323.“可以用刀剑、饥荒、死亡、地上野兽”表用教义的虚假、生活的邪恶、对自我的爱和欲望。“刀剑”表示与邪恶和虚假争战并摧毁它们的真理；在反面意义上表示与良善和真理争战并摧毁它们的虚假（参看52，108，117节）。此处因论述的是摧毁教会中的一切良善，故“刀剑”表示教义的虚假。“饥荒”（hunger）表示生活的邪恶，这一点会在下面予以证实。“死亡”之所以表示对人的自我之爱，是因为“死”表示属灵生命的灭绝，因而表示脱离属灵生命的属世生命，如前所述（321节），这样的生命就是对人的自我之爱的生命；人出于这种生命只会爱自己和世界，因而也爱各种邪恶，凡来自这生命之爱的，都令他感到快乐。“地上野兽”表示出于这爱的欲望（参看567节）。有必要在此说明一下“饥荒”的含义：（1）“饥荒”表示对真理与良善的认知的丧失和弃绝，这是由生活的邪恶造成的；（2）它还表示对真理与良善的认知的无知，这是由教会中这类认知的匮乏造成的；（3）它同样表示认识并理解它们的渴望。
（1）“饥荒”表示对真理与良善的认知的丧失和弃绝，这是由生活的邪恶造成的，因而也表示生活的邪恶。这一点从以下经文明显看出来：
他们必被刀剑和饥荒灭绝，他们的尸首必给空中的飞鸟和地上的野兽作食物。（耶利米书16:4）
荒凉、毁灭、饥荒、刀剑，这几样临到你。（以赛亚书51:19）
看哪，我必刑罚他们；少年人必被刀剑杀死，他们的儿女必因饥荒灭亡。（耶利米书11:22）
愿你将他的儿女交与饥荒，使他们倒在刀剑手下；又愿男人被死亡所灭。（耶利米书18:21）
我必使刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫临到他们，使他们像像极坏的无花果，坏得不可吃，我必用刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫追赶他们。（耶利米书29:17-18）
我必使刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫临到他们，直到他们从地上灭绝。（耶利米书24:10）
我向你们宣告自由，让你们遭受刀剑、瘟疫和饥荒，使你们作万族的动乱。（耶利米书34:17）
因你玷污了我的圣所，你的三分之一部分必遭瘟疫而死，他们必因饥荒消灭；我将毁灭、饥荒的恶箭射在他们身上的时候，三分之一部分必在倒在剑下。（以西结书 5:11-12，16-17）
在外有刀剑，在内有瘟疫、饥荒。（以西结书7:15）
行这一切可憎的恶事，他们必倒在刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫之下。（以西结书6:11，12）
我打发刀剑、饥荒、恶兽和瘟疫这四样可怕的刑罚临到耶路撒冷，将人与牲畜从其中剪除。（以西结书14:13，15，21；还有其它地方，如耶利米书14:12-13，15-16；42:13-14，16-18，22；44:12-13，17；马太福音24:7-8；马可福音13:8；路加福音21:11）
在这些经文中，“刀剑”、“饥荒”、“瘟疫”和 “恶兽”的含义与此处所提及的“刀剑”、“饥荒”、“死亡”和“地上野兽”的一样。因为圣言的每一个表述都含有灵义，“刀剑”在灵义上是指属灵生命因虚假而毁灭；“饥荒”是指属灵生命因邪恶而毁灭；“地上野兽”是指属灵生命因对虚假与邪恶的贪恋而毁灭；“瘟疫”和“死亡”是指完全消亡，因而是指诅咒。
（2）“饥荒”表示对真理与良善的认知的无知，这是由教会中这类认知的匮乏造成的。这一点也可从圣言各处明显看出来（如以赛亚书5:13；8:19-22；耶利米哀歌2:19；5:8-10；阿摩司书8:11-14；约伯记5:17，205:17，20；以及其它地方）。（3）“饥荒”或“饥饿”表示认识并理解教会的真理与良善的渴望。这一点从以下经文明显看出来：以赛亚书（8:21；32:6；49:10；58:6，7），撒母耳记上（2:4，5），诗篇（33:18，19，34:9，10，37:18，19，107:8，9，35-37，146:7），马太福音（5:6，25:35，37，44），路加福音（1:53），约翰福音（6:35），以及其它地方。
323. With sword, with famine, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. This symbolically means, by doctrinal falsities, by evil practices, by self-love, and by lusts.
