31、“大光”表示爱和信，也被称为日月星辰，这一点从先知书明显看出来，如以西结书：
我将你扑灭的时候，要把天遮蔽，使众星昏暗；以密云遮住太阳，月亮也不放光。我必使天上的发光体都在你以上变为昏暗，使你的地上黑暗。（以西结书32:7-8）
这段经文论述的是法老和埃及人；在圣言中，他们表示纯粹的感官和纯粹的知识；这里的意思是，他们利用感官事物和纯粹的知识扑灭爱和信。以赛亚书：
耶和华的日子临到，使这地荒凉，天上的众星群宿都不发光，日头一出，就变黑暗；月亮也不放光。（以赛亚书13:9-10）
约珥书：
耶和华的日子来到，一个黑暗、幽冥的日子。地在祂面前颤抖，诸天摇撼，日月昏暗，星辰收回其光辉。（约珥书2:1-2，10）
下面以赛亚书中的经文论述了主的降临，以及带给外邦人的光明，也就是说，论述了一个新教会，尤其论述了所有处于黑暗，但接受光明，正在重生的人：
兴起，发光，因为你的光已经来到！看哪，黑暗遮盖大地，幽暗遮盖万民，耶和华却要升现照耀你！列族要来就你的光，列王要来就你升现的光辉。耶和华却要作你永远的光。你的日头不再下落，你的月亮也不退缩，因为耶和华必作你永远的光。（以赛亚书60:1-2，3，19-20）
诗篇：
耶和华用智慧造天；祂铺地在水以上，祂造大光，造日头管白昼，造月亮星宿管黑夜。（诗篇136:5-6，7，8，9）
又：
日头、月亮，你们将荣耀归于耶和华！发光的众星，你们都要将荣耀归于祂！天上的天，和天上的水，你们都要将荣耀归于祂。（诗篇148:3-4）
在所有这些经文中，“光”都表示爱和信。
正因“光”代表并表示对主的爱和信，所以犹太教会被吩咐使灯常常点着，从晚上直到早晨，因为该教会的每个条例都代表主。关于这灯，经上记着说：
你要吩咐以色列人，叫他们把为点灯捣成的油拿来，使灯常常点着。在会幕中法版前的帷帐外，亚伦和他的儿子，从晚上到早晨，要在耶和华面前经理这灯。（出埃及记27:20-21）
这些事物表示爱和信，主在内在人中，并通过内在人而在外在人中点燃它们，并使它们发光；对此，蒙主的神性怜悯，我将在适当地方（9783节）予以说明。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]31. The fact that the great lights symbolize love and faith and that they are named sun, moon, and stars can be seen in many places in the prophets. In Ezekiel, for instance:
When I blot you out I will cover the heavens and black out their stars; the sun I will cover with a cloud, and the moon will not make its light shine. All the lamps of light in the heavens I will black out above you, and I will bring shadow over your land.{*1} (Ezekiel 32:7-8)
This passage is directed at Pharaoh and the Egyptians. In the Word, these people stand for sensory evidence and factual information, and the idea here is that they used both things to blot out love and faith. In Isaiah:
The day of Jehovah [comes] to make the earth a desolation, since neither the stars of the heavens nor their Orions{*2} will shine their light. The sun has been shadowed over in its emergence, and the moon will not radiate its light. (Isaiah 13:9-10)
In Joel:
The day of Jehovah has come, a day of shadow and darkness. Before him the earth trembles, the heavens shake, the sun and moon turn black, and the stars hold back their rays. (Joel 2:1-2, 10)
[2] The following passage in Isaiah discusses the Lord's Coming and the light brought to the nations — in other words, a new church, and specifically the individuals who are in shadow but welcome the light and are being reborn.
Rise, shine, because your light has come! Look — shadows cover the earth, and darkness, the peoples. And Jehovah will dawn above you; and the nations will walk toward your light, and monarchs, toward the brightness of your rising. Jehovah will become an eternal light to you. No longer will your sun set, and your moon will not withdraw, because Jehovah will become an eternal light to you. (Isaiah 60:1-2, 3, 19-20)
In David:
Jehovah makes the heavens with understanding; he spreads the earth out on the waters; he makes the great lights — the sun to rule during the day and the moon and stars to rule during the night. (Psalms 136:5-6, 7, 8, 9)
In the same author:
Give glory to Jehovah, sun and moon! Give glory to him, all you shining stars! Give glory to him, heavens of heavens and waters above the heavens! (Psalms 148:3-4)
In all these places the sources of light symbolize love and faith.
[3] Because lights represented and symbolized love for and faith in the Lord, the Jewish church{*3} was commanded to keep a light burning perpetually, from evening to morning, since every activity that was required of that church represented the Lord. The command for the perpetual light was as follows:
Command the children of Israel to take oil for the light, to make [the fire of] the lamp go up continually. In the meeting tent, outside the veil that is by [the ark of] the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall arrange it before Jehovah, from evening till morning. (Exodus 27:20-21)
This symbolizes love and faith, which the Lord kindles and causes to shine in our inner self, and through our inner into our outer self, as will be shown in its proper place [9783], with the Lord's divine mercy.
Footnotes:
{*1} The Latin word here (terra) and the Hebrew word for which it stands (אֶרֶץ ['ereṣ]) mean both "land" and "earth." Swedenborg emphasizes it as he does many other instances of words for earth and sky in 25, 28, 29, 30. [LHC]
{*2} "Orions" seems to mean simply constellations. Swedenborg used the Latin word oriones here, which is the hypothetical plural of Orion, the mythological hunter for whom one of the constellations is named. The Hebrew word, as the third Latin edition points out, is the plural of כְּסִיל (kǝsîl), which is the name for the same constellation. [LHC]
{*3} On the meaning of "church" here, see note 2 in 4. [LHC]
Potts(1905-1910) 31
31. That the "great luminaries" signify love and faith, and are also called "sun, moon, and stars" is evident from the Prophets, as in Ezekiel:
When I shall extinguish thee, I will cover the heavens and make the stars thereof black; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light; all the luminaries of the light of heaven will I make black over thee, and I will set darkness upon thy land (32:7, 8). In this passage Pharaoh and the Egyptians are treated of, by whom are meant, in the Word, the principle of mere sense and of mere knowledge [sensuale et scientificum]; and here, that by things of sense and of mere knowledge [sensualia et scientifica], love and faith had been extinguished. So in Isaiah:
The day of Jehovah cometh to set the land in desolation, for the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light the sun is darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine (13:9, 10). Again, in Joel:
The day of Jehovah cometh, a day of darkness and of thick darkness; the earth trembleth before Him, the heavens are in commotion; the sun and the moon are blackened, and the stars withdraw their brightness (2:1, 2, 10). [2] Again, in Isaiah, speaking of the advent of the Lord and the enlightening of the Gentiles, consequently of a new church, and in particular of all who are in darkness, and receive light, and are being regenerated:
Arise, shine, for thy light is come behold darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, and Jehovah shall arise upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising, Jehovah shall be to thee a light of eternity, thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself, for Jehovah shall be to thee a light of eternity (60:1-3, 20). So in David:
Jehovah in intelligence maketh the heavens, He stretcheth out the earth above the waters He maketh great luminaries the sun to rule by day, the moon and stars to rule by night (Ps. 136:5-9). And again:
Glorify ye Jehovah, sun and moon glorify Him, all ye stars of light glorify Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that are above the heavens (Ps. 148:3, 4). [3] In all thee passages, "luminaries" signify love and faith. It was because "luminaries" represented and signified love and faith toward the Lord that it was ordained in the Jewish Church that a perpetual luminary should be kept burning from evening till morning, for every ordinance in that church was representative of the Lord. Of this luminary it is written:
Command the sons of Israel that they take oil for the luminary, to cause the lamp to ascend continually: in the tabernacle of the congregation without the veil, which is before the testimony, shall Aaron and his sons order it from evening even until morning, before Jehovah (Exod. 27:20, 21). That these things signify love and faith, which the Lord kindles and causes to give light in the internal man, and through the internal man in the external, will of the Lord's Divine mercy be shown in its proper place.
Elliott(1983-1999) 31
31. That 'the great lights' mean love and faith, and are also mentioned as the sun, the moon, and the stars, is clear from various places in the Prophets, as in Ezekiel,
When I have blotted you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights in the heavens I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. Ezek 32:7, 8.
This refers to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who are used in the Word to mean the sensory and the factual. The meaning here is that they will have blotted out love and faith by means of sensory evidence and factual knowledge. In Isaiah,
The day of Jehovah for making the earth a desolation; for the stars of the heavens and their constellationsa will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. Isa 13:9, 10.In Joel,
The day of Jehovah is coming, a day of darkness and thick darkness. The earth quakes before Him, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. Joel 1:1, 1,10.
[2] In Isaiah, in reference to the Lord's Coming and the enlightenment of gentiles, and so to a new Church, in particular to individuals who are in darkness but who are beginning to receive the light and be regenerated,
Arise, shine, for your light has come. Behold, darkness is covering the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, but Jehovah will arise upon you, and nations will walk towards your light, and kings tot he brightness of your rising. Jehovah will be for you an everlasting light; your sun will no more go down nor your moon be withdrawn, for Jehovah will be for you an everlasting light. Isa 60:1-3, 19, 20.In David,
Jehovah makes the heavens by intelligence, He spreads out the earth upon the waters, He makes the great lights, the sun to have dominion over the day, and the moon and stars to have dominion over the night. Ps 136:5-9.And in the same author,
Praise Jehovah, sun and moon, praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, heaven of heavens, and waters that are above the heavens! Ps 148:3, 4.
[3] In all of these places 'the lights' mean love and faith. Because the lights represented and meant love and faith in the Lord, the Jewish Church was commanded to keep a light burning all the time from evening till morning, for every command which that Church received was representative of the Lord. Concerning this light it is said,
Command the sons of Israel that they take oil for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. In the Tent of Meeting outside the veil which is before the testimony Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before Jehovah. [Exod 27:20, 21] That this means the love and faith which the Lord kindles and causes to shine in the internal man, and by means of the internal man in the external man, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown at that point in Exodus.
Latin(1748-1756) 31
31. Quod 'luminaria magna' significent amorem et fidem: et quoque nominentur sol, luna et stellae, constat passim apud Prophetas, ut apud Ezechielem, Obtegam, cum exstinxero te, caelos, et atrabo stellas eorum: solem nube obtegam, et luna non lucere faciet lucem suam, omnia luminaria lucis in caelis atrabo super te, daboque tenebras super terra tua, xxxii 7, 8;ubi agitur de Pharaone et Aegyptio, per quos intelligitur in Verbo sensuale et scientificum, hic quod per sensualia et scientifica exstinxerint amorem et fidem: apud Esaiam, Dies Jehovae ad ponendum terram in desolationem, nam stellae caelorum, et oriones {1} eorum, non facient lucere lucem suam, obtenebratus sol in exitu suo, et luna non splendere faciet lucem suam, xiii 9, 10:
apud Joelem, Venit dies Jehovae, dies tenebrarum et caliginis, coram Ipso contremiscit terra, commoventur caeli, sol et luna atrantur, et stellae retrahunt splendorem suum, ii [1,] 2, 10. [2] Apud Esaiam, ubi agitur de Adventu Domini et illuminatione gentium, ita de nova Ecclesia, in particulari de singulis qui in tenebris sunt et lucem accipiunt ac regenerantur, Surge, illuminare, quia venit lux tua, ecce tenebrae obtegunt terram, et caligo populos, et super te exorietur Jehovah, ambulabuntque gentes ad lucem tuam, et reges ad splendorem ortus tua, erit Jehovah tibi in lucem aeternitatis, non occidet amplius sol tuus, et luna tua non colligetur, quia Jehovah erit tibi in lucem aeternitatis, lx 1-3, 19, 20:
apud Davidem, Jehovah facit caelos in intelligentia,...expandit terram super aquis,...facit luminaria magna,...solem ad dominandum in die,...et lunam et stellas ad dominandum in nocte, Ps. cxxxvi 5-9;
et apud eundem, Glorificate Jehovam sol et luna, glorificate Ipsum omnes stellae lucis; glorificate Ipsum caeli caelorum; et aquae, quae supra caelos, Ps. cxlviii 3, 4. [3] In quibus omnibus locis 'luminaria' significant amorem et fidem. Quia luminaria repraesentabant et significabant amorem et fidem in Dominum, praeceptum est in Ecclesia Judaica ut luminare perpetuum esset accensum a vespera ad mane, nam quicquid Ecclesiae illi praeceptum erat, repraesentativum Domini erat; de quo luminari ita, Praecipe filiis Israelis, ut accipiant oleum ad luminare, ad ascendere faciendum lucernam jugiter. In tentorio conventus extra velum, quod est super testimonium, disponet illam Aharon et filii illius, a vespera usque ad mane, coram Jehovah. [Exod. xxvii 20, 21.] Quae quod significent amorem et fidem, quae Dominus accendit et lucere facit in interno homine, et per internum hominem in externo ibi loci, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, ostendetur. @ 1 The Heb. is (kesilihem) from (kesil), the name given by the Jews to the constellation Orion. Sch. has sidera, A.V. constellations.$