----中文待译----
152. Who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire. That this signifies Divine providence from His Divine love, and Divine wisdom and intelligence communicated to those who are in love to and thence in faith towards Him is evident from what was said above (n. 68), where it was shown, that eyes like unto a flame of fire, when said of the Lord, signify His Divine providence from His Divine love. The reason why by this are also denoted Divine wisdom and intelligence communicated to those who are in love to and thence in faith towards Him is, that by eyes, in the Word, when said of man, is signified the understanding of truth, and the understanding of truth is intelligence and wisdom; hence by eyes, when said of the Lord, are signified Divine wisdom and intelligence proceeding from Him, and what proceeds from Him is communicated to angels and to men who are in love to, and thence in faith towards Him. All wisdom and intelligence also, pertaining to angels and men, are not of themselves, but of the Lord with them. This is also well known in the church; for it is there known that all the good of love, and all the truth of faith are from God, and nothing of them from man; and truths interiorly seen and acknowledged, constitute intelligence, and being united with goods interiorly perceived, and thence seen, they constitute wisdom. Hence then it is, that by having his eyes like unto a flame of fire, is also signified the Divine wisdom and intelligence of the Lord communicated to those who are in the goods of love, and thence In faith towards Him.
[2] The reason why eyes signify the understanding is, that all the sight of the eyes with men and angels is therefrom. That all the sight of the eyes is from the understanding, seems like a paradox to those who do not know the interior causes of things, from which effects are manifested in the body. Those who are ignorant of those causes believe simply that the eye sees of itself, that the ear hears of itself, that the tongue tastes of itself, and that the body feels of itself, when, nevertheless, the interior life of man, which is the life of his spirit, this being the life of his understanding and will, or of his thought and affection, feels by the organs of the body the things that are in the world, and thus perceives them naturally. The whole body, with all its sensories, is only an instrument of its soul or spirit. This also is the reason why, when the spirit of man is separated from his body, the latter is altogether without sensation, but the former afterwards sensates as before. (That a man's spirit sees, hears and feels, after it is freed from the body, just as it did before in the body, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 461-469. Concerning the correspondence of the understanding with the sight of the eye, see Arcana Coelestia 4403-4421, 4523-4534.) With beasts also, their interior life, which is also called their soul, sensates in a similar manner by means of the external organs of their body, but with this difference, that a beast does not sensate rationally like man, thus does not think from understanding and will, as man does (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 108; and in the work, The Last Judgment 25).
[3] This then is why eye in the Word signifies the understanding of truth or intelligence and wisdom, as may be seen from the following passages:
"Say to this people, hear ye in hearing, but understand not; and see ye in seeing, and know not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and smear their eyes, lest they see with their eyes" (Isaiah 6:9, 10; John 12:40).
To smear the eyes lest they see with their eyes, is to darken their understanding lest they should understand.
[4] In the same:
"Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your heads, the seers, hath he covered" (29:10).
Here closing the eyes, covering the prophets, and the heads and the seers hath He covered denotes the [covering] of the understanding of truth. By prophets are meant those who teach truths; these are also called heads, because the head signifies intelligence; and they are also called seers, from the revelation of Divine truth with them.
[5] In the same:
"The eyes of them that see shall not blink, and the ears of them that hear shall harken" (31).
[6] In Jeremiah:
"Hear this, O foolish people, who are without heart who have eyes, and see not; who have ears, and hear not " (126); the heart being faint denotes that the will of good is no more. (That the heart denotes the will and love, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 95.) The eyes denote the understanding of truth, and are said to grow dim when truth is no more understood.
[7] In Zechariah:
"The punishment of the shepherd deserting the flock, a sword upon his right eye; and his right eye in darkening shall be darkened" (131.)
[8] Again:
"The plague wherewith Jehovah will smite all peoples who shall fight against Jerusalem; their eyes shall consume away in their sockets" (14:12).
