306、我从天堂得知，因为上古之人的内层转向了天堂，所以他们有直接的启示，那时，通过这种方法主与人类结合。然而，他们的时代之后，没有这种直接的启示了，而是有一种通过对应方式的间接启示，因为他们所有的神性崇拜都是对应组成的，由于这个原因，当时的教会被称为代表教会。那时，人就知道什么是对应，什么是代表，以及地上的万物都对应着天堂和教会里的属灵事物，或者说，代表它们。因此，组成他们敬拜的外在属世事物为他们提供了属灵地思考、也就是与天使一同思考的媒介。当对应和代表的知识从记忆中丢失后，圣经就被写成了，其中的一切话和含义都是对应，因而包含灵义或内义，其中有天使参与。所以，当人照字义或外在意义阅读并理解圣经时，天使就照内义或灵义来理解。天使的所有思想都是属灵的，而人的思想是属世的。这两种思想看似不同，其实是一，因为它们相对应。这就是当人远离天堂、切断联系时，主提供了圣经作为天堂与人结合的媒介。
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306. 我从天堂被告知, 上古之人因其内层转向天堂, 故拥有直接的启示, 同时主与人类以此方式存在一个联结. 然而, 他们的时代过后, 这种直接的启示不复存在, 取而代之的是藉由对应的间接启示, 以致他们的一切神性敬拜由对应构成; 因此, 那些时代的教会被称为代表性教会. 他们知道何为对应, 何为代表, 以及地上的一切事物皆对应于天堂和教会的属灵事物, 或也可说, 代表它们. 因此, 构成其外在敬拜的属世事物作为属灵思考, 也就是与天使一同思考的媒介而服务于他们. 当关于对应和代表的一切知识从记忆中被抹除时, 一部圣言就写成了, 其中的一切话及其含义都是对应, 因而包含一个天使所理解的灵义或内义. 所以, 当人照字义或外在意义阅读并理解圣言时, 天使就照内义或灵义来理解. 事实上, 天使的一切思维都是属灵的, 而人的思维是属世的. 这两种思维看似不同, 其实是一, 因为它们相对应. 这就是为何当人远离天堂, 切断联系时, 主便通过圣言提供了一个天堂与人联结的媒介.
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306. 我從天國得知, 起初人類享受直接的啟示, 因其心靈朝向天國, 主因此而得與當時的人結合。此後, 人不再獲得直接的啟示, 而只是照對應而施与間接啟示。他們的崇拜體系全由對應構成, 彼時的教會因而被稱作象徵性的教會。他們知道何為對應和象徵, 知道地上的一切皆對應(亦即象徵)天國和教會的心靈事物。就這樣, 其崇拜體系中的一切都是用作心靈思考, 與天人一同思維的工具。
等到對應的知識遺失以後, 有聖言被記錄下來, 其中所有的文字及其含義皆為對應, 蘊藏天人所理解的靈義。人讀聖言, 解其字義時, 天人取其靈義。事實上, 天人的思想是屬心靈的, 而人的思想是屬塵世的。兩者看似不同, 其實是一, 因為彼此對應。因此, 當人背離天國, 中斷與天國的聯繫以後, 主就預備了聖言作為天國與人類相通的工具。
306. I have been told from heaven that the earliest people had direct revelation because their inner natures were turned toward heaven, and that this was the source of the Lord's union with the human race at that time. After those times, though, there was not the same kind of direct revelation, but an indirect revelation through correspondences. All their divine worship consisted of these; so the churches of those times were called symbolic churches. They knew what correspondences and representations were and that everything on earth answered to spiritual things in heaven and the church (or represented them, which amounts to the same thing). In this way, the natural elements that constituted their outward worship served them as means for thinking spiritually and therefore thinking with angels.
Once all knowledge of correspondences and representations had been lost, then a Word was written in which all the words and the meanings of the words are correspondences and therefore contain that spiritual or inner meaning in which angels are engaged. So when we read the Word and grasp it in its literal or outward meaning, angels grasp it in its inner or spiritual meaning. In fact, all the thought of angels is spiritual, while ours is natural. These two kinds of thought do seem different, but they are one because they correspond.
