----中文待译----
897. (Verse 13) And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me. That this signifies consolation from the Lord after temptations, is evident from the signification of a voice saying, as denoting the things that follow, which are consolations after temptations; these will be explained below; and from the signification of saying from heaven, as denoting from the Lord. For what is declared from heaven is Divine truth; and this is indeed spoken from heaven by angels, but still it is by the Lord through the angels. For angels, like men, cannot think any truth from themselves, nor do good from themselves, but from the Lord; therefore by angels, in the Word, are signified Divine truths from the Lord; and by heaven is signified the Lord.
Those who believe that the angels were immediately created, and in such a state of integrity as to be able to do good from themselves, are greatly deceived; for all the angels in the whole of heaven have been men, and therefore they each possess a proprium just as men do in this world, which is nothing else but evil. But because, while they lived in the world as men, they were regenerated by the Lord, therefore they are able to be withheld from evils and the falsities therefrom, and kept in goods, and when they are withheld from evils, and kept in goods by the Lord, it then seems as though they were in goods from themselves; but still they know and perceive that this is the case with them from the Lord, and not from themselves. It is evident, therefore, that the whole angelic heaven, as to intelligence and wisdom, and as to the affections of good and truth, is the Lord. This, now, is, why a voice saying from heaven, signifies such things as are from the Lord - in the present case, consolations after temptations; and this because the subject treated of in the preceding verse is the patience of those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus; and by patience temptations are there signified.
[2] Something shall now be said concerning consolations after temptations. All those who are being regenerated by the Lord undergo temptations; after temptations they experience joys. But whence the temptations are, and the subsequent joys, here meant by consolations, is not yet known in the world, because there are few who experience spiritual temptations, there are few who are in the knowledges of good and truth, and still fewer who are in the marriage of good and truth, that is, in truths of doctrine, and at the same time in goods of life; and none but these are allowed to enter into spiritual temptations, for if others were, they would fall; and if so, their latter state would be worse than their former.
The real reason why none can be allowed to come into spiritual temptations but those who are in the marriage of good and truth is, that the spiritual mind, which is strictly the inner man, cannot be opened in any others; for when that mind is opened, then temptations take place. The reason is, that heaven, that is, the Lord through heaven, flows into man's natural mind through his spiritual mind. There is no other way for heaven, that is, for the Lord through heaven, to reach man. And when heaven flows in it removes the hindrances, which are evils and the falsities therefrom residing in the natural mind, or in the natural man; these cannot be removed except by a living acknowledgment of them by man, and grief of soul on account of them. This is why, in temptations, a man feels anguish from the evils and falsities rising up into the thought; and so far as the man then acknowledges his sins, looks upon himself as guilty, and prays earnestly for deliverance, so far temptations are conducive to this. From this it is clear that a man comes into spiritual temptation, when his internal, called the spiritual mind, is opened, that is, when he is being regenerated.
When, therefore, a man's evils and falsities are removed, then temptations are brought to an end; and then joy flows in through heaven from the Lord, and fills his natural mind. This joy is here meant by consolations. All those who undergo spiritual temptations receive these consolations. I speak from experience. The reason why a man receives joys after temptations is, that afterwards he is admitted into heaven; for by temptations a man is conjoined to heaven, and admitted into it. This is why he experiences joy similar to that which the angels have there.
897. Verse 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, signifies consolation by the Lord after temptations. This is evident from the signification of "a voice saying" as being what follows, which are consolations after temptations (See below); also from the signification of "saying from heaven," as being from the Lord; for what is declared from heaven is Divine truth; and while this is spoken by angels from heaven, yet it is spoken by the Lord through angels. For angels, like men, cannot think any truth from themselves nor do good from themselves, but only from the Lord; and this is why "angels" signify in the Word Divine truths from the Lord, and "heaven" signifies the Lord. Those are greatly mistaken who believe that angels were created immediately, and in such a state of integrity that they could do good from themselves; for all angels throughout the entire heaven have been men, and therefore they have what is their own [proprium], the same as men have, and this is wholly evil. But while they lived in the world as men they were regenerated by the Lord, and thus could be withheld from evils and their falsities and be held in goods; and when they are withheld from evils and held in goods by the Lord it seems as if they are in goods from themselves, and yet they know and perceive that this they have from the Lord and not from themselves. From all this it can be seen why the whole angelic heaven, as to intelligence and wisdom and as to the affections of good and truth, is the Lord. And this is why "a voice saying from heaven" signifies such things as are from the Lord, and here consolations after temptations, and this because the preceding verse treats of the patience of those "who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus," and "patience" here signifies temptations.
[2] Something shall now be said about consolations after temptations. All who are being regenerated by the Lord undergo temptations, and after temptations experience joys. But the source of the temptations and of the joys that follow, which are here meant by consolations, is not yet known in the world, because there are few who experience spiritual temptations, for the reason that there are few who are in the knowledges of good and truth, and fewer yet who are in the marriage of good and truth, that is, in truths as to doctrine and at the same time in goods as to life; and no others are let into spiritual temptations; for if others were let into temptations they would yield, and if they yielded their latter state would be worse than their former state. The true reason why only those who are in the marriage of good and truth can be let into spiritual temptations is that the spiritual mind, which is, properly, the internal man, can be opened only with these; for when that mind is opened temptations exist, and for the reason that heaven, that is the Lord through heaven, flows in through man's spiritual mind into his natural mind; there is no other way of heaven, that is of the Lord through heaven, into man; and when heaven flows in it removes the hindrances, which are evils and falsities therefrom, which have their seat in the natural mind, that is, in the natural man; and these can be removed only by a living acknowledgment of them by man, and grief of soul on account of them. This is why man is distressed in temptations by the evils and falsities that rise up into the thought; and so far as he then acknowledges his sins, regards himself as guilty, and prays for deliverance, so far the temptations are useful to him. From this it is clear that man has spiritual temptation, when his internal, which is called the spiritual mind, is opened, thus when man is being regenerated. When, therefore, man's evils and falsities are removed temptations are brought to an end; and when they are ended joy flows in through heaven from the Lord and fills his natural mind. This joy is what is here meant by consolations. These consolations all those receive who undergo spiritual temptations. I speak from experience. After temptations man receives joys because after them man is admitted into heaven; for through temptations man is conjoined to heaven and is admitted into it, and consequently has joy like that of the angels there.
897. [Vers. 13.] "Et audivi vocem e caelo dicentem mihi." Quod significet consolationem a Domino post tentationes, constat ex significatione "vocis dicentis", quod sint illa quae sequuntur, quae sunt consolationes post tentationes (de qua infra): et ex significatione "e caelo dicere", quod sit a Domino; quod enim e caelo dicitur, est Divinum Verum, et hoc quidem ab angelis e caelo dicitur, et usque a Domino per angelos; nam angeli, sicut homines, non possunt aliquod verum a se cogitare, nec bonum a se facere, sed a Domino; quapropter per "angelos" in Verbo significantur Divina vera a Domino, ac per "caelum" significatur Dominus. Qui credunt quod angeli immediate creati sint, et in statu integritatis tali ut possint bonum facere a se, maxime falluntur; omnes enim angeli, qui in universo caelo sunt, fuerunt homines, et inde illis propria, qualia sunt hominibus, quae non sunt nisi quam mala; sed quia, dum homines in mundo vixerunt, a Domino regenerati sunt, et inde possunt detineri a malis et inde falsis ac teneri in bonis, et cum detinentur a malis et tenentur in bonis a Domino, tunc videtur sicut in bonis sint a se, sed usque sciunt et percipiunt quod hoc sit illis a Domino, et non a se; inde patet quod universum caelum angelicum, quoad intelligentiam et sapientiam, et quoad affectiones boni et veri, sit Dominus; inde nunc est quod per "vocem dicentem e caelo" significentur talia quae a Domino, hic consolationes post tentationes; et hoc quia in praecedente versu actum est de patientia illorum qui custodiunt mandata Dei et fidem Jesu, et per "patientiam" ibi significantur tentationes.
[2] De consolationibus post tentationes, nunc aliquid dicetur: omnes qui a Domino regenerantur tentationes subeunt, et post tentationes gaudia habent; sed unde tentationes sunt, et post illas gaudia, quae hic intelliguntur per consolationes, in orbe adhuc nescitur, ex causa quia pauci sunt quibus sunt tentationes spirituales, quia pauci sunt in cognitionibus boni et veri, et adhuc pauciores qui in conjugio boni et veri, hoc est, in veris quoad doctrinam et simul in bonis quoad vitam, et non alii in tentationes spirituales immittuntur quam illi; quia si alii, illi in tentationibus succumberent; et si succumberent, foret status eorum posterior pejor statu eorum priori. Quod non alii in tentationes spirituales possint immitti quam qui in conjugio boni et veri sunt, est genuina causa, quia mens spiritualis, quae proprie est internus homo, non apud alios aperiri potest, nam cum illa mens aperitur, tunc tentationes existunt: causa est, quod caelum, hoc est, Dominus per caelum, per mentem spiritualem hominis influat in mentem naturalem ejus; non alia est via caeli, hoc est, Domini per caelum in hominem; et cum caelum influit, tunc removet obstantia, quae sunt mala et inde falsa, quae in naturali mente seu in naturali homine resident; et illa non removeri possunt quam per vivam agnitionem illorum ab homine, et dolorem animae propter illa: inde est quod in tentationibus sint homini angores ex malis et falsis in cogitationem exsurgentibus; et quantum tunc homo agnoscit sua peccata, se reum facit et supplicat de liberatione, tantum tentationes ei conducunt. Ex his patet quod homini tentatio spiritualis sit, dum internum ejus, quod vocatur mens spiritualis, aperitur, ita dum homo regeneratur. Quando itaque mala et falsa hominis remota sunt, tunc tentationes peractae sunt, et illis peractis influit gaudium per caelum a Domino, et illius mentem naturalem implet; hoc gaudium est quod intelligitur hic per "consolationes": has consolationes accipiunt omnes qui tentationes spirituales subeunt; ab experientia loquor. Quod homo post tentationes gaudia accipiat, est quia homo post illas admissus est in caelum; nam homo per tentationes conjungitur caelo, et immittitur in illud; inde ei gaudium simile quod est angelis ibi.