193#“我必来到你那里如同贼一样”表示当从圣言那里取得、没有获得属灵生命的一切知识都被夺走时，一个意想不到的时间。这从“如同贼一样来到”的含义清楚可知，“如同贼一样来到”当论及那些不警醒，也就是没有为自己获得属灵生命的人时，是指从圣言那里取得、没有获得属灵生命的一切知识都将从他们那里被夺走。这些话也表示意想不到的死亡时间，人死后永远留在他在世上为自己所获得的生命状态中；因此，人必须警醒。由于很少有人知道，从圣言那里取得、没有获得属灵生命的一切知识都会被夺走，所以有必要解释一下这个过程是如何进行的。在人的灵里面的一切事物都会永远留在他身上，而不在人的灵里面的事物在死后当他成为一个灵人时，都会消失。留 在人的灵里面的，是那些他从自己所思想的事物，也就是当他独自一人时，他出于自己的爱所思想的事物，因为那时，他的灵从它自己，而不是从他身体记忆里没有与他的爱构成一体的事物思考。人有两种状态，当他从自己的灵思考时是一种状态，当他从其身体的记忆思考时是另一种状态；当这两种状态没有构成一体时，人独自一人能以一种状态思考，与其他人在一起则能以另一种方式思考并说话。
以一个爱自己和世界胜过一切，轻视或不关心神性，甚至从心里否认神性，因而以世上的狡猾和欺诈来图谋各种邪恶的牧师为例；当他与其他人说话，尤其在讲道时，可以说能出于对神性和神性真理的热情说话，甚至在这些时候，还能以同样的方式思考；但这种状态是他那来自身体记忆的思维的状态，并且明显与其来自灵的思维的状态分离，因为当只剩下他自己时，他就思想反对这些事。这是死后留在人身上的状态，而前一种状态不会留下来，因为它属于他的身体，不属于他的灵。因此，当他成为一个灵人时(这是他死亡时发生的情形)，就会抛弃他从圣言为自己所获得、但与他的灵之爱的生命不一致的一切知识。而那些当独自一人时，公正地思想神性、圣言和由此而来的教会真理，并热爱真理，以至于渴望照之生活的人则不然。这些人在灵里的思维与其来自身体记忆的思维构成一体，因而与他们从圣言所获得的真理和良善的知识构成一体；它们构成一体到何等程度，这些知识就在何等程度上获得属灵生命，因为它们被主从外在人或属世人提升到内在人或属灵人，并构成生命，也就是构成内在人或属灵人的生命，即构成它的理解力和意愿。内在人或属灵人里面的真理是活的真理，因为它们是神性，人从这些真理中获得其内在人里面的生命，情况就是这样，我从大量经历中得以知道这一点；如果我引用关于它的全部经历，这会填满许多页纸。关于它的一些内容可参看《天堂与地狱》(491–498, 499–511节)和前文(AE114节)。
由此可见“我必来到你那里如同贼一样”在灵义上表示什么，即表示死后，从圣言取得、没有获得属灵生命的一切知识都将被夺走。下面启示录中的话所表相同：
看哪，我来像贼一样；那警醒，看守衣服，免得赤身而行的，有福了。(启示录16:15)
经上说“像贼一样”，是因为属世人中的邪恶和由此而来的虚假会夺走并逐出那里来自圣言的真理和良善的知识；因为不被爱的事物都被逐出。每个人都要么有对邪恶和由此而来的虚假的爱，要么有对良善和由此而来的真理的爱。这两种爱彼此对立，因为没有人能服侍两个主，不是爱这个，就是恶那个(马太福音6:24)。
由于邪恶和由此而来的虚假从里面或内层渗透进来，可以说冲破人来自灵的思维状态和来自身体的思维状态之间的墙，并逐出从外部在人里面有住处的真理和良善的知识，所以“贼”所表示的，是那些邪恶和虚假；在以下经文中也是如此，马太福音：
不要为自己积攒财宝在地上，只要积攒财宝在天上，天上没有贼挖窟窿来偷。(马太福音6:19, 20)
“财宝”是指真理和良善的知识；“积攒财宝在天上”是指在属灵人中，因为属灵人在天堂。“财宝”表示真理和良善的知识(参看《属天的奥秘》，1694, 4508, 10227节)；内在属灵人在天堂(参看《新耶路撒冷及其属天教义》，36-50节)。
同一福音书：
所以，你们要警醒，因为你们不知道你们的主哪个时刻来到。但这一点你们要晓得，家主若知道贼什么时候来，就必警醒，不容他挖透房屋。(马太福音24:42, 43)
这段经文的意思是，人若知道他死亡的时刻，就会预备自己，事实上不是出于对真理和良善的爱，而是出于对地狱的恐惧预备自己；凡一个人出于恐惧所行的，都不会留在他身上，而他出于爱所行的，却会留下来；因此，他必须一直做好预备，或说不断预备自己(参看《新耶路撒冷及其属天教义》，143, 168节)。
俄巴底亚书：
盗贼若来到你那里，强盗若夜间而来，你何竟被剪除！他们岂不偷窃，直到够了吗？(俄巴底亚书1:5)
此处也将虚假和邪恶称为“盗贼”，并说它们“偷窃”；“盗贼”表示虚假，“夜间而来的强盗”表示邪恶；经上说“夜间”，是因为“夜”表示一种没有爱和信的状态。
约珥书：
它们必在城里来回奔跑；蹿上墙，爬上房屋，像盗贼由窗户进去。(约珥书2:9)
此处论述的主题是教会因来自邪恶的虚假的荒废；“城”和“墙”表示教义的事物；“房屋”和“窗户”表示属于那接受的心智的事物；“房屋”表示被称为意愿的心智的那部分，就是良善所在之处，“窗户”表示被称为理解力的心智的那部分，就是真理所在之处。在圣言中，“城”是指教义(参看《属天的奥秘》，402, 2449, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493节)；“墙”是指保护的教义真理(6419节)；“房屋”是指被称为意愿的心智的那部分，就是良善所在之处(2231, 2233, 2559, 3128, 5023, 6690, 7353, 7910, 7929, 9150节)；“窗户”是指被称为理解力的心智的那部分，就是真理所在之处(655, 658, 3391节)。由此清楚可知，“蹿上墙，爬上房屋，像盗贼由窗户进去”表示什么。
何西阿书：
我医治以色列，那时以法莲的罪孽和撒玛利亚的邪恶就显露出来，因为他们撒了谎，内有贼人进来，外面一群散开。(何西阿书7:1)
“以法莲的罪孽”表示理解力的虚假；“撒玛利亚的邪恶”表示意愿的邪恶；“撒了谎”表示思想并意愿来自邪恶的虚假；“贼人”表示夺走并驱散真理的虚假；“外面一群散开”表示逐出良善的邪恶。“以法莲”是指对诸如属于教会的事物的理解(参看《属天的奥秘》，3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296节)；“谎”是指来自邪恶的虚假(8908, 9248节)；“一群”是指逐出邪恶的良善，在反面意义上是指逐出良善的邪恶(3934, 3935, 6404, 6405节)。
193b.引用这些事，是为了让人们知道在圣言中，“贼”表示什么，即表示使真理荒废，也就是夺走并摧毁真理的虚假。前面说明，死后，来自圣言、没有获得属灵生命的真理和良善的一切知识都被夺走；因此，它们从那些没有通过来自圣言的知识变得属灵的人那里被夺走。圣言历史部分中的其它许多经文也所表相同；但仍没有人能明白这一点，除非他知道圣言的灵义。这由以色列人从埃及人那里借走金器银器和衣裳，从而像贼一样夺去它们来表示；对此，摩西五经是这样描述的：
他们被吩咐向埃及人借金器银器和衣裳。耶和华叫百姓在埃及人眼前蒙恩，以致埃及人借给他们，他们就这样掠夺了埃及人。(出埃及记12:35, 36)
“埃及人”代表那些虽是纯属世的，却拥有许多知识或认知的人。“以色列人”表示那些属灵的人；“金器银器和衣裳”表示属灵的人应用于良善，而属世的人却应用于邪恶，从而摧毁的真理和良善的知识或认知。《约书亚记》、《撒母耳记》和《列王纪》经常论述的列族被交与诅咒，同时属于他们的一切事物要么用火焚烧，要么被掠夺具有类似含义；因为迦南地的列族代表那些处于邪恶和虚假的人，以色列人代表那些处于真理和良善的人。
来自圣言的真理和良善的知识将从那些没有为自己获得属灵生命的人那里被夺走，这一点也是主关于给予仆人才干和银钱，好叫他们做买卖并获利，以及那没有做买卖，分文未赚的仆人的比喻的意思；对于这个仆人，经上如此说：
对于那将才干埋藏在地里的仆人，主人说，你这又恶又懒的仆人，你当把我的银钱放给兑换银钱的人，到我来的时候，可以连本带利收回。因此，把才干从他那里夺来，给那有十个才干的。因为凡有的，还要给他，叫他充足；没有的，连他所有的也要夺过来。把这无用的仆人，丢在外面黑暗里。(马太福音25:14–30)
路加福音：
那赚了一锭的人来说，主啊，看哪，你的一锭在这里，我把它包在手巾里存着。主说，为什么不把我的银子交给银行，等我来的时候，连本带利都可以再赚回来呢？他说，夺过他这一锭来，给那有十锭的。我告诉你们，凡有的，还要加给他。没有的，连他所有的，也要夺过来。(路加福音19:13–26)
在这些经文中，“才干”、“锭”和“钱”表示来自圣言的真理和良善的知识；做买卖、获利、把它放给兑换银钱的，或交给银行，表示通过它们为自己获得属灵生命和聪明；把这些埋藏在地里，或包在手巾里，表示它们只在属世人的记中；因此，论到这些人，根据本节开头所解释的，经上说，他们所有的，也要夺过来。
这种情况就发生在来世所有为自己获得来自圣言的知识，却没有把它们投入生活，只投入记忆的人身上。那些只在记忆中拥有来自圣言的知识，无论这些知识何等多的人，若没有把它们投入生活，就仍和以前一样是属世的。将来自圣言的知识投入生活就是当一个人只剩下自己出于他的灵思考时，出于它们思考，并意愿和实行它们；事实上，这就是因它们是真理而爱真理；如此行的，是那些通过来自圣言的知识变得属灵的人。
193.I will come on thee as a thief. That this signifies an unexpected time of death, when all knowledges procured from the Word which have not acquired spiritual life will be taken away, is evident from the signification of I will come as a thief, when it is said of those who are not wakeful, that is, who do not procure for themselves spiritual life, as being that all such knowledges will be taken away from them. The reason why an unexpected time of death is also signified by the same words is, that death comes unexpectedly, and yet man, after death, remains in that state of life to eternity which he had procured for himself in the world; therefore he must be wakeful. Because it is known but to few, that all knowledges (cognitiones) procured from the Word which have not acquired spiritual life are taken away, it is therefore expedient to say how this is effected. All the things that are in a man's spirit remain with him to eternity; but the things that are not there, after death, when he becomes a spirit, are dissipated. Those things remain in his spirit which he had thought from himself, consequently which, when he was alone, he had thought from his own love; for then his spirit thinks from itself, and not from the things in his bodily memory which do not make one with his love.
There are two states of man, one when he thinks from his spirit, and the other when he thinks from his bodily memory; if these two states do not make one, a man can think one thing with himself, and think and speak another thing with others.
[2] For example, a preacher who loves himself and the world above all things, and lightly esteems the Divine, so that he even denies it in heart, and consequently devises evils of every kind with the crafty and deceitful of the world, nevertheless, when he speaks with others, especially when he is preaching, can speak as it were from zeal for the Divine and for Divine truths, and indeed on such occasions he can think in like manner; but this is a state of his thought from the bodily memory, which is evidently separated from the state of his thought from the spirit; for when he is left alone he thinks against them. This is the state which remains with man after death, whereas the former does not remain, because it belongs to his body and not to his spirit. Wherefore, when he becomes a spirit, as