76、但必须记住这一点，世人的肉眼无法看见天使，只有他里面的灵眼能看见，｛注1｝因为他的灵在灵界，与此同时，肉体的一切都在尘世。从类似的存在中，同类能相见。此外，众所周知，肉眼是视觉的肉体器官，它太粗糙，若不借助放大镜甚至连尘世中较小的东西也看不见，怎么能看见超出尘世的、在灵界的一切事物呢？然而，当人从肉体视觉中退出、灵的视觉被打开时，他就能看见这些事物。主若乐意让人看到，这种事即刻就能发生。在那种情况下，人不知道是用灵眼看，以为自己正在用肉眼观看。天使都是这样被亚伯拉罕、罗得、玛挪亚和众先知看见的；主复活以后，也是这样被门徒看见的；我也是这样看见天使的。众先知因这种看见的方式，故被称为“先见者”（撒母耳记上9:9），并被说成是“让他们的眼睛睁开”（民数记24:3）；使他们如此看见就被称为“开他们的眼目”，如以利沙的仆人。经上说：以利沙祷告说：“耶和华啊，求你开这少年人的眼目，使他能看见。”耶和华开他的眼目，他就看见满山有火车火马围绕以利沙。（列王纪下6:17）
｛注1｝：就人的内在而言，人就是一个灵（1594）；这灵就是人自己，因为身体靠这灵而活（447，4622，6054）。
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76. 然而, 要知道, 人无法用肉眼, 只能用他里面的灵眼看见天使. 因为他的灵就在灵界, 而肉体的一切事物都在自然界. 同类出于相似性而看到同类. 此外, 众所周知, 视觉的肉体器官, 也就是肉眼, 太过粗糙, 以至于若不借助显微镜, 甚至连自然界较小的事物也看不见, 更看不见高于自然界领域的事物, 如灵界的一切事物. 然而, 当人从肉体视觉退出, 其灵的视觉被打开时, 他就能看见这些事物. 若主乐意让人看到, 这种事立刻就能实现. 在这种情况下, 人只知道他正在用肉眼看它们. 亚伯拉罕, 罗得, 玛挪亚和众先知都是这样看见天使的; 主复活以后, 门徒也是这样看见祂; 我同样如此看见天使. 众先知因以这种方式看见, 故被称为“先见”(撒母耳记上 9:9), 并被说成是“眼睛睁开的人”(民数记 24:3); 能使他们如此看见就被称为“开他们的眼目”, 如以利沙的仆人, 关于他, 我们读到:
以利沙祷告说, 耶和华啊, 求你开这少年人的眼目, 使他能看见. 耶和华开他的眼目, 他就看见满山有火车火马围绕以利沙. (列王纪下 6:17)
注: 就其内层而言, 人就是一个灵(天国的奥秘 1594节); 这灵就是此人自己, 因为身体靠这灵活着(天国的奥秘 447, 4622, 6054节).
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76. 只是我們要知道, 人無法用肉眼看見天人, 只能用心靈之眼(簡稱靈眼), 因為天人住在心靈世界, 而一切屬於肉體的都處於物質世界。只有同類才能相見, 因為具有相同的質地。再者, 人的肉眼相當粗糙, 若不借助顯微鏡, 就看不見人間細小的物質, 這是眾所周知的。高於物質世界的, 如心靈世界的一切實相, 就更不用說了。我們只有出離肉體的視覺, 開啟靈魂的視覺, 才能看見天人。主若願意, 此事立時就能實現。彼時, 我們看見天人, 感覺就像用肉眼觀看一樣。亞伯拉罕, 羅得, 瑪挪亞, 眾先知都是以靈眼看見天人。主復活以後, 使徒也是在靈裡看見主。我同樣是在靈裡看見天人。
天人在靈裡看見異象, 因而被稱為"先見"(撒母耳記上9:9)或"眼睛睜開的人"(民數記24:3)。使他們看見的動作被稱為"開眼"。這正是以利沙的僕人所經歷的, 經上說:"以利沙禱告說, 耶和華啊, 求你開這少年人的眼目, 使他能看見。耶和華開他的眼目, 他就看見滿山有火車火馬圍繞以利沙"(列王記下6:17)。
76. It does need to be realized, though, that we cannot see angels with our bodily eyes, only with the eyes of our spirit, 1because they are in the spiritual world while everything bodily is in the natural world. Like sees like because it is of like substance. Further, the body's visual organ, the eye, is so crude that as everyone knows it does not even see the smaller elements of nature without a lens, much less things that are above the sphere of nature, as are all the realities of the spiritual world. These can be seen by us, though, when we are released from bodily sight and the sight of our spirit is opened. This happens instantly when it pleases the Lord that we should see. It then seems to us exactly as though we were seeing with our bodily eyes. This is how angels were seen by Abraham, Lot, Manoah, and the prophets. This is how the Lord was seen by the disciples after the resurrection. This is the same way, too, in which I have seen angels.
