1042、“我把我的弓放在云中”表示重生的属灵人的状态，这种状态就像彩虹。谁都会感到惊讶，在圣言中，“云中之弓”或彩虹竟然是立约的记号，因为彩虹无非是雨滴中的光线转换所产生的一种表象，这完全是自然现象，和刚才（1038节）所提到的教会中其它立约的记号不同。但没有人能知道，“云中之弓”代表重生，并表示重生的属灵人的状态，除非他得以看到并因此知道这是怎么回事。属灵天使都是已经重生的属灵教会成员，在来世，当他们显为可见时，他们头上可以说围绕着一道彩虹。不过，所看到的彩虹与他们的状态完全一致；因此，在天堂和灵人界，从这些彩虹就能知道他们的性质。彩虹的表象之所以出现，是因为其对应于属灵事物的属世事物就呈现为这种可见的形状。这是来自主的属灵之光在他们的属世事物里面的一种转换。这些天使就是经上所说那些被“水和灵”重生的人（约翰福音3:5），而属天天使则是那些用“火”重生的人（马太福音3:11；路加福音3:16）。
至于属世的颜色，颜色的存在需要暗和明，或黑和白。当阳光照到暗和明，或黑和白处时，两者平衡的变化会改变光线，从而产生颜色。其中一些颜色多多少少具有暗和黑色，一些则多多少少具有明和白色；颜色的多样性即源于此。相比较而言，属灵事物也一样。在这种情况下，“暗”是指自我的才智部分，或虚假；“黑”是指自我意愿或邪恶，它吸收并熄灭光线。而“明和白”是指人以为他凭自己所行的真理或良善，它从自身反射和投射光线。落到这些事物上，可以说改变它们的光线来自主，如同来自智慧和聪明的太阳；因为属灵的光线不是别的，也不是来自其它源头。正因属世事物对应于属灵事物，所以在来世，当重生的属灵人周围的事物显为可见时，它看似云中之弓，这弓是存在于他的属世事物中的属灵事物的代表。对重生的属灵人来说，主将纯真、仁爱和怜悯注入理解力的自我。此人对这些恩赐的接受怎样，其彩虹的表象当显为可见时就怎样；其意愿的自我越被移除、制伏并变得顺从，它就越美丽。
当先知处于神的异象时，他们也会看见一张弓仿佛在云中。如以西结的异象：
在基路伯头以上的穹苍之上有宝座的形像，仿佛蓝宝石的样子，在宝座形像以上有一个形像，仿佛人的样子在它上头。我从祂腰以上的样子看见仿佛火炭的形状，其中周围有火的形状；又从祂腰以下的样子看见仿佛火的样子，周围也有光辉。下雨的日子，云中弓的样子怎样，周围光辉的样子也是怎样；这就是耶和华荣耀的形像的样子。（以西结书1:26-28）
谁都能清楚看出，在这异象中所看见的是主，这时祂代表天堂，因为祂自己就是天堂，也就是天堂全部中的全部。祂自己就是此处所提到的“人”；“宝座”是天堂，“祂腰以上的样子仿佛火炭的形状”是爱的属天元素；“祂腰以下的样子仿佛火的样子，周围也有光辉，如同云中的弓”是属天-属灵的元素。腰以上以这种方式代表属天天堂，或属天天使的天堂，而腰以下则代表属灵天堂，或属灵天使的天堂。事实上，在大人里面，下面，即从腰往下直到脚底的事物表示属世事物。由此也清楚看出，当被来自主的属灵之光如此光照时，人里面的属世事物就具有“云中之弓”的表象。约翰也看见了同样的表象（参看启示录4:2-3；10:1）。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]1042. A bow I have put in the cloud symbolizes the circumstances of a spiritual person who has been reborn, which resemble a rainbow.
It might be hard to believe that a bow in the cloud — a rainbow — is taken as a sign of a pact in the Word, when a rainbow is nothing but the effect that results when rays of sunlight are modified as they pass through raindrops. Unlike other signs of the pact in the church (discussed just above [1038]), it is nothing more than a physical phenomenon.
No one can recognize that a bow in the cloud represents regeneration — and symbolizes the circumstances of a spiritual person who has regenerated — except a person who has been permitted to see and learn how matters stand.
In the other world, when spiritual angels (all of whom were once regenerate people of the spiritual church) are so presented to view, a kind of rainbow appears around their head. The rainbows that appear, though, are simply an expression of the angels' state. This allows their nature to be recognized in heaven and in the world of spirits.
The reason this iridescent display appears is that those angels' earthly-type attributes, corresponding to spiritual ones, present this image. It is a modification of spiritual light from the Lord as received in their earthly characteristics.{*1} These angels are the ones said to be reborn of water and the spirit [John 3:5]; heavenly angels, though, are reborn of fire [Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16].
[2] In the world of nature, this is how it works: For color to exist, there has to be dark and light, or black and white. When sunlight falls on the dark and light (or black and white), variations in the balance of the two modify the rays in such a way as to create color. Some colors partake more or less of dark and black, some more or less of light, or white. That is what produces different colors.{*2} The situation in the realm of spirit is comparable. There, a dark color is intellectual conceit, or wrong thinking, while black is self-will, or evil, which absorbs and blots out rays of light. But a light color and white are the true and good things we imagine we do on our own, which reflect rays of light and bounce them back. The rays of light that fall on those colors and seemingly change them come from the Lord in his manifestation as a sun composed of wisdom and understanding. That is exactly what spiritual light rays are and exactly where they come from.
Earthly objects correspond to spiritual entities, and this is why something like a bow in a cloud appears (when the sight is presented in the other life) around a spiritual person who has been reborn. The bow is a representation of spiritual attributes within that person's earthly capacities.
People who are regenerate and spiritual have the sense that their power of understanding is their own, and into this intellectual selfhood the Lord instills innocence, kindness, and mercy. The way they receive these gifts determines how their rainbow looks, when displayed, and the more their self-will has been moved out of the way, conquered, and reduced to obedience, the more beautiful it is.
[3] When prophets were experiencing visions of God, they too saw a bow like that in the cloud. In Ezekiel, for instance:
Above the expanse that was over the head of the guardian beings was a seeming appearance of sapphire stone, like a throne, and what looked like the appearance of a person on it, high above. And I saw the seeming form of an ember, gleaming with the appearance of fire, within the form, all around, from the appearance of his hips and above. And from the appearance of his hips and below I saw the seeming appearance of fire, which had a brilliance all around. Like the appearance of a bow when it is in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of brilliance all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of Jehovah's glory. (Ezekiel 1:26-27, 28)
Anyone can see that it was the Lord who was seen in this way, and that he was then representing heaven, because he is heaven; in other words, he is the all-in-all of heaven. He is the person described in these verses; the throne is heaven; the ember gleaming with the appearance of fire from his hips and above is the heavenly quality of love; the brilliance of the fire all around from his hips and below, like a bow in a cloud, is a heavenly-spiritual quality. So the heavenly heaven, or the heaven of heavenly angels, was represented by the pelvic area and what was above it, while the spiritual heaven, or the heaven of spiritual angels, was represented by the pelvic area and what was below it. In the universal human, the lower extremities from the pelvis down through the feet to the soles symbolize earthly elements.
This also shows that our earthly traits appear in the form of a bow in the cloud when spiritual light from the Lord illuminates them in this way.
A rainbow also appeared to John, as described in Revelation 4:2-3; 10:1.