is the case when he dies, all the knowledge, which he had acquired from the Word, and which do not agree with the life of the love of his spirit, he rejects; but the case is different with those who, when left to themselves, think justly concerning the Divine, concerning the Word and the truths of the church therefrom, and love them, so as to desire to live according to them. The thoughts in the spirit of such persons make one with their thoughts from the bodily memory, thus one with the knowledges of truth and good which they have obtained from the Word; and so far as they do so, so far those knowledges obtain spiritual life; for they are raised up by the Lord from the external or natural man into the internal or spiritual man, and constitute the life of the latter, that is, of the understanding and will. The truths in the internal man are those which live, because they are Divine, and hence man has life in his internal from them. That this is the case, I have known from much experience; if I were to adduce the whole of it, it would fill many pages (something concerning it may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 491-498, 499-511; and above, n. 114).
[3] From these considerations it is now evident what is meant in the spiritual sense by I will come on thee as a thief, namely, that after death all knowledges procured from the Word which have not acquired spiritual life will be taken away. The same is also meant in the Apocalypse, where it is said,
"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked" (16:15).
It is said as a thief, because evils and the falsities thence derived in the natural man take away and cast out the knowledges of truth and good which are therein from the Word; for the things which are not loved are cast out. There is in every man either the love of evil, and thence of falsity, or the love of good, and thence of truth; these two loves are opposed to each other, wherefore he who is in the one cannot be in the other;
"For no one can serve two masters," but will love the one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24).
[4] Because evils and falsities thence penetrate from the interior, and, as it were, break through the wall which is between the state of man's thought from the spirit and the state of his thought from the body, and cast out the knowledges of good and truth which have their abode outwardly in man, therefore those evils and falsities are what are meant by thieves. So also in the following passages. In Matthew:
"Lay not up treasures upon earth, but in heaven, where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Arcana Coelestia 1694, 4508, 10227; and that the internal spiritual man is in heaven, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 36-50.)
[5] Again:
"Be wakeful, therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord will come. Know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up" (The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 143, 168).
[6] In Obadiah:
"If thieves come to thee, if destroyers by night, how wilt thou be cut off, will they not steal till they have enough?" (verse 5).
