8918.“远远地站着”表远离内在事物。这从“远远地站着”的含义清楚可知，“远远地站着”是指遥远地存在，在此是指远离内在事物，因为他们远离的是西乃山，而西乃山表示天堂和那里的神性（参看8805节）。无论你说“远离神性”，还是说“远离天堂”，亦或说“远离内在事物”，意思都一样，因为天堂在于内在事物。因为人的内在处于天堂之光，而他的外在则处于世界之光；或也可说，人的灵魂或灵在天堂，而他的肉体则在世界。天堂比世界更接近神性，因为在天堂，主的神性掌权，是全部中的全部。关于“远”的含义，要进一步知道，“远”在灵义上与空间距离无关，而与神性有关，因而与良善和真理有关。与从神性发出的良善本身的距离产生了天上空间距离的表象。那里的天使社群看上去不同且分离，事实上彼此相隔很远；但如前所述，它们之间的空间概念是由他们与主的神性所发出的良善和真理的距离产生的。对许多世人来说，这一点势必显得矛盾，不可理解，甚至显得荒谬。原因在于，人的思维和观念是建立在空间和时间的基础上，以至于人离开它们就无法思考。因此，如果你把时间和空间从一个人的思维中抽离出来，他几乎什么都不明白。然而，天上的天使在思考的时候完全摆脱了时间和空间的观念，并且摆脱得如此彻底，以致他们在聪明和智慧上的思维比世人的胜出上千倍，甚至上万倍。令人震惊的是，如果有一种源于时空的观念入侵他们的头脑，阴影和幽暗就立刻占据他们的心智，因为这时他们从天堂的优越之光坠入自然界的低劣之光；而对他们来说，后一种光就是幽暗。
来世没有空间和时间，只有状态；空间和时间的表象是由良善和真理上的状态变化产生的（参看2625，2837，3356，3387，3404，4321，4882，5605，7381节）。由此可见“远远地站着”在灵义上表示什么，即远离神性所在的天堂，在此是指远离内在事物，因为如前所述，那时在离西乃山很远的地方站着的这个民族离内在事物极其遥远。他们只对外在事物感兴趣，认为对神的敬拜完全在于这些事物。这个民族也被允许这样做，因为这样他们就能代表天上和神性的事物；因为为叫这些事物能得以代表，一种外在形式是有必要的，而且这种形式可以脱离任何内在事物而存在（3147，3670，4208，4281，4288，4307，8588节）。
在以下经文中，“远远地”表示远离来自神性的良善和真理，因而远离内在事物。路加福音：
财主在阴间举目远远地望见亚伯拉罕，又望见拉撒路在他怀里。亚伯拉罕对他说，在你我之间，有大鸿沟限定，以致人要从这边过到你们那边是不能的；要从那边过到我们这边也是不能的。（路加福音16:23，26）
“亚伯拉罕”不是指亚伯拉罕，因为在天上没人认识他；但在至高意义上，“亚伯拉罕”表示主，在相对意义上代表天上那些处于对主的爱与信之良善的人（1834，1876，1965，1989，2011，3245，3305，6098，6185，6276，6894节）。之所以说地狱里的人“远远地望见天上的人”，是因为他们处在距离良善和真理最为遥远的一种状态中。他们之间的“大鸿沟”是指距离良善的遥远本身，这种遥远也产生了介于两者之间的鸿沟的表象。
那些和世人一样出于空间观念进行思考的人，不可避免地把地狱，以及天堂想象成距离一个人很远的一个地方。但真相并非如此，其实地狱和天堂离一个人很近；事实上，它们就在人里面；地狱在一个坏人里面，天堂则在一个好人里面。此外，死后，每个人都进入他在世时就已在其中的那个地狱或天堂。不过，死后会有一个状态的变化；在世时没有感知到的地狱变得可以感知到，在世时没有感知到的天堂也变得可以感知到；天堂充满一切幸福，地狱充满一切不幸。天堂在我们里面，主在路加福音教导了这一点：
神的国就在你们里面。（路加福音17:21）
以下经文中的“远”也是如此：
他们从远地而来，从天边而来。（以赛亚书13:5；耶利米书5:15）
以赛亚书：
你们远方的人当听我所行的；你们近处的人当承认我的大能。（以赛亚书33:13）
又：
我要对北方说，交出来！对南方说，不可扣留！将我的众子从远方带来，将我的众女从地极领回。你要将有眼而瞎、有耳而聋的民都带出来。（以赛亚书43:6，8；49:12）.
