541.启12:4.“他的尾巴拖拉着天上星辰的三分之一部分，把它们摔在地上”表他们因圣言真理的歪曲而使良善与真理的一切属灵认知远离教会，因运用于虚假而完全毁灭它们。当所论述的主题涉及那些通过圣言确认异端邪说的人时，“尾巴”就表示被歪曲的圣言真理（438节）；“星辰”表示对良善与真理的属灵认知（51，420节）；“三分之一部分”表示全部（400，505节）；“拖拉着天上星辰，把它们摔在地上”表示使它们远离教会，完全毁灭它们；它们从天上被拖下来，也就从教会被拖下来，因为圣言的一切真理都从主经由天堂被引入教会之人；除了对圣言真理的歪曲外，没有什么东西能将真理拖下来，因为天堂与教会的真理就在圣言中，并来自圣言。
上述（537节）那些“龙”所表示的人已经毁灭了圣言的一切真理，这一事实在世上恐怕无人相信，然而它们的确已被如此毁灭了，以致一个教义真理也未存留；在灵界的神职人员当中曾就此作过调查，结果发现确实如此。我知道有几个原因，在此只说其中一个：他们声称，凡从人的意愿和判断所发出的，都不是良善；因此，仁之善或好行为因是人所行出的，所以丝毫无助于救恩，而唯信得救；而事实上，人之所以为人并与主结合所凭的，唯独是他貌似凭自己，即貌似照自己的判断出于自己的意愿行良善、信真理。如果这种能力从他那里被拿走，那么人与主并主与此人结合的一切能力同时也就被拿走了；因为这种能力是爱的相互作用，主将其赐给每一个生而为人的人，还保存在他里面，直到临终，然后直到永远。如果这种能力从人那里被拿走，圣言的一切真理与良善也就是被拿走了，以致圣言什么也不是，只是死文字和空书卷而已；因为圣言除了教导人凭仁与信，并且二者皆出于人，如同出于他自己而与主结合外，并不教导别的。
“龙”所表示的那些人（如537节所述）却破坏了结合的唯一纽带，因为他们断言：从人及其意愿和判断所发出的仁之善或好行为只不过是道德、文明和政治的行为，人凭这些行为与这个世界结合，根本没有与神、与天堂结合；这纽带被如此破坏后，圣言的教义真理就荡然无存了；如果圣言的真理被用来确认唯信得救，无需律法行为，那么它们就全被歪曲了；如果这种歪曲发展到肯定主在圣言中并没有吩咐好行为是为了人与祂自己的结合，只是为了人与这个世界的结合的地步，那么圣言的真理就被亵渎了；因为圣言就这样变得不再是一本圣书，而是一本世俗的书；这个主题，可参看本章末尾的记事。但以理书中论到公山羊的这些话表示类似事物：
公山羊用他的角将些天象和星宿摔落在地，践踏它们；他将真理抛在地上。（但以理书8:10，12）
541. Its tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. (12:4) This symbolically means that by falsifying the Word's truths they exiled all spiritual concepts of goodness and truth from the church, and by appeals to falsity completely destroyed them.
When referring to people who have used the Word to establish heresies, a tail symbolizes the Word's truths falsified (no. 438). Stars symbolize spiritual concepts of goodness and truth (nos. 51, 420). A third symbolizes all (nos. 400, 505). And to draw stars from heaven and throw them to the earth means, symbolically, to exile these concepts from the church and completely destroy them. For when they are taken down from heaven, they are also taken away from the church, as every truth of the Word is introduced into a person of the church by the Lord through heaven. Nor are truths taken away by anything else than by falsifications of truths in the Word, since that is where the truths of heaven and the church are found and originate.
[2] The idea that those people meant by the dragon, as described in no. 537 above, have destroyed all the Word's truths, is something no one in the world can believe; and yet they have so destroyed them that not one doctrinal truth remains. This has been investigated in the spiritual world by examining learned members of the clergy, and it has been found to be the case.
I know several reasons for this, but here I will mention only one: They assert that anything springing from a person's will and judgment is not good, and that because goods of charity or good works are done by the person, they therefore contribute nothing to his salvation, but that only faith does. And yet the only thing that makes a person human, and the only means by which he is conjoined with the Lord, is his ability to do good and believe truths as though of himself, namely, as though of his own will in accordance with his own judgment. If this one ability were to be taken away, every means of a person's conjunction with the Lord and of the Lord with the person would be taken away at the same time. For it is this ability to reciprocate love that the Lord confers on everyone who is born human, which He also preserves in the person even to the end of his life, and afterward to eternity.
If this were to be taken from a person, he would have every truth and good of the Word taken from him at the same time, to the point that the Word would become nothing but a dead letter and an empty book. For the Word teaches nothing else but a person's conjunction with the Lord through charity and faith, both emanating from the person as though from himself.