This is why, after we had moved away from heaven and broken the connection, the Lord provided that there should be a means of union of heaven with us through the Word.
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306. I have been told from heaven that the most ancient people, because their interiors were turned heavenwards, had immediate revelation, and by this means there was at that time a conjunction of the Lord with the human race. After their times, however, there was no such immediate revelation, but there was a mediate revelation by means of correspondences, inasmuch as all their Divine worship was maintained by correspondences, and for this reason the Churches of that time were called representative Churches. For it was then known what correspondence is and what representation is, and that all things on the earth correspond to spiritual things in heaven and in the Church, or what is the same, represent them. Therefore the natural things that constituted the externals of their worship served them as media for thinking spiritually, that is, thinking with the angels. When the knowledge of correspondences and representations had been blotted out of remembrance then the Word was written, in which all the words and their meanings are correspondences, and thus contain a spiritual or internal sense, in which are the angels. In consequence, when a man reads the Word and perceives it according to the sense of the letter or the external sense, the angels perceive it according to the internal or spiritual sense; for all the thought of angels is spiritual while the thought of man is natural. These two kinds of thought appear diverse; nevertheless they are one because they correspond. Thus it was that after man separated himself from heaven and severed the bond, the Lord provided a medium of conjunction of heaven with man by means of the Word.
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306. I have been told from heaven that the most ancient people, because their interiors were turned heavenwards, had direct revelation, and by this means there was at that time a conjunction of the Lord with the human race. After their times, however, there was no such direct revelation, but there was a mediate revelation by means of correspondences, inasmuch as all their Divine worship then consisted of correspondences, and for this reason the churches of that time were called representative churches. For it was then known what correspondence is and what representation is, and that all things on the earth correspond to spiritual things in heaven and in the church, or what is the same, represent them; and therefore the natural things that constituted the externals of their worship served them as mediums for thinking spiritually, that is, thinking with the angels. When the knowledge of correspondences and representations had been blotted out of remembrance a Word was written, in which all the words and their meanings are correspondences, and thus contain a spiritual or internal sense, in which are the angels; and in consequence, when a man reads the Word and perceives it according to the sense of the letter or the outer sense the angels perceive it according to the internal or spiritual sense; for all the thought of angels is spiritual while the thought of man is natural. These two kinds of thought appear diverse; nevertheless they are one because they correspond. Thus it was that when man had separated himself from heaven and had severed the bond the Lord provided a medium of conjunction of heaven with man by means of the Word.
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306. Informatus sum e caelo, quod antiquissimis fuerit immediata revelatio, quoniam interiora eorum erant versa ad caelum, et quod inde conjunctio Domini cum humano genere tunc fuerit: post illorum autem tempora quod non talis immediata revelatio fuerit, sed mediata per correspondentias; omnis enim horum cultus Divinus constabat ex illis; unde ecclesiae illius temporis vocatae sunt ecclesiae repraesentativae; sciebant enim tunc quid correspondentia et quid repraesentatio, et quod omnia quae in terris sunt corresponderent spiritualibus quae in caelo et in ecclesia, seu, quod idem, repraesentarent illa; quare naturalia, quae erant externa cultus eorum, inserviebant illis pro mediis cogitandi spiritualiter, ita cum angelis. Postquam scientia correspondentiarum et repraesentationum oblitterata fuit, tunc Verbum conscriptum est, in quo omnes voces et sensus vocum correspondentiae sunt, continent sic sensum spiritualem seu internum, in quo sunt angeli; quare cum homo legit Verbum, et id percipit secundum sensum litterae seu externum, angeli id percipiunt secundum sensum internum seu spiritualem; omnis enim cogitatio angelorum est spiritualis, at cogitatio hominis est naturalis; cogitationes illae quidem diversae apparent, sed usque unum sunt quia correspondent. Inde est, quod postquam homo se removit a caelo, et rupit vinculum, a Domino provisum sit medium conjunctionis caeli cum homine per Verbum.