Faith53.非利士人代表那些处于与仁分离之信的人，这一点也可从论述他们的圣言预言部分明显看出来，如以下经文：
论到非利士人：看哪，有水从北方涨起，成为涨溢的河，要涨过遍地和其中所有的，并城和其中所住的。人必呼喊，那地的居民都必哀号。耶和华要使非利士人荒废。（耶利米书47:1-2，4）
“有水从北方涨起”是指来自地狱的虚假；它们“成为涨溢的河，要涨过遍地和其中所有的”表示教会的一切通过这些虚假而荒废；“城和其中所住的”表示教会教义的一切的荒废；“人必呼喊，那地的居民都必哀号”表示教会中一切真理与良善的缺乏；“耶和华要使非利士人荒废”表示他们的毁灭。以赛亚书：
全非利士啊，不要因击打你的杖折断就喜乐；因为从蛇的根必生出一条蛇晰。他的果子，是会飞的火蛇。（以赛亚书14:29）
“全非利士啊，不要喜乐”表示那些处于与仁分离之信的人不可因他们仍然幸存而欢喜；“因为从蛇的根必生出一条蛇晰”表示他们所拥有的一切真理因他们以自己的聪明为骄傲而毁灭；“他的果子是会飞的火蛇”表示基于反对教会的真理和良善的邪恶之虚假的推理。
53. We can also see from what the Word’s prophets say about the Philistines that they represented people devoted to a faith divorced from caring. There is the following passage from Jeremiah, for example:
Against the Philistines: Behold, waters are rising up from the north that will become an overflowing river and will flood the earth and all that is in it, the city and all those who live in it. People will cry out and everyone who lives on the earth will wail. Jehovah will devastate the Philistines. (Jeremiah 47:1-2, 4)
The waters rising up from the north are falsities from hell; their becoming an overflowing river and flooding the earth and all that is in it means the consequent destruction of everything in the church; their flooding the city and all those who live in it means the complete destruction of its teachings; people crying out and everyone who lives on earth wailing means the loss of everything true and good in the church; and Jehovah devastating the Philistines means their demise. From Isaiah:
All Philistia, do not rejoice because the rod that was striking you has been broken, for out of the root of the serpent will come a basilisk, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent. (Isaiah 14:29)
The command to all Philistia not to rejoice means that people devoted to faith divorced from caring should not rejoice in the fact that they are surviving; “for out of the root of the serpent will come a basilisk” means the destruction of everything true they have because of their pride in their own intelligence; “its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent” means rationalizations based on malevolent distortions that oppose what is true and good in the church.
53. That people whose faith is divorced from charity were represented by the Philistines is apparent also from places where they are mentioned in prophetic portions of the Word, as from the following:
In Jeremiah:
…against the Philistines…: Behold, waters rising out of the north, which shall become an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land and all that is in it, the city and those who dwell within, so that the men shall cry out, and every inhabitant of the land shall wail…. …Jehovah shall lay waste the Philistines…. (Jeremiah 47:1-2, 4)
Waters rising out of the north are falsities from hell. That they shall become an overflowing flood and shall overflow the land and all that is in it symbolizes their devastating everything having to do with the church. The city and those who dwell within symbolizes the devastation of everything connected with its doctrine. So that the men shall cry out and every inhabitant of the land shall wail symbolizes the loss of every truth and good in the church. Jehovah shall lay waste the Philistines symbolizes their destruction.
In Isaiah:
Do not rejoice, all Philistia, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent’s root will come forth a basilisk,whose offspring will be a fiery flying serpent. (Isaiah 14:29ff.)
Do not rejoice, all Philistia, symbolically means that people whose faith is divorced from charity ought not to rejoice that they still endure. For out of the serpent’s root will come forth a basilisk symbolizes the destruction of all truth in them because of their conceit in their own intelligence. Whose offspring will be a fiery flying serpent symbolizes arguments founded on falsities springing from evil, against the truths and goods of the church.
53. That they who are in faith separated from charity were represented by the Philistines, is also evident from the prophetic parts of the Word, where they are treated of, as from the following passages:
In Jeremiah:
Against the Philistines . . .
Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an over-flowing flood, and shall overflow the land and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl ...
Jehovah will lay waste (A.V. spoil) the Philistines. Jeremiah 47:1-2, 4.
The waters rising up out of the north, are falsities from hell; which shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land and all that is therein, signifies a devastation by them of all things of the Church. The city and them that dwell therein, signifies the devastation of all things of its doctrine. Then the men shall cry and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl, signifies a want of all truth and good in the Church. Jehovah will lay waste the Philistines, signifies their destruction.
In Isaiah:
Rejoice not thou, all Philistia (A.V. Palestina), because the rod that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. Isaiah 14:29.
Rejoice not thou, all Philistia, signifies, Let not those who are in faith separated from charity rejoice that they still remain. For out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, signifies the destruction of all truth with them from the pride of self-intelligence. And his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent, signifies reasonings from the falsities of evil against the truths and goods of the Church.
53. That those who are in faith separated from charity were represented by the Philistines, is evident also from the prophetic parts of the Word where they are treated of, as from the following:
Against the Philistines: Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall become an overflowing stream, and shall overflow the land and the fullness thereof, the city and them that dwell therein, so that men shall cry, and that every inhabitant of the land shall howl. Jehovah shall lay waste the Philistines (Jeremiah 47:1-2, 4).
The "waters that rise up out of the north," are falsities from hell; their "becoming an overflowing stream, and overflowing the land and the fullness thereof," signifies the laying waste of all things of the church through these falsities; the "city and them that dwell therein," signifies the laying waste of all things of its doctrine; that "men shall cry, and that every inhabitant of the land shall howl," signifies a lack of all truth and good in the church; "Jehovah shall lay waste the Philistines," signifies the destruction of such. In Isaiah:
Rejoice not thou, all Philistia, because the rod that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a basilisk, whose fruit shall be a flying fire serpent (Isaiah 14:29).
"Rejoice not thou, all Philistia," signifies let not those who are in faith separated from charity rejoice that they still remain; "for out of the serpent's root shall go forth a basilisk," signifies the destruction of all truth in them by the conceit of self-intelligence; "whose fruit shall be a flying fire serpent," signifies reasonings from falsities of evil against the truths and goods of the church.
53. Quod illi qui in fide separata a charitate sunt, repraesentati sint per Philisthaeos, patet etiam ex propheticis Verbi, ubi de illis agitur; ut ex sequentibus his:- Apud Jeremiam,
"Contra Philisthaeos:... Ecce aquae ascendentes ex septentrione, quae fient in flumen inundans, et inundabunt terram et plenitudinem ejus, urbem et habitantes in ea, ut clament homines, et ejulet omnis habitator terrae:... vastabit Jehovah Philisthaeos" (47:1-2, 4):
"aquae ascendentes e septentrione," sunt falsa ex inferno; quae "fient in flumen inundans, et inundabunt terram et plenitudinem ejus," significat per illa devastationem omnium ecclesiae; "urbem et habitantes in ea," significat devastationem omnium doctrinae ejus; "ut clament homines, et ejulet omnis habitator terrae," significat defectum omnis veri et boni in ecclesia; "vastabit Jehovah Philisthaeos," significat interitum eorum. Apud Esaiam,
"Ne laeteris Philisthaea tota..., quod fracta sit virga percutiens te; nam e radice serpentis exibit basiliscus, cujus fructus prester volans" (14:29 1):
"ne laeteris Philisthaea tota," significat ne gaudeant qui in fide separata a charitate sunt, quod adhuc maneant: "nam e radice serpentis exibit basiliscus," significat ex fastu propriae intelligentiae destructionem omnis veri apud illos; "cujus fructus prester volans," significat ratiocinia ex falsis mali contra vera et bona ecclesiae.
Footnotes:
"1. 29 pro ""27 seq."""