735# “米迦勒同他的使者与龙争战，龙同他的使者也来争战”表示那些为了爱与仁之生活，为了主人身里面的主之神性的人与那些为了唯信或分离之信，反对主人身里面的主之神性的人之间的争战。这从“米迦勒同他的使者”和“龙”的含义清楚可知：“米迦勒同他的使者”是指那些为了主人身里面的主之神性，为了爱与仁之生活的人(对此，我们很快就会谈到)；“龙”是指那些为了与爱和仁的生活分离的唯信，也反对主人身里面的主之神性的人。前面说明(AE 714–716节)，“龙”就表示那些处于与仁分离之信的人，这信被称为唯信。这些人也反对主人身里面的主之神性，也就是反对神性人身，因为那些确认唯信的人大部分是纯属世和感官的；与属灵人分离的属世和感官人对人身里面的神性没有任何概念，因为他们属世和感官地思想主的人身，没有同时出于任何属灵概念来思想；因此，他们思想主的方式与他们思想像他们自己一样的凡人的方式是一样的，他们还教导这一点；因此，在他们的思维观念中，他们将主的神性置于祂的人身之上，从而将这两者，即主的神性和人身彻底分开；尽管他们的教义，也就是亚他那修关于三位一体的教义不是这样教导的，他们仍如此行，因为该教义教导，神性和人性或人身是一个统一的位格，这两者就像灵魂与身体那样为一。让他们当中的任何人自我检查一下，他就会发觉，这就是他们对主的观念。由此清楚可知，与龙争战的“米迦勒同他的使者”是什么意思，即是指那些承认主的神性人身，为了爱与仁之生活的人。因为这些人不能不承认主的神性人身；否则，他们就无法处于任何对主之爱，从而无法处于任何对邻之仁，因为这仁与爱只来自主的神性人身，不来自与祂的人身分离的神性，也不来自与祂的神性分离的人身；因此，在龙及其使者被摔到地上之后，有声音从天上说：我们神的救恩，能力，国度，并祂基督的权柄，现在都来到了(启示录12:10)。由此清楚可知，“米迦勒同他的使者”是什么意思。
具体到米迦勒，人们根据字义认为，他是天使长之一；但天堂里没有天使长。诚然，有高级天使和低级天使，也有智慧的天使和不怎么智慧的天使；天使社群里有管理其他天使的主管，但却没有行使专制的权柄、使其他人服从的天使长。这种管理在天堂没有一席之地，因为在那里，没有人从心里承认任何人高于自己，唯独主除外；这就是主在马太福音中的这些话的意思：
你们不应被称为老师，只有一位是你们的老师，就是基督，你们都是弟兄。不要称呼地上的人为父，因为只有一位是你们在天上的父。你们也不应被称为师傅，因为只有一位是你们的师傅，就是基督。你们中那最大的，该作你们的用人。(马太福音23:8–11)
而圣言所提到的那些天使或使者，如“米迦勒”和“拉斐尔”，是指管理和职能，一般是指所有天使的管理和职能的固定和确定部分，或有限和某个部分；因此，此处“米迦勒”表示前面所说的天使职能的那一部分，即取自圣言的教义的那部分的捍卫，该部分教导，主的人身是神性，人必须过对主之爱和对邻之仁的生活，才可以从主接受救恩。因此，天使职能的那部分意味着与那些将主的神性与人身分离，将信与爱和仁的生活分离争战，事实上，与那些用嘴唇而不是在生活中信奉仁爱的人争战。
此外，在圣言中，“天使或使者”在灵义上不是指天使，而是指来自主的神性真理(参看AE 130, 302节)，因为天使之所以为天使，凭的不是他们自己的东西或他们的自我，而是对来自主的神性真理的接受。天使长也一样，天使长表示这神性真理，如前所述。此外，天堂里的天使没有像世人那样的名字，而是有表达其职能的名字；一般来说，每位天使都有一个照其品质被赐予他的名字；这就是为何在圣言中，“名字”表示事物和状态的品质。米迦勒这个名字从它在希伯来语的起源来说，表示“像神一样的人”；因此，米迦勒表示在这一神性真理方面的主，即：主甚至在人身方面也是神，人必须从主活着，也就是活在来自主的对主之爱中、活在对邻之爱中。但以理书(10:13, 21; 12:1)也提到米迦勒，在那里和在此处一样，米迦勒表示来自圣言的纯正真理，这真理是给那些将属于主要建立的教会之人的；因为“米迦勒”表示那些将支持新耶路撒冷的教义之人，该教义的两个要点是：主的人身是神性，必须过一种爱与仁的生活。
犹大书在这些话中也提到米迦勒：
天使长米迦勒跟魔鬼争辩、为摩西的身体而辩论时，尚且不敢说一句毁谤的话，只说，主责备你吧！(犹大书1:9)
使徒犹大从通过对应所写的古书中引用了这些话，在这些书中，“摩西”是指圣言，他的“身体”是指圣言的字义；由于此处“魔鬼”所指的人与启示录中的“龙”所指的一样，龙也被称为“撒但”和“魔鬼”，所以明显可知，“米迦勒跟魔鬼争辩、为摩西的身体辩论”表示什么，即：这些人歪曲圣言的字义。由于字面上的圣言具有这种性质：恶人能扭曲它，使它偏离它的真正意义，所以古人说(犹大的这些话就是从古人那里引用的)：“米迦勒尚且不敢说一句毁谤的话。”“摩西”在灵义上表示律法，因而表示圣言(可参看《属天的奥秘》，4859e, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 8787, 8805, 9372, 9414, 9419, 9429, 10234, 10563, 10571, 10607, 10614节)。
735. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.- That this signifies combat between those who are for a life of love and charity, and for the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and those who are for faith alone and separated from charity, and who are opposed to the Divine of the Lord in His Human, is evident from the signification of Michael and his angels, as denoting those who are for the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and for a life of love and charity (of which we shall speak presently); and from the signification of the dragon, as denoting those who are for faith alone and separated from the life of love and of charity, and also opposed to the Divine of the