970# “它们就变成了血”表示它通过歪曲被摧毁了。这从“血”的含义清楚可知，“血”是指被歪曲的真理(参看AE966节)；因此，“江河和泉源变成血”表示理解圣言真理的能力通过歪曲被摧毁了。诚然，每个人都有理解真理的能力，因为人正是凭这种能力而区别于野兽；并且这种能力留在每个人身上，甚至留在恶人身上，因为它是人的属灵部分，是他重生最基本的手段。人通过真理被主重生，他若不能理解真理，就无法接受它们，从而无法被改造；因为接受他不能理解的东西没有任何益处。情况就是这样，这一点已经通过灵界的经历被证明了。灵人当中有一场讨论，主题是，是否每个人都拥有理解真理的能力；一个地狱灵被带来见证，他是否能理解天堂的真理；结果发现，当听到这些真理时，他理解得与善灵一样好；然而，他却不愿理解它们，于是转身离开它们，因为它们反对构成他快乐的邪恶和由此而来的虚假。有人说，人通过这种能力与主结合，因为这种能力适合人。之所以说这种能力通过歪曲被摧毁了，是因为那些歪曲圣言的人不愿理解真理本身；那些不愿理解的人可以说不能理解，尽管他们若愿意，就能理解。他们的心智只要粘附于对立面，就弃绝真理，像聋子一样听不见真理。但当这些对立面被移除时，就像聋子的耳朵被打开了。说这一切是为了让人们知道，理解圣言真理的能力通过歪曲被摧毁了是什么意思。
(关于第五诫续)前面说明，在关闭属世心智的邪恶和由此而来的虚假被移除之前，与天堂的交流不会被赐予；因为这些就像太阳与眼睛之间的乌云，或天堂之光与室内的微弱烛光之间的一堵墙。只要一个人只处于属世人的弱光，他就像一个被关在内室，只能靠烛光观看的人；不过，一旦属世人从邪恶和由此而来的虚假中洁净，他就好像透过墙上的窗户凭天堂之光看见天堂的事物。因为一旦邪恶被移除，被称为属灵心智的更高心智就打开了；就本身而言，或严格来说，这属灵心智就是天堂的一个类型或形像。主通过该心智流入，使人凭天堂之光观看，还通过该心智改造并最终重生属世人，在其中植入真理，而不是虚假，植入良善，而不是邪恶。主通过属灵之爱，也就是对真理和良善的爱而如此行。那时，人被置于这两种爱，就是对邪恶的爱和对良善的爱的中间；当对邪恶的爱退去时，对邪恶的爱就取而代之。只有通过照十诫生活，也就是不去做十诫所列举的邪恶，因为它们是罪，最终避开它们如同属地狱的，对邪恶的爱才会退去或被移除。
总之，只要人没有因邪恶是罪而停止邪恶，属灵心智就关闭；不过，一旦他因邪恶是罪而停止邪恶，属灵心智就打开，天堂也与该心智一起被打开。当天堂打开时，人就在涉及教会、天堂和永生的一切事物上进入另一种光；尽管只要人活在这个世界上，他几乎意识不到这光和它之前的光有何不同。原因在于，在世上，人以属世的方式思想属灵事物；直到他从自然界进入灵界，属灵事物才被包含在属世观念中；但在灵界，属灵事物被揭示、感知，并变得清晰。
970. And they became blood. That this signifies that it was destroyed through falsifications, is evident from the signification of blood, as denoting truth falsified (see above, n. 966). Therefore by the rivers and fountains becoming blood, is signified that the faculty of understanding the truths of the Word was destroyed through falsifications.
Every man indeed has the faculty of understanding truths for it is this faculty by which he is distinguished from beasts. This also is left with every man, even with the evil; for that is man's spiritual, and the most essential means of his regeneration. For man is regenerated by the Lord by means of truths, which, unless he could understand them, could not be received, nor, consequently, could he be reformed; for to receive what cannot be understood leads to nothing.
That this is the case has also been confirmed by experience in the spiritual world. It was a subject of talk among spirits, whether every one has the faculty of understanding truths; and an infernal spirit was taken to witness whether he could understand the truths of heaven. It was found that he understood them when he heard them quite as well as a good spirit; but still that he did not wish to understand them, for he turned away from them, because they were opposed to the evils and the falsities therefrom that constituted his delight. And it was said that a man by that faculty has conjunction with the Lord, because it is proper to man.