Because this was how the prophets saw, they are called "seers" and "ones whose eyes are opened" (1 Samuel 9:9, Numbers 23:3; 24:3); and the act of enabling them to see this way is called "opening the eyes." This is what happened to Elisha's servant, of whom we read, "Elisha prayed, 'Jehovah, open his eyes, I pray, so that he may see,' and as Jehovah opened the eyes of his servant, behold the mountain was full of horses and fiery chariots surrounding Elisha" (2 Kings 6:17).
Footnotes:
1. As to our inner levels, we are spirits: 1594. The spirit is the essential person, and it is from the spirit that the body lives: 447, 4622, 6054.
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76. It ought to be known, however, that angels cannot be seen by a man through the eyes of his body but through the eyes of the spirit within him, 1because this is in the spiritual world, while all things of the body are in the natural world. Like sees like from being alike. Besides, as everyone knows, the bodily organ of sight which is the eye is so gross as to be unable even to see, except through magnifying glasses, the smaller things of nature; still less then can it see the things that are above the sphere of nature such as are all things in the spiritual world. But these things may be seen by a man when he is withdrawn from the sight of the body, and the sight of his spirit is opened. This takes place instantly whenever it pleases the Lord that these things should be seen. In that case, the man does not know but that he is seeing them with his bodily eyes. Angels were seen in this way by Abraham, Lot, Manoah and the Prophets. Thus, too, was the Lord seen by the disciples after the resurrection, and angels have been seen by me in the same way. Because the Prophets saw in this way, they were called "seers", and were said "to have their eyes opened" 1 Samuel 9:9, Numbers 24:3, and enabling them to see thus was called "opening their eyes" as with Elisha's lad of whom we read,
Elisha prayed and said, Jehovah, I pray Thee, open his eyes that he may see; and when Jehovah opened the eyes of his young man, behold, he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17.
Footnotes:
1. Man, as to his interiors, is a spirit (Arcana Coelestia 1594); and the spirit is the man himself, for the body lives from the spirit (Arcana Coelestia 447, 4622, 6054).
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76. But it must be remembered that a man cannot see angels with his bodily eyes, but only with the eyes of the spirit within him, 1because his spirit is in the spiritual world, and all things of the body are in the natural world. Like sees like from being like. Moreover, as the bodily organ of sight, which is the eye, is too gross, as everyone knows, to see even the smaller things of nature except through magnifying glasses, still less can it see what is above the sphere of nature, as all things in the spiritual world are. Nevertheless these things can be seen by man when he has been withdrawn from the sight of the body, and the sight of his spirit has been opened; and this can be effected instantly whenever it is the pleasure of the Lord that man should see these things; and in that case man does not know but what he is seeing them with his bodily eyes. Thus were angels seen by Abraham, Lot, Manoah, and the prophets; and thus, too, the Lord was seen by the disciples after the resurrection; and in the same way angels have been seen by me. Because the prophets saw in this way they were called "seers," and were said "to have their eyes opened" (1 Samuel 9:8; Numbers 24:3); and enabling them to see thus was called "opening their eyes," as with Elisha's servant, of whom we read:
Elisha prayed and said, Jehovah, I pray Thee open his eyes that he may see; and Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man and he saw, and behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha (2 Kings 6:17).
Footnotes:
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76. At sciendum est, quod angeli non possint videri homini per oculos corporis ejus, sed per oculos spiritus qui est in homine, 1quia is est in spirituali mundo, et omnia corporis in naturali; simile videt simile, quia ex simili praeterea organum visus corporis, quod est oculus, tam crassum est, ut ne quidem videat minora naturae nisi per vitra optica, ut cuivis notum est inde minus adhuc illa quae supra naturae sphaeram sunt, qualia sunt omnia quae in spirituali mundo sed haec usque videntur ab homine, cum is abducitur a visu corporis, et aperitur visus spiritus ejus, quod etiam momento fit, cum placet Domino ut videantur; et tunc homo non aliud scit quam quod videat illa oculis corporis: ita angeli visi sunt Abrahamo, Loto, Manoacho, et Prophetis; ita quoque visus est Dominus post resurrectionem discipulis: simili modo etiam mihi visi sunt angeli. Quia prophetae ita viderunt, ideo dicti sunt "videntes" et "aperti oculis (1 Samuelis 9:9; Numeri 24:3; 2ac facere ut ita videant, dictum est "aperire oculos," ut factum est puero Elisaei, de quo ita legitur,
"Orans Elisaeus dixit, Jehovah, aperi quaeso oculos ejus ut videat; et aperiente Jehovah oculos pueri ejus, vidit quod ecce mons ille plenus equis et curribus igneis circa Elisaeum," (2 Regnum 6:17).
Footnotes: