----中文待译----
635. And I will give unto my two witnesses.- That this signifies the good of love and of charity, and the truth of doctrine and faith, both from the Lord, is evident from the signification of witnesses as denoting those who in heart and faith acknowledge and confess the Lord, His Divine in His Human, and the proceeding Divine, for this is what essentially witnesses concerning the Lord, that is, acknowledges, and, from acknowledgment, confesses Him. Concerning this signification of witness and testification, see above (n. 10, 27, 228, 392). The two witnesses here signify the good of love and of charity, and the truth of doctrine and of faith, because it is said that the two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands; and the two olive trees signify the good of love to God and the good of charity towards the neighbour, and the two lampstands signify the truth of doctrine and the truth of faith; concerning this signification more will be said presently.
[2] The reason why those goods and truths are meant by witnesses, is, that those goods and truths, or, all who are in them, acknowledge and confess the Lord. For it is the proceeding Divine that is called Divine Good and Divine Truth, from which comes the good of love to God and the good of charity towards the neighbour, and thence the truth of doctrine and the truth of faith, which witness concerning Him; it therefore follows that they who are in them also witness concerning the Lord, that is, acknowledge and confess Him. For it is the Divine that witnesses concerning the Divine, and not man from himself; consequently it is the Lord in the good of love, and in the truth of doctrine thence, which are with man, that do this.
[3] Since all acknowledgment and confession of the Lord, and principally the acknowledgment and confession of the Divine in His Human, is from the Lord Himself, and since to witness signifies to acknowledge and confess this, therefore "to witness" is used in the following passages to denote acknowledgment and confession from the Lord Himself concerning Himself.
In John:
"Search the Scriptures, for they are they which bear witness of me" (5:39).
The Sacred Scripture, or the Word, is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, and the proceeding Divine is the Lord Himself in heaven and in the church, wherefore when it is said that the Scriptures bear witness of Him, it is meant that the Lord Himself bears witness of Himself.
Again:
"I am he that beareth witness of myself, and my Father who sent me, beareth witness of me" (8:18).
Here it is openly declared that the Lord Himself, or the Divine in Him, bears witness of Him.
[4] Again:
Jesus said, "When the Paraclete shall come, the spirit of truth, he shall bear witness of me" (15:26, 27).
By the Paraclete, the spirit of truth, is meant the Divine proceeding from the Lord, which is the Divine Truth.
And again:
Jesus said unto Pilate," Thou sayest, because I am a king, for this came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth" (18:37).
To bear witness unto the truth signifies to cause the Divine Truth proceeding from Him to bear witness of Him; this Divine Truth also in the Word is signified by a king. These things are adduced in order that it may be known that to bear witness is to acknowledge and confess the Lord, and that this is from Him, consequently the good of love and of charity and the truth of doctrine and of faith, because these are from the Lord and are His in man.
635. Verse 3. And I will give unto my two witnesses, signifies the good of love and charity and the truth of doctrine and faith, both from the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "witnesses," as being those who in heart and faith acknowledge and confess the Lord, His Divine in His Human, and His proceeding Divine; for this is what essentially bears witness respecting the Lord, that is, acknowledges, and from acknowledgment confesses Him. (Respecting the signification of "witness" and "bearing witness," see above, n. 10, 27, 228, 392.) "The two witnesses" here signify the good of love and charity, and the truth of doctrine and faith, for it follows that "the two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands;" "the two olive trees" signify the good of love to God and the good of charity towards the neighbor; and "the two lampstands" signify the truth of doctrine and the truth of faith (on the signification of these more presently).
[2] These goods and truths are meant by the "witnesses," because they, that is, all who are in them, acknowledge and confess the Lord, for it is the Divine proceeding that is called the Divine good and the Divine truth, whence is the good of love to God and the good of charity towards the neighbor, and the truth of doctrine and the truth of faith thence, which bear witness concerning Him; from which it follows that those who are in these likewise bear witness concerning the Lord, that is, acknowledge and confess Him. For it is the Divine that bears witness concerning the Divine, and not man from himself; consequently the Lord is in the good of love, and in the truth of doctrine therefrom, that are in man, and it is these that bear witness.
[3] As all acknowledgment and confession of the Lord, and principally the acknowledgment and confession of the Divine in His Human, is from the Lord Himself, and as "to bear witness" signifies to acknowledge and confess this, therefore "to bear witness" stands for acknowledgment and confession in the Lord's own words respecting Himself in the following passages. In John:
Search the Scriptures, for they are they which bear witness of Me (John 5:39).
The Sacred Scriptures or the Word is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and the Divine proceeding is the Lord Himself in heaven and in the church; so when it is said that "the Scriptures bear witness of Him" it is meant that the Lord Himself bears witness respecting Himself. In the same:
I am He that beareth witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me (John 8:18).
Here it is openly declared that the Lord Himself, or the Divine in Him, bears witness of Him.
[4] In the same:
Jesus said, When the Paraclete is come, the spirit of truth, he shall bear witness of Me (John 15:26, 27).
"The Paraclete, the spirit of truth," means the Divine proceeding from the Lord, which is the Divine truth. In the same:
Jesus said to Pilate, Thou sayest it, because I am King; for this have I come into the world, that I might give testimony to the truth (John 18:37).
"To give testimony to the truth" signifies to cause the Divine truth proceeding from Him to bear witness of Him; moreover, this Divine truth is signified in the Word by "king." These passages are cited to make known that "to bear witness" means to acknowledge and confess the Lord, and that this is from Him; consequently "to bear witness" means the good of love and charity and the truth of doctrine and faith, since these are from the Lord and are His in man.
635. [Vers. 3.] "Et dabo duobus testibus meis." - Quod significet bonum amoris et charitatis, ac verum doctrinae et fidei, utrumque a Domino, constat ex significatione "testium", quod sint qui corde et fide agnoscunt et confitentur Dominum, Divinum Ipsius in Humano Ipsius, et Divinum procedens; hoc enim essentialiter testatur de Domino, hoc est, agnoscit et ex agnitione confitetur Ipsum. (De qua "testis" et" testificationis" significatione videatur supra, n. 10, 27, 228, 392.) Quod "duo testes" hic significent bonum amoris et charitatis, ac verum doctrinae et fidei, est quia sequitur quod "duo testes sint duae olivae et duo candelabra"; ac per "duas olivas" significatur bonum amoris in Deum et bonum charitatis erga proximum, et per "duo candelabra" significatur verum doctrinae et verum fidei (de qua eorum significatione videbitur in sequentibus).
[2] Quod illa bona et illa vera intelligantur per "testes", est quia illa, hoc est, omnes qui in illis sunt, agnoscant et confiteantur Dominum; est enim Divinum procedens, quod vocatur Divinum Bonum et Divinum Verum, unde bonum amoris in Deum et bonum charitatis erga proximum, ac inde verum doctrinae et verum fidei, quae testantur de Ipso; unde sequitur quod qui in illis sunt, similiter testentur de Domino, hoc est, agnoscant et confiteantur Ipsum; est enim Divinum quod testatur de Divino, et non homo ex se; proinde est Dominus in bono amoris et in vero doctrinae inde, quae apud hominem sunt, quae id faciunt.
[3] Quoniam omnis agnitio et confessio Domini, ac principaliter agnitio et confessio Divini in Humano Ipsius, est ab Ipso Domino, et quia "testari" significat agnoscere et confiteri illud, ideo "testari" pro agnoscere et confiteri dicitur ab Ipso Domino de Se in sequentibus locis :
- Apud Johannem,
"Scrutamini Scripturas, quia.... illae sunt quae testantur de Me" (5:39):
Scriptura Sacra seu Verbum est Divinum Verum procedens a Domino, et Divinum procedens est Ipse Dominus in caelo, et in ecclesia; quare cum dicitur quod "Scripturae testentur de Ipso" intelligitur quod Ipse Dominus de Se.
Apud eundem,
"Ego sum qui testor de Me Ipso, et testatur de Me qui misit Me, Pater" (8:18);
hic aperte dicitur, quod Ipse Dominus seu Divinum in Ipso testetur de Ipso.
[4] Apud eundem,
Jesus dixit, "Quando venerit Paracletus, spiritus veritatis ille testabitur de Me" (15:26, 27);
per "Paracletum, spiritum veritatis", intelligitur Divinum procedens a Domino, quod est Divinum Verum.
Apud eundem,
Jesus ad Pilatum, "Tu dicis quia Rex sum Ego;.... in hoc veni in mundum, ut testimonium dem veritati" (18:37):
"testimonium dare veritati" significat facere ut Divinum Verum procedens ex Ipso testetur de Ipso; Divinum hoc Verum etiam in Verbo significatur per "regem." Haec allata sunt ut sciatur quod "testari" sit agnoscere et confiteri Dominum, et quod hoc sit ab Ipso; proinde bonum amoris et charitatis, ac verum doctrinae et fidei, quia haec sunt a Domino, et sunt Ipsius in homine.