20. 圣经 1
圣经一切的神性存在于其字义中；若无字义，灵义之中就不会有神性，这就好比房屋没有了根基，悬在空中一样。又好似没有了皮肤的身体，必然崩溃。
正如人体的内在部分都与腹膜、胸膜和皮肤相连，灵义与字义也如此相连。没有字义的灵义就好比没有容器的内容物，也好比没有贮酒器皿的酒。
这种情形与脱离了物性的灵性一样，或者好比天堂的天使及其智慧脱离了世上人类及其教会，后者从圣经的字义获取智识。
圣经的字义在人类的心性中建立联结，实现沟通。这也是主降世的原因，因为犹太人已全然歪曲了字义，使得世人心性中已不具备这最外端的容器。
于是主披戴人身，降临世间，以成全圣经的字义，或终端元素中的神性真理。这就是为何说“道成了肉身”（约翰福音1:14）。
[2] 神性真理之权能的情形也是一样的。自主发出的神性真理在灵界拥有全然的权能。
根据个人的经历可以举出许多例子，描述神性真理具有的权能是何等状况。神性真理的权能完全在于圣经的字义。
离了字义，灵义毫无权能，但字义若有灵意存在其中，就具有权能。因此，当灵依据字义提说任何事物时，会明显发生与天堂的交流。
但如果他们脱离字义，仅仅依据灵义表达一些内容时，就不会发生与天堂的沟通。
[3] 因此，来自天堂的一切回应都已经且继续反映在圣经字面的各种事物上。正因如此，亚伦以弗得上的乌陵和土明代表圣经的字义，以弗得就是最外的袍服 2。
同样的缘故，启示录中圣城新耶路撒冷城墙的根基由列举出的十二块宝石构成，而各城门则由珍珠做成 3，这都代表圣经的字义。
同样，施恩座上的基路伯也代表字义，这就是为何摩西和亚伦从基路伯中间得到答复 4。
[4] 神性真理之内在层级所取的秩序是同步秩序—这是天使智慧的源头—因此字义是灵义的容器。
[5] 因此，教会的一切教义需要得到圣经字义的确证，未经圣经字义确证的教义没有权能。经字义确证的教义—作为纯正之理—有权能。
神性真理的外观只要与纯正真理一致，也有权能，只是较小一些而已。然而被篡改的圣经字义没有权能，不能开启天堂，反而将之关闭。
Footnotes:
1. 附注： 此后的出埃及记28:1-30，利未记 8:7-8。
3. 启示录21:19-21。
4. 出埃及记25:17-22，民数记7:89，出埃及记37:6-9，撒母耳记上4:4，撒母耳记下6:2，列王记下19:14-15，诗篇80:1,99:1，以赛亚书37:16。
20. The Word 1
That all the holiness of the Word resides in its literal sense, and that there is no holiness in its spiritual meaning apart from the literal sense.... That the spiritual meaning apart from the literal meaning would be like a house without a foundation, thus like a house in the air.... That it would be like the human body without skin, all of whose constituents would fall apart.... That as the interior parts of the body all have a connection with the peritoneum, pleura and skin, so does the spiritual meaning with the literal meaning.... That without the literal meaning the spiritual meaning would be like contents without a container, thus like wine without a vessel to contain it....
The case is the same with spiritual things apart from natural things, or with angels in heaven and their wisdom apart from the human race and the church here and its intelligence drawn from the literal meaning. The literal meaning of the Word in the minds of people forms that connection and that conjunction.
This, too, was the reason the Lord came into the world, for the Jews had falsified the literal meaning entirely, so that an outmost vessel no longer existed in minds of people. Therefore the Lord came into the world and put on a humanity, in order to become also the Word in its literal meaning, or Divine truth in outmost elements. That is why it is said that the Word was made flesh (John 1:14).
[2] The case is the same with respect to the power of Divine truth. Divine truth emanating from the Lord has all power in the spiritual world. What the power of Divine truth is like there can be illustrated by many examples from personal experience. (Cite a number of examples relating to this experience.) Moreover, the power of Divine truth rests entirely in the literal meaning of the Word. The spiritual meaning has no power in it apart from the literal meaning, but only in the literal meaning in which the spiritual meaning resides. Therefore when spirits present something from the literal meaning, a clear communication with heaven takes place, but not if they present something from the spiritual meaning apart from the literal meaning.
[3] That consequently all responses from heaven have been made and continue to be made through such things as are in the literal meaning.... Therefore the literal meaning was represented by the urim and thummim on the ephod of Aaron, 2the ephod having been the outmost garment. Therefore in the book of Revelation the foundations of the New Jerusalem are described as having consisted of twelve precious stones, and its gates of pearls, 3which likewise symbolized the literal meaning. So, too, the cherubim over the mercy seat symbolized that meaning, which is why Moses and Aaron received responses from between the cherubim. 4
[4] Concerning the order in which the interior degrees of Divine truth are arranged, from which angels have their wisdom , namely concurrent order.... Therefore the literal meaning is the containing vessel.
[5] On the need, therefore, to verify everything in the doctrine of the church by the literal meaning of the Word-and anything in the doctrine which is not verified from the literal meaning of the Word does not have any power. A doctrinal teaching whose genuine truth is verified by the literal meaning has power. An appearance of Divine truth also has power-but less so-to the degree that it can be harmonized with genuine truth. On the other hand, when the literal meaning of the Word is falsified, it has no power. It closes heaven rather than opening it.
Footnotes:
1. The remaining numbers, 20-26, were written later, partly in the form of notes. See Translator's Remarks.
2. See Exodus 28:1-30, Leviticus 8:7-8.
4. See Exodus 25:17-22, Numbers 7:89. Cf. Exodus 37:6-9, 1 Samuel 4:4, 2 Samuel 6:2, 2 Kings 19:14-15, Psalms 80:1; 99:1, Isaiah 37:16.
20. XX. The Word
All the holiness of the Word is in its literal sense, and there is no holiness in the spiritual sense without the literal sense. This would be like a house without a foundation, so like a house in the air. It would be like a human body with no skin, which would entirely disintegrate. All the inner parts of the body 1are connected with the peritoneum, pleura, and skin; so is the spiritual sense with the literal sense. The spiritual sense without the literal sense would be like contents with no container, so like wine with no vessel to hold it. The spiritual with no natural is much the same, or the heaven of angels and their wisdom without the human race and the church among them, and the intelligence it derives from the literal sense. The literal sense of the Word brings about that connexion and that linking with a person. This too was the reason why the Lord came into the world. For everything in the literal sense was falsified by the Jews, to such an extent that there was no longer an ultimate stage in mankind. The Lord therefore came into the world and put on the Human, so that He might also become the Word in the literal sense, or Divine truth at its ultimate level. This is why the Word is said to have become flesh (John 1:14).
[2] It is the same with the power of Divine truth. All power in the spiritual world belongs to Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. Many expressions can be quoted to illustrate the nature of the power of Divine truth there (a number of these experiences are to be inserted). All the power of Divine truth lies in the literal sense of the Word; the spiritual sense without the literal sense has no power, but the literal sense containing the spiritual sense has. When therefore spirits bring forward anything from the literal sense, it is evident that there is communication with heaven; but not if they bring forward anything from the spiritual sense without the literal sense.
[3] Thus all responses from heaven have been and are made by means of things in the literal sense. This is why the literal sense was represented by the Urim and Thummim on Aaron's ephod; that was his outermost garment. This is why in the Book of Revelation the foundations of the New Jerusalem are listed as composed of twelve precious stones, as well as of pearls; these too meant the literal sense. Likewise the Cherubim upon the Mercy-seat; this is why Moses and Aaron received responses by that means.
[4] The arrangement adopted by the inner levels of Divine truth, the source of the wisdom of the angels; this is a simultaneous arrangement, so the literal sense is their container.
[5] All the details of the church's teaching are therefore to be supported from the literal sense of the Word, and no point of teaching which cannot be so supported has any force. A point of teaching which is supported by the literal sense as regards real truth has force. Even the appearance of Divine truth has force, though less so, as if it could agree with real truth. But if the literal sense of the Word is falsified, it has no force; it shuts off instead of opening up heaven.
Footnotes:
1. The manuscript has 'of the Word', but this must be a slip for 'of the body'. -Translator
20. XX. ALL THE HOLINESS OF THE WORD IS IN THE SENSE OF THE LETTER, AND THERE IS NO HOLINESS IN ITS SPIRITUAL SENSE WITHOUT THE SENSE OF THE LETTER.
The spiritual sense without the sense of the letter would be like a house without a foundation, thus like a house in the air. It would be like the human body without its skins, all things of which would be dissipated. As all the interiors of the body have a connection with the peritoneum, the pleura, and the skins, so the spiritual sense of the Word is connected with the sense of the letter. The spiritual sense without the sense of the letter would be like the contents without that which contains, thus like wine without a containing vessel. The case is similar with the spiritual without the natural, or the heaven of angels and their wisdom without the human race and the church therein, and its intelligence from the sense of the letter. The sense of the letter of the Word with man makes that connection, and that conjunction. This also was the reason why the Lord came into the world, for all of the sense of the letter of the Word had been so falsified by the Jews that there was no longer an ultimate of Divine truth in man. Therefore the Lord came into the world and put on the Human, that He might also become the Word in the sense of the letter, or the Divine truth in ultimates; wherefore it is said that "the Word became flesh" (John 1:14).
