----中文待译----
693. And the nations were angered.- That this signifies the contempt, enmity, and hatred of the evil against the Lord, and against the Divine things that are from Him, which are the holy things of heaven and of the church, is evident from the signification of nations, as denoting those who are in the goods of the church, and in the opposite sense those who are in evils, here those who are in evils, for it is said that they were angered, (That nations signify those who are in goods and those who are in evils, and in an abstract sense, the goods and evils of the church, and that peoples signify those who are in truths and those who are in falsities, and, in an abstract sense, the truths and falsities of the church, may be seen above (n. 175, 331, 625);
[2] and from the signification of being angered, when said of the evil, who are signified by nations, as denoting to be in contempt, enmity, and hatred against the Lord, and against the Divine things that are from Him, which are the holy things of heaven and of the church. These and many other similar things are signified by being angered, because every one burns with wrath, and is angry when his love and the delight of his love are attacked, this being the cause of all wrath and anger. The reason of this is, that every one's love is his life, therefore to do injury to the love is to do injury to the life, and when this is injured the mind is disturbed, and thus anger and wrath follow. It is similar with the good when their love is attacked, but with this difference, that they are filled not with wrath and anger, but with zeal. This zeal is indeed called anger in the Word, although it is not anger; it is called anger because in external form it appears like anger although it is interiorly nothing but charity, goodness and mercy; therefore zeal does not last like anger after the one against whom it was enkindled has come to himself and turned away from evil. Anger with the evil is of a different nature, for it interiorly conceals in itself hatred and revenge, which the evil love, it therefore persists and is rarely extinguished. It consequently follows that anger belongs to those who are in the loves of self and of the world, for such also are in evils of every kind, but zeal belongs to those who are in love to the Lord, and in love towards the neighbour. Zeal therefore looks to the salvation of man, but anger to his damnation; the latter is in the purpose of an evil man when angry, but salvation is in the purpose of a good man when zealous.
[3] The nations being angered here signifies the contempt, enmity, and hatred of the evil against the Lord, and against the Divine things that are from Him, thus against the holy things of heaven and of the church, because at the end of the church, a little before a last judgment, which is here treated of, a change takes place in the state of those who are in the former heaven and former earth, which is effected by the separation of the good from the evil. And when this is accomplished, the externals of the evil, by and from which they spoke truths and did goods from pretence and hypocrisy, are closed, and their interiors, which are infernal, are opened, and when these are opened, their contempt, hostility, and hatred openly burst forth with invectives against the Lord and against the holy things of heaven and of the church. For these things with such have lain interiorly stored up, but covered over by the loves of self and of the world; and these loves are of such a kind that they can do good and speak truths for the sake of self and of the world, because the holy things of heaven and of the church serve them as means to ends, which are reputation, glory, honour, and gain, in a word, self and the world, and the means are loved for the sake of the ends. But, because with such the end which is of man's love, and thence of his intention and will, is corporeal and worldly, and consequently infernal, therefore the goods and truths which pertain to heaven and the church remain with them only in their externals, and none in their internals, because evils and falsities are therein. For the goods and truths of heaven penetrate into the internals with those only who make the holy things of heaven and of the church their ends, that is, cause them to be of their love, and thus of their intention and will; and when these are the ends regarded then the spiritual mind is opened, and by means of this man is led by the Lord. But the contrary is the case when the goods and truths of heaven and of the church are not regarded as ends but as means; for, as said just above, ends pertain to man's ruling love, and when this is the love of self, it is also the love of his proprium, which, considered in itself, is nothing but evil, and so far as man acts from it he acts from hell, consequently also in opposition to the Divine.
[4] It must be moreover understood that in all evil there is anger against the Lord, and against the holy things of the church. That this is so has been made clearly evident to me from the hells, where all are in evils, and from which all evils are; for when those who are there merely hear the Lord named, they become inflamed with vehement anger, not only against Him, but also against all who confess Him. For this reason hell is the direct opposite of heaven, and is in the continual effort to destroy it, and to extinguish the Divine things therein, which are goods of love and truths of faith. It is evident from this that evils are angry with goods, and the falsities of evil with truths; and this is why anger, in the Word, signifies evil in its whole extent.
[5] Similarly in the following passages.
In Luke:
Jesus said, "Woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days, for there shall be great distress upon the land, and anger in the people" (Luke 22:23).
This is said of the consummation of the age, which is the last time of the church. That then good and truth cannot be received is signified by, woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck. The rejection of good because of the evil which will then rule in the church, and the rejection of truth because of falsity, is signified by, for there shall be great distress upon the land, and anger in the people, distress here denoting the dominating evil, and anger the dominating falsity from evil; for at the end of the church the evil feel anguish at the presence of good, and are rendered angry by truth.
[6] In Isaiah:
"Only in Jehovah is justice and strength, unto him shall [men] come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed" (45:24).
All that are incensed against Jehovah shall be ashamed, signifies that all who are in evils and falsities will desist from them; to be incensed against Jehovah signifies to be in falsities from evil.
[7] In Moses:
"Simeon and Levi are brethren; in their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure they unstrung an ox; cursed be their anger for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was hard; I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel" (Arcana Coelestia 6351-6361).
[8] In Matthew:
Jesus said, "It was said to them of old, Whosoever shall kill shall be liable to the judgment, but I say unto you, Whosoever is angry with his brother rashly shall be liable to the judgment" (5:21, 22).
To be angry with his brother rashly here also signifies enmity and hatred against good and truth. Those also who have such enmity and hatred do continually kill in mind, intention, and will, and they would actually kill, if they were free to do so, that is, if they were not restrained by the laws and a consequent fear of punishment and of losing life, reputation, honour or gain; for what a man cherishes in his mind, this he carries out when the opportunity arises. He who is angry with his brother rashly is liable to the judgment, equally as he who kills, because to be angry signifies to think, intend, and wish evil to another, and all evil of the will is in the life of man's spirit, and returns after death, and this is why he is then liable to the judgment; for what is of the intention and will is considered in judgment as if actually done. But it is not necessary to cite further passages to shew the signification of anger and wrath with those who are in evil, for it is self-evident that all evil conceals in itself anger against good, since it desires to extinguish it, and even to kill him in whom good is, if not as to the body, yet [as] to the soul; this proceeds altogether from anger and is accompanied by anger.
693. Verse 18. And the nations were angered, signifies the contempt, enmity, and hatred of the evil against the Lord and against the Divine things that are from Him, which are the holy things of heaven and the church. This is evident from the signification of "nations," as being those who are in the goods of the church, and in a contrary sense those who are in evils, here those who are in evils, since it is said that "they were angered." (That "nations" signify those who are in goods and those who are in evils, and in an abstract sense the goods and evils of the church, and that "peoples" signify those who are in truths and those who are in falsities, and in an abstract sense the truths and falsities of the church, may be seen above, n. 175, 331, 625.) Also from the signification of "to be angered," as being, in reference to the evil, who are signified by "nations," to be in contempt, enmity, and hatred against the Lord and against the Divine things that are from Him, which are the holy things of heaven and the church.
[2] These and other like things are signified by "to be angered," because everyone burns with wrath and is angered when his love and the delight of his love are assaulted, this being the cause of all wrath and anger; also for the reason that the love of everyone is his life, consequently to hurt the love is to hurt the life, and this being hurt causes commotion of mind, and thence anger and wrath. It is similar with the good when their love is assaulted, but with the difference that they have, not wrath or anger, but zeal. This zeal indeed is called anger in the Word, but still it is not anger; it is called anger because it appears in external form like anger, but inwardly it is nothing but charity, goodness, and clemency; consequently zeal does not, like anger, continue after the one towards whom it was kindled repents and turns away from evil. Anger with the evil is different; for it inwardly conceals in itself hatred and revenge, which the evil love, therefore it persists and is rarely extinguished. This is why anger belongs to those who are in the loves of self and of the world, for they are in evils of every kind; while zeal belongs to those who are in love to the Lord and in love towards the neighbor. Therefore zeal looks to the salvation of man, but anger to his damnation; this also is in the purpose of the evil who are angered, but salvation is in the purpose of the good who are zealous.
[3] "The nations were angered" signifies here the contempt, enmity, and hatred of the evil against the Lord and against the Divine things that are from Him, thus against the holy things of heaven and the church, because at the end of the church, a little before the Last Judgment, which is here treated of, there is a change of state with those who were in the former heaven and former earth, which is effected by the separation of the good from the evil; and when this has been effected the externals of the evil, by and from which they uttered what is true and did what is good from pretense and hypocrisy, are closed up, and the internals which in them are infernal are opened, and when these have been opened contempt, hostility, and hatred openly break forth with contumelies against the Lord and against the holy things of heaven and the church; for with them these things have lain stored up and covered over by the loves of self and the world; and these loves are such that they can do good and speak truths for the sake of self and of the world, because the holy things of heaven and the church serve them as means to ends, which are reputation, glory, honor, and gain, in a word, self and the world, and the means are loved for the sake of the ends. But since with such the end, which is of man's love and thus of his intention and will, is corporeal and worldly, and consequently infernal, therefore the goods and truths that belong to heaven and the church with them do not abide in their internals, but only in their externals, because in these are evils and falsities. The goods and truths of heaven penetrate into the internals only with such as make the holy things of heaven and the church their ends, that is, make them to be of their love, and thence of their intention and will; when these are made ends, then the spiritual mind is opened, and through this man is led by the Lord. But it is the exact opposite when the goods and truths of heaven and the church are not made ends, but means; for, as has just been said, ends belong to the ruling love of man, and when this is love of self it is also love of his own [proprium], and this regarded in itself is nothing but evil, and so far as man acts from it he acts from hell, and thus against the Divine.
[4] Furthermore, it is to be known that in all evil there is anger against the Lord and against the holy things of the church. That this is so has been made clearly evident to me from the hells, in which all are in evils, and from which are all evils; for there when they merely hear the Lord named they become inflamed with vehement anger, not only against Him but also against all who confess Him. Thence it is that hell is the diametrical opposite of heaven, and is in the perpetual effort to destroy heaven, and to extinguish the Divine things therein, which are the goods of love and the truths of faith. This shows why evils are angry with goods, and falsities of evil with truths; this is why "anger" in the Word signifies evil in the whole complex.
[5] It is similar in the following passages. In Luke:
Jesus said, Woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days; for there shall be great distress upon the land, and anger with the people (Luke 21:23).
This is said of the consummation of the age, which is the last time of the church. That then good and truth cannot be received is signified by "Woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck." The rejection of good because of the evil that will then rule in the church, and of truth because of falsity, is signified by "for there shall be great distress upon the land, and anger with the people," "distress" here means the ruling evil, and "anger" the ruling falsity from evil, for at the end of the church the evil are distressed by good and angered by truth.
[6] In Isaiah:
Only in Jehovah is righteousness and strength; unto Him shall they come, and all that were incensed against Him shall be ashamed (Isaiah 45:24).
"All that were incensed against Jehovah shall be ashamed" signifies that all who are in evils and falsities will desist from them, "to be incensed against Jehovah" signifying to be in falsities from evil.
[7] In Moses:
Simeon and Levi are brethren; In their anger they slew a man, and in their good pleasure they hocked an ox; cursed be their anger for it is fierce, and their wrath for it is hard; I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel (Arcana Coelestia 6351-6361.)
[8] In Matthew:
Jesus said, It was said to them of old, Whosoever shall kill shall be liable to the judgment; but I say unto you, Whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be liable to the judgment (Matthew 5:21, 22).
"To be angry with his brother without cause" here also signifies enmity and hatred against good and truth; those also that have such enmity and such hatred do kill continually in mind, intention and will, and would kill actually if it were permitted, that is, if they were not hindered by the laws and the consequent fear of punishment and loss of life or of reputation, honor, or gain; for what a man cherishes in his mind, that he does when it is permissible. "He who is angry with his brother without cause is liable to the judgment," the same as he who kills, because "to be angry" signifies to think, to intend, and to will evil to another, and all evil of the will is in the life of man's spirit and returns after death, and this is why he is then "liable to the judgment," for what belongs to the intention and will is judged like deeds. But it is unnecessary to cite more passages to show what "anger" and "wrath" signify in the case of those who are in evil, for it is self-evident that every evil conceals in itself anger against good, since it wills to extinguish the good, and even to kill him in whom good is, if not as to the body, still they do as to the soul, and this certainly comes from anger and is accompanied by anger.
