937.启22:3.“以后再没有咒诅。在城里有神和羔羊的宝座，祂的仆人都要事奉祂”表新教会，也就是新耶路撒冷不会有任何人与主分离，因为主将亲自在新教会掌权；那些处于从主经由圣言而来的真理，并遵行祂诫命的人因与祂结合而将与祂同在。“以后再没有咒诅”表示新耶路撒冷不会有任何分裂主的邪恶或源于邪恶的虚假；并且由于邪恶与虚假只在接受者，也就是人里面才有，故这句话表示新耶路撒冷不会有任何人与主分离。在圣言中，“受咒诅的”表示使人与主分离，并远离祂的所有邪恶与虚假；因为那时这人变成了一个魔鬼或撒但。“在城里有神和羔羊的宝座”表示主将亲自在新教会掌权；因为一个“宝座”在此表示一个国度；主的国度就是唯独祂受敬拜之地。“祂的仆人都要事奉祂”表示那些处于从主经由圣言而来的真理之人将与祂同在，并因与祂结合而将遵行祂的诫命。“主的仆人”表示那些处于来自祂的真理之人（3，380节）；“事奉”（的人）表示那些处于来自祂的良善之人（128节）；因此，“要事奉祂的仆人”表示那些处于从主经由圣言而来的真理，并遵行祂诫命的人。
今日的教会并不知道与主结合构成天堂，而结合通过对祂是天地之神的承认，同时守祂诫命的生活来实现，所以有必要对这些事加以说明。对它们一无所知的人可能会问，什么是结合？承认和生活如何能构成结合？这些有什么必要？难道每个人不能单凭怜悯得救？除了唯信外，其它得救的途径有什么必要？神不是仁慈和全能的吗？不过，要让他知道，在灵界，认识和承认产生一切临在，而属于爱的情感则产生一切结合。因为灵界的空间并非别的，不过是取决于心智，也就是情感、因而思维的相似性的表象。因此，若有人要么通过名声，要么通过与其来往、或交谈、关系而认识另一个人，那么当他出于这种认识的观念思及这个人时，他就会与此人同在，尽管表面上看，他或许距离有一千斯特迪亚（经上译为斯他丢，古希腊长度单位，1斯特迪亚等于157.5米）那么远。他若还爱着所认识的另一个人，便会与对方同住一个社群；若从至内在爱着对方，就会住在同一个屋檐下。这就是整个灵界所有人的状态；并且所有人的这种状态皆源于此：主照着信与每个人同在，但照着爱相结合。信，因而主的临在通过认识出于圣言的真理，尤其涉及主自己的真理而被赐下；而爱，因而结合则通过照祂诫命的生活而被赐下，因为主说：
有了我的命令又遵守的，这人就是爱我的；我也要爱他，与他同住。（约翰福音14:21-24）
有必要说明这一切是如何成就的。主爱每个人，愿意与他结合；但只要这人陷入邪恶的快乐，如仇恨与报复的快乐，通奸和行淫的快乐，各种形式的抢劫或偷窃的快乐，亵渎和说谎的快乐，以及自我和尘世之爱的欲望，祂就无法与其结合；因为凡是陷入这些快乐的人都与地狱里的魔鬼为伍。诚然，主甚至也爱地狱里的人；但祂无法与他们结合，除非这些邪恶的快乐被除去；而这些快乐无法被主除去，除非此人检查自己，以便知道自己的邪恶，在主面前承认并忏悔它们，愿意停止这些邪恶，从而实践悔改。人必须貌似凭自己做这一切，因为他感觉不到他通过主做任何事；这种感觉之所以被赋予人，是因为结合要成为结合，必须是相互的，也就是必须是人与主，并主与人的相互结合。因此，邪恶及其快乐越被除去，主的爱就越进入，如前所述，主的爱普遍面向所有人；然后人就被引离地狱，被引入天堂。人在世时必须这样行；因为就人的灵而言，人在世时如何，他就永远保持如何；唯一不同之处在于，若他生活良善，其状态会变得更完美；因为那时，他不再披戴肉身，而是以灵体来过属灵的生活。
937. 22:3 And nothing accursed shall be there, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. This symbolically means that in the church that is the New Jerusalem, people will not live apart from the Lord, because the Lord Himself will reign there, and people who are governed by truths acquired from Him through the Word and keep His commandments will abide with Him, being conjoined with Him.
That nothing accursed shall be there means, symbolically, that no evil or falsity stemming from evil that separates people from the Lord will be found in the New Jerusalem. Moreover, because evil and falsity exist only in their recipient vessel, namely people, it symbolically means that none will live apart from the Lord there. Something in the Word that is accursed means every evil and falsity that separates people from the Lord and turns them away from Him; for in that case the person becomes a diabolical or satanic spirit.
That the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in the New Jerusalem means, symbolically, that the Lord Himself will reign in that church, for the throne here symbolizes a kingdom or reign, and the Lord reigns where He alone is worshiped.
That His servants shall serve Him means, symbolically, that people who possess truths from the Lord through the Word will abide with Him and keep His commandments, being conjoined with Him. Servants of the Lord symbolize people governed by truths from Him, as may be seen in nos. 3 and 380 above, and those who minister symbolize people governed by good from Him, as may be seen in no. 128. Consequently servants who minister to Him symbolize people governed by truths springing from goodness received from the Lord through the Word, who keep His commandments.
[2] Because the church at this day does not know that conjunction with the Lord produces heaven, and that the conjunction is formed by acknowledging that He is God of heaven and earth, and at the same time by living in accordance with His commandments, we will say something about it here:
Someone who has no knowledge of this may say, "What is the conjunction? How can such an acknowledgment and life form a conjunction? Why are these needed? Cannot everyone be saved out of mercy simply? Why is some other means of salvation than faith required? Is God not merciful and almighty?"
But he should know that in the spiritual world, knowledge and acknowledgment bring about every presence, while affection that is a matter of love brings about every conjunction. For intervals of space in the spiritual world are simply appearances that accord with similarities of hearts, that is, of affections and the accompanying thoughts. Consequently, when someone is acquainted with another, whether by reputation, or by dealings with him, or socially, or as a relative, and he thinks about him with a mental image of him, the other becomes present, even though he might be as much as a hundred miles 1from where he appears. Furthermore, if someone also loves another that he knows, they dwell together in the same society. And if he loves the other intimately, they dwell together in the same house.
This condition is something experienced by everyone throughout the whole spiritual world, and it is a condition experienced by them that takes its origin from the fact that the Lord is present with everyone in accordance with his faith, and conjoined with a person in accordance with his love. Faith and the Lord's consequent presence are brought about by concepts of truths from the Word, especially those concepts in it regarding the Lord Himself, while love and a consequent conjunction with the Lord are brought about by living in accordance with His commandments. For the Lord says,
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me..., and I will love him and... make (My) abode with him. (John 14:21-24)
[3] But we must also say how the case is with this. The Lord loves everyone and wills to be conjoined with them, but He cannot be conjoined with a person as long as the person is caught up in the delight of evil, such as the delight of hating and taking revenge, the delight of committing adultery and behaving licentiously, the delight of thieving or of stealing under some pretext, the delight of blaspheming and lying, and the lusts of the loves of self and the world. For everyone caught up in these is in the company of devils who reside in hell. The Lord, indeed, loves those who are there, too, but He cannot be conjoined with them unless the delights of these evil are removed, and the Lord cannot remove them unless a person examines himself so as to know his evils, acknowledge them and confess them before the Lord, and wish to desist from them and so repent. This a person must do as though of himself, because he has no sensation that he does anything from the Lord. And it is granted to a person to do so, because for the conjunction to be real, it must be a reciprocal conjunction of the person with the Lord, and of the Lord with the person.
To the extent, therefore, that evils with their delights are thus removed, to the same extent the Lord's love enters, which, as we said, is universal toward all, and the person is then withdrawn from hell and introduced into heaven.
This process is something the person must accomplish in the world, for the character of a person in the world in respect to his spirit remains the same to eternity, the only difference being that if he has lived rightly, his state becomes more and more perfect, because he is then not encompassed by a material body, but lives as a spiritual being in a spiritual body.
Footnotes:
1. Literally, a thousand stadia.
937. [verse 3] 'And no accursed thing shall be there, and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall minister unto Him' signifies that in the Church that is the New Jerusalem there will not be any who are separated from the Lord, because the Lord Himself will rule there, and those who are in truths by means of the Word from Him and are doing His commandments will be with Him, because conjoined with Him. By 'no accursed thing shall be there' is signified that in the New Jerusalem there will not be anything evil or untrue from evil that sets the Lord apart; and because evil and untruth are not given except in a recipient who is a man, it is signified that there will not be any there who are separated from the Lord. By 'an accursed thing' in the Word is understood all the evil and untruth that separate and turn away a man from the Lord, for then the man becomes a devil and a satan. By [the statement] that' the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it' is signified that the Lord Himself is going to rule in that Church, for by 'the throne' is signified the kingdom, and the Lord's kingdom is where Himself Only is worshipped. By [the statement] that 'His servants shall minister unto Him' is signified that those who are in truths by means of the Word from the Lord will be with Him and doing His commandments, because conjoined with Him. That by the Lord's 'servants' are signified those who are in truths from Him may be seen above (3, 380), and by 'ministers' those who are in good from Him (128). Consequently by the 'servants who shall minister unto Him' are signified those who are in truths derived from good by means of the Word from the Lord, and are doing His commandments.
[2] Because the Church at this day does not know that conjunction with the Lord makes heaven, and that conjunction is effected by the acknowledgment that He Himself is the God of heaven and earth, and at the same time by a life in accordance with His precepts, therefore something shall be said concerning these things. He who knows nothing concerning them can say, 'What is conjunction? How can acknowledgment and life make the conjunction? What need is there of these? Cannot every one be saved out of mercy alone? What need is there of another means of salvation than faith alone? Is not God merciful and omnipotent?' But let him know that in the spiritual world recognition and acknowledgment (cognitio et agnitio) bring about all presence, and that the affection that is of love brings about all conjunction; for the spaces there are nothing else but appearances in accordance with the likeness of minds (animus), that is, the affection and the thought therefrom. And therefore when anyone is acquainted with another, either by reputation, or as the result of business or conversation with him, or by being related to him, while he is thinking of him out of the idea of that acquaintance he appears as present, even though to all appearance he might be a thousand stadia 1away. And if anyone also loves another whom he has known he dwells with him in one society, and in one house if he loves him inmostly. This is the state of all in the whole spiritual world; and this state of all derives its origin from the fact that the Lord is present - with everyone in accordance with faith, and conjoined according to love. Faith and the consequent presence of the Lord is given by means of cognitions of the truths (veritas) derived from the Word, especially the truths there concerning the Lord Himself; but love and the consequent conjunction is given by means of a life in accordance with His precepts, for the Lord says:
He who has My precepts and does them, he it is who loves Me, and I will love him and make an abode with him. John 14:21-24.
[3] But how this comes about will also be stated. The Lord loves every one and wills to be conjoined with them, but he cannot be conjoined so long as a man is in the delight of evil, as in the delight of hating and avenging, in the delight of committing adultery and whoredom, in the delight of robbing or stealing of any kind, in the delight of blaspheming and lying, and in the lusts of the love of self and the world. For everyone who is in those things is in company with devils who are in hell. The Lord indeed loves them even there, but He cannot be conjoined with them unless the delights of those evils are removed; and these cannot be removed by the Lord unless the man examines himself so that he may know his own evils, acknowledge and confess them before the Lord, and be willing to give them up and thus to practise repentance. This the man must do as from himself, because he does not feel that he does anything from the Lord; and this [faculty] is given to the man, because conjunction in order to be conjunction must be reciprocal, of the man with the Lord and of the Lord with the man. In so far therefore as evils with their delights are being removed, so far the Lord's love enters, which, as was said, is universal towards all; and then the man is led away from hell and into heaven. The man must do this in the world, for such as a man is in the world as to his spirit such he remains to eternity, with the difference only that, if he has lived well, his state becomes more perfect, because then he is not enveloped with a material body but lives spiritually in a spiritual body.
