6971.“也不听前一个神迹的声音”表他们若不遵从圣言所宣告的，就不是属灵和理性人，而是会变得不属灵、不理性。这从“听”、“声音”和“前一个神迹”的含义清楚可知：“听”是指遵从（参看2542，3869，5017节）；“声音”是指圣言所宣告的，如下文所述；“前一个神迹”是指表明他们不是属灵和理性人，而是会变得不属灵、不理性的一个迹象。这一事实从摩西丢在地上的杖所变成的“蛇”（也就是此处的“前一个神迹”）的含义可以看出来，“蛇”是指感官和肉体人（6949节），因而是指不属灵、不理性的人。事实上，一个感官、肉体的人是不理性的，因此也不是属灵的，因为他思想虚假，意愿邪恶。凡如此行的人都不理性，更不属灵，因为对真理的承认和信仰，以及良善的生活构成理性里面的灵性；而对虚假的承认和信仰，以及邪恶的生活则是对立面。纯感官和肉体化的人就是这样（参看6844，6845，6948，6949节）。
那些先知道灵界的事物，但后来弃绝它们，然后充满违背真理的虚假原则，在生活上只注视世俗、肉体和地上的事物之人就完全变得感官和肉体化。他们由此相信生活就应充满各种享乐，声称：“人活着还有什么呢？我们死了就是死了；至于死后生命的可能性，有谁回来告诉我们了？我们不知道当生命从一个人身上消失时，还有什么东西会继续活着。”若有人用理性论据引导这些人思想永生，他们就会认为，他们不会比其他人更糟糕，马上退回到他们以前的生活状态中。对这种人来说，天堂之光所流入的通道关闭了，天堂之光在其心智的属世层变成幽暗，而世界之光则在那里变成光明（参看6907节），这光明越灿烂，天堂之光就越暗。这就是为何这种人只是将其生活中的邪恶视为良善，并因此将虚假视为真理。这就是一个人变得感官肉体化的原因。简言之，一旦天堂之光所流入的通道打开，然后又关闭，那么人就会被迫向下看，而不是向上看。这是按神序而行的，以防止人曾一度承认，并留在他的内层人中的真理被虚假玷污，由此遭到亵渎。
这同样适用于脱离其宗教信仰的外邦人；不过，他们的命运要好于教会里的人，因为他们所拥有的，不是来自圣言的真理，因而是非纯正的真理，而是掺杂了许多谬误的真理；这些真理不可能遭到像纯正真理那样的亵渎。至于“声音”的含义，即它是指圣言所宣告的，要知道，经上常常用到“声音”这个词。“声音”还与无关声音的其它事物联系在一起，如此处它与“神迹”联系在一起，即“他们若不听前一个神迹的声音，他们必信后一个神迹的声音”；以及别处，如那鸿书：
鞭子的声音，车轮轰轰的声音。（那鸿书3:2）
诗篇：
江河扬起，它们的声音胜过诸多大水的声音。（诗篇93:3-4）
“声音”表示一种宣告，在正面意义上表示圣言的宣告，这声音被称为“耶和华的声音”；这一点清楚可见于诗篇：
耶和华的声音大有能力；耶和华的声音满有威严。耶和华的声音震破香柏树；耶和华的声音发出火焰；耶和华的声音震动旷野；耶和华的声音使母鹿落胎；使森林脱落净光。（诗篇29:4-5，7-9）
又：
那驾行在太古诸天之天上的；看哪，祂发出声音，强有力的声音。（诗篇68:33）
在这些经文中，“声音”表示神性真理，因而表示圣言和圣言所作的宣告。至于“声音”进一步的含义，可参看前文（219节）；“声音”论及真理（3563节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 6971
6971. And hear not the voice of the former sign. That this signifies if they do not obey what is announced from the Word, that instead of spiritual and rational men they would become not spiritual and not rational, is evident from the signification of "hearing," as being to obey (see n. 2542, 3869, 5017); from the signification of a "voice," as being what is announced from the Word, of which below; and from the signification of "the former sign," as being that instead of spiritual and rational men they would become not spiritual and not rational. That this is so, is plain from the signification of the serpent which was made from the rod of Moses cast on the earth (which is here "the former sign"), as being the sensuous and corporeal man (n. 6949); thus the non-spiritual and non-rational man. For the man who is sensuous and corporeal is not rational, thus neither is he spiritual, for he thinks falsities and wills evils. He who does this is not rational, still less is he spiritual, for the acknowledgment and faith of truth, and the life of good, are the veriest spiritual in the rational, because these things are from the Divine; whereas the acknowledgment and faith of falsity and the life of evil are the contrary. (That merely sensuous and corporeal men are such, see n. 6844, 6845, 6948, 6949.) [2] Those become merely sensuous and corporeal who have first known the things of the spiritual world and have afterward rejected them, and have imbued themselves with principles of falsity contrary to truths, and as to life have looked solely to worldly, bodily, and earthly things, and from this have believed that life ought to be enjoyed with every pleasure, saying, "What has man more while he lives? When we die we die; and who has ever come from another life to tell us about it? We know not what it is to live when life goes out of a man." If anyone by rational arguments sets them thinking at all about eternal life, they think that they shall not fare worse than others, and immediately relapse to the state of their former life. With such there is a closing of the passage for the light of heaven and its influx, and the light of heaven in their natural becomes like thick darkness, but the light of the world therein becomes brightness (see n. 6907), and the brightness is so much the more brilliant, as the light of heaven is more darkened; hence it is that such see no otherwise than that the evils of their life are goods, and that consequently the falsities are truths. It is from this then that a man becomes sensuous and corporeal. In a word, when a passage for the influx of the light of heaven has once been opened, and afterward is closed, the man is then driven to look downward, and not upward; and this from Divine order, lest the truths which he has once acknowledged, and which remain in his interior man, should be contaminated with falsities, and thus profaned. [3] The case is the same with the Gentiles who recede from their religiosity; but their lot is better than the lot of those who are within the church, because they have no truths from the Word, consequently no genuine truths; but truths joined with many fallacies, which cannot be so much profaned. With regard to the signification of a "voice," as being what is announced from the Word, be it known that a "voice" is often spoken of, and is also joined to such things as have no relation to a voice, as here it is also joined to a sign; "if they do not hear the voice of the former sign, they will believe the voice of the latter sign;" and also in other passages:
The voice of the whip, and the voice of the sound of a wheel (Nah. 3:2). The floods have lifted up their voice above the voices of many magnificent waters (Ps. 93:3-4). [4] That a "voice" signifies annunciation, and in a good sense annunciation from the Word, which voice is called the "voice of Jehovah," is evident in David:
The voice of Jehovah is in power; the voice of Jehovah is in glory; the voice of Jehovah breaketh the cedars; the voice of Jehovah cutteth off the flames of fire; the voice of Jehovah maketh the wilderness to tremble; the voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve; and strippeth the forests (Ps. 29:4-5, 7-9);
To Him that rideth upon the heaven of the heaven of old; lo He shall utter with His voice, a voice of strength (Ps. 68:33). In these passages a "voice" denotes Divine truth, thus the Word, and annunciation from it. What a "voice" further signifies, see n. 219; and that "voice" is predicated of truth, n. 3563.)
Elliott(1983-1999) 6971
6971. 'And do not hear the voice of the former sign' means that if they did not obey what was declared by the Word, then instead of being spiritual and rational they would become people who were not spiritual or rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing' as obeying, dealt with in 2542, 3869, 5017; from the meaning of 'the voice' as what is declared by the Word, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the former sign' as an indication that instead of being spiritual and rational they would become people who were not spiritual or rational. The truth of this may be seen from the meaning of 'the serpent' that was made out of Moses' rod when it was thrown onto the earth - the event to which 'the first sign' refers here - as a person who thinks on a sensory and bodily level, 6949, and so is not spiritual or rational. For a person who is sensory- and bodily-minded is not rational, and so is not spiritual either, because he thinks things that are false and desires those that are evil. One who behaves like this is not rational, still less spiritual, for an acceptance of and belief in what is true, together with a life of goodness, since these two come from the Divine, constitute true spirituality within rationality, whereas an acceptance of and belief in what is false, together with a life of evil, are the opposite. For the fact that wholly sensory- and bodily-minded people are like this, see 6844, 6845, 6948, 6949.
[2] Those people become wholly sensory- and bodily-minded who have first had a knowledge of things that belong to the spiritual world but after that have rejected them, and then have adopted fundamental ideas of falsity that are contrary to truths and focused their lives solely on worldly, bodily, and earthly values. They have consequently come to believe that life is meant to be filled with pleasures of every kind, saying, 'What more does a person have while he is alive? When we die, we die; as for the possibility of life after death, has anyone ever come back to talk about it? We have no knowledge of anything that will go on living when the life goes out of a person.' If anyone using rational arguments induces those people to give any thought to eternal life, they think that nothing worse will happen to them than to anyone else, and they immediately go back to living in the way they had done previously. With such people the passageway for the light of heaven to flow in is closed, and at the natural level of their minds the light of heaven is turned into thick darkness, while the light of the world there becomes brightness, 6907, a brightness that shines ever more brilliantly, the more that the light of heaven is darkened. This is why such people do not see the evil in their lives as anything other than goodness, or consequently the false ideas as anything other than true. Here then is the reason why a person becomes sensory- and bodily-minded. In short, once the way is opened for the light of heaven to flow in and then closed, a person is impelled to look downwards, and not upwards. This is done in keeping with Divine order so as to prevent truths once accepted and remaining in a person's inner self from being contaminated by falsities and thereby rendered profane.
[3] The same applies to gentiles who fall away from their religion, though their lot is better than that of people within the Church since what they possess are not truths from the Word, not genuine truths therefore but truths coupled with many misconceptions, which cannot be profaned in the way genuine ones can.
As regards the meaning of 'the voice' as that which is declared by the Word, it should be recognized that frequent use is made of the expression 'the voice'. It is also linked to other things that have nothing to do with a voice, such as the linking of it here to 'the sign' - 'If they do not hear the voice of the former sign they will believe the voice of the latter sign' - and also elsewhere, for example in Nahum,
The voice of the whip and the voice of the sound of the wheel. Nahum 3:2.
And in David,
The rivers have lifted up their voice, more than the voices of many mighty waters. Ps 93:3-4.
[4] The fact that 'the voice' means a declaration, in the good sense a declaration by the Word, when it is called 'the voice of Jehovah', is clear in David,
The voice of Jehovah is powerful; the voice of Jehovah is glorious; the voice of Jehovah breaks the cedars; the voice of Jehovah flashes forth flames of fire; the voice of Jehovah causes the wilderness to shake; the voice of Jehovah causes the hinds to calve, and strips the forests bare. Ps 29:3-5; 7-9.
And elsewhere in the same author,
. . . to Him who rides above the heavens of heavens of old. Behold, He will put forth His voice, a mighty voice. Ps 68:33.
Here 'voice' stands for Divine Truth, and so for the Word and a declaration made by it. For what more is meant by 'voice', see 219; and for its use in reference to truth, 3563.
Latin(1748-1756) 6971
6971. `Et non audiunt vocem signi prioris': quod significet si non oboediunt annuntiato ex Verbo, quod pro spirituali et rationali homine fierent non spirituales et non rationales, constat ex significatione `audire' quod sit oboedire, de qua n. 2542, 3869, 5017; ex significatione `vocis' quod sit annuntiatum ex Verbo, de qua sequitur; et ex significatione `signi prioris' quod sit quod pro spirituali et rationali homine fierent non spirituales et non rationales; {1}quod ita sit, patet ex significatione `serpentis' qui factus ex baculo Moschis projecto in terram, quod hic est signum prius, quod sit homo sensualis et corporeus, {2} n. 6949, ita non spiritualis et non rationalis; nam homo qui sensualis et corporeus est non est rationalis, ita nec spiritualis, cogitat enim falsa et {3}vult mala; qui hoc facit non est rationalis, minus spiritualis; agnitio enim et fides veri, et vita boni, est ipsissimum spirituale in rationali, nam illa ex Divino sunt; at agnitio et fides falsi, et vita mali, est contrarium; quod mere sensuales et corporei homines tales sint, 2 videatur n. 6844, 6845, 6948, 6949; mere sensuales et corporei homines fiunt (x)qui primum noverunt {4}illa quae spiritualis mundi sunt, et postea rejecerunt illa, et imbuerunt principia falsi contra vera, et quoad vitam {5}solum spectarunt ad mundana, corporea, et terrestria, et inde {6}crediderunt (m)quod jucundanda sit vita omni voluptate, dicentes, Quid homo plus habet {7}cum vivit? cum morimur, morimur; quod {8}sit vita post mortem, quis inde venit et narravit? quid victurum nescimus, cum exit vita ex homine; {9}(n) si quis per rationalia ponit illos in aliqua cogitatione de vita aeterna, cogitant quod (t)illis non pejus fiat quam aliis, {10}ac statim relabuntur ad statum vitae {11}prioris; apud tales clauditur transitus' pro luce caeli et ejus influxu, {12}et fit lux caeli in naturali illorum sicut caligo, {13}at lux mundi ibi (d)fit splendor, n. 6907, et splendor eo fulgurantior, quo plus lux caeli {14}intenebratur; inde est quod tales non videant aliter quam {15} quod mala vitae eorum sint bona, {16}et inde quod falsa sint vera; inde nunc est quod homo fiat sensualis et corporeus; {17}verbo, cum semel apertus est aditus pro influxu lucis caeli, et dein clauditur, tunc homo adigitur ut spectet deorsum, non autem sursum; et hoc ex ordine Divino, ne vera quae semel agnovit, (c)et in interiore ejus homine manent, contaminentur falsis, (c)et sic {18} profanentur. 3 (m)Similiter se habet cum gentibus (x)quae a religioso suo recedunt; {19} at sors harum melior est quam sors illorum qui intra Ecclesiam sunt, nam non vera ex Verbo habent, inde non vera genuina, sed vera multis fallaciis conjuncta, quae non ita profanari possunt.(n) Quod significationem `vocis' attinet, quod sit annuntiatum ex Verbo, sciendum quod `vox' saepius dicatur {20}, et quoque adjungatur talibus quae non vocis sunt, sicut hic quod adjungatur signo, `Si non audiunt vocem signi prioris, credent voci signi posterioris'; et quoque alibi, ut apud Nahum, Vox scuticae, et vox sonitus rotae, iii 2:et apud Davidem, Sustulerunt flumina vocem suam, prae vocibus aquarum multarum magnificarum, Ps. xciii 3, 4. 4 Quod `vox' significet annuntiationem, et in sensu bono annuntiationem ex Verbo, quae vox dicitur `vox Jehovae,' {21}constat apud Davidem, Vox Jehovae in potentia; vox Jehovae in gloria, vox Jehovae confringens cedros; vox Jehovae succidens flammas ignis; vox Jehovae trepidare facit desertum; vox Jehovae parturire facit cervas, et denudat silvas, Ps xxix 3-5, 7-9:
et alibi apud eundem, Equitanti super caelo caeli antiquitatis, ecce dabit in voce Sua, vocem roboris, Ps. lxviii 34 [A.V. 33];
hic {22}`vox' pro Divino Vero, ita pro Verbo et pro annuntiatione ex illo; quid praeterea `vox' significat, videatur n. 219, et quod `vox' praedicetur de vero, n. 3563. @1 constat$ @2 i de qua supra$ @3 confirmat$ @4 talia$ @5 nihil curant nisi quam$ @6 credunt$ @7 dum$ @8 After mortem$ @9 i ita$ @10 et mox redeunt$ @11 suae, cum tales facti sunt, tunc aditus$ @12 clauditur fitque lux illa$ @13 et$ @14 exstinguitur$ @15 i quod vera sint falsa, et falsa vera, tum$ @16 nam in luce illa prorsus talia vident et quod ratiocinationis dote prae aliis polleant, tam ex visualibus quam ex apparentiis in mundo et super tellure, nam illa in se habet lux mundi, quae vocatur lumen naturae$ @17 cum enim$ @18 i vera$ @19 sed sors illarum$ @20 i in Verbo$ @21 ut$ @22 vox Jehovae pro annuntiatione ex Verbo, ita pro vero Divino$