Footnotes:
{*1} See Spiritual Experiences (Swedenborg 1998-2002) 2347-2349 for a more exhaustive discussion of this rainbow display. [RS]
{*2} Swedenborg makes similar statements about black and white at 731, 2519, and 4530. Apparently this theory of colors stems from Aristotle, specifically his Sense and Sensibilia 439b (Aristotle 1984, 698), in which colors are hypothesized to arise from mixtures of white and black in specific ratios. And in fact, in Dynamics of the Soul's Domain (Swedenborg [1740-1741] 1955), part 1, 86, Swedenborg makes a tentative claim to have determined experimentally "the ratios of shades and lights by which individual colors may be designated." The theory is not without the support of appearances: after all, colors do become visible as night gives way to daylight, or, as Swedenborg puts it, color appears "where shade perceptibly begins to distinguish itself from light" (Dynamics of the Soul's Domain [Swedenborg [1740-1741] 1955], part 1, 86). This color logic can still be seen in palettes today that range from white through various colors to black. Aristotle's conjectures were repeated with various modifications by influential theorists such as François d'Aguilon (1567-1617) and the polymathic Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680), two of whose books Swedenborg had in his personal library. Isaac Newton (1642-1727), in his fourth edition of Opticks, book 1, part 2, proposition 1, theorem 1, specifically denied the validity of this "light and shadow" theory of color, but it persisted into the 1800s, attracting even such a brilliant proponent as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). (In Swedenborg's Spiritual Experiences [Swedenborg 1978] 6064, Newton informs Swedenborg in a conversation in the afterlife that all colors arise from white, red, and black. Compare Draft of "Supplements" [Swedenborg 1997] 291, in which Newton recants the theory of color he published in his lifetime on earth.) Swedenborg's own theory of colors varied considerably over his scientific career and was never set out definitively there; the portion of his last work touching on the topic, Draft on the Five Senses (Swedenborg 1976b) 335-377, 415, is barely more than an outline, and thus is for the most part highly obscure. For his other writings on color, see Draft on Fire and Colors (Swedenborg 1992, 9-16); Chemistry and Physics (Swedenborg [1721] 1976d, 127-132); Basic Principles of Nature, part 3, chapter 5, 20-21 (Swedenborg [1734] 1988; 2:295-299). For red and white as fundamental colors in the afterlife, see Secrets of Heaven 9467:1-2, 9833, 9865:2; Divine Love and Wisdom 380. [SS]
Potts(1905-1910) 1042
1042. I have set My bow in the cloud. This signifies the state of the regenerated spiritual man, which is like a rainbow. Anyone may wonder that the "bow in the cloud" or the rainbow, is taken in the Word for a token of the covenant, seeing that the rainbow is nothing but an appearance arising from the modification of the rays of sunlight in raindrops, and thus only something natural, unlike other signs of the covenant in the church, mentioned just above. And that the "bow in the cloud" represents regeneration, and signifies the state of the regenerated spiritual man, cannot be known to anyone unless it be given him to see and hence to know how the case is. Spiritual angels, who have all been regenerated men of the spiritual church, when presented to sight as such in the other life, appear with as it were a rainbow about the head. But the rainbows seen are in accordance with their state, and thus from them their quality is known in heaven and in the world of spirits. The reason that the appearance of a rainbow is seen is that their natural things corresponding to their spiritual present such an appearance. It is a modification of spiritual light from the Lord in their natural things. These angels are those who are said to be regenerated "of water and the spirit" but the celestial angels are said to be regenerated "with fire." [2] As regards natural colors, the existence of color requires something both dark and light, or black and white. When rays of sunlight fall on this, according to the varied tempering of the dark and the light, or of the black and the white, from the modification of the inflowing rays of light, colors are produced, some of which partake more and some less of the dark and black, and some more and some less of the light and white; and hence is their diversity. To speak comparatively, it is the same in spiritual things. The darkness in this case is the Own of man's intellectual part, or falsity; and the blackness is the Own of his will part, or evil; which absorb and extinguish the rays of light. But the lightness and whiteness is the truth and good that the man supposes he does of himself, which reflects and throws back from itself the rays of light. The rays of light that fall upon these, and as it were modify them, are from the Lord, as from the Sun of wisdom and intelligence; for rays of spiritual light are no other and from no other source. It is because natural things correspond to spiritual that when what is about a regenerate spiritual man is presented to view in the other life, it appears like the bow in the cloud, this bow being the representation of his spiritual things in his natural things. There is in the regenerate spiritual man an Own of the understanding into which the Lord insinuates innocence, charity and mercy. According to the reception of these gifts by the man is the appearance of his rainbow when presented to view-beautiful in proportion to the degree in which the Own of his will is removed, subdued, and reduced to obedience. [3] By the prophets also, when they were in the vision of God, there was seen a bow as in a cloud. As by Ezekiel:
Above the expanse that was over the head of the cherubs was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a Man upon it above; and I saw as the appearance of burning coal, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of His loins and upward; and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about Him; as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about; this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah (Ezek. 1:26-28).It must be evident to everyone that it is the Lord who was thus seen, and also that by Him was represented heaven, for He is heaven, that is, He is the all in all things of heaven. He is the "Man" here spoken of; the "throne" is heaven; the "burning coal as the appearance of fire from the loins and upward" is the celestial of love; the "brightness as of fire round about from the loins downward, as the bow in the cloud" is the celestial spiritual. Thus the celestial heaven, or the heaven of the celestial angels, is represented from the loins upward, and the spiritual heaven, or the heaven of the spiritual angels, is represented from the loins downward. For in the Grand Man what is below, from the loins down through the feet to the soles, signifies what is natural. Hence also it is evident that the natural things of man thus illuminated by spiritual light from the Lord, appear as the bow in the cloud. The like was seen also by John (Rev. 4:2-3; 10:1).
