第二十五章

翻译：觉醒

---

聪明的童女和愚拙的童女：一个关于爱的比喻

---

1. 那时，天国好比十个童女拿着灯，出去迎接新郎。

2. 其中有五个是愚拙的，五个是聪明的。

3. 愚拙的拿着灯，却不预备油；

4. 聪明的拿着灯，又预备油在器皿里。

5. 新郎迟延的时候，她们都打盹，睡着了。

6. 半夜有人喊着说，新郎来了，你们出来迎接他！

7. 那些童女就都起来收拾灯。

8. 愚拙的对聪明的说，请分点油给我们，因为我们的灯要灭了。

9. 聪明的回答说，恐怕不够你我用的，不如你们自己到卖油的那里去买吧。

10. 她们去买的时候，新郎到了，那预备好了的，同他进去坐席，门就关了。

11. 其余的童女随后也来了，说，主啊，主啊，给我们开门！

12. 他却回答说，我实在告诉你们，我不认识你们。

13. 所以，你们要警醒，因为那日子，那时辰，你们不知道。

---

我们每个人都有一种倾向，认为神不是完全与我们同在。在这种时候，我们很难想象祂知道我们生活的每一个细节，并时刻引导着我们。在圣经中，这种倾向被描写为：“主人必来得迟。”（24:48）然而，事实上，主总是亲密地与我们同在，随时准备引导我们，进入我们愿意接受的一切真理。迟延的是我们，而不是主。因此，我们必须警醒，随时做好准备，按照圣经的教导生活，并心中充满爱。

本章延续了上一章的主题，即为主的降临做好准备。它以一个比喻开始，说的是十个童女拿着灯，出去迎接新郎。其中五个童女被认为是聪明的，因为她们为自己的灯预备了多余的油。但其他五个童女被认为是愚拙的，因为她们没有预备多余的油。她们没有为意外的延迟做好准备：“新郎迟延的时候，她们都打盹，睡着了。”（25:5）半夜有人喊着说：“新郎来了，你们出来迎接他！”（25:6）

在这个比喻中，新郎代表主。五个童女在灯里预备了充足的油，表示她们心里对神有充分的爱。“油”因着它的金色光泽，柔软光滑的触感，以及它的许多用途，如提供光明、产生热量、减少摩擦和愈合伤口，是爱的美丽象征。如果我们心中有“油”，当真理进来时，我们就准备好了领悟它——迎接新郎。

但如果我们是愚拙的，我们心中就没有足够的爱。我们就像灯里不预备油的那五个童女。她们确实提着灯，但她们的灯里没有油。任何一盏灯，无论制作多么精良，装饰多么漂亮，若不装满油，都不能产生光明。同样，任何教义，无论表述得多么准确或复杂，若不包含爱（油），都不能帮助我们过更喜乐、更光明的生活。

如果我们认为我们可以没有爱，只要领悟真理，那我们就大错特错了。前一节的警告——你们要预备，因为人子降临的那日子、那时辰，没有人知道——在这里也适用。若没有爱，真理不足以支撑我们。因此，我们不断受到呼召，要进入真理与良善、智慧与爱的天国婚姻。在这个比喻中，我们的灯里总是要预备油，即是代表这一点。我们需要两者兼备，来成就婚姻。

随着比喻的进行，这个基本真理的重要性得到了证明。半夜，新郎来了，五个愚拙的童女意识到她们没有足够的油。她们向聪明的童女求助，说：“请分点油给我们，因为我们的灯要灭了。”（25:8）让我们惊讶的是，五个聪明的童女竟然拒绝了，她们说：“恐怕不够你我用的。”（25:9）她们反倒劝那五个愚拙的童女自己去买油：“不如你们自己到卖油的那里去买吧。”（25:9）

聪明的童女如此回答，这令我们感到惊讶，因为我们原期望她们会表现出怜悯和慷慨，愿意与他人分享，而不是想着自己。毕竟，耶稣本可以说，聪明的童女心里充满了爱，把所有的油都分给了愚拙的童女，然后，奇迹般地，她们自己的灯也装满了新油。但耶稣的比喻不是这样的。

为什么呢？因为耶稣正在教导爱的本质，这是一个重要的功课。我们不能从别人那里得着爱，也不能在生命最后一刻得着爱。爱是在我们一生去恶行善的过程中逐渐建立起来的。如果我们认为我们可以在生命最后一刻匆忙买到它，我们就大错特错了。“她们去买的时候，新郎到了，那预备好了的，同他进去坐席，门就关了。”（25:10）

这并不是说神对我们关上了门。相反，我们对神关上了门，因为我们不愿在生命的每一步都按照祂的旨意生活，从而使心里充满爱。最后一刻的悔改不能拯救我们。“其余的童女随后也来了，说，主啊，主啊，给我们开门！他却回答说，我实在告诉你们，我不认识你们。”（25:11-12） ¹

当耶稣结束比喻时，祂又回到了前面几个情节中一直在阐述的主题——你们要警醒，因为人子降临的那日子、那时辰，你们不知道（24:39）；你们要预备，因为主人什么时候来，你们不知道（24:50）。祂在这里又说：“所以，你们要警醒，因为那日子，那时辰，你们不知道。”（25:13）

