261、这种以天堂形态为象征字符的文字在至内层天堂使用，那里的天使在智慧上超越他人。他们通过这些字符表达情感，由此思想依据所论述的主题从中依次相继流出。因此，这些文字（我也曾经被允许看见这文字）包含着思想无法穷尽的奥秘。不过，低层天堂没有这种文字，而是类似世上的文字，有相似的字符，然而世人却不能理解，因为它们以天使的语言写成，而天使的语言与人类的语言毫无共同之处（237节）。因为他们用元音表达情感，用辅音表达出于情感的思想意念，用文字表达事物的意义（参看236，241节）。此外，这种文字（我也见过）仅用几句话就比世人用数页纸所表达的内容还要多。在低层天堂，他们拥有以这种方式写成的圣经，但在至内层天堂里圣经是通过属天的字符写成的。
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261. 至内层天堂就使用这种具有天堂形式特征的文字, 那里的天使在智慧上超越其他人. 他们通过这些特征表达情感, 思维则照着所论述的主题依次从情感流出, 并接踵而来. 因此, 我也被允许看见的这些文字含有思维所无法详尽的奥秘. 不过, 这种文字在低层天堂并不存在. 低层天堂的文字类似世上的文字, 具有同样的特征, 然而却是世人所不易理解的, 因为它们以天使的语言写成; 而天使的语言具有这样的性质, 它与人类语言毫无共同之处(237节). 他们用元音表达情感, 用辅音表达源于情感的思维观念, 用源于这些观念的话语表达事物
的意义(参看236, 241节). 此外, 我也见过的这种文字仅用几句话就比人用数页纸所表达的内容还要多. 他们以这种方式拥有在低层天堂写成的圣言, 但在至内层天堂却拥有通过天堂形式来表达的圣言.
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261. 以天國的形態為象徵的文字只在內層天人用, 那兒的天人享有最高的智慧, 以這種文字表達他們的情感, 思維則照所思考的問題有條有理地從情感流出。正因如此, 這種文字蘊含不可思議的奧秘。我曾被允許觀看這種文字的書卷。
低層天沒有這種文字的書卷, 而是與我們世間的相似, 由相似的字母組成。但依然不是世人所能領會的, 因為是用天人的語言寫成的, 而天人的語言在本質上與我們的語言是截然不同的(237)。他們用母音表達情感, 用輔音表達情感所生的具體觀念, 用文字描述事物的內涵(236, 241)。
再者, 這類文字只用三言兩語就能描述比我們千言萬語還多的內容。這種類型的書卷, 我也見過。
由此可見, 低層天有書寫的聖言, 內層天有通過天國形態來表現的聖言。
261. This writing, which uses symbols of the heavenly form, is in use in the inmost heaven, whose inhabitants enjoy greater wisdom than others. It expresses the affections from which their thoughts flow and which follow in sequence according to the substance of the matter under consideration. This is why these writings enfold treasures that cannot be completely drawn out by thought. I have also been allowed to see these writings.
In the lower heavens, though, there are no written materials of this sort. The written materials there are much like those in our world, with similar letters. However, they are still not intelligible to people on earth because they are written in an angelic language, and angelic language by nature has nothing in common with our languages (237). They express affections through the vowels; with the consonants they express the particular concepts that derive from the affections, and with the words they express the meaning of the matter (236, 241).
Further, this writing enfolds in a few words more than we can describe in several pages. I have seen these written materials as well.
This means that they have a written Word in the lower heavens, and one expressed through heavenly forms in the inmost heaven.
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261. This writing in characters of a heavenly form is in use in the inmost heaven, the angels of which surpass all others in wisdom. By means of these characters, they express the affections, from which thoughts flow and follow in order, in accordance with the subject treated of. Consequently these writings, which I have also been permitted to see, involve arcana which thought cannot exhaust. But such writings do not exist in the lower heavens. The writings there resemble the writings in the world, having like characters, and yet they are not intelligible to man, because they are in angelic language; and angelic language is such that it has nothing in common with human languages (237). For by the vowels they express affections, by the consonants the ideas of thought from the affections, and by the words from these the sense of the matter (see above, 236, 241). Moreover, in this writing, which I have also seen, more is involved in a few words than a man can express in several pages. In this way they have the Word written in the lower heavens, and in the inmost heaven by heavenly characters.
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261. This writing in characters of a heavenly form is in use in the inmost heaven, the angels of which surpass all others in wisdom. By means of these characters they express the affections, from which thoughts flow and follow in order in accordance with the subject treated of. Consequently these writings, which I have also been permitted to see, involve arcana which thought cannot exhaust. But such writings do not exist in the lower heavens. The writings there resemble the writings in the world, having like characters, and yet they are not intelligible to man, because they are in angelic language; and angelic language is such that it has nothing in common with human languages (237), since by the vowels they express affections, and by the consonants the ideas of thought from the affections, and by the words from these the sense of the matter (see above, 236, 241). Moreover, in this writing, which I have also seen, more is involved in a few words than a man can express in several pages. In this way they have the Word written in the lower heavens; but in the inmost heaven in heavenly characters.
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261. Haec scriptura, quae fit per typos formae caelestis, in usu est in intimo caelo, ubi in sapientia prae reliquis sunt. Exprimuntur per illos affectiones, a quibus cogitationes fluunt et consequuntur ordine secundum rei subjectum de quo agitur: inde est, quod scripturae illae involvant arcana, quae exhauriri cogitatione nequeunt has scripturas datum etiam est videre. At in caelis inferioribus non tales scripturae sunt: scripturae in his caelis sunt similes scripturis in mundo, similibus litteris, sed usque non intelligibiles homini, quia sunt in lingua angelica, et lingua angelica talis est, ut non commune habeat cum linguis humanis (237); per vocales enim exprimunt affectiones, per consonantes ideas cogitationis ex affectionibus, et per voces ex illis sensum rei (videatur supra, 236, 241). Haec scriptura etiam involvit paucis vocibus plura quam homo potest per aliquot paginas describere. Visae etiam mihi illae scripturae sunt. Ita conscriptum habent Verbum in caelis inferioribus, et per formas caelestes in caelo intimo.