Lord in His Human. That those who are in faith separated from charity, which is called faith alone, are meant by the dragon, was shown above (n. 714, 715, 716). The reason why these are also opposed to the Divine of the Lord in His Human, that is the Divine Human, is that most of those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone are merely natural and sensual; and the natural and sensual man, separated from the spiritual, can have no idea of the Divine in the Human. For they think of the Human of the Lord, naturally and sensually, and not at the same time from any spiritual idea; therefore they think of the Lord as of an ordinary man like themselves, and this they also teach; consequently in the idea of their thought they place the Divine of the Lord above His Human, and thus completely separate these two. And they do this although their doctrine, which is the doctrine of Athanasius, concerning the Trinity teaches otherwise, for this teaches that the Divine and Human are united in person, and that these two are one, like the soul and body. Let any one of these examine himself, and he will perceive that such is their idea concerning the Lord.
From these things it is evident what is meant by Michael and his angels, who fought with the dragon, namely, those who acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord and are for a life of love and charity. For such cannot but acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord, because otherwise they could not be in any love to the Lord, nor thus in any charity towards the neighbour, since these are solely from the Lord's Divine Human, and not from the Divine separated from His Human, nor from the Human separated from His Divine; consequently, after the dragon with his angels was cast down unto the earth, a voice out of heaven said, "Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the power (potestas) of His Christ" (verse 10). This makes it clear what is meant by Michael and angels.
[2] In regard to Michael in particular, it is believed from the sense of the letter that he is one of the archangels, but there is no archangel in the heavens. There are indeed higher and lower angels, and also wiser and less wise and in the societies of angels there are governors who are set over the rest, yet there are no archangels who keep others in obedience by the exercise of arbitrary authority. Such government has no place in the heavens, for there no one acknowledges in heart that any one is above himself but the Lord alone; this is meant by these words of the Lord in Matthew:
"Be not ye called teacher, for one is your teacher, the Christ, but all ye are brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for one is your Father who is in the heavens. Neither be ye called master, for one is your Master, the Christ. He that is greatest among you shall be your minister" (23:8-11).