693. [Vers. 18.] "Et gentes iratae sunt." - Quod significet contemptum, inimicitiam et odium malorum contra Dominum et contra Divina quae ab Ipso, quae sunt sancta caeli et ecclesiae, constat ex significatione "gentium", quod sint qui in bonis ecclesiae, et in opposito sensu qui in malis; hic qui in malis, quoniam dicitur quod "iratae sint"; (quod "gentes" significent illos qui in bonis et qui in malis, ac abstracte bona et mala ecclesiae, et quod "populi" significent illos qui in veris et qui in falsis, et abstracte vera et falsa ecclesiae, videatur supra, n. 175, 331, 625); et ex significatione "irasci", cum de malis qui significantur per "gentes", quod sit in contemptu, in inimicitia et in odio esse contra Dominum et contra Divina quae ab Ipso, quae sunt sancta caeli et ecclesiae;
[2] quod illa et similia plura per "irasci" significentur, est quia unusquisque excandescit et irascitur quando impugnatur ejus amor et ejus amoris jucundum; omnis excandescentia et ira inde est; causa est quia amor cujusvis est vita ejus; quare laedere amorem est laedere vitam, et cum haec laeditur fit animi commotio, et inde ira et excandescentia. Simile fit apud bonos quando amor illorum impugnatur, sed cum differentia quod non illis excandescentia et ira sit, sed zelus; hic, nempe zelus, quidem in Verbo vocatur "ira", sed usque non est ira; vocatur "ira" quia in externa forma apparet similis irae, ast interius non est nisi quam charitas, bonitas et clementia; quare zelus ut ira non perstat diutius quam dum ille, contra quem accensus est, resipiscit et se avertit a malo: aliter ira apud malos; illa quia interius in se recondit odium et vindictam, quae amant, ideo perstat illa, et raro exstinguitur. Inde est quod ira sit illis qui in amoribus sui et mundi sunt, nam illi quoque in malis omnis generis sunt; at zelus illis qui in amore in Dominum et in amore erga proximum sunt: quare zelus spectat salvationem hominis, at ira ejus damnationem; hanc etiam intendit malus qui iratus, et illam bonus qui zelotes.
[3] Quod "gentes iratae" hic significent malorum contemptum, inimicitiam et odium contra Dominum, et contra Divina quae ab Ipso, ita contra sancta caeli et ecclesiae, est quia in fine ecclesiae, paulo ante ultimum judicium, de quo hic agitur, mutatur status illorum qui in priori caelo et priori terra sunt, quod fit per separationem bonorum a malis; qua facta occluduntur apud malos externa, per quae et ex quibus simulate et hypocritice locuti sunt vera ac fecerunt bona, et aperiuntur interna, quae apud illos infernalia sunt; quibus apertis manifeste erumpunt contemptus, hostilitas et odium, cum contumeliis contra Dominum et contra sancta caeli et ecclesiae; haec enim apud illos latuerunt recondita, sed obvelata amoribus sui et mundi, qui tales sunt ut bonum faciant et vera loquantur propter se et mundum, quia sancta caeli et ecclesiae sunt illis media ad fines, qui sunt fama, gloria, honor, lucrum, verbo ipsi et mundus, ac media amantur propter fines: sed quia finis, qui est amoris hominis, ac inde intentionis et voluntatis ejus, est corporeus et mundanus, consequenter infernalis, ideo bona et vera quae sunt caeli et ecclesiae haerent modo in externis apud illos, ac nulla sunt in internis, quia ibi mala et falsa; nam bona et vera caeli penetrant in interna solum apud illos qui sancta caeli et ecclesiae faciunt fines, hoc est, faciunt ut sint amoris et inde intentionis et voluntatis; et quando sunt fines tunc aperitur mens spiritualis, et per hanc ducitur homo a Domino: sed contrarium est quando bona et vera caeli et ecclesiae non sunt fines sed media; nam, ut mox supra dictum est, fines sunt quae amoris regnantis hominis sunt; et cum ille est amor sui, etiam est amor proprii ejus, quod in se spectatum non est nisi quam malum; et homo quantum ex illo, tantum ex inferno agit, proinde etiam contra Divinum.
[4] Porro sciendum est quod in omni malo sit ira contra Dominum et contra sancta ecclesiae: quod ita sit, manifeste constare mihi potuit ex infernis, ubi omnes in malis sunt, et ex quibus omnia mala; quod ibi dum modo audiunt nominari Dominum accendantur vehementi ira, non solum contra Ipsum, sed etiam contra omnes qui Ipsum confitentur; inde est infernum e diametro contra caelum, ac in perpetuo conatu destruendi illud, et exstinguendi Divina ibi, quae sunt bona amoris et vera fidei: ex eo patet quod mala irascantur bonis, ac falsa mali veris. Inde nunc est quod per "iram" in Verbo significetur malum in omni complexu.
[5] Similiter in sequentibus locis:
- Apud Lucam,
Jesus dixit, "Vae ventre gestantibus et lactantibus in diebus illis, quia angustia magna super terra, et ira in populo" (21:23);
haec de consummatione saeculi, quae est ultimum tempus ecclesiae: quod tunc bonum et verum non possint recipi, significatur per "Vae ventre gestantibus et lactantibus"; quod rejiciatur bonum propter malum quod tunc dominatur in ecclesia, et quod etiam verum propter falsum, significatur per "quia angustia magna super terra, et ira in populo"; "angustia" hic est dominans malum, et "ira" est dominans falsum ex malo, nam in fine ecclesiae mali anguntur ex bono, et irascuntur ex vero.
[6] Apud Esaiam,
"Tantummodo in Jehovah...justitia et robur; ad Ipsum venient et pudefient omnes qui excanduerunt contra Illum" (45:24):
quod "pudefient omnes qui excanduerunt contra Jehovam" significat quod recedent a malis et falsis omnes qui in illis fuerunt; "excandescere contra Jehovam" significat in falsis ex malo esse.
[7] Apud Mosen,
Schimeon et Levi fratres; .... in ira sua occiderunt virum, et in beneplacito suo enervarunt bovem; maledicta ira eorum quia vehemens, et excandescentia eorum quia dura; dividam eos in Jacobo, et dispergam eos in Israele" (Genesis 49:5-7):
per "Reubenem", "Schimeonem" et "Levin" significantur fides, charitas et opera charitatis; sed ibi per "Reubenem" significatur fides separata a charitate, unde nec est charitas, neque aliquod opus charitatis; tria enim illa cohaerent; qualis enim est fides talis est charitas, et qualis est haec tale est opus charitatis; sunt enim inseparabilia, ac unum est alterius, ita unum est sicut alterum; et quia Reuben propter adulterium cum ancilla concubina patris sui maledictus est, ideo etiam Schimeon et Levi rejiciuntur; rejectio horum significatur per "Dividi in Jacobo et dispergi in Israele": nunc quia fides, quae repraesentata est per Reubenem, non acceptanda erat ut esset primum ecclesiae, sed bonum spirituale, quod est verum intellectu et voluntate, ideo Josephus pro primogenito ecclesiae loco Reubenis receptus est; per Josephum enim repraesentabatur bonum spirituale, quod in sua essentia est verum intellectu et voluntate: inde constare potest quid significatur per "iram Schimeonis et Levi quae vehemens", et per "excandescentiam eorum quae dura", nempe aversio a bono et vero, ita malum et falsum in omni complexu; nam cum recedit charitas a fide, tunc non amplius est aliquod bonum nec aliquod verum. (Sed haec fusius explicata in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 6351-6361, videantur.)
[8] Apud Matthaeum,
Jesus dixit, "Veteribus dictum est, .... Quisquis occiderit, obnoxius erit judicio; sed dico vobis, quisquis irascitur fratri suo temere, obnoxius erit judicio" (5:21, 22):
per "irasci fratri suo temere" etiam hic significatur inimicitia et odium contra bonum et verum; illi etiam, quibus talis inimicitia et tale odium est, continue animo, intentione et voluntate occidunt; nam modo liceret, hoc est, non obstarent leges et inde timores pro poenis et vita, aut jacturae famae, honoris aut lucri, actualiter occiderent; quippe quod homo animo gerit, hoc facit, dum licitum est: quod "ille qui temere irascitur fratri suo, obnoxius sit judicio", sicut ille qui occidit, est quia per "irasci" significatur cogitare, intendere et velle malum alteri, et omne malum voluntatis est in vita spiritus hominis, et redit post mortem; inde est quod tunc "obnoxius sit judicio"; et quod intentionis et voluntatis est, hoc judicatur sicut facti. Sed plura loca de significatione "irae" et "excandescentiae" apud illos qui in malo sunt, adducere non opus est, quia ex se liquet quod omne malum in se recondat iram contra bonum; nam vult id exstinguere, ac quoque vult illum, in quo bonum est, si non quoad corpus usque quoad animam occidere, quod omnino fit ex ira et cum ira.