486# 启8:1.“羔羊揭开第七印的时候”表示关于教会最后状态的预言。这从“揭开印”和“第七”的含义清楚可知：“揭开印”是指预言并显明教会的相继状态(AE 352, 361,369, 378, 390, 399节)；“第七”是指完全和圆满之物(对此，参看AE 257, 299节)，因而也指最后之物，因为完全和圆满之物也是最后之物。当因没有良善而没有真理时，或也可说，当因没有仁而没有信时，这就是教会的最后状态；那时，教会的最后状态就到来了(参看小著《最后的审判》，33–39节)；接下来的内容就预言在这种状态下发生的事。
已经发生，并且此处所预言的事出现在审判之前的灵界；因为那时灵界的教会状态类似于自然界的教会状态，只是在另一种表象或形式之下。灵界有社群，这些社群照着对良善和真理的情感，以及这些情感的种类而不同；每个人死后都会照着他的情感而进入其中一个社群。但在自然界不是这样。由于在灵界的这些区别，教会在那里看上去如在地上那样，两个世界的教会也通过对应构成一体。当在灵界，教会的最后状态到来时，接下来所预言的一切就都实现了；其中一些被看到了，所以将被记录在以下几页中。
486. And when he opened the seventh seal.- That this signifies prediction concerning the last state of the church, is evident from the signification of opening the seal, which denotes prediction and manifestation concerning the successive states of the church, as explained above (n. 352, 361, 369, 378, 390, 399); and from the signification of seventh, which denotes what is full and consummated, concerning which see above (n. 257, 299), and therefore it also denotes what is last, for what is full and consummated is also last. It is the last state of the church when there is no truth because there is no good, or what is the same, when there is no faith, because there is no charity; that the last state of the church then comes, may be seen in the small work concerning the Last Judgment 33-39); what was done in this state, is predicted in what follows.
[2] What was done, and is here predicted, took place in the spiritual world before the judgment; for the state of the church in the spiritual world at that time was similar to that [of the Church] in the natural world, but under another form. In the spiritual world there are societies, distinct according to the affections of good and truth and their varieties, into one of which every one according to his affection comes after death. But this is not the case in the natural world. And because they are thus distinguished in the spiritual world, therefore the church appears there such as it is on the earth; also the church in both worlds makes one by correspondences. When the last state of the church in the spiritual world arrived, then everything predicted in the following verses was accomplished, and because some of these were seen, they shall be recorded in the following pages.
486. Verse 1. And when he opened the seventh seal, signifies the prediction respecting the last state of the church. This is evident from the signification of "opening a seal," as being to foretell and manifest the successive states of the church (as above, n. 352, 361, 369, 378, 390, 399); also from the signification of "seventh," as being what is full and consummated (of which above, n. 257, 299), thence also the last, for what is full and consummated is also the last. It is the last state of the church when there is no truth because there is no good, or what is the same, when there is no faith because there is no charity (that then is the last state of the church see in the small work on The Last Judgment 33-39); what took place in this state is predicted in what now follows.
[2] That which took place and is here predicted, occurred in the spiritual world before the judgment; for the state of the church in the spiritual world was then similar to that in the natural world, but under another appearance. In the spiritual world there are societies, distinguished according to the affections of good and truth and their varieties, and each one after death comes into one of these according to his affection. It is not so in the natural world. Because of these distinctions in the spiritual world, the church appears there such as it is on the earth, and the church in the two worlds also makes a one by correspondences. When it was the last state of the church in the spiritual world, all the things that are foretold in what now follows were accomplished; some of these shall be related in the following pages, because they were seen.
486. [Ver. 1.] "Et cum aperuit sigillum septimum." - Quod significet praedictionem de ultimo statu ecclesiae, constat ex significatione "aperire sigillum", quod sit praedictio et manifestatio de successivis statibus ecclesiae (ut supra, n. 352, 361, 369, 378, 390, 399); et ex significatione "septimi", quod sit plenum et consummatum (de qua supra, n. 257, 299), inde quoque ultimum, nam quod plenum et consummatum est, hoc quoque ultimum est. Ultimus status ecclesiae est quando non verum quia non bonum, seu quod idem, quando non fides quia non charitas; (quod tunc ultimus status ecclesiae sit, videatur in opusculo De Ultimo Judicio 33-39); quid in hoc statu factum est, in nunc sequentibus praedicitur.
[2] Id quod factum est, et hic praedicitur, factum est in mundo spirituali ante judicium; nam similis status ecclesiae tunc in mundo spirituali fuit qui in mundo naturali, sed sub alia specie. In mundo spirituali sunt societates, quae distinctae sunt secundum affectiones boni et veri et earum varietates, in quas distincte venit quisque post mortem secundum suam affectionem; non autem in mundo naturali: et quia ita distincti sunt in mundo spirituali, ideo ibi apparet ecclesia qualis est in terris, et quoque ecclesia utrobivis unum agit per correspondentias. Quando in mundo spirituali ultimus status ecclesiae fuit, tunc omnia haec peracta sunt quae in nunc sequentibus praedicuntur; quorum aliqua in sequentibus memoranda sunt, quia visa sunt.