1. THE ATHANASIAN CREED
PREFACE
Those things which the Lord spoke as recorded in Matthew [24:29-31] concerning the last time of the Church should here be inserted, giving the words themselves and their explanation as in the work HEAVEN AND HELL 1.
Heaven and Hell#1
1. Where the Lord, in the presence of His disciples, speaks about the consummation of the age, which is the last period of the Church, 1 towards the end of the predictions regarding its successive states with respect to love and faith, 2 He says this:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a trumpet and great voice, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Matthew 24:29-31.
Those who understand these words in accordance with the sense of the letter have no other belief than that at the final period which is called the Last Judgment, all those events will occur as described in that sense. Therefore, they believe not only that the sun and moon will be darkened and the stars will fall from heaven, that the sign of the Lord will appear in the sky and that He Himself will be seen in the clouds as well as angels with trumpets, but also, as is foretold elsewhere, that the whole visible earth will be destroyed, after which a new heaven with a new earth will come into being. Such is the opinion of most men within the Church at the present day. But those who so believe do not know the arcana 3 which lie concealed in every particular of the Word. For, in every particular of the Word there is an internal sense in which are discerned, not the natural and worldly matters such as are in the sense of the letter, but spiritual and heavenly things. Moreover, this is true not only of the meaning of groups of words but it is also true of every single word. 4 For the Word has been written by means of pure correspondences 5 to the end that the internal sense may be in every particular. The nature of that sense can be confirmed from all that has been said and shown about it in ARCANA CAELESTIA, also from what has been summarized in the explanation of THE WHITE HORSE mentioned in the Revelation. It is in accordance with that sense that the words of the Lord, quoted above, concerning His coming in the clouds of heaven, are to be understood. In that passage, by the "sun" which is to be darkened is signified the Lord as to love, 6 by the "moon" the Lord as to faith, 7 by the "stars" cognitions 8 of good and truth or of love and faith, 9 by the "sign" of the Son of man in heaven the manifestation of Divine Truth, by the "tribes of the earth which shall mourn", all things relating to truth and good or to faith and love, 10 by "the coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven with power and glory", His presence in the Word and revelation; 11 by "clouds" is signified the sense of the letter of the Word, 12 and by "glory" the internal sense of the Word, 13 by "angels with a trumpet and great voice" is signified heaven whence comes Divine Truth. 14 Thence it is evident that by those words of the Lord is meant that in the end of the Church when there is no longer any love and consequently no faith, the Lord will open the Word in its internal sense and reveal arcana of heaven. The arcana now revealed in the following pages treat of heaven and hell, and at the same time of man's life after death. The man of the Church at this day knows scarcely anything about heaven and hell or about his life after death, although they are all set forth and described in the Word. Indeed, many people born within the Church even deny them, saying in their hearts, "Who has come from that world and told us?" Lest, therefore, such a negative attitude, which prevails especially with those who have much worldly wisdom, should also infect and corrupt the simple in heart and the simple in faith, it has been granted to me to associate with angels and to talk with them as man with man, also to see the things in the heavens as well as in the hells, and this for thirteen years. Now, therefore, from what I have seen and heard I am permitted to describe these things, in the hope that thus, ignorance may be enlightened and unbelief dispelled. Such immediate revelation is now made because that is what is meant by the Coming of the Lord.
FROM ARCANA CAELESTIA
脚注:
1. [Swedenborg's footnote] The consummation of the ago is the final period of the Church, Arcana Coelestia 4535, 10622.
2. [Swedenborg's footnote] The Lord's predictions in Matthew 24; 25, concerning the consummation of the age, His advent, the successive vastation of the Church, and the Last Judgment, are explained at the commencement of each of the sections which precede several of the chapters of Genesis, namely, chaps. 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40. See Arcana Coelestia 3353-3356, 3486-3489, 3650-3655, 3751-3757, 3897-3905, 4056-4060, 4229-4231, 4332-4335, 4422-4424, 4635-4638, 4661-4664, 4807-4810, 4954-4959, 5063-5071.
3. [Translator's footnote] Arcana - plural of Arcanum - a secret, or hidden thing, hence a truth hitherto unknown, from arceo, to shut up or conceal.
4. [Swedenborg's footnote] In all and each of the things of the Word there is an internal or spiritual sense. Arcana Coelestia 1143, 1984, 2135, 2333, 2395, 2495, 4442, 9048, 9063, 9086.
5. [Swedenborg's footnote] The Word has been written by means of pure correspondences, consequently all and each of the things therein signify spiritual things. Arcana Coelestia 1404, 1408-1409, 5540, 1619, 1659, 1709, 1783, 2900, 9086.
6. [Swedenborg's footnote] In the Word the "sun" signifies the Lord with respect to love, and in consequence love to the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 5529, 1837, 2445, 2495, 4060, 4696, 7083, 10809.
7. [Swedenborg's footnote] In the Word the "moon" signifies the Lord with respect to faith, and in consequence faith in the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 1529, 5530, 2495, 4060, 4696, 7083.
8. [Swedenborg's footnote] The term cognitiones, here used in the Latin, is translated "cognitions" to distinguish these knowledges from those that are meant by the Latin scientifica also used in the Writings of Swedenborg. Two of the meanings most commonly associated with cognitiones are (i) a particular species of knowledge, as knowledges of the Word, of good and truth, or of spiritual things (Arcana Caelestia 24, 3665, 9945; The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 51 Heaven and Hell 111, 351, 469, 474, 517-518); and (ii) a higher type of knowledge which is from understanding and perception (AC. 1486-7; Heaven and Hell 110, 353).
9. [Swedenborg's footnote] In the Word "stars" signify cognitions of good and truth. Arcana Coelestia 2495, 2849, 4697.
10. [Swedenborg's footnote] "Tribes" signify all truths and goods in the complex, thus all things of faith and love. Arcana Coelestia 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335.
11. [Swedenborg's footnote] The coming of the Lord is His presence in the Word, and revelation. Arcana Coelestia 3900, 4060.
12. [Swedenborg's footnote] In the Word "clouds" signify the Word in the letter or the sense of its letter. Arcana Coelestia 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343, 6752, 8106, 8781, 9430, 10551, 10574.
13. [Swedenborg's footnote] In the Word "glory" signifies Divine truth as it is in heaven and as it is in the internal sense of the Word. Arcana Coelestia 4809, 5922, 8267, 8427, 9429, 10574.
14. [Swedenborg's footnote] A "trumpet" or "horn" signifies Divine truth in heaven, and revealed out of heaven (Arcana Coelestia 8158, 8823, 8915); and "voice" has a like signification (Arcana Coelestia 6971, 9926).
Genesis第31章
1
He heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's. From that which was our father's, has he gotten all this wealth."
2
Jacob saw the expression on Laban's face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
3
Yahweh said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you."
4
Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,
5
and said to them, "I see the expression on your father's face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.
6
You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.
7
Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn't allow him to hurt me.
8
If he said this, 'The speckled will be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled. If he said this, 'The streaked will be your wages,' then all the flock bore streaked.
9
Thus God has taken away your father's livestock, and given them to me.
10
It happened during mating season that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.
11
The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.'
12
He said, 'Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you.
13
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.'"
14
Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
15
Aren't we accounted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also quite devoured our money.
16
For all the riches which God has taken away from our father, that is ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do."
17
Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,
18
and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.
19
Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father's.
20
Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he didn't tell him that he was running away.
21
So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.
22
Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.
23
He took his relatives with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.
24
God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Take heed to yourself that you don't speak to Jacob either good or bad."
25
Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead.
26
Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?
27
Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn't tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp;
28
and didn't allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly.
29
It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Take heed to yourself that you don't speak to Jacob either good or bad.'
30
Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father's house, but why have you stolen my gods?"
31
Jacob answered Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I said, 'Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.'
32
Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it." For Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen them.
33
Laban went into Jacob's tent, into Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn't find them. He went out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
34
Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt about all the tent, but didn't find them.
35
She said to her father, "Don't let my lord be angry that I can't rise up before you; for I'm having my period." He searched, but didn't find the teraphim.
36
Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, "What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?
37
Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.
38
"These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven't eaten the rams of your flocks.
39
That which was torn of animals, I didn't bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
40
This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.
41
These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
42
Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night."
43
Laban answered Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine: and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?
44
Now come, let us make a covenant, you and I; and let it be for a witness between me and you."
45
Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46
Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather stones." They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.
47
Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
48
Laban said, "This heap is witness between me and you this day." Therefore it was named Galeed
49
and Mizpah, for he said, "Yahweh watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.
50
If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you."
51
Laban said to Jacob, "See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.
52
May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.
53
The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac.
54
Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.
55
Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.