Footnotes:
1. Plural of stadium=approx. one-eighth of a mile.
937. Verse 3. And no accursed thing shall be there, and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall minister unto Him, signifies that in the church which is the New Jerusalem, there will not be any who are separated from the Lord, because the Lord Himself will reign there; and they who are in truths from Him through the Word, and do His commandments, will be with Him, because conjoined with Him. By "no accursed thing shall be there," is signified that not any evil or falsity from evil, which separates from the Lord, will be in the New Jerusalem; and as evil and falsity are not given, except in a recipient, which is man, it is signified that not any who are separated from the Lord will be there. By "accursed thing" in the Word is meant all that evil and falsity which separates man and turns him away from the Lord; for then the man becomes a devil and a satan. By "the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it," is signified that the Lord Himself will reign in that Church; for by "a throne" is here signified a kingdom; and the Lord's kingdom is where He alone is worshiped. By "His servants shall minister unto Him," is signified that they who are in truths from the Lord through the Word will be with Him, and will do His commandments because conjoined with Him. That by "the Lord's servants" are signified they who are in truths from him, may be seen above, (3[1-3], 380); and by "ministers" those who are in good from Him, (128); hence by "the servants who will minister unto Him," are signified those who are in truths from good from the Lord through the Word, and do His commandments.
[2] Because the church at this day does not know that conjunction with the Lord makes heaven, and that conjunction is effected by the acknowledgement that He is the God of heaven and earth, and at the same time by a life according to His commandments, therefore something shall be said respecting these things. He who knows nothing about them may say, What is conjunction? How can acknowledgment and life make conjunction? What need is there of these? Cannot everyone be saved from mercy alone? What need is there of any other means of salvation than faith alone? Is not God merciful and omnipotent? But let him know that in the spiritual world knowledge and acknowledgment produce all presence, and that affection which is of love effects all conjunction. For spaces there are nothing else but appearances according to similarity of minds, that is, of affections and thence of thoughts. Wherefore when anyone knows another either by reputation, or from interaction with him, or from conversation, or from relationship, while he thinks of him from the idea of that knowledge, he becomes present with him, although he might be to appearance a thousand stadia off. And if one also loves another whom he knows, he dwells with him in one society; and if he loves him inmostly, in one house. This is the state of all in the whole spiritual world; and this state of all derives its origin from this, that the Lord is present with everyone according to faith, and is conjoined according to love. Faith, and thence the Lord's presence are given through the knowledges of truths from the Word; especially concerning the Lord Himself there; but love and thence conjunction are given through a life according to His commandments, for the Lord says:
He that hath My commandments, and doeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and I will love him; and will make an abode with him, (John 14:21-24).
[3] But how this is done shall also be told. The Lord loves everyone, and wills to be conjoined to him, but He cannot be conjoined as long as the man is in the delight of evil, as in the delight of hating and revenging, in the delight of committing adultery and whoredom, in the delight of robbing or stealing under any form, in the delight of blaspheming and lying, and in the lusts of the love of self and the world; for everyone who is in these is in companionship with the devils who are in hell. The Lord indeed loves them even there; but He cannot be conjoined with them, unless the delights of those evils are removed; and these cannot be removed by the Lord, unless the man examines himself that he may know his evils, acknowledges and confesses them before the Lord, and wills to desist from them, and thus perform repentance. This the man must do as of himself, because he does not feel that he does anything from the Lord; and this is given to man, because conjunction, that it may be conjunction, must be reciprocal, of man with the Lord, and of the Lord with man. As far therefore as evils with their delights are thus removed, so far the Lord's love enters, which, as was said, is universal towards all; and man is then led away from hell, and is led into heaven. This a man must do in the world; for such as man is in the world as to his spirit, such he remains to eternity, with the difference only, that his state becomes more perfect, if he has lived well; because he is not then clothed with a material body, but the spiritual lives in a spiritual body.
