122.主已拯救灵界，并将通过灵界把教会从全然的诅咒中解救出来。这好比一个国王通过战胜敌人释放其被敌人所掳、投入监狱、戴上枷锁的子民和王子，将他们带回宫廷；还好比一个牧人象参孙和大卫那样将他的绵羊从狮子或熊的口中夺回来；或好比牧人驱逐从森林窜到牧场的野兽，将它们赶到远方，最后赶入沼泽或沙漠，然后回到绵羊那里，安然牧养它们，在清澈的泉水旁饮它们。这又好比一个人看见一条蛇盘在路上，伺机袭击旅人的脚跟，于是便抓住它的头，尽管蛇缠住了他的手，却仍把它带回家，砍下它的头，将身子扔进火里。同样好比新郎或丈夫看见一个奸夫企图对他的新娘或妻子施暴，于是便击打他，或用手里的刀剑刺伤他，或用腿和腰痛扁他，或叫仆人把他扔到大街上，用棍子赶回家，以便把获救的女人带回洞房。在圣言中，“新娘”和“妻子”表主的教会，而“奸夫”则表那些侵犯教会的人；他们就是玷污祂的圣言之人。犹太人就是这么做的，因此，主称他们为“淫乱的世代”（马太福音12:39；16:4；马可福音8:38）。
122. 主拯救了心靈世界脫離詛咒, 並藉著心靈世界正在拯救教會脫離詛咒。
這樣的拯救, 好比一個王, 他的子民被敵人俘虜, 囚在監獄, 鎖上鐵鍊。通過一系列戰鬥的勝利, 王救出他的子民, 並帶他們班師回朝。
這樣的拯救, 好比一個牧人, 例如參孫和大衛, 從一隻獅子或熊的口中奪回綿羊。又或者好比一個牧人驅趕從森林竄進牧場的獅子和熊, 追出很遠的地界, 最後趕進沼澤或沙漠地。然後回到羊群中, 安然地牧養它們, 用泉水給羊群解渴。
這樣的拯救也可比作一個人看見一條蛇盤繞在路上, 等待機會襲擊路人的後跟。他抓住蛇頭(儘管這蛇拼命扭動去試圖咬他的手), 將蛇抓回家中, 砍了蛇頭, 把蛇身丟進火中。
另一個比方, 好比一個新郎或丈夫, 看見一個淫賊試圖侮辱他的新娘或妻子。他動手痛扁淫賊, 要麼用刀砍傷他的手, 要麼拳頭像雨點撒向他身, 要麼讓僕人把他扔到街上遊行示眾。然後陪同這解救出來的新娘或妻子回房休息。事實上, 新娘和妻子在聖言中用來指教會, 姦夫指那些侵犯教會者, 也就是那些褻瀆污穢聖言者。因為猶太人曾如此行, 主稱他們為淫亂的世代(馬太福音12:39; 16:4;馬可福音8:38)。
122. The Lord rescued the spiritual world from universal damnation, and through the spiritual world he is going to rescue the church from universal damnation.
This rescue can be illustrated by comparing it with a king whose children have been captured by an enemy, locked in prisons, and bound with chains; by a series of victories over that enemy the king frees the children and brings them back to his court.
The divine rescue would also be comparable to a shepherd, like Samson or David, snatching sheep from the jaws of a lion or a bear. Or it would be comparable to a shepherd who drives away lions and bears that have rushed out of a forest into the pastures, chases those wild animals to the farthest borders, finally pushes them back into wetlands or deserts, and then returns to the sheep, pastures them in safety, and quenches their thirst with clear spring water.
This divine rescue can also be illustrated by comparing it with a person who notices a snake that is coiled up on the road with the intention of striking the heel of a passerby, catches the snake by the head, carries it home (although the snake is wrapping itself around the person's arm), and there cuts off its head and throws the rest into the fire.
This divine rescue can also be illustrated by a bridegroom or husband who sees an adulterer attempting to rape his bride or wife. He attacks the rapist and either wounds the rapist's hand with a sword, or assaults the rapist's legs and groin with punches, or instructs his servants to throw the rapist out into the street and to brandish their clubs while they follow the rapist all the way to his home. When the bride or wife has been freed the bridegroom escorts her to their bedroom. In fact, in the Word a bride and wife mean the Lord's church and adulterers mean those who violate the church, that is, those who contaminate his Word. Because the Jews had done this the Lord called them an adulterous generation [Matthew 12:39; 16:4; Mark 8:38].
122. The Lord's rescue of the spiritual world, and His forthcoming rescue by this means of the church from complete damnation can be illustrated by a comparison with a king, who, when his sons, the princes, have been captured by an enemy, cast into prison and held in chains, frees them by victories over the enemy and brings them back to his court. We may also use as a comparison a shepherd, who, like Samson or David, snatches his sheep from the jaws of a lion or bear, drives away the wild beasts that come out of the forests to raid the meadows, and pursues them to the furthest reaches, finally driving them into lakes or deserts; and then he comes back to his sheep and pastures them safely, and gives them drink from springs of limpid water. Another comparison might be with a person who sees a snake coiled up lying on a road, waiting for a chance to strike at the heel of a traveller; he grasps its head, and although it twists its head around to bite his hand, carries it home and there cuts its head off, throwing the remains into the fire. Another illustration would be a fiancee or husband, who, seeing an adulterer trying to force his fiancee or wife, attacks him, and either wounds his hand with his sword, or showers his legs and back with blows, or has his servants throw him into the street and chase him home with cudgels, so that he is able to bring the rescued woman to the bridal chamber. Bride and wife in the Word also mean the Lord's church, and adulterers mean those who do violence to it; these are those who adulterate His Word. It is because the Jews did this that the Lord called them 'an adulterous nation.'
122. That the Lord has delivered the spiritual world, and through it will deliver the church from universal damnation, may be illustrated by comparison with a king who by victories over his enemy liberates his sons the princes, whom the enemy had captured and imprisoned and bound in fetters, and restores them to his court; also by comparison with a shepherd, who like Samson and David rescues his sheep from the jaws of a lion or bear; or who drives back those beasts when they break forth from the woods into the fields, hunts them back to the farthest boundaries, and at last drives them into swamps or into deserts; and then returns to his sheep, pastures them in safety, and waters them at limpid fountains. It may also be illustrated by comparison with one who sees a serpent coiled up lying in the road and ready to strike the heel of a traveller, and who seizes it by the head, and although it twists about his hand, carries it home, cuts off its head, and throws the body into the fire; also by a bridegroom or husband, who seeing an adulterer attempting violence to his bride or wife, attacks him, and either wounds him in the hand with a sword, or belabors him with blows on legs and loins, or has his servants throw him into the street and pursue him with cudgels to his home; while the rescued one he carries into his own chamber. In the Word, "bride" and "wife" mean the Lord's church, and "adulterers" those who violate the church, who are such as adulterate His Word. This the Jews did; and this is why the Lord called them "an adulterous generation."
122. That the Lord has delivered the spiritual world, and through it will deliver the Church, from universal condemnation, may be illustrated by comparison with a king who, by victories over his enemies, liberates and brings back to his palace the princes, his sons, who had been taken prisoners, bound in chains, and shut up in a dungeon. It may be illustrated also by comparison with a shepherd, who, like Samson and David, rescues his sheep from the jaws of a lion or a bear, or who drives away those wild beasts as they rush out from the woods into the fields, pursuing them to the limit of their retreats; and who, having driven them to take refuge in swamps or deserts, afterwards returns to his sheep, pastures them in safety, and leads them to drink from springs of clear water. It may be illustrated also by comparison with a person who sees a serpent lying coiled up in the road, ready to strike at the heel of a traveler; and who seizes it by the head, and in spite of its twisting around his hand, carries it home, where he cuts off its head and throws the body into the fire. It may also be illustrated from the case of a bridegroom or husband, who, seeing an adulterer attempting to do violence to his bride or wife, attacks him, and either wounds his hand with his sword, or delivers blows on his back and legs, or casts him out into the street with the help of his servants, who pursue him with clubs to his own house; and having thus rescued his bride or wife, he leads her to his own chamber. Moreover, by a bride or wife, in the Word, is signified the Church of the Lord, and by adulterers are signified those who profane, that is, who adulterate His Word. It was because the Jews did this that they were called by the Lord an adulterous generation.
122. Quod Dominus vindicaverit Mundum Spiritualem, et per hunc vindicaturus sit Ecclesiam ab universali damnatione, illustrari potest per comparationem cum Rege, qui suos filios principes ab hoste captos, carceribus inclusos, et catenis vinctos, per victorias super illum liberat, et in Aulam suam reducit. Tum per comparationem cum Pastore, qui oves suas e faucibus leonis aut ursi, sicut Simson et David, eripit, aut feras illas erumpentes e sylvis in prata, ejicit, et persequitur usque ad extremos terminos, et demum urget illas in stagna, aut in deserta, et postea redit ad oves, et in securitate pascit illas, et ex fontibus aquae limpidae potat illas. Illustrari etiam potest cum aliquo, qui videt serpentem in spiram tortum, jacentem in via, ac intendentem infligere plagam calcaneo viatoris, ac prehendit caput ejus, et illum, tametsi se circum manum ejus contorquet, usque domum portat, et ibi caput ejus amputat, et reliquum in ignem conjicit. Illustrari etiam potest cum sponso aut marito, qui dum videt adulterum tentantem inferre violentiam suae sponsae aut uxori, illum aggreditur, et vel manum ejus gladio sauciat, vel crura et lumbos ejus plagis corripit, vel per servos suos ejicit in plateas, qui fustibus illum usque ad domum ejus persequuntur, et sic liberatam in thalamum suum abducit: per Sponsam et Uxorem etiam in Verbo intelligitur Ecclesia Domini, et per adulteros intelliguntur violatores ejus, qui sunt, qui Verbum Ipsius adulterant; quod quia Judaei fecerunt, a Domino vocati sunt gens adultera.