3898.若不藉着内义，没有人知道这些话是什么意思。如假先知将要起来，显大神迹、大奇事；若有人说，基督在旷野，不可以出去；若他们说，祂在内屋中，不可以信；人子来临如闪电从东边发出，直照到西边；以及尸首在哪里，鹰也必聚在那里。从字义上看，这些话和本章前、后的话一样，似乎彼此没什么关联。然而，从内义上看，它们处在最优美的次序中，当理解了“假基督”、“神迹和奇事”、“旷野”、“内屋”、“人子来临”，以及最后“尸首”和“鹰”的含义时，这优美次序就开始变得明显了。主以这种方式说话，是叫人们不能理解圣言，免得他们亵渎之。因为一旦教会荒废了，如那时它在犹太人当中的情形，人们若理解圣言，就会亵渎之。这也是为何主以比喻说话，如祂自己在马太福音（13:13-15）、马可福音（4:11，12）、路加福音（8:10）中的教导。因为那些不知道圣言秘密的人无法亵渎圣言，唯有那些知道的人才能亵渎（参看301-303，593，1008，1010，1059，1327，1328，2051，3398，3402节）；那些自认为有学问的人比那些自认为没有学问的人更能亵渎之。
圣言的内层现在之所以正在揭开，是因为除了少数过着良善生活、被称为选民的人外，如今教会已经如此荒凉，即如此缺乏信与爱，以至于人们虽知道并理解，却仍不承认，更不相信（参看3398，3399节）。新教会要建立在如今能被教导的这少数人当中。不过，唯独主知道这少数人在哪里。过去，新教会总是建立在外邦人当中（参看2986节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 3898
3898. What these words involve no one can know except from the internal sense-as that false Christs shall arise who shall give signs and wonders; and that if men should say that Christ is in the desert, they should not go out; and that if they should say that He is in the inner chambers, they should not believe it; and that the coming of the Son of man shall be as the lightning which cometh forth from the east and appeareth even unto the west; and also that wheresoever the carcass is, there also will the eagles be gathered together. These things, like those which precede and that follow in this chapter, seem not to stand in any series as to the sense of the letter; but yet in the internal sense they are in a most beautiful series, which first becomes apparent when it is understood what is signified by "false Christs;" what by "signs and wonders;" what by the "desert" and the "inner chambers;" also what by the "coming of the Son of man;" and lastly what by the "carcass" and the "eagles." [2] The reason why the Lord spoke in this manner was in order that the people might not understand the Word, lest they should profane it; for when the church has been vastated, as it then was with the Jews, if men understood it they would profane it; wherefore for the same reason the Lord also spoke by parables, as He Himself teaches in Matthew (13:13-15; Mark 4:11, 12; Luke 8:10). For the Word cannot be profaned by those who do not know its mysteries; but by those who do (see n. 301-303, 593, 1008, 1010, 1059, 1327, 1328, 2051, 3398, 3402); and more by those who appear to themselves learned than by those who seem to themselves unlearned. [3] But the reason why the interiors of the Word are now being opened, is that the church at this day has been so far vastated (that is, is so devoid of faith and love) that although men know and understand, still they do not acknowledge, and much less believe (see n. 3398, 3399), except a few who are in the life of good and are called the "elect," who can now be instructed, and with whom a New Church is to be instituted. But where these are, the Lord alone knows; there will be few within the church; it has been among the Gentiles that previous new churches have been set up (see n. 2986).
Elliott(1983-1999) 3898
3898. What these words embody no one can know except from the teaching of the internal sense - such as the prediction that false Christs will arise who will show great signs and wonders; the command that they should not go out if they were told that Christ was in the wilderness, and that they should not believe it if they were told that He was in the inner rooms; the declaration that the coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning which comes from the east and is seen as far as the west; and also the comment that where the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. These various statements - like those that come before and those that follow them in this chapter - do not seem, in the sense of the letter, to have any connection with one another. But in the internal sense there is a most wonderful flow of ideas, and this starts to be seen when one understands what is meant by 'false Christs', by 'greet signs and wonders', by 'the wilderness' and 'the inner rooms', also by 'the coming of the Son of Man', and lastly by 'the carcass' and 'the eagles'.
[2] The Lord's reason for speaking in this manner was that people should not understand the Word in case they profaned it; for once the Church had been destroyed, as it had been at that time among the Jews, people would have profaned the Word if they had understood it. This was also why the Lord spoke in parables, as He himself teaches in Matthew 13:13-15; Mark 4:11, 12; Luke 8:10. For the Word cannot be profaned by those who have no knowledge of its mysteries, only by those who do, see 301-303, 593, 1008, 1010, 1059, 1327, 1328, 2051, 3398, 3402; and more so by those who consider themselves learned than by those who consider themselves unlearned.
[3] But the reason why the interior contents of the Word are being disclosed at the present time is that the Church today has been so much vastated, that is, is so devoid of faith and love, that although people know and understand they still do not acknowledge, let alone believe, see 3398, 3399 - with the exception of a few who lead a good life and are called the elect. Among these few who are now able to be taught the new Church is to be established. But where those few are the Lord alone knows. Few of these will be inside the Church. In the past it has been the gentiles among whom new Churches have been established, see 2986.
Latin(1748-1756) 3898
3898. Quid haec verba involvunt, nemo scire potest nisi sensus internus doceat, ut quod surgent falsi Christi, qui daturi signa et prodigia; qui si dixerint quod Christus sit in deserto, quod non exirent, si dixerint quod in conclavibus, non crederent; quod adventus Filii hominis erit sicut fulgur quod exit ab oriente, et apparet usque ad occidentem; tum quod ubi cadaver illic congregabuntur aquilae: haec sicut illa quae praecedunt et quae sequuntur in hoc capite, quoad sensum litterae in nulla serie esse videntur, sed tamen quoad sensum internum in pulcherrima sunt {1}, quae series tunc primum apparet cum intelligitur quid per `falsos Christos' significatur, quid per `signa et prodigia,' quid per `desertum et conclavia,' tum quid per `adventum Filii hominis,' et denique quid per `cadaver et aquilas {2}.' [2] Quod ita locutus sit Dominus, fuerat ob causam ut non intelligerent Verbum, ne profanarent illud; cum enim Ecclesia vastata est, sicut erat tunc apud Judaeos, si intellexissent, profanavissent, quapropter etiam Dominus per parabolas locutus est ob eandem causam, sicut Ipse docet apud Matthaeum xiii 13-15; Marc. iv 11, 12; Luc. viii 10; nam profanari Verbum non potest ab illis qui mysteria non sciunt, sed ab illis qui sciunt, videatur n. 301-303, 593, 1008, 1010, 1059, 1327, 1328, 2051, 3398, 3402; et magis ab illis qui sibi docti apparent quam qui sibi indocti; [3] ast {3} quod nunc aperiantur interiora Verbi {4}, est quia Ecclesia hodie in tantum vastata est, hoc est, absque fide et amore, ut tametsi sciunt et intelligunt, usque non agnoscant, minus credant, videatur n. 3398, 3399, praeter paucos qui in vita boni sunt, et electi vocantur, qui nunc instrui possunt, apud quos nova Ecclesia instituenda; sed ubinam illi sunt {5}, solus Dominus novit; pauci erunt intra Ecclesiam; gentes fuerunt, apud quas novae Ecclesiae prius instauratae sunt, videatur n. 2986. @1 i serie$ @2 i per$ @3 at$ @4 interna vera$ @5 sint$