715.“人由于这雹灾就亵渎神，因为这雹子的灾极大”表他们因已经确认这类虚假，故将真理否认到这种程度：他们由于其内在的虚假与邪恶所产生的抵触而无法承认它们。“亵渎神”表示否认和不承认唯独主是天地之神（571，582，697节），同样否认和不承认圣言的真理；“因为这雹子的灾极大”表示由于确认唯信称义所导致的这些可怕而又凶残的虚假（714节）。他们之所以由于这些虚假而无法承认真理，是因为对虚假的确认就是对真理的否认。表面上看，意思好像是说这“雹灾”如此之大，以致当这雹子落在他们身上时，他们因折磨或痛苦才亵渎神；但意思不是这样，而是说，他们由于虚假而无法承认真理；本章前面也一样，在那里，经上说他们因热“亵渎神之名”（｛16:9）；因疼痛和疮“亵渎天上的神”（｛16:11）；可参看对它们的解释（692，697节）。
714. 16:21 And great hail from heaven about the weight of a talent fell upon people. This symbolizes dreadful and atrocious falsities, by which every truth in the Word and so in the church was destroyed.
Hail symbolizes falsity destroying truth and goodness, as may be seen in no. 399 above. And because the hail here is called great hail about the weight of a talent, it symbolizes dreadful and atrocious falsities, by which every truth and good in the Word and so in the church was destroyed.
It is said to be the weight of a talent because a talent was the largest weight of both silver and gold, and silver symbolizes truth, and gold goodness, and the two in an opposite sense, falsity and evil (no. 211).
That the hail is said to have fallen from heaven upon people is said in accordance with appearances, in terms of which and their correspondences the literal sense of the Word was written. The case here is similar to that in what we were told before regarding the plagues, that angels from heaven poured out the plagues upon men, when in fact truths and goods descended from the Lord which in people below were turned into falsities and evils (no. 673).
In the case of such people in the spiritual world, too, when they are engaged in reasoning on the basis of falsities against the Word's truths, hail sometimes appears to fall, and in some cases, brimstone and fire; and because these things appear in the atmosphere above them, as though coming from heaven, therefore we are told in accordance with the appearance that the hail described fell from heaven.
714. [[a] Verse 20. 'And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found' signifies that there was no longer any truth of faith, nor any good of love.] 1
Footnotes:
1. This verse is omitted here in the Original Edition. The insertion in square brackets has been supplied from 'the Contents of each of the verses.' See also n. 336, where similar words occur.
714. [b] [verse 21] 'And great hail as of the weight of a talent came down from heaven upon men' signifies the dreadful and horrible untruths by means of which every truth of the Word and consequently of the Church has been destroyed. That by 'hail' is signified untruth destroying truth and good may be seen above (399); and because it is said great hail as of the weight of a talent' dreadful and horrible untruths are signified, by means of which every truth and good of the Word and consequently of the Church has been destroyed. 'Of the weight of a talent' is said because a talent was the largest weight of silver and also of gold; and by 'silver' truth is signified, and by 'gold' good, and in the opposite sense untruth and evil (211). Its being said that the 'hail came down from heaven upon men' is in accordance with appearances, the sense of the letter of the Word being derived from them and from correspondences. This is similar to what was said before of the plagues, that they were poured out of heaven by means of angels upon men, when yet they are truths and goods sent down by the Lord, which are turned into untruths and evils with those who are below (673). In the spiritual world also with those [in faith alone], when they are engaged in reasonings from untruths against the truths of the Word, hail sometimes appears to come down, and with some [spirits] sulphur and fire; and because these appear in the atmosphere above them, and as if out of heaven, therefore as a result of that appearance it is said that such 'hail' came down out of heaven.
714. Verse 20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found, signifies that there was no longer any truth of faith nor any good of love. 1
714b. Verse 21. And great hail as of the weight of a talent cometh down from heaven upon men, signifies direful and atrocious falsities, by which every truth of the Word, and thence of the church, is destroyed. That "hail" signifies falsity destroying truth and good, may be seen above, (399); and because it is said "great hail as of the weight of a talent," is signified direful and atrocious falsities, by which every truth and good of the Word and thence of the church is destroyed. The reason why it is said "of the weight of a talent" is because a talent was the largest weight of silver and also of gold; and by "silver" is signified truth, and by "gold" good, and in the opposite sense falsity and evil, (211). Its being said that "the hail cometh down from heaven upon men," is according to the appearances from which and from correspondences is the literal sense of the Word. This is similar to what was said before of "the plagues," that "they were poured out from heaven upon men by angels" when yet they are truths and goods sent down by the Lord, which among those who are below, are turned into falsities and evils, (673). In the spiritual world also, among those who are engaged in reasonings from falsities against the truths of the Word, hail sometimes appears to come down, and upon others sulphur and fire, and because these appear in the atmosphere above them, and come as it were from heaven, therefore from that appearance it is said that such hail came down from heaven.
Footnotes:
1. This verse is omitted in the original Latin, but the spiritual sense of the words is here repeated as it is given at the beginning of the chapter; the reader is referred, however, to 336 of this work, where nearly the same expressions occur together with their explanation. -Tr.
714. 1((Vers. 20.) "Et omnis insula fugit, et montes non in venti sunt," significat quod non aliquod verum fidei amplius, nec aliquod bonum amoris amplius.)
714b. (Vers. 21.) "Et grando magna quasi talenti pondo descendit de Caelo super homines," significat dira et atrocia falsa, per quae omne verum Verbi et inde Ecclesiae destructum est. - Quod per "grandinem" significetur falsum destruens verum et bonum, videatur supra (399); et quia dicitur "grando magna quasi talenti pondo," significantur dira et atrocia falsa, per quae omne verum et bonum Verbi et inde Ecclesiae destructum est: quod dicatur "talenti pondo," est quia talentum erat maximum pondus argenti et quoque auri, et per "argentum" significatur verum, et per "aurum" bonum, et in opposito sensu falsum et malum (211). Quod dicatur quod "grando descenderit de Caelo super homines," est secundum apparentias, ex quibus et ex correspondentiis est Sensus literae Verbi. Hoc simile est, sicut prius dictum est de "plagis," quod e Caelo per angelos super homines effusae sint, cum tamen sunt vera et bona a Domino demissa, quae apud illos qui infra sunt, vertuntur in falsa et mala (673); etiam in Mundo spirituali apud illos, cum in ratiociniis ex falsis contra vera Verbi sunt, apparet quandoque grando descendere, et apud quosdam sulphur et ignis et quia haec apparent in atmosphaera supra illos, et sicut e Caelo, ideo ex apparentia illa dicitur quod grando talis e Caelo descenderit.
Footnotes:
1. Verba uncis inclusa videantur supra, p. 587; tum quoque vide 336 et 737.