535、这事过后，我听见地下传来怀有敌意的低语，伴随着这些话：“行一些神迹，我们就会相信。”“难道这些不是神迹？”我反问。
“不是。”
“那什么是神迹？”
“展现并揭示未来，我们必信你。”
“从天上得到这类启示是不可能的，因为人越知道未来，他的理性和理解力，连同他的谨慎和智慧就越荒废，变得不活跃并衰退。”
我又问：“我还要行出什么样的神迹？”
“就像摩西在埃及所行的。”
“恐怕你们会像法老和埃及人那样心硬。”
“不会。”
“你们向我保证，你们不会围着金牛犊（‘金牛犊’在灵义上是指肉体的乐趣）跳舞，并向它下拜，像雅各的后代那样，因为他们在看见整个西乃山燃烧起来，听见耶和华亲自从火中说话，也就是说，在看见最大的神迹之后一个月的时间内，就做出这种事来。”
“我们必不像雅各的后代。”
不过，这时，我听见从天上向他们传来的消息：“你们若不相信摩西和众先知，也就是主的圣言，就不会凭神迹相信，和雅各的子孙在旷野中所行的一样。你们也必与那些亲眼看见主本人在世时所行神迹的人一样不相信。”（全书完）
535、之后我听到下面的人群有恶意的话语。他们喊道：“创造奇迹吧，那样我们就会相信！”
我问他们这些启示录不是一种奇迹吗，他们说：“不是。”
于是我问他们要什么样的奇迹，他们说：“告诉我们将要发生的事情，我们就会相信。”
我答道：“这样的知识天国不允许。因为人若知道了将来要发生的事，人的理性和理解力就会处于被动状态，会变得不积极并丧失掉。”
我又问：“我还要做什么样的奇迹呢？”
我听到他们喊：“做象摩西在埃及时那样的奇迹！”
我说：“你们也许会象法老和埃及人一样变得狠心。”
他们说不会。
我又说：“向我保证你们不会象约旧的后代那样围着金牛跳舞并敬拜它。他们在看到西奈山着火并听到耶和华从火中传来的声音后不那么做了。金牛的精神含义是指躯体的快乐。”
人们回答道：“我们不会象约伯的后代那样。”
但这时我听到天国中一个声音对他们说：“若你们不相信摩西和使徒们，也就是说主的话，你们也就不会比约伯的后代有更多的见解。也不会比他们更多地相信主在世间时创造的奇迹。”
535. After this I heard a threatening murmur coming from the underworld, accompanied by these words, 'Perform some miracles, and we shall believe.' 'Are these not miracles?' I asked in reply. 'No,' they answered. 'What miracles then?' I asked. 'Make plain and reveal the future,' they said, 'and we shall have faith in you.' But I answered them, 'Such revelations from heaven are impossible, because in so far as a person knows the future, so far does his reason and intellect, together with his prudence and wisdom, fall into disuse, become inactive and collapse.'
I asked again, 'What miracles am I to perform?' Then a shout went up, 'Do ones like Moses did in Egypt.' 'Perhaps,' I replied, 'you might harden your hearts at them, like Pharaoh and the Egyptians.' They replied that they would not. But I said again, 'Promise me that you will not dance around the golden calf and worship it like the descendants of Jacob, as they did within the space of a month after seeing the whole of Mount Sinai ablaze, and hearing Jehovah Himself speaking out of the fire; that is to say, after the greatest of miracles. (The golden calf in the spiritual sense is the pleasures of the flesh.) A reply came from below, 'We shall not be like the descendants of Jacob.'
But then I heard this message given to them from heaven. 'If you do not believe Moses and the Prophets, that is, the Word of the Lord, you will no more be made to believe by miracles than were Jacob's sons in the desert. Nor will you believe any more than those did who saw with their own eyes the miracles performed by the Lord Himself, when He was in the world.'
535. After that I heard a hostile murmur from people below, and at the same time this cry, "Do miracles and we will believe!"
In response I asked whether these revelations were not miracles, and received the reply, "They are not."
So I asked what miracles they meant, then, and was told, "Show us and reveal to us things to come and we will believe."
But I replied, "Such knowledge is not granted from heaven, since to the degree that a person knows things to come, his reason and understanding fall with his prudence and wisdom into a state of passivity, become inactive, and are overthrown."