[2] The case is similar with the power of Divine truth. All power in the spiritual world belongs to the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. What this power of Divine truth there is, may be illustrated by many things from experience, of which experience some things may be adduced; and all the power of Divine truth resides in the sense of the letter of the Word. In the spiritual sense without the sense of the letter there is no power, but all in the sense of the letter in which is the spiritual sense. Wherefore when spirits quote anything from the sense of the letter, manifest communication with heaven is effected, but not if they quote anything from the spiritual sense without the sense of the letter.
[3] Therefore all answers from heaven have been made, and are made, through such things as are of the sense of the letter. For this reason the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate of Aaron, his outmost vesture, represented the sense of the letter. For the same reason in Revelation the foundations of the New Jerusalem are enumerated as of twelve precious stones, and moreover of pearls, which also signified the sense of the letter. In like manner the cherubim above the mercy seat signified the sense of the letter; wherefore responses were given by this to Moses and Aaron.
[4] The order in which the interior things of Divine truth rest, from which the angels have wisdom, is simultaneous order, for which reason the sense of the letter is the containant.
[5] Therefore all things of the doctrine of the church are to be confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word, and whatever of doctrine is not confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word has no power. Doctrine confirmed by the sense of the letter as to genuine truth, has power. The appearance of Divine truth also has power, though less, so far as it can agree with genuine truth; but the sense of the letter of the Word falsified has no power. It closes and does not open heaven.
20. De Verbo
[1] Quod omnis sanctitas Verbi sit in sensu literae, et quod nulla sanctitas sit in ejus sensu spirituali absque sensu literae; quod hic foret sicut domus absque fundamento, ita sicut domus in aere; quod foret sicut corpus humanum absque cutibus, cujus omnia dissiparentur; quod omnia interiora corporis nexum habeant cum peritoneo, pleura, et cum cutibus, ita [quoque] sensus spiritualis cum sensu literae; quod sensus spiritualis absque sensu literae foret sicut contentum absque continente, ita sicut vinum absque vase quod continens simile est cum spirituali absque naturali, seu cum Coelo angelorum et eorum sapientia absque humano genere et Ecclesia ibi et ejus intelligentia ex sensu literae; sensus literae Verbi apud hominem facit illum nexum, et illam conjunctionem. haec causa fuit etiam quod Dominus in mundum venit, nam omne sensus literae a Judaeis falsificatum fuit, adeo ut non esset ultimum in homine amplius, quare Dominus in Mundum venit, et induit Humanum, ut quoque fieret Verbum in sensu literae, seu Divinum Verum in ultimis; quare dicitur quod Verbum caro factum sit, Joh. 1:14.
[2] Simile est cum potentia Divini Veri; omnis potentia in mundo spirituali est Divino Vero procedenti a Domino; qualis potentia Divini Veri ibi est, multis ab experientia illustrari potest; de qua experientia plura adducantur: et omnis potentia Divini Veri consistit in sensu literae Verbi; in sensu spirituali absque sensu literae est nulla potentia, sed in sensu literae in quo sensus spiritualis: quare dum spiritus aliquid proferunt ex sensu literae, fit communicatio cum coelo manifesta; at non si aliquid proferunt ex sensu spirituali absque sensu literae.
[3] Quod ideo omnia responsa e coelo facta sint et fiant per talia quae sunt sensus literae, quare sensum literae repraesentabant urim et thumim in Ephodo Aharonis; erat illud vestis ultima: quare in Apocalypsi fundamenta novae Hierosolymae recensentur ut ex duodecim lapidibus pretiosis, et portae ex margaritis, quae etiam significabant sensum literae: similiter Cherubim super Propitiatorio significabant sensum [illum], quare sub illis dabantur Mosi et Aharoni responsa.
[4] Ordo in quo se interiora Divini Veri, ex quibus sapientia Angeli, reponunt, nempe ordo simultaneus, quare sensus literae est continens.
[5] Quod ideo omnia doctrinae Ecclesiae confirmanda sint per sensum literae Verbi, et illud doctrinae quod non ex sensu literae Verbi confirmatum est, non habet potentiam. Doctrinale confirmatum per sensum literae quoad genuinum verum, hoc potentiam habet; apparentia Divini Veri etiam potentiam habet, sed minorem, sicut cum genuino vero potest concordare. At falsificatus sensus literae Verbi nullam potentiam habet; occludit coelum et non aperit coelum.