To be shown that a sword symbolizes truths fighting against evils and falsities and destroying them, and in an opposite sense, falsity fighting against goods and truths and destroying them, see nos. 52, 108, 117 above. Accordingly, because the subject is the destruction of all good in the church, a sword here symbolizes doctrinal falsities.
That a famine symbolizes evil practices - this we will confirm below.
Death symbolizes a person's self-love because death symbolizes the extinction of spiritual life, and thus natural life divorced from any spiritual life, as shown in no. 321 above, and this life is the life of a person's self-love; for this life causes a person to love nothing but himself and the world, and so to love also evils of every kind, evils which, because of that life's love, are delightful to him.
That beasts of the earth symbolize lusts arising from the love will be seen in no. 567 below.
Here we will say something about the symbolic meaning of famine. A famine symbolizes the privation and rejection of concepts of truth and goodness, springing from evil practices. It symbolizes as well an ignorance of concepts of truth and goodness, owing to an absence of these in the church. And it symbolizes also a desire to know and understand them.
[2] I. That a famine symbolizes the privation and rejection of concepts of truth and goodness, springing from evil practices, and thus symbolizes evil practices, can be seen from the following passages:
They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, so that their corpses become food for the birds of heaven and for the beasts of the earth. (Jeremiah 16:4)
These two things shall befall you...: devastation and ruin, and famine and sword... (Isaiah 51:19)
Behold, I am visiting punishment upon them. The young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine. (Jeremiah 11:22)
...deliver up her children to famine, and cause them to flow down upon the hands of the sword..., that their men may be put to death... (Jeremiah 18:21)
...I will send on them the sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them like rough figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad. And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence. (Jeremiah 29:17-18)
I will send upon them the sword, famine, and pestilence, till they are consumed from the land... (Jeremiah 24:10)
...I proclaim liberty to you..., to the sword, to pestilence, and famine! And I will deliver you for turmoil to all nations. (Jeremiah 34:17)
...because you have defiled My sanctuary..., a third of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine...; and a third shall fall by the sword... When I send against them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for destruction... (Ezekiel 5:11-12, 16-17)
The sword is outside, and the pestilence and famine within. (Ezekiel 7:15)
...for all the evil abominations... they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. (Ezekiel 6:11-12)
...I will send My four evil judgments on Jerusalem - the sword, famine and wild beast, and pestilence - to cut off man and beast from it. (Ezekiel 14:13, 15, 21)
And so, too, elsewhere, as in Jeremiah 14:12-13, 15-16; 42:13-14, 16-18, 22; 44:12-13, 27, Mark 13:8, Luke 21:11. Sword, famine, pestilence and beasts in these places have similar symbolic meanings to those of the sword, famine, death, and beasts of the earth in the present verse. For the Word has a spiritual meaning in it in every single constituent, in which a sword means the destruction of spiritual life by falsities, in which famine means the destruction of spiritual life by evils, in which a beast of the earth means the destruction of spiritual life by the lusts accompanying falsity and evil, and in which pestilence and death means a complete destruction and thus damnation.
[3] II. That famine, or hunger, symbolizes an ignorance of concepts of truth and goodness, owing to an absence of these in the church, is clear as well from various passages in the Word, as in Isaiah 5:13; 8:19-22, Lamentations 2:19; 5:8-10, Amos 8:11-14, Job 5:17, 20, and elsewhere.
III. That famine or hunger symbolizes a desire to know and understand the church's truths and goods is apparent from the following: Isaiah 8:21; 32:6; 49:10; 58:6-7; Matthew 5:6; 25:35, 37, 44; Luke 1:53; John 6:35; and elsewhere.
323. 'With the sword (romphaea) and with famine and with death and by the beasts of the land' signifies by means of untruths of doctrine, evils of life, love of proprium, and lusts. That by a 'sword' is signified truth fighting against evils and untruths and destroying them may be seen above (52, 108, 117). Here therefore by 'sword' (machoera), because [the Word] treats of the destruction of every good of the Church, untruths of doctrine are signified. That by 'famine' evils of life are signified, will be confirmed below. By 'death' the love of a man's proprium is signified, because by 'death' is signified the extinction of spiritual life, and as a result a natural life separated from a spiritual life, as above (321) and this life is the life of the love of a man's proprium, for out of this life the man does not love anything else but himself and the world, and consequently he loves evils of every kind, which are delightful to him on account of the love of that life. That by 'the beasts of the land' the lusts derived from that love are signified will be seen below (567). Here something will be said about the signification of 'famine.' 'Famine' signifies a deprivation and rejection of cognitions of truth and good, originating from evils of life. Again it signifies ignorance of cognitions of truth and good originating from a deficiency thereof in the Church; and it also signifies a longing for knowing and understanding them.
[2] I. That 'famine' signifies a deprivation and rejection of cognitions of truth and good, originating from evils of life, and consequently signifies evils of life, can be established from the following passages:
They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, so that their carcase shall be food for the birds of the heavens and he beasts of the land. Jeremiah 16:4.
These two things shall come unto thee, devastation and breaking up, and famine and the sword. Isaiah 51:19.
Behold Me, visiting upon them, the young men shall die by the sword, sons and daughters shall die by famine. Jeremiah 11:22.
Give his sons to the famine, and mow them down upon the hand of the sword, so that men may become slain by death. Jeremiah 18:21.
I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I will make them like rough figs that cannot be eaten for badness, and I will pursue them with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence. Jeremiah 29:17-18.
I will send among them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, till they be consumed from off the land. Jeremiah 24:10.
I proclaim a liberty for you, to the sword, to the famine and the pestilence, and I will consign you for a disturbance to all the nations. Jeremiah 34:17.
Because thou hast defiled My sanctuary, a third part of thee shall die from the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed, and a third part shall fall by the sword: when I send among them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for destruction. Ezekiel 5:11-12, 16-17.
The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within. Ezekiel 7:15.
For all the evil abominations, they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. Ezekiel 6:11-12.
My four evil judgments, the sword, the famine, and the evil beast, and the pestilence, will I send upon Jerusalem, to cut off from it man and beast. Ezekiel 14:13, 15, 21; besides elsewhere, as Jeremiah 14:12-13, 15-16; 42:13-14, 16-18, 22; 44:12-13, 27; Matthew 24:7-8; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11. By 'sword,' 'famine,' 'pestilence,' and 'beast' in those passages similar things are signified as here by 'sword,' 'famine,' 'death,' and 'beasts of the land'; for in the Word there is a spiritual sense in the separate [expressions], in which 'sword' is the destruction of spiritual life by untruths, 'famine' is the destruction of spiritual life by evils, 'beast of the land' is the destruction of spiritual life by the cupidities of untruth and evil, and 'pestilence and death' is a complete consuming, and thus damnation.
[3] II. That 'famine' signifies ignorance of cognitions of truth and good originating from a deficiency thereof in the Church, is established also from various passages in the Word, as Isaiah 5:13; 8:19-22; Lamentations 2:19; 5:8-10; Amos 8:11-14; Job 5:17, 20, and elsewhere.
III. That 'famine' or 'hunger' signifies a longing for knowing and understanding the truths and goods of the Church is plain from these: Isaiah 8:21; 32:6; 49:10; 58:6-7; 1 Samuel 2:4-5; Psalms 33:18-19; 34:9-10 [H.B. 10-11]; Psalms 37:18-19; 107:8-9, 35-37; 146:7; Matthew 5:6; 25:35, 37, 44; Luke 1:53; John 6:35, and elsewhere.
323. With sword and with hunger, and with death, and by the beasts of the earth, signifies by falsities of doctrine, by evils of life, by the love of the proprium, and by lusts. That by "a sword" is signified truth combating against evils and falsities, and destroying them, and in the opposite sense, falsity combating against goods and truths, and destroying them, may be seen above, (52, 108, 117). Here, therefore, by "sword," because the destruction of all the goods in the church is treated of, are signified falsities of doctrine. That "hunger" signifies evils of life, will be confirmed below. The reason why "death" signifies the love of man's proprium, is, because "death" signifies the extinction of spiritual life, and thence natural life separated from spiritual life (as above, 321), and this life is the life of the love of man's proprium; for from it man loves nothing but himself and the world, and thence also he loves all kinds of evils, which, from the love of that life, are delightful to him. That "beasts of the earth" signify lusts from that love, will be seen below, (567). Here something shall be said concerning the signification of "hunger."(1) "Hunger" signifies deprivation and rejection of the knowledges of truth and good arising from evils of life. (2) It also signifies ignorance of the knowledges of truth and good arising from a deficiency thereof in the church. (3) And it signifies likewise a desire to know and understand them.
[2] (1) That "hunger" signifies the deprivation and rejection of the knowledges of truth and good, arising from evils of life, and thence evils of life, may appear from the following passages:
They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their carcass shall be food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth, (Jeremiah 16:4).
These two things shall come unto thee, devastation and breaking, and the famine and the sword, (Isaiah 51:19).
Behold, I will visit upon them; the young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine, (Jeremiah 11:22).
Give his sons to famine, and make them to flow down at the hand of the sword; that the men may be killed by death, (Jeremiah 18:21).
I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs that cannot be eaten, they are so evil, and I will pursue them with the sword, famine, and pestilence, (Jeremiah 29:17-18).
I will send among them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, till they be consumed from off the land, (Jeremiah 24:10).
I proclaim liberty for you, to the sword, to the famine, and to the pestilence, and I will give you for a commotion to all nations, (Jeremiah 34:17).
Because thou hast polluted My sanctuary, a third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed, and a third part shall fall by the sword, when I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for destruction, (Ezekiel 5:11, 12, 16, 17 [NCBSP: 5:11-12, 16-17]).
The sword without, and the pestilence and famine within, (Ezekiel 7:15).
For all the evil abominations they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, (Ezekiel 6:11-12).
I will send My four evil judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, the famine, and the evil beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast, (Ezekiel 14:13, 15, 21; besides other places, as Jeremiah 14:12-13, 15-16; 42:13-14, 16-18, 22; 44:12-13, 17; Matthew 24:7-8; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11).
The "sword," "famine," "pestilence," and "beast," in those passages, have a signification similar to that of "the sword," "hunger," "death," and "the beasts of the earth," here mentioned; for in the Word there is a spiritual sense in every single expression, in which sense "a sword" is the destruction of spiritual life by falsities; "hunger," the destruction of spiritual life by evils; "beasts of the earth," the destruction of spiritual life by cupidities of falsity and evil; and "pestilence" and "death" signify plenary consumption, and thus damnation.
[3] (2) That "hunger" signifies ignorance of the knowledges of truth and good arising from a deficiency of such knowledges in the church, is also evident from various passages in the Word (as from Isaiah 5:13; 8:19-22; Lamentations 2:19; 5:8-10; Amos 8:11-14; Job 5:17, 20 and other places).
(3) That "famine" or hunger signifies the desire of knowing and understanding the truths and goods of the church, is plain from the following: Isaiah 8:21; 32:6; 49:10; 58:6-7; 1 Samuel 2:4-5; Psalms 33:18-19; 34:9-10; 37:18-19; 107:8-9, 35-37; 146:7; Matthew 5:6; 25:35, 37, 44; Luke 1:53; John 6:35.
323. "In romphaea et in fame et in morte et a bestiis terrae," significat per falsa doctrinae, per mala vitae, per amorem proprii, et per concupiscentias. -Quod per "romphaeam" significetur verum pugnans contra mala et falsa et destruens illa, et in opposito sensu falsum pugnans contra bona et vera et destruens illa, videatur supra (52, 108, 117); hic itaque per "machaeram" (quia agitur de destructione omnis boni Ecclesiae) significantur falsa doctrinae; quod per "famem" significentur mala vitae, confirmabitur infra; quod per "mortem" significetur amor proprii hominis, est quia per "mortem" significatur exstinctio vitae spiritualis, et inde vita naturalis separata a vita spirituali (321), et haec vita est vita amoris proprii hominis, ex hac enim vita homo non amat aliud quam se et mundum, et inde quoque amat omnis generis mala, quae ex illius vitae amore ei jucunda sunt; quod per "bestias terrae" significentur concupiscentiae ex illo amore, videbitur infra (567). Hic aliquid dicetur de significatione "famis." "Fames" significat (1.) deprivationem et rejectionem cognitionum veri et boni, oriundam ex malis vitae; tum significat (2.) ignorantiam cognitionum veri et boni oriundam ex defectu earum in Ecclesia; et quoque significat (3.) desiderium ad sciendum ac intelligendum illas.