937. (Vers. 3.) "Et ullum devotum non erit ibi, et Thronus Dei et Agni in illa erit, et servi Ipsius ministrabunt Ipsi," significat quod in Ecclesia, quae Nova Hierosolyma, non aliqui separati a Domino erunt, quia Ipse Dominus ibi regnabit, et illi qui in veris per Verbum ab Ipso sunt, et faciunt mandata Ipsius, cum Ipso erunt, quia conjuncti. - Per "ullum devotum non erit ibi" significatur quod non aliquod malum aut falsum ex malo, quod separat Dominum, in Nova Hierosolyma erit; et quia malum et falsum non datur nisi in recipiente qui est homo, significatur quod non aliqui separati a Domino ibi erunt; per "devotum" in Verbo intelligitur omne id malum et falsum quod separat et avertit hominem a Domino, tunc enim ille homo fit diabolus et satanas: per quod "Thronus Dei et Agni in illa erit," significatur quod Ipse Dominus in illa Ecclesia regnaturus sit, per "Thronum" enim hic significatur Regnum, et Regnum Domini est ubi Ipse Solus colitur: per quod "servi Ipsius ministrabunt Ipsi" significatur quod qui in veris per Verbum a Domino sunt, erunt cum Ipso et facient mandata Ipsius, quia conjuncti; quod per "servos Domini" significentur qui in veris ab Ipso sunt, videatur supra (3, 380), et per "ministros" qui in bono ab Ipso sunt (128); inde per "servos qui ministrabunt Ipsi" significantur qui in veris ex bono per Verbum a Domino sunt, et faciunt mandata Ipsius. Quia Ecclesia hodie non scit quod conjunctio cum Domino faciat Caelum, et quod conjunctio fiat per agnitionem quod Ipse sit Deus Caeli et Terrae, et simul per vitam secundum praecepta Ipsius, ideo de his aliquid dicetur: - Qui de his non aliquid scit, potest dicere, Quid conjunctio; quomodo agnitio et vita potest facere conjunctionem; quid his opus est; potest ne salvari unusquisque ex sola misericordia; quid opus alio salvationis medio quam sola Fide; estne Deus misericors et omnipotens. At sciat quod in mundo spirituali cognitio et agnitio faciant omnem praesentiam, et quod affectio quae est amoris faciat omnem conjunctionem; spatia enim ibi non aliud sunt quam apparentiae secundum similitudinem animorum, hoc est, affectionum et inde cogitationum; quare cum aliquis cognoscit alterum vel ex fama, vel ex commercio cum illo, vel ex conversatione, vel ex affinitate, dum ex idea cognitionis istius de illo cogitat, sistitur ille praesens, tametsi procul foret ad mille stadia ad apparentiam; et si aliquis alterum quem cognoscit etiam amat, habitat cum illo in una societate, et si intime amat in una domo. Hic status est omnium in toto mundo spirituali; et ille status omnium trahit originem ex eo, quod Dominus unicuivis sit praesens secundum Fidem, et conjunctus secundum Amorem. Fides et inde praesentia Domini datur per cognitiones veritatum ex Verbo, imprimis de Ipso Domino ibi. Amor autem et inde conjunctio datur per vitam secundum praecepta Ipsius; nam dicit Dominus,
Qui habet praecepta Mea et facit illa, ille est qui amat Me; et amabo illum, et mansionem apud illum faciam," (Johannes 14:21-24).
Sed quomodo hoc fit, etiam dicetur: - Dominus amat unumquemvis, et vult conjungi illis; sed non potest conjungi quamdiu homo in jucundo mali est, prout in jucundo odendi et vindicandi, in jucundo adulterandi et scortandi, in jucundo depraedandi seu furandi sub aliqua specie, in jucundo blasphemandi et mentiendi, inque concupiscentiis amoris sui et mundi; omnis enim qui in illis est, in consortio est cum diabolis qui in Inferno sunt. Dominus quidem amat illos etiam ibi, sed non potest conjungi illis, nisi removeantur jucunda malorum istorum; et ea non possunt removeri a Domino, nisi homo exploret se, ut sciat sua mala, agnoscat et confiteatur illa coram Domino, ac velit desistere ab illis, et sic paenitentiam agere. Hoc faciet homo sicut a se, quia non sentit quod faciat aliquid a Domino; et hoc datum est homini, quia conjunctio, ut sit conjunctio, erit reciproca hominis cum Domino, et Domini cum homine. Quantum itaque sic removentur mala cum illorum jucundis, tantum intrat amor Domini, qui, ut dictum, est universalis erga omnes, et tunc abducitur homo ab Inferno, ac inducitur in Caelum. Hoc faciet homo in mundo; nam qualis homo est in mundo quoad spiritum, talis manet in aeternum, cum sola differentia, quod status ejus fiat perfectior, si bene vixit, quia tunc non est circumvelatus materiali corpore, sed vivit spiritualis in spirituali corpore.