The peoples who shall fight against Jerusalem denote those who fight against the church: Jerusalem is the church; that their eye should consume away denotes that all intelligence should perish, because they fight from falsities against truths.
[9] Again, in Zechariah:
"I will smite every horse with astonishment, and every horse of the peoples with blindness" (The White Horse 1-5.)
[10] In David:
"Hear me, O Jehovah, my God! enlighten mine eyes lest I sleep death" (Psalm 13:3).
Here eyes denote the understanding. In Moses:
"Thou shalt not take a gift, for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise" (Deuteronomy 16:19).
To blind the eyes of the wise denotes to prevent them from seeing or understanding the truth.
[11] In Matthew:
"The lamp of the body is the eye; if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness" (6:22, 23; Luke 11:34).
By eye in this passage is not meant eye, but the understanding; by a single eye, the understanding of truth; by an evil eye, the understanding of falsity; darkness denotes falsities, the whole body denotes the whole spirit, for this is wholly of such a quality as the will and the understanding therefrom.
If man's spirit has the understanding of truth from the will of good, it is then an angel of light, but if it has only the understanding of falsity, it is a spirit of darkness. In the above passage is described the reformation of man by the understanding of truth; hence it is clear, that he who knows what the eye signifies, may know the arcanum contained in those words. (That man is reformed by means of truths received in the understanding, may be seen above, 112, 126.)
[12] In Matthew:
"If thy right hand offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it is good to enter into life one-eyed, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the gehenna of fire" (Arcana Coelestia 4410, 6923).
[13] In Isaiah:
"In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness" (Arcana Coelestia 7337, 8364, 9031).
[14] Because the eye signified the understanding, it was commanded among the statutes given to the sons of Israel,
That no one of the seed of Aaron who was blind, or had a blemish in the eye, should approach to offer the sacrifice, nor enter within the veil (Leviticus 21:17-23);
That what was blind should not be offered for a sacrifice (Leviticus 22:22; Mal. 1:8):
hence also it was among the curses,
That a fever should consume the eyes (Leviticus 26:16).
From these considerations it may now be known that, by the eyes of the Son of man which were as a flame of fire is signified the Divine wisdom and intelligence communicated to those who are in love and thence in faith towards the Lord.
[15] That His Divine providence is also hereby signified, is evident from what was shown above (n. 9277, 9509, 9673.)
152. That hath His eyes as a flame of fire, signifies Divine Providence from His Divine love, also Divine wisdom and intelligence communicated to those who are in love towards Him and from that in faith in Him. That "eyes as a flame of fire," means in reference to the Lord, His Divine Providence from His Divine love, see above (n. 68). This means also Divine wisdom and intelligence communicated to those who are in love towards the Lord, and from that in faith in Him, because "eyes" in the Word signify in reference to man the understanding of truth, and the understanding of truth is intelligence and wisdom; consequently "eyes" signify, in reference to the Lord, Divine wisdom and intelligence proceeding from Him; and what proceeds from Him is communicated to angels and to men who are in love towards Him and from that in faith in Him. All the wisdom and intelligence that angels and men have is the Lord's with them and not their own; and this is also well known in the church; for it is known that all good, which is of love, and all truth, which is of faith, are from God, and nothing thereof from man; and truths interiorly seen and acknowledged constitute intelligence, and these together with goods interiorly perceived and thence seen constitute wisdom. From this then it is that "having His eyes as a flame of fire" also signifies the Lord's Divine wisdom and intelligence communicated to those who are in the goods of love, and from that in faith in Him.
[2] "Eyes" signify the understanding, because all the sight of the eyes with men and angels is from the understanding. That all the sight of the eyes is from the understanding must sound absurd to those who are ignorant of the interior causes of things, out of which effects are presented in the body; those ignorant of these causes believe no otherwise than that the eye sees of itself, that the ear hears of itself, that the tongue tastes of itself, and that the body feels of itself; when yet it is the interior life of man, the life of his spirit, which is the life of his understanding and will, or of his thought and affection that, through the organs of the body, has sensation of the things that are in the world, and thus perceives them naturally. The whole body, with all its sensories, is merely an instrument of its soul, or of its spirit; which is also the reason that when man's spirit is separated from the body the body has no sensation whatever, but the spirit afterwards continues to have sensation as before. (That man's spirit sees, hears, and feels, after it is released from the body equally as before while in the body, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 461-469; and on The Correspondence of the Understanding with the Sight of the Eye, see Arcana Coelestia 4403-4421, 4523-4534.) With beasts, moreover, their interior life, which is also called their soul, has sensation equally through the external organs of their body, but with a difference, in that the sensation of the beast is not rational like man's, thus is not formed from an understanding and will such as man has (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 108, and The Last Judgment 25).
[3] From this, then, it is, that by "eye" in the Word is signified the understanding of truth, or intelligence and wisdom, as may be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:
Say to this people, hear ye in hearing, but understand not; and see ye in seeing, and know not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and smear their eyes, lest they see with their eyes (Isaiah 6:9-10; John 12:40).
"To smear the eyes, lest they see with their eyes," is to darken the understanding, that they may not understand.
[4] In the same:
Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your heads, the seers hath He covered (Isaiah 29:10);
where "He hath closed the eyes; the prophets and the heads, and the seers hath He covered," is the understanding of truth. "Prophets" are those that teach truths, who are also called "heads," because the head signifies intelligence, and are also called "seers" from the revelation of Divine truth with them.
[5] In the same:
The eyes of them that see shall not be closed, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken (31).
[6] In Jeremiah:
Hear now this, O foolish people, who have no heart; who have eyes and see not; who have ears and hear not (126; the "faint heart" means that the will of good is no more (that "heart" is the will and love, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 95). "Eyes" are the understanding of truth, and they are said to be darkened when truth is no longer understood.
[7] In Zechariah:
The punishment of the shepherd forsaking the flock, a sword upon his right eye; and his right eye in growing dim shall be dimmed (131.
[8] In the same:
The plague wherewith Jehovah will strike all the peoples that shall war against Jerusalem; their eyes shall consume away in their sockets (Zechariah 14:12).
"The peoples that shall war against Jerusalem" are those that fight against the church; "Jerusalem" is the church; that "their eyes shall consume away" means that intelligence is to perish because they fight by falsities against truths.
[9] In Zechariah:
I will smite every horse with astonishment, and every horse of the peoples with blindness (The White Horse 1-5.)
[10] In David:
Hear me, O Jehovah, my God; lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep [the sleep of] death (Psalms 13:4).
"Lighten the eyes" means the understanding. In Moses:
Thou shalt not take a gift, for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise (Deuteronomy 16:19).
"To blind the eyes of the wise" is that they may not see or understand the truth.
[11] In Matthew:
The lamp of the body is the eye: if the eye be single the whole body is light; if the eye be evil the whole body is darkened. If therefore the light be darkness, how great is the darkness (112, 126).
[12] In Matthew:
If thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it is better for thee to enter life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire (Arcana Coelestia 4410, 6923).
[13] In Isaiah:
In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of thick darkness and out of darkness (Arcana Coelestia 7337, 8364, 9301).
[14] Because the "eye" signified the understanding it was among the statutes pertaining to the sons of Israel:
That no one of the seed of Aaron who was blind or had a blemish in the eye should come nigh to offer sacrifice, or enter within the veil (Leviticus 21:17-23).
That what was blind should not be offered for a sacrifice (Leviticus 22:22; Malachi 1:8);
so also among the curses was:
A fever that should consume the eyes (Leviticus 26:16).
From all this it can now be known what is signified by "the eyes of the Son of God that were as a flame of fire," namely, Divine wisdom and intelligence communicated to those who are in love towards the Lord and thence in faith in Him.