Elliott(1983-1999) 1042
1042. 'I have given My bow in the cloud' means the state of a regenerate spiritual person, who is like a rainbow. Anyone may wonder that in the Word 'the bow in the cloud', or the rainbow, is taken as a sign of the covenant, for the rainbow is nothing else than something produced by the conversion of rays of sunlight in raindrops. It is a wholly natural phenomenon, unlike other signs of the covenant in the Church mentioned just above. But the fact that 'the bow in the cloud' represents regeneration and means the state of a regenerate spiritual person, nobody is able to know unless he is allowed to see and consequently know what exactly is involved. When spiritual angels, who have all been regenerate members of the spiritual Church, are in the next life manifested visibly as such, there appears around their head a rainbow so to speak. But the rainbows which appear accord completely with their state, and from this also their characters are recognized in heaven and in the world of spirits. The reason the likeness of a rainbow appears is that their natural things corresponding to spiritual present such visible shape. It is a conversion of spiritual light from the Lord within their natural things. These angels are those said to have been 'regenerated by water and the spirit' while celestial angels are those said to have been 'regenerated with fire'.
[2] In the case of; natural things, so that colour may be produced something dark and light, or black and white, is necessary. When rays of light from the sun fall on this, depending on the varying composition of the dark and light, or black and white, colours are produced from the modification of the inflowing rays of light. Some of those colours draw more, others less, on the dark and black, and some more, or less, on the light and white; and this is what gives rise to diversity of colour. Something comparable to this exists in spiritual things. In their case the intellectual side of the proprium, or falsity, constitutes 'the dark', and the will side of the proprium, or evil, which absorbs and extinguishes rays of light constitutes 'the black'. As for the 'light and white', these are the truth or good which a person imagines he does from himself, which reflects and casts back from itself the rays of light. The rays of light which fall on those things and so to speak modify them come from the Lord as the Sun of wisdom and intelligence; for the rays of spiritual light are no other and have no other source. It is because natural things correspond to spiritual that when in the next life that which is around a regenerate spiritual person is manifested visibly, there appears that which is similar to a bow in a cloud. This bow is a representation of the spiritual things present within his natural things. With the regenerate spiritual person an intellectual side of the proprium exists into which the Lord instills innocence, charity, and mercy. As is the person's reception of these gifts so is the appearance of his rainbow when manifested visibly - the more beautiful the more that the will side of his proprium has been taken away, disciplined, and reduced to a state of obedience.
[3] When the prophets had a vision of God, a bow as if in a cloud was also seen by them, as in Ezekiel's vision,
Above the firmament that was over the heads of the cherubim, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne, there was a likeness as it were of the appearance of a Man (Homo) upon it above. And I saw as it were the shape of coal burning bright, as the appearance of fire, within it round about from the appearance of His loins upwards. And from the appearance of His loins and downwards I saw as it were the appearance of fire, whose brightness was round about it, like the appearance of the bow when it is in the cloud on the day of rain; so was the appearance of brightness round about; this was the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of Jehovah. Ezek 1:26-28.
It may be clear to anyone that it was the Lord who was seen in this vision, and that on that occasion He represented heaven, for He Himself is heaven, that is, the All in all of heaven. He Himself is the 'Man' mentioned here, 'the throne' is heaven, 'the coal burning bright, as the appearance of fire, from the loins upwards' is the celestial element of love, 'the brightness of fire round about from the loins downwards, like the bow in the cloud' is the celestial-spiritual. In this way the celestial heaven, or heaven of celestial angels, was represented from the loins upwards, and the spiritual heaven, or heaven of spiritual angels, from the loins downwards. In fact the things that are below, from the loins down to the soles of the feet, mean in the Grand Man natural things. From this it is also clear that, when thus enlightened by spiritual light from the Lord, the natural things in man take on the appearance of 'the bow in the cloud'. The same appeased to John as well, see Rev 4:2, 3; 10:1.
