11、除了神是一位人外，所有天堂对于神没有其它观念。原因在于，天堂无论整体还是部分，在形式上都像一个人；而构成天堂的，正是天使里面的神性。此外，由于思维照天堂的形式发出，所以天使不可能以任何其它方式思想神。同样的原因，凡与天堂联结的世人，当从内在思考，也就是在灵里思考时，也以同样的方式思想神。正因神是一位人，故所有天使和灵人都是完整形式的人。这是源于天堂的形式，天堂的形式在其最大和最小部分上都像它自身。
从《天堂与地狱》一书可以看出：天堂无论整体还是部分，在形式上都像一个人(59-87节)；思维照天堂的形式发出(203，204节)。从创世记(1:26-27)可知，人是照着神的形像和样式造的，神还向亚伯拉罕和其他人显为一位人。古人，从智慧人甚至到简单人，都想到神是一位人；即便最后开始敬拜多神，如在雅典和罗马，他们仍将这些神作为人来敬拜。
下面我引用之前出版的一部小作，来对此进行说明：(外邦人，尤其非洲人)只承认和敬拜作为宇宙创造者的一位神，承认并敬拜一位神，宇宙创造者的非洲人，对于神都持祂是一位人的观念，声称人对神不可能有其它任何观念。当听说有许多人认为神是宇宙中心的某种云状物时，他们就问这种人在哪里；当有人说他们就在基督徒当中时，他们说这不可能。不过，他们被告知，这种观念起因于以下事实：在圣言中，神被称为“一个灵”；对于灵，他们没有其它概念，只会想到一点云雾；不知道每个灵人和每位天使都是一个人。不过，这些基督徒接受检查，以查看他们的属灵观念是否就像他们的属世观念，结果发现它在那些从心里承认主为天地之神的人里面不是这样的。我在基督徒当中听一位教会长老说，没有人能持有一个神性人身的概念；于是我见他被逐步带到越来越内在的各外邦民族那里，从他们那里又被带到他们的天堂，最后被带到基督天堂；所到之处，他们对于神的内在感知都传给他；他发现，除了神是一位人，也就是神性人身的观念外，他们对神并没有其它观念。
注：所引用的内容出自1763年出版的《最后的审判(续)》(74节)。
11. God is the essential person. Throughout all the heavens, the only concept of God is a concept of a person. The reason is that heaven, overall and regionally, is in a kind of human form, and Divinity among the angels is what makes heaven. Further, thinking proceeds in keeping with heaven's form, so it is not possible for angels to think about God in any other way. This is why all the people on earth who are in touch with heaven think about God in the same way when they are thinking very deeply, or in their spirit.
It is because God is a person that all angels and spirits are perfectly formed people. This is because of heaven's form, which is the same in its largest and its smallest manifestations. (On heaven being in a human form overall and regionally, see Genesis 1:26-27 and from the fact that Abraham and others saw God as a person.
The early people, wise and simple alike, thought of God only as a person. Even when they began to worship many gods, as they did in Athens and Rome, they worshiped them as persons. By way of illustration, here is an excerpt from an earlier booklet.
Non-Christians--especially Africans--who acknowledge and worship one God as the Creator of the universe conceive of that God as a person. They say that no one can have any other concept of God. When they hear that many people prefer an image of God as a little cloud in the center, they ask where these people are; and when they are told that these people are among the Christians, they respond that this is impossible. They are told, however, that Christians get this idea from the fact that in the Word God is called a spirit; and the only concept they have of spirit is of a piece of cloud. They do not realize that every spirit and every angel is a person. However, when inquiry was made to find out whether their spiritual concept was the same as their earthly one, it turned out that it was not the same for people who inwardly recognized the Lord as the God of heaven and earth.
I heard one Christian elder say that no one could have a concept of a being both divine and human; and I saw him taken to various non-Christians, more and more profound ones. Then he was taken to their heavens, and finally to a heaven of Christians. Through the whole process people's inner perception of God was communicated to him, and he came to realize that their only concept of God was a concept of a person--which is the same as a concept of a being both divine and human.
11. God is supremely human. Throughout the heavens one finds no other idea of God than the idea of a person. The reason is that heaven in its totality and in every part is in its form as though a single person, and it is the Divine existing in angels which forms heaven. Thought, moreover, proceeds in accordance with the form of heaven. Consequently it is impossible for angels to think of God in any other way. For the same reason, all people in the world who are conjoined with heaven think similarly of God when they think inwardly in themselves or in their spirit.
It is because God is human that all angels and all spirits are human beings in perfect form. The form of heaven causes this, its form being the same in its greatest and in its least constituents.
(That heaven in its totality and in every part is in its form as though a single person may be seen in the book Heaven and Hell, nos. 59-87; and that thoughts proceed in accordance with the form of heaven in nos. 203-204. That people were created in the image and likeness of God is known from Genesis 1:26-27; and it is also known that God appeared as a person to Abraham and others.)
People in ancient times, from the wise to the simple among them, thought of God only as a person, and when they eventually began to worship a plurality of gods, as they did in Athens and Rome, they worshiped them all as persons.
[2] These observations may be illustrated by the following account, which we related in a short work previously: 1
(Gentiles, especially Africans,) who acknowledge and worship one God as the creator of the universe, have of God the idea of a person. They say that no one can have any other idea of God. When they hear that many people entertain an idea of God as a kind of small cloud (at the center of the universe), they ask where those people are, and when they are told that they are found among Christians, they say it is not possible. But they are informed in reply that those Christians acquire that idea of theirs from the fact that in the Word God is called a spirit, 2 and they think of spirit only in the way that they do of a bit of vapor, not knowing that every spirit and every angel is a person.
Nevertheless, those Christians were examined to see whether their spiritual idea was like their natural idea, and it was found not to be like it in those who inwardly acknowledged the Lord as God of heaven and earth.
I heard one church elder among the Christians saying that no one can have the idea of a Divine Human. I then saw him conveyed to various gentile nations, to progressively more and more interior ones, and from these to their heavens, and finally to the Christian heaven, everywhere having communicated to him the inhabitants' interior perception of God; and he observed that they had no other idea of God than that of a person, which is the same as the idea of a Divine Human.
Footnotes:
1. See CONTINUATION CONCERNING THE LAST JUDGMENT AND THE SPIRITUAL WORLD, no. 74.
2. John 4:24. Cf. 2 Corinthians 3:17.
11. GOD IS VERY MAN
There is in all the heavens no other idea of God than the idea of a Man. The reason is that heaven as a whole and in part is in form like a Man, and the Divine which is with the angels makes heaven. For this reason it is impossible for the angels to think about God in any other way. And so it is that all those in the world who are conjoined with heaven think about God in the same way when they think interiorly in themselves or in their spirit. From the fact that God is a Man, all angels and all spirits are men in complete form. This is brought about by the form of heaven which is like itself in the greatest and least things. That heaven as a whole and in part is in form like a Man may be seen in the work HEAVEN AND HELL (59-87); and that thoughts go forth in accordance with the form of heaven (203, 204). It is known from Gen. 1:26-27 that men were created after the image and likeness of God; also that God was seen as a Man by Abraham and others. The ancients, from the wise even to the simple, thought about God in no other way than as a Man. And when at length they began to worship many gods, as at Athens and Rome, they worshipped them all as men. These statements can be illustrated by the [things] following, which were treated of in a certain small work 1 already published:
The Gentiles, especially the Africans, who acknowledge and worship One God, the Creator of the universe, have concerning God the idea of a Man. They say that no-one can have any other idea of God. When they hear that many foster the idea of God as something cloud-like in the midst, they ask wherever are they? And when it is said that they are among the Christians, they declare it is not possible. But it is answered that they have such an idea from the fact that, in the Word, God is called a Spirit, and they think of a spirit in no other way than as of particles of clouds, not knowing that every spirit and every angel is a man. But still examination has been made as to whether their spiritual idea is like their natural one, and it has been found that it is not the same with those who inwardly acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth. I heard a certain clergyman from the Christians saying that no-one can have an idea of a Divine Human, and I saw him led about to various Gentiles successively more and more interior, and from them to their heavens, and at length to the Christian heaven, and everywhere communication of their more interior perception concerning God was given him. He then noticed that they had no other idea of God than the idea of a Man, which is the same as the idea of a Divine Human.
Footnotes:
1. Quotation from the CONTINUATION OF THE LAST JUDGMENT (published in 1763),74
11. GOD IS VERY MAN.
In all the heavens there is no other idea of God than that He is a Man. This is because heaven as a whole and in part is in form like a man, and because it is the Divine which is with the angels that constitutes heaven and inasmuch as thought proceeds according to the form of heaven, it is impossible for the angels to think of God in any other way. From this it is that all those in the world who are conjoined with heaven think of God in the same way when they think interiorly in themselves, that is, in their spirit. From this fact that God is a Man, all angels and all spirits, in their complete form, are men. This results from the form of heaven, which is like itself in its greatest and in its least parts. That heaven as a whole and in part is in form like a man may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell (n. 59-87); and that thoughts proceed according to the form of heaven (n. 203, 204). It is known from Genesis (1:26, 27), that men were created after the image and likeness of God. God also appeared as a man to Abraham and to others. The ancients, from the wise even to the simple, thought of God no otherwise than as being a Man; and when at length they began to worship a plurality of gods, as at Athens and Rome, they worshiped them all as men. What is here said may be illustrated by the following extract from a small treatise already published:
The Gentiles, especially the Africans, who acknowledge and worship one God, the Creator of the universe, have concerning God the idea that He is a Man, and declare that no one can have any other idea of God. When they learn that there are many who cherish an idea of God as something cloud-like in the midst of things, they ask where such persons are; and on being told that they are among Christians, they declare it to be impossible. They are informed, however, that this idea arises from the fact that God in the Word is called "a Spirit," and of a spirit they have no other idea than of a bit of cloud, not knowing that every spirit and every angel is a man. An examination, nevertheless, was made, whether the spiritual idea of such persons was like their natural idea, and it was found not to be so with those who acknowledge the Lord interiorly as God of heaven and earth. I heard a certain elder from the Christians say that no one can have an idea of a Human Divine; and I saw him taken about to various Gentile nations, and successively to such as were more and more interior, and from them to their heavens, and finally to the Christian heaven; and everywhere their interior perception concerning God was communicated to him, and he observed that they had no other idea of God than that He is a man, which is the same as the idea of a Human Divine (C.L.J. n. 74).
11. QUOD DEUS SIT IPSE HOMO. In omnibus Coelis non alia idea Dei est quam idea Hominis; causa est, quia Coelum in toto et in parte est in forma sicut Homo, ac Divinum, quod est apud angelos, facit Coelum; et cogitatio vadit secundum formam Coeli; quare aliter cogitare de Deo angelis impossibile est: inde est, quod omnes illi in mundo, qui conjuncti sunt Coelo, similiter de Deo, cum interius in se seu in suo spiritu, cogitent. Ex eo quod Deus sit Homo, omnes angeli et omnes spiritus, in perfecta forma homines sunt; forma Coeli hoc facit, quae in maximis et in minimis est sibi similis: quod Coelum in toto et in parte sit in forma ut Homo videatur in Opere de COELO ET INFERNO 59-87: et quod cogitationes vadant secundum formam coeli, de COELO ET INFERNO 203-204. Quod homines ad imaginem et ad similitudinem Dei creati sint, notum est, ex Genesis 1:26-27; tum quod Deus visus sit ut Homo Abrahamo, et aliis. Antiqui, a sapientibus usque ad simplices, non aliter de Deo quam ut de Homine, cogitaverunt, et tandem cum plures deos coeperunt colere, ut Athenis et Romae, coluerunt omnes ut homines.
[2] Haec illustrari possunt per haec sequentia, de quibus in quodam Opusculo prius: 1 "Gentes, imprimis Africani, qui unum Deum Creatorem universi agnoscunt et colunt, ideam Hominis de Deo habent; dicunt quod nemo aliam de Deo possit habere: cum audiunt quod plures de Deo foveant ideam sicut Nubeculae in medio [universi], quaerunt ubinam illi sunt, et cum dicitur quod sint inter Christianos, negant quod dabile sit; sed respondetur, quod sit illis talis idea ex eo, quod Deus in Verbo dicatur Spiritus, et de spiritu non aliter cogitant, quam sicut de particula nubis, non scientes quod omnis spiritus et omnis angelus sit homo: at usque exploratum est, num spiritualis illorum idea sit similis ideae illorum naturali, et compertum est quod non similis sit apud illos, qui Dominum pro Deo coeli et terrae interius agnoscunt. Audivi quendam Presbyterum ex Christianis dicentem, quod nemo possit habere ideam Divini Humani; et vidi illum translatum ad varias Gentes, successive ad interiores et interiores, et ab illis ad Coelos earum, et tandem ad Coelum Christianum, et ubivis data est communicatio perceptionis interioris eorum de Deo, et animadvertit quod non alia illis idea Dei esset quam idea Hominis, quae eadem est cum idea Divini Humani." 2
Footnotes:
1. Interpunctum additum
2. Continuatio de Ultimo Judicio, et de Mundo Spirituali, Continuatio 74.