420、有些人认为天堂并非浩瀚无垠，而是范围有限，因为这些人照字面意思理解圣经中的一些经文，从而得出这样的结论。例如，圣经中有说，唯有穷人才能被接入天堂，或者唯有被拣选的人、或者唯有在教会内的而非教会外的人、或者唯有被主代求的人才能被接入天堂；天堂一旦满了，就会关闭，而且这个时间是预定的等等。｛注1｝但这些人不知道，天堂永远不会关闭，也没有预定的时间、或人数的任何限制；所谓的“被拣选的人”是指那些过良善和真理的生活的人｛注2｝；而所谓的“穷人”是指那些缺乏良善和真理的知识、却渴慕它们的人，他们因这种渴慕也被称为“饥饿的人”。｛注3｝
那些不理解圣经的人，将天堂想象成一个小地方，所有人都一起聚集在那里。而事实上，天堂由无数社群组成（参看上文41-50）。这些人还只认为天堂是出于直接的怜悯恩赐给每个人的，因此人仅仅凭着恩惠，就可以被许可进入天堂并被接纳。他们没有明白，主出于怜悯引导一切接受祂的人，而接受祂的人，就是那些照着神性秩序的法则、也就是爱和信的律法生活的人；怜悯是指人蒙主引导，从幼年到在世生命的结束，然后直到永恒。因此，要让他们知道，每个人是为天堂而生的，凡在世时将天堂接入到自己里面的人都被天堂接受；凡没有接受天堂的人都被拒之门外！
｛注1｝：【英250】 只有穷人才能被接纳进入天堂（马太福音19:23-24；路加福音14：21）；只有被拣选的人才被接受（马太福音24:31；马可福音13:27）；只接受教会里的人，不接受教会外面的人（约翰福音3:18）；唯有主为之代求的人才被接纳（罗马书8:29-34）；天堂满了就会关闭（启示录14:3）；关于这被预定的时间（启示录20:2-7）。
｛注2｝：“被拣选的人”是指那些过良善和真理的生活的人（3755，3900）。被拣选并被接入天堂并非如众人所理解的那样出于怜悯，而是取决于人的生活（5057，5058）。没有主的直接怜悯，只有间接怜悯，就是对那些照着主的诫命生活的人，这些人在世时，主出于其怜悯不断引导他们，以后继续引导他们，直到永远（8700，10659）。
｛注3｝：在圣经中，“穷人”表示那些灵性上贫穷的人，也就是那些不知道真理却渴望受教的人（9209，9253，10227）。当说他们饥渴时，是指他们渴望良善和真理的认知，由此被引入教会和天堂（4958，10227）。
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420. 有些人从圣言取了一些经文, 照其字义得出这一结论: 天堂并非浩瀚无边, 而是极其有限. 例如, 经上在有些地方说, 唯有穷人才能被接入天堂, 或说唯有选民, 或唯有教会之内的人才能被接入天堂, 教会之外的人则不能, 或说唯有主为之代求的人才能被接入天堂; 天堂一旦被充满, 就会关闭, 而且这个时间是预先注定的等等. 这些人没有意识到, 天堂永远不会关闭, 也没有预先注定的时间, 或人数的任何限制; 所谓的“选民”是指那些过良善与真理的生活之人; 而所谓的“穷人”是指那些缺乏良善与真理的知识, 却渴慕它们的人; 他们因这种渴慕也被称为“饥饿的人”. 那些因误解圣言而以为天堂很小的人, 只是将天堂想象成一个人人都聚在那里的单一地方. 而事实上, 天堂由无数社群组成(参看41-50节). 此外, 他们只是认为人人都能出于直接怜悯而蒙恩进入天堂, 因此天堂仅在于许可和出于善意的接纳. 他们没有意识到, 主出于怜悯引导凡接受祂的人; 而接受祂的, 是那些照神性秩序的法则, 也就是爱与信的戒律生活的人. 他们也没有意识到, 从幼年直到在世生命的结束, 然后继续直到永恒蒙主引导, 才是怜悯的真正含义. 因此, 要让他们知道, 每个人皆为天堂而生, 凡在世时将天堂接入自己里面的人都能被接入天堂; 凡没有接受它的人都被拒之门外!