[15] That His Divine Providence is also signified is evident from what was shown above n. 9277, 9509, 9673)
152. "Habens oculos suos tanquam flammam ignis." Quod significet Divinam Providentiam ex Divino Amore Ipsius, ac Divinam sapientiam et intelligentiam communicatam illis qui in amore et inde fide in Ipsum sunt.
Quod "oculi sicut flamma ignis", cum de Domino, sit Divina Ipsius Providentia ex Divino Ipsius Amore, videatur supra (n. 68): quod etiam sit Divina sapientia et intelligentia communicata illis qui in amore et inde fide in Ipsum sunt, est quia per "oculos" in Verbo, cum de hominibus, significatur intellectus veri, et intellectus Veri est intelligentia et sapientia; inde per "oculos", cum de Domino, significatur Divina sapientia et intelligentia procedens ab Ipso; et quod procedit ab Ipso, hoc communicatur angelis et hominibus qui in amore et inde fide in Ipsum sunt. Omnis etiam sapientia et intelligentia, quae est angelis et hominibus, non est eorum sed Domini apud illos; quod etiam notum est in ecclesia, scitur enim quod omne bonum quod est amoris, et omne verum quod est fidei, a Deo sit, et nihil ab homine; ac vera interius visa et agnita faciunt intelligentiam, et haec una cum bonis interius perceptis et inde visis faciunt sapientiam: inde nunc est, quod per "habere oculos tanquam flammam ignis", etiam significetur Divina sapientia et intelligentia Domini communicata illis qui in bonis amoris et inde fide in Ipsum sunt.
[2] Quod "oculi" significent intellectum, est quia omnis visus oculorum apud homines et angelos inde est. Quod omnis visus oculorum inde sit, apparet sicut paradoxon illis qui non sciunt causas rerum interiores, ex quibus effectus sistuntur in corpore: qui illas non sciunt non aliter credunt quam quod oculus videat ex se, auris audiat ex se, lingua gustet ex se, et corpus sentiat ex se; cum tamen interior vita hominis, quae est vita spiritus ejus, quae vita est vita intellectus et voluntatis ejus seu cogitationis et affectionis, sentit per organa corporis illa quae in mundo sunt, et sic percipit illa naturaliter. Totum corpus cum omnibus suis sensoriis est modo instrumentum suae animae seu sui spiritus; quae etiam est causa, quod, cum separatur spiritus hominis a corpore, corpus prorsus nihil sentiat, at spiritus postea sentiat aeque ac prius. (Quod spiritus hominis aeque videat, audiat, sentiat post solutionem a corpore, ut prius in corpore, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 461-469; praeterea De Correspondentia Intellectus cum Visu Oculi, in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 4403-4421, 4523-4534.) Apud bestias etiam interior earum vita, quae quoque anima earum vocatur, pariter per organa externa corporis earum sentit; sed cum differentia quod non rationaliter sicut homo, ita non ex intellectu et voluntate tali qualis est homini (videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 108; et De Ultimo Judicio 25).
[3] Inde nunc est quod per "oculum" in Verbo significetur intellectus veri, seu intelligentia et sapientia, ut constare potest a sequentibus his locis:
- Apud Esaiam,
"Dic populo huic, Audite audiendo sed non intelligite, ac videte videndo et non cognoscite; impingua cor populi hujus, et aures ejus aggrava, et oculos ejus obline, ne forte videat oculis suis" (6:9, 10; Johannes 12:40);
"oculos obtinere ne forte videat oculis suis", est obtenebrare intellectum ne intelligat.
[4] Apud eundem,
"Effudit Jehovah super vos spiritum somnolentiae, et occlusit oculos vestros, prophetas et capita vestra, videntes obtexit" (29:10);
"occlusit oculos, prophetas et capita, et videntes obtexit", est intellectum veri: "prophetae" etiam sunt qui docent vera, qui etiam vocantur "capita" quia caput significat intelligentiam; et quoque vocantur "videntes" ex revelatione Divini Veri apud illos.
[5] Apud eundem,
"Non connivebunt oculi videntium, et aures audientium auscultabunt" (32:3);
"videntium oculi" pro illorum qui intelligunt vera.
Apud eundem,
"Qui occludit oculos suos ne videant malum:... regem in pulchritudine sua videbunt oculi tui" (33:16, 17);
"occludere oculos ne videant malum", est malum non admittere in cogitationem; "regem in pulchritudine sua videbunt oculi", est quod intellecturi verum in sua luce cum amoenitate, nam per "regem" ibi non intelligitur rex, sed verum (videatur supra, n. 31(a)).
[6] Apud Jeremiam,
"Audite haec, popule stulte, cui non cor; quibus oculi non vident, et quibus aures non audiunt" (5:21; Ezechiel 12:2).
In Threnis,
"Cecidit corona capitis nostri propter hoc factum est languidum cor nostrum, et propter hoc caligarunt oculi nostri" (Threni 5 [16,] 17);
"corona capitis" est sapientia (videatur supra, n. 126); "cor languidum" est voluntas boni non amplius; (quod "cor" sit voluntas et amor, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 95); "oculi" sunt intellectus veri, qui "caligantes" dicuntur cum non amplius intelligitur verum.
[7] Apud Sachariam,
"Poena pastoris deserentis gregem; gladius super oculo dextro ejus, ... et oculus dexter caligando caligabit" (11:17);
"gladius super oculo dextro, et oculus dexter caligando caligabit", est quod periturum omne Verum in intellectu per falsum (quod "gladius" sit destructio veri per falsum, videatur supra, n. 131(b)).
[8] Apud eundem,
"Plaga, qua percutiet Jehovah omnes populos qui pugnabunt contra Hierosolymam;... oculi ejus contabescent in foraminibus suis" (14:12);
"populi qui pugnabunt contra Hierosolymam", sunt qui contra ecclesiam ("Hierosolyma" est ecclesia); "oculi" eorum quod "contabescent", est quod peritura intelligentia, pugnant enim ex falsis contra vera.
[9] Apud Sachariam,
"Percutiam omnem: equum stupore et omnem equum populorum caecitate" (12:4);
agitur ibi de vastatione ecclesiae; per "equum" significatur intellectuale; quare per quod "equus percuteretur stupore" et "caecitate", est quod intellectus.
(Quod "equus" significet intellectuale, videatur in opusculo De Equo Albo 1-5.)
[10] Apud Davidem,
"Exaudi Me Jehovah, Deus mi illumina oculos meos, ne forte dormiam mortem" (Psalms 13:4 [B.A. 3]);
"illumina oculos" est intellectum.
Apud Mosen,
"Non accipies munus, quia munus occaecat oculos sapientum" (Deuteronomius 16:19);
"occaecare oculos sapientum" est ut non videant seu intelligant verum.
[11] Apud Matthaeum,
"Lucerna corporis est oculus; si oculus simplex, totum corpus lucidum; si oculus malus, totum corpus obtenebratum; si ergo lumen sunt tenebrae, tenebrae quantae" (6:22, 23; Luca 11:34);
hic per "oculum" non intelligitur oculus sed intellectus, per "oculum simplicem" intellectus veri, per "oculum malum" intellectus falsi; "tenebrae" sunt falsa; "totum corpus" est totus Spiritus, nam is totus est qualis ejus voluntas et inde intellectus: si ei intellectus veri ex voluntate boni, est is angelus lucis; si autem ei intellectus falsi, est is spiritus tenebrarum: per illa verba describitur hominis reformatio per intellectum veri. Inde patet, quod qui scit quid "oculus" significat, scire possit arcanum illorum verborum. Quod homo reformetur per vera in intellectu, videatur supra (n. 112, 126).