1. Quod "fames" significet deprivationem et rejectionem cognitionum veri et boni oriundam ex malis vitae, et inde mala vitae, constare potest ex sequentibus locis:
"Gladio et Fame consumentur, ut sit cadaver eorum in cibum avibus caelorum et Bestiae terrae," (Jeremias 16:4);
"Duo haec obvenient tibi, devastatio et confractio, et Fames et Gladius," (Esaias 51:19);
"Ecce Ego visitans super iis, juvenes morientur Gladio, filii et filiae morientur Fame," (Jeremias 11:22);
"Da filios ejus Fami, et defluere fac illos super manus Gladii, ut homines fiant occisi Morte," (Jeremias 18:21);
"Mittam in eos Gladium, Famem et Pestem, et dabo eos sicut ficus horridas quae non comedi possunt prae malitia, et persequar post eos, Gladio, Fame et Peste," (Jeremias 29:17-18);
"Mittam in eos Gladium, Famem et Pestem, donec consumuntur desuper terra," (Jeremias 24:10);
"Ego proclamo vobis libertatem ad Gladium, ad Famem et Pestem, et tradam vos in commotionem omnibus gentibus," (Jeremias 34:17);
"Quia Sanctuarium Meum polluisti, 1tertia pars tui Peste morientur et Fame consumentur, et tertia pars Gladio cadent: cum misero tela Famis mala in eos, quae erunt in perditionem," (Ezechiel 5:11-12, 16-17); 2
"Gladius foris, et Pestis atque Fames intus," (Ezechiel 7:15);
"Propter omnes abominationes malas, per Gladium, per Famem et per Pestem cadent," (Ezechiel 6:11-12);
"Quatuor judicia Mea mala, Gladium, Famem, et Bestiam malam, et Pestem mittam super Hierosolymam, ad exscindendum ex ea hominem et bestiam," (Ezechiel 14:13, 15, 21).
(Praeter alibi, ut Jeremias 14:12-13, 15-16; 42:13-14, 16-18, 22; 44:12-13, 27; Matthaeus 24:7-8; Marcus 13:8; Luca 20:11).
Per "gladium," "famem," "pestem," et "bestiam" in illis locis similia significantur, quae hic per "romphaeam," "famem," "mortem," et "bestias terrae;" in Verbo enim est spiritualis Sensus in singulis, in quo "gladius" est destructio vitae spiritualis per falsa, "fames" est destructio vitae spiritualis per mala, "bestia terrae" est destructio vitae spiritualis per cupiditates falsi et mali, ac "pestis" et "mors" est plenaria consumptio, et sic damnatio.
2. Quod "fames" significet ignorantiam cognitionum veri et boni oriundam ex defectu illarum in Ecclesia, constat etiam ex variis locis in Verbo (Ut Esaias 5:13; 8:19-22; Threni 2:19; 35:8-10; Amos 8:11-14; Hiob 5:17, 20; et alibi).
3. Quod "fames" seu esuritio significet desiderium sciendi et intelligendi vera et bona Ecclesiae, patet ex his, (Esaias 8:21; 432:6; 49:10; 558:6-7; 1 Samuelis 2:4-5; Psalm 33:18-19; Psalm 34:10-11 (B.A. 9-10); Psalm 37:18-19; Psalm 107:8-9, 35-37; Psalm 146:7; Matthaeus 5:6; 25:35, 37, 44; Luca 1:53; Johannes 6:35; et alibi).
Footnotes:
1. polluisti pro "polluistis"
2. v. pro "vi."
3. 19 pro "9"
4. 21 pro "10"
5. 10 pro "16"