But those angels that are mentioned in the Word, as Michael and Raphael, mean administrations and functions, and, in general, fixed and determined parts of the administration and function of all the angels. So here Michael means that part of the angelic function which was spoken of above, namely, the defending of that part of doctrine from the Word which teaches that the Human of the Lord is Divine, and also that man must live a life of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour in order that he may receive salvation from the Lord. That part of the angelic function is therefore meant which fights against those who separate the Divine from the Human of the Lord, and who separate faith from the life of love and of charity; in fact those who show forth charity with the lips but not with the life.
[3] Moreover, angels, in the Word, in the spiritual sense do not mean angels, but Divine truths from the Lord, as may be seen above (n. 10:13, 21; 12:1), and signifies there as here, genuine truth from the Word, which is for those who will belong to the church to be established by the Lord; for Michael means those who will be in favour of the doctrine of the New Jerusalem, the two essentials of which doctrine are, that the Human of the Lord is Divine, and that a life of love and charity must be lived.
[4] Michael is also mentioned in the Epistle of Jude, in these words:
"When Michael the archangel, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, he durst not utter a sentence of reproach, but said, The Lord rebuke thee" (verse 9).
The apostle Jude quoted these words from ancient books which were written by correspondences, and by Moses in those books the Word was meant, and by his body, the sense of the letter of the Word. And as the same persons are here meant by the devil as are meant in the Apocalypse by the dragon, called also the devil and Satan, it is evident what is signified by Michael, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, namely, that such falsified the sense of the letter of the Word. And because the Word in the letter is of such a nature that the evil can turn it aside from its real meaning, and that nevertheless it can be received by the good according to its true meaning, therefore it was said by the ancient peoples, from whom these words of Jude were received, that "Michael durst not utter a sentence of reproach." That Moses, in the spiritual sense, signifies the law, thus the Word, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 4859 at end, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 8787, 8805, 9372, 9414, 9419, 9429, 10234, 10563, 10571, 10607, 10614).
735. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels, signifies the combat between those who are for the life of love and charity and for the Divine of the Lord in His Human, against those who are for faith alone and faith separate and are against the Divine of the Lord in His Human. This is evident from the signification of "Michael and his angels," as being those who are for the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and for the life of love and charity (of which presently); also from the signification of "the dragon," as being those who are for faith alone and separated from the life of love and charity, and also against the Divine of the Lord in His Human. That those who are in faith separated from charity, which faith is called faith alone, are meant by "the dragon," has been shown above (n. 714-715, 716).
The same are also against the Divine of the Lord in His Human, that is, against the Divine Human, because most of those who have confirmed themselves in faith alone are merely natural and sensual, and the natural and sensual man separated from the spiritual can have no idea of the Divine in the Human, for they think of the Human of the Lord naturally and sensually, and not at the same time from any spiritual idea; therefore they think of the Lord in the same way as they think of an ordinary man altogether like themselves, and this they also teach; consequently in the idea of their thought they set the Divine of the Lord above His Human, and thus they altogether separate those two, namely the Divine and the Human of the Lord; and this they do although their doctrine, which is the doctrine of Athanasius respecting the Trinity, teaches otherwise, for this teaches that the Divine and Human are a united person, and that the two are one like soul and body. Let any one of them examine himself, and he will perceive that such is their idea respecting the Lord. From this it is clear what is meant by "Michael and his angels" who fought with the dragon, namely, those who acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human and are for the life of love and charity, for they who are such cannot do otherwise than acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord, and for the reason that otherwise they could not be in any love to the Lord nor in any charity towards the neighbor thence, since this charity and love are solely from the Lord's Divine Human, and not from a Divine separated from His Human, nor from the Human separated from His Divine; consequently also after the dragon was cast down into the earth with his angels a voice said out of heaven:
Now is come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ (verse 10).
From this it is clear what is meant by "Michael and his angels."
[2] As to Michael in particular, it is believed from the sense of the letter that he is one of the archangels; but there is no archangel in the heavens. There are, indeed, higher and lower angels, also wiser and less wise; and in the societies of angels there are governors who are set over the rest; but yet there are no archangels in obedience to whom others are held by any authority. There is no such government in the heavens, for no one there acknowledges in heart anyone above himself except the Lord only; this is what is meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:
Be not ye called teacher, for one is your Teacher, Christ, but all ye are brethren. And call no man your father on earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens. Neither be ye called masters, for one is your Master, Christ. He that is greatest among you shall be your minister (Matthew 23:8-11).
But by those angels that are mentioned in the Word, as "Michael" and "Raphael," administrations and functions are meant, and in general, limited and certain departments of the administration and function of all the angels; so here "Michael" means that department of angelic function that has been referred to above, namely, the defense of that part of the doctrine from the Word that teaches that the Lord's Human is Divine, and that man must live a life of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbor that he may receive salvation from the Lord, consequently that department of function is meant that is for fighting against those who separate the Divine from the Human of the Lord, and who separate faith from the life of love and charity, and who even profess charity with the lips but not in the life.
[3] Moreover, in the Word "angels" do not mean angels in the spiritual sense, but Divine truths from the Lord (See above, n. Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1, and signifies there like as here the genuine truth from the Word, which will be for those who are of the church to be established by the Lord; for "Michael" means those who will favor the doctrine of the New Jerusalem, the two essentials of which doctrine are, that the Human of the Lord is Divine, and that there must be a life of love and charity.
[4] Michael is also mentioned in the Epistle of Jude in these words:
Michael the archangel, when contending with 1the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not pronounce a sentence of blasphemy, but said, The Lord rebuke thee (Arcana Coelestia 4859 at the end, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 8787, 8805, 9372, 9414, 9419, 9429, 10234, 10563, 10571, 10607, 10614.)
Footnotes:
1. The Latin has "de," which means "about."
735. "Michael et angeli ejus pugnarunt cum dracone, et draco pugnavit et angeli ejus." - Quod significet pugnam inter illos qui pro vita amoris et charitatis sunt, et pro Divino Domini in Humano Ipsius, contra illos qui pro fide sola et separata, et qui contra Divinum Domini in Humano Ipsius sunt, constat ex significatione "Michaelis et angelorum ejus", quod sint qui pro Divino Domini in Humano Ipsius sunt, et pro vita amoris et charitatis (de qua sequitur); et ex significatione "draconis", quod sint qui pro fide sola et separata a vita amoris et charitatis, et quoque contra Divinum Domini in Humano Ipsius: quod illi qui in fide separata a charitate sunt, quae fides vocatur sola fides, intelligantur per "draconem", supra (n. 714, 715, 716) ostensum est: quod etiam iidem sint contra Divinum Domini in Humano Ipsius, hoc est, contra Divinum Humanum, est quia plerique eorum qui se confirmaverunt in sola fide, mere naturales et sensuales sunt; ac naturalis et sensualis, homo separatus a spirituali non aliquam ideam Divini in Humano potest habere, cogitant enim naturaliter et sensualiter de Humano Domini, et non simul ex aliqua idea spirituali; inde est quod de Domino cogitent sicut de vulgari homine sibi ipsis prorsus simili, quod etiam docent; inde est quod Divinum Domini supra Humanum Ipsius in idea cogitationis suae ponant, et sic duo illa, nempe Divinum et Humanum Domini, prorsus separant: et hoc faciunt, tametsi doctrina illorum, quae est Doctrina Athanasii de Trinitate, aliud docet; haec enim docet quod Divinum et Humanum sit unita Persona, ac utrumque unum sicut anima et corpus: consulat quisque eorum semet, et percipiet quod talis eis idea de Domino sit. Ex his constare potest quid intelligitur per "Michaelem et angelos ejus", qui cum dracone pugnarunt; quod nempe illi qui Humanum Domini Divinum agnoscunt, et qui pro vita amoris et charitatis sunt; nam qui pro hac sunt, non possunt aliter quam agnoscere Divinum Humanum Domini, ex causa, quia alioqui non in aliquo amore in Dominum, et inde nec in charitate erga proximum possunt esse; haec enim charitas et ille amor est unice a Divino Humano Domini, et non a Divino separato ab Humano Ipsius, nec ex Humano separato a Divino Ipsius; quare etiam postquam "projectus est draco in terram cum angelis ejus", vox dicta est e caelo,
"Nunc facta est salus, et potentia, et regnum Dei nostri, et potestas Christi Ipsius" (vers. 10).
Ex his constare potest quid per "Michaelem et angelos ejus" intelligitur.
