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586. That they should not adore demons.- That this signifies that they should not worship their own disorderly desires, is evident from the signification of worshipping, and from the signification of demons, as denoting evil desires. The reason why demons denote evil desires, is, that by demons are meant infernal spirits, and all the spirits in the hells are nothing but evil desires. For all the spirits in the hells, and all the angels in the heavens, are from the human race, and every man after death becomes such as the quality of his life was in the world, consequently the quality of his affection, so that after death man is entirely his own affection, a good man the affection for good and truth, and an evil man the affection for evil and falsity. Every man, also, after death, thinks, wills, speaks, and acts, according to his own affection. The affection for evil and falsity, is what is called desire, and is signified by "demon." But what is meant by worshipping demons shall also be briefly explained.
[2] Every man is in association with spirits, for without such association and conjunction no one can live, and the spirits attendant on man are in accordance with the quality of his affections or desires. Therefore when man, in his worship, does not look to the Lord or to his neighbour, but to himself and to the world, that is, when he worships God for the sole end of being exalted to honours, and of gaining wealth, or that he may do injury to others, he worships demons; for the Lord is not then present in his worship, but infernal spirits, who are in association with him. These spirits also are so insane as to believe that they are gods, and to be worshipped. For every spirit, as well as every man, who is in the love of self, seeks to be worshipped as a god, and for this reason men after death, on becoming demon-spirits are possessed with that insane desire; this, therefore, is the signification of adoring demons.
[3] This worship is also understood by sacrificing to demons.
Thus in Moses:
"They provoked him to wrath with strange [gods], with abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrifice to demons, not to God; to gods whom they knew not" (Deuteronomy 32:16, 17).
Again:
The sons of Israel shall sacrifice at the door of the tent, and "they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto demons, after whom they go awhoring" (Leviticus 17:7).
The sacrifices which were offered at the door of the tent represented the worship of the Lord, because the altar, and also the tabernacle, represented heaven, where the Lord is present; but the sacrifices which they offered elsewhere, represented worship where the Lord was not present, thus the worship of demons; for all things at that time were representative.
[4] So in David:
"They sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons" (Psalm 106:37).
This was utterly infernal; but, in the spiritual sense, sacrificing their sons and daughters, signified by means of their evil desires to pervert and destroy the truths and goods of the church; for sons signify the truths of the church, and daughters its goods.
[5] So in Isaiah:
"The tziim shall also meet with the ijim, and the wood demon shall meet his fellow; the bird of night shall also rest there, and find for herself a place of rest" (34:14).
Here the subject treated of is the total devastation of the church through corporeal and purely natural lusts (concupiscentiae), from which flow forth evils and falsities of every kind; these lusts are signified by the tziim, and the ijim, and also by the bird of night and the wood demon, or satyr.
[6] Again, in like manner:
"The tziim shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of ochim; and the daughters of the bird of night shall dwell there, and the wood demons shall dance there" (13:21).
These things are spoken of Babylon. That such merely natural and corporeal lusts (concupiscentiae) are possessed by those meant by Babylon, and constitute the life of their mind, is signified by their houses being filled with such things, and by their dwelling and dancing there. By house is signified the internal or external mind [mens seu animus] of man, with the things contained therein; daughters of the bird of night signify falsities, and wood demons or satyrs, merely corporeal desires.
Similar language is used respecting Babylon in the Apocalypse:
"Babylon is become the habitation of demons, and the hold of every unclean spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird" (18:2).
The demons cast out by the Lord, by which many were at that time obsessed, signify falsities of every kind, with which the church was infested, and from which it was liberated by the Lord (as in Matthew 8:16, 28; 9:32, 33; 10:8; 12:22; 15:22; Mark 1:32-34; Luke 4:33-38, 41; 8:2, 26-40; 9:1, 37-44, 49, 50; 13:32, and elsewhere).
586. That they should not adore demons, signifies that they should not worship their own cupidities. This is evident from the signification of "to adore," as being to worship, and from the signification of "demons," as being evil cupidities. "Demons" are evil cupidities because by demons infernal spirits are meant, and all spirits that are in the hells are nothing but evil cupidities; for all spirits that are in the hells, as well as all angels in the heavens, are from the human race; and every man after death becomes such as his life has been in the world, consequently such as his affection has been; therefore after death man is wholly his affection, a good man the affection of good and truth, and an evil man the affection of evil and falsity. Moreover, every man after death thinks, wills, speaks, and acts in accordance with his affection. The affection of evil and falsity is what is called cupidity, and is what is signified by "demon. "
[2] But what is meant by "worshiping demons" shall also be told briefly. Every man is associated with spirits; without association and conjunction with them no one can live; and the spirits with man are such as his affections or cupidities are; therefore when man in his worship does not look to the Lord or to the neighbor, but looks to himself and to the world, that is, when he worships God for the sole end of being carried to honors, and of gaining wealth, or of being able to do injury to others, then he worships demons; for then the Lord is not present in his worship, but infernal spirits are present, who are closely associated with him. These spirits are so insane as to believe that they are gods, and that they are to be worshiped; for every spirit, as well as every man, who is in the love of self, is eager to be worshiped as a god; consequently this insane cupidity continues with men after death, when they become demon-spirits; and this is what is signified by "adoring demons."
[3] This worship is meant also by "sacrificing to demons." In Moses:
They provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations they made Him angry. They sacrificed to demons that were not God, to gods that they knew not (Deuteronomy 32:16, 17).
The sons of Israel shall sacrifice at the entrance of the tent, and they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices unto demons, after whom they go whoring (Leviticus 17:7).
The sacrifices that were offered at the entrance of the tent represented the worship of the Lord, because the altar, and also the tabernacle, represented heaven where the Lord is present; but the sacrifices that were offered elsewhere represented worship where the Lord is not present, thus the worship of demons; this was because all things at that time were representative.
[4] In David:
They sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons (Psalms 106:37).
This was altogether infernal; but in the spiritual sense "to sacrifice sons and daughters" signified to pervert and destroy the truths and goods of the church by evil cupidities; "sons" signifying the truths of the church, and "daughters" its goods.
[5] In Isaiah:
The tziim shall encounter the ijim, and the demon of the wood shall meet his fellow, the night-monster shall also settle there and find for itself rest (Isaiah 34:14).
This treats of the total devastation of the church by corporeal and merely natural lusts, from which flow forth falsities and evils of every kind; such lusts are signified by "the tziim and the ijim," also by "the night-monster, and the demon of the wood" (or satyr).
[6] So elsewhere in the same:
The tziim shall sing 1there, and their houses shall be full of ochim, and the daughters of the owl shall dwell there, and the demons of the wood shall dance there (Isaiah 13:21).
This is said of Babylon; that there are such corporeal and purely natural lusts with those who are meant by Babylon, and that these constitute the life of their mind is signified by "their houses shall be full of such things," and "they shall dwell and dance there." "House" signifies the mind or disposition of man, with the things therein; "daughters of the owl" signify falsities, and "demons of the wood" (or satyrs) cupidities merely corporeal. Like things are said of Babylon in Revelation:
Babylon is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird (Revelation 18:2).
The demons cast out by the Lord, by which many were then obsessed, signify falsities of every kind by which the church was infested, and from which it was delivered by the Lord (as in Matthew 8:16, 28; 9:32, 33; 10:8; 12:22; 15:22; Mark 1:32-34; Luke 4:33-38, 41; 8:2, 26-40; 9:1, 37-44, 49, 50; 13:32; and elsewhere).
Footnotes:
1. Latin has "sing," the Hebrew "lie," as also in AE 1029; AR 548, 757.
586. "Ut non adorarent daemonia." - Quod significet ne colerent suasmet cupiditates, constat ex significatione "adorare", quod sit colere; et ex significatione "daemoniorum", quod sint malae cupiditates.
Quod "daemonia" sint malae cupiditates, est quia per "daemonia" intelliguntur spiritus infernales, et omnes spiritus qui in infernis sunt non sunt nisi quam malae cupiditates; omnes enim spiritus qui in infernis sunt, similiter ac omnes angeli qui in caelis, ex humano genere sunt; et quisque homo post mortem fit qualis ejus vita in mundo fuit, proinde qualis ejus affectio; ita prorsus ut homo post mortem sit sua affectio, homo bonus affectio boni et veri, ac homo malus affectio mali et falsi: quisque post mortem etiam cogitat, vult, loquitur et facit secundum suam affectionem. Affectio mali et falsi est quae, vocatur cupiditas, et quae significatur per "daemonium."
[2] Quid autem intelligitur per "colere daemonia" etiam paucis dicetur. Unusquisque homo est in consortio cum spiritibus; absque consortio et conjunctione cum illis nemo potest vivere; ac tales spiritus apud hominem sunt, quales ejus affectiones seu cupiditates sunt; quapropter quando homo in cultu non spectat ad Dominum nec ad proximum, sed ad semet et ad mundum, hoc est, quando colit Deum ob finem solum ut evehatur ad honores et lucretur opes, seu ut possit damno afficere alios, tunc colit daemonia; nam tunc Dominus in cultu ejus non praesens est, sed spiritus infernales, qui ei consociati sunt, praesentes sunt: apud hos spiritus etiam talis vesania est ut ipsi credant se deos esse, et coli; quisque enim spiritus, sicut quisque homo, qui in amore sui est, ambit coli sicut Deus; inde est quod talis vesana cupido resideat. apud homines post mortem, quando fiunt spiritus daemones; hoc itaque significatur per "adorare daemonia."
[3] Hic cultus etiam intelligitur per "sacrificare daemonibus", apud Mosen,
"Ad zelum provocarunt Ipsum per alienos, per abominationes iratum reddiderunt Ipsum; sacrificant daemonibus, Deo non, diis quos non noverunt" (Deutr. 32 [16,] 17);
apud eundem,
Filii Israelis sacrificabunt ad ostium Tentorii, et "non sacrificabunt amplius sacrificia sua daemonibus, post quos scortantes illi" (Leviticus 17:7):
sacrificia quae fiebant ad ostium Tentorii repraesentabant cultum Domini, quia altare et quoque Tabernaculum repraesentabant caelum, ubi Dominus est praesens; at sacrificia quae fiebant alibi, repraesentabant cultum ubi Dominus non esset praesens, ita cultum daemonum; hoc erat, quia omnia eo tempore repraesentativa erant.
[4] Apud Davidem,
"Sacrificarunt filios suos et filias suas daemonibus" (Psalms 106:37):
hoc erat prorsus infernale; sed per "Sacrificare filios et filias" in sensu spirituali significabatur per malas cupiditates perdere et destruere vera et bona ecclesiae, "filii" enim significant vera ecclesiae, ac "filiae" bona ejus.
[5] Apud Esaiam,
"Occurrent Tziim cum Ijim, et daemon silvestris socio suo obviabit, et quiescet ibi noctua, et inveniet sibi requiem" (34:14):
agitur ibi de totali ecclesiae devastatione per concupiscentias corporeas et mere naturales, ex quibus omnis generis falsa et mala profluunt; illae concupiscentiae significantur per "Tziim" et "Ijim", tum per "noctuam" et "daemonem silvestrem" seu satyrum.
[6] Similiter alibi apud eundem,
" 1
Cubabunt ibi Tziim, et implebuntur domus eorum Ochim, et habitabunt ibi filiae noctuae, et daemones silvestres saltabunt ibi" (13:21):
haec dicta sunt de Babele; quod apud illos qui intelliguntur per "Babelem" tales concupiscentiae corporeae et mere naturales sint, ac vitam animi eorum faciant, significatur per quod "domus eorum" talibus "implebuntur", et quod "ibi habitabunt et saltabunt": per "domum" significatur mens seu animus hominis cum illis quae inibi, per "filias noctuae" significantur falsitates, et per "daemones silvestres" seu satyros cupiditates mere corporeae. Simile de Babele dicitur in Apocalypsi,
"Babylon. ... facta est habitaculum daemonum, et custodia omnis spiritus immundi, et custodia omnis avis immundae et exosae" (18:2).
Per "daemonia" ejecta a Domino, quibus tunc plures obsessi fuerunt, significantur omnis generis falsitates, quibus ecclesia fuit infestata, et a quibus liberata est a Domino (Ut Matth. cap. 8:16, 28; 9:32, 33: cap. 10:8; 12:22; 15:22; Marcus 1:32-34; Luca 4:33-38, 41; 8:2, 26-40; 9:1, 37-44, 49, 50; 13:32: et alibi).
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.