SS15.为说明，若没有灵义，旧约圣言的预言部分在许多地方是无法理解的，我想引用少量经文。如以赛亚书中的这段经文：
耶和华要兴起鞭来攻击亚述，好像在俄立磐石那里击杀米甸人一样。耶和华的杖要向海伸出，把杖举起，像在埃及一样。到那日，他的重担必离开你的肩头，他的轭必离开你的颈项。他要来到亚叶；经过米矶仑；指挥军队攻击密抹；他们要经过米巴拉（Mebara）。基比亚将成为我们的居所；拉玛因惧怕就战兢；扫罗的基比亚逃跑。迦琳的女子哪，要大声恸哭！莱煞哪，须听，困苦的亚拿突啊！玛得米要成为流浪者；基柄的居民要聚集。在挪伯不是还有一个立定的日子吗？锡安女子的山，就是耶路撒冷的山冈要抡手。森林的密丛，耶和华要用铁器砍下，黎巴嫩的树木必因大能者倒下。（以赛亚书10:26-32，34）
我们在此看到的只是名字，没有灵义的帮助，就无法从中提取任何意义；就灵义而言，圣言中的所有名字都表示天堂和教会的事物。从灵义可以推断，这些话表示整个教会因败坏一切真理和确认虚假的记忆知识而遭到毁灭。
以赛亚书的另一处：
到那日，以法莲的嫉妒就必消散，犹大的仇敌必被剪除；以法莲必不嫉妒犹大，犹大也不为难以法莲；他们要向海飞在非利士人的肩头上，一同掳掠东方人；以东和摩押必束手投降。耶和华必向埃及海的舌头发诅咒，用猛烈的灵在大河之上抡手，击打它，使它分为七条溪河，让祂可以穿鞋过去。那时，为祂余剩的百姓，就是从亚述剩下回来的，必有一条大道。（以赛亚书11:13-16）
此处，也没有人会看到任何神性事物，除非知道这几个名字表示什么；然而，所论述的主题是主的降临，以及那时会发生什么事，这从1-10节经文明显看出来。所以，没有灵义的帮助，谁会明白这些话依次表示什么？也就是说，人们若由于无知而陷入虚假，然而没有让自己被邪恶引入歧途，就会来到主这里；那时教会将理解圣言，虚假也不再伤害他们。
没有名字的地方也是这种情况，如以西结书：
主耶和华如此说，人子啊，你要对各种羽族的鸟、对田野的各走兽说，你们聚集来吧，要从四围聚集来赴我为你们所献的祭筵，就是在以色列山上的大祭筵，好叫你们吃肉喝血。你们要吃勇士的肉，喝地上首领的血。从我为你们所献的祭筵，你们要吃脂肪吃到饱足，喝血到喝到醉。你们要在我席上饱吃马匹和战车，并勇士和一切的战士。我必这样在列族中建立我的荣耀。（以西结书39:17-21）
人若不从灵义知道祭筵、肉、血、马匹、战车、勇士和战士表示什么，就会以为他们真的要吃喝这些东西。但灵义教导：从主耶和华在以色列山上所要献上的祭筵“吃肉喝血”表示将来自圣言的神性良善和神性真理归给人自己；因为所论述的主题是将所有人都召集到主的国度，尤其是主在诸民族当中重新建立教会。谁看不出“肉”在此不是指肉，“血”也不是指血？难道他们真的要喝血喝到醉，还要饱吃马匹和战车，并勇士和一切的战士？先知书中还有上千处经文同样是这种情况。
15. To show that the prophetic books of the Word of the Old Testament are in many places unintelligible apart from their spiritual meaning, I should like to cite just a few. This from Isaiah, for example:
Then Jehovah will rouse up a whip against Assyria, like the blow against Midian on the rock Oreb; his staff will be stretched out over the sea, and he will lift it against the way of Egypt. And it will happen on that day that his burden will depart from your shoulder and his yoke from your neck. He will come against Aiath; he will cross over into Migron. He will command his weapons against Michmash; they will cross Mabara. Gibeah will be a place of lodging for us; Ramah will tremble with fear; Gibeah of Saul will flee. Wail with your voice, daughter of Gallim! Listen to Laishah, unfortunate Anathoth! Madmenah will wander; the inhabitants of Gebim will gather together. In Nob is it still a day for standing firm? The mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, will move its hand. Jehovah will cut down the tangled places in the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by means of the Mighty One. (Isaiah 10:24-34)
All we find here are names from which we can draw no sense without the aid of the spiritual meaning, in which all the names in the Word point to matters of heaven and the church. We gather from this meaning that this passage refers to the ruin of the whole church by information that corrupted every true teaching and supported every false teaching.