[3] People meant by the dragon, as described in no. 537 above, have broken this unique bond of conjunction by asserting that the goods of charity or good works that emanate from a person and from his will and judgment are nothing more than moral, civic and political works, works by which a person has a conjunction with the world, but not at all with God and heaven. And when that bond has been thus broken, then none of the Word's doctrinal truths remains. Moreover, if the Word's truths are used to support faith alone as saving apart from works of the Law, then those truths are all falsified. And if the falsification progresses to an affirmation that the Lord does not command good works in the Word for the sake of a person's conjunction with Him, but only for the sake of a conjunction with the world, then the Word's truths are profaned. For the Word thus becomes no longer a holy book, but a profane one. But on this subject, see the account at the end of the chapter.
The following report concerning the goat in Daniel has a similar symbolic meaning:
(The male goat with his horn) cast down some of the host (of heaven) and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them...; and he cast truth down to the ground. (Daniel 8:10, 12)
541. [verse 4] 'And his tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to earth' signifies that by means of falsifications of the truth (veritas) of the Word they have alienated all the spiritual cognitions of good and truth from the Church, and by applications to untruths they have quite destroyed it. By the tail,' where it treats of those who have confirmed heretical things out of the Word, are signified the truths of the Word falsified (438). By 'the stars' are signified spiritual cognitions of good and truth (51, 420); by 'a third part' all are signified (400, 505); and by 'drawing them out of heaven and casting them to earth' is signified to alienate them from the Church and quite destroy them; for when they are drawn out of heaven they are also drawn down from the Church, because everything true of the Word is insinuated into the man of the Church by the Lord through heaven. Nor are truths drawn down by means of anything else but the falsifications of them in the Word, since there and thence are the truths of heaven and the Church.
[2] That all the truths of the Word have been destroyed by those who are understood by 'the dragon' mentioned above (537) cannot be believed by anyone in the world, and yet they have been so destroyed that not one doctrinal truths is left. This was investigated in the spiritual world with the learned of the clergy and found to be so. The causes I know but here I shall mention only one. They assert that whatever proceeds out of man's will and judgment is not good, and that therefore goods of charity or good works, because they are done by man, contribute nothing to salvation, but faith alone does so when, nevertheless, the one and only thing by virtue of which man is man, and by means of which he is conjoined to the Lord, is the fact that he is able to do what is good and believe what is true as if of himself that is, as if of his own will in accordance with his own judgment. If this one and only thing were taken away from man, everything conjunctive of man with the Lord and the Lord with man would be taken away at the same time; for this is love's reciprocality, which the Lord gives to everyone who is born a man and also preserves with him even to the end of his life and afterwards into eternity. If this were taken away from man, every truth and good of the Word would also be taken away from him, to such an extent that the Word would be nothing but a dead letter and an empty volume. For the Word teaches nothing else but the conjunction of man with the Lord by means of charity and faith, both being from man as if from himself.
[3] Those who are understood by 'the dragon' mentioned above (537) have broken this one and only bond of conjunction by asserting that the goods of charity, or good works, that proceed from man and by his will and judgment are only moral, civil and political works through which man has conjunction with the world, but absolutely no conjunction with God and heaven. And when that bond has thus been broken, then there is not any doctrinal truth of the Word left; and if the truths of the Word are applied for confirming faith alone as saving without the works of the law, then all things are falsified, and if the falsification proceeds as far as the affirmation that the Lord in the Word has not commanded good works for the sake of man's conjunction with Himself, but only for the sake of a conjunction with the world, then the truths of the Word are profaned. For thus the Word becomes no longer the Holy Book, but a profane book. But concerning this the experience at the end of the chapter may be seen. Similar things are signified by these [words] concerning the he-goat in Daniel:
The he-goat of the she-goats with his horn cast down some of the army of heaven and of the stars to earth, and trampled upon them; and he cast down the truth (veritas) to earth. Daniel 8:10, 12.
541. Verse 4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth, signifies that by falsifications of the truths of the Word they have alienated all spiritual knowledges of good and truth from the church, and, by applications to falsities, have entirely destroyed them. By "the tail," when the subject treated of relates to those who have confirmed heretical things from the Word, are signified the truths of the Word falsified, (438); by "stars" are signified spiritual knowledges of good and truth, (51, 420); by "the third part" is signified all, (400, 505); and by "drawing them from heaven, and casting them to the earth," is signified to alienate them from the church, and to destroy them utterly; for when they are drawn down from heaven, they are also drawn down from the church, because every truth of the Word is insinuated from the Lord through heaven into the man of the church; nor are truths drawn down by anything else than by falsifications of them in the Word, since there and thence are the truths of heaven and the church.
[2] That all the truths of the Word have been destroyed by those who are meant by "the dragon" spoken of above, (537), cannot be believed by anyone in the world, and yet they have been so destroyed, so that not one doctrinal truth remains; this was examined into in the spiritual world, with the learned of the clergy, and was found to be so. The reasons I know, but I shall here mention only one of them. They assert, that whatsoever proceeds from man's will and judgment is not good; and that therefore the goods of charity, or good works, being done by man, contribute nothing to salvation, but faith only; when, nevertheless, that alone, by virtue of which man is man, and by which he is conjoined with the Lord, is that he can do good and believe truth, as from himself, that is, as from his own will according to his own judgment. If this faculty were taken away from him, all power of conjunction of man with the Lord, and of the Lord with man, would also be taken away at the same time; for this is the reciprocal of love, which the Lord gives to everyone who is born a man, and which He also preserves in him to the end of his life, and afterwards to eternity. If this were taken away from man, every truth and good of the Word would also be taken away, insomuch that the Word would be nothing but a dead letter and an empty volume; for the Word teaches nothing but the conjunction of man with the Lord by charity and faith, and both from man as from himself.
