270# 启4:4.“宝座的周围，又有二十四个宝座，二十四位长老坐在宝座上”表示在审判之前，主在高层天堂所排列的源于良善的一切真理。这从“宝座”、“它周围的二十四个宝座，和宝座上的二十四位长老”的含义清楚可知：那一位坐于其上的“宝座”是指最后审判方面的主(对此，参看AE267节)，“宝座”表示审判(AE253a节)；“它周围的二十四个宝座，和宝座上的二十四位长老”是指在审判之前，所排列的总体上天堂的一切真理。“二十四”表示所有或全部，“宝座”表示审判，“长老”表示那些处于源于良善的真理之人，抽象地表示源于良善的真理。此处指的是高层天堂，因为所有在高层天堂的人都处于源于爱之良善的真理，还因为紧接着论述的是低层天堂。“二十四”表示所有或全部，因为这个数字与“十二”所表相同，“十二”表示所有或全部，并论及真理(参看《属天的奥秘》，577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913节)。数字“二十四”与数字“十二”所表相同，是因为它是十二的两倍，一个数字的两倍与相乘得出它的那个数字所表相同(可参看5291, 5335, 5708, 7973节)。
十二使徒将要坐的“宝座”也表示最后审判方面的主，对此，马太福音上说：
你们这跟从我的人，到重生的时候，就是人子坐在祂荣耀的宝座上的时候，你们也要坐在十二个宝座上，审判以色列十二个支派。(马太福音19:28; 路加福音22:30)
“十二使徒”表示总体上的一切真理。在以下启示录的话中同样如此：
我看见几个宝座，他们坐在上面，并有审判权赐给他们。(启示录20:4)
审判权赐给那些坐在宝座上的人表示审判唯独属于主，因为在圣言中，“长老”表示所有处于源于良善的真理之人，抽象地表示源于良善的真理，审判从这些真理来施行。人若以为圣言中的“长老”和“使徒”是指长老和使徒，就大错特错了；就圣言的灵义而言，所感知到的不是人，而是从人抽象出来的事物，因为属灵之物与人毫无共同之处。就属世的圣言字义而言，情况不是这样；字义不仅提到人，而且许多表述都暗含人的观念，以便圣言在其终端可以是属世的，从而为灵义形成一个基础。“长老”的含义，与“婴儿”、“孩子”、“少年人”、“老年人”、“童女或处女”、“妇人或女人”，以及许多这类词语的含义情况是一样的。就属世意义而言，这些人都被简单地视为人；但就属灵意义，即灵义而言，“婴儿”表示纯真，“孩子”表示仁爱，“少年人”表示聪明，“老年人”表示智慧，“童女或处女”表示对真理和良善的情感，“妇人或女人”表示教会的良善，其它情况也是如此。这同样适用于“邻舍”的属世意义和属灵意义；“邻舍”在属世意义上表示每个人，但在属灵意义上表示这个人里面的良善、真理、真诚和公义本身。凡在自己里面思考，或反思的人都能看出，这就是属灵意义上的邻舍；因为除了一个人里面的良善外，谁会为了其它任何理由而爱他？良善和真理构成这个人，并使他被爱，而不是面容和身体使他被爱。
不过，要回到“长老”的含义。“长老”表示源于良善的真理，这一点从圣言中提到他们的经文可以看出来。如以赛亚书：
那时月亮要蒙羞，日头要惭愧，万军之耶和华必在锡安山、在耶路撒冷掌权；在祂的长老面前，必成为荣耀。(以赛亚书24:23)
“月亮”和“日头”表示他们的偶像崇拜、信之虚假和爱之邪恶；“锡安山”和“耶路撒冷”表示天堂和教会；“长老”表示源于良善的真理；故经上说，“在他们面前，必成为荣耀”，因为“荣耀”表示天上的神性真理(参看AE33节)。
耶利米哀歌：
我的处女和少年人都被掳去。我招呼我所亲爱的，他们却欺骗我；我的长老在城中气绝了。(耶利米哀歌1:18, 19)
此处论述的主题是教会的荒废，因教会的荒废才有了哀恸；当对真理的任何属灵情感，因而在诸如属于教会的那类事物上的聪明都不复存在时，因此当没有真理时，这种荒废就会发生。被掳去的“处女”表示对真理的属灵情感，“少年人”表示聪明；“掳”是指从这种情感和聪明中移除；气绝的“长老”表示教会的真理。
以西结书：
要将老人、少年人、处女、婴孩和妇女，从圣所起全都杀尽灭绝；于是他们从房前的长老开始。(以西结书9:6)
此处论述的主题也是教会的荒废；“老人”和“少年人”表示智慧和聪明；“处女”表示对真理和良善的情感；“婴孩”表示纯真；“妇人”表示教会的良善；“杀尽灭绝”表示毁坏；他们所开始的“圣所”表示爱之良善和信之真理，也就是“房前的长老”方面的教会。
耶利米哀歌：
也不尊敬老人的面。长老从城门口断绝，少年人也不再奏乐。(耶利米哀歌5:12, 14)
“老年人”表示属于良善的智慧；“长老”表示源于良善的真理；“少年人”表示聪明。出埃及记：
摩西和亚伦, 拿答, 亚比户, 并七十个长老，而不是其他人，看见以色列的神，祂脚下仿佛有蓝宝石的作工。(出埃及记24:1, 9–12)
这段经文表示只有那些处于良善和源于良善的真理之人才看见主(参看《属天的奥秘》对这段经文的解释，9403–9411节)。这就是以色列的七十个长老所代表的，也是坐在二十四个宝座上的“二十四个长老”所表示的；这也是“十二使徒”所表示的，论到他们，经上说：“他们要坐在宝座上，审判以色列十二支派。”“十二使徒”表示源于良善的一切真理(《属天的奥秘》，2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397节)；“以色列十二支派”所表相同(3858, 3926, 4060, 6335节)；“以色列的长老”也所表相同(6524, 6525, 6890, 7912, 8578, 8585, 9376, 9404节)。
270. (Verse 4) And round about the throne were four-and-twenty thrones, and upon the thrones I saw four-and-twenty elders sitting. That this signifies all truths from good in the higher heavens, arranged by the Lord before judgment is evident from the signification of the throne on which one sat, as being the Lord as to the Last Judgment (concerning which see above, n. 267; and that throne signifies judgment, see n. 253); and from the signification of four-and-twenty thrones round about it, and four-and-twenty elders upon them, as being all the truths of heaven in the aggregate, arranged before judgment. Twenty-four signify all, and thrones signify judgment, and the elders those who are