1. 백마론

요한계시록에서는 영적 또는 내적 의미에 대한 말씀을 다음과 같이 기술하고 있다.

내가 하늘이 열린 것을 보니, 보라, 백마와 탄 자가 있으니, 그 이름이 충신과 진실이라. 그가 정의로 심판하며 싸우더라. 그의 눈은 불꽃같고, 머리에는 많은 면류관이 있고, 또 이름 쓴 것이 하나 있으니, 자기 밖에 아는 자가 없더라, 그는 또 피에 젖은 옷을 입었더라. 그의 이름을 일러 하나님의 말씀이라 칭하더라. 하늘에 있는 군대들이 희고 깨끗한 아마포로 만든 옷을 입고 백마를 타고 그의 뒤를 따르더라. 그의 옷과 다리에 적힌 이름이 있으니, 만왕(萬王)의 왕이요 만주(萬主)의 주라 하더라 (요한계시록19:11-14, 16)

위의 표현이 내포하고 있는 의미 하나 하나를 알아낼 수 있는 사람은 아무도 없다. 오직 이들 표현의 내적 의미를 이해하는 이만이 알 수 있을 뿐이다. 하나 하나의 표현이 모두 표징적이고 의미심장함이 분명하다. 말하자면, ”하늘이 열렸다”, “백마가 그 곳에 있었더라”, ”정의로 심판하여 싸우더라”, “그의 눈은 불꽃같고”, ”머리에 많은 면류관이 있고”, ”이름 쓴 것이 하나 있으니 자기 밖에 아는 자가 없더라”., ”그는 또 피에 젖은 옷을 입었더라”, “하늘에 있는 군대가 백마를 타고 그를 따르더라.”, ” 그들은 희고 깨끗한 아마포로 만든 옷을 입었더라”, ” 그의 옷과 다리에 적힌 이름이 있으니”라는 표현이 모두 그러하다는 것이다. 분명히 알 수 있는 것은 이러한 서술이 ”말씀”이요, 말씀이 곧 주(Lord)라는 것이다. ”그의 이름을 일러 하나님의 말씀이라”라고 언급되어 있고 뒤이어 “그의 옷과 다리에 이름 쓴 것이 있으니, 만왕의 왕이오, 만주의 주라 하였더라”라고 언급되어 있기 때문이다. 하나 하나의 표현을 해석해 보면 이 곳에 언급된 말씀이 모두 영적이고 내밀한 의미를 지니고 있음이 분명하다. .”하늘이 열렸다”라는 표현은, 말씀의 내밀한 의미는 천국에서만 이해될 수 있으며 이 세상에 있는 자라도 천국이 열린 자에게만 이해될 수 있다는 것을 표징하고 의미한다. 하얀 백마는 말씀의 내밀한 의미를 이해한다는 것을 표징적으로 나타내는 것이다. 이 점이 백마가 표징하는 것이라는 점은 곧 밝혀질 것이다. ”백마를 탄 자”라는 표현은 말씀과 관련된 주요, 그러므로 주는 말씀 그 자체임이 분명하다 .”그의 이름을 일러 하나님의 말씀이라 칭하더라”라는 언급이 나와있기 때문이다. 선(善)을 근본으로 삼을 때에는”신실하고 정의로 심판하는”이로 호칭되며, 진리를 근본으로 할 때에는”정의로 심판하여 싸우는” 이로 호칭된다. 왜냐하면 주님 자신이 정의이기 때문이다. “그의 눈은 불꽃같고”라는 표현은 주님의 신성한; (Divine)사랑에 속하는 신성한 선(善)을 근본으로 하는 신성한 진실을 의미한다. ”그의 머리에 많은 면류관이 있고” 라는 표현은 믿음에 속하는 모든 선과 진리를 의미한다. ”이름 쓴 것이 하나 있으니 자신 밖에 아는 자가 아무도 없고”라는 표현은 내밀한 의미에서의 말씀의 본질은 주님과 주님이 그 의미를 드러내어주신 자만이 이해할 수 있다는 것을 의미한다. ”피에 젖은 옷을 입었더라”라는 표현은 /불경스러움과 곡해가 개재된 문자로 된 말씀을 의미한다. ”하늘에 있는 군대가 백마를 타고 그를 따르더라”라는 표현은 말씀의 내면을 이해하고 있는 사람들을 의미한다. ”희고 깨끗한 아마포로 만든 옷을 입고”라는 표현은 선을 근본으로 하는 진리 속에 존재하는 같은 부류의 사람들을 의미한다 .”그의 옷과 다리에 이름 적힌 것이 있으니” 라는 표현은 진리와 선, 그리고 그런 것들의 본질을 의미한다. 이같은 세부적인 사항과 19장의 전, 후에 보이는 세부적인 사항을 근거로, 우리는 교회의 마지막 시대에 말씀의 영적 또는 내적인 의미가 열릴 것이며 그 시대에 무슨 일이 벌어질 것인지에 대해서도 그러한 세부적인 사항에 이미 예견되어 있음을 분명히 알 수 있다 (시편17-21). 이것이 언급된 말씀의 의미라는 것을 여기에서 새삼 증명할 필요는 없다. 왜냐하면 그 점은 “천국의 비밀”에 상세히 설명되어있고 또 주님이 신적 진리인 까닭에 주님이 말씀임을 .밝히고 있기 때문이다. (천국의 비밀 2533, 2803, 2884, 5272, 7835)

