559# 启9:10.“它们有尾巴像蝎子”表示具有说服性的感官知识或科学。这从“尾巴”和“蝎子”的含义清楚可知：“尾巴”是指感官知识或科学(对此，我们很快就会谈到)；“蝎子”是指令人迷恋和窒息的说服(对此，参看AE 544节)。因此，“像蝎子的尾巴”表示具有说服性的感官知识或科学。“尾巴”表示感官知识或科学，是因为地上的动物所拥有的尾巴，或说从地上的动物身上向外突出的尾巴是被称为脊髓的背部脊椎的延续，这是大脑的延续；而“大脑”和“头”一样，表示聪明和智慧，因为在其初始中的聪明和智慧就居于那里；尾巴因是大脑的终端，故表示感官知识或科学，因为这些是聪明和智慧的终端。
感官知识或科学是指那些通过身体的五种感官从世界进入，由此就本身而言比内层事物更物质、肉体和世俗化的知识或科学。所有处于自我之爱，并确认反对神性和属灵事物的人都是感官人，当独自一人，并在灵里思考时，他们就出于感官知识或科学思想神性和属灵事物，因而认为神性和属灵事物不值得相信而加以弃绝，因为他们用眼看不到它们，或用手摸不到它们；他们运用自己那已经被他们变得感官化和物质化的知识或科学来摧毁它们。例如，具有这种知识或科学，精通物理学、解剖学、植物学和人类学问的其它分支的有学问的人，当在动物或植物界看到奇妙的事物时，心里会说，这一切事物都来自大自然，而不是来自神性，这是因为他们不相信他们无法亲眼看到、亲手摸到的任何事物。事实上，他们不能把自己的心智向上提升，以至于从天堂之光来看这些事物，因为这光对他们来说就是幽暗；相反，他们使自己的心智留在尘世事物中，几乎就像地上的动物；事实上，他们也自比动物。总之，对这些人来说，一切知识(或科学)都变得感官化。因为人自己如何，他的理解力和意愿的一切事物就都如何；如果这个人是属灵的，那么一切事物就都是属灵的；如果他只是属世的，那么一切事物都变得属世，而不是变得属灵；如果这个人是感官的，那么一切事物都是感官的；情况就是这样，无论他在世人面前看上去多么学识渊博。但由于所有人都拥有理解真理和感知良善的官能，所以这些人能出于这种官能像那些属灵-理性的人那样谈论这些事物，尽管就他们的灵而言，他们是感官的；因为当这些人在其他人面前说话时，他们不是从灵，而是从身体记忆说话。
说这一切是为了让人们知道，什么是感官知识或科学。这些知识或科学之所以尤其具有说服性，是因为它们是理解力的终端；事实上，理解力终止于其中，如同终止于它的终端，这些知识或科学迷惑凡夫俗子，因为它们是从诸如他们在世上用眼睛所看到的那类事物中提取出来的表象；只要思维粘附于它们，心智就不可能倾向于从内层或在它们之上思考，直到它们被移除。因为心智的内层事物都终止于终端，并停靠在它们上面，如同房子立于其地基之上；因此，这些感官知识或科学尤其具有说服性，但只对那些心智不能被提升到感官事物之上的人来说是这样。而对那些处于来自主的天堂之光的人来说，心智则被提升到这些事物之上，因为天堂之光驱散它们。因此，属灵人很少出于感官事物来思考，因为他们出于理性和理智的事物来思考；但确认反对神性和属灵事物的虚假的感官人当独自一人时，只出于感官事物思考。
“尾巴”表示感官知识或科学，这一点可从以下经文清楚看出来。以赛亚书：
耶和华必从以色列中剪除头与尾，棕枝与灯草。长老和尊贵人就是头；教导谎言的先知就是尾。(以赛亚书9:14, 15)
这些话表示一切聪明和智慧，以及一切真理的知识(或科学)都将灭亡；“头”表示聪明和智慧，故经上说“长老和尊贵人就是头”，因为“长老”表示对真理的理解，“尊贵人”表示良善的智慧；但“尾”表示感官知识(或科学)，也就是聪明和智慧的终端；当知识或科学没有与属灵的聪明结合时，它就变成虚假的知识，或被用于确认虚假的知识，也就是感官知识，就像从理解力什么都看不见的感官人所拥有的知识。这就是为何“教导谎言的先知”被称为“尾”；“先知”表示真理的教义，因而表示真理的知识(或科学)，但在此表示虚假的教义和知识(或科学)，因为“谎言”表示虚假，“教导谎言的”表示一个通过将来自圣言字义的知识或科学用于确认虚假而教导虚假的人。
同一先知书：
必没有为埃及可以造头或尾，棕枝或灯草的任何工作。(以赛亚书19:15)
“埃及”表示属灵和属世事物的知识(或科学)。“没有为它可以造头或尾，棕枝或灯草的任何工作”表示它既没有属灵事物，也没有确认属灵事物的属世事物；此处“头”表示作为聪明的手段的对属灵事物的认知，“尾”表示作为聪明的手段而服务于属灵事物的属世知识(或科学)；“棕枝和灯草”具有相似的含义，“棕枝”是指属灵真理，“灯草”是指感官知识或科学，也就是终端真理；因为如果在先之物和在后之物，或首先之物和末后之物不在人里面构成一体，他就没有“头和尾”。
摩西五经：
你若听从你神的诫命，耶和华就必使你作头不作尾；你必只在上不在下。(申命记28:13)
“使(你)作头”表示使(人)变得属灵和聪明，由此从世界之光提升到天堂之光；“使(你)作尾”表示使(人)变得感官和愚蠢，以至于不仰望天堂，只注视世界；故经上说“你必只在上不在下”，“在上”表示被主提升，以至于仰望天堂，“在下”表示不被主提升，而是被自我提升，人凭自我只注视世界。当人处于生活的良善，由此处于教义的真理时，属于他的思维和情感的心智内层就被主提升到天堂；但当他处于生活的邪恶，由此处于虚假时，他的低层事物就向下看，因而只注视他的身体和诸如世界上的那类事物，从而注视地狱。人就这样脱去了他真正的人性，披上兽性，因为兽向下看，只注视诸如它们在世界上和地上所遇到的那类事物。被主提升到天堂之光是人的内层向主的一种实际提升；下陷或降低到诸如在眼睛之下和之外的那类事物，则是内层的一种实际下陷和降低，当这种情况发生时，灵的一切思维就都沉浸于终端感官层。
摩西五经：
在你中间寄居的，上升高过你，高而又高，你必下降，低而又低。他必借给你，你却不能借给他；他必作头，你必作尾。(申命记28:43, 44)
这些话必须也这样来理解。“作头”表示是属灵和聪明的，“作尾”表示是感官和愚蠢的；因此，经上补充说“他必借给你，你却不能借给他”，这句话表示他可以教导你真理，但你却不可以教导他。
以赛亚书：
对他说，你要谨慎安静；不要害怕，不要因利汛和利玛利的儿子亚兰所发的烈怒，以及冒烟的燃木的两条尾巴而心里胆怯。(以赛亚书7:4)
“利汛和亚兰”表示扭曲的理性层，以色列王“利玛利的儿子”，也叫“以法莲”，表示扭曲的理解力或智力；“以色列王”和“以法莲”表示在圣言方面的理解力或智力；“利汛和亚兰”表示在知识(或科学)方面的理性层，因为人若要拥有对圣言的理解，就必须拥有一个理性层。当这两者被扭曲时，它们只向下注视大地，向外注视世界，如处于邪恶之虚假的感官人所行的那样；因此，他们被称为“尾巴”。“冒烟的燃木”表示对虚假的欲望，以及由此而来的对教会真理和良善的愤怒。
摩西五经：
耶和华对摩西说，伸出手来捉住蛇的尾巴。他就伸出手来，捉住它，它在他手中变成杖。(出埃及记4:4)
此处“尾巴”也表示感官层，也就是属世层的终端(可参看《属天的奥秘》，6951–6955节)。由于“尾巴”表示聪明和智慧的终端，也就是感官知识(或科学)，并且祭祀的一切过程或细节都表示属天和属灵的神性事物，或说神性属天和属灵事物，所以经上吩咐，他们要取下靠近背部脊骨处的尾巴，把它与那里所提到的其它部位一起献祭(利未记3:9; 8:25; 9:19; 出埃及记29:22)。燔祭和祭物表示神性属天和属灵事物，或说属天和属灵的神性事物，也就是教会的内在，敬拜由这些事物构成(参看《属天的奥秘》，2180, 2805, 2807, 3830, 3519, 6905, 8936节)。由于“尾巴”表示感官知识或科学，当这些知识或科学与属灵的内层事物分离，也就是说，不与内层事物一起向内向上看，而是向外向下看时，“尾巴”表示被知识或科学确认的虚假，所以在启示录接下来的部分，就是论述来自这个源头的虚假的地方，经上说：
在异象中所看到的马的尾巴像蛇，并且有头用来伤害。(启示录9:19)
后来：
那龙用他的尾巴拖拉着天上星辰的第三部分，把它们摔在地上。(启示录12:3, 4)
关于这些事物，可参看下面的解释。
559. And they had tails like unto scorpions.- That this signifies sensual scientifics, which are persuasive, is evident from the signification of tails, as denoting sensual scientifics, concerning which in what follows; and from the signification of scorpions, as denoting things persuasive, infatuating, and suffocating (see above, n. 544). Hence tails like unto scorpions signify sensual scientifics, which are persuasive. Tails signify sensual scientifics, because the tails which the animals of the earth have, are continuations of the spine of the back, which is called the spinal marrow, and this is a continuation of the brain, and the brain like the head, signifies intelligence and wisdom, because intelligence and wisdom reside there in their beginnings, and because tails are the ultimates of it, they signify sensual scientifics, for these are the ultimates of intelligence and wisdom.
[2] Sensual scientifics are those scientifics which enter from the world through the five senses of the body, and hence, viewed in themselves, are material, corporeal, and worldly, as compared with those which are more interior. All those who are in the love of self, and have confirmed themselves against Divine and spiritual things, are sensual men, and when they think in their spirit, as is the case when they are left to themselves, they think concerning things Divine and spiritual things from sensual scientifics, and therefore they reject Divine and spiritual things as not worthy of belief, because they do not see them with their eyes, or touch them with their hands, and they apply their own scientifics, which they have made sensual and material, for the purpose of destroying them.
Take for example, learned men of this kind who are skilled in natural philosophy, anatomy, botany, and the other branches of human learning; when such persons see the wonderful things that exist in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, they say in their hearts that all these things are from nature, and not from the Divine, because they believe in nothing but what they can see with their eyes, and touch with their hands. For they cannot raise their minds, and thus see those things from the light of heaven, this light being thick darkness to them, but they keep their minds fixed on earthly things, almost like the animals of the earth, with which they also compare themselves. In a word, with such persons, all knowledges (scientiae) become sensual. For as is the man himself, such are all things pertaining to his understanding and will. If the man is spiritual, all things become spiritual; if he is only natural, all things become natural and not spiritual; if he is sensual, all things become sensual, and this is the case, however learned and scholarly he may appear to be before the world. But since all men have the faculty of understanding truths and perceiving goods, they are able to speak, by virtue of this faculty, as though they were spiritual-rational, but still they are sensual as to the spirit, for when such persons speak before the world, they do so not from the spirit, but from the memory which pertains to the body. These things are stated in order that it may be known what sensual scientifics are.
[3] The reason why these are exceedingly persuasive is, that they are the ultimates of the understanding; for the understanding terminates therein, as in its ultimates, and these captivate the vulgar, because they are appearances arising from such things as they see with their eyes in the world; and as long as the thought adheres in them, the mind cannot be disposed to think interiorly or above them, until they are removed. For the interior things of the mind all terminate in ultimates, and rest upon them as a house upon its foundation, wherefore [sensual scientifics] are exceedingly persuasive, but only in the case of those whose minds cannot be elevated above sensual things. But with those who are in the light of heaven from the Lord, the mind is elevated above these things, and the light of heaven dissipates them. Spiritual men therefore rarely think from sensual things, for they think from things rational and intellectual, while sensual men, who have confirmed themselves in falsities against things divine and spiritual, think only from things sensual when they are left to themselves.
[4] That tails signify sensual scientifics, is evident from the following passages.
Thus in Isaiah:
"Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush. The old man and honourable, he is the head; but the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail" (9:14, 15).
These words mean that all intelligence and wisdom are about to perish, and all the knowledge (scientia) of truth. By the head are signified intelligence and wisdom, therefore it is said, "the old man and honourable, he is the head," for an old man signifies the intelligence of truth, and the honourable, the wisdom of good. But by the tail is signified sensual knowledge (scientificum), which is the ultimate of intelligence and wisdom; when this is not conjoined with spiritual intelligence, it becomes false knowledge, or knowledge applied to confirm falsities, which is sensual knowledge like that of the sensual man, who sees nothing from the understanding. Hence the prophet that teacheth a lie is called the tail; for a prophet signifies the doctrine of truth, and therefore the knowledge (scientia) of truth, but in this case the doctrine and knowledge (scientia) of falsity. For a lie signifies falsity, and the teacher of a lie, him who teaches falsity by applying scientifics from the sense of the letter of the Word to confirm falsities.
[5] Again, in the same prophet:
"Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which may make the head and tail, branch and rush" (19:15).
Here Egypt signifies the knowledge (scientia) of both spiritual and natural things. By there being no work for it which may make the head and tail, is signified, that it possesses neither spiritual things, nor natural things that confirm the spiritual, the head there denoting the cognitions of spiritual things by means of which comes intelligence, and the tail denoting natural scientifics, which are serviceable to spiritual things as means of intelligence. Similar things are signified by the branch and the rush, the branch denoting spiritual truth, and the rush, the sensual scientific, which is ultimate truth; for if the prior and the posterior, or the first and ultimate, do not make one in man, then he has not the head and the tail.
[6] So in Moses:
"Thus Jehovah shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath, if that thou hearken unto the commandments of thy God" (Deuteronomy 28:13).
"To make the head" signifies to make [a man] spiritual and intelligent, so that he may be elevated out of the light of the world into the light of heaven; and to make the tail, denotes to make [a man] sensual and foolish, so that he looks not to heaven but to the world; therefore it is said, "and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath." To be above denotes to be elevated by the Lord so as to look to heaven, and to be beneath denotes not to be elevated by the Lord, but from self, and man from self looks only to the world. For the interiors of man which pertain to thought and affection are raised to heaven by the Lord, when he is in good of life and thence in truths of doctrine, but if he is in evil of life, and consequently in falsities, then lower things look downwards, thus only to his own body and to such things as are in the world, and thus to hell, whence he puts off the nature which is truly human, and puts on the nature of a beast; for beasts look downwards, and to such things only as they meet with in the world and upon the earth. Elevation into the light of heaven by the Lord is an actual elevation of the interiors of man to the Lord, and depression or casting down to such things as are beneath and outside of the eyes, is an actual depression and casting down of the interiors, and when this is the case, then all the thought of his spirit is immersed in the ultimate Sensual.
[7] Again, in Moses:
"The sojourner who is in the midst of thee shall ascend high above thee more and more, but thou shalt descend downwards more and more. He shall lend to thee, but thou shalt not lend to him; he shall be the head, but thou shalt be the tail" (Deuteronomy 28:43, 44).
These words must be similarly understood. To be the head signifies to be spiritual and intelligent, and to be the tail signifies to be sensual and foolish; therefore it is also said, "he shall lend to thee, but thou shalt not lend to him," by which is signified, that he shall teach thee truths, but thou shalt not teach him.
[8] So in Isaiah:
"Say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted, for the two tails of smoking fire-brands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah" (7:4).
Rezin and Syria signify the Rational perverted, and the son of Remaliah the king of Israel, also called Ephraim, signifies the Intellectual perverted. It is the Intellectual in relation to the Word that is signified by the king of Israel and by Ephraim, while it is the Rational in relation to confirmatory knowledges (scientiae) that is signified by Rezin and Syria. For a man must have a Rational in order that he may understand the Word. When these two are perverted, they look only downwards to the earth, and outward to the world, as sensual men do who are in the falsities of evil; therefore they are called tails. A smoking fire-brand signifies the lust (concupiscentia) of falsity, and thence wrath against the truths and goods of the church.
[9] So again, in Moses:
"Jehovah said unto Moses, Put forth thy hand, and take the serpent by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand" (Exodus 4:4).
That here also by tail is meant the Sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural, may be seen in the Leviticus 3:9; 8:25; 9:19; Exodus 29:22). That the burnt-offerings and sacrifices signified celestial and spiritual Divine things, which are the internals of the church, and from which worship is performed, may be seen in the 9:19); and afterwards that the dragon drew with his tail the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them upon the earth (12:3, 4). These things may be seen explained below.
559. Verse 10. And they had tails like scorpions, signifies sensual knowledges [scientifica] that are persuasive. This is evident from the signification of "tails," as meaning sensual knowledges [scientifica] (of which presently); and from the signification of "scorpions," as being an infatuating and suffocating persuasiveness (of which see above, n. 544; therefore "tails like scorpions" signify sensual knowledges which are persuasive. "Tails" signify sensual knowledges because the tails that protrude outwardly from animals of the earth are the continuations of the spinal cord, which is called the spinal marrow, and this is a continuation of the brain, and the "brain" in like manner as the "head," signifies intelligence and wisdom, because intelligence and wisdom in their beginnings have their seat there; and as tails are the ultimates of the brain they signify sensual knowledges, since these are the ultimates of intelligence and wisdom.
[2] Sensual knowledges are such knowledges as enter from the world through the five bodily senses, and thence viewed in themselves are more material, corporeal, and worldly than those that are interior. All who are in the love of self and have confirmed themselves against Divine and spiritual things are sensual men, and when they are left to themselves and think in their spirit, they think about Divine and spiritual things from sensual knowledges, and consequently they reject Divine and spiritual things as not to be believed, because they do not see them with their eyes or touch them with their hands; and they apply their knowledges, which they have made sensual and material, to the destruction of these. For example, men who are learned in this kind of knowledge, who are skilled in physics, anatomy, botany, and other branches of human learning, when they see the wonderful things in the animal and vegetable kingdoms say in their hearts that all these things are from nature, and not from the Divine, and this because they believe in nothing that they do not see with their eyes and touch with their hands; for they are unable to elevate their minds upward so as to see these things from the light of heaven, for that light is thick darkness to them; but they detain their minds in earthly things, much the same as the animals of the earth do, with which indeed they compare themselves. In a word, with such all knowledges [scientiae] are made sensual; for such as the man himself is, such are all things of his understanding and will; if the man is spiritual all things become spiritual; if he is merely natural all things become natural and not spiritual; if the man is sensual all things become sensual, and this however learned and erudite he may seem to the world to be. But as every man has the faculty to understand truths and perceive goods, such men are able from that faculty to talk about these things like those who are spiritual-rational, although in respect to their spirit they are sensual; for when such men speak before others they do not speak from the spirit but from the bodily memory.
[3] All this has been said to make known what sensual knowledges are. These are what especially persuade, or are especially persuasive, because they are the ultimates of the understanding; for into these as into its ultimates the understanding closes, and these captivate the common people because they are appearances drawn from such things as they see in the world with their eyes; and so long as the thought clings to these it is impossible to dispose the mind to think interiorly or above them until they are put away; for the interior things of the mind all close into ultimates and rest upon them, as a house upon its foundation; consequently these are especially persuasive, but only with those whose minds cannot be elevated above sensual things; and the mind is elevated above them with those who are in the light of heaven from the Lord, for the light of heaven dissipates them. For this reason spiritual men rarely think from things sensual, for they think from things rational and intellectual; but sensual men, who have confirmed themselves in falsities against Divine and spiritual things, when they are left to themselves think only from sensual things.
[4] That "tails" signify sensual knowledges [scientifica] can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:
Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush. The old man and the honorable, he is the head; but the prophet, the teacher of lies, he is the tail (Isaiah 9:14, 9:16).
This means that all intelligence and wisdom and all knowledge [scientia] of truth will perish; the "head" signifies intelligence and wisdom, wherefore it is said "the old man and the honorable, he is the head," for the "old man" signifies the understanding of truth, and the "honorable" the wisdom of good; but the "tail" signifies sensual knowledge [scientificum], which is the ultimate of intelligence and wisdom; when this is not joined to spiritual intelligence it becomes false knowledge, or knowledge applied to confirm falsities, which is sensual knowledge, like that of the sensual man who sees nothing from the understanding. This is why "the prophet who teacheth lies" is called the "tail," a "prophet" signifying the doctrine of truth, and thence the knowledge of truth, but here doctrine and the knowledge of falsity, for a "lie" signifies falsity, and the "teacher of a lie" one who teaches falsity by applying knowledges from the sense of the letter of the Word to confirm falsities.
[5] In the same:
Neither shall there be for Egypt any work that may make head or tail, branch or rush (Isaiah 19:15).
"Egypt" signifies knowledge [scientia] both of spiritual and of natural things; "no work for it that may make head or tail" signifies that it has no spiritual things, neither natural things by which spiritual things are confirmed, the "head" signifies here the cognitions of spiritual things which are means of intelligence, and the "tail" natural knowledges [scientifica] which are serviceable to things spiritual for intelligence; "branch and rush" have a similar signification, "branch" being spiritual truth, and "rush" sensual knowledge, which is ultimate truth; for if what is prior and what is posterior, or what is first and what is last, do not make one in man, he has no "head and tail."
[6] In Moses:
Thus Jehovah shall make thee as the head, and not as the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath, if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of thy God (Deuteronomy 28:13).
"To make as the head" means to make spiritual and intelligent, and thus to elevate out of the light of the world into the light of heaven; and "to make as the tail" means to make sensual and foolish, so as not to look to heaven but only to the world; therefore it is said "and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath," "to be above" meaning to be elevated by the Lord so as to look to heaven, and "to be beneath" meaning not to be elevated by the Lord, but by self, and man by self looks only to the world. For man's interiors which belong to his thought and affection are elevated to heaven by the Lord when man is in the good of life and thence in the truths of doctrine; but when he is in the evil of life and thence in falsities, his lower things look downward, thus only to his body and to such things as are in the world, and thus to hell. Thus man puts off his truly human nature and puts on a beastly nature, for beasts look downward and to such things only as are met with in the world and upon the earth. Elevation into the light of heaven by the Lord is an actual elevation of man's interiors to the Lord; and a depression or casting down to such things as are below and outside the eyes is an actual depression and casting down of the interiors, and when this takes place, all the thought of the spirit is immersed in the ultimate sensual.
[7] In Moses:
The sojourner who is in the midst of thee shall ascend above thee higher and higher, but thou shalt come down lower and lower. He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him; he shall be as the head, and thou shalt be as the tail (Deuteronomy 28:43, 44).
This must have a like meaning; "to be as the head" signifying to be spiritual and intelligent, and "to be as the tail" to be sensual and stupid; therefore it is added "he shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him," which signifies that he shall teach thee truths, but thou shalt not teach him.
[8] In Isaiah:
Say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither let thine heart be soft because of the two tails of smoking firebrands, for the glowing anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah (Isaiah 7:4).
"Rezin and Syria" signify the perverted rational, and "the son of Remaliah," king of Israel, who is also called "Ephraim," signifies the perverted intellectual; it is the intellectual in respect to the Word that is signified by "the king of Israel" and "Ephraim;" and it is the rational in respect to the knowledges [scientiae] that confirm that is signified by "Rezin and Syria," for a man in order to have an understanding of the Word must have a rational, and when these two are perverted they look only downward to the earth, and outward to the world, as sensual men do who are in the falsities of evil; therefore they are called "tails." A "smoking firebrand" signifies the lust of falsity and consequent wrath against the truths and goods of the church.
[9] In Moses:
Jehovah said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand and take hold of the tail of the serpent. And he put forth his hand and took hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand (Exodus 4:4).
That here, too, "tail" means the sensual which is the ultimate of the natural may be seen in the Leviticus 3:9; 8:25; 9:19; Exodus 29:22).
(That the burnt-offerings and sacrifices signified Divine celestial and spiritual things, which are the internals of the church, of which worship consists, see Revelation 9:19).
And afterwards:
That the dragon with his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth (Revelation 12:3, 4);
which things may be seen explained below.
559. [Vers. 10.] "Et habebant caudas similes scorpiis." - Quod significet scientifica sensualia quae persuasiva, constat ex significatione "caudarum", quod sint scientifica sensualia, de qua sequitur; et ex significatione scorpiorum, quod sint persuasiva infatuantia et suffocantia (de qua supra, n. 544); inde "caudae similes scorpiis" significant scientifica sensualia quae persuasiva.
Quod "caudae" significent scientifica sensualia, est quia caudae, quae exporrectae exstant apud animalia terrae, sunt continuationes spinae dorsi quae medulla spinalis vocatur, et haec est continuatio cerebri, ac per cerebrum" significatur intelligentia et sapientia similiter ac per "caput", ex causa quia intelligentia et sapientia ibi in suis principiis resident; et quia caudae sunt ultima ejus, ideo per illas significantur scientifica sensualia, haec enim sunt ultima intelligentiae et sapientiae.
[2] Scientifica sensualia sunt illa scientifica quae ex mundo per quinque sensus corporis intrant, et inde in se spectata sunt prae interiorioribus materialia, corporea et mundana. Omnes illi qui in amore sui sunt, et se confirmaverunt contra Divina et spiritualia, sensuales homines sunt; et cum sibi relicti in spiritu suo cogitant, de Divinis et spiritualibus ex scientificis sensualibus cogitant; et inde Divina et spiritualia rejiciunt sicut non credenda, quia illa non oculis vident et manibus tangunt; et scientifica sua, quae sensualia et materialia fecerunt, applicant ad destruenda illa. Sint pro exemplo, ex illo genere eruditi, qui physica, anatomica, hortulana, et plura quae eruditionis humanae sunt, norunt; cum vident mirabilia in regno animali et in regno vegetabili, dicunt corde quod illa omnia sint ex Natura, et non a Divino, et hoc ex causa quia non credunt nisi quae oculis vident et manibus tangunt; non enim possunt elevare mentes suas sursum, et sic videre illa e luce caeli, haec enim lux illis est caligo; sed detinent mentes in terrestribus, similiter paene sicut animalia terrae, cum, quibus etiam ipsi se comparant. Verbo, sunt apud tales omnes scientiae factae sensuales; qualis enim ipse homo est, talia sunt omnia quae intellectus et voluntatis ejus sunt: si homo spiritualis est, fiunt omnia spiritualia; si homo modo naturalis est, fiunt omnia naturalia et non spiritualia; si homo sensualis est, fiunt omnia sensualia; et hoc utcunque apparuerint coram mundo eruditi et docti. Sed quia unicuivis homini est facultas intelligendi vera et percipiendi bona, possunt illi ex ea facultate illa loqui sicut rationales spirituales, sed usque sunt sensuales quoad spiritum; nam talis, cum coram mundo loquitur, non ex spiritu sed ex memoria corporis loquitur.
[3] Haec allata sunt ut sciatur quid sunt scientifica sensualia. Quod haec maxime persuadeant, seu maxime persuasiva sint, est quia ultima intellectus sunt; intellectus enim in illa ut in sua ultima desinit, quae captant vulgus, quia sunt apparentiae ex talibus quae in mundo vident per oculos; et quamdiu cogitatio illis inhaeret, mens non potest disponi ad cogitandum interius aut supra illa, priusquam remota sunt; nam interiora quae mentis sunt, omnia desinunt in ultima, ac illis innituntur sicut domus suo fundamento: quapropter maxime persuadent, sed solum illis quorum mens non elevari potest super sensualia; et mens supra illa elevatur apud illos qui in luce caeli sunt a Domino, et lux caeli discutit illa. Inde spirituales homines raro ex sensualibus cogitant, cogitant enim ex rationalibus et intellectualibus; at sensuales homines, qui confirmaverunt se in falsis contra Divina et spiritualia, dum sibi relicti sunt, non cogitant nisi ex sensualibus.
[4]): per haec intelligitur quod peritura sit omnis intelligentia et sapientia, et quod omnis scientia veri: per "caput" significatur intelligentia et sapientia; quare dicitur "senex et honoratus caput", "senex" enim significat intelligentiam veri, et "honoratus" sapientiam boni: per "caudam" autem significatur scientificum sensuale, quod est ultimum intelligentiae et sapientiae; hoc quando non conjunctum est cum intelligentia spirituali, fit scientificum falsum, seu scientificum applicatum ad confirmandum falsa, quod est scientificum senSuale, quale est sensuali homini qui nihil ex intellectu videt: inde est quod "propheta qui docet mendacium" dicatur "cauda", per "prophetam" enim significatur doctrina veri, et inde scientia veri; hic autem doctrina et scientia falsi, nam "mendacium" significat falsum, et" doctor mendacii "illum qui docet falsum applicando scientifica ex sensu litterae Verbi ad confirmandum falsa.
[5] Apud eundem,
"Non erit Aegypto opus quod faciat caput et caudam, ramum et juncum" (19:15):
per "Aegyptum" significatur scientia tam spiritualium quam naturalium; quod "non ei opus quod faciat caput et caudam" significat quod non ei spiritualia, nec naturalia quae confirmant spiritualia; "caput" significat ibi cognitiones spiritualium per quas intelligentia, et "cauda" scientifica naturalia quae inserviunt spiritualibus pro intelligentia; similia per "ramum et juncum" significantur, per "ramum" verum spirituale, et per "juncum" scientificum sensuale, quod verum ultimum: si enim prius et posterius, seu primum et ultimum, non faciunt unum apud hominem, tunc non ei est "caput et cauda."