Again therefore I asked, "What other miracles shall I do?"
Whereupon I then heard the cry, "Do miracles like the ones Moses did in Egypt!"
To that I replied, "Perhaps you will harden your hearts to them as Pharaoh and the Egyptians did."
And they answered that they would not.
Again I said, however, "Swear to me that you will not dance around a golden calf and worship it like the posterity of Jacob, 1which they did within the space of a month after they saw the whole of Mount Sinai ablaze and heard Jehovah Himself speaking from out of the fire, 2thus which they did following a miracle which was the greatest of all. A golden calf in the spiritual sense is the pleasure of the flesh."
And the people replied from below, "We will not be like the posterity of Jacob."
But at that I then heard this declaration to them from heaven, "If you do not believe Moses and the prophets, which is to say, the Word of the Lord, you will not believe as a result of miracles any more than the children of Jacob did in the wilderness; neither any more than those others believed when they saw with their own eyes the miracles the Lord Himself performed when He was in the world." 3
Footnotes:
1. Exodus 32.
2. Exodus 19:16-20.
3. Cf. Luke 16:31.
INDEX OF NARRATIVE ACCOUNTS
Conjugial love seen in its embodiment in a married couple conveyed down from heaven (nos. 42, 43).
Three newcomers from the world instructed about marriages in heaven (no. 44).
Concerning a chaste love for the opposite sex (no. 55).
The Temple of Wisdom, where wise men discussed the reasons for the beauty in the female sex (no. 56).
Conjugial love among people who lived in the golden age (no. 75).
Among people who lived in the silver age (no. 76).
Among people who lived in the copper age (no. 77).
Among people who lived in the iron age (no. 78).
Among peoples who lived after those ages (nos. 79, 80).
A glorification of the Lord by angels in the heavens on account of His advent, and celebrating then conjugial love (no. 81).
The precepts of the New Church (no. 82).
The origin of conjugial love and its vigor or potency, discussed by wise men assembled from the European world (nos. 103-114).
A piece of paper sent down from heaven to the earth, on which was written, "The marriage between good and truth" (no. 115).
What the image and likeness of God are, and what the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are (nos. 132-136).
Two angels from the third heaven on conjugial love there (no. 137).
Some men of olden times in Greece, who inquired of newcomers what news they had from earth and learned of people found in a forest there (nos. 151 [repeated]-154 [repeated]).
Golden rain, and a hall where some wives made various comments on the subject of conjugial love (no. 155 [repeated]).
Some sages of olden times in Greece on people's life after death (no. 182).
A wedding garden called Adramandoni, where a conversation took place on the influx of conjugial love (no. 183).
Some sages of olden times in Greece on occupations in heaven (no. 207).
The golden rain and hall, where some wives spoke again on the subject of conjugial love (no. 208).
The judges swayed by partiality, who were the subject of the cry, "Oh, how just!" (no. 231).
The reasoners who were the subject of the cry, "Oh, how learned!" (no. 232).
The confirmers who were the subject of the cry, "Oh, how wise!" (no. 233).
On people who are motivated by a love of governing from love of self (nos. 261-266).
On people who are motivated by a love of possessing all the goods of the world (nos. 267, 268).
"Lucifer" (no. 269).
On coldness in marriage (no. 270).
Seven wives sitting in a rose garden, who made various comments on the subject of conjugial love (no. 293).
The same wives on the prudence of women (no. 294).
A discussion of what the soul is and the nature of it (no. 315).
A garden where a discourse occurred on the subject of Divine providence in relation to marriages (no. 316).
The difference between the spiritual and the natural (nos. 326-329).
Discussions as to whether a woman loves her husband if she loves herself on account of her beauty, and whether a man loves his wife if he loves himself on account of his intelligence (nos. 330, 331).
On one's own prudence (nos. 353, 354).
On the continual ability to make love to one's wife in heaven (nos. 355, 356).
A discussion as to whether nature is a product of life, or life a product of nature, and how this applies to the center and expanse of life and nature (no. 380).
Some lecturers speaking on the origin of the beauty of the feminine sex (nos. 381-384).
