115、我在天堂得到指教，地球上的上古之人是属天之人，他们根据对应本身来思考，在尘世中所见的属世之物服务于他们，是他们如此思考的手段。因为他们这样思考，所以他们能结交天使并与天使交谈，这样，天堂通过他们与尘世相结合。由于这个原因，那段时期被称为“金时代”。关于这个时代，古代作家声称天堂的居民与世人住在一起，就像朋友与朋友那样在一起交往。但在这之后，有一段时间，人们不再是从对应本身、而是从对应的知识中思考，那时，天堂与世人尽管仍有结合，但不那么亲密。这一时期被称为“银时代”。再后来，人们虽拥有对应的知识，却不从这种知识中思考，因为他们处于属世的良善，不像从前的人那样处于属灵的良善。这个时期被称为“铜时代”。在这之后，世人逐渐变得外在，最终变得物质化。于是，对应的知识就全然丧失了，关于天堂和与天堂有关的许多事物的知识也一起丧失了。
出于对应，这些时代被命名为“金”、“银”和“铜”：｛注1｝“金”表示上古之人所在的属天的良善；“银”表示随后的古人所在的属灵的良善；“铜”表示接下来的人所在的属世的良善；而最后一个时代则以“铁”为名，表示脱离良善的僵化的真理。｛注3｝
｛注1｝：出于对应，“金”表示属天的良善（113，1551，1552，5658，6914，6917，9510，9874，9881）；“银”表示属灵的良善，或来自一个属天源头的真理（1551，1552，2954，5658）；“铜”表示属世的良善（425，1551）；“铁”表示处于秩序最终端的真理（425，426）。
｛注2｝：【英96】史威登堡在灵界访问这些时代的天堂，详细的记述参见他1768年的著作《婚姻之爱》（74-78）。
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115. 我从天堂得到指教, 我们地球上的上古之人, 是属天之人; 他们出于对应本身进行思考, 在他们眼前的尘世属世之物作为以这种方式思考的手段而服务于他们. 他们因具有这种特质, 故与天使相交, 并与他们交谈; 天堂就这样通过他们与尘世联结. 因此, 那段时期被称为黄金时代; 论到这个时代, 古代作家声称天堂的居民与世人住在一起, 并像朋友与朋友那样保持联系. 但他们的时代过后, 后来的人不再出于对应本身进行思考, 而出于对应知识进行思考; 那时, 天堂与世人尽管仍有联结, 但不那么亲密了. 这段时期被称为白银时代. 再后来的人则拥有某种对应的知识, 却不出于这种知识进行思考, 因为他们处于属世的良善, 不像之前的人那样处于属灵的良善. 这段时期被称为青铜时代. 这些时代过后, 世人逐渐变得外在, 最终变得肉体化; 于是, 对应知识就全然遗失了, 关于天堂和属于天堂的许多事物的知识也连同它一起遗失了. 这些时代正是出于对应而以黄金, 白银和青铜被命名, 因为出于对应, “黄金”表示上古之人所在的属天良善; “白银”表示随后的古人所在的属灵良善; “青铜”表示下一代所在的属世良善; 而最后一个时代以之为名的“黑铁”表示脱离良善的生硬真理.
注: 出于对应, “黄金”表示属天良善(天国的奥秘 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881节); “白银”表示属灵良善, 也就是来自一个属天源头的真理(天国的奥秘 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658节). “青铜”表示属世良善(天国的奥秘 425, 1551节). “黑铁”表示处于秩序最终层的真理(天国的奥秘 425, 426节).
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115. 我從天國得知, 地球上遠古之人具有天國的特質。他們以實際的對應進行思維, 顯于眼前的自然現象都是他們進行對應思維的媒介。由於具備這種特質, 他們得與天人同在, 與他們交流, 天國通過他們與人間相聯。正因如此, 那個時代被稱為"黃金時代"。古典作家將其描述為天人與凡人同住, 兩者親如朋友的時代。
後來, 人不再以實際的對應進行思維, 而是照著對應的知識進行思維。天國依然與人間相聯, 只是不如過去那般親密。這個時代被稱為"白銀時代"。再後來, 人們雖瞭解對應的知識, 卻不以對應的知識進行思維。因為他們的善落入物質的層次, 不像他們的祖先保持在心靈的層次。這個時代被稱為"青銅時代"。我被告知, 青銅時代過後, 人類思想越發外在, 最終變得物質化。此時, 對應的知識徹底遺失, 人們對天國和其中奧秘的認識也一併失落了。
黃金時代, 白銀時代, 青銅時代, 這些名稱也是出於對應。因著對應的關係,"金"表示遠古之人所活出的天國之善,"銀"表示其後之古人所活出的心靈之善,"銅"表示再後來之人所表現的道德之善,"鐵"(最後的時代由此得名)則表示理之粗糙, 善之缺乏。
115. I have been taught in heaven that the earliest people on our planet, who were heavenly people, thought on the basis of actual correspondences, and that the natural phenomena of the world that greeted their eyes served them as means for thinking in this way. Because they were of this character, they were in the company of angels and talked with them; and in this way heaven was united to the world through them. Therefore, that era was called the Golden Age. Classical authors described it as a time when the inhabitants of heaven dwelt with mortals and kept them company as friend with friend.
After their era, though, a people came who did not think from actual correspondences but from a knowledge about correspondences. There was still a union of heaven with humanity, but not such an intimate one. Their era was called the Silver Age.