又：
众海岛啊，听我吧！远方的众民哪，留心而听！（以赛亚书49:1；耶利米书31:10）
耶利米书：
看哪，我人民女子的哀声从极远之地而来：耶和华不在锡安吗？她的王不在其中吗？（耶利米书8:19）
又：
耶和华啊，你栽培了他们，他们也扎了根。他们在口上是近的，心里却很远。（耶利米书12:2）
又：
我岂为近处的神呢？不也为远处的神吗？（耶利米书23:23）
在所有这些经文中，“远”表示远离良善。
Potts(1905-1910) 8918
8918. And they stood afar off. That this signifies remoteness from internal things, is evident from the signification of "standing afar off," as being remotely, here, from internal things, because from Mount Sinai, by which is signified heaven and the Divine there (see n. 8805). Whether you say "remotely from the Divine," or "from heaven," or "from internal things," it is the same, because heaven is in internal things. For the internal of man is in the light of heaven, and his external is in the light of the world; or what is the same, the soul or spirit of man is in heaven, but his body in the world. Heaven is nearer to the Divine than the world, because in heaven the Divine of the Lord reigns, and is the all in all. As further regards the signification of "afar off," be it known that in the spiritual sense "afar off" has no reference to space, but to the Divine, thus to good and truth. Distance from the very good itself which proceeds from the Divine, causes the appearance of distance in heaven. The angelic societies there appear distinct and even remote from one another; but as already said this idea of space comes from distance from the good and truth which are from the Divine of the Lord. This must needs appear a paradox, nay, absurd, to many in the world. The reason is that the thoughts and their ideas with man are founded upon spaces and times, insomuch that man cannot think without them. Consequently if you abstract times and spaces from a man's thought, he scarcely perceives anything. Nevertheless the angels in heaven think absolutely without any idea of time and space, and with such fullness that in intelligence and wisdom their thoughts surpass the thoughts of man thousands, nay, myriads of times; and, wonderful to say, if there occurs to them an idea derived from time and space, shade and thick darkness at once come to their minds, because they then fall from the light of heaven into the light of nature, which to them is thick darkness. [2] (That there are no spaces and times in the other life, but states; or that the appearances of spaces and times arise from the variations of state in respect to good and truth, see n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 3404, 4321, 4882, 5605, 7381.) From this then it is evident what "standing afar off" signifies in the spiritual sense, namely, remoteness from heaven where the Divine is; here, remoteness from internal things, because, as said above, that nation which then stood afar off from Mount Sinai was very remote from internal things, for it was in external things only, and it made everything of Divine worship to consist in these. Moreover to do so was permitted that nation, because thus it could represent heavenly and Divine things; for in order to be representative an external is required, and is also possible without an internal (n. 3147, 3670, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4307, 8588). [3] "Afar off" signifies remoteness from good and truth, which are from the Divine, thus remoteness from internal things, also in the following passages. In Luke:
In hell the rich man lifting up his eyes saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Abraham said to him, Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed; that those who would pass over from hence to you cannot; neither can those who are there pass over to us (Luke 16:23, 26). By "Abraham" is not meant Abraham, for he is not known in heaven; but in the supreme sense the Lord, and in the relative sense those in heaven who are in the good of love and faith in the Lord (n. 1834, 1876, 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3305, 6098, 6185, 6276, 6894). They who are in hell are said to "see those who are in heaven afar off," because they are in a state most remote from good and truth. The "great gulf" between them denotes the remoteness itself from good, which also gives the appearance of an intervening gulf. [4] They who think from an idea of space, as do all men in the world, perceive no otherwise than that hell is far distant from man, and that heaven is so too. But the case is otherwise. Hell and heaven are near to man, yea, in man; hell in an evil man, and heaven in a good man. Moreover everyone comes after death into that hell or into that heaven in which he has been while in the world. But the state is then changed; the hell which was not perceived in the world becomes perceptible, and the heaven which was not perceived in the world becomes perceptible; the heaven full of all happiness, and the hell of all unhappiness. That heaven is within us, the Lord teaches in Luke:
The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). See "afar off" also in the following:
They come from a land afar off, from the extremity of the heavens (Isa. 13:5; also Jer. 5:15). Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and ye that are near, acknowledge My might (Isa. 33:13). I will say to the north, Give; and to the south, Keep not back; bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the extremity of the earth. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears (Isa. 43:6, 8; also 49:12). Attend, O isles, unto Me; hearken, ye peoples, from far (Isa. 49:1; also Jer. 31:10). The voice of the cry of the daughter of My people from a land afar off: Is not Jehovah in Zion? Is not her King in her? (Jer. 8:19). Jehovah, Thou hast planted them, and they have also taken root. But Thou art near in their mouth, but far off from their reins (Jer. 12:2). Am I a God near, and not a God afar off? (Jer. 23:23). In all these passages "afar off" signifies remoteness from good.
Elliott(1983-1999) 8918
8918. 'And stood afar off' means remoteness from internal things. This is clear from the meaning of 'standing a long way off' as existing remotely, in this instance remotely from internal things, since it was Mount Sinai - by which heaven and the Divine there is meant, 8805 - that they stood away from. Whether you say remotely from the Divine, or from heaven, or from internal things, it amounts to the same thing, since heaven consists in internal things. For inwardly a person resides in the light of heaven, and outwardly in the light of the world; or what amounts to the same thing, a person's soul or spirit resides in heaven, but his body in the world. Heaven is nearer the Divine than the world is, because there the Lord's Divine is what reigns and is the All in all.
Before any further consideration is given to the meaning of 'afar off', it should be recognized that 'afar off' in the spiritual sense has no regard to spatial distance but to the Divine, and so to goodness and truth. Distance from actual goodness that emanates from the Divine produces appearances of spatial distances in heaven. Angelic communities appear distinct and separate there, indeed at a distance from one another; but this notion of space between them comes about as a result of their distance from goodness and truth which emanate, as has been stated, from the Lord's Divine This is bound to seem incomprehensible, indeed as something absurd, to many in the world. The reason for this is that a person's thoughts and ideas are based on spatial distances and lengths of time, so much so that a person cannot engage in thought without them. Consequently if you take away lengths of time and spatial distances from a person's thought he can grasp scarcely anything. Yet the thinking of angels in heaven is altogether free from anything temporal or spatial, so completely that their thoughts are a thousand times, indeed ten thousand times superior in intelligence and wisdom to man's thoughts. And what is astounding, if with them an idea of a temporal or spatial origin intrudes, shadow and thick darkness immediately overtakes their minds, because they then fall from the superior light of heaven into the inferior light of the natural order, which to them is thick darkness.
[2] The fact that there are no spatial distances or periods of time in the next life, but states instead, or that appearances of them exist as a result of variations of state in respect of goodness and truth, see 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 3404, 4321, 4882, 5605, 7381. From this one may now see what 'standing afar off' means in the spiritual sense, namely remoteness from heaven where the Divine is, at this point remoteness from internal things, because as stated above, that nation which stood at that time a long way off from Mount Sinai was most remote from internal things. They were interested solely in outward things, and considered worship of God to consist wholly in them. That nation was also allowed to do this because they were then able to represent heavenly and Divine realities; for in order that these may be represented an outward form is necessary, and this may exist devoid of anything internal, 3147, 3670, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4307, 8588.
[3] 'Afar off' means remote from goodness and truth that come from the Lord, and so remote from internal things, in the following places as well: In Luke,
The rich man in hell lifting up his eyes saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Abraham said to him, Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass across from here to you cannot, nor can those who are there pass across to us. Luke 16:23, 25, 26.
'Abraham' here is not used to mean Abraham, for he is not known in heaven, but in the highest sense to mean the Lord, and in the relative sense to mean those in heaven who are governed by the good of love to and faith in the Lord, 1834, 1876, 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3305 (end), 6098, 6185, 6276, 6804. Those in hell are said 'to see afar off' those in heaven because they are in a state extremely remote from goodness and truth. 'A great gulf' between them is the actual remoteness from good, which also produces the appearance of a gulf lying in between.
[4] Those who whenever they think rely on spatial ideas, as all people in the world do, inevitably envisage hell, and also heaven, to be a place far away from a person. But the truth of the matter is that hell and heaven are near a person; indeed they are in a person, hell being in a bad person, heaven in a good person. Everyone after death also enters that hell or that heaven he was in when in the world. But after death a change of state takes place, in that the hell which was not recognized in the world becomes recognizable, and the heaven which toe> was not recognized in the world becomes recognizable, the heaven being full of all happiness, and the hell of all unhappiness. The truth that heaven is within us is what the Lord teaches in Luke,
The kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21.
In Isaiah,
They are coming from a land far away, from the end of heaven. Isa 13:5; Jer 5:15.
In Isaiah,
Hear, you that are afar off what I have done; and know, you that are near, My strength. Isa 33:13.
In the same prophet,
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Do not withhold. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth. Bring forth the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears. Isa 43:6, 8; 49:12.
In the same prophet,
Listen to Me, O islands, and hearken, O peoples from afar. Isa 49:1; Jer 31:10.
In Jeremiah,
Behold, the voice of the cry of the daughter of My people from a land far away, Is not Jehovah in Zion? Is not her king in her? Jer 8:19.
In the same prophet,
O Jehovah, You have planted them, and they have also taken root. You are near in their mouth but far away from their heart.a Jer 12:2.
In the same prophet, I am a God near at hand, and not a God afar off. Jer 23:23.
In all these places 'afar off' means remote from good.
Latin(1748-1756) 8918
8918. `Et steterunt e longinquo': quod significet remotionem ab internis, constat ex significatione `stare e longinquo' quod sit remote, hic ab internis, quia a monte Sinai, per quem significatur caelum et Divinum ibi, n. 8805; sive dicas remote a Divino, sive {1} a caelo, seu ab internis, idem est, nam caelum est in internis; internum enim hominis est in luce caeli et externum in luce mundi, seu quod idem, anima seu spiritus hominis est in caelo at corpus in mundo; caelum est propius Divino quam mundus, quia ibi est Divinum Domini regnans, et est omne in omnibus. Quod ulterius spectat significationem `longinqui,' sciendum quod longinquum in spirituali sensu non pro objecto habeat spatium sed Divinum, ita bonum et verum; distantia ab ipsissimo bono quod procedit a Divino facit apparentias distantiae in caelo; apparent ibi societates angelicae distinctae, immo dissitae a se mutuo, sed ideale hoc spatii venit a distantia a bono et vero quae Divino (o)Domini, ut dictum est; hoc non (t)aliter potest (t)videri quam paradoxon, immo quasi absonum multis in mundo; causa est qui cogitationes et harum ideae apud hominem fundantur super spatiis et temporibus, usque adeo ut homo absque illis cogitare non possit inde si abstrahis tempora et spatia ab hominis cogitatione, vix appercipit {2} quicquam; at usque angeli in caelo prorsus absque aliqua idea temporis et spatii {3} cogitant, ac ita plene ut cogitationes eorum excedant cogitationes hominis intelligentia et sapientia millies immo myriadies; et quod mirum, si apud illos intervenit idea ex tempore et spatio: statim obveniat mentibus illorum umbra et caligo, quia cadunt tunc e luce caeli in lumen naturae, quod illis est caligo. [2] Quod spatia et tempora non sint in altera vita sed status, seu quod apparentiae illorum sint ex variationibus status quoad bonum et verum, videatur n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 3404, 4321, 4882, (x)5605, 738 1; inde nunc patet quid `stare e longinquo' significat {4} in sensu spirituali, quod nempe remotionem a caelo ubi Divinum, hic remotionem ab internis, quia, ut supra dictum est, gens illa, (x)quae e longinquo a monte Sinai tunc stetit, remotissima fuit ab internis; erat enim solum in externis, et in his omne cultus Divini posuit; quod (o)facere etiam illi genti permissum fuit, quia sic potuit repraesentare caelestia et Divina, nam ad repraesentandum, {5} requiritur externum, et quoque datur absque (x)interno, n. 3147, 3670, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4307, 8588. [3] `Longinquum' significat remotionem a bono et vero quae a Divino, ita ab internis, etiam in sequentibus locis: apud Lucam, Dives in inferno tollens oculos suos, vidit Abrahamum e longinquo, et `Lazarum' in sinu illius. Abraham dixit ei, Inter nos et vos hiatus ingens firmatus est, ut qui volunt transcendere exhinc ad vos non possint, neque qui ibi ad nos transire, xvi 23, [25,] 26;per `Abrahamum' non intelligitur Abraham, (o)nam ille nescitur in caelo, sed in supremo sensu Dominus, et in respectivo illi in caelo qui in bono amoris et fidei in Dominum sunt, n. 1834, 1876, 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3305 fin.: 6098, 6185, 6276, (x)6804; qui in inferno sunt dicuntur `e longinquo videre' illos qui in caelo (o)sunt, quia in statu remotissimo sunt a bono et vero; `hiatus ingens' inter illos est (x)ipsa remotio a bono, quae {6} etiam dat apparentiam hiatus intercedentis. [4] Qui cogitant (x)ex idea spatii, ut (o)faciunt omnes homines in mundo, illi non aliter percipiunt quam quod infernum sit longe distans ab homine, et quoque quod caelum; sed res aliter se habet; infernum et caelum sunt prope hominem, immo in homine, infernum in homine malo, et caelum in homine bono; quisque etiam in id infernum, vel in id caelum, {7} in quo fuit in mundo, post mortem venit; sed tunc mutatur status; infernum quod non perceptum in mundo, fit perceptibile, et caelum quod nec perceptum in mundo fit perceptibile, (m)caelum plenum omni felicitate, et infernum omni infelicitate;(n) quod caelum sit intra nos {8}, docet Dominus apud Lucam, Regnum Dei intra vos est, xvii (x)21:
apud Esaiam, Venientes e terra longinqua, ab extremitate caelorum, xiii 5; Jer. v 15:
apud `Esaiam,' (x)Audite, longinqui, quid fecerim, et cognoscite, propinqui, virtutem Meam, xxxiii 13:
apud eundem, Dicam septentrioni, Da; et meridiei, Ne inhibe; adduc filios Meos e longinquo, et filias Meas ab extremitate terrae; educ populum (x)caecum cui oculi sunt, et surdos quibus aures, xliii 6, 8, xlix 12:
apud eundem, Attendite, insulae, ad Me; auscultate, populi e longinquo, xlix 1; Jer. xxxi 10:
apud Jeremiam, [Ecce] vox clamoris filiae, populi Mei e terra longinqua, (x)Num Jehovah non in Zione? non rex ejus in ea? viii 19:
apud eundem, Jehovah plantasti illos, et etiam radicati sunt; sed propinquus Tu in ore eorum, sed longinquus a renibus eorum, xii 2:
apud eundem, Deus e propinquo Ego, et non Deus e longinquo, xxiii 23;
in his omnibus locis `longinquum' significat remotionem a bono. @1 seu$ @2 appercipiet$ @3 tempore et spatio$ @4 significet$ @5 potuerunt in repraesentativis rerum coelestium et Divinarum esse, nam in repraesentativis esse$ @6 qui status$ @7 illuc$ @8 in nobis$ @9 Eundem AIT$