268.我必须解释一下主与天堂如何藉着圣言存在于全球各地并与其联结。整个天使天堂在主眼里就像一个人，地上的教会也是如此。它们的确看似一个人，这一点可见于我的《天堂与地狱》（59－86节）一书。人含有教会，含有阅读圣言、从而认识主的地方，就像身体含有心肺一样。主的属天国度就像心，其属灵国度就像肺。正如其余的一切肢体、脏腑和器官通过人体内这两个生命源泉而持续存在和存活，全世界凡拥有一个宗教信仰、敬拜一神并过着良善生活的人也通过主与天堂藉着圣言与教会的结合而持续存在和存活。因此，他们形成此人的一部分，与胸部，就是心肺的居所之外的肢体和脏腑有关。因为基督教会所拥有的圣言是世界上其他人的生命，经由天堂来自主，正如全身肢体和脏腑的生命来自心肺。他们之间也有类似的联系。这也是为何阅读圣言的基督徒构成此人的胸部。他们位于所有人的正中间，周围是天主教徒，天主教徒之外是承认主为最大先知和神儿子的伊斯兰教徒。伊斯兰教徒后面是非洲人，最外围则由亚细亚和印度群岛的各人民和民族组成。
268. 我必須要解釋一下主與天國如何藉著聖言在全世界各地臨格並與其產生聯結。整個天人的天國在主眼中如同一人, 地上的教會也是如此。(天國和教會的確顯現為一個人, 參看天國與地獄59-86節。)教會成為這個人的心與肺, 聖言在教會被誦讀, 因而主被認識。主的屬天國度為心,屬靈國度為肺。正如身體的其它肢體,內臟及部位因這兩個生命源泉而有生命並繼續生存, 世上一切有宗教信仰,敬拜一位上帝,活出良善生活的人們也因著教會(通過聖言與主及天國的聯結)而有生命並繼續生存。於是他們在那人之中,作為此人肢體與胸腔外內臟,來支持著心肺。因為基督徒教會中的聖言, 其他的人(基督徒教會以外的人)由主賜予從天而來的生命, 正如全身的肢體和內臟因著心肺而有生命。他們之間的交流也類似。
這就是為何讀聖言的基督徒構成這個人的胸部。事實上他們在所有人的中央, 環繞他們的是天主教徒; 天主教徒之外的是伊斯蘭教徒(他們承認主是最大的先知和上帝的兒子); 在他們之外是非洲人, 最週邊由亞細亞和印度群島的百姓和民族組成。
268. Now to say how the Word allows people throughout all parts of the world to experience the presence of, and a connection to, the Lord and heaven. To the Lord the entire angelic heaven is like one person. The same is true for the church across the earth. (For heaven and the church actually appearing as a human, see Heaven and Hell 59-86). The church where the Word is read and where the Lord is therefore known is like the heart and the lungs in that human being. The Lord's heavenly kingdom is like the heart, and his spiritual kingdom is like the lungs. Just as all the other limbs, internal organs, and parts of the human body have life and continued existence because of these two fountains of life, so too all the people around the world who have a religion, worship one God, and live good lives have life and continued existence because the church is connected to the Lord and heaven through the Word. Non-Christians are in that human being and play the part of its limbs and internal organs outside the thorax that holds the heart and lungs. Non-Christians have life from the Lord through heaven because of the Word in the Christian church, just as the limbs and organs throughout the body have life because of the heart and lungs. There is also a similar exchange between them.
This is also the reason why Christians who read the Word make up the chest of that [giant] human being. They are in fact central among all people. Surrounding them are Catholics. Surrounding the Catholics are Muslims who acknowledge the Lord as the greatest prophet or the Son of God. Farther out than these are Africans. People and nations in the Middle East and the Indies make up the farthest circumference.
268. I must explain how the Lord and heaven are present in every land and linked to it by means of the Word. The whole heaven of angels is in the sight of the Lord like one person, and so is the church on earth. They really look like a person, as may be seen in my book HEAVEN AND HELL (59-86) 1 . That person contains the church, where the Word is read and thus the Lord is known, just as the body contains a heart and lungs; the Lord's celestial kingdom serves as the heart, His spiritual kingdom as the lungs. Just as these two sources of life in the human body supply all the remaining limbs, viscera and organs with continued existence and life, so too the linking of the Lord and heaven with the church by means of the Word supplies continued existence and life to all those throughout the world who have a religion, worship one God and live good lives. Thus they form part of that person, and answer to the limbs and viscera outside the chest, which is the seat of the heart and lungs. For the Word possessed by the Christian church is life to the remainder, given by the Lord through heaven, just as the life of the limbs and viscera throughout the body comes from the heart and lungs. The communication between them too is similar. This too is why Christians, who hear the Word read, make up the chest of that person. They are also at the midmost point of all, surrounded by the Roman Catholics; outside them come the Mohammedans who acknowledge the Lord as the greatest prophet and as the Son of God. After them come the Africans, and the outermost circumference is made up of the peoples and nations in Asia and the Indies.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin text has 87.
268. But it shall be told how there is a presence and a conjunction of the Lord and heaven in all the earth by means of the Word. In the Lord's sight the whole angelic heaven is as a single man; so also is the church on earth. That these actually appear as a man may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell (n. 59-86). In that man the church where the Word is read, and by means of it the Lord is known, is like the heart and lungs, the Lord's celestial kingdom like the heart, and His spiritual kingdom like the lungs. As from these two fountains of life in the human body all the remaining members, viscera, and organs, subsist and live, so from the conjunction of the Lord and heaven with the church by means of the Word, do all those subsist and live in all the earth who have a religion, and who worship one God and live well, and are thereby in that man, such having relation to the members and viscera outside of the thorax which contains the heart and lungs. For the Word in the Christian church is life from the Lord through heaven to the rest of the world, just as the life of the members and viscera of the whole body is from the heart and lungs; and there is a like communication; and this is why Christians, among whom the Word is read, constitute the breast of that man. Such are in the center of all, and round about them are the Papists, and around these the Mohammedans who acknowledge the Lord as the greatest prophet and the son of God. After these are the Africans, while the peoples and nations of Asia and the Indies form the outmost boundary.
268. It will now be shown how the Lord and heaven are present, and how conjunction with them is effected, throughout the whole earth by means of the Word. The whole angelic heaven is, in the sight of the Lord, as one man. So also is the Church on earth; and that they actually assume the appearance of a man may be seen in the work "Heaven and Hell,"59-87. In this Man the Church, where the Word is read, and by means of which the Lord is known, is like the heart and lungs: the Lord's celestial kingdom is like the heart, and His spiritual kingdom like the lungs. As from these two fountains of life in the human body all the other members, viscera and organs subsist and live, so also do all those throughout the world who have a religion, worship one God, and live good lives, thereby forming part of this Man. They represent the members and viscera outside the chest in which are the heart and lungs, and they subsist and live from the union of the Lord and heaven with the Church by means of the Word. For the Word in the Christian Church is life to the rest of the world from the Lord through heaven just as the members and viscera of the whole body receive life from the heart and lungs. The manner of communication between them is also similar; and for this reason Christians among whom the Word is read, constitute the breast of this Man. They are in the centre, and round about them are the Roman Catholics; around these again are the Mohammedans, 1 who acknowledge the Lord to be the greatest Prophet and the Son of God. After these come the Africans, while the peoples of Asia and the Indies form the outermost circumference.
Footnotes:
1. Mohammad, the founder of Mohammedanism or Islam, A.D. 571-632, was born at Mecca, where his father was spiritual and temporal head. He married a wealthy and devout widow, and owed much to her influence. In the visions to which he was subject he received confirmations of his Divine mission. He also received messages from Gabriel which were incorporated in the KORAN, the sacred book of Mohammedanism. Early persecution drove him from Mecca and in the year A.D. 622 he fled to Medina, where he was cordially welcomed. This flight, or Hejira, marks the beginning of the Mohammedan year, and from Medina he set out on his conquest of Arabia. Mohammedanism proclaims the unity of the God-head, and condemns idolatry; but the peaceful methods of propaganda soon gave place to ruthless persecution of infidels and merciless extermination of idolators.
268. Quomodo autem praesentia et conjunctio Domini et Coeli datur in omnibus Terris per Verbum, dicetur. Universum Coelum Angelicum coram Domino est sicut unus Homo, similiter Ecclesia in terris, quod etiam actualiter appareant ut Homo, videatur in Opere de COELO ET INFERNO 59-86. 1 In illo Homine est Ecclesia, ubi Verbum legitur, et per id Dominus notus est, sicut COR et sicut PULMO, Regnum Coeleste Domini ut Cor, et Regnum Spirituale Ipsius ut Pulmo: sicut ex his binis Fontibus vitae in Humano corpore omnia reliqua Membra, Viscera et Organa, subsistunt et vivunt, ita quoque omnes illi in Terrarum Orbe, apud quos Religio est, et Deus unus colitur, et bene vivitur, et per id in illo Homine sunt, et referunt Membra et Viscera extra Thoracem, in qua sunt Cor et Pulmo; ex conjunctione Domini et Coeli per Verbum cum Ecclesia, subsistunt et vivunt, nam Verbum in Ecclesia Christiana, est vita reliquis a Domino per Coelum, sicut membrorum et viscerum totius Corporis est vita ex Corde et Pulmone; est quoque communicatio similis: quae etiam causa est, quod Christiani, apud quos Verbum legitur, constituant Pectus illius Hominis: sunt etiam in medio omnium, et circum illos sunt Pontificii, circum hos sunt Mahumedani, 2 qui agnoscunt Dominum ut maximum Prophetam, ac ut Filium Dei; post hos sunt Africani; et ultimam Circumferentiam faciunt Populi et Gentes in Asia et Indiis.
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