The people who came next were indeed familiar with correspondences but did not do their thinking on the basis of their knowledge of correspondences. This was because they were engrossed in what is good on the natural level and not, like their ancestors, on the spiritual level. Their era was called the Bronze Age.
I have been taught, lastly, that after that era humanity became more and more externally minded and at last physically minded. Then the knowledge of correspondences was completely lost, and with it any awareness of heaven and of its riches.
The names of these ages - Golden, Silver, and Bronze - also come from correspondence, 1because gold, by reason of correspondence, means the heavenly goodness in which the earliest people lived. Silver, in contrast, means the spiritual goodness in which their successors, the early people, lived; while bronze means the natural goodness characteristic of their immediate followers. Iron, though, which gave its name to the last era, means a harsh truth, devoid of good.
Footnotes:
1. By reason of correspondence, gold means heavenly good: 113, 1551-1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881. Silver means spiritual good, or truth from a heavenly source: 1551-1552, 2954, 5648 [5658?]. Bronze means natural good: 425, 1551. Iron means truth on the lowest level of the design: 425-426.
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115. I have been taught from heaven that the most ancient peoples on our earth, who were celestial men, thought from correspondences themselves, the natural things of the world before their eyes serving them as the means of thinking in this way. Being of such character, they were in fellowship with angels and spoke with them. Thus, through them heaven was conjoined to the world. For this reason, that period was called the Golden Age, of which it is said by ancient writers that the inhabitants of heaven dwelt with men and associated with them as friends with friends. But, after their times, there succeeded those who thought not from correspondences themselves but from a knowledge of correspondences, and there was then also a conjunction of heaven with man, but not so intimate. Their period is what is called the Silver Age. After this, there followed men who had some knowledge of correspondences but did not think from that knowledge, on account of their being in natural good and not, like those before them, in spiritual good. This period was called the Copper Age. After those times, men gradually became external, and finally corporeal, and then the knowledge of correspondences was completely lost, and with it a true idea of heaven and of the many things pertaining to heaven. It was also from correspondence that these ages were named from gold, silver and copper, because from correspondence 1"gold" signifies the celestial good in which were the most ancient people; "silver" signifies the spiritual good in which were the ancient people after them; and "copper" signifies the natural good in which were the next posterity; while "iron" from which the last age was named signifies hard truth apart from good.
Footnotes:
1. "Gold", from correspondence, signifies celestial good (Arcana Coelestia 113, 1551-1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881); and "silver" signifies spiritual good, or truth from a celestial origin (Arcana Coelestia 1551-1552, 2954, 5648); but "copper" signifies natural good (Arcana Coelestia 425, 1551); and "iron" signifies truth in the ultimate of order, (425-426).
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115. I have been taught from heaven that the most ancient men on our earth, who were celestial men, thought from correspondences themselves, the natural things of the world before their eyes serving them as means of thinking in this way; and that they could be in fellowship with angels and talk with them because they so thought, and that thus through them heaven was conjoined to the world. For this reason that period was called the Golden Age, of which it is said by ancient writers that the inhabitants of heaven dwelt with men and associated with them as friends with friends. But after this there followed a period when men thought, not from correspondences themselves, but from a knowledge of correspondences, and there was then also a conjunction of heaven with man, but less intimate. This period was called the Silver Age. After this there followed men who had a knowledge of correspondences but did not think from that knowledge, because they were in natural good, and not, like those before them in spiritual good. This period was called the Copper Age. After this man gradually became external, and finally corporeal, and then the knowledge of correspondences was wholly lost, and with it a knowledge of heaven and of the many things pertaining to heaven. It was from correspondence that these ages were named from gold, silver, and copper, 1and for the reason that from correspondence gold signifies celestial good in which were the most ancient people, silver spiritual good in which were the ancient people that followed, and copper natural good in which were the next posterity; while iron, from which the last age takes its name, signifies hard truth apart from good.
Footnotes:
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115. Instructus sum e caelo, quod antiquissimi in nostra tellure, qui caelestes homines fuerunt, ex ipsis correspondentiis cogitaverint, et quod naturalia mundi, quae coram oculis erant, inserviverint illis pro mediis ita cogitandi et quia tales erant, quod consociati sint angelis, et locuti cum illis et quod sic per illos caelum conjunctum fuerit mundo: ex eo tempus illud vocatum est Saeculum aureum de quo etiam apud scriptores antiquos dicitur, quod caelicolae habitaverint cum hominibus, et consortia cum illis habuerint sicut amici cum amicis. Sed post illorum tempora, quod successerint, qui non ex ipsis correspondentiis, sed ex scientia correspondentiarum cogitaverunt, et quod conjunctio caeli cum homine etiam tunc fuerit, sed non tam intima: tempus eorum est quod vocatur Saeculum argenteum. Postea quod successerint, qui quidem correspondentias noverunt, sed non cogitaverunt ex scientia illarum, ex causa quia in naturali bono fuerunt, et non sicut priores in spirituali: horum tempus vocabatur Saeculum cupreum. Post horum tempora, quod homo factus sit successive externus, et tandem corporeus, et quod tunc scientia correspondentiarum prorsus deperdita sit, et cum illa cognitio caeli, et plurium quae caeli sunt. Quod vocaverint Saecula illa ex auro, argento et cupro, fuit quoque ex correspondentia, 1quoniam aurum ex correspondentia significat bonum caeleste, in quo antiquissimi fuerunt; argentum autem bonum spirituale, in quo antiqui post illos; et cuprum bonum naturale, in quo proxima posteritas ferrum autem, ex quo ultimum saeculum est dictum, significat verum durum absque bono.
Footnotes: