----中文待译----
194. And thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. That this signifies man's ignorance of that time, and of his state then, is evident from the signification of hour, as being the time when man is to die, and also his state at the time; and from the signification of not knowing it, as being ignorant. It is said, what hour I will come upon thee, namely, as a thief; and in the sense of the letter is hereby meant that the Lord would thus come, but in the spiritual sense it is meant that evils and falsities would steal the knowledges which they have from the Word; for, in the sense of the letter of the Word, it is attributed to Jehovah, or the Lord, that He does evil, but, in the spiritual sense it is meant that He does evil to no one, but that man does evil to himself (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2447, 5798, 6071, 6991, 6997, 7533, 7632, 7643, 7877, 7679, 7710, 7926, 8227, 8228, 8284, 8483, 8632, 9010, 9128, 9306, 10431).
[2] The reason why hour also signifies state is, because in the Word all times, as a day, a week, a month, a year, an age, signify states of life, and hence hour has a similar signification. (The cause of this may be seen in the work, Arcana Coelestia 3220, 9139.) By the third, the sixth, and the ninth hours similar states of life are signified; for all numbers in the Word are significative, and those numbers have a similar signification. Three signifies a full state, or what is complete even to the end (see n. 2788, 4495, 7715, 8347, 9825). The like is signified by six and nine; but the number eleven signifies a state not yet full, but yet a state of reception, such as that of well-disposed children and infants. The twelfth hour up to which they all laboured, signifies truths and goods in their fulness (see n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. That all numbers in the Word are significative, see n. 4495, 4670, 5265, 6175, 9488, 9659, 10217, 10253; and that multiplied numbers have a similar signification to the simple numbers from which they arise by multiplication, hence three, six, and nine have a similar signification, see n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973).
[3] Since twelve signifies truths and goods in their fulness, and thus a state of light or of man's intelligence therefrom, the Lord says,
"Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any one walk in the day, he stumbleth not" (John 11:9).
In other places, also by hours are signified states of life, as in the Apocalypse:
"The four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, to slay the third part of men" (9:15).
By the times here mentioned are meant states of evil in men, as will be seen when we come to the explanation of those words.
From these considerations it is now evident that by, Thou shalt not know in what hour I will come upon thee, is meant man's ignorance not only of the time of his death, but also of the state of his life at that time, which state remains to eternity; for according to the quality of the state of man's past life even to the end of it, such he remains to eternity.
[4] Similar things are frequently said by the Lord in the Evangelists, as in Matthew:
"Ye know not in what hour your Lord doth come; be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man shall come" (24:42, 44).
Again:
"The lord of the servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of" (24:50).
And again:
"Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man shall come" (25:13).
It must be known that a man remains to eternity such as the quality of his whole life has been to the end, and not at all such as he is at the hour of death; for repentance then in the case of the evil is of no avail, but with the good it confirms the state.
194. And thou shalt not know in what hour I will come upon thee, signifies ignorance of that time and of the state then. This is evident from the signification of "hour," as being the time when man is to die, and also his state then; and from the signification of "not knowing" it, as being ignorance. It is said "In what hour I will come upon thee," namely, "as a thief," and this means, in the sense of the letter, that the Lord will so come; but in the spiritual sense, it means that evils and falsities will steal away the knowledges that they have from the Word. For in the sense of the letter of the Word doing evil is attributed to Jehovah, or to the Lord, but in the spiritual sense the meaning is that He does evil to no one, but that man does evil to himself (See Arcana Coelestia 2447, 5798, 6071, 6991, 6997, 7533, 7632, 7643, 7679, 7710, 7877, 7926, 8227, 8228, 8284, 8483, 8632, 9010, 9128, 9306, 10431).
[2] "Hour," moreover signifies state, because all times in the Word, as a day, a week, a month, a year, an age, signify states of life, so likewise "an hour" (the reason of this may be seen in The work on Arcana Coelestia 9139, 3220. That "three" signifies a full state, or what is complete even to the end, n. 2788, 4495, 7715, 8347, 9825; likewise "six" and "nine." But "eleven" signifies a state not yet full, and yet a receptive state such as there is with well-disposed children and infants. The "twelfth hour," to which all labored, signifies truths and goods in their fullness, n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. That all numbers in the Word are significative, n. 4495, 4670, 5265, 6175, 9488, 9659, 10217, 10253; and that composite numbers have a signification like that of the simple numbers from which they arise by multiplication, thus "three," "six," and "nine," have a similar signification, n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973.)
[3] Since "twelve" signifies truths and goods in their fullness, thus man's state of light or intelligence from these, the Lord says:
Are there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the day he stumbleth not (John 11:9).
Elsewhere, also, "hours" signify states of life, as in Revelation:
Those four angels were loosed, which were prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men (Revelation 9:15).
The times here mentioned mean the states of evil with man, as will be seen in the explanation of these words hereafter. From this it is now evident that "Thou shalt not know in what hour I will come upon thee," means not only that one is ignorant of the time of death but also of the state of life at that time which will continue to eternity; for such as the state of man's past life is, even to the end, such he remains to eternity.