On the point that everything that arises or occurs in the natural world comes from the Lord through the spiritual world (nos. 415-422).
Some angels who did not know what licentiousness was (no. 444).
On delight, that it is the universal characteristic of heaven and hell (no. 461).
An adulterer taken up into heaven, where he saw contrary sights (no. 477).
Three priests whom adulterers denounced (no. 500).
On purposeful and deliberate adulterers, that they do not acknowledge anything having to do with heaven and the church (nos. 521, 522).
The new things revealed by the Lord (nos. 532-535).
THEOLOGICAL BOOKS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED BY ME
Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), which contain an exegesis of Genesis and Exodus. 8 volumes. London, 1747-1758.
Heaven and Hell. The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine. The Last Judgment. The White Horse. The Earths in the Universe. London, 1758.
The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord. The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture. The Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem. [The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding Faith.] A Continuation Concerning the Last Judgment and the Spiritual World. Amsterdam, 1763.
Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Providence. Also, Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom. Amsterdam, 1763-1764. 1
The Apocalypse Revealed. Amsterdam, 1766.
These books are still being sold in London, at the establishment of Mr. John Hart, Printer, in Poppings Court, Fleet Street, and at the establishment of Mr. John Lewis, in Paternoster Row, near Cheapside.
In two years you will see the doctrine of the New Church, the church foretold by the Lord in the book of Revelation, chapters 21 and 22, presented in fullness. 2
1. Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom was in fact published before the work on Divine providence, toward the end of 1763, and Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Providence in 1764.
2. A reference to True Christian Religion, Containing the Universal Theology of the New Church, which was published in Amsterdam in 1771.
535. After this I heard a hostile murmur from those below and with it these words, "Do miracles and we'll believe."
I asked, "Aren't these things miracles?"
The answer was, "They are not."
"So what are miracles?" I asked.
"Disclose and reveal the future and we'll have faith."
But I answered, "Heaven does not grant things like that, because to the extent that a person knows the future his reason and intellect, together with his prudence and wisdom, fall idle, go numb, and collapse." And again I asked, "What other miracles shall I do?"
They shouted, "Do miracles like the ones Moses did in Egypt."
To this I answered, "Maybe you'll harden your heart to them like Pharaoh and the Egyptians."
The answer was, "No, we won't."
But again I said, "Promise me you aren't going to dance around a golden calf and worship it as the descendants of Jacob did within a month after they saw all Mount Sinai on fire and heard Jehovah Himself speaking from the fire - in other words, after a miracle that was the greatest of all." (The spiritual meaning of a golden calf is physical pleasure.)
The response from below was, "We won't be like the descendants of Jacob."
But then I heard this spoken to them from heaven. "If you do not believe Moses and the Prophets, that is, the Word of the Lord, you'll not believe on account of miracles any more than the descendants of Jacob in the desert, nor any more than they believed when they saw with their own eyes the miracles the Lord did when He was in the world."
535. After this I heard a hostile murmur from those below, and at the same time the words, "Do miracles and we will believe." To my question, "Are not these things miracles?" they answered, "They are not!" I then asked, "What miracles then?" and the answer came, "Show and reveal the future, and we will have faith."
"But" I replied, "such knowledges are not given from heaven, because in so far as man knows the future, his reason and understanding with his prudence and wisdom fall into inactivity, become torpid, and decay." And again I asked, "What other miracles shall I do?"
Then came the cry, "Do miracles like those which Moses did in Egypt;" to which I replied, "Perhaps you would harden your hearts at them, as did Pharaoh and the Egyptians." The answer came that they would not; and again I said: "Assure me that you will not dance around a golden calf and adore it, as Jacob's posterity did within a month after they had seen the whole of Mount Sinai on fire and heard Jehovah Himself speaking out of the fire; thus, after a miracle which was the greatest of all." (In the spiritual sense, a golden calf is the pleasure of the flesh.) And from below came the answer, "We will not be like Jacob's posterity."
Then I heard it said to them from heaven: "If you believe not Moses and the Prophets, that is, the Word of the Lord, you would no more believe from miracles than did the sons of Jacob in the wilderness, nor, indeed, more than they believed when they saw with their own eyes the miracles done by the Lord when He was in the world."
535. After this I heard a hostile murmur from the lower regions, and at the same time the words, "Do miracles and we will believe."
I asked, "Are these not miracles?"
They answered, "No!"
"What miracles will you have then?" I asked. "Discover and reveal things to come, and we will have faith."
"But," I replied, "such things are not given from heaven. For as far as man knows the future, his reason and understanding, with his prudence and wisdom, fall into inaction, become torpid and decay." I asked again, "What other miracles am I to do?"
And they clamored, "Do miracles like those done by Moses in Egypt."
To this I replied, "You might harden your hearts at them like Pharaoh and the Egyptians."
They answered that they would not.
Again I said, "Assure me that you will not dance around the golden calf and worship it, as the posterity of Jacob did within the space of a month after they had seen Mount Sinai all afire, and had heard Jehovah Himself speaking out of the fire, thus after the miracle which was the greatest of all." ("A golden calf," in the spiritual sense, is the pleasure of the flesh.)
The answer from below was, "We shall not be like the posterity of Jacob."
But I heard them being told from heaven, "If you believe not Moses and the Prophets, that is, the Word of the Lord, you will no more believe on account of miracles than the sons of Jacob did in the wilderness, no more indeed than they believed when they saw with their eyes the miracles which the Lord Himself wrought when He was in the world."
535. After this I heard a hostile murmur from those below, and at the same time these words, 'Work miracles and we will believe.' I asked, 'Are not these miracles?'
And they answered, 'No!' I asked, 'What miracles then?'
And it was said: 'Discover and reveal things to come, and we shall have faith.'
'But,' I replied, 'such things are not given from heaven, because in so far as man knows the future his reason and understanding, with his prudence and wisdom, fall into inaction, and become torpid and decay.' And I asked again, 'What other miracles shall I do?'
'And then the cry was made, 'Perform miracles like those which Moses did in Egypt.'
To this I answered, 'Perhaps you would harden your hearts at them, as Pharaoh and the Egyptians did.'
It was answered that they would not.
And again I said, 'Assure me that you will not dance around a golden calf and adore it, as the posterity of Jacob did within the space of a month after they had seen the whole of Mount Sinai on fire, and heard Jehovah Himself speaking out of the fire, thus after a miracle which was the greatest of all.' ('A golden calf' in the spiritual sense is the pleasure of the flesh.)
And it was answered from below, 'We shall not be like the posterity of Jacob.'
But I then heard it said to them from heaven, 'If you believe not Moses and the Prophets, that is, the Word of the Lord, you would no more believe from miracles, than did the sons of Jacob in the wilderness, no more indeed than they believed when they saw with their own eyes the miracles which the Lord Himself wrought when He was in the world.'
535. Post haec audivi infestum murmur ex inferis, et simul has voces, "fac Miracula et credemus;" et quaesivi numne illa sunt miracula, et responsum est, "non sunt;" et quaesivi, quae ergo miracula, et dictum est, "manifesta et revela futura, et fidem habebimus;" sed respondi, "talia e Coelo non dantur, quoniam quantum homo scit futura, tantum ejus ratio et intellectus cum prudentia et sapientia, cadit in otium, torpet, et labefactatur:" et iterum quaesivi, "quae alia Miracula faciam;" et tunc clamatum est, "fac similia quae Moses in Aegypto;" ad hoc respondi, "forte ad illa obduraturi estis corda vestra sicut Pharao et Aegyptii;" et responsum est, quod non; at iterum dixi, "asseverate mihi, quod non saltaturi sitis circum Vitulum aureum, et adoraturi illum sicut posteri Jacobi, quod fecerunt a Mensis spatio postquam viderunt totum Montem Sinai ardentem, et audiverunt Ipsum Jehovam ex igne loquentem, ita post miraculum, quod erat omnium maximum; Vitulus aureus in Spirituali sensu est Voluptas carnis;" et responsum est ex inferis, "non erimus sicut posteri Jacobi." At tunc audivi hoc e Coelo illis dictum, "si non creditis Mosen et Prophetas, hoc est, Verbum Domini, non credetis ex Miraculis plus quam filii Jacobi in deserto; neve plus quam illi crediderunt, dum suis oculis viderunt Miracula ab Ipso Domino, dum fuit in Mundo, facta."