241、①最有智慧的人类，就是亚当和他的妻子让自己被蛇迷惑，神却不利用祂的圣治来阻止这一切。原因在于，亚当和他的妻子不是指地上所造的第一批人，而是指上古教会的人；经上以这种方式描述他们的新造或重生；在创世记第一章，经上以天地的创造来描述他们的新造本身，也就是他们的重生；以伊甸园来描述他们的智慧和聪明；以他们吃知识树来描述这个教会的结束。因为圣言在核心处是属灵的，包含神性智慧的奥秘；并且为了包含它们，圣言完全以对应和代表写成。由此可见，上古教会的人起初是最有智慧的人，但到了最后，却由于以自己的聪明为骄傲而成了最坏的；他们不是被什么蛇迷惑，而是被自我之爱迷惑；这爱正是那被女人的种，也就是主最终踹在脚下的“蛇的头”。
凭理性，谁看不出除了文字上以历史形式叙述的内容外，还有其它意思？因为，谁能明白世界是以那里所描述的方式来创造的？这就是为何学者们试图努力解释第一章的内容，最终坦承还是不明白。这同样适用于接下来的内容，即：两棵树，一棵生命树，一棵知识树，被放在他们的园子或伊甸园中，后者如同一块绊脚石；此外，仅仅因为吃了知识树，他们就犯下如此大过，以至于不仅他们，连全人类及其子孙后代都遭到诅咒；还有，一条蛇竟然能迷惑他们等等；再如妻子是用丈夫的一根肋骨造的；堕落之后，他们意识到自己赤身露体，便拿无花果树的叶子遮住裸体，又被赋予皮衣遮体；基路伯和火焰的剑被安设来把守生命树的道路。
这一切事物都是代表，用来描述上古教会的重建，它的状态及其状态变化和最后的毁灭。关于包含在这一切事物中的奥秘，就是包含在可见于这个故事的每个细节中的灵义里面的奥秘，可参看出版于伦敦的《属天的奥秘》一书，该书解释了创世记和出埃及记。从那些解释可以看出，“生命树”表示圣治方面的主；“知识树”表示自己的谨慎方面的人类。
241. (1) That the wisest of mankind, Adam and his wife, allowed themselves to be seduced by the serpent, and that God did not by His Divine providence prevent it: God did not by His Divine providence prevent it because by Adam and his wife are not meant the very first people created in this world, but the people of the Most Ancient Church, whose new creation or regeneration is thus described. Their new creation itself or regeneration is described in the first chapter of Genesis by the creation of heaven and earth; their wisdom and intelligence by the Garden of Eden; and the end of that church by their eating of the tree of knowledge. For the Word at its core is spiritual, containing secrets of Divine wisdom, and in order for it to contain these it was written solely in terms of things that correspond and represent.
It is apparent from this that the people of that church, who in the beginning were the wisest of people, and at the end, owing to their conceit in their own intelligence, the worst, were not seduced by any serpent, but by their love of self, which in the account is the serpent's head that the seed of the woman - that is, the Lord - would trample.
[2] Who cannot see in accord with reason that something else is meant than what is related narratively there in the letter? For who can comprehend that the creation of the world could have been such as there described? That is why the learned toil to explain the contents of the first chapter, finally confessing that they do not understand them. Or who can comprehend the placement of the two trees in those people's garden or paradise, a tree of life and a tree of knowledge, the latter as a stumbling block? Moreover, that just by eating of that tree they transgressed so greatly that not only they but the whole human race as well, their posterity, became liable to damnation? Further, that some serpent could have seduced them, and other considerations as well, as that the wife was created from her husband's rib, that after the fall they realized they were naked and covered their nakedness with fig leaves, that they were given tunics of skin to cover their body, and that cherubim were placed with the flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life?
[3] All of these particulars are representative, used to describe the establishment of the Most Ancient Church, its state and change of state, and final destruction.
The secrets involved in all these things, secrets which are contained in the spiritual meaning found in each of the particulars there, may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), dealing with Genesis and Exodus, and published in London. It may be seen from those explanations also that by the tree of life there is meant the Lord as regards His Divine providence, and that by the tree of knowledge is meant mankind as regards their own prudence.
241. 1. The wisest people of all, Adam and his wife, let themselves be led astray by the serpent, and God did not use his divine providence to prevent it. The reason for this is that Adam and his wife do not mean the first people created on earth but the people of the earliest church. It is their new creation or regeneration that is being described in this way, the actual new creation or regeneration by the creation of heaven and earth in the first chapter, their wisdom and intelligence by the Garden of Eden, and the end of that church by their eating of the tree of knowledge.
At heart, the Word is spiritual, containing secrets of divine wisdom; and in order to contain them it has been written entirely in symbolic and figurative language. We can therefore see that the people of that church--who were supremely wise at first, but who eventually became the worst because of their pride in their intelligence--were not misled by any serpent but by self-love. That is the head of the serpent that the seed of the woman, that is, the Lord, would eventually trample under foot.
[2] Can anyone fail to see on rational grounds that this means more than what is being said in the literal narrative? Can anyone take in the notion that the creation of the world happened the way it is described here? That is why scholars sweat to explain what it says in this opening chapter and finally say that they do not understand it.
Then there are the two trees in the garden or paradise, one of life and one of knowledge, with the second there to make problems; and there is the fact that simply eating from this tree is such an immense sin that not only Adam and Eve but the whole human race as well, as their descendants, became liable to damnation. There is the serpent's ability to mislead them, along with other matters; there is the creation of the wife from her husband's rib; there is their recognition of their nakedness after the fall and covering themselves with fig leaves; there is the provision of leather garments to cover their bodies; and there is the stationing of the cherub with a flaming sword to guard the path to the tree of life.
[3] These are all images used to describe the establishment of the earliest church, its state and its change, and eventually its demise. You may find explanation of the secrets of them all, secrets contained in that spiritual meaning that is in the details, in the volumes on Genesis and Exodus published in London under the title Secrets of Heaven.
We may conclude, then, that the tree of life in Genesis means the Lord as to his divine providence, and that the tree of knowledge means humanity as to its own prudence.
241. 1. CONFIRMATIONS FROM THE WORD IN FAVOUR OF NATURE AGAINST GOD, AND IN FAVOUR OF HUMAN PRUDENCE AGAINST THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE. (Summarised in n. 236.)
1. The wisest of men, Adam, and his wife suffered themselves to be led astray by a serpent, and God did not avert this by His Divine Providence. This is because by Adam and his wife are not meant the first of all mankind that were created in this world, but the men of the Most Ancient Church; and their new creation or regeneration is thus described. Their new creation itself that is, their regeneration, is described in the first chapter [of Genesis] by the creation of heaven and earth; their wisdom and intelligence by the Garden of Eden; and the end of that Church by their eating of the tree of knowledge. For the Word in its inner content is spiritual, containing interior truths (arcana) of Divine Wisdom; and in order that it may contain these it is written wholly by correspondences and representatives. From this it is manifest that the men of that Church, who were in the beginning the wisest of men, and who in the end, from the pride of their own intelligence, became the worst, were not led astray by any serpent but by the love of self there denoted by the serpent's head, which the Seed of the woman, that is, the Lord should bruise.
[2] Who cannot see from reason that other things are meant than those that are there related in the form of history in the Letter? For who can comprehend that the creation of the world could have taken place as is there described? Therefore, the learned expend much labour in the explanation of that first chapter, and confess after all that they do not understand it. The same is true of what follows. It is recorded that in their garden or paradise were placed two trees, a tree of life and a tree of knowledge, the latter as a stumbling-block. Also, that from the mere eating of this tree they so far transgressed that not only they but the whole human race, their posterity, became subject to condemnation. Further, that a serpent was able to lead them astray; besides other things there related, as that the wife was created from a rib of the husband; that after the fall they acknowledged their nakedness and covered it with fig-leaves, and that coats of skin were given them to cover their bodies; and that cherubim with a flaming sword were placed to guard the way to the tree of life.
[3] All these things are representatives, describing the Establishment of the Most Ancient Church, its state, its change, and finally its destruction. The interior truths involved in all these things which are contained in the spiritual sense that is in every detail of the story, may be seen explained in the ARCANA CAELESTIA, on Genesis and Exodus, published in London, from which it may be evident that by the tree of life is there meant the Lord in respect to His Divine Providence, and by the tree of knowledge is meant man in respect to his own prudence.
241. (1.) The wisest of mankind, Adam and his wife, suffered themselves to be seduced by a serpent, and God did not avert this by His Divine providence. This is so, inasmuch as by Adam and his wife the first of all mankind that were created on this earth are not meant, but the men of the Most Ancient Church; and their new creation or their regeneration is thus described. Their new creation itself, that is, their regeneration, is described in the first chapter of Genesis by the creation of heaven and earth; their wisdom and intelligence by the garden of Eden; and the end of that church by their eating from the tree of knowledge. For the Word in its bosom is spiritual, containing arcana of Divine wisdom; and that it may contain these it is written throughout wholly by correspondences and representatives. This makes clear that the men of that church, who were in the beginning the wisest of men, but in the end, from the conceit of their own intelligence, became the worst, were not seduced by any serpent, but by the love of self; and it is this that is meant by "the serpent's head" that the Seed of the woman, that is, the Lord, should bruise.
[2] Who is not able to see from reason that other things are meant than those that are there related historically in the letter? For who can comprehend how the world could have been created in the way there described? Therefore the learned strenuously try to explain the contents of that first chapter, and at length confess that they do not understand it. And the same is true of what follows, that two trees, a tree of life and a tree of knowledge, were placed in their garden or paradise, the latter as a cause of stumbling; also, that from the mere eating of this tree they so far transgressed that not only they but the whole human race, their posterity, became subject to damnation; furthermore, that they could have been seduced by a serpent; besides other things there stated; as that the wife was created from the rib of the husband; that after their fall they acknowledged their nakedness and covered it with fig-leaves, and that coats of skin were given them for bodily coverings; and that cherubim were placed with a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life.
[3] All these things are representatives, depicting the establishment of the Most Ancient Church, its condition, its change, and finally its destruction. The arcana involved in all these things, which are contained in the spiritual sense that is in every particular of the story, may be found explained in the Arcana Coelestia on Genesis and Exodus, published at London; and it can there be seen that "the tree of life" means the Lord in respect to His Divine providence; and "the tree of knowledge" means man in respect to his own prudence.
241. I. Quod sapientissimi hominum, 1Adamus et ejus 2Uxor, se passi sint a serpente seduci, et quod Deus hoc per Divinam suam Providentiam non averterit, est quia per Adamum et ejus uxorem non intelliguntur omnium primi homines in hoc Mundo creati, sed homines Antiquissimae Ecclesiae, quorum nova Creatio seu regeneratio ita descripta est; ipsa nova Creatio seu Regeneratio illorum in Capite Primo [Geneseos] per Creationem Coeli et Terrae; sapientia ac intelligentia illorum per hortum Edenis; ac finis illius Ecclesiae per esum ex arbore scientiae: Verbum enim in sinu suo est spirituale, continens arcana Divinae Sapientiae, ac ut illa contineantur, conscriptum est per meras correspondentias et repraesentationes. Ex quibus patet, quod illius Ecclesiae homines, qui principio fuerunt sapientissimi, et in fine ex fastu propriae intelligentiae pessimi, non seducti sint ab aliquo serpente, sed ab amore sui, qui ibi est caput serpentis, quod Semen mulieris, hoc est, Dominus, proculcaturus est.
[2] Quis non potest ex ratione videre, quod alia, quam quae historice ibi in litera memorata sunt, intelligantur: quis enim potest comprehendere, quod creatio mundi potuerit talis esse, sicut ibi describitur, quare etiam sudant eruditi in explicatione illorum, quae in Primo 3Capite sunt, fatentes tandem quod non intelligant; tum quod in horto seu paradiso illorum positae fuerint binae Arbores, una vitae et una scientiae, et haec in offendiculum: ut et, quod ex solo esu 4hujus arboris in tantum praevaricati sint, ut non solum illi, sed etiam universum genus humanum, posteritas illorum, damnationi obnoxii fierent: porro, quod aliquis serpens potuisset illos seducere, praeter alia ibi, ut quod uxor creata sit ex costa mariti; quod nuditatem suam agnoverint post lapsum, ac velaverint illam foliis ficus, et quod datae illis sint tunicae pellis ad velandum corpus; et quod positi sint cherubi cum ense flammante ad custodiendum viam ad arborem vitae.
[3] Haec omnia sunt repraesentativa, per quae describitur Antiquissimae Ecclesiae instauratio, 5status et ejus mutatio, et demum destructio: arcana omnium illorum, quae in sensu spirituali, qui est in singulis ibi, continentur, explicata videantur in ARCANIS COELESTIBUS super Genesin et Exodum Londini editis: ex quibus etiam constare potest, quod per Arborem vitae ibi intelligatur Dominus quoad Divinam Ipsius Providentiam, et quod per Arborem scientiae intelligatur homo quoad propriam prudentiam.
Footnotes:
1 Prima editio: bominum,
2 Prima editio: ejus
3 Prima editio: Ptimo
4 Prima editio: efu
5 Prima editio: instrauratio,