[4] Like things are said by the Lord here and there in the Evangelists. In Matthew:
Ye know not in what hour your Lord will come; be ye ready; for in an hour that ye think not, the Son of man cometh (Matthew 24:42, 44).
The lord of the servant shall come in the day when he expecteth not, and in an hour that he knoweth not (Matthew 24:50).
Be wakeful, therefore, for ye know not the day, neither the hour, wherein the Son of man shall come (Matthew 25:13).
It should be known that man remains to eternity such as his whole life is, even to the end, and by no means such as he is at the hour of death: repentance at that time with the evil is of no avail, but with the good it strengthens.
194. "Et nescies qua hora veniam super te." - Quod significet ignorantiam illius temporis et status tunc, constat ex significatione "horae", quod sit tempus quo moriturus homo, et quoque status ejus tunc; et ex significatione "nescire" illam, quod sit ignorantia: dicitur "qua hora veniam super te", nempe "tanquam fur", et per id in sensu litterae intelligitur quod Dominus sic venturus; sed in sensu spirituali intelligitur quod malum et falsum furaturum sit cognitiones quae apud eos ex Verbo sunt; nam in sensu litterae Verbi tribuitur Jehovae seu Domino quod malum faciat, sed in sensu spirituali intelligitur quod nulli malum faciat, sed ipse homo sibi (videatur n. 2447, 5798, 1
6071, 2
6991 6997, 7533, 7632, 7643, 3
7877, 7679, 7710, 7925, 8227, 8228, 8284, 8483, 8632, 4
[2] Quod "hora" etiam significet statum, est quia omnia tempora in Verbo, sicut dies, septimana, mensis, annus, saeculum, significant status vitae; ita quoque "hora": (causa videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 162-169, ubi De Tempore in Caelis agitur): sed quia "hora" significat et tempus et statum, ideo in Verbo ubi "hora" dicitur, parum sciri potest quod aliud praeter tempus per illam significetur: ut apud Matthaeum,
Paterfamilias conduxit operarios in vineam; qui laborarunt ab hora tertia, sexta, nona, undecima, et parem mercedem acceperunt (20:1-17);
per "horas" has in mundo intelliguntur tempora, sed in caelo status vitae; quia in caelo non sunt horae, ex causa quia tempora non mensurabilia sunt et distinguuntur in dies, et hi in horas, ut in mundo; quare pro illis percipiunt status vitae hominum qui moriuntur senes, juvenes, adolescentes, aut pueri, qui aeque spiritualem vitam sibi compararunt: "laborare in vinea" est illam sibi comparare per applicatas cognitiones veri et boni ex Verbo ad usus vitae; per "horam tertiam", "sextam" et "nonam" similis status vitae significatur; nam omnes numeri in Verbo significant, et illi numeri simile.
(Quod "vinea" in Verbo significet ecclesiam spiritualem, et apud hominem vitam spiritualem, videatur n. 9139, 3220; quod "tria" significent statum plenum, seu completum usque ad finem, n. 2788, 4495, 7715, 8347, 9825. Simile "sex" et "novem." "Undecim" autem significant statum nondum plenum, sed usque statum receptibilem, qualis est apud pueros probos et infantes. "Duodecima hora", ad quam omnes laborarunt, 5
significat vera et bona in suo pleno, n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. Quod omnes numeri in Verbo significent, n. 4495, 6
4670, 5265, 6175, 9488, 9659, 10217, 10253: et quod simile numeri multiplicati cum simplicibus a quibus per multiplicatione exsurgunt, inde simile "tria", "sex", et novem, n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973.)
[3] Quoniam "duodecim" significant vera et bona in suo pleno, ita statum lucis seu intelligentiae hominis ex illis, ideo Dominus dicit,
"Nonne duodecim horae diei? Si quis ambulat in die, non offendit" (Johannes 11:9):
alibi etiam per "horas" significantur status vitae: ut in Apocalypsi,
"Soluti sunt quatuor illi angeli, parati ad horam, ad diem et mensem et annum, ut occidant tertiam partem hominum" (9:15);
hic per tempora memorata intelliguntur status mali apud hominem, quod videbitur in explicatione illorum verborum in sequentibus. Ex his nunc patet quod per "Nescies qua hora veniam super te", non modo intelligatur quod ignores tempus mortis, sed etiam tunc statum vitae mansurum in aeternum; nam qualis est status vitae anteactae hominis usque ad finem, talis manet homo in aeternum.
[4] Simile dicit Dominus passim apud Evangelistas: apud Matthaeum,
"Non scitis qua hora Dominus Vester venturus est; .... vos estote parati, quia qua hora non putatis, Filius hominis veniet" (24:42, 44);
"Veniet Dominus servi in die quo non exspectat, et in hora quam non novit" (24:50);
et apud eundem,
"Vigilate ergo, quia non novistis diem, neque horam, qua Filius hominis venturus est (25:13).
Sciendum est quod homo maneat in aeternum qualis est quoad totam suam vitam usque ad finem, et prorsus non qualis est in hora mortis; resipiscentia tunc apud malos nihil facit, sed apud bonos confirmat.
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