[6] Apud Mosen,
"Ita dabit Jehovah te in caput, et non in caudam; ut sis tantum sursum, non autem sis deorsum, quando obediveris praeceptis [Jehovae,] Dei tui" (Deuteronomius 28:13):
"dare in caput" est facere spiritualem et intelligentem, ut elevetur e luce mundi in lucem caeli; et "dare in caudam" est facere sensualem et stultum, ut non spectet ad caelum sed ad mundum; quare dicitur "ut sis tantum sursum, non autem deorsum": "esse sursum" est elevari a Domino ut spectet ad caelum, et "esse deorsum" est non elevari a Domino, sed ex se; et ex se spectat homo solum ad mundum: interiora enim hominis, quae ejus cogitationis et affectionis sunt, sursum ad caelum elevantur a Domino cum homo est in bono vitae et inde in veris doctrinae; si autem est in malo vitae et inde in falsis, tunc inferiora ejus spectant deorsum, ita solum ad suum corpus et ad illa quae in mundo sunt, et sic ad infernum: inde exuit naturam vere humanam, et induit naturam ferinam; nam ferae spectant deorsum, et solum ad illa quae in, mundo et super terra obvia sunt. Elevatio in lucem caeli a Domino est actualis elevatio interiorum hominis ad Dominum; et depressio seu dejectio ad illa quae infra et extra oculos sunt, est actualis interiorum depressio et dejectio; et cum haec est, tunc omnis cogitatio spiritus ejus est immersa sensuali ultimo.
[7] Apud eundem,
"Peregrinus, qui in medio tui est, ascendet supra te sursum magis magisque, tu vero descendes deorsum magis magisque: ille mutuo tibi dabit, tu vero non dabis mutuo illi; ille erit in caput, tu autem eris in caudam (Deutr. 28:43, 44):
similiter haec intelligenda sunt; per "esse in caput" significatur esse spiritualis et intelligens, et per "esse in caudam" est esse sensualis et stultus; quare etiam dicitur, quod "ille dabit mutuo tibi, et non tu illi", per quod significatur quod ille docebit te vera, non autem tu illum.
[8] Apud Esaiam,
"Dic ad eum, Cave tibi et quietus esto, ne time, et cor tuum [ne] mollescat propter duas caudas titionum fumantium, propter excandescentiam Rezini et Syriae ac filii Remaliae" (7:4):
per "Rezinum et Syriam" significatur rationale perversum, et per "filium Remaliae" regem Israelis, qui etiam "Ephraim" vocatur, intellectuale perverSum; intellectuale quod "rex Israelis" et "Ephraim" significat, est quoad Verbum; et rationale quod "Rezinus" et "Syria" significant, est quoad scientias quae confirmant; nam homini, ut intellectus Verbi ei sit, erit etiam ei rationale; haec duo cum perversa sunt, spectant modo deorsum ad terram, et extrorsum ad mundum, ut faciunt sensuales qui in falsis mali sunt; ideo vocantur "caudae": "titio fumans" significat concupiscentiam falsi, et inde excandescentiam contra vera et bona ecclesiae.
[9] Apud Mosen,
"Dixit Jehovah ad Mosen, Mitte manum tuam et prehende caudam serpentis; et misit manum suam et prehendit eum, et factus est in baculum in vola ejus" (Exodus 4:3, 4):
quod hic quoque per "caudam" intelligatur sensuale quod est naturalis ultimum, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, (n. 6951-6955). Quoniam per "caudas" significantur ultima intelligentiae et sapientiae, quae sunt scientifica sensualia, et quoniam omnes processus circa sacrificia significabant Divina caelestia et spiritualia, ideo etiam
Mandatum fuit ut caudam juxta spinam dorsi removerent, et quoque illam, cum reliquis quae memorantur, sacrificarent (Leviticus 3:9; 8:25; 9:19; Exod 29:22).
(Quod holocausta et sacrificia significaverint Divina caelestia et spiritualia, quae sunt interna ecclesiae, ex quibus cultus, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519, 6905, 8936.) Quia per "caudas" significantur scientifica sensualia, quae dum separata sunt ab interioribus quae sunt spiritualia, proinde cum non cum interioribus spectant introrsum et sursum sed extrorsum et deorsum, significant falsa confirmata per scientifica, ideo etiam in sequentibus in Apocalypsi, ubi agitur de falsis ex illa origine, dicitur
Quod caudae equorum, qui visi in visione, essent similes serpentibus, habentes capita quibus laedunt (cap. 9:19);
et postea,
Quod draco cauda sua traxerit tertiam partem stellarum caeli, et projecerit in terram (Apocalypsis 12:3 [, 4])
(quae infra explicata videantur).