Latin(1748-1756) 1042
1042. 'Arcum Meum dedi in nube': quod significet statum hominis regenerati spiritualis, qui instar arcus iridis est: quisque mirari potest quod arcus in nube seu iris in Verbo accipiatur pro signo foederis, cum iris non aliud sit quam quoddam exsurgens ex modificatione radiorum lucis a sole tunc in guttis aquae pluviae, nec aliud quam naturale quoddam, nec sicut alia signa foederis in Ecclesia, de quibus mox prius: sed quod 'arcus in nube' repraesentet regenerationem, et significet statum hominis regenerati spiritualis, non alicui notum esse potest nisi cui datum videre et inde scire quomodo se res habet. Angeli spirituales, qui omnes fuerunt homines Ecclesiae spiritualis regenerati, in altera vita cum sistuntur conspiciendi ita, apparet circum caput sicut arcus iridis; sed irides quae apparent, se habent prorsus secundum statum eorum, inde etiam cognoscuntur in caelo et in mundo spirituum quales sunt: quod instar iridis appareat, causa est quod naturalia eorum correspondentia spiritualibus talem speciem sistant; est modificatio lucis spiritualis a Domino, in eorum naturalibus; hi angeli sunt qui dicuntur 'regenerati aqua et spiritu,' angeli vero caelestes 'regenerati igne.' In naturalibus ita se habet: [2] ut color existat, debet esse quoddam obscurum et niveum, seu nigrum et album, in quae cum radii lucis ex sole incidunt, secundum variam temperaturam obscuri et nivei, seu nigri et albi, ex modificatione radiorum lucis influentium, existunt colores, quorum quidam magis aut minus trahunt ex obscuro et nigro, quidam magis aut minus ex niveo seu albo, inde diversitas eorum; comparative se habet res in spiritualibus; ibi 'obscurum' est proprium intellectuale seu falsum. et 'nigrum' est proprium voluntarium hominis seu malum, quod absorbet et exstinguit radios lucis; at 'niveum et album' est verum et bonum quod homo putat facere ex semet, quod reflectit et rejicit a se radios lucis; radii lucis qui in illa incidunt et illa quasi modificant, sunt a Domino, ut a sole sapientiae et intelligentiae, nam radii lucis spiritualis non alii sunt nec aliunde: quia naturalia correspondent spiritualibus, inde est cum circa hominem regeneratum spiritualem in altera vita sistatur ita videndum, quod appareat simile arcui in nube, qui arcus est repraesentatio spiritualium in ejus naturalibus: apud hominem regeneratum spiritualem est proprium intellectuale, cui Dominus insinuat innocentiam, charitatem et misericordiam; secundum receptionem horum honorum ab homine, apparet ejus iris, cum sistitur videnda, eo pulchrior quo magis proprium voluntarium hominis remotum, subactum, et in obsequium redactum est. [3] Prophetis cum in visione Dei fuerant, apparuit quoque arcus sicut qui in nube, ut Ezechieli, Supra expansum, quod super capite cheruborum, quasi aspectus lapidis sapphiri, similitudo throni, et {1} super similitudine throni,' similitudo tanquam aspectus Hominis super illo superius: et vidi sicut speciem prunae {2} coruscantis secundum aspectum ignis, intra illam circumcirca ab aspectu lumborum Ipsius et supra; et ab aspectu lumborum Ipsius et infra, vidi tanquam aspectum ignis cui splendor circumcirca, sicut aspectus arcus cum sit in nube in die pluviae, sic aspectus splendoris circumcirca; hic aspectus similitudinis Gloriae Jehovae, i 26-28;cuivis constare potest quod Dominus ita visus, et tunc per Ipsum repraesentatum caelum, nam Ipse est caelum, hoc est, Omne in omnibus caeli; Ipse est 'Homo' de quo ibi, 'thronus' est caelum, 'pruna coruscans secundum aspectum ignis a lumbis supra' est caeleste amoris, 'ignis splendor circumcirca a lumbis infra sicut arcus in nube' est caeleste spirituale; ita caelum caeleste seu caelestium angelorum repraesentatum a lumbis supra, et caelum spirituale seu spiritualium angelorum a lumbis infra; quae enim infra sunt a lumbis usque per pedes ad plantas, in Maximo Homine significant naturalia: inde quoque constat quod naturalia hominis ita illustrata per lucem spiritualem a Domino, instar 'arcus in nube' appareant. Apparuit etiam Johanni, de quibus in Apoc. iv 2, 3; x 1. @1 I o, probably a printer's slip from repetition of throni.$ @2 Sch. has only prunae, A.V. and R. V. 'amber,' but 'or electrum' in m. The Heb. [ ] (hashmal) means 'polished brass,' possibly a mixture of brass and gold, see Rev. i 15.$