Here also falsities and evils are called thieves, and are said to steal; falsities are signified by thieves, and evils by destroyers by night; it is said by night, because night signifies a state in which there is neither love nor faith.
[7] In Joel:
"They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up into the houses, they shall enter in at the windows like a thief" (Arcana Coelestia 402, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493; that wall denotes the truth of doctrine protecting, n. 6419; that house denotes that part of the mind which is called the will, where good is, n. 2231, 2233, 2559, 3128, 5023, 6690, 7353, 7910, 7929, 9150; and that windows denote that part of the mind which is called the understanding, where truth is, n. 655, 658, 3391.) Hence it is evident what is signified by running on the wall, climbing up into the houses, and entering in at the windows like a thief.
[8] In Hosea:
"I healed Israel; then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the evils of Samaria; for they commit falsehood, and the thief cometh in, and the troop spreadeth itself without" (Arcana Coelestia 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296; that a lie denotes falsity from evil, n. 8908, 9248; that a troop denotes good casting out evil, and, in the opposite sense, evil casting out good, n. 3934, 3935, 6404, 6405.)
[9] These things are adduced, in order that it may be known that a thief in the Word signifies falsity laying waste, that is, taking away and destroying truth. It was shown above that after death all knowledges of truth and good from the Word, which have not been used to acquire spiritual life, are taken away, consequently from those who have not become spiritual by knowledges from the Word. The same thing is also signified by many passages in the historical parts of the Word; still no one can see this, unless he is acquainted with the spiritual sense of the Word. This is signified by the sons of Israel borrowing from the Egyptians vessels of gold, and vessels of silver, and garments, and thus taking them away as it were by theft; concerning which it is thus written in Moses:
They were commanded to borrow "of the Egyptians vessels of gold, and vessels of silver, and raiment. And Jehovah gave the people favour in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them; and thus they spoiled the Egyptians" (Exodus 12:35, 36).
By the Egyptians are represented those who are merely natural, although they possess many knowledges (cognitiones); by the sons of Israel those who are spiritual; by vessels of silver and of gold, and also by raiment, are signified the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good which those who are spiritual apply to good, but which the natural apply to evil and thus destroy.
Similar things are signified by the nations being given up to the curse, and at the same time all things pertaining to them being either burnt with fire or pulled down, which are frequently treated of in the book of Joshua, and in the books of Samuel and of the Kings; for the nations of the land of Canaan represented those who are in evils and falsities, and the sons of Israel those who are in truths and goods.
[10] That the knowledges of good and truth derived from the Word are to be taken away from those who have not procured for themselves spiritual life, is also meant in the Lord's parables concerning the talents and pounds, given to the servants, with which to trade and make gain, and concerning the servant who traded not and gained nothing; of this one it is thus said:
To him who hid his talent in the earth, the lord said, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away that which he hath, and cast the useless servant into outer darkness (Matthew 25:14-30).
And in another place:
He came who had received one pound saying, "Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin." The Lord said, "Wherefore then gavest thou not my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. I say unto you, That unto every one that hath shall be given; but from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him" (Luke 19:13-26).
In these passages, talents, pounds, and money signify knowledges of truth and good from the Word. To trade with these, to gain by them, to give them to the exchangers, or into the bank, signifies, to procure to themselves spiritual life and intelligence by them; putting them away in the earth, and in a napkin, signifies that they are only in the memory of the natural man; of these it is therefore said that what they have shall be taken away from them, according to what has been explained in the beginning of this article.
[11] This is the case with all in the other life who have procured to themselves knowledges from the Word, and have not committed them to life, but only to memory. Those who have knowledges from the Word in the memory only, however numerous such knowledges may be, and have not committed them to life, remain still natural as before. To commit to life knowledges from the Word is to think from them when man, left to himself, thinks from his spirit, and to will them and do them; for this is to love truths because they are truths; and those who thus act, are those who become spiritual by means of knowledges from the Word.
193. I will come on thee as a thief, signifies the unexpected time of death, when all the knowledges procured from the Word that have not acquired spiritual life will be taken away. This is evident from the signification of "coming as a thief," when said of those who are not wakeful, that is, who are not acquiring for themselves spiritual life, as being that all the knowledges acquired from the Word that have not acquired spiritual life will be taken away from them. These words signify also the unexpected time of death, because death comes unexpectedly, and after death man remains to eternity in the state of that life which he acquired for himself in the world; for this reason man must be wakeful. As it is known to few that all the knowledges gained from the Word that have not acquired spiritual life are taken away, it is necessary to explain how this is done. All things that are in man's spirit remain with him to eternity; but the things that are not in man's spirit, after death, when he becomes a spirit, are dissipated. Those things remain in the spirit of man that he has thought from himself, that is, the things that he has thought from his own love when he was alone, for his spirit then thinks from itself and not from the things in the memory of his body that do not make one with his love. There are two states of man, one when he thinks from his spirit, and the other when he thinks from the memory of his body; when these two states do not make one, man can think in one way by himself, and can think and speak in another way with others.
[2] Take a preacher, for instance, who loves himself and the world above all things, and cares nothing for the Divine, even so that he denies it in heart, and therefore schemes evils of every kind, in consort with the crafty and malignant of the world; and yet when he is speaking with others, especially when he is preaching, he may be able to speak as from zeal for the Divine, and for Divine truths, and even at such times may be able to think in like manner; but this state is a state of his thought from the memory of the body, and is evidently separated from the state of his thought from the spirit, since when left to himself he thinks contrary to these things. This is the state that remains with man after death, but the other state does not remain, because it belongs to his body and not to his spirit; consequently when he becomes a spirit, which takes place when he dies, all knowledges that he acquired for himself from the Word that do not agree with the life of his spirit's love, he casts away from him. But it is otherwise with those who, when left to themselves alone, think justly about the Divine, about the Word and the truths of the church therefrom, and who love truths even to the life, that is, so that they wish to live according to them.
The thoughts of these in their spirit make one with their thoughts from the memory of the body, thus they make one with the knowledges of truth and good which they have from the Word; and so far as these make one, these knowledges receive spiritual life, for they are elevated by the Lord from the external or natural man into the internal or spiritual man, and constitute the life, that is, the understanding and will, of the spiritual man. Truths, in the spiritual man, are living truths, because they are Divine, and from these man has life there. That this is so it has been granted me to know from much experience; if I were to adduce it all it would fill many pages. (Something may be seen in The work on Heaven and Hell 491-498, 499-511; and above, n. 114.)
[3] From this it can now be seen what is meant in the spiritual sense by "I will come on thee as a thief," namely, that after death all knowledges procured from the Word that have not acquired spiritual life will be taken away. The same is meant by the following in Revelation:
Behold I come as a thief; blessed is he that is wakeful, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked (Revelation 16:15);
it is said "as a thief" because evils and falsities therefrom in the natural man take away and cast out the knowledges of truth and good that are there from the Word; for the things that are not loved are cast out. With man there is either the love of evil and of falsity therefrom, or the love of good and of truth therefrom. These two loves are opposite to one another; consequently he who is in one of them cannot be in the other, for "no one can serve two masters," without loving the one and hating the other (Matthew 6:24).
[4] Because evils and falsities therefrom penetrate from within, and break through as it were the wall that is between the state of man's thought from the spirit and the state of his thought from the body, and cast out the knowledges of truth and good that have their abode with man in his outward part, therefore such evils and falsities are what are meant by "thieves," also in the following passages.
In Matthew:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, but in heaven, where thieves do not dig through nor steal (Arcana Coelestia 1694, 4508, 10227; and that the internal spiritual man is in heaven, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 36-50.)
[5] In the same:
Be wakeful, therefore, for ye know not at what hour your Lord will come. But know this, that if the master of the house knew in what hour the thief would come he would be wakeful, and would not suffer him to dig through his house (The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 143, 168).
[6] In Obadiah:
If thieves come to thee, if robbers by night, how wilt thou be cut off! Will they not steal till they have enough? (Obadiah 1:5).
Here also falsities and evils are called "thieves," and are said to "steal;" falsities are "thieves," and evils are "robbers by night;" it is said "by night," because "night" signifies a state of no love and faith.
[7] In Joel:
They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall come up into the houses, they shall enter in through the windows like a thief (Arcana Coelestia 402, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493; that "wall" is the truth of doctrine defending, n. 6419; that "house" is that part of the mind which is called the will, where good is, n. 2231, 2233, 2559, 3128, 5023, 6690, 7353, 7910, 7929, 9150; and "windows" that part of the mind which is called the understanding where truth is, n. 655, 658, 3391.) From this it is clear what is signified by "running upon the wall," "coming up into the houses," and "entering in through the windows like a thief."
[8] In Hosea:
I healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the evils of Samaria, for they made a lie, and the thief cometh in, and the troop spreadeth itself without (Arcana Coelestia 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296; that "a lie" is falsity from evil, n. 8908, 9248; that "a troop" is good casting out evil, and in a contrary sense, evil casting out good, n. 3934, 3935, 6404, 6405.)
[9] These things are adduced that it may be known what "a thief" in the Word signifies, namely, falsity vastating, that is, taking away and destroying truth. It was shown above, that after death all knowledges of truth and good from the Word that have not acquired spiritual life are taken away; consequently they are taken away from those who have not been made spiritual by knowledges from the Word. The same is signified by many other things in the historical parts of the Word; but this no one can see unless he knows the spiritual sense of the Word. This was signified by the sons of Israel's borrowing from the Egyptians gold, and silver, and garments, and thus taking them away as it were by theft, which is thus described in Moses:
It was commanded that they should borrow of the Egyptians vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment. And Jehovah gave the people grace in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they lent to them; and thus they plundered the Egyptians (Exodus 12:35-36).
The "Egyptians" represented those who are merely natural and yet possess many knowledges. By "the sons of Israel" are meant those who are spiritual; "vessels of gold and of silver," and also "raiment," signify the knowledges of truth and good, which the spiritual apply to good, but which the natural apply to evil and thus destroy. That nations were given up to the curse, and at the same time all things with them were either burnt with fire or plundered, to which there is frequent reference in the book of Joshua, and in the books of Samuel and of the Kings, has a like signification; for the nations of the land of Canaan represented those who are in evils and falsities, and the sons of Israel those who are in truths and goods.
[10] That the knowledges of truth and good from the Word will be taken away from those who have not acquired spiritual life for themselves, is also meant in the Lord's parables respecting the talents and pounds given to the servants that they might trade and make gain, and respecting the servant who traded not and gained nothing, of whom it is written in the parables:
Unto him who hid his talent in the earth his lord said, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou oughtest to have put my silver to the bankers, in order that at my coming I might have received mine own with interest. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath the ten talents. For unto everyone that hath shall be given, that he may have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into outer darkness (Matthew 25:14-30).
And in another place:
He came who had received the one pound, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I kept laid up in a napkin. The lord said, Wherefore gavest not thou my money into the bank, that coming I might have regained mine own with interest. And He said, Take from him the pound, and give to him that hath ten pounds. I say unto you, To everyone that hath shall be given; but from him that hath not, even than which he hath shall be taken away from him (Luke 19:13-26).
Here "talents," "pounds," and "money," signify the knowledges of truth and good from the Word; "to trade," "to make gain," "to put it to the bankers," or "in the bank," signifies to acquire for oneself thereby spiritual life and intelligence; "hiding these in the earth" or "in a napkin" signifies in the memory of the natural man only; of such it is therefore said that from them should be taken away that which they have, according to what has been explained in the beginning of this article.
[11] This takes place with all in the other life who have acquired for themselves knowledges from the Word, and have not committed them to the life, but only to the memory. He who has knowledges from the Word in the memory only, even if they were thousands, if he has not committed them to the life, remains natural as before. Committing knowledges from the Word to the life is thinking from them, when one, left to himself, thinks from his spirit, and also willing them and doing them; for this is loving truths because they are truths; and those who do this are those who become spiritual by means of knowledges from the Word.
193. a. "Veniam super te tanquam fur." - Quod significet mortis tempus inopinatum quando eripientur omnes cognitiones comparatae ex Verbo quae non spiritualem vitam adeptae sunt, constat ex significatione "venire tanquam fur", cum de illis qui non vigilant, hoc est, qui non comparant sibi vitam spiritualem, quod sit quod auferrentur ab illis omnes cognitiones comparatae ex Verbo quae non spiritualem vitam adeptae sunt. Quod etiam per eadem verba significetur mortis tempus inopinatum, est quia mors venit inopinato, et usque homo post mortem manet in statu illius vitae in aeternum quam sibi in mundo comparavit; quapropter vigilabit. Quia paucis notum est quod omnes cognitiones comparatae ex Verbo, quae non spiritualem vitam adeptae sunt, eripiantur, ideo oportet dici quomodo hoc fit: - Omnia quae in spiritu hominis sunt, manent apud illum in aeternum; quae autem non in spiritu hominis sunt, illa post mortem, cum homo fit spiritus, dissipantur. Illa manent in spiritu hominis quae homo ex se, proinde illa quae, cum solus sibi fuit, ex suo amore cogitavit; tunc enim spiritus ejus cogitat ex se, et non ex illis quae in memoria corporis sui non unum faciunt cum amore suo. Sunt bini status hominis, unus cum cogitat ex suo spiritu, et alter cum cogitat ex memoria corporis sui; qui bini status si non unum faciunt, potest homo aliter cogitare secum, ac aliter cogitare et loqui cum aliis.
[2] Pro "exemplo sit praedicator qui se et mundum supra omnia amat, et Divinum nihili facit usque ut corde neget id, et consequenter machinatur omnis generis mala in consortio cum astutis et malitiosis mundi; is tamen quando cum aliis loquitur, imprimis quando praedicat, potest sicut ex zelo pro Divino ac pro Divinis veris loqui, immo iis horis similiter cogitare: sed hic status est status cogitationis ejus ex memoria corporis; qui quod separatus sit a statu cogitationis ex spiritu, patet, nam sibi soli relictus contra illa cogitat. Hic status est qui manet hominem post mortem; ille autem non manet, quia est corporis ejus et non spiritus ejus; quapropter cum is fit spiritus, quod fit cum moritur, omnes cognitiones quas sibi comparavit ex Verbo quae non concordant cum vita amoris spiritus ejus, rejicit a se. Aliter vero fit cum illis qui, cum solis sibi relicti sunt, cogitant juste de Divino, de Verbo, deque veris ecclesiae inde, et illa amant usque ad vitam, hoc est, ut velint vivere secundum illa. Horum cogitationes in spiritu unum faciunt cum illorum cogitationibus ex memoria corporis, ita unum cum cognitionibus veri et boni quae illis ex Verbo; et quantum unum faciunt, tantum cognitiones illae vitam spiritualem nanciscuntur, nam elevantur a Domino ab externo seu naturali homine in internum seu spiritualem, et faciunt hujus vitam, ita hujus intellectum et voluntatem. Vera ibi sunt quae vivunt, quia sunt Divina, et inde homo ibi ex illis. Quod res ita se habeat, ex multa experientia mihi scire datum est, quam omnem si adducerem, implerentur membranae, ut dicitur. (Aliquid videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 491-498, 499-511; et supra, n. 114.)
[3] Ex his nunc constare potest quid in sensu spirituali intelligitur per "Veniam super te sicut fur", quod nempe post mortem eripientur omnes cognitiones comparatae ex Verbo quae non spiritualem vitam adeptae sunt. Idem etiam intelligitur per haec in Apocalypsi'
"Ecce venio tanquam fur; beatus qui vigilat et servat vestimenta, ne nudus ambulet" (16:15):
"tanquam fur" dicitur, quia mala et inde falsa in naturali homine auferunt et ejiciunt cognitiones veri et boni quae ex Verbo ibi; nam quae non amantur, ejiciuntur. Est apud hominem vel amor mali et inde falsi, vel est amor boni et inde veri. Bini illi amores sibi oppositi sunt; quare qui in uno est non potest esse in altero,
nam "nemo potest servire duobus dominis", quin unum amet et alterum odio habeat (Matthaeus 6:24).
[4] Quoniam mala et inde falsa ab interiori penetrant, et quasi perfodiunt parietem qui est inter statum cogitationis hominis ex spiritu et statum cogitationis ejus ex corpore, ac ejiciunt cognitiones veri et boni quae exterius habitant apud hominem, ideo illa sunt quae intelliguntur per "fures", etiam in sequentibus:
- Apud Matthaeum,
"Reponite thesauros non in terra, .... sed in caelo, ubi fures non perfodiunt, nec furantur" (6:19, 20);
"thesauri" sunt cognitiones veri et boni: reponere illos "in caelo" est in spirituali homine, nam is in caelo est.
(Quod "thesauri" sint cognitiones veri et boni, videatur n. 1694, 4508, 10227; et quod internus spiritualis homo sit in caelo, in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 36-50.)
[5] Apud eundem,
"Vigilate ergo, nescitis enim qua hora Dominus vester venturus est; illud cognoscite, si sciret Paterfamilias qua hora fur venturus est, vigilaret utique, et non sineret perfodere domum suam" (24:42, 43);
per hoc intelligitur, si sciret homo horam mortis suae, quod quidem praepararet se, at non ex amore veri et boni, sed ex timore inferni; et quicquid homo ex timore agit, hoc non manet apud illum, sed quod ex amore, quapropter jugiter se praeparabit (videatur Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 143, 168).
[6] Apud Obadiam,
"Si fures venerint tibi, si eversores noctu, quomodo excisus eris, nonne furabuntur quod illis satis?" (vers. 5);
hic etiam falsa et mala vocantur "fures", et dicuntur "furari"; falsa "fures", et mala "eversores noctu"; "noctu" dicitur, quia "nox" significat statum nullius amoris et fidei.
[7] Apud Joelem,
"In urbe discurrent, in muro current, in domos ascendent, per fenestras egredientur sicut fur" (2:9);
agitur ibi de vastatione ecclesiae per falsa ex malo; "urbs" et "murus" significant illa quae sunt doctrinae; "domus" et "fenestrae" illa quae sunt mentis quae recipit, "domus" illud mentis quod vocatur voluntas ubi bonum, et "fenestrae" illud mentis quod vocatur intellectus ubi verum.
(Quod "urbs" in Verbo sit doctrina, videatur n. 402, 1
2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493; quod "murus" sit verum doctrinae tutans, n. 6419; quod "domus" sit illud mentis quod vocatur voluntas ubi bonum, n. 2
2231, 2233, 2559, 3128, 5023, 6690, 7353, 7910, 7919, 9150; et quod "fenestrae" sint illud mentis quod vocatur intellectus ubi verum, n. 655, 658, 3391.) Inde patet quid significatur per quod "in muro current, ac in domos ascendent, et per fenestras ingredientur sicut fur."
