720# “把它们摔在地上”表示它们的灭绝和毁灭。这从“摔在地上”的含义清楚可知：“摔在地上”当论及表示来自圣言的真理和良善的知识，因而表示真理的“星辰”时，是指灭绝并毁灭它们，因为当真理被歪曲和玷污时，它们就被灭绝并毁灭了。被歪曲和玷污的真理比来自其它任何源头的虚假都更虚假；事实上，来自其它源头的虚假不会如此灭绝并毁灭真理，因为它们会在自己里面或附近给真理留点空间。来自其它源头的虚假尤指来自无知、谬误和那些没有圣言之人的宗教的虚假。要知道，那些活在邪恶中，却又说自己因有信而得救的人几乎没有任何纯正真理，无论他们从圣言字义中知道并引出多少东西。因为圣言的字义是这样，若不从内层来理解它，它可能会以各种方式被解读，若不从纯正的真理来看待它，它可能会仅仅根据字面被相信，从而照着前面用与太阳的行进和固定作对比所说明的被歪曲。这些人几乎没有任何纯正真理，这一点在灵界一些已经在教义和生活上确认唯信的人身上查明了，结果发现，他们甚至不知道或承认一个纯正真理；天使作了调查，感到很惊讶。这清楚表明，他们已经在自己里面灭绝并毁灭了圣言的真理；这一点由“龙用尾巴拖下天上星辰的第三部分，把它们摔在地上”来表示；但以理书中的公山羊也是如此行的：
公山羊的角渐渐强大，直达天象，将些天象和星宿抛落在地，并践踏它们；它将真理抛在地上。(但以理书8:10, 12)
“天象”表示天堂和教会的一切真理和良善。在马太福音(24:29)，将从天上坠落的众星具有同样的含义
720. And cast them unto the earth.- That this signifies their extinction and destruction is evident from the signification of casting unto the earth, when said of the stars - which signify the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, consequently truths - as denoting to extinguish and destroy them, since truths are extinguished and destroyed when they are falsified and adulterated. Truths falsified and adulterated are greater falsities than those from any other origin; for falsities from any other origin do not thus extinguish and destroy truths, but give some place for them, in or near themselves. By falsities from other sources those especially are meant which arise from ignorance, from fallacies, and from religion with those who do not possess the Word. It must be understood that those who live in evil, and yet say that they are saved because they have faith, have scarcely any genuine truth, however many things they may know and draw forth from the sense of the letter of the Word. For the sense of the letter of the Word is such that, if not interiorly comprehended, it may be explained in different ways, and if not looked at from genuine truths, it may be believed according to the letter only, and thus be falsified, according to what was shown in the preceding article by comparison with the progression and fixedness of the sun. That such have scarcely any genuine truth, was ascertained in regard to some in the spiritual world, who in doctrine and life had confirmed faith alone, who, it was found, did not even know or acknowledge a single genuine truth; the angels made the examination and were surprised. It was therefore evident that they had extinguished and destroyed in themselves the truths of the Word; this then is signified by the dragon drawing down the third part of the stars of heaven with his tail, and casting them unto the earth - as also the he-goat did in Daniel:
The horn of the he-goat of the goats "grew even to the host of the heavens, and cast down of the host to the earth, and of the stars, and trampled them under foot; and it cast truth to the earth" (8:10, 12).
The host (exercitus) of the heavens means all the truths and goods of heaven and of the church. The stars which shall fall from heaven have a similar signification (Matthew 24:29).
720. And cast them unto the earth, signifies their extinction and destruction. This is evident from the signification of "casting to the earth," when said of the "stars" by which is signified the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, thus truths; here it means to extinguish and destroy, for truths are extinguished and destroyed when they are falsified and adulterated. Truths falsified and adulterated are more false than falsities from any other source; for falsities from other sources do not so extinguish and destroy truths, for they give some place to truths in or near themselves. By falsities from other sources, those especially are meant that are from ignorance, from fallacies, and from religion with those who do not have the Word. It is to be known that those who live in evil, and yet say that they are saved because they have faith, have scarcely any genuine truth, however many things they know and draw forth from the sense of the letter of the Word; for the sense of the letter of the Word is such that when it is not comprehended interiorly it may be explained in various ways, and when that sense is not looked at from genuine truths it is believed according to the letter and is falsified, according to what was shown in the preceding article in the comparison with the movement and position of the sun. That such have scarcely any genuine truth was ascertained with some in the spiritual world who had confirmed faith alone by doctrine and life, who it was found did not know and acknowledge a single genuine truth; angels investigated it and were surprised. This showed clearly that they had extinguished and destroyed with themselves the truths of the Word. This, then, is meant by "the dragon drew down the third part of the stars of heaven with his tail, and cast them to the earth;" as the he-goat did also in Daniel:
The horn of the he-goat waxed great even to the host of the heavens, and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the earth and trampled upon them; and it cast down the truth to the earth (Daniel 8:10, 12).
"The host of the heavens" means all the truths and goods of heaven and the church. (The stars that shall fall from heaven have a like signification, Matthew 24:29)
720. "Et projecit illas in terram." - Quod significet exstinctionem et destructionem illarum, constat ex significatione "projicere in terram", cum de "stellis", per quas significantur cognitiones veri et boni ex Verbo, sic veritates, quod sit illas exstinguere et destruere, quoniam vera exstinguuntur et destruuntur quando falsificantur et adulterantur. Vera falsificata et adulterata sunt falsa prae falsis ex alia origine; nam falsa ex alia origine non ita exstinguunt et destruunt vera, dant enim aliquem locum veris in se vel juxta se: per falsa ex alia origine intelliguntur praecipue falsa ex ignorantia, ex fallaciis, et ex religione apud illos quibus non est Verbum. Sciendum est quod 1
illis qui male vivunt, et usque dicunt se salvari quia fidem habent, vix aliquod genuinum verum sit, utcunque plura ex sensu litterae sciunt et depromunt; sensus enim litterae Verbi talis est, ut si non interius comprehendatur, diversimode explicari possit; et si ille sensus non ex genuinis veris spectatur, creditur secundum litteram, et falsificatur, secundum illa quae in mox praecedente articulo per comparationem de solis progressione et statione ostensa sunt. Quod vix aliquod genuinum verum illis sit, compertum est apud quosdam in mundo spirituali, qui solam fidem confirmaverunt doctrina et vita, quod ne quidem unum genuinum verum sciverint et agnoverint; angeli id exploraverunt et mirati sunt. Inde patuit quod vera Verbi apud se exstinxerint et destruxerint. Hoc itaque significatur per quod "draco cauda sua detraxerit tertiam partem stellarum caeli, et projecerit illas in terram"; sicut etiam "hircus caprarum" apud Danielem,
Cornu hirci caprarum "crevit usque ad exercitum caelorum, et dejecit in terram de exercitu, et de stellis, et conculcavit ea; .... et projecit veritatem in terram" (8:10, 12):
per "exercitum caelorum" intelliguntur omnia vera et bona caeli et ecclesiae.
(Simile significatur per stellas quae cadent de caelo, Matth. 24 2
29.)
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.