9. 不论其目的是为了在世上或天堂成为伟大、获得荣耀，还是为了在世上获取财富和物质利益，抑或为了博学的名声，这等人在圣经中都看不见、找不到纯正的真理。
我曾有幸在灵界与许多人交谈，他们相信自己在天堂会如星光闪烁。他们说自己之所以如此自信，是因为他们尊圣经为圣，经常阅读圣经，从中汲取很多东西，并以此捍卫自己信仰中的教义。结果他们在世被视为有学问的人，而他们也相信自己将成为米迦勒或拉斐尔 1。然而恰恰相反，当他们被查验来看看到底是何种爱欲促使他们研究圣经时，却发现他们中有些出于我欲，为的是被尊为大，在教会中作为领袖被人崇拜；有些是为了获得学术声誉，地位得以提升；还有一些是为了获取财富；而另一些则是为了能在传道时蛮有学术风格。接着，他们被查验是否从圣经中学到了纯正的真理。结果发现，他们只知道那些显而易见的东西，就是每个人都能从字面轻而易举看到的；却没有任何有益于深层教导的纯正真理。原因在于，他们的目光专注在自己和世界上，而非主和天堂。而当一个人聚焦在自己和世界时，他的心思意念就被禁锢于此，并一直考虑自己的私欲，从私欲出发来看待与天堂相关的一切事情，如同堕入幽暗。因为人之私欲除了全然是恶，以及因恶导致的伪谬之外，一无它是。人读圣经时若着眼于荣耀或尊贵，或注目在物质所得上—就无法被主带离他的私欲，并提升到天堂的光明中。因此，他也领受不到任何发自主经由天堂而来的灵流。
[2] 我见过这样的灵，他们个个都竭尽全力想上天堂。他们也被允许上天堂。不过，在他们到达时，要接受查验，看他们是否知道众天使所持有的任何真理，发现他们所知道的仅限于文字的字面意义，对圣经更深的意义一无所知。结果，在那些天使的眼中，他们看起来仿佛被剥光了衣服，赤身裸体似的，于是被遣送到下面去了。有些人则在天堂的光明中失去了智识的视觉，然后丧失了眼睛的视力，最后他们的心脏剧痛，因而被送到下面去了。尽管如此，他们仍自认为自己够资格上天堂。
这便是以荣耀、声誉或物质所得为目的而学习圣经者的下场。出于对真理的热爱而学习圣经，或者读经时因真理之真而于其中找到快乐，这等人就截然不同；这等人把爱上帝和爱邻舍作为目标，其焦点聚焦这样的生活，而不是他们自己。因为他们热爱真理，因而都能从主那里接受灵流，于是能在圣经中看见和找到纯正的真理。他们在智识上被启发，在如此启发下仿佛凭自己领受这些真理，尽管事实上并非凭着自己。他们死后被提上天堂，在那里真理呈现在自身的光明中；他们变得属灵，成为天使。
Footnotes:
1. 附注： 天使长。另外：拉斐尔是搅动毕世大池水的医治天使。
9. No Genuine Truth is Seen or Found in the Word by Anyone Whose Objective is to Become Great and Obtain Honors in the World, and also in Heaven, or Whose Objective is Wealth and Material Gain in the World, or Whose Objective is, a Reputation for Learning
I have been given to speak with many in the spiritual world who believed they would shine like stars in heaven. They believed this, they said, because they held the Word holy, read it often, took many things from it, and defended the tenets of their faith by it. Consequently they were considered learned in the world, and they, with others, believed they would become Michaels or Raphaels. 1A number of them were examined, however, to see what love prompted them to study the Word. And it was found that some did so out of self-love, in order to appear great in the world and to be worshiped as leaders of the church; others to gain a reputation for teaming and so be promoted to positions of honor; still others to acquire riches; and some to be able to preach in a learned fashion. Afterward they were examined to discover whether they had learned any genuine truth from the Word. And they were found to know only the obvious things which simply everyone sees in the literal meaning, but no genuine truth such as might serve them for doctrine on a deeper level. The reason for this was that their objectives were focused on themselves and the world, instead of on the Lord and heaven. And when anyone has self and the world as his focus, he then fastens his mind on them, and thinks continually in accord with his self-interest, which is in darkness regarding everything connected with heaven. For human self-interest is nothing but evil, with its resulting falsity. A person who regards himself in reading the Word, therefore-whether with an eye to honor or reputation, or to material gain-cannot be withdrawn by the Lord from his self-interest and so be raised into the light of heaven. Consequently, neither can he receive anything flowing in from the Lord through heaven.
