5508.“将他们所遭遇的事都告诉他”表那真理的良善对直到那时所提供的事物的反思。这从“告诉”和“所遭遇的事”的含义清楚可知：“告诉”是指思考和反思（参看2862节），因为告诉某人的事会基于反思而得到思考；“所遭遇的事”是指属于天意或命定的事，如下文所述。之所以进行反思的是真理的良善，是因为“他们告诉”给的人是他们的父亲雅各，而“雅各”代表真理的良善（5506节）。这种反思之所以不像字义所暗示的那样来源于“雅各的儿子们”所代表的真理，是因为低层或外层所拥有的一切反思和由此而来的思维皆来自高层或内层，尽管它们看似来自低层或外层。由于雅各所代表的真理之良善是内层，故所表示的是来自真理之良善的反思。
他们所遭遇的事是属于神的旨意或命定的事，这是因为所遇到或发生的事都属于神的旨意。神的旨意或圣治以不可见和无法理解的方式作工，好叫人能在自由中将这工要么归于神的旨意，要么归于偶然。因为如果神的旨意以看得见和可理解的方式来实施它的行为，那么就会存在危险状况；在这种状况下，人会因他所看见和理解的而首先相信这些行为是神的旨意，但后来却转向反面。在这种情况下，真理与虚假就会在他的内层人里面联结起来，并且真理会遭到亵渎；这种亵渎伴随着永恒的诅咒。所以像这样的人保持在不信的状态，要好于在这一刻有信仰，然后又离开信仰。
这种状况就是以赛亚书中所表示的：
你去对这人民说，你们听是要听见，却不明白；看是要看见，却不晓得。要使这百姓心蒙脂油，耳朵发沉，眼睛昏迷；免得他们用眼看见，用耳听见，心里明白，回转过来，便得医治。（以赛亚书6:9-10；约翰福音12:40）
这也解释了为何现如今神迹不再发生；因为和一切看得见、可理解的事一样，这些神迹会迫使人去相信，凡强迫的东西都会夺走自由。但人的整个改造和重生是在他自由的状态下进行的。凡在不自由的状态下被植入他的东西，都不会在他里面稳固。当此人处于对良善与真理的情感时，事物不会在自由中被植入（参看1937，1947，2744，2870-2893，3145，3146，3158，4031节）。
在雅各的后代当中行如此大的神迹，是为了通过这些神迹迫使他们在表面形式上遵守赐予他们的宗教律例；因为对限于教会代表的人来说，做到这一点就足够了。在这些人中间，外在事物是与内在事物分离的，这就是为何他们的内层无法被改造。他们完全弃绝内在事物，因而不可能亵渎真理（3147，3398，3399，3480，4680节）。强迫这样的人是不会有亵渎圣物的危险的。
今天的人们要信他们所看不见的，这从主对多马说的话清楚看出来，约翰福音：
多马，你因看见了我才信，那没有看见就信的有福了！（约翰福音20:29）
诚然，教会承认所发生或遭遇的事，换句话说，被归因于偶然或幸运的事是神的旨意，但仍旧不相信。因为当看似幸运地从某种巨大的危险中走出来时，谁嘴上不会说，神救了他，并感谢神呢？当职位晋升或变得富有时，他岂不是称之为从神来的赐福？因此，教会成员虽承认所发生的一切都是神的旨意，但仍旧不相信。关于这个主题，蒙主的神性怜悯，我们会在别处予以详述。
Potts(1905-1910) 5508
5508. And told him all that had befallen them. That this signifies reflection from the good of that truth upon the things hitherto provided, is evident from the signification of "telling," as being to think and reflect (see n. 2862), for what is told anyone is thought of from reflection; and from the signification of "all that had befallen," as being what is of providence, or what is provided (of which in what follows). The reason why the reflection was from the good of truth is that they told Jacob their father, by whom the good of truth is represented (n. 5506). The reason why the reflection was not from the truths represented by the sons of Jacob, as the sense of the letter implies, is that all the reflection and thence thought that the lower or exterior has, comes from the higher or interior, although it appears to come from the lower or exterior; and as the good of truth that Jacob represents is interior, therefore reflection from the good of truth is signified. [2] That the things which befell them are things of providence or things provided, is because everything that befalls or happens, which in other words is called accidental, and is ascribed to chance or fortune, is of providence. Divine providence works thus invisibly and incomprehensibly in order that man may in freedom ascribe an event either to providence or to chance; for if providence acted visibly and comprehensibly, there would be danger of man's believing, from what he sees and comprehends, that it is of providence, and afterward changing into the contrary. Thus truth and falsity would be conjoined in the interior man, and truth would be profaned, which profanation is attended with eternal damnation. Therefore it is better for such a man to be kept in unbelief than to be in faith and then recede from it. [3] This is what is meant in Isaiah:
Say to this people, Hearing hear ye, but understand not; and seeing see ye, and know not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and their heart should understand, and they should turn again, and be healed (Isa. 6:9-10; John 12:40). It is for this reason also that miracles are not wrought at this day, for these, like all visible and comprehensible things, would compel men to believe, and whatever compels takes away freedom; when yet all the reformation and regeneration of man is effected in his freedom. That which is not implanted in freedom does not stay. It is implanted in freedom when the man is in the affection of good and truth (see n. 1937, 1947, 2744, 2870-2893, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4031). [4] That miracles so great were wrought among the posterity of Jacob was for the sake of their being compelled to observe the statutes in their outward form; for this was sufficient for those who, being only in the representatives of a church, were in external things separate from internal, and therefore could not be reformed as to the interiors; for they entirely rejected interior things, and therefore they could not profane truths (n. 3147, 3398, 3399, 3480, 4680). Men like these could be compelled without danger of profaning what is holy. [5] That man at this day ought to believe what he does not see, is evident from the Lord's words to Thomas, in John:
Because thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they who do not see, and yet believe (John 20:29). That the things which happen (in other words which are ascribed to chance or fortune) are of the Divine providence, the church indeed acknowledges, but still does not believe; for who does not say, when apparently by chance he comes out of some great peril, that he has been preserved by God, and also gives God thanks? And likewise when he is exalted to honors, and also when he becomes wealthy, he calls it a blessing from God. Thus the man of the church acknowledges that what happens is of providence, but still does not believe. But on this subject, of the Lord's Divine mercy more will be said elsewhere.
Elliott(1983-1999) 5508
5508. 'And they pointed out to him all that was happening to them means reflection by the good of that truth on what was provided up to then. This is clear from the meaning of 'pointing out' as thought and reflection, dealt with in 2861, for what is pointed out to someone is thought based on reflection; and from the meaning of 'all that was happening to them' as what was providential or provided, dealt with below. The reason why it is the good of truth that reflects is that the one to whom 'they pointed out' was Jacob their father, who represents the good of truth, 5506. The reflection did not originate in the truths represented by 'the sons of Jacob', as the sense of the letter implies, for the reason that all reflection and thought based on it which take place in what is lower or more external begin in what is higher or more internal, though they appear to begin in what is lower or more external. And because the good of truth, which 'Jacob' represents, is more internal, reflection by the good of truth is therefore meant.
[2] The reason 'what is happening' means what is providential or has been provided is that every happening or contingency which is otherwise described as fortuitous and attributed to chance or luck is something providential. Divine Providence does its work out of sight and in ways beyond comprehension, for the reason that a person may be able in freedom to attribute that work either to providence or else to chance. For if providence performed its acts in seen and comprehensible ways the dangerous condition would then exist in which a person would first believe, because of what he has seen and comprehended, that those acts were providential, but after that would move away into a contrary belief. In that case truth and falsity would then be joined together in his interior man and the truth would be rendered profane - a condition that holds eternal damnation within it. The retention therefore of a person such as this in a state of disbelief is preferable to his having faith at one point and then departing from it.
[3] This condition is meant in Isaiah,
Say to this people, Hearing, hear- but do not understand; and seeing, see - but do not comprehend. Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart understands, and they turn again and are healed. Isa 6:9, 10; John 12:40.
This also explains why miracles do not take place at the present day. For as with everything else that is seen and comprehensible, miracles would compel a person to believe; and anything that compels takes freedom away. But the whole of a person's reformation and regeneration takes place while he is in freedom; nothing implanted in him if he is not in freedom remains fixed in him. Things are implanted in freedom if an affection for goodness and truth are present in the person, 1937,1947, 2744, 2870-2893, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4401.
[4] The reason why great miracles occurred among the descendants of Jacob was that they were compelled by those miracles to fulfill in their outward form the religious laws they were given; for no more than this was required of those limited to representatives of the Church. With those people things of an external nature were separated from internal ones, which was why they could not undergo any interior reformation. They completely rejected things of an internal nature and were therefore unable to render truths profane, 3398, 3399, 3479, 4680. Such people could be subjected to compulsion without any danger of their profaning what was holy.
[5] People of today ought to believe what they do not see, as is also clear from the Lord's words to Thomas, in John,
Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed; blessed are those who do not see and yet believe. John 20:29.
