----中文待译----
1037. (Verse 3) And he carried me away into a wilderness, in the spirit. That this signifies into a place appearing in vision, which corresponded to the state of that religious persuasion, is evident from the signification of a wilderness, as denoting a state of the church in which there is no longer any good and truth (concerning which see n. 730); but whereas the church in which there is no longer any good and truth is not a church, therefore it is called a religious persuasion (religiosum); and from the signification of, in the spirit, as denoting in vision; for what John saw in the spirit he saw in vision. To see in vision is to see such things as exist with the angels in heaven, which are representative and thence significative of things spiritual. These, when they appear to a man, do not appear before the sight of his body, but before the sight of his spirit. For his spirit has eyes equally as his body; but the eyes of his spirit see the things in the spiritual world, because all the things that appear there are from a spiritual origin; and the spiritual man sees spiritual things with the understanding, and with the eyes the same things in a form like the natural. But the eyes of the body see those things that are in the material world, because all the things that appear there are from a natural origin, and the material man sees natural things with the understanding, and with the eyes the same things in a material form. When, therefore, the eyes of their spirits were opened in the case of the prophets, they then saw such things, as represented and thence signified the Divine-celestial and Divine-spiritual things of the church, and also sometimes such things as represented and thence signified what was to take place in the churches in the future. These are the things that John saw.
The reason why he now saw a wilderness is, that by a wilderness is signified a state of the church devastated of all good and truth; and this state corresponds to the church which was become Babylon. Therefore also Babel, in many passages in the Word, is described as a wilderness. As in the following:
Art thou "he who hath made the world into a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof?" (Isaiah 14:17).
Babel shall be "as the overthrowing of Sodom and Gomorrah; it shall not be inhabited for ever; it shall not be dwelt in even to generation and generation; so that the Arab shall not tarry there. The daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there" (Isaiah 13:19-22).
And also in Jeremiah (50:37-40; 51:2, 25, 26, 37, 41-43), and elsewhere.
1037. Verse 3. And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness, signifies into a place appearing in vision that corresponded to the state of that religious persuasion. This is evident from the signification of "wilderness," as being a state of the church in which there is no longer any good or truth (See n. Isaiah 14:17).
Babylon shall be as God's overthrowing Sodom and Gomorrah; it shall not be inhabited forever; it shall not be dwelt in even from generation to generation; that the Arabian may not abide there. The daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and the satyrs shall dance there (Isaiah 13:19-22; also Jeremiah 50:37-40; 51:2, 25-26, 37, 41-43).
1037. (Vers. 3.) "Et detulit me in desertum in spiritu." - Quod significet in locum in visione apparentem, qui correspondebat statui illius religiosi, constat ex significatione "deserti", quod sit status ecclesiae, in qua non est aliquod bonum et verum amplius (de qua (supra), n. 730); at quia ecclesia in qua non est bonum et verum amplius, non est ecclesia, ideo vocatur religiosum; et ex significatione "in spiritu", quod sit in visione, nam quod Johannes in spiritu vidit, hoc in visione vidit. In visione videre est videre talia quae in caelo apud angelos existunt, quae sunt repraesentativa et inde significativa rerum spiritualium. Haec dum apparent homini non apparent coram visu corporis ejus, sed coram visu spiritus ejus; spiritus enim hominis aeque oculos habet ac corpus ejus, sed oculi spiritus ejus vident illa quae in mundo spirituali sunt, ex causa quia omnia quae ibi apparent ex origine spirituali sunt, ac spiritualis videt intellectu spiritualia, et oculis eadem in forma sicut naturali; sed oculi corporis vident illa quae in mundo materiali sunt, ex causa quia omnia quae ibi apparent ex origine naturali sunt, ac materialis videt intellectu naturalia, et oculis eadem in forma materiali: quare cum oculi spiritus aperti fuerunt apud prophetas, tunc viderunt talia quae repraesentabant et inde significabant Divina caelestia et Divina spiritualia ecclesiae, tum quandoque talia quae repraesentabant et inde significabant futura quae eventura sunt ecclesiis; haec sunt quae vidit Johannes. Quod nuncviderit desertum, est quia per "desertum" significatur status ecclesiae devastatae ab omni bono et vero; et hic status est correspondens ecclesiae quae facta est Babylonia; quare etiam Babel multis in locis in Verbo describitur ut desertum, ut in sequentibus: –
Num tu es "qui posuit orbem in desertum, et urbes ejus destruxit?" (Esaias 14:17):
Babel erit "sicut eversio .. Sodoma et Gomorrha, non habitabitur in aeternum, non incoletur usque in generationem et generationem, ita ut non moretur ibi Arabs; ... habitabunt ibi filiae noctuae, et saltabunt ibi satyri" (Esaias 13:19-22).
(Et quoque apud Jeremiam, cap. 50:37-40; 51:2, 25, 26, 37, 41-43: et alibi.)