9434.“耶和华荣耀的景象在山顶上，在以色列人眼前，就像吞噬的烈火”表在天堂本身，神性真理因爱之良善而闪耀光芒，但对那些局限于脱离内层的外层之人来说，是有害的、毁灭性的。这从“耶和华荣耀的景象”、“烈火”、“山顶”和“吞噬”的含义，以及“以色列人”的代表清楚可知：“耶和华荣耀的景象”是指从主发出的神性真理所呈现的表象（“景象”在此表示在眼前所呈现的表象，这是显而易见；“耶和华的荣耀”表示从主发出的神性真理参看9429节）；“烈火”是指两种意义上的爱（参看4906，5215，6314，6832，7324节），在此是指神之爱本身；“山顶”是指天堂的至内在部分，因为“西乃山”表示天堂，它的最高点，被称为“山顶”和山峰，表示它的至内在部分（9422节）；“吞噬”是指消灭，因而是指伤害和毁灭；“以色列人”是指那些局限于脱离内内在事物的外在事物之人，如前面频繁所述。由此可见，“耶和华荣耀的景象在山顶上就像烈火”表示在天堂本身，神性真理因爱之良善而闪耀光芒；它“在以色列人眼前，就像吞噬的烈火”表示对那些局限于脱离内层的外层之人来说，它是有害的、毁灭性的。
此处的情形是这样：有两种爱彼此绝对对立，完全相反，即天堂之爱和地狱之爱。天堂之爱在于爱主爱邻，地狱之爱在于爱自己爱世界。让地狱之爱掌权的人在地狱，让天堂之爱掌权的人在天堂。因为爱就是人的真正生命，或说构成一个人里面的实际生命；没有爱，绝没有任何生命。在每个人里面，他的生命所拥有的热和火皆来源于他的爱；没有这活的热和火，就没有生命，这是很明显的。由此可推知，爱如何，生命就如此；因此，爱如何，这个人就如何。既然如此，那么谁都能他的爱知道他里面是天堂还是地狱。存在于人里面的爱就像火或火焰，并且的确构成生命的火或火焰，如前所述；存在于人里面的信则像这火或火焰发出的光，并且的确构成光照其理解力的内层的光。由此也明显可知，在那些处于天堂之光的人中间产生信的光是何性质，在那些陷入地狱之爱的人中间又是何性质。后一种光所产生的信只不过是说服，本身根本不是信，仅仅是一种信念，在自我和世界的指示下认为某事就是如此（参看9363-9369节）。在当今教会，属灵生命，即永生，被认为唯独在于信，因而在于没有天堂之爱的善行的信。但是，凡思想这个问题的人都能从刚才所述看出这种生命是何性质。
接下来必须说一说神性之火，即神性之爱，在那些处于天堂之爱的人中间是什么样子，在那些陷入地狱之爱的人中间又是什么样子。在那些处于天堂之爱的人中间，神的火或爱不断创造和更新意愿的内层部分，并不断光照理解力的内层部分。但在那些陷入地狱之爱的人中间，神的爱或火则不断伤害和毁灭；原因在于，在后者中间，神的爱陷入毁灭它的对立面。因为它被转变成自我和世界的火或爱，因而变成与自己相比对他人的蔑视，以及对凡不支持他们之人的敌意，进而变成仇恨、报复，最终变成残暴。这就是为何耶和华的烈火在以色列人眼前显为吞噬或消灭的火。他们陷入对自我和世界的爱，是因为他们局限于脱离内在事物的外在事物。
在他们看来，这火是吞噬和消灭的火，这一点也明显可见于摩西五经的别处：
那时，你们听见从黑暗中间出来的声音，山被火烧着，你们支派中所有的首领和你们的长老都来就近我。你们说，看哪，耶和华我们的神使我们看见祂的荣耀和祂的伟大，我们也听见祂的声音从火中间出来。现在我们何必冒死呢？因为这大火将要烧灭我们；若再听见耶和华我们神的声音，就必死亡。（申命记5:23-25）
也可参看前面所示（6832，8814，8819节）；这百姓就具有这种秉性（9380节）。在圣言的其它地方，“吞噬的火”论及恶人，表示毁灭；如在下列经文：
耶和华的日子将到；一个黑暗、幽冥的日子，一个密云、乌黑的日子。他们前面有火吞噬，后面有火焰烧尽。未到以前，地如伊甸园，过去以后，成了荒凉的旷野。（约珥书2:1-3）
以赛亚书：
耶和华必使人在吞灭的火焰中听祂荣耀的声音。（以赛亚书30:30）
同一先知书：
我们中间谁能与吞灭的火同住？我们中间谁能与永远的火炉同住呢？（以赛亚书33:14）
又：
你必被耶和华用吞灭的火焰惩罚。（以赛亚书29:6）
以西结书：
你的后裔必被火吞灭。（以西结书23:25）
在这些经文中，“吞灭的火”表示源于爱自己爱世界的欲望之火，因为这就是那烧灭一个人，毁灭教会的火。因在自己的香炉盛上凡火而烧灭亚伦的儿子拿答和亚比户的“从耶和华面前出来的火”（利未记10:1，2）也代表这火；“在他们的香炉盛上凡火”表示引入源于某种其它爱，而不是天堂之爱的敬拜。这“火”表示对自我和世界的爱，以及由这爱所产生的一切欲望（参看1297，1861，5071，5215，6314，6832，7324，7575，9141节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 9434
9434. And the aspect of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the sons of Israel. That this signifies Divine truth in heaven itself resplendent from the good of love, but injuring and vastating with those who are in its external separate from the internal, is evident from the signification of "the aspect of the glory of Jehovah," as being the appearing of the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord (that "the aspect" here denotes an appearing before the eyes, is manifest; and that "the glory of Jehovah" denotes the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord, see n. 9429); from the signification of "fire," as being love in both senses (see n. 4906, 5215, 6314, 6832, 7324), here the Divine love itself; from the signification of "the top of the mountain," as being the inmost of heaven, for by "Mount Sinai" is signified heaven (n. 9420, 9427), and by its highest part, which is called the "top" and the "summit," is signified its inmost (n. 9422); from the signification of "devouring," as being to consume, thus to injure and vastate; and from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being those who are in external things apart from internal, as shown frequently above. From all this it can be seen that by "the aspect of the glory of Jehovah like fire on the top of the mountain" is signified Divine truth in heaven itself resplendent from the good of love; and that by its being "like devouring fire in the eyes of the sons of Israel" is signified that it injures and vastates with those who are in its external apart from the internal. [2] The case herein is this. There are two loves absolutely opposite to each other-heavenly love, and infernal love; heavenly love is love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor, and infernal love is the love of self and the love of the world. Those with whom infernal loves reign are in hell; but those with whom heavenly loves reign are in heaven. For love is the very life of man, because without love there is absolutely no life; for from love everyone has the heat and fire of his life. That without the vital heat and fire there is no life, is very evident. From this it follows that such as is the love, such is the life; consequently such as is the love, such is the man; and therefore from his loves everyone can know whether heaven is in him, or hell. Love is like fire or flame in man, and is indeed, as before said, the vital fire or flame; and faith is like the light from this fire, or from this flame, and is indeed the light which lights up the interiors of his understanding. From this also it is plain what is the quality of the light from which those have faith who are in infernal love. (That from this light comes a persuasive faith, which in itself is not faith, but the persuasion, for the sake of self and the world, that such is the case, see n. 9363- 9369.) In the church at this day, spiritual life, which is life eternal, is made to consist in faith alone, thus in faith without the goods of heavenly love; but from what has just been said, everyone who reflects can see the nature of such a life. [3] It shall now be stated how the case is with the Divine fire, which is the Divine love, with those who are in heavenly love; and how it is with those who are in infernal love. With those who are in heavenly love the Divine fire or love is continually creating and renewing the interiors of the will, and is continually lighting up the interiors of the understanding. But with those who are in infernal love the Divine fire or love is continually injuring and vastating. The reason is that with the latter, the Divine love falls into opposites, whereby it is destroyed; for it is turned into the fire or love of self and of the world, thus into contempt for others in comparison with oneself, into enmities against all who do not favor oneself, and therefore into hatreds, into revenges, and finally into cruelties. It is from this then that before the eyes of the sons of Israel the fire of Jehovah appeared as devouring or consuming; for they were in the love of self and of the world, because they were in external things apart from internal. [4] That to them this fire was devouring and consuming, is plain also elsewhere in Moses:
It came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, and the mountain did burn with fire, that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; and ye said, Behold, Jehovah our God hath made us see His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire; now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will devour us; if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God anymore, we shall surely die (Deut. 5:23-25). (See also what has been shown at n. 6832, 8814, 8819; and that this people was of such a character, at n. 9380.) [5] By a "devouring fire" elsewhere also in the Word is signified vastation, and it is said of the wicked; as in the following passages:
The day of Jehovah cometh; a day of darkness and of thick darkness, a day of cloud and of obscurity. A fire devoureth before it, after it a flame burneth: the land Is as the garden of Eden before it, but after it even a wilderness of a waste (Joel 2:1-3). Jehovah shall cause the glory of His voice to be heard in the flame of a devouring fire (Isa. 30:30). Who shall remain to us with the devouring fire? Who shall remain to us with the fire-places of eternity? (Isa. 33:14). Thou shalt be visited by Jehovah with the flame of a devouring fire (Isa. 29:6). Thy posterity shall be devoured by the fire (Ezek. 23:25). In these passages by a "devouring fire" is meant the fire of the cupidities which arise from the loves of self and of the world, because this is the fire which consumes a man, and which vastates the church. This was also represented by the "fire from before Jehovah" which devoured the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, because they put strange fire into their censers (Lev. 10:1, 2); "putting strange fire into their censers" denotes instituting worship from some other love than heavenly love (that such "fire" denotes the love of self and of the world, and every cupidity arising therefrom, see n. 1297, 1861, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 7324, 7575, 9141).
Elliott(1983-1999) 9434
9434. 'And the sight of Jehovah's glory was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel' means Divine Truth beaming brightly with the good of love in heaven itself, but harmful and ruinous with those restricted to its outward level, separated from the inward. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sight of Jehovah's glory' as the appearance presented by Divine Truth emanating from the Lord (the fact that 'the sight of' means the appearance presented before the eyes is self-evident; and for the meaning of 'Jehovah's glory' as Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, see 9429); from the meaning of 'fire' as love in both senses, dealt with in 4906, 5215, 6314, 6832, 7324, in this instance God's love itself; from the meaning of 'the top of the mountain' as the inmost part of heaven, for 'Mount Sinai' means heaven, 9420, 9427, and its highest point, which is called 'the top' and the peak, means its inmost part, 9422; from the meaning of 'devouring' as consuming, and so harming and ruining; and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those restricted to outward things, apart from inward ones, dealt with often above. From all this it becomes clear that 'the sight of Jehovah's glory was like a [devouring] fire on the top of the mountain' means Divine Truth beaming brightly with the good of love in heaven itself; and the statement that it was 'like a devouring fire in the eyes of the children of Israel' means that with those restricted to its outward level, apart from the inward, it was harmful and ruinous.
[2] The implications of all this are that there are two kinds of love which are complete opposites, heavenly love and hellish love. Heavenly love consists of love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour; hellish love consists of self-love and love of the world. Those with whom hellish loves reign are in hell, whereas those with whom heavenly loves reign are in heaven. For love is what constitutes the actual life within a person; without the love there is no life whatever. In everyone the heat and fire that his life possesses originate in his love; without that animating heat and fire he has no life, as is plainly evident. From this it follows that the character of the love determines the character of the life, and therefore that the character of the love determines that of the person. This being so, anyone can know from what his loves are whether he has heaven within himself or hell. The love present in a person is like a fire or flame, and in addition constitutes, as has been stated, the fire or flame of life; and the faith present there is like the light radiating from that fire or flame, and in addition constitutes the light which enlightens the more internal parts of his understanding. This also reveals the character of the light which gives rise to faith among those governed by heavenly love and the character of the light which gives rise to faith among those ruled by hellish love. The latter kind of light gives rise to faith that is no more than persuasion, which in itself is not faith at all, only a conviction that something is so, dictated by selfishness and worldliness, see 9363-9369. In the Church at the present day spiritual life, which is eternal life, is thought to lie in faith alone, thus in faith without the good works of heavenly love. But anyone who gives thought to the matter can see from the things which have now been stated what the character of that life is.
[3] Something must be said next about what Divine fire, that is, Divine Love, is like among those governed by heavenly love and what it is like among those ruled by hellish love. Among those governed by heavenly love it is God's fire or love constantly creating and renewing the interior parts of the will and enlightening the interior parts of the understanding. But among those ruled by hellish love it is God's fire or love constantly harming and ruining; and the reason for this is that among these people God's love meets with contrary feelings that destroy it. For it is turned into the fire or love of self and the world, and so into contempt for others in comparison with themselves, into feelings of enmity towards all who do not support them, thus into feelings of hatred, feelings of vengeance, and finally the readiness to behave brutally. This is why Jehovah's fire appeared before the eyes of the children of Israel as a devouring or consuming one. For being restricted to outward things, apart from inward, they were ruled by selfish and worldly love.
[4] The fact that this fire was to them a devouring and consuming one is again evident elsewhere in Moses,
It happened, when you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, and the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. And you said, Lo, Jehovah our God has caused us to see His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire. Why therefore should we die? For this great fire will devour us; if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more we shall certainly die. Deut 5:23-25.
See also what has been shown in 6832, 8814, 8819, and the places quoted in 9380 showing that the character of this people was such. There are other places in the Word in which 'devouring fire' is used in reference to the wicked and means ruination, for example in Joel,
The day of Jehovah is coming, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and gloom. Fire devours before them,a and behind them a flame burns. The land before them is like the garden of Eden, but behind them a desolate wilderness.b Joel 2:1-3.
[5] In Isaiah,
Jehovah will cause His glorious voicec to be heard, in the flame of a devouring fire. Isa 30:30.
In the same prophet,
Who among us will dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us will dwell with the hearths of eternity? Isa 33:14.
In the same prophet,
You will be punishedd by Jehovah with the flame of a devouring fire. Isa 29:6.
In Ezekiel,
Your descendants will be devoured by fire. Ezek 23:25.
In these places 'a devouring fire' is the fire of desires that spring from self-love and love of the world, for this fire is that which consumes a person and ruins the Church. This was also represented by the fire that went out from before Jehovah, which devoured Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu, because they put foreigne fire in their censers, Lev 10:1, 2. 'Putting foreign fire in censers' means introducing worship that springs from a love other than that which is heavenly. Such fire means selfish and worldly love, and every desire arising from it, see 1297, 1861, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 7324, 7575, 9141.
Latin(1748-1756) 9434
9434. `Et aspectus gloriae Jehovae sicut ignis comedens in capite montis oculis filiorum Israelis': quod significet Divinum Verum in ipso caelo splendens ex bono amoris, sed apud illos qui in externo ejus separato ab interno quod (x)laedens et vastans, constat ex significatione `aspectus gloriae Jehovae' quod sit apparentia Divini Veri procedentis a Domino; quod `aspectus' sit apparentia coram oculis, patet, et quod `gloria Jehovae' sit Divinum Verum procedens a Domino, videatur n. 9429; ex significatione `ignis' quod sit amor in utroque sensu, de qua n. 4906, 5215, (x)6314, 6832, 7324, hic, ipse amor Divinus; ex significatione `capitis montis' quod sit {1}intimum caeli, nam per `montem Sinai' significatur caelum, n. 9420, 9427, et per supremum ejus, quod vocatur `caput' et cacumen, intimum ejus, n. 9422; ex significatione `comedere' quod sit consumere, ita laedere et vastare; et ex {2}repraesentatione `filiorum Israelis' quod sint qui in externis absque internis, de qua saepius supra; ex his constare potest quod per `aspectum gloriae Jehovae sicut ignis in capite montis' significetur Divinum Verum in ipso caelo splendens ex bono amoris, et per quod esset `sicut ignis comedens oculis filiorum Israelis' significetur quo apud illos qui in externo ejus absque interno, esset laedens et vastans. 2 Cum hoc ita se habet: sunt bini amores sibi prorsus oppositi amor caelestis et amor infernalis; amor caelestis est amor in Dominum et amor erga proximum, et amor infernalis est amor sui et amor mundi; illi apud quos amores infernales regnant in inferno sunt, at illi apud quos amores caelestes regnant in caelo sunt; est enim amor ipsum vitale hominis, nam absque amore prorsus nulla vita est; ex amore enim cuivis est vitae ejus calor et ignis; quod absque calore et igne vitali sit nulla vita, manifeste patet; inde sequitur quod qualis est amor talis sit vita, proinde, qualis est amor talis sit homo; quapropter quisque ex ipsis suis amoribus scire potest num caelum in illo sit vel num infernum. Amor est sicut ignis aut flamma apud hominem, et est quoque ignis seu flamma vitalis, ut dictum est, et fides est sicut lux ex illo igne seu ex illa flamma, et quoque est lux quae illuminat interiora ejus intellectus; inde quoque patet qualis lux ex qua fides {3} illis qui in amore caelesti sunt et qualis lux ex qua fides illis qui in amore infernali sunt; quod ex hac luce sit fides persuasiva, quae in se non est fides, sed persuasio quod ita (x)sit propter se et mundum, videatur n. 9363-9369. In Ecclesia hodie ponitur vita spiritualis, quae est vita {4} aeterna, in sola fide, ita in fide absque bonis {5}amoris caelestis; sed qualis illa vita sit, quisque ex illis quae nunc dicta sunt, si expendat, videre potest. 3 Dicendum nunc est quomodo se habet cum igne Divino, qui est Divinus Amor, apud illos qui in amore caelesti sunt, et quomodo apud illos qui in amore infernali: apud illos qui in amore caelesti sunt, est ignis seu amor Divinus continue creans et renovans interiora voluntatis ac illuminans interiora intellectus, at apud illos qui in amore infernali sunt, est ignis seu amor Divinus continue laedens et vastans; causa est quia apud hos amor Divinus cadit in opposita per quae destruitur; vertitur enim in ignem seu amorem sui et mundi, ita in contemptum aliorum prae se, in inimicitias contra omnes qui (t)sibi non favent, et sic in odia, in vindictas, et tandem in saevitias; inde nunc est quod ignis Jehovae apparuerit coram oculis filiorum Israelis ut comedens seu consumens; erant enim illi in amore sui et mundi, quoniam in externis absque internis. Quod ignis ille fuerit illis comedens et consumens, patet etiam 4 alibi apud Moschen, Factum est cum audivistis vocem e medio tenebrarum,monsque ardens igne, accessistis ad me omnia capita tribuum vestrarum, et seniores vestri, et dixistis, (x)En videre fecit nos Jehovah Deus noster gloriam Suam et magnitudinem Suam, ac vocem Ipsius audivimus e medio ignis; verumtamen quare moriemur, quia comedet nos ignis magnus hic; si addimus nos audire vocem Jehovae Dei nostri amplius, utique moriemur, Deut. v 20-22 [A.V. 23-25];videantur etiam quae n. 6832, 8814, 8819, ostensa sunt; et quod populus ille talis fuerit, (x)citata n. 9380. Per `ignem comedentem' etiam alibi in Verbo significatur vastatio, ac dicitur de impiis, ut apud Joelem, Venit dies Jehovae, dies tenebrarum et caliginis, dies nubis et obscuritatis: ante eum comedit ignis, et post eum inflammat flamma; sicut hortus Eden terra ante eum, sed post eum, {6}desertum vastitatis, ii [1,] 2, 3:
apud Esaiam, 5 Audiri faciet Jehovah gloriam vocis Suae in flamma ignis comedentis, xxx 30:
apud eundem, Quis manebit nobis igne comedente? quis manebit nobis focis aeternitatis? xxxiii 14:
{7}apud eundem, Visitaberis a Jehovah flamma ignis comedentis, xxix 6:
apud Ezechielem, Posteritas tua comedetur per ignem, xxiii 25;
in his locis `ignis comedens' est ignis cupiditatum quae ex amoribus sui et mundi, quoniam hic ignis est qui consumit hominem et qui vastat Ecclesiam. Hoc quoque repraesentatum est per ignem a coram Jehovah, qui comedit filios Aharonis Nadab et Abihu, propterea quod dederint in turibula sua ignem alienum, Lev. x 1, 2; `dare in turibula ignem alienum' est cultum instituere ex alio amore quam ex caelesti; quod talis ignis sit amor sui et mundi, et omnis inde cupiditas, videatur n. 1297, 1861, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 7324, 7575, (x)9141. @1 in intimo coelo$ @2 significatione$ @3 i est$ @4 i ejus$ @5 amorum coelestium$ @6 i et IT$ @7 In A this quotation from Isaiah is placed before that drawn from xxx 30.$