[2] Quod Michaelem in specie concernit; creditur ex sensu litterae quod sit unus ex archangelis; sed non est aliquis archangelus in caelis: sunt quidem angeli superiores et inferiores, tum sapientiores magis et minus; et quoque in societatibus angelorum sunt moderatores reliquis ibi praefecti; sed usque non sunt archangeli, sub quorum obedientia ex aliquo arbitrio stant; tale regimen non datur in caelis, omnes enim ibi non alium supra se corde agnoscunt quam solum Dominum; quod intelligitur per Domini verba apud Matthaeum,
"Vos.. nolite vocari doctor; unus enim est vester Doctor, Christus; omnes autem vos fratres estis. Et patrem ne vocetis vestrum in terra; unus namque est Pater vester qui in caelis est. Neque vocemini magistri; unus enim vester est Magister, Christus. Qui.. maximus est vestrum, erit minister vester" (23:8-11):
per illos autem angelos qui nominantur in Verbo, ut per "Michaelem" et "Raphaelem", intelliguntur administrationes et functiones, et in genere partes determinatae et certae administrationis et functionis omnium angelorum; quare hic per "Michaelem" intelligitur id functionis angelorum quod supra dictum est, nempe defensio illius partis doctrinae ex Verbo quod Humanum Domini Divinum sit, et quoque quod vita amoris in Dominum et charitatis erga proximum vivenda sit, ut alicui sit salus a Domino; consequenter id functionis ut pugnetur contra illos qui separant Divinum ab Humano Domini, et qui fidem separant a vita amoris et charitatis, immo qui charitatem ore ferunt et non vita.
[3] Praeterea per "angelos" in Verbo in spirituali sensu non intelliguntur angeli, sed Divina vera a Domino (videatur supra, n. 130, 302), ex causa quia angeli non sunt angeli ex suo proprio, sed ex receptione Divini Veri a Domino; similiter archangeli, qui illud Divinum Verum significant quod supra dictum est. Etiam angelis in caelis non sunt nomina sicut hominibus in terris, sed sunt illis nomina functionum illorum, et in genere datur cuivis nomen ex quali ejus; inde est quod "nomen" in Verbo significet quale rei et status. Nomen "Michael", ex derivatione ejus in lingua Hebraea, significat, "Quis sicut Deus?" Quare per "Michaelem" significatur Dominus quoad Divinum illud Verum quod Dominus sit Deus etiam quoad Humanum, et quod vivendum sit ab Ipso, ita in amore in Ipsum ab Ipso, et in amore erga proximum. Nominatur etiam Michael apud Danielem (cap. 10:13, 21; 12:1); et per illum ibi significatur genuinum verum ex Verbo, quod pro illis qui ab ecclesia a Domino instauranda, erit; similiter ut hic; nam per "Michaelem" intelliguntur qui pro doctrina Novae Hierosolymae erunt, cujus doctrinae duo essentialia sunt, nempe quod Humanum Domini sit Divinum, et quod vita amoris et charitatis vivenda sit.
[4] Nominatur etiam Michael in Epistola Judae Apostoli, his verbis,
"Michael archangelus, quando 1
cum diabolo disputans coarguit de Mosis corpore, non ausus est sententiam efferre blasphemiae, dixit, Increpet te Dominus" (ver. 9):
haec Judas Apostolus ex libris vetustis, qui per correspondentias conscripti fuerunt, adduxit; et in illis per "Mosen" intellectum est Verbum, et per "ejus corpus" sensus litterae Verbi; et quia illi per "diabolum" intellecti sunt, qui hic in Apocalypsi per "draconem", qui etiam vocatur "satanas" et "diabolus", patet quid significatur per quod "Michael disputans coarguerit diabolum de Mosis corpore", nempe quod sensum litterae Verbi falsificaverint: et quia Verbum in littera tale est, ut e genuino suo sensu a malis detorqueri possit, et tamen a bonis recipi secundum intellectum ejus, ideo dictum est ab antiquis, a quibus illa verba Judae desumpta fuerunt, quod "Michael non ausus sit efferre sententiam blasphemiae."
(Quod "Moses" in sensu spirituali significet Legem, ita Verbum, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 4859 fin. , 5922, 6723, 6752, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 8787, 8805, 9372, 9414, 9419, 2
9429, 10234, 10563, 10571, 10607, 10614.)
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.