155.关于天使的言语和对事物的理解。我与周围的灵人谈论天使的言语和他们对事物的理解，灵人急于知道这一切。因有经验的指教，我说：
(1)天使的言语对我们来说是不可理解的，因为它几乎同时包含无数元素；可以说，要解释这些元素，不得不按顺序通过许多迂回的方式进行；并且若不通过超出我们的理解和我的描述能力的形式，照着更内在形式的性质进行各种旋转和转动，我们就无法描绘天使的言语。我在别处对这些形式有所说明。
(2)有时会有一种说话的形式，或许多人一起说话的形式；当这种说话形式降至低级气场时，它看上去并非原来的样子，有时完全不同，因为它大部分会转化为图画式的代表物，如先知所看到的那种，因而从更内在包含天上所隐藏的事物。因为天使具有一种回应性的理解，也就是由这些代表物所产生的理解；当通过我们的观念被展示出来时，这些代表物就转化为天使所理解的属天事物；地上的乐园能以这种方式转化为天上的乐园。
(3)我还被指示天使如何出于仅适当联结在一起的属世事物理解一系列极其崇高和属天的事物。然而，若非出于弥赛亚神的怜悯，这一切永远不可能发生在天使身上。
(4)蒙弥赛亚神的神性怜悯，我有时能生动地感受到这种旋转运动，还能由此断定，无数此类更内在的事物能构成一个所谓的物质观念；这种物质观念包含无数这类元素，以致世人永远不会相信，更不能理解。而每一个更内在的观念反过来又包含无数元素，而且无限完美得多。当人以相反的次序生活，尤其想通过由爱自己爱世界，因而由贪欲所唤起的知识进入宗教信仰的奥秘时，这种形式，因而经由天使，并从天使经由灵人进入人类心智的来自弥赛亚神的流注就会受到干扰，由此产生一种混乱或骚动，就像巴比伦人建造通天塔时的情形，当时他们的口音变乱了（创世记11:4-9）。
(5)于是便说弥赛亚神离开人，尽管一切事物仍以这样一种方式被排列，即它们可恢复为某种天堂形式的样貌。这种事以无穷的多样性方式实现。因为低级气场或尘世气场中的任何事物无论何等深奥、复杂和多样，都能被弥赛亚神带回属天的次序；否则，人必要灭亡，不能理解任何事；因此才会有一种属灵的流注被保存下来，以便人能进行推理。当人出于在上之物，或更高之物，也就是照次序行事时，可以说从天上乐园进入地上乐园的大门被打开，这也是“转面”。
155. About Speech and the understanding of things, with Angels
1. ) I have spoken with spirits around me about the speech of angels and their understanding of matters which the spirits are extremely interested in knowing about. Having been taught by experience, I said that the angels' speech cannot be perceptible to us, because it contains countless elements almost simultaneously, which would have to be unfolded extensively in a sequence and in many roundabout ways; and that it is not portrayable to us except by forms virtually beyond our grasp and my powers of description, whirling around together in gyrating motions, following the varying pattern of more inward forms. About these forms as they were shown to me, I have spoken elsewhere [191a-92a].
2. ) Meanwhile, there is a form of speech, or of very many speaking at the same time, which, when it falls into the lower orb, does not appear the same, but sometimes quite different, for the most part turning into pictorial symbolism like that of the Prophets, which consequently more inwardly contains heavenly, and therefore hidden, matters. There is a reactive understanding with the angels, that is, arising from these symbolic displays, which, when exhibited through our mental images, are transformed into heavenly subjects that angels can understand, so that the earthly paradise can pass over into the heavenly one.
3. ) It was also shown to me how angels, from facts of nature alone properly joined together, have understood a series of very lofty, heavenly matters. Yet this cannot happen with the angels except through the mercy of God the Messiah. 1747, the 21st of August (old calendar).
4. ) Such gyrating motions I have sometimes been able, by the Divine mercy of God the Messiah, to feel come over me vividly, and I was able to gather therefrom that myriads of such more inward mental images could compose one material one, we may call it, 1in which such a countless number of elements are contained that a person in the world could never believe it, much less comprehend it. In every more inward mental image, in its turn, [are contained countless elements], but in an incalculably greater degree of perfection.
Now this form, and consequently the influence of God the Messiah through angels, and from them through spirits, upon human minds, becomes disturbed when a person lives in a contrary order, especially when one wants to go into the mysteries of religion by means of knowledge that has been called up by the love of self and the world, and therefore by cupidity. From this there arises a confusion or disturbance like that among the Babylonians building the tower, when their lips were confounded [Gen. 11:4-9], 2
5. ) affirming the absence of God the Messiah from humanity, even though all things are nevertheless ordered in such a way that they may be restored to a semblance of some heavenly form. This can take place in countlessly many ways. For no matter what abstruseness, entanglement, jumble, comes to exist in the lower realm or world, it can nevertheless be brought back to order by God the Messiah; otherwise mankind would perish and not be able to understand anything. On this account there is still a spiritual influence enabling them to exercise their reason. The door from the heavenly Paradise to the earthly one is said to be opened when one is acting from what is higher, that is, according to order - which also is "to turn the face toward." About the Babylonic confounding [of the lip] and the opening of the heavenly Paradise.
Footnotes:
1. The meaning is not that "material" is the wrong term, but it is being used in the sense of "an idea with man in the material world." -tr.
2. This paragraph and the first half of the next is emphasized in the original by the word "Obs." written four times in the margin.
155. CONCERNING THE SPEECH AND UNDERSTANDING OF THINGS WITH THE ANGELS
I spoke with the spirits around me concerning the speech of angels, and their understanding of things, which the spirits were most eager to know. Having learned from experience, I said
(1) that the speech of angels cannot become perceptible to us, because it contains innumerable things together, as it were, which would have to be tediously explained in succession and by many circumlocutions; and that it cannot be represented to us otherwise than by almost incomprehensible forms, variously gyrated and circumgyrated, according to the nature of the more interior forms, which I cannot describe. Concerning these forms which have been shown me, see elsewhere. 1
(2) There is sometimes given a form of speech, or of very many speaking together, which does not appear similar but at times entirely different, when it falls into a lower sphere, as is the case for the most part with such representations as those of the Prophets, which therefore contain heavenly and thus arcane things in their more interior sense. For the understanding of the angels is reciprocal, namely, it is from such representations which, when presented to our ideas, are translated into heavenly ones which are understood by the angels; in this way can an earthly paradise everywhere pass over into a heavenly one.
(3) It was also shown me that the angels understood a series of things still more sublime and heavenly from natural things alone rightly connected. This, however, can never exist with the angels except from the mercy of God Messiah. 1747, Aug. 21, o.s.
(4) By the Divine mercy of God Messiah I could sometimes livingly feel such circumgyrations above me. From this I was able to conclude that myriads of these more interior things could produce one material idea, so called, in which such innumerable things are contained that man can never believe, still less comprehend, it. It is the same as regards each more interior idea, but indefinitely more perfectly. This form, and consequently the influx from God Messiah through the angels, and from them through spirits into human minds, is disturbed when man lives in a contrary order, especially when he wants to bring himself into the mysteries of faith by means of scientifics, enkindled by the love of self and the world, and thus by cupidities; thence arises a confusion or disturbance like that of the Babylonians when they were building their tower and their lips were confounded [Genesis xi 4-9
(5) Then God Messiah is said to be absent from man, although all things are still so disposed that they are reduced into the semblance of some heavenly form, which can be effected in an indefinite variety of ways. For however abstruse, intricate, and varied anything may be in the lower sphere, or in the sphere of the world, it can still be reduced into heavenly order by God Messiah; otherwise man would perish, and he could not understand anything whatever, for which reason there is preserved a spiritual influx in order that he may be able to reason. The door from the heavenly into the earthly paradise is said to be opened when man acts from above, that is, according to order, which is also to "turn the face". Concerning the Babylonish confusion and the opening of the heavenly Paradise.
Footnotes:
1. Perhaps n, 86; or On the Worship and Love of God, Part III.
155. De Loquela et intellectu rerum, apud Angelos
Cum spiritibus circum me loquutus sum de loquela angelorum, et intellectu rerum, quae spiritus summopere scire cupiebant; ab experientia edoctus dicebam, quod loquela angelorum nobis non perceptibilis esse possit, quia 1
innumerabilia continet quasi simul, quae successive et per plures ambages prolixe explicanda essent, et quod nobis non aliter repraesentata sit, quam per formas fere incomprehensibiles, varie secundum naturam formarum intimiorum, congyratas et circumgyratas, quas describere non possum; de quibus, mihi ostensis, alibi [191a-192a], 86]; interea forma datur loquelae seu loquentium perplurium simul, quae dum in inferiorem orbem cadit, non apparet similis, sed plane diversa quandoque, utplurimum in repraesentationes tales, quales sunt prophetarum, quae sic continent in suis intimioribus 2
coelestia, et sic arcana: intellectus angelorum datur reciprocus, nempe a talibus repraesentationibus, quae dum sistuntur ideis nostris, transferuntur in coelestia, quae ab angelis intelliguntur, sic utique paradisus terrestris transire potest in coelestem; quod angeli a solis rebus naturalibus rite connexis intellexerint seriem rerum sublimiorum et coelestium, etiam mihi ostensum; quod tamen nusquam existere potest penes angelos, nisi ex misericordia Dei Messiae. 1747, d. 21 Aug. st. v. Circumgyrationes tales quandoque ad vivum super me, per Divinam Dei Messiae misericordiam, sentire potui; exinde concludere potui, quod myriades talium intimiorum potuerunt unam ideam materialem ita dictam concinnare, in qua tam innumerabilia continentur, ut homo nusquam id credere, minus comprehendere possit; similiter in unaquavis idea intimiore, sed indefinite perfectius. Haec forma,proinde influxus a Deo Messia per angelos, et ab his per spiritus in mentes humanas perturbatur, quando contrario ordine degit homo, cumprimis quando homo per scientifica excitata ab amore sui et mundi, et sic a cupiditatibus, inferre se velit in mysteria fidei, inde confusio seu perturbatio qualis Babyloniorum, turrim aedificantium, quum labia eorum confusa sunt [Gen. 11:4-9]; inde praedicatur absentia Dei Messiae ab homine, tametsi omnia usque ita disponuntur, ut in speciem alicujus formae coelestis, quod indefinitis modis fieri potest, redigatur; nam utcunque abstrusum, intricatum, varium, existit in sphaera inferiori seu mundi, usque in ordinem coelestem a Deo Messia redigi potest, aliter periret homo, nec posset 3
quicquam intelligere, inde influxus usque spiritualis, ut ratiocinari queat; aperiri dicitur janua a Paradiso coelesti in terrestrem, quando a superiori agitur, hoc est, secundum ordinem, quod etiam est, faciem advertere. De confusione Babylonica, et Paradisi coelestis aperitione. {a}
Footnotes:
1. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has qui
2. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has intimiori
3. The Manuscript has potest