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357. 三十九, 天堂里的富人和穷人
关于进天堂, 可谓众说纷纭. 有的认为穷人能进天堂, 富人不能; 有的认为富人和穷人一样, 都能进天堂; 有的认为富人只有放弃财富, 成为穷人才能进天堂; 并且所有这些观点都能在圣言中找到证据. 然而, 在进天堂的问题上, 那些区别对待富人和穷人的人并不理解圣言. 就其内层而言, 圣言是属灵的; 但就文字而言, 它是属世的; 所以, 那些仅照字义, 不照任何灵义理解圣言的人, 会犯各种各样的错误, 尤其在富人和穷人的问题上. 如, 富人进天堂就像骆驼穿过针眼一样困难; 穷人则因贫穷而很容易进天堂, 因为经上说:
你们贫穷的人有福了, 因为天国是你们的! (马太福音 5:3; 路加福音 6:20-21)
不过, 那些对圣言的灵义有所了解的人不是这么想的. 他们知道, 天堂是所有过着信与爱的生活之人的, 无论是富是穷. 下面我们会解释在圣言中, “富人”与“穷人”分别是什么意思. 从与天使的大量交谈和来往, 我蒙恩确切地知道, 富人进天堂和穷人一样容易, 没有人因富有而被关在天堂之外, 也没有人因贫穷而被接入天堂. 天堂里既有富人, 也有穷人, 而且很多富人享有比穷人更大的荣耀和幸福.
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357. 天國的富與窮
關於誰能進天國, 可謂眾說紛紜。有的認為窮人可進天國, 富人不能;有的認為人不論貧富皆可進天國;有的認為富人必須放棄財產, 成為窮人, 才能進天國, 個個皆引聖言為證。對於能否上天國, 他們以貧富分別而論, 是不解聖言的表現。聖言之核心是屬心靈的, 其文字是屬物質的。人若只取聖言的字義, 不取聖言的靈義, 必要產生種種誤解, 在貧富的問題上尤其如此。他們認為富人難進天國, 如駱駝難過針孔, 窮人則容易上天國, 因為經上說:"你們貧窮的人有福了, 因為上帝的國是你們的！"(路加福音6:20-21)
對聖言的靈義有所瞭解的人, 卻作不同的思考。他們知道, 凡過信與仁之生活者, 不論貧窮富有, 皆于天國有份。後面我們會解釋"富人"與"窮人"在聖言中各為何義。
通過與天人的諸多談話和交往, 我能肯定, 富人進天國和窮人一樣容易, 沒有人會因富有而被拒絕上天國, 也沒有人會因貧窮而被接入天國。天國既有富人, 也有窮人, 而且很多富人享受比窮人更大的尊榮和快樂。
357. Rich and Poor People in Heaven
There are various opinions about acceptance into heaven. Some people think that the poor are accepted but not the rich; some think that rich and poor alike are accepted; some think that rich people cannot be accepted unless they give up their assets and become like the poor - and all of them support their opinions from the Word. However, as far as heaven is concerned, people who differentiate between the rich and the poor do not understand the Word. At heart, the Word is spiritual, though it is natural in the letter; so if people take the Word only in its literal meaning and not in some spiritual meaning they go astray in all kinds of ways, especially regarding the rich and the poor. They believe that it is as hard for rich people to enter heaven as it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle and that it is easy for the poor by reason of their poverty, since it says, "Blessed are the poor, because theirs is the kingdom of the heavens" (Luke 6:20-21).
However, people who know something about the spiritual meaning of the Word think differently. They know that heaven is for everyone who lives a life of faith and love, whether rich or poor. We will explain below who are meant by "the rich" in the Word and by "the poor."
Out of a great deal of conversation and living with angels, I have been granted sure knowledge that rich people enter heaven just as easily as poor people do, and that no one is shut out of heaven for having abundant possessions or accepted into heaven because of poverty. There are both rich and poor people there, and many of the rich are in greater splendor and happiness than the poor.
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357. THE RICH AND THE POOR IN HEAVEN
There are various opinions about reception into heaven. Some are of the opinion that the poor are received and the rich are not, some that the rich and the poor are equally received, some that the rich can be received only by giving up their wealth and becoming like the poor; and everyone confirms his opinion from the Word. But those who make a distinction in regard to heaven between the rich and the poor do not understand the Word. In its interiors the Word is spiritual, but in the letter it is natural. Consequently, those who apprehend the Word only in accordance with its literal sense, and not according to any spiritual sense, err in many respects, especially about the rich and the poor, for example, that it is as difficult for the rich to enter into heaven as for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, and that it is easy for the poor because they are poor, since it is said,
Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. Luke 6:20.
But those who know anything of the spiritual sense of the Word think otherwise; they know that heaven is for all who live a life of faith and love, whether rich or poor. But who are meant in the Word by "the rich" and who by "the poor" will be told in what follows. From much conversation and living with angels it has been granted me to know with certainty that the rich enter heaven just as easily as the poor, and that a man is not shut out of heaven on account of his wealth, nor received into heaven on account of his poverty. Both the rich and the poor are in heaven, and many of the rich in greater glory and happiness than the poor.
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357. XXXIX. THE RICH AND THE POOR IN HEAVEN.
There are various opinions about reception into heaven. Some are of the opinion that the poor are received and the rich are not; some that the rich and the poor are equally received; some that the rich can be received only by giving up their wealth and becoming like the poor; and proofs are found in the Word for all of these opinions. But those who make a distinction in regard to heaven between the rich and the poor do not understand the Word. In its interiors the Word is spiritual, but in the letter it is natural; consequently those who understand the Word only in accordance with its literal sense, and not according to any spiritual sense, err in many respects, especially about the rich and the poor; for example, that it is as difficult for the rich to enter into heaven as for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle; and that it is easy for the poor because they are poor, since it is said,
Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 5:3; Luke 6:20, 21).
But those who know anything of the spiritual sense of the Word think otherwise; they know that heaven is for all who live a life of faith and love, whether rich or poor. But who are meant in the Word by "the rich" and who by "the poor" will be told in what follows. From much conversation and interaction with angels it has been granted me to know with certainty that the rich enter heaven just as easily as the poor, and that no man is shut out of heaven on account of his wealth, or received into heaven on account of his poverty. Both the rich and the poor are in heaven, and many of the rich in greater glory and happiness than the poor.
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357. [XXXIX.] DE DIVITIBUS ET PAUPERIBUS IN CAELO.
Sunt variae opiniones de receptione in caelum. Quidam opinantur, quod pauperes recipiantur et non divites; quidam quod aeque divites ac pauperes quidam quod divites non recipi possint, nisi abdicent suas facultates et fiant sicut pauperes; quisque suam opinionem confirmat ex Verbo. Sed qui discrimen faciunt inter divites et pauperes quoad caelum, illi non intelligunt Verbum. Verbum in sinu suo est spirituale, in littera autem naturale; quare qui Verbum modo secundum sensum litteralem, et non secundum aliquem spiritualem, capiunt, illi errant in multis, imprimis de divitibus et pauperibus; ut quod divitibus tam difficile sit intrare in caelum sicut camelo per foramen acus, et quod pauperibus facile quia pauperes sunt, quoniam dicitur,
"Beati pauperes... quia eorum est regnum caelorum" ([Matthaeus 5:3;] Luca 6:20-21).
Sed qui norunt aliquid de sensu spirituali Verbi, aliter cogitant illi sciunt, quod caelum sit pro omnibus qui vivunt vitam fidei et amoris, sive divites sint sive pauperes: quinam autem per "divites" intelliguntur in Verbo, et quinam per "pauperes," in sequentibus dicetur. Ex multa loquela et vita cum angelis pro certo scire datum est, quod divites tam facile in caelum veniant quam pauperes et quod homo quia abundat multis non e caelo excludatur, et quia in egestate est in caelum recipiatur; sunt ibi tam divites quam pauperes, et plures divites in majore gloria et felicitate quam pauperes.