78# “像死了一样”表示自我生命的断绝。这从“像死了一样”的含义清楚可知，当论及神性与人的同在时，“像死了一样”是指自我生命的断绝；事实上，人的自我生命就是他生在其中的生命，这生命本身无非是邪恶，因为它完全颠倒了，只关注自己和世界，从而背离神和天堂。不是人的自我生命的生命是当人正被主重生时，他被引入的生命；当进入这种生命时，他首先关注神和天堂，其次关注自我和世界。当主同在时，这生命就流入人；由此清楚可知，这生命流入到何等程度，就在何等程度上实现生命的转向。这种转向当突然实现时，就会使人觉得自己像死了一样；正因如此，“像死了一样”在此表示自我生命的断绝。但这两种生命状态无法被如此描述，以至于让人明白。此外，它们与一个世人同在，不同于与一个灵人同在；并且它们与恶人同在和与善人同在也完全不同。
人不可能在神性面前活在肉身；那些如此活着的人被天使的柱子围住了，这柱子缓和神性流注；因为每个人的肉身都不能接受神性，因此它会死亡并脱去。人在神性面前不能活在肉身，这一点从主对摩西说的话可以看出来：
你不能看见我的面，因为人看见我不能存活。(出埃及记33:20)
因此，摩西渴望看见祂，于是被放在磐石穴中被遮盖，直到主经过。此外，古人也知道，人不能看见神而存活，这从士师记明显看出来：
玛挪亚对他的妻子说，我们必要死，因为看见了神。(士师记13:22)
当主从西乃山上被看到时，这一点也证明给以色列人；对此，摩西五经上如此记着说：
到第三天要预备好了，因为第三天耶和华要在众百姓眼前降临在西乃山上。你要在四围给百姓定界限，说，你们当谨慎，不可上山去，也不可摸山的边界；凡摸这山的，必死。因恐惧抓住他们，他们就对摩西说，求你和我们说话，我们必听，不要神和我们说话，恐怕我们死亡。(出埃及记19:11–12; 20:19)
“西乃山”表示天堂，就是主所在的地方，“摸”表示传递、转移和接受；因此，摸那山的边界是禁止的，这一点可参看《属天的奥秘》对这些章节的解释。
许多人看见过耶和华，如圣言所记载的，但这是因为当时他们被灵人的柱子围住了，从而得以保存，如前所述。我也以这种方式在不同的时间看见过主。但在神性同在面前，灵人的状态不同于世人的状态；灵人不会死亡；因此，他们若是恶的，就会在神性同在时经历一种属灵的死亡，这种死亡的性质很快就会得到描述；但善人会被带到各个社群，神性同在的气场在那里得到缓和，并适合接受。这就是为何天堂有三层，并且每层天堂都有许多社群，那些在高层天堂的人离主更近，那些在低层天堂的人离主更远(参看《天堂与地狱》，20–28, 29–40, 41–50, 206–209节)。有必要阐述属灵的死亡就是恶灵在神性同在时所经历的那种死亡。属灵的死亡就是转身离开并远离主。然而，当恶灵还没有荒废，也就是还没有固定在他们的主导爱中时，他们进入任何社群都会因主的神性在那里同在而受到可怕的折磨，不仅转身离开，还把自己扔到没有天堂之光进入的深处；有些人则进入黑暗的岩石洞穴；总之，就是进入地狱(对此，参看《天堂与地狱》的说明，54, 400, 410, 510, 525, 527节)。这种转身离开并远离主就被称为属灵死亡；对他们来说，天堂的属灵一面也是死的。
78. As dead. That this signifies the failing of his own life, is evident from the signification of as dead, when the Divine presence with man is treated of, as being the failing of one's own life. For a man's own life is that into which he is born, which in itself is nothing but evil, for it is altogether inverted, regarding only itself and the world, and therefore turning itself backwards from God and from heaven. The life which is not man's own, is that into which he is led when he is regenerated by the Lord; and when he comes into this life, he looks to God and heaven in the first place, and himself and the world in the second. This life flows into man when the Lord is present; hence it is clear, that, so far as it flows in, so far there is effected a turning of the life; this turning, when it is effected suddenly, causes man to appear to himself as dead; hence it is that by these words is signified the failing of his own life. But these two states cannot be described to the apprehension; they are different also with man from what they are with a spirit, and they differ altogether with the evil and with the good.
[2] It is impossible for man to live in the body in the presence of the Divine; and they who do live are surrounded with a column of angels, which moderates the Divine influx; for the body of no man whatever is capable of receiving of the Divine, therefore it dies and is cast off. That man cannot live in the body in the presence of the Divine, is evident from the words of the Lord to Moses, "Thou canst not see my face; for there shall no man see me, and live" (Exodus 33:20); therefore Moses, because he desired to see Him, was placed in the hole of a rock, and covered until the Lord had passed by. It was known also to the ancients that man could not see God and live, as is evident from the book of Judges: "Manoah said unto his wife, Dying we shall die, because we have seen God" (13:22).
This was also testified among the sons of Israel, when the Lord was seen from Mount Sinai, concerning which it is thus written in Moses:
"Be ready against the third day; for the third day Jehovah will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves that ye go not up into the mountain, or touch the border of it; whosoever toucheth the mountain, dying he shall die;" and because terror seized upon them, they said to Moses, "Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die" (Exodus 19:11, 12; 20:19).
(That by Mount Sinai is signified heaven, where the Lord is, and that by touching is signified to communicate, to transfer, and to receive, and that for this reason it was forbidden to touch the border of that mountain, may be seen in the explanation of that chapter in Arcana Coelestia.)
[3] The reason why Jehovah was seen by many, as recorded in the Word, was, that they were at the time surrounded with a column of spirits, and thus preserved, as said above; thus also the Lord has been oftentimes seen by me. But the state of spirits before the Divine presence differs from the state of man; spirits cannot die; therefore, if they are evil, they undergo a spiritual death at the Divine presence, the nature of which death will be presently described; but those who are good, are taken to societies, where the sphere of the Divine presence is tempered and accommodated to reception. This is why there are three heavens, and in each heaven many societies, and those who are in the higher heavens are nearer to the Lord, and those who are in the lower are more remote from Him (concerning this see what is said in the work, Heaven and Hell 20-28, 29-40, 41-50, 206-209). What the spiritual death is which evil spirits undergo at the Divine presence, shall be briefly stated.
[4] Spiritual death is an aversion and removal from the Lord; but, when evil spirits who are not yet vastated, that is, determined to their ruling love, enter any angelic society, then, because the Divine of the Lord is there present, they are direfully tortured, and not only avert themselves, but also cast themselves into the deep, where no light from heaven enters; some into dark caverns of rocks; in a word, into the hells (concerning this see what is shown in the work, Heaven and Hell 54, 400, 410, 525, 527). This aversion and removal from the Lord is called spiritual death; the spiritual of heaven is also dead with them.
78. As dead, signifies failure of self-life. This is evident from the signification of "as dead," in reference to the Divine presence with man, as meaning the failure of self-life; for man's self-life is that into which he is born, which is in itself nothing but evil, for it is altogether inverted, for it has regard to itself and the world only, and therefore turns itself back away from God and from heaven. The life that is not man's self-life is that into which he is led when he is being regenerated by the Lord; and when he comes into that life he regards God and heaven in the first place, and self and the world in the second. That life flows in with man when the Lord is present; consequently so far as that life flows in, so far there is effected a turning of the life. This turning, when effected suddenly, causes man to appear to himself as dead; thence it is that by "as dead" is here signified the failure of self-life. But these two states of life cannot be so described as to be apprehended. Moreover, they are not the same with a man and with a spirit, and they are wholly different with the evil and with the good. Man cannot live with the body in the presence of the Divine; those who do live are encompassed by an angelic column, which moderates the Divine influx; for the body of every man is nonreceptive of the Divine, consequently it dies and is cast off. That man cannot live with the body in the presence of the Divine can be seen from the words of the Lord to Moses:
Thou canst not see My faces; for man shall not see Me and live (Arcana Coelestia 8785, 8797, 8818) explanation of those chapters in the Arcana Coelestia.) Jehovah has been seen by many, as recorded in the Word, but this was because they were encompassed at the time by a column of spirits, and thus were preserved, as was said above. In this way the Lord has also been seen at different times by me. But the state of spirits in the Divine presence is different from the state of men; spirits cannot die, consequently if they are evil they die a spiritual death in the Divine presence, the nature of which will be spoken of presently; but those who are good are conveyed into societies, where the sphere of the Divine presence is tempered and accommodated to reception. On account of this there are three heavens, and in each heaven many societies, and those who are in the higher heavens are nearer to the Lord, and those who are in the lower are more remote from Him (See the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28, 29-40, 41-50, 206-209). What the spiritual death is that evil spirits die in the Divine presence, shall be briefly stated. Spiritual death is a turning away and removal from the Lord. When evil spirits, however, who have not yet been vastated, that is, have not yet become fixed in their ruling love, enter any angelic society, then because the Divine of the Lord is there present they are direfully tormented, and not only turn away but even cast themselves down into the depths, where no light from heaven enters; some into dark caverns of rocks; in a word, into the hells (See what is shown in the work on Heaven and Hell 54, 400, 410, 510, 525, 527). This turning away and removal from the Lord is what is called spiritual death; and with such the spiritual of heaven is dead.
78. "Tanquam mortuus." - Quod significet vitae propriae defectum, constat ex significatione "tanquam mortui", cum de Divina praesentia apud hominem, quod sit defectus vitae propriae; vita enim propria hominis est in quam nascitur, quae in se non est nisi quam malum; est enim prorsus inversa, nam spectat se solum et mundum, et inde se vertit retro a Deo et a Caelo: vita quae non propria est homini, est in quam perducitur cum regeneratur a Domino; in quam cum venit, spectat Deum et caelum primo loco, ac se et mundum secundo; haec vita influit apud hominem cum Dominus praesens est: inde patet quod quantum haec influit, tantum fiat versura vitae; haec versura, cum subito fit, facit ut homo appareat sibi sicut mortuus; inde est, quod per "tanquam mortuus" hic significetur defectus vitae propriae. Sed bini illi status vitae non ad captum describi possunt; alii etiam sunt apud hominem, et alii apud spiritum, et differunt prorsus apud malos et apud bonos. Homo ad praesentiam Divini non corpore vivere potest, et qui vivunt obstipantur columna angelica, quae moderatur influxum Divinum; nam corpus cujusvis hominis non est receptibile Divini, quapropter id moritur et rejicitur. Quod homo ad praesentiam Divini non corpore vivere possit, constare potest a Domini verbis ad Mosen,
"Non potes videre facies meas, quia non videbit Me homo et vivet" (Exodus 33:20);
quapropter Moses, quia videre voluit, positus est in foramine petrae, et obtectus usque dum Dominus praeterivit. Notum etiam fuit antiquis quod homo non possit videre Deum et vivere, ut constat ex Libro Judicum:
"Dixit Manoachus ad uxorem, Moriendo moriemur quia Deum vidimus" (13:22):
et quoque hoc testatum est apud filios Israelis, cum visus est Dominus e monte Sinai, de quo ita apud Mosen:
"Estote parati in diem tertium, quia in die tertio descendet Jehovah in oculis omnis populi super monte Sinai; et circumsepies populum circumcirca, dicendo, Cavete vobis ab ascendendo in montem, et tangendo in extremitate ejus; omnis qui tetigerit montem moriendo morietur"; et quia terror occupavit illos, "dixerunt ad Mosen, Loquere tu nobiscum et audiemus, non autem loquatur nobiscum Deus, ne forte moriamur" (Exodus 19:11, 12; Exodus 20:16 [B.A. 19]).
(Quod per "montem Sinai" significetur caelum ubi Dominus, et quod per "tangere" significetur communicare, transferre et recipere, et quod inde sit quod vetitum sit tangere in extremitate illius montis, videatur in Explicatione super illa capita in Arcanis Caelestibus.) Quod Jehovah visus sit pluribus, de quibus in Verbo, erat quia circumcincti tunc fuerunt columna spirituum, et sic conservati, ut supra dictum est; ita quoque Dominus mihi aliquoties visus est. Alius autem est status spirituum ad praesentiam Divinam quam status hominum: spiritus non mori possunt; quapropter illi, si mali sunt, ad praesentiam Divinam moriuntur morte spirituali, quae qualis est mox dicetur; illi autem qui boni sunt, feruntur in societates ubi sphaera praesentiae Divinae est temperata et accommodata ad receptionem: inde est, quod tres caeli sint, et in quolibet caelo plures societates, et quod qui in superioribus caelis propiores Domino sint, et qui in inferioribus remotiores ab Ipso (de quibus videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 20-28, 29-40, 41-50, 206-209). Quid mors spiritualis, qua moriuntur spiritus mali ad praesentiam Divinam, paucis dicetur. Mors spiritualis est aversio et remotio a Domino; cum autem spiritus mali, qui nondum vastati sunt, hoc est, determinati ad suum amorem regnantem, intrant aliquam societatem angelicam, tunc quia Divinum Domini ibi est, cruciantur dire, et se non modo avertunt, sed etiam se dejiciunt in profunda, quo nulla lux caeli intrat, quidam in speluncas petrarum tenebrosas, verbo in inferna (de qua re videantur quae in opere De Caelo et Inferno 54, 1
400-410, (510,) 525, 527, ostensa sunt.) Haec aversio et remotio a Domino est quae vocatur mors spiritualis; spirituale caeli etiam mortuum apud illos est.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.