659.启15:2.“我看见仿佛有玻璃海，其中有火搀杂”表灵界最远的边界，那些拥有宗教信仰，并出于宗教信仰而非生活的良善敬拜的人就聚集在那里。“玻璃海”（启4:6）表示由基督徒组成的新天堂，他们通过圣言的字义而处于一般真理（238节）。那些处于一般真理的人也处于天堂的边界，故从远处看，他们好像在海里（398，403，405节）。但此处“玻璃海”表示灵界最远的边界，那些拥有宗教信仰，并出于宗教信仰而非生活的良善敬拜的人就聚集在那里。由于所表示的是这些人的聚集，故经上说“仿佛有玻璃海”，并进一步说，它看似“有火搀杂”，“火”在此表示对邪恶的爱，和由此而来生活的邪恶（452，468，494，766，767，787节）；因而表示没有生活的良善，因为哪里没有良善，哪里就有邪恶。这些人的聚集在此由“仿佛有玻璃海，其中有火搀杂”来表示，这一点也可从接下来的经文明显看出来，如“那些胜了兽、兽像的人，都站在玻璃海上”，以他们来表示那些因弃绝与仁分离之信而处于生活的良善，因而在天堂的人（660节）。这海也由21章（启21:1）中“不再有的海”来表示（878节）。我也曾被恩准看到这海，以及住在其中的人是何性质和品质。他们就是那些拥有宗教信仰，常去教会，聆听布道，领受圣餐，却从不进一步思想神、救恩和永生，不知道何为罪的人。所以，就脸面而言，他们是人；就文明道德的生活而言，其中许多人也是人，但就属灵的生活而言，他们根本就不是人，因为人凭属灵的生活而成为人。
659. 15:2 And I saw as though a sea of glass mingled with fire. This symbolizes the farthest boundary of the spiritual world, where those people were gathered who had religion and consequently worshiped, but lacked any goodness of life.
The sea of glass in chapter 4:6 symbolized a new heaven formed of Christians who possessed general truths taken from the literal sense of the Word (no. 238). Those who possess general truths are also at the boundaries of heaven, and from a distance they appear, therefore, as though in the sea (nos. 398, 403, 404, 470). Here, however, the sea of glass symbolizes the farthest boundary of the spiritual world, where those people were gathered who had religion and consequently worshiped, but lacked any goodness of life. Because the gathering of these is symbolically meant, therefore the verse says as though a sea of glass, and the sea also appeared to be mingled with fire - the fire there symbolizing a love of evil and the accompanying evilness of life (nos. 452, 468, 494, 766, 767, 787), thus no goodness of life. For where good is absent, there evil is present.
That the gathering of these people is meant by the description, as though a sea mingled with fire, is apparent also from the depiction that follows next, that standing beside the sea of glass were those who had the victory over the beast and over his image. These symbolize people who, because of their rejection of a faith divorced from charity, had led a good life and were therefore in heaven (no. 660).
This sea is also the one meant in chapter 21:1, the sea which was no more (no. 878).
What this sea was like, and the character of the people there, is something I was also given to see. They were people who had religion, went regularly to church, listened to sermons, and partook of the Holy Supper, but beyond this gave no thought to God, salvation or eternal life, not knowing what sin is. Consequently they were human in visage, and most of them human also as regards their civic and moral life, but not at all as regards any spiritual life, which is the life that nevertheless makes a person human.
659. [verse 2] 'And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire' signifies the ultimate boundary of the spiritual world, where those had been gathered together who had religion and worship therefrom, and no good of life. By the 'sea of glass' (chapter 4:6) was signified the New Heaven [formed] out of Christians who were in general truths out of the sense of the letter of the Word (238). Those who are in general truths are also in the boundaries of heaven, and therefore from afar off they appear as if in the sea (398, 403-404, 470). Here, however, by 'a sea of glass' is signified the ultimate boundary of the spiritual world, where those had been gathered together who had religion and worship therefrom, but no good of life. Because a gathering of these is signified, therefore it is said 'as it were a sea of glass,' and also it was seen 'mingled with fire,' and there by 'fire' is signified the love of evil, and the resulting evil of life (452, 468, 494, 766-767, 787); thus no good of life, for where there is no good there is evil. That a gathering of these is understood here by 'as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire' is plain also from the things now following, as that:
Beside the sea stood those who had victory over the beast and over his image, by whom are signified those who as a result of the rejection of faith separated from charity were in the good of life, and consequently in heaven (660). This 'sea' is also the one that is understood in chapter 21:1 by 'the sea' that 'was no more' (878). What this sea was like, and what those who were there were like, it was given [me] to see. They were those who had had religion, had frequented churches, had heard sermons, had gone to the Holy Supper, and thereafter had not thought anything about God, salvation, and eternal life, not knowing what sin is. Therefore as to the face they were men, and many of them also as to civil and moral life, but not at all as to spiritual life, by virtue of which nevertheless a man is a man.