[12] Apud Matthaeum,
"Si oculus dexter scandalizaverit te, erue eum et abjice abs te; nam bonum est luscus intrare in vitam, quam duos habens oculos mitti in gehennam ignis" (5:29, 18:9: Marcus 9:47);
per "oculum" nec hic intelligitur oculus sed intellectus cogitans; per "oculum dextrum scandalizantem" intellectus cogitans malum; "eruere et abjicere illum" est tale non admittere sed rejicere; "luscus" est intellectus non cogitans malum, sed modo verum; intellectus enim cogitare potest verum; si cogitat malum est ex voluntate mali: quod oculus "dexter" dicatur, est quia per illum significatur intellectus boni, et per "sinistrum" intellectus veri (videatur n. 4410, 6923).
[13] Apud Esaiam,
"Audient in die illo surdi verba Libri, et ex caligine et e tenebris oculi caecorum videbunt" (29:18);
apud eundem,
"Tunc aperientur oculi caecorum, et aures surdorum" (35:5 1
);
apud eundem,
"Dabo te... in lucem gentium, ad aperiendum oculos caecorum, ad educendum e carcere vinctum, et e domo claustri sedentes in tenebris" (42 [6,] 7);
apud eundem,
"Educ populum caecum, cui oculi sunt, et surdos quibus aures" (43:8);
"aperire oculos caecorum" est instruere illos qui adhuc ignorant vera, et usque desiderant illa, ita gentes. Simile significatur per sanationes caecorum a Domino (Matthaeus 9:27-29; 20:29 ad fin. ; cap. 21:14; Marcus 8:23, 25; Luca 18:35 ad fin.; Johannes 9:1-21);
nam omnia miracula Domini involvebant talia quae sunt ecclesiae et caeli; inde erant illa Divina (videatur n. 7337, 8364, 9031).
[14] Quia "oculus" significabat intellectum, ideo inter statuta apud filios Israelis erat,
Quod caecus aut confusus oculo ex semine Aharonis non accederet ad offerendum sacrificium, nec intra velum intraret (Leviticus 21:17-23);
Quod caecum non offerendum esset in sacrificium (Leviticus 22:22; Malachias 1:8):
inde etiam inter maledictiones erat "Febris consumens oculos" (Leviticus 26:16).
Ex his nunc sciri potest quid per "oculos Filii 2
hominis qui tanquam flamma ignis", significatur; quod nempe Divina sapientia et intelligentia communicata illis qui in amore et inde fide in Dominum sunt:
[15] quod etiam significetur Divina Ipsius providentia, constat ex illis quae supra (n. 68) ostensa sunt. Quibus addendum est quod de Cherubis dicitur apud Ezechielem, et de quatuor Animalibus circa Thronum in Apocalypsi, per quae etiam Divina Domini providentia, et in specie custodia ne adeatur Dominus nisi per bonum, significatur: apud Ezechielem,
"Vidi, ecce quatuor rotae juxta cherubos;... tota caro eorum, et dorsa eorum, et manus eorum, et alae eorum, et rotae, erant plena oculis circumcirca" ( [9,] 12);
et in Apocalypsi,
"Circa thronum erant quatuor animalia plena oculis ante et retro unumquodvis habebat... alas circum et intus plenas oculis" (4:6, 8);
quatuor haec "animalia" etiam erant cherubi, nam similis paene est descriptio eorum quae est cheruborum apud Ezechielem. Illis tot "oculi" ascribuntur, quia Divina Domini providentia, quae per "cherubos" significatur, est omnia in caelis et in terris ex Divina sapientia regere; Dominus enim ex Divina providentia videt omnia, disponit omnia, et prospicit omnia. (Quod par "cherubos" significetur Divina providentia Domini, et in specie custodia ne Dominus adeatur nisi per bonum, videatur n. 9277, 9509, 3
9673.)
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.
3. The editors made a correction or note here.