super Charta exscribitur, et Charta projicitur in aerem, ipsa Charta luceat in tali forma, in quam secta est, quare possunt Spiritus per Verbum producere varias formas lucentes, et quoque avium et piscium. Tum, quod adhuc mirabilius est, quod dum aliquis fricat faciem, aut manus, aut vestes, quibus indutus est, Verbo aperto, applicando ejus scripturam illis, ipsa facies, manus et vestes, luceant, sicut staret in Stella luce ejus circumfusus; hoc persaepe vidi et miratus sum; inde constabat mihi, unde erat, quod facies Mosis luceret, quum Tabulas foederis e Monte Sinai deportaret.
[3] Praeter illa dantur plura alia Mirabilia ibi, quae ex Verbo sunt, ut, quod si quis in falsis est, spectat ad Verbum in loco sancto jacens, oboriatur Caligo oculis ejus, et inde Verbum illi apparet nigrum, et quandoque sicut fuligine obsitum; si autem idem tangit Verbum, fit explosio cum fragore, et ille projicitur ad Angulum conclavis, et per horulam ibi jacet sicut mortuus. Si aliquid ex Verbo super charta a quodam qui in falsis est, exscribitur, et Charta projicitur versus Coelum, tunc in aere inter oculum ejus et Coelum fit similis explosio, et Charta discerpitur in floccos et evanescit: simile fit, si charta illa projicitur ad angelum, 1 qui in propinquo stat; hoc saepius vidi.
[4] Exinde patuit mihi, quod nulla communicatio cum Coelo per Verbum sit illis, qui in falsis doctrinae sunt, sed quod lectio illorum diffluat in via, et pereat sicut pulvis pyrius Chartae inclusus, dum accenditur et ejicitur in aerem. Contrarium fit apud illos, qui in veris doctrinae per Verbum a Domino sunt; lectio Verbi ab illis penetrat usque in Coelum, et facit conjunctionem cum Angelis ibi. Ipsi Angeli, cum descendunt de Coelo ad aliquod munus obeundum infra, apparent circumobsiti stellis parvis, imprimis circum caput, quod signum est, quod Divina vera ex Verbo in illis sint.
[5] Praeterea in Mundo spirituali dantur similia quae in terris, sed omnia et singula ibi ex origine spirituali, ita quoque datur aurum et argentum, et dantur Lapides pretiosi omnis generis, et horum origo spiritualis est Sensus literae Verbi; inde est, quod in Apocalypsi fundamenta muri Novae Hierosolymae describantur per duodecim Lapides pretiosos; causa est, quia per Fundamenta muri ejus significantur doctrinalia Novae Ecclesiae ex sensu literae Verbi; inde etiam est, quod in Ephodo Aharonis etiam fuerint duodecim Lapides pretiosi, Urim et Thumim vocati, et quod per illos responsa e Coelo data sint. Praeter haec, sunt adhuc plura Mirabilia ex Verbo, quae concernunt potentiam Veri ibi, quae tam immensa est, ut si describeretur, excederet omnem fidem; potentia enim talis est, ut evertat montes et colles ibi, illos transferat in longinquum, et projiciat in mare, praeter plura; in summa, Potentia Domini ex Verbo est infinita.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: angulum.