[8] Apud Hoscheam,
"Sanavi Israelem, tunc revelata est iniquitas Ephraimi, et mala Samariae, quia fecerunt mendacium, et fur venit, et diffundit se turma foras" (7:1);
"iniquitas Ephraimi" significat falsa intellectus, et "mala Samariae" mala voluntatis; "facere mendacium" est cogitare et velle falsum ex malo; "fur" est falsum auferens et dissipans verum, et "turma", quae se effundit, est malum ejiciens bonum.
(Quod "Ephraim" sit intellectuale talium quae ecclesiae, videatur n. 3
3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296; quod "mendacium" sit falsum ex malo, n. 8908, 9248; quod "turma" sit bonum ejiciens malum, et in opposito sensu malum ejiciens bonum, n. 3934, 3935, 6404, 6405.)
[9] Haec allata sunt ut sciatur quid per "furem" in Verbo significatur, quod nempe falsum vastans, quod est falsum auferens et destruens verum. Ostensum est supra quod post mortem auferantur omnes cognitiones veri et boni ex Verbo quae non spiritualem vitam adeptae sunt; proinde illis qui non per cognitiones ex Verbo spirituales facti sunt: hoc idem etiam significatum est per plura in historicis Verbi, quod usque nemo videre potest nisi qui scit sensum spiritualem Verbi: hoc significatum est per quod filii Israelis mutuo acciperent ab Aegyptiis aurum, argentum, et vestes, et sic illa quasi furto auferrent, de quibus ita apud Mosen,
Mandatum est, ut mutuo acciperent "ab Aegyptiis vasa auri et vasa argenti et vestes: et Jehovah dedit gratiam in oculis Aegyptiorum, ut darent illis mutuo, atque ita eriperent Aegyptiis" (Exodus 12:35, 36);
per Aegyptios repraesentati sunt qui mere naturales sunt, et tamen multas cognitiones possident; per filios Israelis illi qui spirituales; per "vasa auri", "argenti" et quoque "vestes" significantur cognitiones veri et boni, quas spirituales applicant bono, sed naturales applicant malo et sic destruunt. Simile significatum est per quod gentes devotioni darentur, et simul omnia quae apud illas vel comburentur vel diriperentur, de quibus passim in Libro Josuae, inque Libris Samuelis et Regum; gentes enim Terrae Canaanis repraesentabant illos qui in malis et falsis sunt, et filii Israelis illos qui in veris et bonis.
[10] Quod auferrentur cognitiones veri et boni quae ex Verbo, illis qui non spiritualem vitam sibi compararunt, etiam intelligitur in parabolis Domini de Talentis et Minis datis Servis ut negotiarentur et lucrarentur, et de Servo qui non negotiatus est et nihil lucratus, de quo in parabolis ita,
Ei qui abscondidit talentum suum in terra, dixit Dominus, "Prave serve et piger, .... oportebat te exponere argentum meum mensariis, ut veniens receperim quod meum est cum foenore: tollite ergo ab eo (talentum), et date habenti decem talenta; nam habenti omni dabitur ut abundet; ab eo autem qui non habet, quod habet 4
auferetur; et servum inutilem ejicite in tenebras exteriores" (Matth. 25:14-30 5
);
et alibi,
Ille venit qui unam minam acceperat, dicens, "Domine, ecce mina tua, quam habui sepositam in sudario": dixit Dominus, "Quare non dedisti pecuniam meam ad mensam, ut Ego veniens illam cum foenore recepissem? Et dixit, Tollite ab eo minam, et date ei qui decem minas habet; .... dico vobis, Omni habenti dabitur, ei vero qui non habet, etiam quod habet 6
auferetur" (Luca 19:13-26);
"talenta", "minae" et "pecuniae" ibi significant cognitiones veri et boni ex Verbo; "negotiari", "lucrari", "dare illam mensariis" seu "ad mensam", significat vitam spiritualem et intelligentiam sibi per illas comparare; "reponere illa in terra" et "in sudario", significat solum in memoria naturalis hominis; de his itaque dicitur quod eis 7
auferentur quae habent, secundum illa quae in principio hujus articuli dicta sunt.
[11] Hoc fit omnibus in altera vita qui compararunt sibi cognitiones ex Verbo, et non vitae, sed solum memoriae, illas mandarunt; qui modo habet cognitiones ex Verbo in memoria, si vel forent ad millia, et non mandavit illas vitae, manet usque naturalis ut prius. Mandare cognitiones, quae ex Verbo, vitae, est cogitare ex illis, cum sibi relictus ex spiritu suo cogitat, ac velle illas et facere illas, hoc enim est amare vera quia vera sunt; et hi sunt qui per cognitiones ex Verbo spirituales fiunt.
Footnotes:
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7. The editors made a correction or note here.