The reason why that faculty is said to be destroyed through falsifications is, that those who have falsified the Word are not willing to understand actual truths; and these appear not to be able, although they are able, if they were but willing. For while their minds cling to opposites, they are rejected truths; and, as one deaf, they do not hear them. But when opposites are removed, it is like the ears of the deaf being opened.
These things are said in order that it may be known how it is to be understood that the faculty of understanding the truths of the Word is destroyed through falsifications.
Continuation concerning the Fifth Precept:-
[2] It was said above, that communication with heaven is not granted before evils and the falsities therefrom are removed, by which the natural mind is closed up; for these are like black clouds between the sun and the eye; or like a wall between the light (lux) of heaven, and the light (lumen) of a candle in a chamber. For a man is, as it were, shut up in a chamber, where he sees by the light of a candle, so long as he is in the light (lumen) of the natural man only; but as soon as the natural man is purified from evils and the falsities therefrom, then it is as if he saw the things which are of heaven from the light thereof through windows in that wall. For as soon as evils are removed, then the higher mind is opened, which is called the spiritual mind; and this, strictly considered, is a type or image of heaven. By means of this mind the Lord flows in and causes him to see from the light of heaven. And by this also he reforms, and at length regenerates, the natural man, implanting therein truths instead of falsities, and goods instead of evils. This the Lord does by means of spiritual love, which is the love of truth and good. A man then is placed in the midst between two loves - the love of evil and the love of good; when the love of evil recedes, the love of good succeeds in its place. The love of evil is removed solely by a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue, that is, by desisting from the evils there enumerated because they are sins; and, lastly, by shunning them as infernal.
[3] In a word, so long as man does not desist from evils because they are sins, the spiritual mind is shut; but as soon as he desists from evils because they are sins, the spiritual mind is opened, and with that mind heaven also. And heaven having been opened, a man comes into another light as to all things relating to the church, to heaven, and life eternal; although the difference between this light and that which preceded it can scarcely be noticed by him while he lives in the world. The reason is, that a man thinks in a natural manner in the world even concerning spiritual things; and spiritual things are included in natural ideas, until he passes from the natural into the spiritual world, where spiritual things are then revealed, perceived, and made clear.
970. And they became blood, signifies that it was destroyed by falsifications. This is evident from the signification of "blood," as being truth falsified (See above, n. 966); therefore that "the rivers and fountains became blood" signifies that the faculty of understanding the truths of the Word was destroyed by falsifications. Every man has the faculty of understanding truths, for it is this faculty by which man is distinguished from beasts; and this remains with every man, even with the evil, since it is the spiritual part of man and the most essential means of his regeneration. For man is regenerated by the Lord by means of truths, and if he were not able to understand truths he could not receive them and thus be reformed; for to receive what he is not able to understand does not profit. That this is so has been proved by experience in the spiritual world. There was a discussion among the spirits whether everyone has the faculty of understanding truths; and an infernal spirit was taken as a witness whether he could understand the truths of heaven, and it was found that he understood them when he heard them just as well as a good spirit, and yet that he was not willing to understand them, for he turned away from them because they were opposed to the evils and the falsities therefrom that were delightful to him. And it was said that man through that faculty has conjunction with the Lord, since that faculty is proper to man. That faculty is said to have been destroyed by falsifications, because those who have falsified the Word are not willing to understand truths themselves; and those who are not willing are as it were not able, although they would be able if they were willing. For the mind of such rejects truths, and like one deaf does not hear them so long as it clings to things opposite. But when these opposite things are removed it is as if the ears of the deaf were opened. All this has been said to make known what is meant by the destruction of the faculty of understanding the truths of the Word by falsifications.
[2] It has been said above that communication with heaven is not given before the evils and the falsities therefrom with which the natural mind is stopped up have been removed; for these are like black clouds between the sun and the eye, or like a wall between the light of heaven and the dim light of a candle in a chamber. For so long as a man is in the dim light of the natural man only he is like one shut up in a chamber where he sees by a candle. But as soon as the natural man has been purified from evils and falsities therefrom he is as if he saw through windows in the wall the things of heaven from the light of heaven. For as soon as evils have been removed, the higher mind, which is called the spiritual mind, is opened, and this, viewed in itself, is a type or image of heaven. Through this mind the Lord flows in and enables man to see from the light of heaven, and through this He also reforms and at length regenerates the natural man, and implants in it truths in the place of falsities and goods in the place of evils. This the Lord does through spiritual love, which is the love of truth and good. Man is then placed in the midst between two loves, between the love of evil and the love of good; and when the love of evil recedes the love of good takes its place. It is solely through the life according to the commandments of the Decalogue, that is, through refraining from the evils there enumerated because they are sins, and finally shunning them as infernal, that the love of evil recedes.