그러므로 말씀은 하나님의 신성한 진리이다. (천국의 비밀 4692, 5075, 9987)

주님은 정의이신 까닭에 ”그는 백마를 타고 정의로 심판하며 싸우더라” 라고 언급되어 있으며 , 이러한 이유 때문에 그리고 자신의 권세를 인류를 위해 비축해 두셨기 때문에 ”정의”로 호칭된다. (천국의 비밀 1813, 2025-2027, 9715, 9809, 10019, 10152).

그러므로 “정의”는 오로지 주님에게만 속하는 미덕이다 (천국의 비밀 9715, 9979).

“그의 눈은 불꽃같고”라는 표현이 신성한 하나님의 사랑에 속하는 신성한 선을 근본으로 삼는 신성한 진리를 의미한다는 것은 “눈”은 믿음에 속하는 진리와 이해를 의미하며 (천국의 비밀 2701, 4403-4421, 4523, 4534, 9023, 9051, 10519), ”불꽃”은 사랑에 속하는 선을 의미한다는 것이다. (천국의 비밀 934, 4906, 5215, 6314, 6832)

”그의 머리 위의 많은 면류관”은 믿음에 속하는 모든 선과 진리를 의미한다. (천국의 비밀 114, 3858, 6335, 6640, 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905)

”이름 쓴 것이 하나 있으니 자기 밖에 아는 자가 없더라”라는 표현이 내적 의미에서의 말씀의 의미의 본질은 주님 자신과 주님께서 말씀의 내적 의미를 드러내어 주신 자만이 이해할 수 있다는 것을 의미한다는 것은 ”이름”이 어떤 것의 본질을 의미한다는 것이다. (천국의 비밀 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3237, 3421, 4674, 9310)

”피에 젖은 옷을 입었더라”라는 표현이 곡해가 개재된 문자로 된 말씀을 의미한다는 것은 ”옷”이란 진리를 의미한다는 것이다. 진리는 선으로 나타나기 때문이라는 것이다. (천국의 비밀 1073, 2576, 5428, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9952, 10536)

특히 궁극에 있어서의 진리를 의미한다는 것이다. 그러므로 문자로 된 말씀을 의미한다는 것이다. (천국의 비밀 5428, 6918, 9158, 9212버). 그리고 “피”란 불경스러움이 개재된 그릇된 진리를 의미하기 때문이다.

”하늘에 있는 군대가 백마를 타고 그를 따르더라”라는 표현이 말씀의 내면을 이해하고 있는 자들을 의미한다는 것은 ”군대”란 천국과 교회의 진리와 선 속에 있는 자들을 의미한다는 것이다. (천국의 비밀 3448, 7326, 7988, 8019).

”말”은 이해를 의미한다. (천국의 비밀 3217, 5321, 6125, 6400, 6531, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8318)

그리고 “흰 색”은 천국의 빛 가운데에 있는 진리를, 그러므로 내면의 (interior) 진리를 의미한다 (천국의 비밀 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319).

“희고 깨끗한 아마포로 만든 옷을 입고”라는 표현이 선을 근본으로 하는 진리 속에서 살아가는 같은 부류의 사람들을 의미한다는 것은, ”깨끗한 아마포” 또는”아마포”는 선을 근본으로 하는 진리인 천적인 기원(celestial origin)을 근본으로 하는 진리를 의미한다는 것이다. (천국의 비밀 5319, 9469)

“옷과 다리에 이름 적힌 것이 있으니”라는 표현이 진리와 선, 그리고 그 본질을 의미한다는 것은 ”옷”은 진리를, ”이름”은 앞에서 언급한 바와 같이 본질을, 그리고 “다리”는 사랑으로 이루어진 선을 의미한다는 것이다. (천국의 비밀 3021, 4277, 4280, 9961, 10485).

