119.若非主施行救赎，天使无法继续安然存在。原因在于，在主眼里，整个天使天堂，连同地上的教会就像一个人，天使天堂构成他的内在，教会构成他的外在；或更详细一点，最高层天堂构成他的头，第二层和最低层天堂构成他的胸和身体的中间部分，地上的教会则构成他的腿和脚，而主自己是这个人全部的灵魂和生命。所以，若主不施行救赎，这个人必整个被摧毁；地上教会的衰落会摧毁他的腿和脚，最低层天堂的衰落会摧毁腹部，第二层天堂的衰落则摧毁胸部，然后头部因与身体失去联结而丧失知觉。
这一点可通过比喻来说明。它好比坏疽袭击双脚，然后逐渐向上蔓延，先是感染腰部，之后感染腹内脏器，最后感染心脏附近部位。这时，如众所周知的，这人必死无疑。它还好比腹内脏器疾病，这些脏器发生病变后，就会造成心脏悸动，呼吸困难，最终心肺停止运动。也可拿内在人与外在人作比方来说明这一点：只要外在人顺从地履行它的功能，内在人就安好；若外在人不顺从，并且还抵触、甚至攻击内在人，内在人最终会衰弱，最后被外在人的快乐牵引走，直到支持它，甚至与其同流合污。同样，这一点还可用另外一个比喻来说明，即一个人站在山顶，看到下面地上洪水泛滥，并且逐渐上涨；当洪水涨到他所站之地时，若没有船只破浪驶来让他逃离，他也会被淹没。或就象有人站在山上，看见山下浓雾升起，离地面越来越高，遮蔽了田野、房舍和城镇；最后，大雾将他笼罩，他什么也看不见，甚至不知自己身在何处。
当地上的教会灭亡时，天使的命运就是如此。因为这时，低层天堂也会逝去。原因在于，天堂由地上的人类组成；当人的心里不再有丝毫良善，圣言的真理也荡然无存时，天堂就会被上涨的邪恶洪流所淹没，仿佛溺死在冥河中。然而，他们会被主转到安全地带，得到保护，直到最后审判之日，然后被提入新天堂。启示录中的这段经文指的就是这些人：
我看见在祭坛底下，有为神之道并为作见证被处死之人的灵魂。他们大声喊着说，圣洁真实的主啊，你不审判住在地上的人给我们伸流血的冤，要等到几时呢？于是有白袍赐给他们各人，又有话吩咐他们还要安息片时，等到那些一同做仆人的和他们的弟兄，就是那些必须同他们一样被处死的人，满了数目。（启示录6:9－11）
------------
119. 倘若不是主完成救贖, 天人也無法安然生存。對主而言, 整個天人的天國和地上的教會共同組成一個人。天人的天國構成這人的內在, 教會構成外在。或者更詳細一點, 最高層的天國構成這人的頭, 第二層和最底層的天國構成胸腹部, 地上教會則構成這人的腰和四肢。而主自己則是整個人的靈魂和生命。
因此, 倘若主未完成救贖的行為, 這個人就會被摧毀。地上教會的淪陷帶來手腳和腰部的毀壞, 最低層天國導致腹部, 二層天導致胸部的毀壞, 然後最高層導致頭部, 因為無法與身體聯繫而喪失意識。
[2]這可用類似事件來描述:當肉體的壞疽先攻擊雙腳, 這樣的壞死逐漸攀升, 先侵蝕腰部, 然後內臟, 最後心臟部位。 眾人皆知, 這人必死無疑。
還可以這樣作比方, 當橫隔膜之下的內臟病發, 當它們逐漸衰退, 引發了心臟悸動和呼吸困難, 最終心肺停止工作。
這還可用內在人和外在人來作比方。當外在人順從地履行義務, 內在人就堅強。但若外在人不順服,並且反抗,甚至攻擊內在人, 於是內在人就暗中受損, 最終被外在人的意志牽著鼻子走, 直至成為同流合污了。
還可這樣作比方, 一個人站在山頂, 觀看下面洪水氾濫, 當水一級一級升高, 到達他所站之地時, 他也被沖下水中。除非有船破浪而來, 將他營救上船, 方可逃過此劫。
就像一個人站在山上, 看見山下濃霧升起, 漫過大地, 遮蓋田地,村莊和城鎮, 然後升到山上所站之地, 他什麼也看不見, 甚至看到見自己所在之地。
[3]天人的命運類似如此, 當地上的教會衰落, 最底層的天國也會逐漸衰變瓦解。因為天國是由地上而來的人組成。當人心再無良善, 聖言的真理蕩然無存時, 逐步上升的邪惡就會像洪水漲起延及天國, 進而淹沒天國, 如同冥河之大水氾濫。不過, 他們被帶到安全地帶, 在那裡直到最後審判之日, 然後被升放到一個全新的天國之中。
『啟示錄』中所指的就是這些善靈:我看見祭壇底下有那些為了上帝之道,為了他們所執守的見證,而被屠殺之人的靈魂。他們大聲喊著說∶"聖潔真實的主啊, 禰不審判,而向住在地上的人伸我們流血的冤,要等到幾時呢？"有白袍賜給他們各人, 又有話吩咐他們還要安息一些時候, 等到那些和他們同做僕人的,以及他們的弟兄,就是那些必須同他們一樣被殺的人,滿了數目(啟示錄6:9-11)。
------------
119. If the Lord had not brought about redemption, angels could not have continued to exist in a state of integrity either. To the Lord, the entire angelic heaven along with the church on earth is like a single human being. The angelic heaven constitutes the inner level of that person; the church constitutes the outer level.
To be more specific, the highest heaven forms the head of that person; the second and the lowest heavens form the chest and the midsection of that person's body; and the church on earth constitutes the person's body from below the waist to the feet. The Lord himself is the soul and life of the whole person.
If the Lord had not brought about redemption, that person would have been destroyed. The loss of the church on earth destroys that body from the waist down; the loss of the lowest heaven destroys the digestive area; the loss of the second heaven destroys the thorax. Then the head loses consciousness because it has no relationship with the body.
[2] Analogies will illustrate this. It is like someone's feet becoming gangrenous and the gangrene climbing progressively higher, reaching the genitals and then the abdominal organs, and finally attacking the region of the heart. As we know, at that point the person succumbs to death.
This can also be illustrated by analogy with diseases of the internal organs below the diaphragm. When they fail, the heart begins to palpitate and the lungs begin to heave desperately. In the end the heart and lungs stop functioning.
This can also be illustrated by analogy with our higher and lower self. The higher self is strong as long as the lower self is obediently fulfilling its obligations; but if the lower self is resistant rather than obedient, and worse yet if it attacks the higher self, the higher self eventually becomes weak and finally gets carried away by the lower self's pleasures until the higher self agrees and goes along with the lower self.
This can also be illustrated by comparison with people standing on a mountain who notice that the land below is flooded and the water is rising higher and higher. When it reaches the level where they are standing, unless they can ensure their own safety by getting on some life raft washed to them on the floodwaters, they too are submerged.
Likewise when people on a mountain see a thick fog rising higher and higher above the ground, covering the fields, villages, and cities. Finally, when the fog reaches them, they do not see a thing - not even in the spot where they themselves are standing.
[3] It is like this for angels. When the church on earth dies, the lower heavens also disintegrate. The reason is that the heavens consist of people from the world. When there is nothing good left in the human heart and no truth from the Word, the heavens are flooded with evils that rise up; they are choked by them as by the waters of the Styx. Nevertheless the Lord hides [good spirits] somewhere else and preserves them till the day of the Last Judgment, then lifts them into a new heaven.
The Book of Revelation refers to these good spirits in the following statements:
I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the sake of God's word and for the testimony that they had given. They were shouting with a loud voice saying, "How long, Lord, you who are holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on earth?" They were given white robes and were told that they should rest a little longer until they were all together, they and their fellow slaves, and their brothers and sisters who were going to be killed as they had been. (Revelation 6:9-11)
------------
119. The reason why, but for redemption by the Lord, neither could the angels have remained unharmed is that the whole heaven of the angels together with the church on earth forms in the Lord's sight a single person. The heaven of the angels makes up his internal, the church his external; or in more detail, the highest heaven makes up his head, the second and lowest heavens his chest and the middle region of his body, and the church on earth his loins, legs and feet. The Lord Himself is the soul and life of this whole person. So if the Lord had not performed the act of redemption, this person would have been destroyed. The eclipse of the church on earth entails destruction of the feet, legs and loins, that of the lowest heaven the gastric region, that of the second heaven the chest, and then the head, having no correspondence with the body, loses consciousness.
[2] This can be illustrated by similes. It is as when mortification of the flesh attacks the feet, and this necrosis progressively climbs up, infecting first the loins, then the abdominal viscera, and finally the region of the heart. As everyone knows, this causes death. Another illustration is when the viscera beneath the diaphragm are diseased, and their failure produces palpitation of the heart, difficulty in respiration, and eventually the heart and lungs fail too. There is another possible simile with the internal and external man; the internal flourishes so long as the external obediently discharges its functions; but if the external man disobeys and resists, and even more if it attacks the internal, then the internal eventually is undermined, and at length is carried away by the pleasures of the external, until it takes its part and agrees with it. Another possible simile is with a man standing on top of a mountain, watching a flood cover the land below him, as the water rises stage by stage; and when it reaches the level at which he stands, he too is submerged, unless a boat comes for him across the waves to allow him to escape. Likewise if anyone standing on a mountain sees a dense fog rising higher and higher above the ground, hiding fields, villages and towns; and then when the fog reaches his level, he can see nothing, not even where he is.
[3] The lot of the angels is like this when the church on earth fails, for then the lower heavens too fade out. The reason is that the heavens are composed of human beings from the earth; and when there is no longer any good left in their hearts nor any truth from the Word, the heavens are flooded by the rising tide of evil and drowned by it as if by the waters of the Styx. However, they are taken to safety elsewhere by the Lord, and kept until the day of the Last judgment, when they are raised to a new heaven. It is these who are meant in this passage of Revelation:
I saw underneath the altar the souls of those put to death on account of God's Word and the witness they bore. And they shouted in a loud voice, saying, How long, Lord, you who are holy and true, before you give judgment and take vengeance for our blood from the inhabitants of the earth? And each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest yet a little while, until the numbers should be made up of their fellow servants and brothers, who were to be put to death as they were, Revelation 6:9-11.
------------
119. Unless the Lord had wrought redemption the angels could not have continued to exist in a state of integrity, for the reason that the whole angelic heaven together with the church on earth is in the Lord's sight like one man, the angelic heaven constituting his internal, and the church his external; or more particularly, the highest heaven constituting his head, the second and lowest heaven his breast and the middle region of his body, and the church on earth his loins and feet, while the Lord Himself is the soul and life of the whole man. Therefore if the Lord had not wrought redemption the whole man would have been destroyed; his feet and loins by the decline of the church on earth, the abdominal region by the decline of the lowest heaven, the thoracic by the decline of the second heaven, and then the head, having no correspondence with the body, would have fallen into a swoon.
[2] But this shall be illustrated by similitudes. It may be compared to mortification attacking the feet and gradually ascending, infecting first the loins, the abdominal viscera, and finally the parts near the heart, when, as is well known, the man dies. It may also be compared to diseases of the abdominal viscera; for when these are weakened the heart begins to palpitate and the lungs to gasp heavily, and finally the action of both heart and lungs ceases. It may also be illustrated by comparison with the internal and external man; in that the internal man is well so long as the external obediently discharges its functions; but if the external fails to obey and resists, and still more if it attacks the internal, the latter is at length weakened, and at last is so far carried away by the delights of the external as to favor it and yield to it. Again, it may be illustrated by comparison with a man standing on lofty ground, who sees the country below him flooded and the waters gradually rising; and when they reach his height, he, too, will be engulfed unless saved by some boat washed to him by the waves. Or it is like one's seeing from a mountain a dense fog rising higher and higher above the earth and hiding the fields and houses and towns; and at last, when the fog gets up to him, he can see nothing, not even where he is.
[3] So is it with the angels when the church on earth perishes; for then the lower heavens also pass away; and for the reason that the heavens consist of men from the earth; and when there is no longer any good in the heart or truth from the Word left among men, the heavens are inundated by the rising flood of evils, and are drowned as it were in Stygian waters. Those who are there, however, are somewhere hidden away and preserved by the Lord until the day of final judgment, and are then raised up into a new heaven. Such are meant by those spoken of in the Apocalypse:
I saw under the altar the souls of those slain because of the Word of God, and because of the testimony that they held. And they were crying out with a great voice, saying, How long, O Lord, who art holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on those that dwell on the earth? And there was given unto each one of them white robes; and it was said unto them that they should rest yet a little time, until their fellow-servants and their brethren, who were to be killed as they were, should be fulfilled (Revelation 6:9-11).
------------
119. The angels could not have continued in their state of integrity if redemption had not been effected by the Lord, because the whole angelic heaven together with the Church on earth is in the sight of the Lord as one Man, the angelic heaven constituting his internal and the Church his external; or to be more particular, the highest heaven constitutes the head, the second and the lowest heaven the breast and the middle portion of the body, and the Church on earth the loins and feet: while the Lord Himself is the soul and life of the whole. If, then, the Lord had not effected redemption, this Man would have been destroyed: the feet and loins would have been destroyed by the defection of the Church on earth, the abdominal region by the defection of the lowest heaven, the region of the chest by the defection of the second heaven, and then the head, having lost association with the body, would sink into unconsciousness.
[2] This may be illustrated by some comparisons. This declension progresses like mortification, which first attacking the feet, gradually ascends, and infects now the loins, now the abdominal viscera, and finally the parts near the heart; and then, as is well known, the man dies. It may also be compared to diseases of the viscera below the diaphragm. When these become weak palpitation of the heart ensues, the lungs function with difficulty, and their action finally ceases. It may be illustrated also by comparison with the interaction of the internal and the external man. The internal man is well, so long as the external obediently discharges its functions. If, however, the external man is not obedient, but refractory, and especially if it works in active opposition, the internal man is gradually weakened, and is at length carried away by the delights of the external till it actually favours and yields to it. It may further be illustrated by comparison with a man standing on the top of a mountain, who sees the land beneath him overwhelmed in a flood. As the waters continue to rise till they reach the height on which he stands, he also will be overwhelmed unless he can seek safety in a boat which defies the waves. Something similar may be seen in the plight of a man who from a mountain top sees a dense mist rising higher and higher, and hiding from his view plains, villages and cities. When at length it reaches himself, he sees nothing, not even the spot on which he stands.
[3] The case is similar with the angels when the Church on earth perishes; for then the lower heavens pass away. This is because the heavens consist of men from the earth; and when there remain no longer any goodness of heart and truth from the Word among men, the heavens are overwhelmed by the evils which surge up, and they are suffocated by them as by a flood of Stygian waters. Nevertheless, the Lord makes provision elsewhere for these angels; and they are preserved till the day of the Last Judgment, when they are raised up into a new heaven. These are they who are meant in the Revelation:
"I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled" Revelation 6:9-11.
------------
119. Quod nisi Redemptio facta sit a Domino, nec Angeli in statu integritatis potuerint subsistere, est causa, quia Universum Coelum Angelicum una cum Ecclesia in terris, coram Domino est sicut unus Homo, cujus Internum constituit Coelum Angelicum, et Externum Ecclesia; aut specialius, cujus Caput constituit Coelum supremum, Pectus et Mediam corporis Regionem Coelum secundum et ultimum, ac Lumbos et Pedes Ecclesia in terris, et Ipse Dominus est Anima et Vita totius hujus Hominis; quare nisi Dominus Redemptionem fecisset, destructus fuisset hic Homo; quoad Pedes et Lumbos, quando Ecclesia in terris recedit, quoad Regionem gastricam quando Coelum Ultimum, quoad Thoracem quando Coelum Secundum, et tunc Caput, quia non habet correspondentiam cum Corpore, in deliquium cadit.
[2] Sed hoc per similitudines illustrabitur; est sicut cum Caro morticina invadit pedes, et morticinium ejus progressive scandit, ac inficit primum lumbos, et deinde viscera abdominis, et tandem invadit vicinias Cordis, quod tunc homo morte succumbat, notum est. Illustrari etiam potest per similitudinem cum morbis viscerum, quae infra Diaphragma sunt, quod quando illa fathiscunt, Cor incipiat palpitare, et Pulmo graviter anhelare, et quod tandem cessent. Illustrari etiam potest per similitudinem cum Interno et Externo homine, quod Internus homo valeat, quamdiu Externus obedienter obit ejus functiones, at si Externus homo non obedit, sed repugnat, et plus si illum impugnat, tandem Internus labefactatur, et demum aufertur a jucundis Externi, usque dum ei favet et assentit. Et quoque illustrari potest per similitudinem cum homine stante super Monte, et infra se videt terras inundatas, et quod aquae successive assurgant, et cum ad altitudinem, in qua ipse stat, emergunt, etiam ille inundatur, nisi per quandam naviculam, quae per undas alluit, saluti suae possit consulere: similiter si quis ex Monte videt densum nimbum plus et plus e terra assurgentem, et abscondentem campos, villas et urbes, et postea dum nimbosum illud usque ad illum pertingit, non videt quicquam, nec semet ubi est.
[3] Simile est cum Angelis, dum Ecclesia in terris perit, quod tunc etiam Coeli inferiores abeant; causa est, quia Coeli ex hominibus e terra consistunt, et dum amplius non aliquod bonum cordis et verum Verbi superest, inundantur Coeli a malis quae assurgunt, et ab illis sicut ex aquis stygiis suffocantur; sed usque a Domino reconduntur alicubi, et ad diem ultimi Judicii reservantur, et tunc in Coelum Novum attolluntur; hi sunt qui intelliguntur in Apocalypsi per hos, "Vidi sub Altari animas occisorum propter Verbum Dei, et propter Testimonium quod habebant; et clamabant voce magna, dicentes, usque quo Domine, qui Sanctus et Verus, non judicas et vindicas sanguinem nostrum de habitantibus super Terra; et datae singulis stolae albae; et dictum eis, ut requiescant adhuc tempus parvum, usque dum complentur, et conservi et fratres eorum, qui futuri occidi sicut illi," 6:9-11.