[3] In a word, so long as man does not refrain from evils because they are sins the spiritual mind is shut; but as soon as he refrains from evils because they are sins the spiritual mind is opened, and with that mind heaven also. And when heaven is opened man comes into another light as to all things of the church, heaven, and eternal life; although so long as man lives in this world the difference between this and the former light is scarcely noticeable, and for the reason that in the world man thinks naturally even about spiritual things, and until he passes from the natural into the spiritual world spiritual things are enclosed in natural ideas; but in the spiritual world spiritual things are disclosed, perceived, and made evident.
970. "Et factus est sanguis." - Quod significet quod deperdita sit ex falsificatis constat ex significatione "sanguinis", quod sit verum falsificatum (ut supra, n. 966); quare per quod "fluvii et fontes facti sint sanguis", significatur quod facultas intelligendi vera Verbi deperdita sit ex falsificatis. Est quidem unicuivis homini facultas intelligendi vera, nam haec facultas est per quam homo distinguitur a bestiis; haec quoque residua est apud omnem hominem, etiam malum, nam illa est spirituale hominis, et ipsissimum medium regenerationis ejus: homo enim per vera regeneratur a Domino; quae nisi posset intelligere, non posset recipere, et sic reformari; nam recipere quod non potest intelligere, non conducit. Quod ita sit, etiam confirmatum est per experientiam in mundo spirituali. Ventilatum est inter spiritus num unicuivis sit facultas intelligendi vera; et tunc assumptus est infernalis spiritus in testem, num intelligeret vera caeli; et compertum est quod illa intellexerit cum audivit, tam bene quam spiritus bonus; sed quod usque noluerit intelligere, aversabatur enim illa, quia erant opposita malis et inde falsis quae ei erant jucunda: et dictum est quod homo per illam facultatem conjunctionem cum Domino habeat, quoniam illa facultas est propria homini. Quod dicatur facultas illa deperdita esse ex falsificatis, est quia illi qui falsificaverunt Verbum non volunt intelligere ipsa vera; et qui non volunt, sunt tanquam non possint; tametsi possunt, modo velint: dum enim mens eorum in oppositis haeret, rejicit vera, et sicut surdus non audit illa; at dum opposita removentur, tunc fit sicut aperiuntur surdo aures. Haec dicta sunt ut sciatur quomodo intelligendum est quod facultas intelligendi vera Verbi sit deperdita ex falsificatis.
[2] (Continuatio de Quinto Praecepto.)
Supra dictum est quod communicatio cum caelo non detur, priusquam remota sunt mala et inde falsa quibus mens naturalis obstipata est; sunt enim illa sicut nigrae nubes inter solem et oculum, aut sicut paries inter lucem caeli et inter lumen ex candela in conclavi; homo enim est sicut inclusus conclavi, ubi ex candela videt, quamdiu est in lumine solius naturalis hominis; sed ut primum naturalis homo purificatus est a malis et inde falsis, tunc est sicut videat per fenestras in pariete illa quae caeli sunt ex luce ejus; nam ut primum remota sunt mala, tunc aperitur mens superior, quae vocatur mens spiritualis, quae in se spectata est typus seu imago caeli; per hanc influit Dominus, et facit ut videat ex luce caeli; et per hanc quoque reformat et denique regenerat naturalem hominem, ac implantat vera loco falsorum, et bona loco malorum ibi; hoc facit Dominus per amorem spiritualem, qui est amor veri et boni. Homo tunc in medio inter binos amores constitutus est, inter amorem mali et inter amorem boni; quando amor mali recedit, amor boni loco ejus succedit: amor mali unice recedit per vitam secundum praecepta decalogi, nempe ut desistat a malis ibi recensitis quia peccata sunt, ac denique ut fugiat illa sicut infernalia.
[3] Verbo, quamdiu homo non desistit a malis quia peccata sunt, mens spiritualis clausa est; ast ut primum homo desistit a malis quia peccata sunt, mens spiritualis aperitur, et cum illa mente etiam caelum; quo aperto homo in aliam lucem venit quoad omnia quae ecclesiae, caeli et vitae aeternae sunt, tametsi differentiam hujus lucis et prioris, quamdiu in mundo vivit, aegre potest animadvertere: causa est quia homo in mundo naturaliter cogitat etiam de spiritualibus, ac spiritualia naturalibus ideis inclusa sunt usque dum homo e naturali mundo in spiritualem transit, ubi tunc spiritualia recluduntur, percipiuntur et manifestantur.