”만왕의 왕이요, 만주의 주”는 신적 진리와 신적 선과 관련된 주이며 주는 신적 진리를 근본으로 삼는 ”왕”으로 호칭된다. (천국의 비밀 3009, 5068, 6148)

그러므로 그는 신적 선을 근본으로 삼는”주”로 호칭된다 (천국의 비밀 4973, 9169, 9174)

이러한 사실에서 영적 또는 내적 의미에서의 말씀의 본질이 무엇인지 분명해지며 또 말씀 속에는 어떤 영적인 것, 말하자면 천국과 교회에 대한 그 어떤 것을 의미하지 않는 표현은 하나도 없음이 분명하다.

6832. 'In a flame of fire from the middle of a bramble bush' means God's love present in true factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'a flame of fire' as God's love, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'a bramble bush' as true factual knowledge. The reason why 'a bramble bush' means true factual knowledge is that all shrubs of every kind mean factual knowledge, whereas actual plantations of trees, being larger, mean cognitions and perceptions. Because it produces flower and berries 'a bramble bush' means true factual knowledge. True factual knowledge that the Church possesses consists in nothing else than the Word as it exists in the sense of the letter and also every one of the Church's representative forms and meaningful signs that existed among the descendants of Jacob. These in the external form they take are called true factual knowledge; but in their internal form they are spiritual truths. But truths in their internal or spiritual form could not be made visible to those descended from Jacob, for the reason that they were interested solely in things of an external nature and had no wish whatever to know about anything internal. Therefore the Lord appeared in a bramble bush (when the Lord appears to people He does so in a way suited to the kind of people they are, for a person cannot receive the Divine in any way other than that which is a way suited to the kind of person he is); and therefore also, when the Lord appeared on Mount Sinai He appeared to the people' as a fire burning even to the heart of heaven, and as darkness, cloud, and pitch darkness', Deuteronomy 4:11; 5:22-25; also Exodus 19:18. He would have appeared in an altogether different way if the people below the mountain who beheld Him had not been the kind of people they were. And because those people were interested solely in things of an external nature, when Moses went in to the Lord on Mount Sinai, it is said that he went into the cloud, Exodus 20:21; 24:2, 18; 34:2-5, 'the cloud' being the external aspect of the Word, see Preface to Genesis 18, and 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343 (end), and also consequently representatives in the Church which are seen in outward form.

[2] The truth that the Lord appears to each individual person in a way suited to the kind of person he is may be recognized from the consideration that the Lord appears to those in the inmost or third heaven as the Sun from which light beyond description radiates, the reason being that those there are governed by the good of love to the Lord. He appears to those in the middle or second heaven as the Moon, the reason being that there they are governed by love to the Lord in a more remote and obscure way; for they are governed by love towards the neighbour. But the Lord does not appear to those in the lowest or first heaven either as the Sun or the Moon, only as Light, a light far more brilliant than light in the world. And since the Lord appears to each in a way suited to the kind of person he is, He cannot appear to those in hell as anything other than dark cloud and pitch darkness. For as soon as the light of heaven which comes from the Lord shines into any hell, darkness and thick darkness are produced there. From all this one may now recognize that the Lord appears to each individual person in a way suited to the kind of person he is, for this is suited to the way he receives the Lord. And since the descendants of Jacob were interested solely in things of an external nature, the Lord appeared to Moses in a bramble bush, and also in a cloud when Moses went in to the Lord on Mount Sinai.

[3] The reason why 'a flame' is God's love is that love in its earliest origin is nothing other than fire or flame from the Lord as the Sun. The fire or flame of this sun is what supplies each individual person with the being (esse) of his life; it is that life-giving fire which fills a person's interiors with warmth, as one may recognize from what happens with love. To the extent that love increases in a person he warms up; but to the extent that it diminishes he cools off. This explain s why, when the Lord appeared in a vision, He appeared as fire and flame, as in Ezekiel,

The appearance of the four living creatures (who were cherubs) was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of lamps. It was moving between the living creatures as a bright fire, and out of the fire went forth lightning. Above the firmament that was over their heads, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and over the likeness of a throne there was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it, above. And I saw the shape of burning coals, as the shape of fire, within it round about, from the appearance of His loins and upwards. But from the appearance of His loins and downwards I saw as it were the appearance of fire, whose brightness was round about it. Ezekiel 1:13, 26-28.

