167、由于天使没有时间的概念，所以他们对永恒的观念与世人的不同。天使感知“永恒”为无限的状态而非无限的时间。｛注1｝我曾思考“永恒”，能以时间的观念来领会“到永远”是什么意思，即没有尽头；但不理解“来自永恒”是什么意思，因而不能理解上帝在创世之前、自永恒做了什么。当我为此心中感到焦虑时，我被提升到天堂的气场中，因而进入天使的关于永恒的感知中。这感知清楚地向我表明，必须从状态而非时间来思考永恒，就能领会“来自永恒”是什么意思。随后，这些都发生在我身上。
｛注1｝：世人有与时间相关的永恒的概念，但天使的与时间无关（1382，3404，8325）。
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167. 由于天使没有时间概念, 所以他们对永恒的概念不同于世人的. 天使将“永恒”理解为一种无限的状态, 而非无限的时间. 我曾思想永恒, 并且能以时间来理解永恒是什么意思, 即没有尽头; 但不理解“来自永恒”是什么意思, 因而不理解神在创世之前自永恒做了什么. 当我的焦虑由此加剧时, 我被提入天堂的气场, 因而进入天使对于永恒所拥有的觉知. 这觉知清楚向我表明, 必须从状态, 而非时间来思想永恒; 当如此思想时, 就能明白“来自永恒”是什么意思. 事实上, 这一切也为我成就.
注: 世人具有涉及时间的永恒概念, 但天使具有脱离时间的永恒概念(天国的奥秘 1382, 3404, 8325节).
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167. 天人既沒有時間的概念, 那麼他們對"永遠"的理解必與世人不同。他們將"永遠"理解為永遠之狀態, 而非永恆之時間。
我曾揣摩永遠的含義, 利用時間的概念, 我能理解"到永遠"蘊含的意思——也就是沒有盡頭。但我無法理解"從永遠"所含之意, 因此無法想像上帝在創世以先"從永遠"做了什麼。因此而焦慮日增, 於是我被提到天國的氛圍之中, 進入天人對永遠的理解之中。讓我頓時恍然大悟, 原來當從狀態的角度, 而非從時間的角度來理解永遠。那樣的話, 正如本人所經歷的, 人們就能領會"從永遠"是什麼概念了。
167. Since angels have no notion of time, they have a different concept of eternity than we earthly people do. By "eternity," angels perceive an infinite state, not an infinite time. 1
I was thinking about eternity once, and using a concept of time I could grasp what "to eternity" entailed - namely, without end - but not what "from eternity" entailed and therefore not what God did before creation, from eternity. As my anxiety mounted because of this, I was raised into the sphere of heaven and therefore into the perception of eternity shared by angels. This shed light for me on the fact that we ought not to think about eternity in temporal terms but in terms of state, and that when we do, we can grasp what "from eternity" entails, which was actually done for me.
Footnotes:
1. We have a concept of eternity that includes time, while angels have one without time: 1382, 3404, 8325.
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167. Since angels have no notion of time, so they have an idea of eternity different from that which men on earth have. By "eternity" angels perceive infinite state, not infinite time. 1Once, I was thinking about eternity and was able, with the idea of time, to perceive what "to eternity" means, namely, without end, but not what "from eternity" means, thus not what God did from eternity before creation. When anxiety on this account arose in my mind I was raised up into the sphere of heaven, and thus into the perception which angels have in respect of eternity. It was then made clear to me that eternity must be thought of not from time but from state, and then the meaning of "from eternity" can be perceived, which is also what happened with me.
Footnotes:
1. Men have an idea of eternity associated with time, but angels apart from
time (Arcana Coelestia 1382, 3404, 8325).
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167. As angels have no notion of time so they have an idea of eternity different from that which men on the earth have. Eternity means to the angels infinite state, not infinite time. 1I was once thinking about eternity, and was able, with the idea of time, to perceive what to eternity means, namely, without end, but not what from eternity means, thus not what God did from eternity before creation. When anxiety on this account arose in my mind I was raised up into the sphere of heaven, and thus into the perception that angels have in respect to eternity; and it was then made clear to me that eternity must be thought of, not from time but from state; and then the meaning of from eternity can be seen. This then happened to me.
Footnotes:
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167. Quia angeli non aliquam notionem temporis habent, ideo aliam ideam habent de aeterno, quam homines telluris angeli per aeternum percipiunt statum infinitum, non autem tempus infinitum. 1Cogitabam quondam de aeterno, et per ideam temporis percipere potui quid esset in aeternum, quod nempe absque fine, sed non quid ab aeterno, ita nec quid Deus ante creationem ab aeterno fecerat: cum anxietas mihi inde orta est, elevatus sum in sphaeram caeli, et sic in perceptionem in qua angeli sunt de aeterno et tunc illustratus quod de aeterno non cogitandum sit ex tempore, sed a statu, et quod tunc percipiatur quid sit ab aeterno; quod etiam mecum factum est.
Footnotes: