429.启9:6.“在那些日子，人要求死，决不得死；愿意死，死却逃避他们”表那些陷入分离之信教义的人渴望在信的事务上关闭认知或理解力，封住意愿，从而使属灵的光和生命被熄灭；但主规定，认知或理解力不可关闭，意愿也不可封住，免得人里面的属灵之光和生命被灭绝。“在那些日子”表示该教会的最后状态，那时唯信的教义被普遍接纳。“人要求死”表示他们渴望认知或理解力在信的事务上被关闭；“决不得死”表主规定，这种事不会发生；“愿意死”表示他们还渴望意愿在他们里面被封住；“死却逃避他们”表示主规定，这种事也不会发生；因为这样属灵的光和生命就会被灭绝，人的灵性就会死亡。“要求”论及认知或理解力，“愿意”论及意愿；“死”论及这二者。这就是这些话的含义；要不然，“人要求死，决不得死；愿意死，死却逃避他们”会是什么意思呢？因为“死”不是指其它死亡，而是指属灵的死亡；当认知或理解力从当信的事上被除去时，就会造成属灵的死亡；因为在这种情况下，人不知道自己所想所行的是真理还是虚假，因而不知道自己是与天上的天使，还是与地狱的魔鬼一同思想和行动。
429. In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them. (9:6) This symbolically means that those people caught up in the doctrine of faith alone wish the intellect to be closed and the will stopped up in matters of faith, and thus that they be without any spiritual light and life; but that still the Lord has provided that the intellect be not closed or the will stopped up, to keep the spiritual light and life in a person from being extinguished.
"In those days" symbolizes the last state of the church, when the doctrine of faith alone has been universally accepted. "Men will seek death" means, symbolically, that they wish the intellect to be closed in matters of faith. "And will not find it" means, symbolically, that the Lord has provided that this not happen. "They will desire to die" means, symbolically, that they also wish the will in them to be stopped up. "And death will flee from them" means, symbolically, that the Lord has provided that this not happen either. For in that case spiritual light and life would be extinguished, and the person would spiritually die. Seeking is said in application to the intellect, and desiring to the will, and death is said in application to both.
It is apparent that this is the symbolic meaning of these words. Otherwise what would it mean that men in those days will seek death and not find it, or desire to die and have death flee from them? For the only death meant by death here is spiritual death, which is induced when the intellect is banished from tenets to be believed; for a person then does not know whether he is thinking and putting into practice truth or falsity, thus whether he is thinking and acting in concert with angels in heaven or in concert with devils in hell.
429. [verse 6] 'And in those days shall men seek death and not find it, and shall desire to die and death shall flee from them' signifies that those who are in the doctrine of a separated faith are desirous that in matters of faith the understanding be closed up, and the will blocked, and thus that they may not have any spiritual light and heat; but that nevertheless it has been provided by the Lord that the understanding should not be closed up, nor the will blocked, lest spiritual light and life with men be extinguished. 'In those days' signifies the last state of the Church when the doctrine of faith alone has been received universally. 'Men shall seek death' signifies that they are desirous that in matters of faith the understanding should be closed up. 'And shall not find it' signifies that it has been provided by the Lord that it should not be done. 'And shall desire to die' signifies that they are desirous that the will also should be blocked in them. 'And death shall flee from them' signifies that it has been provided that this should not be done either; for thus spiritual light and life would be extinguished, and a man would die spiritually. 'To seek' is predicated of the understanding, and 'to desire' of the will, and 'death' of both. It is plain that these things are signified by these words. What otherwise would be the meaning of men in those days seeking death and not finding it, and desiring to die and death fleeing from them? For by 'death' no other death than spiritual death is understood, and this is induced when the understanding is removed from the things to be believed; for in this case a man does not know whether he thinks and does what is true or false, thus whether [he acts] with heaven's angels or with hell's devils.
429. Verse 6. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them, signifies that it is the desire of those who are in the doctrine of faith separated, that in matters of faith the understanding should be shut up and the will closed, and thus that they should not have any spiritual light and life; but that it is nevertheless provided by the Lord that the understanding should not be shut up, nor the will closed, lest spiritual light and life with man should be extinguished. "In those days," signifies the last state of the church, when the doctrine of faith alone is universally received. "Men shall seek death," signifies that they will that, in matters of faith, the understanding should be shut up; "and shall not find it," signifies that it is provided of the Lord, that this should not be done; "and shall desire to die," signifies that they also wish to have the will closed in them; "and death shall flee from them," signifies that it is provided that neither should take place; for thus spiritual light and life would be extinguished, and man would spiritually die. "To seek," is predicated of the understanding; and "to desire," of the will; and "death," of both. That this is the signification of these words, is evident; otherwise, what meaning could there be in that "men should seek death in those days and not find it, and should desire to die and death should flee from them?" For by "death," no other death is meant but spiritual death, which is induced when the understanding is removed from the things that are to be believed; for in this case man does not know whether he thinks and does what is true, or what is false, thus whether he thinks and acts with the angels of heaven, or with the devils of hell.
429. (Vers 6.) Et in diebus illis quaerent homines mortem, et non inveniant illam, at cupient mori et mors fugiet illos," significat quod illi, qui in doctrina fides separatae sunt, velint ut in rebus fidei intellectus occlusus sit, et voluntas obturata, et sic quod illis non sit aliqua lux et vita spiritualis; sed quod usque provisum sit a Domino, quod intellectus non occludatur, nec voluntas obturetur, ne lux et vita spiritualis apud hominem exstinguatur. - "In diebus illis" significat ultimum statum Ecclesiae, quando doctrina de sola fide universaliter recepta est; "quaerent homines mortem" significat quod velint ut intellectus in rebus fidei occlusus sit; "et non in venient illam" significat quod provisum sit a Domino, quod non fiat; "et cupient mori" significat quod velint ut etiam voluntas in illis obturata sit; "et mors fugiet illos" significat quod provisum sit quod nec id fiat, sic enim exstingueretur lux et vita spiritualis, et homo spiritualiter moreretur; "quaerere" praedicatur de intellectu, et "cupere" de voluntate, ac "mors" de utroque. Quod haec per illa verba significentur, patet; quid alioquin foret, quod homines "in diebus illis quaerent mortem et non invenient illam, ac cupient mori et mors fugiet illos;" per "mortem" enim non alia mors intelligitur quam mors spiritualis, quae inducitur cum removetur intellectus a credendis, sic enim homo nescit num cogitet et faciat verum aut falsum, ita num cum angelis Caeli vel num cum diabolis Inferni.