[3] They who are meant by "the dragon" (spoken of above, 537), have broken this only bond of conjunction, by asserting that the goods of charity, or good works, which proceed from man, and his will and judgment, are only moral, civil, and political works, by which man has conjunction with the world, and none at all with God and with heaven; and when that bond is thus broken, there is then no doctrinal truth of the Word remaining; and if the truths of the Word are applied to confirm faith alone as saving without the works of the law, then they are all falsified; and if the falsification proceeds so far as to affirm, that the Lord has not commanded good works in the Word for the sake of man's conjunction with Himself, but only for the sake of his conjunction with the world, then the truths of the Word are profaned; for thus the Word becomes no longer a Holy Book, but a profane book; but see the experience on this subject at the end of the chapter. The like things are signified by these words in Daniel, concerning the he-goat:
The he-goat with his horn cast down some of the host of heaven and of the stars to the earth, and trampled upon them; and he cast down truth to the earth, (Daniel 8:10, 12).
541. (Vers. 4.) "Et cauda sua traxit tertiam partem stellarum Caeli, et projecit in terram," significat quod per falsificationes veritatum Verbi omnes cognitiones spirituales boni et veri abalienaverint ab Ecclesia, et per applicationes ad falsa plane destruxerint. - Per "caudam," ubi de illis qui haeretica confirmaverunt ex Verbo agitur, significantur vera Verbi falsificata (438); per "stellas" significantur cognitiones spirituales boni et veri (51, 420); per "tertiam partem" significantur omnia (400, 505); et per "trahere e Caelo, et projicere in terram," significatur abalienare ab Ecclesia, et plane destruere; nam cum detrahuntur e Caelo, etiam detrahuntur ab Ecclesia, quia omne verum Verbi a Domino per Caelum insinuatur homini Ecclesiae: nec per aliud detrahuntur vera quam per falsificationes illorum in Verbo, quoniam ibi et inde sunt vera Caeli et Ecclesiae.
Quod omnia vera Verbi ab illis, qui per "Draconem" (de quibus supra. 537) intelliguntur, sint destructa, non potest ah aliquo in mundo credi, et usque sunt ita destructa, ut non unum verum doctrinale supersit: hoc exploratum est in mundo spirituali apud doctos e clero, ac inventum est. Causas scio, sed hic modo dicam unam: Asserunt, quod quicquid procedit ex hominis voluntate et judicio, non sit bonum, et quod ideo bona charitatis seu bona opera, quia fiunt ab homine, nihil conferant ad salutem, sed sola fides; cum tamen unicum ex quo homo est homo, et per quod conjungitur Domino, est id quod possit facere bonum et credere verum sicut ex se, hoc est, sicut ex sua voluntate secundum suum judicium. Si auferretur hoc unicum, etiam simul auferretur omne conjunctivum hominis cum Domino ac Domini cum homine; est enim illud reciprocum amoris, quod Dominus dat unicuivis qui nascitur homo, quod etiam conservat apud illum usque ad finem vitae ejus, et postea in aeternum. Si hoc auferretur homini, auferretur etiam illi omne verum et bonum Verbi, usque adeo ut Verbum non foret nisi quam litera mortua ac volumen vacuum; nam Verbum nihil aliud docet quam conjunctionem hominis cum Domino per charitatem et fidem, utramque ab homine sicut ab ipso. Illi qui per "Draconem" (de quibus supra, 537) intelliguntur, hoc unicum vinculum conjunctionis ruperunt, asserendo quod bona charitatis, seu bona opera, quae ab homine ac ejus voluntate et judicio procedunt, non sint nisi quam opera moralia, civilia et politica, per quae homo conjunctionem habet cum mundo, et prorsus nullam cum Deo et cum Caelo; et quando illud vinculum ita ruptum est, tunc non aliquod verum doctrinale Verbi superest. Et si vera Verbi applicantur ad confirmandum solam fidem salvantem absque operibus legis, tunc omnia falsificantur; et si falsificatio procedit usque ad affirmationem quod Dominus in Verbo non praeceperit bona opera propter hominis conjunctionem secum, sed solum propter conjunctionem cum mundo, tunc vera Verbi prophanantur; sic enim fit Verbum non amplius Liber Sanctus, sed liber prophanus at videatur de his Experientia ad finem capitis. Similia significantur per haec de "hirco" apud Danielem:
Hircus caprarum cornu suo "dejecit in terram de Exercitu Caeli et de Stellis, et conculcavit ea: et projecit Veritatem in terram," (8:10, 12). 1
Footnotes:
1. 12 pro "11"