in truths from good, and, in the abstract, truths from good. The reason why the higher heavens are here meant is that all those who are there are in truths from the good of love, and that in what presently follows the lower heavens are treated of. The reason why twenty-four signify all is that that number signifies the same as the number twelve, and twelve signifies all, and is said of truths (see Arcana Coelestia 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913). That the number twenty-four signifies the same as the number twelve is because it is its double, and the double signifies the same as the number from which it arises by multiplication (as may be seen, n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973).
[2] The same is signified by thrones upon which the twelve apostles were to sit, of which it is said in Matthew:
"Ye who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (19:28; Luke 22:30);
where by the twelve apostles are signified all truths in the aggregate. Similarly in the following words in the Apocalypse:
"I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them" (20:4).
Judgment being given to those that sat upon the thrones signifies that judgment belongs to the Lord alone; for by elders in the Word are signified all those who are in truths from good, and abstractly, truth from good from which is judgment.
He who believes that by elders and apostles in the Word are meant elders and apostles is much deceived; for, in the spiritual sense of the Word, persons are not perceived, but things abstractly from persons; for what is spiritual has nothing in common with persons. The case is otherwise in the sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural; in this sense persons are not only mentioned, but also the idea of a person is implied in many expressions, in order that the Word in its ultimates may be natural, and thus form a basis for the spiritual sense. The same is the case with the signification of elders as with that of infants, children, young men, old men, virgins, women, and many things of the same kind. All are thought of, in the natural sense, as persons; but, in the spiritual sense, by infants innocence is meant; by children, charity; by young men, intelligence; by old men, wisdom; by virgins are meant the affections of truth and good, and by women, the goods of the church; and so in other cases. The same may be said of the natural and spiritual sense of the term neighbour. In the natural sense, by neighbour is meant every man; but in the spiritual sense are meant good itself, truth, sincerity and justice, which are in the person. Every one who thinks in himself may know that this is the neighbour in the spiritual sense; for who loves any one from anything else but the good that is in him? for good and truth constitute the man, and cause him to be loved, and not the countenance and the body. But to return to the signification of elders. That elders signify truths from good is evident from those passages in the Word where they are mentioned.
[3] As in Isaiah:
"Then the moon shall blush, and the sun shall be ashamed, and Jehovah Zebaoth shall reign in the mount of Zion and in Jerusalem; and before his elders shall be glory" (33).
[4] In Lamentations:
"My virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. I have cried to my lovers, they have deceived me; and mine elders have expired in the city" (1:18, 19).
The subject here treated of is the vastation of the church, over which there is lamentation, which vastation takes place when there is no longer any spiritual affection of truth, and consequently no intelligence in such things as pertain to the church, and hence when there is no truth. By the virgins which are gone into captivity is meant the spiritual affection of truth; by the young men intelligence; captivity denotes removal from those principles; by the elders who expired are meant the truths of the church.
[5] In Ezekiel:
"Slay to destruction the old man and the young man, and the virgin, and the infant and the women; begin from my sanctuary. Therefore they began from the men, the elders who were before the house" (9:6).
The subject here treated of is also the vastation of the church; and by an old man and a young man are meant wisdom and intelligence; by virgin is meant the affection of truth and good; by infant innocence; by women goods of the church. To slay to destruction signifies devastation; the sanctuary at which they should begin signifies the church as to the good of love and the truth of faith, which are the men, the elders who were before the house.
[6] In Lamentations:
"The faces of the old men were not honoured. The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their singing" (Arcana Coelestia 9403-9411). These are the things which the seventy elders of Israel represented, and which are signified by the four-and-twenty elders sitting upon as many thrones. The same things also are signified by the twelve apostles, concerning whom it is said that they should sit upon thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (That the twelve apostles signify all truths from good, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397; that the same are signified by the twelve tribes of Israel, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335, and also by the elders of Israel, n. 6524, 6525, 6890, 7912, 8578, 8585, 9376, 9404.)
270. Verse 4. And around the throne were four and twenty thrones, and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, signifies all truths from good in the higher heavens, arranged by the Lord before judgment. This is evident from the signification of "throne" on which was "One sitting," as being the Lord in respect to the Last Judgment (on which see just above, n. 267; and that "throne" signifies judgment, see n. 253. Also from the signification of "the four and twenty thrones around it, and four and twenty elders on them," as being all the truths of heaven in the complex, arranged before judgment. "Four and twenty" signifies all, "thrones" judgment, and "elders" those who are in truths from good, and abstractly truths from good. The higher heavens are here meant, because all who are in them are in truths from the good of love, and because the lower heavens are treated of in what immediately follows. ("Twenty-four" signifies all, because that number signifies the like with the number "twelve," and "twelve" signifies all, and is predicated of truths, see Arcana Coelestia 577, 2089, 2 129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. The number "twenty-four" signifies the like with the number "twelve," because it is the double thereof, and the double of a number signifies something similar as the number from which it arises by multiplication, as may be seen, n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973.)
[2] The like is signified by "the thrones upon which the twelve apostles were to sit," of which in Matthew:
Ye who have followed Me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30);
the "twelve apostles" signifying all truths in the complex. Likewise in the following words in Revelation:
I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them (Revelation 20:4).
"Judgment was given to those who sat upon thrones" signifies that judgment belongs to the Lord alone, for "elders" in the Word signify all who are in truths from good, and abstractly, truths from good by which is judgment. He who supposes that "elders" and "apostles" in the Word mean elders and apostles is much mistaken; in the spiritual sense of the Word no persons are perceived, but things abstractly from persons, for what is spiritual has nothing in common with persons. It is otherwise in the sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural; in that sense not only are persons mentioned, but the idea of person is implied in many expressions, in order that the Word in its ultimates may be natural, and thus be a basis for the spiritual sense. It is the same with the signification of "elders" as with that of "infants," "children," "young men," "old men," "virgins," "women," and many words of that kind; in the natural sense these are all thought of simply as persons; but in the spiritual sense "infants" mean innocence, "children" charity, "young men" intelligence, "old men" wisdom, "virgins" the affection of truth and good, and "women" the goods of the church; and so in other cases.
The same is true of the natural and spiritual senses of "neighbor;" in the natural sense "neighbor" means any man whatever; but in the spiritual sense the good, truth, sincerity, and justice itself that are in the person. Everyone who reflects can see that this is the neighbor in the spiritual sense; for who loves a person for any other reason? For good and truth make the man, and cause him to be loved, and not the countenance and body.