[2] In another passage from the same prophet,
On that day the rivalry of Ephraim will wane and the enemies of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will not compete with Judah, and Judah will not trouble Ephraim, but they will swoop down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the sea. Together they will plunder the children of the east. Edom and Moab will be [subject to] the stretching out of their hand. Jehovah will curse the tongue of the sea of Egypt and will shake his hand over the river with the vehemence of his spirit; and he will strike it into seven streams, to make a pathway [that can be trodden] with sandals. Then there will be a highway for the rest of his people, the remnant from Assyria. (Isaiah 11:11, 13-16)
Here too, only those who know what these particular names mean will see anything divine, when in fact this is about the Lord’s Coming and what will happen then, as is perfectly obvious from the first ten verses of the chapter. So without the aid of the spiritual meaning, who would see what these statements in this sequence mean, namely, that if people are caught up in false beliefs because of ignorance but have not let themselves be led astray by evil tendencies, they will find their way to the Lord, and that the church will then understand the Word, so that their false beliefs will no longer harm them?
[3] It is much the same in other passages where there are no names, as in Ezekiel:
Thus says the Lord Jehovih: “Son of Humanity, say to every winged bird and to every beast of the field, ‘Gather and come. Gather yourselves from all around for my sacrifice, which I am sacrificing for you, a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, so that you may eat flesh and drink blood. You will eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the rulers of the earth. You will eat fat until you are full and drink blood until you are drunk, from my sacrifice, which I am sacrificing for you. At my table you will eat your fill of horses and chariots and the mighty and every man of war. This is how I will establish my glory among the nations.’” (Ezekiel 39:17-21)
If readers do not know from the spiritual sense the meaning of a sacrifice, of flesh and blood, of horses, chariots, the mighty, and men of war, all they can conclude is that they are going to eat and drink things like this. The spiritual meaning, though, tells us that eating flesh and drinking blood from a sacrifice that the Lord Jehovih offers on the mountains of Israel means taking divine goodness and divine truth into ourselves from the Word. This passage is about summoning everyone to the Lord’s kingdom, specifically the Lord’s establishment of a church among the nations. Can anyone fail to see that flesh does not mean flesh and that blood does not mean blood in this text? The same holds true for drinking blood until we are drunk and eating our fill of horses, chariots, the mighty, and every man of war.
There are passages like this in a thousand other places in the prophets.
15. To show that the prophetic portion of the Word in the Old Testament is in many places not understood apart from the spiritual sense, I would like to cite only some of those places. As for example the following in Isaiah:
Then Jehovah...will stir up a scourge (against Asshur), like the smiting of Midian at the rock of Oreb, and as His rod upon the sea which He wielded on the road from Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day that his burden will fall from upon your shoulder, and his yoke from upon your neck.... He will come against Aiath, He will pass over into Migron. Against Michmash he will command his weaponry; they will pass through Mebara. Gibeah will be our lodging place. Ramah will tremble; Saul’s Gibeah will flee. Wail loudly, daughter of Gallim! Hearken, Laish! Take pity, Anathoth! Madmenah will be a wanderer, the inhabitants of Gebim will huddle together. Is there yet time in Nob to make a stand? The mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, will shake her fist. ...Jehovah...will cut away the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will fall by His majesty. (Isaiah 10:24-34)
Here we find merely names, nothing of which can be comprehended without the aid of the spiritual sense, in which names occurring in the Word all symbolize things having to do with heaven and the church. One puts together from this sense that the words symbolically mean that the entire church has been ruined by empirical knowledge used to pervert every truth and confirm falsity.
[2] Elsewhere in Isaiah:
(In that day) the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the enemies of Judah be cut off; Ephraim shall not vie with Judah, and Judah shall not trouble Ephraim. But they shall fly upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; together they shall plunder the people of the east; they shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab.... Jehovah will utter a curse against the tongue of the Egyptian sea; He will shake His fist over the river with the force of His spirit, and strike it into seven streams, so as to enable people to cross over dry-shod. Then there will be a highway for the remnant of its people which will be left from Assyria.... (Isaiah 11:13-16)
Here, too, no one is going to see anything Divine without knowing what each of the names in this passage means, even though the subject is the Lord’s advent and what will take place then, as is clearly apparent from verses 1-10 in that same chapter.
Without the aid of the spiritual sense, who then is going to see that the predictions in succession symbolically mean that people who are caught up in falsities out of ignorance, and have not permitted themselves to be led astray by evils, will turn to the Lord; that the church will understand the Word then; and that falsities will then no longer do them harm?
[3] The case is the same in places without names. As for example in Ezekiel:...thus said the Lord Jehovih, “(Son of man, ) speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field: ‘Assemble yourselves and come, gather together from all around to My sacrificial meal which I am sacrificing for you, a great sacrificial meal upon the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth.... You shall eat fat till you are full, and drink blood till you are drunk, at My sacrificial meal which I am sacrificing for you. You shall be filled at My table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war....’ ” Thus will I set My glory among the nations. (Ezekiel 39:17-21)
Whoever does not know from the spiritual sense the symbolic meanings of a sacrificial meal, of flesh and blood, of horses, chariots, mighty men and men of war, will know no other than that people are to eat and drink such things. But the spiritual sense tells us that eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the sacrificial meal which the Lord Jehovih will provide on the mountains of Israel means, symbolically, an assimilation into oneself of Divine goodness and Divine truth from the Word. For the subject there is a summoning of all people to the Lord’s kingdom, and in particular the Lord’s establishing the church among gentiles.
Who cannot see that flesh there does not mean flesh, and that blood there does not mean blood? As though people should drink blood till they are drunk, and be filled with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war.
The case is the same in a thousand other places in the Prophets.
15. In order that it may be seen that the prophetic parts of the Word of the Old Testament are, in many places, not intelligible without the spiritual sense, I would adduce a few passages only; as in Isaiah:
Then shall Jehovah stir up a scourge against Assyria, according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as His rod was upon the sea so shall He lift it up after the manner of Egypt.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck ... He shall come to Aiath, he shall pass to Migron; at Michmash he shall give orders to his arms (A.V. he hath laid up his carriages). They shall pass over Mebarah; Gibeah shall be a lodging for us; Ramah shall be afraid; Gibeah of Saul shall flee. Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim; give ear, O Laish, O poor Anathoth. Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim shall gather themselves together ... As yet shall he remain at Nob that day? He shall shake his hand, the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem ... Jehovah shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. Isaiah 10:26-34.
In this passage only names occur from which nothing can be drawn but by the aid of the spiritual sense; and in this sense all names in the Word signify things of heaven and the Church. From this sense it is gathered that by these things is signified that the whole Church was devastated by natural knowledge (scientifica) perverting all truth and confirming falsity.
[2] Elsewhere in the same Prophet:
In that day ... the envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. But they shall fly upon the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea (A.V. the west): they shall spoil the children of the east together: Edom and Moab shall be the laying on (emissio) of their hand. Jehovah shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with the vehemence of His spirit shall He shake His hand over the river; and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make it a way for men to go over dry-shod. And there shall be an highway for the remnant of His people,
which shall be left, from Assyria. Isaiah 11:13-16.
Here also no one would see anything Divine unless he knows what is signified by each of the names mentioned; although the subject treated of is the Coming of the Lord and what shall then come to pass, as is clearly manifest from verses 1-10 of the same chapter. Who then, without the aid of the spiritual sense, would see that by these in their order is signified that they who are in falsities from ignorance, and have not suffered themselves to be led astray by evils, will approach the Lord; and that the Church will then understand the Word; and that falsities will then no longer harm them?
[3] The case is similar in those passages where names do not occur, as in Ezekiel:
Thus saith the Lord Jehovih; Thou son of man, Speak unto the fowl of every wing, and to every beast of the field. Assemble yourselves and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth ...
Ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I sacrifice for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horse and chariot, with the mighty man and with every man of war ... Thus I will set my glory among the nations. Ezekiel 39:17-21.
He who does not know from the spiritual sense what is signified by a sacrifice, by flesh, and blood, and what by a horse, a chariot, a mighty man, and a man of war, would not know otherwise than that such things were to be eaten and drunk. The spiritual sense, however, teaches that eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the sacrifice which the Lord Jehovih will give upon the mountains of Israel, signifies appropriating to oneself Divine good and Divine truth from the Word. For the subject treated of here is the calling together of all to the Lord's kingdom, and in particular, the establishment by the Lord of the Church among the nations. Who cannot see that flesh is not meant by flesh, nor blood by blood? as where it is said that they should drink blood till they should be drunken, and that they should be filled with horse and chariot, the mighty man and every man of war? So likewise in a thousand other places in the Prophets.
15. In order that it may be seen that without the spiritual sense the prophetical parts of the Word of the Old Testament are in many passages not intelligible, I will adduce a few, such as the following in Isaiah:
Then shall Jehovah stir up a scourge against Asshur, according to the smiting of Midian at the rock of Oreb, and his rod shall be upon the sea, which he shall lift up in the way of Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck. He shall come against Aiath; he shall pass to Migron; against Michmash he shall command his arms; they shall pass over Mebara; Gebah shall be a lodging to us; Ramah shall tremble; Gibeah of Saul shall flee. Wail with thy voice O daughter of Gallim; hearken O Laish, O wretched Anathoth. Madmenah shall be a wanderer; the inhabitants of Gebim shall gather themselves together. Is there as yet a day to stand in Nob? The mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, shall shake her hand. Jehovah shall cut off the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a magnificent one (Isaiah 10:26-32, 34).
Here we meet with mere names, from which nothing can be drawn except by the aid of the spiritual sense, in which all the names in the Word signify things of heaven and the church. From this sense it is gathered that these words signify that the whole church has been devastated by memory-knowledges [scientifica] 1perverting all truth, and confirming falsity.
[2] In another place in the same prophet:
In that day the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the enemies of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not straiten Ephraim; but they shall fly upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the sea, together shall they spoil the sons of the east, Edom and Moab shall be the putting forth of their hand. Jehovah shall utter a curse against the tongue of the Egyptian sea, and with the vehemence of His spirit He shall shake His hand over the river, and shall smite it into seven streams, so that He shall make a way [to pass over it] with shoes. Then shall there be a path for the remnant of his people, which remnant shall be from Asshur (Isaiah 11:13-16).
Here also no one would see anything Divine except one who knows what is signified by the several names; and yet the subject treated of is the Lord's advent, and what shall then come to pass, as is plainly evident from verses 1 to 10. Who, therefore, without the aid of the spiritual sense, would see that by these things in their order is signified that they who are in falsities from ignorance, yet have not suffered themselves to be led astray by evils, will come to the Lord, and that the church will then understand the Word; and that falsities will then no longer harm them?
[3] The case is the same where there are not names, as in Ezekiel:
Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, Son of man, say unto the bird of every wing, and to every wild beast of the field, Assemble yourselves and come, gather yourselves from round about to My sacrifice which I sacrifice for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood; ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth; ye shall eat fat to satiety, and drink blood to drunkenness, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Ye shall be sated at my table with the horse and the chariot, with the mighty man, and with every man of war. Thus will I set my glory among the nations (Ezekiel 39:17-21).
One who does not know from the spiritual sense what is signified by a sacrifice, by flesh and blood, by a horse, a chariot, a mighty man, and a man of war, would suppose that such things were to be eaten and drunk. But the spiritual sense teaches that to "eat the flesh and drink the blood of the sacrifice which the Lord Jehovih will offer upon the mountains of Israel" signifies to appropriate to one's self Divine good and Divine truth from the Word; for the subject treated of is the calling together of all to the Lord's kingdom, and, specifically, the setting up anew of the church by the Lord among the nations. Who cannot see that by "flesh" is not here meant flesh, nor blood by "blood"? As that people should drink blood to drunkenness, and that they should be sated with horse, chariot, mighty man, and every man of war. So in a thousand other passages in the prophets.
Footnotes:
1. Note the careful distinction made by Swedenborg between those knowledges that are merely in the external memory, and those which a man has some real knowledge of by experience or in some other way, and which are therefore not mere matters of memory. The former he calls "memory-knowledges" (scientiae or scientifica); the latter simply "knowledges" (cognitiones). This distinction runs all through these works, and must not be lost sight of, the recognition of it being vital to the understanding of important doctrines. [Translator]
15. Ut videatur quod prophetica Verbi Veteris Testamenti in multis locis absque sensu spirituali non intelligantur, velim solum aliqua adducere. Ut hoc apud Esaiam,
"Tunc excitabit Jehovah... contra" Aschurem "flagellum, juxta plagam Midianis in petra Oreb, et baculus ejus super mari, quem tollet in via Aegypti. Et fiet in die... recedet onus ejus desuper humero tuo, et jugum... desuper collo tuo; ... veniet contra Aiath, transibit in Migronem, contra Michmasch mandabit armis suis: transibunt Mebaram, Gibea diversorium nobis, trepidabit Ramah, Gibea Schaulis fugiet: ejula voce tua filia Gallim, ausculta Lajisch, misera Anathoth; vagabitur Madmena; habitatores Gebim congregabunt se; adhucne dies in Nob ad consistendum? movebit manum suam mons filiae Zionis, collis Hierosolymae... Jehovah excidet implexa silvae ferro, et Libanus per magnificum cadet" (10:24-34).
Hic sola nomina occurrunt, ex quibus nihil potest hauriri nisi ope sensus spiritualis, in quo omnia nomina in Verbo significant res caeli et ecclesiae; ex illo sensu colligitur, quod per illa significetur, quod tota ecclesia per scientifica pervertentia omne verum et confirmantia falsum, devastata sit. Alibi apud eundem Prophetam:
"In die illo... recedet aemulatio Ephraimi, et hostes Jehudae exscindentur; Ephraim non aemulabitur cum Jehuda, et Jehudah non angustabit Ephraimum; sed involabunt in humerum Philisthaeorum versus mare, una depraedabuntur filios Orientis; Edomus et Moabus emissio manus eorum...; contra devovebit Jehovah linguam maris Aegypti, et agitabit manum suam super fluvium cum vehementia spiritus cui, et percutiet eum in septem rivos, ut viam faciat cum calceis: tunc erit semita reliquiis populi ejus, quae residuae erunt ab Aschure" (Esaias 11:13-16). 1
Hic quoque nemo, nisi qui scit quid per singula nomina ibi significatur, visurus est aliquod Divinum; cum tamen agitur ibi de Adventu Domini, et quid tunc fiet, ut manifeste patet a versu 1-10 ibi. Quis itaque absque ope sensus spiritualis visurus est, quod per illa in suo ordine significetur hoc, quod illi qui in falsis ex ignorantia sunt, et se non a malis seduci passi sunt, ad Dominum accessuri sint, et quod ecclesia tunc intellectura sit Verbum, et quod falsa tunc illis non amplius nocitura sint? Similiter ubi non sunt nomina; ut apud Ezechielem:--
"Sic dixit Dominus Jehovih, Fili hominis, dic avi omnis alae, et omni ferae agri, Congregamini et venite, congregate vos a circuitu ad sacrificium meum, quod sacrifico vobis, sacrificium magnum super montibus Israelis: ut comedatis carnem, et bibatis sanguinem, carnem fortium comedetis, et sanguinem principum terrae bibetis; ... comedetis adipem ad satietatem, et bibetis sanguinem usque ad ebrietatem, de sacrificio meo quod sacrifico vobis. Satiabimini super mensa mea, equo et curru, et forti, et omni viro belli: ... sic dabo gloriam meam inter gentes (Ezechiel 39:17-21).
Qui non ex sensu spirituali scit quid significat "sacrificium," quid "caro" et "sanguis," quidque "equus," "currus," "fortis" et "vir belli," non sciturus est aliud quam quod comesturi et bibituri sint talia; sed sensus spiritualis docet, quod per "comedere carnem et bibere sanguinem" de sacrificio quod Dominus Jehovih super montibus Israelis dabit, significetur appropriare sibi Divinum bonum et Divinum verum ex Verbo: agitur enim ibi de convocatione omnium ad regnum Domini, et in specie de instauratione ecclesiae apud gentes a Domino. Quis non videre potest, quod non caro per "carnem," nec sanguis per "sanguinem" ibi intelligatur? ut quod "sanguinem biberent usque ad ebrietatem," et quod "satiarentur equo, curru, forti, et omni viro belli." Similiter in mille aliis locis apud Prophetas.
Footnotes:
1. 11 pro "12"