[2] I have seen many spirits like this, and every one of them longed for heaven with all his might. They have also been let into heaven. But when they got there, they were examined to see whether they knew anything of the truth possessed by angels, and they knew no more than just the words of the literal text, without any idea at all of their deeper meaning. As a consequence, in the eyes of the angels they appeared stripped of their clothing and seemingly naked, and so were sent down below. Some of them in the light of heaven lost their intellectual sight, and then the sight of their eyes, and afterward were seized with intense pain of the heart, and thus were taken down below. Still, however, there remained in them the conceit that they were deserving.
This is the lot of those who study the Word with honor, reputation, or material gain as their objective. It is entirely different with those who study the Word out of an affection for truth, or who in reading the Word find delight in the truth because it is true. Such people have the love of God and love of the neighbor as their goal, and their focus is on life rather than on themselves. Because they love what is true, they all receive an influx from the Lord, and they see and discover genuine truths in the Word. For they are enlightened intellectually, and in their enlightenment they perceive these things as if of themselves, even though it is not of themselves. After death they are raised into heaven, where truth exists in its own light; and they become spiritual, and are angels.
Footnotes:
1. i.e., archangels.
9. IX. Those whose aim is to possess luxury and honours in the world and also in heaven, as well as those who aim at wealth and profit in the world and those who aim at a reputation for learning, do not see or find any real truth in the Word.
I was allowed to talk with many in the spiritual world, who had thought that they would shine like stars in heaven, because, so they said, they had treated the Word as holy, read it through many times, collected many passages from it and used them to prove the dogmas of their belief. So they had a reputation for learning in the world and they themselves together with others believed that they would be Michaels and Raphaels. But many of them were tested to see what love had made them study the Word, and it was discovered that for some it had been self-love, so that they would appear important in the world and be respected as leaders of the church; for some it was to get a reputation for learning and so be promoted to honours; for some it was to acquire wealth, and for some to become learned preachers. When finally they were examined to see whether they had learned any real truth from the Word, it was found that they knew nothing but what is obvious to anyone from its literal sense, and they knew no genuine truth which might serve inwardly for instruction. The reason for this was that their aims were themselves and the world, not the Lord and heaven. When these are their aims a person and his mind are confined to himself and the world, and he thinks constantly from his self, which is in thick darkness as regards everything in heaven. For a person's self is nothing but evil and the falsity it produces. So someone who in reading the Word regards himself, or honours or reputation or profit, cannot be withdrawn by the Lord from the self, and so be raised into the light of heaven; and consequently he cannot receive any influence from the Lord through heaven.
[2] I saw many such people, and each of them made all possible efforts to reach heaven, and they were admitted there. But on arrival they were examined to see if they knew anything of the truth the angels have, but they knew nothing but the bare words of the literal sense without any inner understanding of them. So in the eyes of the angels they looked stripped of their clothes and as if naked, and so they were sent down below. Some of them were deprived of intellectual sight in the light of heaven, and afterwards of their eyesight. Afterwards they were seized by violent pain in the heart, and were thus taken below. But the proud belief that they had deserved heaven lingered.
This is the fate of those who study the Word with the aim of acquiring honours, reputation and profit. But quite different is the fate of those who are led to study the Word by an affection for truth, or who in reading the Word take pleasure in truth for its own sake. Their aim is the love of God and the love of the neighbour, and they have life as their aim. All of these as lovers of truth receive influence from the Lord, seeing and finding real truths in the Word. For their intellects are enlightened, and this allows them to perceive the truths as if of themselves, though not really from themselves; and after death they are raised to heaven, where truth enjoys its own light, so becoming spiritual and angels.
9. IX. THEY WHO HAVE FOR AN END MAGNIFICENCE AND HONORS IN THE WORLD AND ALSO IN HEAVEN, AND THOSE WHO HAVE FOR AN END WEALTH AND GAIN IN THE WORLD, AND THOSE WHO HAVE FOR AN END THE FAME OF LEARNING, DO NOT SEE AND DO NOT FIND ANYTHING OF GENUINE TRUTH IN THE WORD.
It has been given me to speak with many in the spiritual world who believed that they would shine as stars in heaven, because, as they said, they held the Word holy, often read it, gathered many things from it, and by it confirmed the dogmas of their faith, and hence were esteemed learned in the world, and themselves believed with others that they would be Michaels and Raphaels.
But many of them having been explored as to the love from which they studied the Word, it was found that some had done so from the love of self, that they might appear great in the world, and be worshipped as primates of the church; some that they might obtain the fame of learning, and so be promoted to honors; some that they might gain wealth, and some that they might preach learnedly. Afterwards when examined to see whether they had learned anything of genuine truth from the Word, it was found that they knew nothing whatever, except that which is obvious to everyone in the sense of the letter, and nothing of genuine truth which might serve interiorly for doctrine. This was because themselves and the world had been their ends, but not the Lord and heaven, and when such are the ends, then man with his mind clings to self and the world, and continually thinks from his proprium, which is in thick darkness as to all things of heaven. For the proprium of man is mere evil and falsity therefrom; wherefore the man who looks to self, honor, fame, or gain, in reading the Word, cannot be led by the Lord away from the proprium and thus be elevated into the light of heaven, and so cannot receive any influx from the Lord through heaven.
[2] Many such have been seen and they every one earnestly desired heaven, and they were also admitted into heaven; but when they came thither, they were examined as to whether they knew anything of truth, as it is with angels; and they knew nothing except the bare words of the sense of the letter, and had no interior understanding of them whatever.
Therefore they appeared in the eyes of the angels stripped of their garments and as if naked, and thus they were sent down below. Some of them in the light of heaven were deprived of the sight of the understanding, and soon of the sight of the eyes; and then they were seized with anguish of heart, and were thus led away below, still however retaining pride in their own merit. This is the lot of those who study the Word and have honor, fame, and gain for their end. It is entirely different with those who study the Word from the affection of truth, or who, in reading the Word, take delight in truth because it is truth.
These have for an end the love of God and the love of the neighbor, and for themselves, they have life as an end. All these because they love truth receive an influx from the Lord, and see and find genuine truths in the Word; for they are enlightened as to the understanding, and perceive truths in enlightenment as from themselves, though they are not from themselves; and after death they are taken up into heaven, where truth is in its own light, and there they become spiritual and angels.
9. Quod qui pro fine habent magnificentiam et honores in mundo et quoque in coelo, tum qui pro fine habent opulentiam et lucrum in mundo, et qui pro fine habent famam eruditionis, non aliquid genuini veri in Verbo videant et inveniant
[1] Datum est loqui cum multis in spirituali mundo, qui crediderunt se sicut stellae lucituros in coelo, quia, ut dixerunt, sanctum habuerunt Verbum, saepius perlegerunt illud, plura inde collegerunt, et per id suae fidei dogmata confirmarunt, et inde docti in mundo auditi sunt, et ipsi cum aliis crediderunt se futuros Michaeles aut Raphaeles; sed plures ex illis explorati [sunt], ex quo amore studuerunt Verbo, et compertum [est] quod aliqui [studuerint] ex amore sui, ut magni in mundo apparerent, et sicut primates Ecclesiae colerentur, quidam ut captarent eruditionis famam, et sic eveherentur ad honores, quidam ut lucrarentur opes, et quidam ut docte praedicarent; et demum examinati [sunt] num aliquid genuini veri ex Verbo didicerint, et inventi [quod] non aliud sciverunt, quam quod modo cuivis obvium exstat in sensu literae, et nihil genuini veri, quod interius pro doctrina inserviret; et hoc ex causa, quia ipsi et mundus fuerunt fines, non autem Dominus et coelum, et cum illi sunt fines, tum homo cum sua mente haeret in se et in mundo, et cogitat jugiter ex suo proprio, quod in caligine est quoad omnia quae coeli sunt, nam proprium hominis est mere malum et inde falsum, quare homo qui spectat se, sive honorem sive famam, sive lucrum in legendo Verbum, non potest a Domino subduci a proprio, et sic elevari in lucem coeli, proinde nec aliquem influxum a Domino per coelum recipere.
[2] Tales visi sunt plures, et quisque illorum omni nisu cupiverunt coelum, et quoque admissi in coelum, sed cum illuc venerunt, examinati [sunt] num aliquid veri, quod est apud angelos, scirent, sed non nisi quam nuda verba sensus literae sciverunt, et prorsus non aliquem interiorem intellectum illorum, quare, in oculis illorum, apparuerunt exuti vestibus et sicut nudi, et sic demissi [sunt] ad inferiora; quidam illorum in luce coeli deprivati sunt visu intellectus, et mox visu oculorum, et postea occupati sunt angore cordis, et sic ad inferiora deducti sunt; sed usque remansit apud illos fastus, quod meruerint: hoc est sors illorum, qui student Verbo et pro fine habent honorem, famam et lucrum. Aliter prorsus [se habent] illi qui student Verbo ex affectione veri, seu qui in legendo Verbum delectantur vero quia verum est; illi pro fine habent amorem Dei et amorem proximi, ac [ut] finem pro se habent vitam; illi omnes, quia amant verum, recipiunt influxum a Domino, ac vident et inveniunt genuina vera in Verbo, illustrantur enim quoad intellectum, et in illustratione percipiunt illa sicut a se, tametsi non a se, et post mortem elevantur in coelum, ubi verum est in sua luce, et fiunt spirituales, et angeli.