注: 选民是指那些过良善与真理的生活之人(天国的奥秘 3755, 3900节). 拣选并接入天堂并非如众人所理解的那样出于怜悯, 而是取决于人的生活(天国的奥秘 5057, 5058节). 主的直接怜悯并不存在, 只有对那些照其诫命生活之人的一种间接怜悯; 这些人在世时, 主出于其怜悯不断引导他们, 以后继续引导他们, 直到永远(天国的奥秘 8700, 10659节). 在圣言中, “穷人”表示那些灵性上贫穷的人, 也就是那些不知道真理, 却渴望学习的人(天国的奥秘 9209, 9253, 10227节). 经上说他们饥渴, 是指他们渴望良善与真理的知识, 并以这种方式被引入教会和天堂(天国的奥秘 4958, 10227节).
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420. 有些人以為天國並非浩瀚無邊, 而是規模有限, 因為他們照字義理解某些經文, 如有地方說唯窮人能進入天國, 或說唯選民能進入天國, 或說唯教內人能進入天國, 或說唯主代為祈求的人能進入天國, 或說天國人滿時將要關閉, 且時日已定, 等等。他們未曾認識到, 天國永遠不會關閉, 既無預定的時間, 也無固定的人數,"選民"系指過良善與真理之生活者,"窮人"指不瞭解良善與真理卻渴望瞭解者(因其渴慕之心, 他們也被稱為"饑餓者")。
因誤解聖言而以為天國有限的人, 將天國想像為一個地方, 眾人皆往那裡聚集。然事實上, 天國是由無數的社群組成(參41-50)。此外, 他們還以為進入天國純粹在於上帝的憐憫, 只要上帝許可, 就能被接入天國。他們未曾認識到, 主因其憐憫, 引導每一個接受祂的人, 而接受祂的人就是照神性法則生活, 或說照仁與信的法則生活的人。他們未曾認識到, 從出生到離世再到永遠被主引導才是憐憫的真正含義。但願他們明白, 每個人皆為天國而生, 在世時凡將天國接入心者都能進入天國。反之, 不將天國接入心者將被關在門外。
420. Because they take a few passages from the Word literally, some people think that heaven is not vast but small. For example, there are places where it says that only the poor will be accepted into heaven, or only the elect, or only people in the church and not people from outside, or only people for whom the Lord makes intercession, or that heaven will be closed when it is full, and that the time for this is foreordained. These people do not realize that heaven will never be closed; that there is no foreordained time, no fixed number; and that "the elect" are people who live lives of goodness and truth; 1that "the poor" are people who have not found out what is good and true but who long to (they are also called "the hungry" because of this longing). 2
People who think that heaven is small because they have misunderstood the Word can only be thinking that heaven is in a single place where everyone is gathered together. Yet in fact heaven consists of countless communities. (See above, 41-50.) Further, they can only be thinking that heaven is granted to individuals out of direct mercy and therefore consists simply of admission and acceptance out of good will. They do not realize that the Lord, out of his mercy, leads everyone who accepts him, and that the people who accept him are the people who live according to the laws of the divine design, which are precepts of love and faith. They do not realize that being led by the Lord from infancy to the end of earthly life and then on to eternity is what mercy really means. If only they knew that everyone is born for heaven, that people are accepted into heaven who accept heaven into themselves in this world, and that people who do not accept it are shut out!
Footnotes:
1. The elect are people who lead lives of goodness and truth: 3755, 3900. There is no election and acceptance into heaven out of mercy as this is commonly understood, only in keeping with one's life: 5057-5058. There is no direct mercy of the Lord, only an indirect mercy, that is, for people who live by his precepts, whom he, out of mercy, is constantly leading while they are in the world and afterward to eternity: 10659, 8700.
2. The poor in the Word means people who are spiritually poor, people who do not know what is true but still long to learn: 9209, 9253, 10227. When it says that they are hungry and thirsty, it is referring to their longing to encounter what is good and true and to be led in this way into the church and heaven: 4958, 10227.
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420. That heaven is not immense, but is of limited extent, is a conclusion that some have derived from certain passages in the Word understood according to the sense of its letter; for example, where it is said that only the poor are received into heaven, or only the elect, or only those within the Church, and not those outside it, or only those for whom the Lord intercedes; that heaven is closed when it is filled, and that this time is predetermined. But such do not know that heaven is never closed, and that there is not any predetermined time, or any limited number; and that those are called the "elect" who are in a life of good and truth; 1and those are called "poor" who are not in the cognitions of good and truth and yet desire them; and such from that desire are also called "hungry". 2Those who have conceived an idea of the small extent of heaven from the Word not understood, believe it to be in one place, where all are gathered together; when, in fact, heaven consists of innumerable societies (see above, 41-50). Such also have no other idea than that heaven is granted to everyone from immediate mercy, and thus that there is admission and reception only from favour. They fail to understand that the Lord from mercy leads everyone who receives Him, and that he receives Him who lives in accordance with the laws of Divine order, which are the precepts of love and of faith, and that the mercy that is meant is to be thus led by the Lord from infancy to the last period of life in the world and afterwards to eternity. Let them know, therefore, that every man is born for heaven, and that he who receives heaven in himself in the world, is received and he who does not receive it, is shut out.
Footnotes:
1. Those are the "elect" who are in a life of good and truth (Arcana Coelestia 3755, 3900).
Election and reception into heaven are not from mercy, as that term is understood, but are in accordance with the life (Arcana Coelestia 5057-5058).
There is no immediate mercy of the Lord, but only mediate, that is, to those who live in accordance with His precepts; such the Lord from His mercy leads continually in the world, and afterwards to eternity (Arcana Coelestia 8700, 10659).
2. By the "poor", in the Word, those are meant who are spiritually poor, that is, who are ignorant of truth and yet wish to be taught (Arcana Coelestia 9209, 9253, 10227).
Such are said to hunger and thirst, which is to desire cognitions of good and of truth, by which there is introduction into the Church and into heaven (Arcana Coelestia 4958, 10227).
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420. That heaven is not immense, but it is of limited extent, is a conclusion that some have derived from certain passages in the Word understood according to the sense of its letter; for example, where it is said that only the poor are received into heaven, or only the elect, or only those within the church, and not those outside of it, or only those for whom the Lord intercedes; that heaven is closed when it is filled, and that this time is predetermined. But such are unaware that heaven is never closed, and that there is no time predetermined, or any limit of number; and that those are called the "elect" who are in a life of good and truth; 1and those are called "poor" who are lacking in knowledges of good and truth and yet desire them; and such from that desire are also called hungry. 2Those that have conceived an idea of the small extent of heaven from the Word not understood believe it to be in one place, where all are gathered together; when, in fact, heaven consists of innumerable societies (see (Heaven and Hell 41-50) above, 41-50). Such also have no other idea than that heaven is granted to everyone from mercy apart from means, and thus that there is admission and reception from mere favor; and they fail to understand that the Lord from mercy leads everyone who accepts Him, and that he accepts Him who lives in accordance with the laws of divine order, which are the precepts of love and of faith, and that the mercy that is meant is to be thus led by the Lord from infancy to the last period of life in the world and afterwards to eternity. Let them know, therefore, that every man is born for heaven, and that he is received that receives heaven in himself in the world, and he that does not receive it is shut out.
Footnotes:
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420. Quod caelum non immensum sit, sed parvum, opinantur quidam ex aliquibus locis in Verbo secundum sensum ejus litterae intellectis: ut ex illis ubi dicitur, quod in caelum modo pauperes recipiantur; tum quod non nisi quam electi et quod solum qui intra ecclesiam, et non qui extra quod solum illi, pro quibus Dominus intercedit; quod caelum occludatur cum impletum est, et quod hoc tempus praefinitum sit. Sed illi non sciunt quod caelum nusquam claudatur, et quod non sit aliquod tempus praefinitum, nec multitudo definita; et quod "electi" dicantur qui in vita boni et veri sunt; 1et quod "pauperes" qui non in cognitionibus boni et veri sunt, et usque desiderant illas hi quoque ex desiderio illo vocantur "esurientes." 2Qui de parvitate caeli ex non intellecto Verbo opinionem ceperunt, nec sciunt aliter quam quod caelum sit in uno loco, ubi conventus omnium: cum tamen caelum ex innumeris societatibus consistit (videatur supra, 41-50): et quoque non sciunt aliter quam quod caelum sit unicuivis ex immediata misericordia, et sic quod solum sit intromissio et receptio ex beneplacito nec intelligunt, quod Dominus ex misericordia ducat unumquemvis qui recipit Ipsum, et quod is recipiat Ipsum qui vivit secundum leges ordinis Divini, quae sunt praecepta amoris et fidei; et quod duci ita a Domino, ab infantia ad ultimum vitae in mundo, et dein in aeternum, sit misericordia quae intelligitur. Sciant itaque, quod unusquisque homo nascatur ad caelum, et quod recipiatur qui caelum recipit in se in mundo, et excludatur qui non recipit.
Footnotes: