114.“就是你有执守巴兰教义的人在你那里，这巴兰曾教导巴勒将绊脚石放在以色列人面前，叫他们吃祭偶像之物，行邪淫”表他们当中有些人行虚伪的事，对神的敬拜在教会中由此被亵渎和玷污。这些事表示敬拜因那些只重行为的人而被亵渎和玷污。这一点从圣言所记载有关巴兰和摩押王巴勒的历史明显可知。因为巴兰是个伪君子，先知；他通过耶和华为以色列人祝福，其实他存心想要毁灭他们，而且通过给巴勒的建议的确达到目的。由此可见，他的行为是伪善。我们读到，他是先知（民数记22:7；24:1；约书亚记13:22）。他为以色列人祝福，赞成他们（民数记23:7-15，18-24；24:5-9，16-19）。不过，这些事他是通过耶和华说的（民数记23:5，12，16；24:13）。他存心想要毁灭他们，而且通过给巴勒的建议的确达到目的（民数记31:16）。他所给出的建议可见于民数记（25:1，9，18）。这个建议正是他给以色列人所设的绊脚石，对此，经上如此记着说：
在什亭，百姓开始与摩押女子行起淫乱，她们叫百姓来给她们的神献祭；百姓就吃她们的祭物，跪拜她们的神，甚至与巴力毗珥连合；因此，遭瘟疫死的以色列人有二万四千人。（民数记25:1-3，9，18）
以色列人表示教会；吃他们自己的祭物表圣物的归给；因此吃祭别神的祭物，或祭偶像之物表示对圣物的玷污和亵渎；“行淫乱”表示玷污并败坏敬拜；摩押、因而摩押王和摩押女子也表示亵渎并玷污敬拜的人。这一点可见于伦敦出版的《天堂的奥秘》（2468节）一书。由此明显可知，这就是这段经文的含义。
114. "'Because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.'" This symbolically means that they have among them people who perform hypocritical works, by which the worship of God in the church is defiled and adulterated.
That this means people who perform works which defile and adulterate worship is apparent from the stories in the Word about Balaam and Balak, king of Moab. For Balaam was a hypocrite and sorcerer. He spoke favorably, indeed, from Jehovah regarding the children of Israel, and yet at heart he harbored a wish to destroy them, and also did destroy them by the counsel he gave Balak. It is apparent from this that his works were hypocritical.
We are told that he was a sorcerer (Joshua 13:22, Numbers 22:7; 24:1). That he spoke favorably on behalf of the children of Israel by blessing them (Numbers 23:7-10, 18-24; 24:3-9, 15-19. That at heart he harbored a wish to destroy them, and also did destroy them by the counsel he gave Balak (Numbers 31:16). The counsel that he gave is found in Numbers 25:1-3. The latter was the stumbling block that he put before the children of Israel, which is described in this way:
...in Shittim... the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab, and they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods. Israel (especially) was joined to Baal of Peor... (Therefore there were killed of Israel) twenty-four thousand. (Numbers 25:1-3, 9)
The children of Israel symbolize the church. Eating of their own sacrifices symbolizes an assimilation of what is holy. Consequently eating of the sacrifices of other gods or of things sacrificed to idols symbolizes a defiling and profanation of what is holy. To commit sexual immorality means, symbolically, to adulterate and corrupt worship. Moab and thus its king and its women also symbolize people who defile and adulterate worship, as may be seen in Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), published in London, no. 2468.
It is apparent from this now that the spiritual meaning of these words is as stated.
114. 'That thou hast there those holding the doctrine [of] Balaam, who used to teach Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat idol-sacrifices and to commit whoredom' signifies that there are among them those who do hypocritical works, by means of which the worship of God in the Church is defiled and adulterated. That by these are understood those who do works by means of which worship is defiled and adulterated is plain from the historical things of the Word concerning Balaam and Balak king of Moab. For Balaam was a hypocrite and a diviner, for he spoke well of the sons of Israel from Jehovah, and yet at heart was in favour of destroying them, and he also did destroy them by the counsel given to Balak. It is plain from this that his works were hypocritical. That he was a diviner is referred to (Numbers 22:7; 24:1; Joshua 13:22); that he spoke in favour of the sons of Israel by blessing them (Numbers 23:7-15, 18-24; 24:5-9, 16-19); but that this was spoken from Jehovah (Numbers 23:5, 12, 16; 24:13); that at heart he was in favour of destroying them, and that he also did destroy them by the counsel given to Balak (Numbers 31:16); the counsel that he had given (Numbers 25:1, 9, 18). This was the stumbling-block which he cast before the sons of Israel, of which it is thus written:
In Shittim the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab, and they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods; the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods, especially did [Israel] join himself unto Baalpeor: therefore there were slain of Israel twenty-four thousand. Numbers 25:1-3, 9, 18.
By the sons of Israel the Church is signified; by eating of their own sacrifices is signified the appropriation of what is holy; and therefore by eating of the sacrifices of other gods or idol-sacrifices is signified the defilement and profanation of what is holy; by committing whoredom is signified adulterating and perverting worship. That by Moab and consequently by its king and daughters are also signified those who defile and adulterate worship, may be seen in ARCANA CAELESTIA published at London (Arcana Coelestia 2468). As a result of these considerations it is now plain that such is the spiritual sense of the words quoted.
114. Because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat idol-sacrifices, and to commit whoredom, signifies that there are some among them who do hypocritical works, by which the worship of God in the church is defiled and adulterated. That by these things are meant they who do works by which worship is defiled and adulterated, is evident from the historical parts of the Word concerning Balaam and Balak king of Moab. For Balaam was a hypocrite, and a diviner; for he spoke well of the sons of Israel from Jehovah, when yet he cherished in his heart a desire to destroy them, and also he did destroy them by the counsel he gave Balak; from which it was evident that his works were hypocritical. That he was a diviner we read in Numbers 22:7; 24:1; Joshua 13:22. That he spoke in favor of the children of Israel, by blessing them (see Numbers 23:7-15, 18-24; 24:5-9, 16-19). But that he spoke these things from Jehovah (see Numbers 23:5, 12, 16; 24:13). That he cherished in his heart a desire to destroy them, and also did destroy them by the counsel given to Balak (see Numbers 31:16). The counsel which he gave is in Numbers 25:1, 9, 18. This was the stumbling block which he cast before the sons of Israel, concerning which it is thus written:
In Shittim the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab, and they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; the people did eat and bowed themselves down to their gods, especially they adjoined themselves unto Baalpeor: therefore there were slain of Israel twenty-four thousand, (Numbers 25:1-3, 9, 18).
By "the sons of Israel" is signified the church; by eating of their sacrifices, is signified the appropriation of what is holy; therefore by eating of the sacrifices of other gods, or idol-sacrifices, is signified the defilement and profanation of what is holy; by "committing whoredom," is signified to adulterate and pervert worship; that by "Moab," and therefore by its king, and its daughters, are also signified they who defile and adulterate worship, may be seen in The Arcana Coelestia, published at London, (2468). From hence it is evident, that this is the spiritual sense of these words.
114. "Quod habeas ibi tenentes doctrinam Balaam, qui docebat Balacum objicere scandalum coram filiis Israelis edere idolothyta et scortari," significat quod inter illos sint qui faciunt opera hypocritica, per quae cultus Dei in Ecclesia conspurcatur et adulteratur. - Quod per haec intelligantur illi qui faciunt opera per quae conspurcatur et adulteratur cultus, patet ex Historicis Verbi de Bileamo et Balaco Rege Moabi; Bileamus enim fuit hypocrita et praestigiator, nam locutus est ex Jehovah bene de filiis Israelis, et tamen corde fovit perdere illos, et quoque per consilium datum Balaco perdidit; ex quo patet quod opera illius fuerint hypocritica:
Quod fuerit praestigiator, legitur, (Numeri 22:7; 24:22); Josua 13:22);
Quod locutus pro filiis Israelis, benedicendo illis, (Numeri 23:7-15, 18-24; 24:5-9, 16-19);
Sed quod hoc locutus sit ex Jehovah, (Numeri 23:5, 12, 16; 24:13);
Quod corde foverit perdere illos, et quoque perdiderit per consilium datum Balaco, (Numeri 31:16);
Consilium quod dederat, (Numeri 25:1, 9, 18);
hoc fuit scandalum quod objecit filiis Israelis, de quo ita:
"In Schittim coepit populus scortari cum filiabus Moabi, et vocarunt populum ad sacrificia deorum suorum; comedit populus, et incurvavit se diis earum, 1imprimis se adjunxit Baalpeori: ideo occisi sunt ab Israele viginti quatuor millia," (Numeri 25:1-3, 9, 18); 2
per "filios Israelis" significatur Ecclesia; per edere ex sacrificiis suis, significatur appropriatio sancti; quare per edere ex sacrificiis deorum aliorum seu idolothyta significatur conspurcatio et prophanatio sancti; per "scortari" significatur adulterare et pervertere cultum; quod per "Moabum," et inde per Regem ejus, et per Filias ejus, etiam significentur qui conspurcant et adulterant cultum, videatur in Arcanis Coelestibus Londini editis (2468). Ex his nunc patet, quod Sensus spiritualis istorum verborum ille sit.
Footnotes:
1. earum pro "eorum"
2. 1-3 pro "1"