659. Verse 2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, signifies the ultimate boundary of the spiritual world, where are collected those who had religion and thence worship, but not the good of life. By "a sea of glass" (chapter 4:6) is signified the New Heaven from Christians, who were in general truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, (238[1-5]). They who are in general truths, are also in the borders of heaven, therefore, at a distance, they appear to be in the sea, (398, 403, 405). But here by "the sea of glass" is signified the ultimate boundary of the spiritual world, where those were collected who have religion and thence worship, but not the good of life. Because a collection of these is signified, therefore it is said, "as it were a sea of glass," and further, it appeared "mingled with fire," and by "fire" there is signified the love of evil, and thence the evil of life, (452, 468, 494, 766, 767, 787); thus not the good of life, for where good is not, there evil is. That a collection of these is here meant by "as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire," appears also from what next follows, as that "they who had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image stood beside this sea," by whom are signified those who, in consequence of the rejection of faith separated from charity, were in the good of life and thence in heaven, (660). This sea is also meant in chapter 21:1 by "the sea which was no more" (878). What the nature and quality of this sea is and of those who were in it, has also been granted me to see. They were those who had religion, frequented churches, listened to preachings, received the Holy Supper, but never thought any further about God, salvation, and eternal life, not knowing what sin is. Therefore they were men as to the face; and many of them as to civil and moral life, but not at all as to spiritual life, by virtue of which nevertheless man is man.
659. (Vere. 2.) "Et vidi tanquam Mare vitreum mixtum igne," significat ultimum in terminum Mundi Spiritualis, ubi collecti erant, quibus Religio et inde Cultus, et non Bonum vitae.- Per "male vitreum," (4:6) significatum est Novum Caelum ex Christianis, qui in communibus veris ex Sensu literae Verbi erant (238). Illi qui in communibus veris sunt, etiam in terminis Caeli sunt, quare apparent e longinquo sicut in mari (398, 403, 405); 1hic autem per "mare vitreum" significatur ultimus terminus mundi spiritualis, ubi collecti erant quibus Religio et inde Cultus, sed non Bonum Vitae; quia collectio ex illis significatur, ideo dicitur "tanquam mare vitreum;" et quoque visum est "mixtum igne," et per "ignem" ibi significatur amor mali, et inde malum vitae (452, 468, 494, 766, 767, 787); ita non Bonum Vitae, nam ubi non bonum, ibi est malum. Quod collectio ex illis hic intelligatur per "tanquam mare vitreum mixtum igne," patet quoque ex nunc sequentibus, ut quod juxta hoc Mare steterint "qui victoriam habuerunt de Bestia et de imagine ejus," per quos significantur qui ex rejectione Fidei separatae a Charitate in Bono Vitae erant, et inde in Caelo (660); hoc mare etiam est quod intelligitur in 21:1, per Mare quod "non erat amplius (878). Quale erat hoc mare, et quales illi qui ibi fuerunt, datum etiam est videre; fuerunt illi, quibus Religio fuerat, frequentaverant templa, audiverant praedicationes, obiverant Sacram Caenam, et praeterea non quicquam cogitaverant de Deo, salute et vita aeterna, nescientes quid peccatum; quare fuerunt homines quoad faciem, et plerique etiam quoad vitam civilem et moralem, sed prorsus non quoad vitam spiritualem, ex qua tamen homo est homo.
Footnotes:
1. 405 pro "420"