The truth that contingencies which are otherwise attributed to chance or luck are due to Divine Providence is indeed accepted by the Church; yet there is no real belief in it. Who does not say that God has saved him, who does not give thanks to God when, seemingly by good fortune, he gets out of some great danger? Also, when he is promoted to important positions or comes into wealth, does he not also call this a blessing received from God? Thus the member of the Church accepts that all contingencies are attributable to providence, even though he does not really believe this. But more on these matters will in the Lord's Divine mercy be presented elsewhere.
Latin(1748-1756) 5508
5508. `Et indicabant ei omnia obvenientia illis': quod significet reflexionem ex bono veri illius super illa quae hactenus provisa, constat ex significatione `indicare' quod sit cogitare et reflectere, de qua n. 2862, nam quod `indicatur' alicui, hoc cogitatur ex reflexione; et ex significatione `omnium obvenientium' quod sit quae ex providentia, seu quae provisa, de qua sequitur; quod ex bono veri reflexio illa, est quia `indicabant Jacobo patri' per quem bonum veri repraesentatur, n. 5506; quod reflexio non ex veris quae repraesentantur per `filios Jacobi', ut sensus litterae involvit, est quia omnis reflexio et inde cogitatio quae inferiori seu exteriori, venit ex superiore seu interiore, tametsi apparet ex {1} inferiore seu exteriore; et quia bonum veri quod `Jacob' repraesentat, est interius, ideo significatur reflexio ex bono veri. [2] Quod `obvenientia' sint quae ex providentia, seu quae provisa, est quia omne obveniens seu contingens, quod alioquin fortuitum vocatur, et adscribitur casui aut fortunae, est ex providentia; Providentia Divina operatur ita invisibiliter et incomprehensibiliter ob causam ut homo queat ex libero adscribere id vel {2} providentiae, vel {2} casui; si enim providentia visibiliter et comprehensibiliter ageret, discrimen foret ne homo ex visuali et comprehensibili crederet quod providentiae sit, et postea in contrarium iret; ita verum et falsum in interiore homine conjungeretur et verum profanaretur, quod damnationem aeternam secum habet; idcirco tenetur homo talis potius in incredulitate quam ut semel in fide sit et inde recederet; [3] tale est quod intelligitur apud Esaiam, Dic populo huic, Audite audiendo, sed non intelligite, et videte videndo, et non cognoscite; impingua cor populi hujus, et aures ejus aggrava, ac oculos ejus obline, ne forte videat oculis suis, et auribus suis audiat, et cor ejus intelligat, et convertatur et sanetur sibi, vi 9, 10, Joh. xii 40;inde quoque {3} est quod hodie nec miracula fiant, haec enim sicut omnia visibilia et comprehensibilia, cogerent hominem ad credendum, et quae cogunt, auferunt liberum, cum tamen omnis reformatio hominis et regeneratio fit in ejus libero; quod non in libero implantatur, hoc non haeret; in libero implantatur cum homo est in affectione boni et veri, n. 1937, 1947, 2744, 2870-2893, 3145, 3146, 3158, 4031; [4] quod apud Jacobi posteros tanta miracula exstiterint, erat causa ut cogerentur ad observanda statuta in externa forma, hoc enim satis erat pro illis qui solum in Ecclesiae repraesentativis; in externis {4} erant separatis ab internis, quare' quoad interiora non potuerunt reformari; interiora enim prorsus rejiciebant, inde nec potuerunt vera profanare, (x)n. 3398, 3399, 3479, 4680; (m)tales potuerunt cogi absque discrimine profanationis sancti(n). [5] Quod homo hodie credere debeat quae non videt, constat quoque a Domini verbis ad Thomam, apud Johannem, Quia vidisti Me, Thoma, credidisti, beati qui non vident, et credunt, xx 29. Quod contingentia quae alioquin casui aut fortunae adscribuntur, sint ex Providentia Divina, Ecclesia quidem agnoscit sed usque non credit; quis enim non dicit, quando ex magno aliquo periculo ad apparentiam fortuito emergit, quod a Deo salvatus sit, et quoque gratias Deo agit? cum etiam ad honores evehitur, et quoque cum ad opulentiam venit, etiam vocant hoc benedictionem a Deo? ita agnoscit homo Ecclesiae quod contingentia sint ex providentia, sed usque non credit; sed de his plura, ex Divina Domini misericordia, alibi. @1 in$ @2 aut$ @3 etiam$ @4 solum erant adeo ut$