157.“按名你是活的，其实是死的”表无论他们自己还是其他人，都觉得并相信他们的灵性是活的，其实他们的灵性是死的。“按名”表觉得并相信他们是如此，在此是指他们是活的，其实是死的。因为属灵的生命，也就是真正的生命，并非仅在于敬拜形式，还从内在于敬拜，它里面必有出于圣言的神性真理，并且当人照着这些真理生活时，生命便在这敬拜中。这是因为外在从内在得其品质，而敬拜的内在事物便是生活的真理。主所说的这些话指的就是这些人：
那时你们开始站在外面叩门，说，主啊，给我们开门；祂就回答说，我不晓得你们是哪里来的。你们开始说，我们在你面前吃过、在你面前喝过，你也在我们的街上教训过人。可我要对你们说，我不晓得你们是哪里来的；你们这一切作恶的人，离开我去吧！（路加福音13:25-27）
在灵界，我被恩准听很多人说，他们常领圣餐，吃喝圣物，其罪常得赦免；每到安息日，他们就聆听布道，在家里虔诚地早祷晚祷，诸如此类的。然而，当其敬拜的内在敞开时，却充满罪孽和地狱之物，因此他们被弃绝了。他们质问缘由，得到的回答是，他们根本不关心神性真理。然而，不遵循神性真理的生活不是天上的人所享有的那种生活；他们若不处于天堂的生活，就无法承受天堂之光，就是那里显为太阳的主所发出的神性真理；他们更不能承受天堂之热，就是神性之爱。但尽管他们听到并明白这些话，可当他们被带回自己那里，以及自己敬拜中时，他们便说：“要真理有什么用，什么是真理？”由于他们不再能接受真理，只剩下在其敬拜里面的自己的欲望，这些人最终将其对神的一切敬拜都弃绝了。因为内在会将外在容纳到自己里面，并弃绝与自己不一致的事物。死后，所有人的外在都要类似于内在。
157. "'That you have a name that you are alive, when you are dead.'" This symbolically means that they seem to themselves and others to be spiritually alive, and are believed by themselves and others to be so, when in fact they are spiritually lifeless.
To have a name means, symbolically, to see and believe that people are of this or that character - here that they are alive, even though they are lifeless. For spiritual life, which properly speaking is what life is, is not a matter simply of worship, but of what is present in the worship, and present in it must be Divine truths from the Word. Then when a person lives those truths, there is life in his worship. That is because the outward expression takes its quality from what lies within, and the inner constituents of worship are truths having to do with life.
The kind of people described here are meant by these words of the Lord,
(Then) you will begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, "Lord, Lord, open for us," and He will answer and say to you, "I do not know you, where you are from." (And) you will begin to say, "We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets." But..."I will tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity." (Luke 13:25-27)
[2] I have been given to hear many people in the spiritual world saying that they partook often of the Holy Supper and so ate and drank that which is holy, and every time were absolved of their sins; that every Sabbath day they listened to the teachers; and that at home they prayed devoutly morning and evening, and more. But when the inner components of their worship were revealed, these appeared full of iniquities and infernal, so that they were rejected. Then, when they asked the reason for this, they received the reply that they did not care at all about Divine truths, and yet a life not in accordance with Divine truths is not the kind of life people in heaven lead. Moreover, people not engaged in the life of heaven cannot endure the light of heaven, which is Divine truth emanating from the Lord as the sun there. Still less can they endure the warmth of heaven, which is Divine love.
But even though they were told these things, and also understood them, nevertheless when left to themselves, to return to their brand of worship, they said, "What need do we have of truths? And what are truths?"
However, because they could no longer accept truths, they were left to their appetites which lay within their worship, and these at last rejected every part of their worship of God. For inner qualities adapt outward expressions to suit themselves, and reject whatever does not accord with them. After death, indeed, people's outward qualities are in every case forced to become like their inner ones.
157. 'That thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead' signifies that by themselves and by others it seems and is believed that they are spiritually alive, when yet they are spiritually dead. By 'to have a name' is signified to seem and to be believed that they are such; here, that they are alive, when yet they are dead. For spiritual life, which is properly life, is not of worship only, but it is within worship, and within it there must be Divine truths out of the Word, and when a man lives these truths, life is in the worship. This is because the external derives its quality from internal things, and the internal things of worship are truths of life. These are they who are understood by means of these words of the Lord:
Then shall you begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord open to us, but answering He shall say, I know you not whence you are. And you shall begin to say, We have eaten in Thy presence, and have drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets; but I will say to you, I know you not whence you are; depart from Me all you workers of iniquity. Luke 13:25-27.
[2] It has been granted [me] also to hear many saying in the spiritual world that they have frequently attended Holy Communion, and thus eaten and drunk what is holy, and as often been absolved from [their] sins; that every Sabbath day they have listened to their teachers, and have said their prayers devoutly at home morning and evening; and more besides. But when the interiors of their worship have been laid open, these have appeared full of iniquities and as infernal things, and they have therefore been rejected. And when they have said, 'What is the reason for this?' they have obtained the answer that they have not cared at all about Divine truths. And yet a life not in accordance with Divine truths is not a life such as they who are in heaven have, and they who are not in the life of heaven are unable to endure the light of heaven, which is Divine Truth proceeding there from the Lord as the Sun. Still less are they able to endure the heat of heaven, which is Divine Love. But although they have heard and also understood those things, they have nevertheless said, when let back into themselves and their own worship, 'What need is there for truths, and what are truths?' Because, however, they have not been able to receive truths, they have been left to their own lusts which have been within their worship, and these at length have rejected all their worship of God from them. So the interiors accommodate the exteriors to themselves, and reject the things that do not agree with themselves; for with all after death the exteriors are rendered analogous to the interiors.
157. That thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead, signifies that it may be seen and believed by themselves and by others, that they are spiritually alive, when yet they are spiritually dead. By "having a name," is signified to seem and to be believed to be such; here that they are alive, when yet they are dead; for spiritual life, which is properly life, does not consist in worship alone, but is inwardly in worship, and inwardly there ought to be Divine truths from the Word, and when man lives according to them, there is life in the worship; the reason is, because the external derives its quality from internals, and the internals of worship are truths of life. These are they who are meant by these words of the Lord:
Then shall ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open unto us; but he shall answer and say, I know you not whence you are. And ye shall begin to say, We have eaten before Thee and drank before Thee and Thou hast taught in our streets; but I will say to you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity, (Luke 13:25-27).
[2] I have also been permitted to hear many in the spiritual world say, that they have often gone to the holy communion, and thus have eaten and drunk what is holy, and have as often been absolved from their sins; that every Sabbath day they have hearkened to their teachers; and have devoutly prayed at home morning and evening, besides other things. But when the interiors of their worship were laid open, they appeared full of iniquities and infernal things, therefore they were rejected. And when they asked the reason of it, they had for answer, that they were not at all solicitous about Divine truths. And yet a life not according to Divine truths, is not life such as they have who are in heaven; and they who are not in the life of heaven, cannot bear the light of heaven, which is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord as the sun there; still less can they bear the heat of heaven, which is the Divine love. But although they heard and also understood these things, yet when they were let into themselves and their own worship, they said, "What need is there of truths, and what are truths?" But as they were no longer able to receive truths, they were left to their concupiscences, which were within their worship, and these at length rejected from them all their worship of God. For the interiors accommodate the exteriors to themselves, and reject the things which do not agree with themselves; for with all after death the exteriors are rendered analogous to the interiors.
157. "Quod nomen habeas quod vivas, et mortuus es," significat quod videatur et credatur ab ipsis et ab aliis, quod spiritualiter vivi sint, cum tamen spiritualiter mortui sunt. Per "nomen habere" significatur videri et credi quod tales sint, hic quod vivi, cum tamen sunt mortui; vita enim spiritualis, quae proprie est vita, non est solius cultus, sed est intus in cultu, et intus erunt Divina vera ex Verbo, et cum homo vivit illa, est vita in cultu; causa est, quia externum trahit suum quale ab internis, ac interna cultus sunt vera vitae: hi sunt, qui intelliguntur per haec Domini verba:
"Tunc inciepietis foris stare, et pulsare januam, dicentes, Domine aperi nobis: sed respondens dicet, Non novi vos unde estis: et incipietis dicere, Edimus coram Te, et bibimus coram Te, et in plateis nostris docuisti; sed dicam vobis, Non novi vos unde estis, discedite a Me omnes operarii iniquitatis," (Luca 13:25-27).
Datum etiam est audire multos in spirituali mundo dicentes, quod saepius Sacram Communionem obiverint, et sic ederint et biberint sanctum, et toties absoluti sint a peccatis; quod quovis die Sabbathi auscultaverint docentes: ac domi mane et vesperi devote oraverint; et plura: sed cum reclusa sunt interiora cultus illorum, apparuerunt illa iniquitatibus plena et infernalia, quare rejecti sunt. Et cum dixerunt Unde hoc, responsum tulerunt, quod prorsus non solliciti fuerint de Divinis veris; et tamen vita non secundum Divina vera, non est vita, qualis est illis qui in Caelo sunt; et qui non in vita Caeli sunt, non possunt sustinere lucem Caeli, quae est Divinum Verum procedens a Domino ut Sole ibi, minus calorem Caeli, qui est Divinus Amor: at tametsi illa audiverunt, et quoque intellexerunt, usque tamen cum in se et suum cultum remissi sunt, dixerunt, Quid opus est veris, et quid vera. Sed quia amplius vera non potuerunt recipere, relicti sunt suis concupiscentiis, quae intus in cultu eorum fuerunt, et illae tandem a se rejecerunt omnem cultum Dei illorum; nam interiora accomodant sibi exteriora, ac rejiciunt quae secum non concordant: apud omnes enim post mortem rediguntur exteriora ut sint interioribus analoga.