[4] Nobody can deny that all the several details of this vision are signs that represent aspects of the Divine; but unless one knows what is meant by 'the cherubs', 'the burning coals of fire, like the appearance of lamps', 'a throne', 'the appearance of a man upon it', 'his loins from which fire emanated upwards and downwards, and the brightness radiating from the fire', one can have no knowledge of the real holiness hidden within all those several details. 'The cherubs' are the Lord's Providence, see 308; 'the throne' is heaven, or - to be exact - Divine Truth that emanates from the Lord to form heaven, 5313; 'the appearance of a man upon the throne above' is plainly the Lord's Divine Human; and 'loins' are conjugial love and all heavenly love that derives from it, 3021, 4277, 4280, 4575, 5050, 5062. This love was represented by 'the shape of burning coal, as the shape of fire, whose brightness was round about it'.

[5] In Daniel,

I saw, until thrones had been placed, and the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was a flame of fire; His wheels were burning fire. A river of five issued and came forth from before Him. Daniel 7:9-10.

The Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love was seen in this vision too as a flame of fire. In John,

He who sat on the white horse, His eyes were like aflame of fire. Revelation 19:11-12.

'He who sat on the white horse' is the Lord in respect of the Word, as is explicitly stated in verses 13, 16, of that chapter. Thus 'the flame of fire' is Divine Truth contained in the Word, which radiates from the Lord's Divine Goodness. In the same book,

In the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe. His head and hair were white, like white wool, like snow; but His eyes were like a flame of fire. Revelation 1:13-14.

Here also 'eyes like a flame of fire' is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Goodness.

[6] The meaning of 'a flame of fire' as Divine Truth emanating from the Lord is also evident in David,

The voice of Jehovah falls like a flame of fire. Psalms 29:7.

'The voice of Jehovah' stands for Divine Truth. In order that Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good might be represented, the people were commanded to make a lampstand of pure gold with seven lamps and to place it in the tent of meeting by the table where the loaves of the presence were, and to keep the lamps burning unceasingly before Jehovah, Exodus 25:31-end; 37:17-24; 40:24-25; Leviticus 24:4; Numbers 8:2; Zechariah 4:2. The lampstand with its seven lamps served to represent Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good.

[7] In order also that Divine Good itself might be represented they were commanded to have perpetual fire on the altar,

Fire shall burn on the altar and not be put out; the priest shall kindle pieces of wood on it at every dawn. Fire shall burn unceasingly on the altar and not be put out. Leviticus 6:12-13.

The fact that the ancients were very well acquainted with the use of fire to represent Divine Love may be recognized from the spread of that representative from the Ancient Church even to nations far away whose worship was idolatrous and who, as is well known, established an everlasting sacred fire and placed in charge of it virgins, who were called the vestal virgins.

[8] In the contrary sense 'fire' and 'flame' mean filthy kinds of love, such as those of vengeance, cruelty, hatred, and adultery, and in general the cravings that spring from self-love and love of the world. This too is clear from very many places in the Word, of which let just the following be quoted: In Isaiah,

Behold, they have become as stubble, the fire has burned them; they do not save themselves from the power of the flame. ¹ There will be no coal to be warmed by [nor] fire to sit in front of. Isaiah 47:14.

In Ezekiel,

Behold, I will kindle in you a five, which will devour in you every green tree and every dry tree. The blazing flame ² will not be put out, and all faces from south to north will be scorched by it. Ezekiel 20:47.

Here 'fire' and 'flame' mean desires for what is evil and false which annihilate everything good and true in the Church, and thereby lay it waste.

[9] In Luke,

The rich man said to Abraham, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. Luke 16:24.

People who do not know that a person's vital heat has a different origin from that which is the source of elemental fire cannot possibly do anything else but think that by hell fire is meant fire like that found in the world. In the Word however this latter kind of fire is not meant but the fire of love, thus the fire of a person's life, emanating from the Lord as a Sun. And when this fire comes among those engrossed in pursuits contrary to it, it is turned into the fire of evil desires which, as stated above, belong to vengeance, hatred, and cruelty, and which well up from self-love and love of the world. This is the fire that torments those who are in hell, for when the restraint placed on their evil desires is relaxed, one sets upon another and they torment one another in dreadful and indescribable ways. For each has the wish for supremacy and wants to take from the other the things he has by hidden or open devices. When one or two have such desires hatreds consequently develop within the group, and these lead to the savage deeds that are performed, especially by the use of devices involving magic and the use of figments of the imagination, devices which are countless and totally unknown in the world.

[10] People who do not believe in the existence of spiritual things, especially those who worship nature, cannot at all be led to believe that the warmth present in living persons, which constitutes the actual life within them, has a different origin from that which is the source of worldly heat. For they are not even aware, let alone able to acknowledge, that there is a heavenly fire radiating from the Lord as a Sun, and that this Fire is pure love. Consequently they are unaware of countless instances in the Word in which no other kind of fire is meant; nor are they aware of countless manifestations of it in the human being, who is an organ made to receive that fire.

각주: