38.“说,我是阿拉法,是俄梅戛,是首先的,是末后的”表那自有并且自初至终独一者,万物皆来自祂,因而表那为爱本身和独一的爱,智慧本身和独一智慧,生命本身和祂自己里面的独一生命,因而为创造者本身和独一创造者,救主和来自祂自己的启示者,因此为天堂和教会全部中的全部者。唯独祂是无限和永恒,是耶和华;祂就是主。所有这些事物,以及更多无限事物都包含在这些话里(参看13,29节)。前面说过,在灵界,字母表中的所有音节或字母都表示事物;他们的言语和写作由此存在,因此主以“阿拉法和俄梅戛”来描述祂的神性和无限,以此表示祂是天堂和教会全部中的全部。由于在灵界、因而天使的语言中,每一个字母都表示一个事物,故大卫根据字母表上的字母,按照从希伯来文第一个字母(Aleph)到最后一个字母(Thau)的次序写了诗篇第119篇,这从那里的几节经文的起始字母明显看出来;诗篇第111篇也一样,只是不那么明显。因同样的缘故,亚伯兰被赐名亚伯拉罕,撒莱被赐名撒拉;这样做是为了在天堂,亚伯拉罕和撒拉不要被理解为人物,而被理解为神性。因为字母“H”只是一个送气音,含有无限之义。关于这个主题,可参看前文(29节)。
38. Saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last." (1:11) This symbolically means, who is the one and only reality from firsts to lasts, from whom springs all else, thus who is the one and only love, the one and only wisdom, and the one and only life in itself, and so the one and only Creator, Savior and Enlightener from Himself, and therefore the all in all of the church and heaven, who alone is infinite and eternal, and Jehovah, and who is the Lord.
That these words contain all these ideas, and infinitely more, may be seen in nos. 13 and 29 above. We said there that in the spiritual world the characters or letters of the alphabet all have symbolic meanings, and that the Lord therefore describes His Divinity and infinity by alpha and omega, which symbolically mean that He is the all in all things of heaven and the church.
Since every letter has a symbolic meaning in the spiritual world and so in the language of angels, therefore David composed the 119th Psalm in a progression ordered according to the letters of the alphabet, beginning with aleph and ending with tau, as can be seen from the beginnings of the verses there. Something similar is seen in the 111th Psalm, but not so obviously.
On this account, too, Abram was called Abraham, and Sarai was called Sarah, which came to pass because in heaven Abraham and Sarah were not taken to mean those people, but something Divine, as is also the meaning, for H involves infinity, because it is simply an aspirate sound.
More on this subject may be seen in no. 29 above.
38. [verse 11] 'Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last' signifies Who is the Very and Only One from Primes to Ultimates, from Whom all things are; thus Who is the Very and One Only Love, the Very and One Only Wisdom, and the Very and One Only Life in Itself, and thus the Very and One Only Creator, Saviour, and Enlightener from Himself, and thence the All in all of heaven and the Church: Who only is the Infinite and the Eternal, and Jehovah; and that He is the Lord. That all these things are contained in these words, and infinitely more, may be seen above (13, 29). It was said there that all the characters or letters in the alphabet in the spiritual world signify things; and that their speech and writing there exist from this, and that therefore the Lord describes His Divinity and Infinity by 'Alpha and Omega,' by which is signified that He is the All in all of heaven and the Church. Since any one letter in the spiritual world and in the angelic language thence, signifies a thing, therefore David composed Psalm 119 in an order following the letters of the alphabet, starting from Aleph and finishing with Tau, as can be established from the initial [letters] of the verses there. A similar thing appears in Psalm 111, but not so obviously. On that account also Abram was called Abraham, and Sarai was called Sarah, which was done so that in heaven by 'Abraham' and 'Sarah' those [persons] should not be understood, but the Divine; as is also the case, for 'H' involves infinity, because it is only an aspirate. More about these matters may be seen above (29).
38. Verse 11. Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, signifies Who is the self-existing, and the Only from firsts to ultimates, from whom are all things; thus Who is love itself and the only love, wisdom itself and the only wisdom, and the life itself and the only life in Himself; and thus the Creator Himself and the only Creator, Saviour, and Enlightener from Himself; and thence the All in all of heaven and the church: Who alone is infinite and eternal, and Jehovah; and that He is the Lord. That all these things, and infinitely more, are contained in these words, may be seen above, (13, 29). It was there said, that all the syllables or letters of the alphabet, in the spiritual world, signify things; and that their speech and writing there are thence; and that therefore the Lord describes His Divinity and infinity by Alpha and Omega; by which is signified that He is the All in all of heaven and the church. Since every letter signifies a thing in the spiritual world, and thence in the angelic language; therefore David wrote the 119th Psalm, in order, according to the letters of the alphabet, beginning with Aleph and ending with Thau, as may appear from the initials of the verses there; the like appears in Psalm 111 but not so evidently. Therefore, also, Abram was called Abraham, and Sarai was called Sarah; which was done for the reason that in heaven by Abraham and Sarah, they should not be understood, but the Divine, as is also the case; for the letter "H" involves infinity, because it is only an aspirate; more on this subject may be seen above, (29).
38. (Vers. 11.) "Dicentem, Ego sum Alpha at Omega, Primus et Ultimus," significat Qui est Ipsum et Unicum a Primis ad Ultima, ex Quo omnia; ita Qui est Ipse et Unicus Amor, Ipsa et Unica Sapientia, et Ipsa et Unica Vita in Se, et sic Ipse et Unicus Creator, Salvator et Illustrator a Se, et inde Omne in omnibus Caeli et Ecclesiae; Qui Solus est Infinitus et Aeternus, ac Jehovah; et quod Ille sit Dominus. -Quod haec omnia contineantur in illis vocibus, ac infinite plura, videatur supra (13, 29). Dictum ibi est, quod omnes syllabae aut literae in Alphabeto in Mundo Spirituali significent res, et quod inde sit loquela et scriptura illorum ibi; et quod ideo Dominus Divinitatem et Infinitatem Suam describat per Alpha et Omega, per quod significatur, quod sit Omne in omnibus Caeli et Ecclesiae. Quoniam unaquaevis litera significat rem in Mundo Spirituali, et inde in Lingua Angelica, ideo David conscripsit Psalmum cxix. in ordine secundum Alphabeti literas, incipiendo ab Aleph, et finiendo per Thau, ut constare potest ex initiis Versuum ibi: simile quid apparet in Psalm. cxi., sed non ita exstanter. Propterea etiam Abram vocatus est Abraham, et Sarai vocata est Sarah, quod factum est propter causam ut in Caelo per Abraham et per Sarah non intelligerentur illi, sed Divinum, ut quoque intelligitur; "H" enim involvit Infinitatem, quia est solum aspiratio: plura de his videantur supra (29).