115# 主之所以对该教会的天使说，“我是首先的、末后的、死过又活着”，是因为此处论述的是教会里那些处于对真理的属灵情感的人。他们是那种从圣言查找真理，当找到时，就从心里感到欢喜，只因它们是真理的人。此处也论述了那些处于对真理的纯属世情感的人。他们是那种不寻找真理，也不因它们是真理而以它们为欢喜，只默认其教会的教义，也不关心它们是真是假的人；他们只以记忆来学习这些东西，或说只把它们保留在记忆中，通过圣言的字义来证实它们；他们这样做只是为了获得名声、荣誉或利益；主在这些人那里是“死的”，也就是被弃绝了。对真理的属灵情感是热爱真理，因为它是真理；这种情感只被赋予那些通过对主在人性或人身中的神性的承认和信仰而与主结合的人，因为天堂的一切真理和教会的一切真理都只源于主的神性人身；事实上，被称为“真理的灵”或“圣灵”的神性真理从这神性人身发出。天堂天使从这神性人身获得他们对真理的一切情感和一切智慧；情况就是如此，对此，可参看《天堂与地狱》(126–140, 265–275, 346–356节)。主在这些人那里是活着的。
115. The reason why the Lord says to the angel of this church, "I am the first and the last, who was dead and is alive," is, that those within the church who are in the spiritual affection of truth are here treated of; these are such as search out truths from the Word, and who, when they have found them, rejoice in heart, for no other reason than that they are truths; and that also those are here spoken of who are in a merely natural affection of truth, being such as neither search for truths, nor rejoice in them because they are truths, but only acquiesce in the doctrinals of their church, not caring whether they are true or false; these they learn, so far as to retain them in the memory, and they also confirm them from the literal sense of the Word; and this they do solely for the sake of acquiring fame, honours, or gain; these are they with whom the Lord is said to be dead, that is, repudiated. The spiritual affection of truth, which is to love truth because it is truth, is granted only to those who are conjoined to the Lord by the acknowledgment of and faith in His Divine Human, because all the truth of heaven and all the truth of the church is from no other source than the Divine Human of the Lord, for therefrom proceeds the Divine truth, which is called the Spirit of Truth, or the Holy Spirit; also all affection of truth, and all wisdom to the angels of heaven. (That this is the case may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 126-140, 265-275, 346-356). These are they with whom the Lord is alive.
115. The Lord said to the angel of this church, "I am the First and the Last, who was dead and is alive," because those within the church that are in the spiritual affection of truth are here treated of. These are such as search out truths from the Word, and when they find them they rejoice in heart, solely because they are truths. Those also are here treated of who are in a merely natural affection of truth. These are such as do not search for truths, nor rejoice in them because they are truths, but they simply acquiesce in the doctrinals of their church, not caring whether they are true or false; these they learn with the memory only, confirming them also by the sense of the letter of the Word; and doing this solely for the sake of acquiring repute, honors, or gain. It is with such that the Lord is "dead," that is, rejected. The spiritual affection of truth, which is loving truth because it is truth, exists only with those who are conjoined to the Lord by the acknowledgment of His Divine in the Human, and by faith in it; since all the truth of heaven and all the truth of the church is from no other source than the Lord's Divine Human; for out of this proceeds Divine truth, which is called "the Spirit of Truth," or "the Holy Spirit." From this the angels of heaven have all their affection of truth and all their wisdom (that this is so (Heaven and Hell 126-140), see (Heaven and Hell 265-275) in (Heaven and Hell 346-356) the work on Heaven and Hell 126-140, 265-275, 346-356). It is with these that the Lord is alive.
115. Quod Dominus dicat ad Angelum hujus Ecclesiae, "Ego sum Primus et Ultimus, qui fuit mortuus et vivit", est quia hic agitur de illis intra ecclesiam qui in affectione veri spirituali sunt; qui sunt qui inquirunt vera ex Verbo, et cum inveniunt illa, gaudent corde, solum ex causa quia vera sunt; et simul dicitur hic de illis qui in affectione veri mere naturali sunt, qui sunt qui non inquirunt vera, nec gaudent illis quia vera sunt, sed solum acquiescunt in doctrinalibus suae ecclesiae, et non curant si illa aut vera aut falsa sint: haec discunt memoria tenus, et quoque confirmant ex Verbi sensu litterae; et hoc faciunt solum ad aucupandum famam, honores aut lucrum; hi sunt apud quos Dominus est "mortuus", hoc est, rejectus. Affectio veri spiritualis, quae est amare verum quia est verum, non datur quam apud illos qui conjuncti sunt Domino per agnitionem et fidem Divini Ipsius in Humano; quoniam omne verum caeli et omne verum ecclesiae non aliunde est quam ex Divino Humano Domini; procedit enim inde Divinum Verum, quod Spiritus veritatis seu Spiritus Sanctus vocatur. Inde est omnis affectio veri et sapientia angelis caeli; (quod ita sit, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 126-140, 265-275, 346-356); hi sunt apud quos Dominus vivit.