[3] But to return to the signification of "elders." That "elders" signify truths from good can be seen from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned. In Isaiah:
Then the moon shall blush, and the sun be ashamed, and Jehovah of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem; and before His elders shall be glory (33).
[4] In Lamentations:
My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity. I have cried to my lovers, they have deceived me; and mine elders expired in the city (Lamentations 1:18-19).
Here the vastation of the church is treated of, over which there is lamentation; there is such vastation when there is no longer any spiritual affection of truth, and thence no intelligence in such things as pertain to the church, and when there is then no truth. The "virgins," that are gone into captivity, mean the spiritual affection of truth, "the young men" intelligence; "captivity" is removal from this affection and intelligence; the "elders," who expired, mean the truths of the church.
[5] In Ezekiel:
Slay to destruction the old man, the young man, and the virgin, and the infant and the women; begin from My sanctuary; therefore they began from the elders who were before the house (Ezekiel 9:6).
Here too, the vastation of the church is treated of; an "old man" and "young man" mean wisdom and intelligence; "virgin" means the affection of truth and good; "infant" innocence; "women" the goods of the church; "to slay to destruction" signifies devastation; the "sanctuary," from which they should begin, is the church in respect to the good of love and the truth of faith, which are "the elders who are before the house."
[6] In Lamentations:
The faces of the old men were not honored. The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music (Arcana Coelestia 9403-9411). This is what the seventy elders of Israel represented, and what the "four and twenty elders" sitting upon as many thrones signified; this also is what the "twelve apostles" signify, of whom it is said that "they are to sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
(That the "twelve apostles" signify all truths from good, Arcana Coelestia 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397;
that the "twelve tribes of Israel" have a like signification, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335;
likewise the "elders of Israel," n. 6524, 6525, 6890, 7912, 8578, 8585, 9376, 9404)
270. (Vers. 4.) "Et circum thronum throni viginti et quatuor, et super thronis vidi viginti et quatuor seniores sedentes." - Quod significet omnia vera ex bono in caelis superioribus a Domino ordinata ante judicium, constat ex significatione "throni" super quo "Sedens", quod sit Dominus quoad ultimum judicium (de qua mox supra, n. 267, et quod "thronus" significet judicium, n 253(a)); ex significatione "viginti quatuor thronorum" circum illum, et "viginti quatuor seniorum" super illis, quod sint omnia vera caeli in complexu ordinata ante judicium; "viginti quatuor" significant omnia, ac "throni" judicium, ac "seniores" illos qui in veris ex bono sunt et abstracte vera ex bono: quod caeli superiores hic intelligantur, est quia omnes ibi in veris ex bono amoris sunt, et quia in mox sequentibus dicitur de caelis inferioribus.
(Quod "viginti quatuor" significent omnia, est quia ille numerus simile significat cum numero duodecim, et "duodecim" significant omnia et praedicantur de veris, videatur n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913; quod numerus viginti quatuor simile significet cum numero duodecim, est quia ille est duplus ejus, at duplum significat simile cum illo a quo per multiplicationem exsurgit, n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973.)
[2] Simile quod hic significatur per "thronos" super quibus sessuri duodecim Apostoli, de quibus apud Matthaeum,
"Vos qui secuti estis Me in regeneratione, quum sederit Filius hominis super throno gloriae suae, sedebitis et vos super (duodecim) thronis judicantes duodecim tribus Israelis" (19:28; Luca 22:30);
per "duodecim Apostolos" significantur omnia vera in complexu. Similiter in sequentibus in Apocalypsi,
"Vidi thronos, et consederunt super illis, et judicium datum est illis" (20:4);
quod "judicium datum sit illis qui sederunt super thronis" significat quod judicium sit soli Domino, nam per "seniores" in Verbo significantur omnes qui in veris ex bono sunt, et abstracte vera ex bono ex quibus judicium: qui credit quod in Verbo per "seniores" et per "apostolos" intelligantur seniores et apostoli, multum fallitur; in spirituali sensu Verbi non aliquae personae percipiuntur, sed res abstracte a personis, nam spirituale non aliquid commune habet cum personis: aliter in sensu litterae Verbi, qui est naturalis; in hoc sensu non modo nominantur personae, sed etiam idea personae inest multis vocibus, ob causam ut Verbum sit in suis ultimis naturale, et sic basis sensui spirituali. Cum significatione "seniorum" simile est ac cum significatione "infantum", "puerorum", "juvenum", "senum", "virginum", "mulierum", et plurium ejus generis. Hae et illi non comprehenduntur in naturali sensu aliter in idea quam ut personae, sed in sensu spirituali per "infantes" intelligitur innocentia, per "pueros" charitas, per "juvenes" intelligentia, per "senes" sapientia, per "virgines affectio veri et boni, et per "mulieres" bona quae ecclesiae; et sic in ceteris. Simile est cum naturali et spirituali sensu "proximi: in naturali sensu, per "proximum" intelligitur quivis homo; sed in spirituali, ipsum bonum, verum, sincerum, justum, quae sunt in persona. Unusquisque qui expendit potest scire quod id in spirituali sensu sit proximus; quis enim amat personam ex alio? Bonum enim et verum faciunt hominem, et faciunt ut homo ametur, et non vultus et corpus.
[3] Sed revertamur ab his ad significationem "seniorum." Quod per illos significentur vera quae ex bono, constare potest a locis in Verbo ubi nominantur:
- Ut apud Esaiam,
"Tunc erubescet luna, et pudefiet sol, et regnabit Jehovah Zebaoth in Monte Zionis et in Hierosolyma; et coram senioribus ejus gloria" (24:23);
per "lunam" et "solem" intelligitur cultus idololatricus eorum, tum falsum fidei et malum amoris; per "Montem Zionis" et per "Hierosolymam" intelligitur caelum et ecclesia; per "seniores" intelliguntur vera ex bono; quare etiam dicitur quod "coram illis gloria", per "gloriam" enim significatur Divinum Verum in caelo (videatur supra, n. 33).
[4] In Threnis,
"Virgines meae et juvenes mei iverunt in captivitatem; clamavi ad amatores meos, illi deceperunt me et seniores mei in urbe exspirarunt" (1:18, 19);
agitur ibi de vastatione ecclesiae, super qua est lamentatio; quae vastatio est quando non amplius est aliqua affectio veri spiritualis, et inde non intelligentia in talibus quae ecclesiae, et quando sic non aliquod verum; per "virgines" quae abiverunt in captivitatem intelligitur affectio veri spiritualis; per "juvenes" intelligentia; "captivitas" est remotio ab illis; per "seniores" qui exspirarunt, intelliguntur vera ecclesiae.
[5] Apud Ezechielem,
"Senem et juvenem et Virginem et infantem et mulieres occidite ad perditionem;... e sanctuario meo incipite: inceperunt ergo a viris senioribus qui coram domo" (9:6);
etiam hic agitur de vastatione ecclesiae; et per "senem" et "juvenem" intelligitur sapientia et intelligentia, per "virginem" affectio veri et boni, per "infantem" innocentia, per "mulieres" bona ecclesiae; "occidere ad perditionem" significat devastationem; "sanctuarium" a quo inciperent est ecclesia quoad bonum amoris et verum fidei, quae sunt "viri seniores qui coram domo."
[6] In Threnis,
"Facies senum non honoratae sunt;... seniores a porta cessarunt, juvenes a cantu suo" (5:12, 14);
"senes" significant sapientiam quae est boni, "seniores" vera quae ex bono, "juvenes" intelligentiam.
Quod Deus Israelis visus sit "sub pedibus sicut opus sapphiri", Mosi, Aharoni, Nadab et Abihu, ac septuaginta senioribus, et non reliquis (Exod. 24 [1,] 9-12),
significabat quod Dominus illis solum videatur qui in bono sunt et qui in veris ex bono (videatur explicatio eorum in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 9403-9411). Haec sunt quae repraesentabant septuaginta seniores Israelis, et haec sunt quae significant "viginti quatuor seniores" super totidem thronis; et haec quoque sunt quae significant "duodecim Apostoli", de quibus dicitur quod "sessuri sint super thronis judicantes duodecim tribus Israelis."
(Quod "duodecim Apostoli" significent omnia vera ex bono, videatur n. 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397; quod similia "duodecim tribus Israelis", n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335. Et quod similia "seniores Israelis", n. 1
6524, 6525, 6890, 7912, 8578, 8585, 9376, 9404.)
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.