---

银子的比喻：一个关于真理的比喻

---

14. 天国又好比一个人要往外国去，就叫了仆人来，把他的家业交给他们，

15. 按着各人的才干给他们银子，一个给了五他连得，一个给了两他连得，一个给了一他连得，就往外国去了。

16. 那领五他连得的随即拿去做买卖，另外赚了五他连得。

17. 那领两他连得的也照样另赚了两他连得。

18. 但那领一他连得的去掘开地，把主人的银子埋藏了。

19. 过了许久，那些仆人的主人来了，和他们算账。

20. 那领五他连得银子的又带着那另外的五他连得来，说，主啊，你交给我五他连得银子，请看，我又赚了五他连得。

21. 主人说，好，你这又良善又忠心的仆人，你在不多的事上有忠心，我要把许多事派你管理，可以进来享受你主人的快乐。

22. 那领两他连得的也来，说，主啊，你交给我两他连得银子，请看，我又赚了两千。

23. 主人说，好，你这又良善又忠心的仆人，你在不多的事上有忠心，我要把许多事派你管理，可以进来享受你主人的快乐。

24. 那领一他连得的也来，说，主啊，我知道你是忍心的人，没有种的地方要收割，没有散的地方要聚敛，

25. 我就害怕，去把你的一他连得银子埋藏在地里。请看，你的原银子在这里。

26. 主人回答说，你这又恶又懒的仆人，你既知道我没有种的地方要收割，没有散的地方要聚敛，

27. 就当把我的银子放给兑换银钱的人，到我来的时候，可以连本带利收回。

28. 夺过他这一他连得来，给那有十他连得的。

29. 因为凡有的，还要加给他，叫他有余；没有的，连他所有的也要夺过来。

30. 把这无用的仆人丢在外面黑暗里，在那里必要哀哭切齿了。

---

在结束了十个童女的比喻后，耶稣立即讲了第二个比喻。这次讲的是一个人到外国去旅行，便召集他的仆人，把银子分给他们。临走前，他“按着各人的才干”（25:15），给一个仆人五他连得银子，一个两他连得银子，一个一他连得银子。在给仆人银子以后，主人就旅行去了。

主人离开以后，仆人各自拿着所得的银子去行。第一个仆人得了五他连得银子，他拿着所得的银子，另外又赚了五他连得。第二个仆人得了两他连得银子，他拿着所得的银子，另外又赚了两他连得。但第三个仆人的做法不同。如经上所记：“但那领一他连得的去掘开地，把主人的银子埋藏了。”（25:18）

当主人回来，察看他们所行的，便祝贺第一个和第二个仆人，因为他们将所得的银子翻了一倍。然而，当主人看到第三个仆人拿着他所得的一他连得银子所行的，便不喜悦。第三个仆人试图为他的行为辩解，说：“我因为害怕，就去把你的一他连得银子埋藏在地里。”（25:25）在我们看来，主人的反应似乎过于严厉，因为他说：“你这又恶又懒的仆人，你至少可以把我的银子放给兑换银钱的人。”（25:27）又说：“夺过他这一他连得来......把这无用的仆人丢在外面黑暗里，在那里必要哀哭切齿了。”（25:26-30）

传统上，银子的比喻被用来说明善用主赐给我们的天赋是何等重要。无论我们有多少天赋，都不是为了我们自己的缘故。它们应该被用来祝福别人。如果我们只是把它们埋藏起来，或者只是为了自私的目的而使用它们，我们就滥用了神赐给我们的礼物。虽然这是很实用的建议，但其中还有更内在的教训。它涉及“银子”一词的属灵含义。因为一他连得是相当重量的银子，所以表示我们从主的圣经中所领受的许多真理。 ²

每当我们按照我们所接受的真理生活时，我们对该真理的理解就会加深。这被描写为银子的加倍。但人的本性中有一种倾向，就是只积累知识，却不学以致用，去做有意义的事情，或者仅仅把它用于自私的、世俗的目的。这被描写为仆人把银子埋在地里。不将知识付诸实践的后果似乎很严重，因为没有赚得银子的仆人唯一的一他连得银子也被夺了去，“被扔在外边黑暗里，在那里哀哭切齿”。

圣经的强烈语言被用来描绘一幅引人注目的画面，即如果我们只是把真理储存在记忆里，而不把它应用于生活中，我们就会将自己投入地狱。如果我们不应用神赐给我们的真理，我们就会失去它。那些只存在于我们的头脑中（埋在地里），没有被投入使用的知识不会存留，在来世也不会成为我们的一部分。

因此，尽管在字面叙述中，惩罚似乎与罪行不相称，但这个比喻为容纳更多内在的真理提供了一个美妙的容器。它不仅警告我们只储存真理而不使用它或自私地使用它的危险，还包含了一个极大的应许，即我们越是将我们从主的圣经中所学到的知识应用于生活，用它来祝福别人，我们就会得到越多。我们不仅会对真理有更深的领悟，也会更充分地体验主的喜乐。正如耶稣对那些善用银子的人所说：“好，你这又良善又忠心的仆人，你在不多的事上有忠心，我要把许多事派你管理，可以进来享受你主人的快乐。”（25:21）

---

绵羊和山羊：一个关于服务的比喻

---

下面是马太福音的最后一个比喻。

在十个童女的比喻中，耶稣教导我们心中有爱（灯里有油）的重要性；在银子的比喻中，耶稣教导我们真理（银子）在投入使用时可以成倍地增加。

现在我们来看该系列的第三个比喻——关于服务的比喻。爱、智慧和有用的服务是属灵生活的三个基本方面。没有真理的爱缺乏方向，可能导致感情用事。没有爱的真理缺乏怜悯，可能导致死板和固执。但是，当爱和智慧一起致力于服务时，人就成了活人。如果不致力于服务，爱和智慧就只是头脑中虚无飘渺的概念。 ³

因此，本系列的最后一个比喻涉及有用的服务，这是合宜的。但在讨论这个比喻之前，我们需要简单回顾一下前面的内容。在上上章，耶稣对宗教领袖进行了严厉的批评，责备他们虚伪、诡诈，称他们是“蛇”和“毒蛇的种类”。然后祂预言了圣殿的毁灭和随之而来的灾祸，包括战争、饥荒、瘟疫、地震和荒凉的可憎之事。但祂也应许说，人子将带着能力和大荣耀，驾着天上的云降临。现在，当祂开始说下一个比喻时，祂再次提到人子降临的应许。祂说：“当人子在他荣耀里同着众天使降临的时候，要坐在他荣耀的宝座上。”（25:31）

人子将坐在祂“荣耀的宝座”上的应许，对门徒来说一定是激动人心的。不久前，耶稣对他们说：“你们这跟从我的人，当重生的时候，人子坐在他荣耀的宝座上，你们也要坐在十二个宝座上，审判以色列十二个支派。”（19:28）无疑，他们一定认为他们的时候已经到了，他们即将坐在宝座上。然而，这一次，耶稣没有提到他们将坐在宝座上。在这个比喻中，唯一坐在宝座上的人是“人子”。事实上，十二门徒都是头脑简单的人，他们甚至不知道天国是什么。因此，他们不可能审判任何人。 ⁴

只有主能判断人的内心。当祂进入我们的生活，作为“人子”坐在宝座上，就意味着神将赐给我们能力，用祂的真理来判断我们生命的内在状态。到那时，在主的圣言的光照下，我们可以辨别自己的善恶倾向，区分真实的思想和虚假的思想，把高尚的意图从自私的意图中分别出来。在神圣真理的光照下，我们可以问自己：“这种情感、思想或意图符合主的诫命吗？”如果符合，我们就接纳它；如果不符合，我们就驱逐它。这才是“坐在宝座上”的意思。这是神赋予我们的能力，叫我们可以主导内心产生的思想和情感，或接纳，或驱逐。这样，我们每个人都成为我们内心世国的“王”。

通常情况下，良善的情感与邪恶的情感、真实的思想与虚假的思想、高尚的意图与败坏的意图在我们里面混杂，就像好人与坏人生活在一起一样。这些杂乱的思想和情感现在被描述为我们里面的“万民”，等候审判。我们读到：“万民都要聚集在他面前，他要把他们分别出来，好像牧羊的分别绵羊山羊一般。”（25:32） ⁵

值得注意的是，坐在宝座上的“王”也被描述为一位“牧人”。作为神圣的律法制定者，教导我们真理，主是一位王。但作为神圣的牧人，祂慈悲地引导我们，将真理应用到生活中。因此，在最后一个比喻中，耶稣将王和牧人这两个形象合而为一。作为王，主以真理教导我们；作为牧人，祂以良善引导我们。真理和良善结合在一起，形成了服务他人的生活。在有用的服务中，良善与真理、爱与智慧、仁与信合而为一。 ⁶

耶稣继续说比喻，祂说王要把“绵羊安置在右边，山羊在左边”（25:33）。在圣经中，“绵羊”因为愿意跟随和被引导，代表那些喜欢按照主的诫命生活并跟随祂的人。然而，“山羊”由于其独立的天性，代表那些可能知道真理，但不愿被真理引导的人。这是我们每个人内心的一部分，可能熟悉圣经，却缺乏对真理的喜爱或按照真理生活的意愿。 ⁷

在宗教术语中，“山羊”代表我们每个人的一种倾向，即认为我们只要相信真理，就可以得救，无需按照真理生活。这个观念有时被称为“单单因信得救”（salvation by faith alone）。在这个方面，使徒保罗的话经常被引用：“人称义是因着信，不在乎遵行律法。”（罗马书3:28）然而，当保罗谈到“遵行律法”时，他并不是指十条诫命。相反，他指的是希伯来圣经中的许多仪式和祭祀。

然而，随着时间的推移，人们开始相信，神的恩典会临到那些有“信心”的人，而且神的恩典已经废除了按照诫命生活的要求。人们说：“我现在活在恩典之下，不在律法之下”。任何遵守诫命的努力，或任何行善的尝试，都被认为是“遵行律法”，不过是“污秽的衣服”（*以赛亚书64:6：我们都像不洁净的人，所有的义都像污秽的衣服）。这种观点变得如此普遍，实在令人惊讶，何况耶稣一直教导说，按照诫命履行有用的服务是真信仰的核心。 ⁸

乍看之下，我们很难看出十诫教导了有用的服务。在很大程度上，诫命是教导我们不要做什么，而不是要做什么。它们教导我们不可有别的神，不可妄称耶和华的名，不可在安息日作工，不可杀人，不可奸淫，不可偷盗，不可说谎，不可起贪心。十条诫命中有八条告诉我们不要做什么，而不是要做什么。那么，诫命是如何与有用的服务联系起来的呢？是这样的：通过遵守诫命，我们除去了那些会阻碍主通过我们作工的邪恶。正如先知以赛亚所说：“要止住作恶，学习行善。”（以赛亚书1:16） ⁹

举个例子，思考一下为荣耀自己而行善与为荣耀神而行善之间的区别。在圣经的语言中，为荣耀神而行善被描写为站在王的“右手边”。如经上所记：“王要向那右边的说，你们这蒙我父赐福的，可来承受那创世以来为你们所预备的国。”（25:34）这些人首先专注于洁净自己的心，摆脱自我的欲望和对回报的渴望，以便他们本乎神而行，并为神而行。

在主的“右手边”意味着主藉着我们作工，赐给我们力量和能力，去履行有用的服务。即使在日常用语中，一个值得信赖的、可靠的、执行上级指示的人也被称为“右手”（*得力助手）。那是因为，对大多数人来说，“右手”更有力量。因此，在这个比喻中，“在祂右手边”是指一个人从主那里获得行善的能力。当我们认识到所有行善的能力都来自于主，我们就把荣耀归给了神，而不是把功劳归于自己。我们承认我们只是在充当神的“右手”。 ¹⁰

但是，如果我们没有遵守诫命，没有使用诫命来摆脱自私的思想和欲望，我们就会倾向于相信我们行善是靠着自己。如果我们相信我们行善是靠着自己，我们就不会站在神的右手边。相反，我们将进入山羊当中，被安置在宝座的左边。

因此，在这最后的比喻中，耶稣在问我们每个人：“你为我预备地方了吗？你准备好作我的工了吗？”带着这些问题，我们现在可以考虑绵羊和山羊的比喻的字面含义和属灵含义，这个比喻揭示了基督徒仁爱的本质。 ¹¹

---

六种有用的服务

---

31. 当人子在他荣耀里同着众天使降临的时候，要坐在他荣耀的宝座上。

32. 万民都要聚集在他面前。他要把他们分别出来，好像牧羊的分别绵羊山羊一般，

33. 把绵羊安置在右边，山羊在左边。

34. 于是，王要向那右边的说，你们这蒙我父赐福的，可来承受那创世以来为你们所预备的国。

35. 因为我饿了，你们给我吃；渴了，你们给我喝；我作客旅，你们留我住；

36. 我赤身露体，你们给我穿；我病了，你们看顾我；我在监里，你们来看我。

37. 义人就回答说，主啊，我们什么时候见你饿了，给你吃，渴了，给你喝？

38. 什么时候见你作客旅，留你住，或是赤身露体，给你穿？

39. 又什么时候见你病了，或是在监里，来看你呢？

40. 王要回答说，我实在告诉你们，这些事你们既做在我这弟兄中一个最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。

41. 王又要向那左边的说，你们这被咒诅的人，离开我！进入那为魔鬼和他的使者所预备的永火里去！

42. 因为我饿了，你们不给我吃；渴了，你们不给我喝；

43. 我作客旅，你们不留我住；我赤身露体，你们不给我穿；我病了，我在监里，你们不来看顾我。

44. 他们也要回答说，主啊，我们什么时候见你饿了，或渴了，或作客旅，或赤身露体，或病了，或在监里，不伺候你呢？

45. 王要回答说，我实在告诉你们，这些事你们既不做在我这弟兄中一个最小的身上，就是不做在我身上了。

46. 这些人要往永刑里去，那些义人要往永生里去。

---

绵羊和山羊的比喻以人子作为王坐在祂荣耀的宝座上开始，所有的圣天使都与祂同在。祂的主要任务是分别绵羊和山羊。王告诉那些在他右手边被比作绵羊的人，他们将承受自创世以来为他们所预备的国。这是因为他们遵循了仁爱的六个基本法则。这包括：“我饿了，你们给我吃；渴了，你们给我喝；我作客旅，你们留我住；我赤身露体，你们给我穿；我病了，你们看顾我；我在监里，你们来看我。”（25:35-36）

这些就是仁爱的基本职责。然而，最意味深长的是，真正的仁爱不是我们所行的，而是主藉着我们所行的。在这之前的两个比喻中，聪明的童女灯里有油（爱），勤劳的仆人得了大量的银子（真理）；但爱和真理必须在属灵的婚姻中结合起来，产生有用的服务。童女所领受的爱和仆人所领受的真理都是来自主，而不是来自他们自己。再者，再多的“爱”或“真理”也要在仁爱的行为中体现出来。

换句话说，每一种有用的服务都必须由神圣的爱所激励，由神圣的真理所指引。否则，它不能被视为真正的仁爱。无论一件善行外表看起来多么“良善”，也无论有多少人从中受益，除非它充满神的爱，并由神的智慧所指引，否则它不能被认为是一件善行。如果它是由自我的爱所激发，由自私的利益所催促，由对回报和认可的渴望所驱动，它就不是一件善行。大多数人的动机是复杂的。然而，在真正的仁爱中，自我利益必须放在最后，而不是放在最前。否则，那就是荣耀自己，而不是荣耀神。 ¹²

因此，每当我们面临服务的机会时，我们都要审视自己的动机。无论在什么情况下，我们都必须问自己，我们怎样才能遵行主的旨意，就像羊跟随牧人一样，以此成就最大的善行。当我们把自我的意愿和利益放在一边，我们就可以凭着神的爱，藉着神的智慧行事。

下面就是六类有用的服务。我们将考虑每一类：首先，它可能与我们生活的外在世界中的服务有关，然后，它可能与我们生活的内在世界中的服务有关。

---

饿了：“我实在想要行善” ¹³

---

第一类有用的服务涉及人类最基本的需求：饥饿。耶稣说：“我饿了，你们给我吃。”提供和分享食物（擘饼）是一种普遍的仁慈和友谊的姿态。当我们支持消除世界饥荒的努力时，这就更加重要了。为饥饿的人提供食物，为那些将死于饥饿的人提供帮助，是世间仁爱的最高形式之一。

在更内在的层面上，我们每个人生来都有渴望行善（即为他人服务）的神圣饥饿感。这是我们最初和最基本的灵性上的饥饿感。每当我们履行真正的服务，伸出爱和同情之手，或者每当我们鼓励他人行善，支持他们行善的努力，我们就是在“喂养饥饿的人”。每当我们为人类的精神福祉做出贡献，或者为他人提供服务的机会，我们就是在满足神所赐的这种饥饿感。因此，奉神的名行善，并鼓励别人如此行，是最能滋养灵魂的食物。正如耶稣所说：“我饿了，你们给我吃。”

---

渴了：“我实在想知道真理” ¹⁴

---

第二类有用的服务涉及人类的另一个基本需求：口渴。耶稣说：“我渴了，你们给我喝。”水是维持一切物质生命的必要条件。若没有水，人很难存活几天。没有足够的水，毒素就会累积，无法排出体外。这可能导致头痛、精神错乱、昏厥，甚至死亡。全世界都迫切需要安全、无污染的饮用水。让人们获得干净的水，用以解渴，使生命得以维持，这是世间仁爱的一种基本形式。

在更内在的层面上，我们每个人生来都有一种对真理的神圣渴望。纯正的真理对于灵魂的作用，正如干净的水对于身体的作用。它能滋养人，使人神清气爽。清澈的、不受虚假污染的真理，能振奋和鼓舞灵魂，给它目标和方向。灵魂渴望真理，正如干渴的行人渴望水一样。学习真理，以便更好地服务他人的愿望，都是神所赐的渴望。正如耶稣所说：“我渴了，你们给我喝。”

---

客旅：“我实在想接受教导” ¹⁵

---

第三类有用的服务是关心我们身边的陌生人。耶稣说：“我作客旅，你们留我住。”在耶稣说这话的年代，善待陌生人，接待他们，为他们提供食物和住所，被认为是一种仁爱行为。如经文所记：“若有外人在你们国中和你同居，就不可欺负他。和你们同居的外人，你们要看他如本地人一样，并要爱他如己，因为你们在埃及地也作过寄居的。”（利未记19:33-34）因此，耶稣是在提醒祂的听众，接纳陌生人，欢迎人们进入我们的生活，是一个基本的仁爱法则。

在更内在的层面上，如果我们不了解彼此的愿望、期待和梦想，我们彼此就是陌生人。为了服务他人，我们必须了解我们所服务的人的需要。了解他人需求的意愿，将使我们获得如何最有效服务他人的洞见和方向。因此，我们必须有了解他们的意愿，有接受教导的意愿。

就像我们需要了解陌生人的需要，以便更好地服务他们一样，我们也需要了解主和祂的真实本质，以便更好地服事祂。意思是，我们必须有接受教导的渴望，以便了解神的愿望、期待和梦想。简单地说，就是希望接受祂的教导，以便我们更充分地服事祂。如果我们愿意接受这样的教导，真诚地渴望了解神的旨意，祂就不再是我们的陌生人了。正如耶稣所说：“我作客旅，你们留我住。”

---

赤身露体：“若没有主，我的内心就没有良善和真理” ¹⁶

---

第四类有用的服务涉及人类对衣服蔽体的需求。耶稣说：“我赤身露体，你们给我穿。”为有需要的人提供外套、毛衣或毯子，免得他们在寒冷中瑟瑟发抖，是一种基本的仁爱行为。据计算，全世界有数百万人买不起鞋子。精简塞满衣服的衣柜，把多余的鞋子送给别人，或者向收容所捐款，这些都是为有需要的人提供衣服蔽体的简单方法。

在更内在的层面上，每当我们没有“穿上”天国的衣服，也就是神的爱和智慧，我们就实在是赤身露体的。例如，在我们的生活中，有时我们可能会感到愤怒、烦恼或沮丧。如果我们在灵性上是警醒的，这可以是一个机会，叫我们承认，若离了主，我们里面就没有良善或真理。换句话说，我们看到我们在灵性上是“赤身露体的”。这时候，我们可以转向主，承认我们是赤身露体的，并祈求穿上合适的衣服，也就是诸如理解、宽恕和智慧等品质。每一种属天的品质都是神的衣服。一旦我们得体地穿上这些衣服，当我们遇见通常会让我们表现自我的情形，我们会用爱和理解来回应；自我是我们裸露在外的部分，丧失了属灵的生命。

同样地，当我们看到别人处于消极的状态，我们可以用主的怜悯和理解来回应他们，用仁爱来给他们蔽体。正如耶稣所说：“我赤身露体，你们给我穿。”

---

病了：“若没有主，我里面除了邪恶，什么都没有” ¹⁷

---

第五类有用的服务涉及人类在生病时所需的帮助。耶稣说：“我病了，你们看顾我。”很少有人（如果有的话）一生不生病。无论是患上相对轻微的疾病（感冒、发烧、喉咙痛），还是比较严重的疾病（脊髓灰质炎、肝炎、癌症），若有人来探望我们，坐在我们身边，给予我们帮助，我们都会得到安慰。我们感激那些抽时间来照顾我们的人。

在更内在的层面上，承认我们在灵性上是“病人”，就是承认我们自己全然是恶。由于我们倾向于以自我为中心，自私自利，所以我们需要主来医治我们。幸运的是，主从不拒绝任何人。相反，当我们生病时，祂会看顾我们，察看我们的灵魂。祂超越症状，看到每一种属灵疾病的根本原因。这些原因包括但不限于：蔑视、怨恨、拒绝宽恕、图谋报复、各种形式的自我中心，最根本的是，抗拒主的引导。

虽然这样的诊断令人不快，但神圣的医生并没有让我们丧失希望。祂提供了药物，并为我们指明了道路。当我们承认我们确实是以自我为中心，自私自利，选择被个人利益所引导，而不是被主所引导，治愈就有望了。一旦我们开始遵循处方（遵守诫命），治愈就开始了。随着邪恶逐渐被清除，主用祂的爱充满我们，用祂的真理复兴我们，并赐给我们力量，使我们痊愈。

同样地，当我们遇见在灵性上生病的人，我们可以回想主为我们所做的。我们不会转身离开。正如耶稣所说：“我病了，你们看顾我。”

---

在监里：“若没有主，我里面除了虚假，什么都没有” ¹⁸

---

第六类有用的服务涉及人们在被囚禁时所需的帮助。耶稣说：“我在监里，你们来看我。”在圣经时代，监狱是黑暗的，里面没有窗户，我们称之为地牢。通常，人们会因为无力偿还债务而被送进监狱。在那里，他们会独自坐在黑暗中，不能去任何地方，也不能做任何事情来解脱自己。当我们考虑到囚犯几乎失去了对生活的所有控制，包括不能接触外面的世界时，我们可以想象，若有人来探视他们，会是多么重要。这让他们知道，他们没有被遗忘或抛弃。

在更内在的层面上，每当我们被错误的思维束缚时，我们就成了囚犯，坐在黑暗中。当我们在灵性上被束缚时，我们的思想会变得阴暗。我们陷入恐惧、怀疑和怨恨。我们不是专注于主的真理，感恩祂所赐的丰盛的恩典，而是专注于我们所缺乏的事物。从潜藏的邪恶中，产生了虚假的想象。我们相信事情永远不会改变，没有希望，我们是毫无价值的人，我们的努力是徒劳的。

这些错误的信念可能是毁灭性的，让我们失去希望和盼望。这是一个灵性上的监狱，我们最终失去逃离的愿望。这就是彻底绝望的监狱。

另一方面，还有一种监狱，就是骄傲的监狱。当被束缚在骄傲的监狱里时，我们想象自己比别人更优秀，更重要，更值得称赞。我们要求得到尊重和认可。在这种自高自大的状态下，我们错误地认为我们什么都可以做到。结果，我们过度劳累，争强好胜，并过度要求正确。我们操纵他人来实现我们的野心，如果没有达到目标，就责怪他人，如果得偿所愿，便将成就全归于自己。简而言之，我们错误地认为一切都是我们的功劳。无疑，在骄傲的监狱里，没有主的容身之地。

无论错误的思想是将我们带入绝望的地牢还是骄傲的监狱，问题都是一样的。如果没有主在我们的生命中，没有祂真实的话语在我们的头脑中，我们就无法逃脱虚假的想象，从而陷入痛苦的深渊。但我们必须逃离。这就是为什么我们需要有人来到我们身边，给我们带来真理之光，驱散黑暗。

真理之光所做的第一件事，就是揭示我们在监狱中的事实。如果我们承认我们确实被囚禁了，而且我们需要主的真理来照亮我们的出路，我们就有了一个开始。一旦我们承认了这一点，光就会变得更加明亮。在这道光中，我们看出是错误的思维模式使我们陷入了绝望或骄傲的状态。我们开始相信，我们唯有靠着主，通过祂神圣的真理，才能得着自由。

同样，在我们的生活中，有时人们也会暂时被错误的思维和虚假的想象所禁锢。在这些时候，不应该让他们独自留在监狱中。相反，我们应该靠近他们，倾听他们的心声，并试着去理解他们。然后，当主带着祂的怜悯引导我们时，我们可以提出问题和建议，帮助他们更清楚地了解自己的境地。正如耶稣所说：“我在监里，你们来看我。”

---

“你们既作在我这弟兄中一个最小的身上”

---

当耶稣描述完这六种有用的服务时，由绵羊所代表的义人说：“主啊，我们什么时候见你饿了，给你吃，渴了，给你喝？什么时候见你作客旅，留你住，或是赤身露体，给你穿？又什么时候见你病了，或是在监里，来看你呢？”耶稣回答说：“我实在告诉你们，这些事你们既做在我这弟兄中一个最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。”（25:37-40）

“我这弟兄中最小的”一语尤其值得注意。每当我们努力看到另一个人身上的良善，并努力支持和鼓励这种良善，我们就是在爱和服务那个人里面的主。我们要喂养、滋润、庇护、遮盖、医治和释放的正是神在他人身上的那种品质，即使是我们所能发现的最小的良善。这是我们能够成就的最伟大的善举。这就是为什么每当我们这样做时，耶稣对我们说：“这些事你们既做在我这弟兄中一个最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。” ¹⁹

耶稣还提出了最后的告诫。如果我们不认真对待祂的劝勉，过一种仁爱的生活，我们将失去天堂的祝福，活在地狱的痛苦中。正如耶稣所说：“这些人要往永刑里去”。

---

谦卑之福

---

这是耶稣要对门徒说的最后一个比喻。祂已经多次多方地教导他们，谦卑是宗教生活的精髓，凡自己谦卑的，必升为高。

在这一系列仁爱的行为中，耶稣又回到了谦卑的主题。祂教导我们要渴望（hunger for）良善，渴望（thirst for）真理，愿意接受教导；祂教导我们要承认，若离了祂，我们自己没有良善或真理，全然是恶，住在黑暗中。从内在的层面来看，每一类有用的服务都描述了我们体验真正谦卑的另一种方式。这是非常重要的，因为谦卑能使我们获得天堂的祝福。正如耶稣对那些谦卑跟随祂的人所说：“你们这蒙我父赐福的，可来承受那创世以来为你们所预备的国。”（25:34） ²⁰

Footnotes:

405. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places, signifies that every good of love and every truth of faith perished. This is evident from the signification of "a mountain," as being the good of love to the Lord (of which presently); from the signification of "island" as being the truth of faith (of which in the next article); and from the signification of "to be moved out of their places," as being to be taken away and to perish, since the good of love and the truth of faith are meant, for when these are moved out of their places, then evils and falsities take their place, and through evils and falsities goods and truths perish. "Mountain" signifies the good of love, because in heaven those who are in the good of love to the Lord, dwell upon mountains, and those who are in charity towards the neighbor dwell upon hills; or, what is the same, those who are of the Lord's celestial kingdom dwell upon mountains, and those who are of His spiritual kingdom dwell upon hills; and the celestial kingdom is distinguished from the spiritual kingdom in this, that those who are of the celestial kingdom are in love to the Lord, and those who are of the spiritual kingdom are in charity towards the neighbor (but of the latter and the former, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28). This is why "mountain" signifies the good of love to the Lord.

[2] The good of love to the Lord is meant in an abstract sense by "mountain," because all things in the internal sense of the Word are spiritual, and spiritual things must be understood in a sense abstracted from persons and places; consequently, because angels are spiritual they think and speak abstractedly from these, and thereby have intelligence and wisdom; for the idea of persons and places limits the thought, since it confines it to persons and places, and thus limits it. This idea of thought is proper to the natural, while the idea abstracted from persons and places extends itself into heaven in every direction, and is no otherwise limited than the sight of the eye is limited when it looks up into the sky without intervening objects; such an idea is proper to the spiritual. This is why "a mountain" in the spiritual sense of the Word signifies the good of love. It is similar with the signification of "the earth," as being the church; for thought abstracted from places, and from nations and peoples upon the earth, is thought respecting the church there or with these; this, therefore, is signified by "earth" in the Word. It is similar with the other things that are mentioned in the natural sense of the Word, as with hills, rocks, valleys, rivers, seas, cities, houses, gardens, woods, and other things.

[3] That "mountain" signifies the love to the Lord, and thus all good that is from that, which is called celestial good, and in the contrary sense signifies the love of self, and thus all the evil that is from that, is evident from the following passages in the Word. In Amos:

Dispose thyself towards thy God, O Israel; for lo, He is the Former of the mountains, and the Creator of the spirit, and declareth unto man what is his thought (Amos 4:12-13).

God is here called "the Former of the mountains" because "mountains" signify the goods of love, and "the Creator of the spirit" because "spirit" signifies life from such goods; and because through these He gives intelligence to man it is added, "and declareth unto man what is his thought," for the intelligence that man has is of his thought, which flows in from the Lord through the good of love into his life, so "to declare" here means to flow in.

[4] In David:

God who maketh firm the mountains by His power; He is girded with might (Psalms 65:6).

Here, too, "mountains" signify the goods of love; these the "Lord maketh firm" in heaven and in the church through His Divine truth, which has all power; therefore it is said "He maketh firm the mountains by His power; He is girded with might." In the Word "God's power" signifies Divine truth; and "might" in reference to the Lord signifies all might or omnipotence. (That all power is in the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 228-233; and above, n. 209, 333; and that might in reference to the Lord is omnipotence, see above, n. 338)

[5] In the same:

I lift up mine eyes to the mountains, whence cometh help (Psalms 121:1).

"Mountains" here mean the heavens; and as in the heavens those who are in the goods of love and of charity dwell upon the mountains and hills, as was said above, and the Lord is in these goods, "to lift up the eyes to the mountains" also means to the Lord, from whom is all help. When "mountains," in the plural, are mentioned, both mountains and hills are meant, consequently both the good of love to the Lord and the good of charity towards the neighbor.

[6] In Isaiah:

There shall be upon every high mountain and upon every lofty hill streams, rivulets of waters, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers shall fall (Isaiah 30:25).

The Last Judgment, which is here treated of, is meant by "the day of great slaughter, when the towers shall fall," "great slaughter" meaning the destruction of the evil, "the towers which shall fall," the falsities of doctrine that are from the love of self and the world. That this is what "towers" signify is from appearances in the spiritual world, for those who seek to rule by such things as pertain to the church build towers for themselves in high places (See in the small work on The Last Judgment 56, 58). That such then as are in love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbor are raised up into heaven and imbued with intelligence and wisdom, is meant by "there shall be upon every high mountain and upon every lofty hill streams, rivulets of waters;" "the high mountain" signifying where those are who are in love to the Lord, and "lofty hill" where those are who are in charity towards the neighbor; "streams" wisdom, and "rivulets of waters" intelligence, for "waters" mean truths, from which are intelligence and wisdom.

[7] In Joel:

It shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the water-courses of Judah shall flow with waters (Joel 3:18).

This treats of the Lord's coming and of the new heaven and the new earth at that time; "the mountains shall drop down sweet wine" means that all truth shall be from the good of love to the Lord; "the hills shall flow with milk" means that there shall be spiritual life from the good of charity towards the neighbor; and "all the water-courses of Judah shall flow with waters" means that there shall be truths from the particulars of the Word, through which there is intelligence. (But these things may be seen more fully explained above, n. 376)

[8] In Nahum:

Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that proclaimeth good tidings, [that publisheth] peace (Nahum 1:15).

In Isaiah:

How joyous [upon the mountains] are the feet of him that proclaimeth good tidings, that maketh peace to be heard; that saith unto Zion, Thy king ¹ reigneth (Isaiah 52:7).

In the same:

O Zion, that proclaimest good tidings, go up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that proclaimest good tidings, lift up thy voice with power (Isaiah 40:9).

This is said of the Lord's coming, and of the salvation at that time of those who are in the good of love to Him, and thence in truths of doctrine from the Word; and as the salvation of these is treated of, it is said, "Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that publisheth peace," and "O Zion, that proclaimest good tidings, go up into the high mountain," "to publish peace," signifying to preach the Lord's coming, for "peace" in the highest sense signifies the Lord, and in the internal sense every good and truth that is from the Lord (See above, n. 365); and "O Zion, that proclaimest good tidings," means the church that is in the good of love to the Lord; and "O Jerusalem, that proclaimest good tidings," the church that is thence in truths of doctrine from the Word.

[9] In Isaiah:

I will make all My mountains for a way, and My highways shall be exalted. Sing aloud O heavens, and exult O earth, and break forth with singing aloud O mountains; for Jehovah hath comforted His people (Isaiah 49:11, 13).

"Mountains," in the plural, mean both mountains and hills, thus both the good of love and the good of charity. "Mountains and hills shall be made for a way, and highways shall be exalted" signifies that those who are in these goods shall be in genuine truths; "to be made for a way" signifying to be in truths, and "highways being exalted" signifying to be in genuine truths; for "ways and highways" signify truths, which are said to be exalted by good, and the truths that are from good are genuine truths. Their joy of heart on this account is signified by "Sing aloud O heavens, exult O earth," internal joy by "Sing aloud O heavens," and external joy by "exult O earth." Confessions from joy originating in the good of love are signified by "break forth with singing aloud O mountains;" that this is on account of reformation and regeneration is signified by "for Jehovah hath comforted his people." Evidently mountains in the world are not here meant; for why should mountains be made for a way, and highways be exalted, and mountains resound with singing aloud?

[10] In the same:

Sing aloud ye heavens, shout ye lower parts of the earth, break forth with singing aloud, ye mountains, O forest and every tree therein; for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and hath shown Himself glorious in Israel (Isaiah 44:23).

"Sing aloud ye heavens, shout ye lower parts of the earth, break forth with singing aloud ye mountains," has a like signification as just above; but here "mountains" signify the goods of charity; therefore it is also said, "O forest and every tree therein," for "a forest" means the external or natural man in respect to all things thereof, and "every tree" means the cognizing and knowing faculty therein; the reformation of these is signified by "Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and hath shown Himself glorious in Israel;" "Jacob and Israel" meaning the church external and internal; thus the external and internal with those in whom the church is.

[11] In the same:

The mountains and hills shall break forth with singing aloud, and all the trees of the field shall clap the hand (Isaiah 55:12).

In David:

Praise Jehovah, mountains and hills, tree of fruit, and all cedars (Psalms 148:7, 9).

This describes the joy of heart from the good of love and charity; and "mountains," "hills," "trees," and "cedars," are said "to break forth with singing aloud," "to clap the hand," and "to praise," because these signify the goods and truths that cause joys in man; for man does not rejoice from himself, but from the goods and truths that are with him; these rejoice because they make joy for man.

[12] In Isaiah:

The wilderness and its cities shall lift up their voice, and the villages that Arabia doth inhabit; the inhabitants of the cliff shall sing aloud, they shall shout from the top of the mountains (Isaiah 42:11).

"The wilderness" signifies the obscurity of truth; "its cities" signify doctrinals; "villages" the natural cognitions and knowledges; "Arabia" the natural man, for "an Arabian in the wilderness" means the natural man; "the inhabitants of the cliff" signify the goods of faith, or those who are in the goods of faith; "the top of the mountains" signifies the good of love to the Lord. This makes clear what the particulars signify in their order, namely, confession and joyful worship from the good of love in such things as are mentioned; for "to shout from the top of the mountains" means to worship from the good of love.

[13] In David:

A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; a mountain of hills is the mountain of Bashan; why leap ye, ye mountains, ye hills of the mountain? God desireth to dwell in it; yea, Jehovah will inhabit it perpetually (Psalms 68:15-16).

"The mountain of Bashan" signifies voluntary good, such as exists in those who are in the externals of the church; for Bashan was a region beyond Jordan, which was given as an inheritance to the half tribe of Manasseh, as may be seen in Joshua (Joshua 13:29-32); and "Manasseh" signifies the voluntary good of the external or natural man. This voluntary good is the same as the good of love in the external man, for all good of love is of the will, and all truth therefrom is of the understanding; therefore "Ephraim," his brother, signifies the intellectual truth of that good. Because "the mountain of Bashan" signifies that good, "the hills" of that mountain signify goods in act. Because it is the will that acts-for every activity of the mind and body is from the will, as everything active of thought and speech is from the understanding, therefore the joy arising from the good of love is described and meant by "skipping" and "leaping;" this makes clear what is signified by "a mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; a mountain of hills is the mountain of Bashan; why leap ye, ye mountains, ye hills of the mountain?" Because the Lord dwells with man in his voluntary good, from which are goods in act, it is said, "God desireth to dwell in it; yea, Jehovah will inhabit it perpetually."

[14] In the same:

Judah became the sanctuary of Jehovah. The sea saw it and fled; the Jordan turned itself back. The mountains leaped like rams, the hills like the sons of the flock. What hast thou O sea, that thou fleest? O Jordan, that thou turnest back? ye mountains, that ye leap like rams; ye hills, like sons of the flock? Before the Lord thou art in travail, O earth, before the God of Jacob; who turned the rock into a pool of waters, the flint into a fountain of waters (Psalms 114:2-8).

This describes the departure of the sons of Israel out of Egypt; and yet without explanation by the internal sense no one can know what this signifies, as that "the mountains then leaped like rams, and the hills like the sons of the flock," likewise what is meant by "the sea saw it and fled, and the Jordan turned itself back." It shall therefore be explained. The establishment of the church, or the regeneration of the men of the church, is here meant in the internal sense, for the church that was to be established is signified by the sons of Israel, its establishment by their departure, the shaking off of evils by the passage through the sea Suph, which is said "to have fled," and the introduction into the church by the crossing of the Jordan, which is said to have "turned itself back." But for the particulars: "Judah became a sanctuary, and Israel a domain," signifies that the good of love to the Lord is the very holiness of heaven and the church, and that truth from that good is that by which there is government; for "Judah" signifies celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord; "sanctuary" the very holiness of heaven and the church; "Israel" spiritual good, which is truth from that good, by which there is government, for all government pertaining to the Lord is a government of Divine truth proceeding from Divine good; "the sea saw it and fled, Jordan turned itself back," signifies that when the evils and falsities which are in the natural man had been shaken off, true knowledges [scientifica] and cognitions [cognitiones] of truth and good took their place; "the mountains leaped like rams, the hills like the sons of the flock," signifies that celestial good, which is the good of love, and spiritual good, which is truth from that good, produce good or come into effect from joy; "mountains" signifying the good of love, "hills" the goods of charity, which in their essence are truths from that good; and "to leap," because it is predicated of these, signifies to produce good from joy. It is said "like rams," and "like the sons of the flock," because "rams" signify the goods of charity, and "the sons of the flock" truths therefrom. The establishment of the church from these, that is, the regeneration of the men of the church, is signified by, "before the Lord thou art in travail, O earth, before the God of Jacob; who turned the rock into a pool of waters, and the flint into a fountain of waters;" "earth" meaning the church; and this is said "to be in travail" when it is established or when the man of the church is born anew; it is said "before the Lord" and "before the God of Jacob," because where the good of love is treated of in the Word the Lord is called "the Lord;" and when goods in act are treated of He is called "the God of Jacob." Regeneration by truths from goods is signified by "He turned the rock into a pool of waters, and the flint into a fountain of waters;" "pool of waters" signifying the knowledges of truth, and "fountain of waters" the Word from which these are, and "rock" the natural man in respect to truth before reformation, and "flint" the natural man in respect to good before reformation.

[15] In the same:

Thou hast caused a vine to journey out of Egypt; Thou hast driven out the nations and planted it. The mountains were covered by its shadow, and the cedars of God by its branches (Psalms 80:8, 10).

"A vine out of Egypt" signifies the spiritual church which has its beginning with man by means of knowledges and cognitions in the natural man, "vine" meaning the spiritual church, and "Egypt" the knowing faculty [scientificum] which is in the natural man; "thou hast driven out the nations, and planted it," signifies that when evils had been cast out therefrom the church was established; "nations" meaning evils, and "to plant a vine" meaning to establish the spiritual church; "the mountains were covered by its shadow, and the cedars of God by its branches," signifies that the whole church is from spiritual goods and truths; "mountains" meaning spiritual goods, and "the cedars of God" spiritual truths. Evidently the bringing forth of the sons of Israel out of Egypt and their introduction into the land of Canaan, from which the nations were expelled, is what is meant by these words; and yet the same words, in the internal sense, mean such things as have been explained; nor was anything else represented and signified by the introduction of the sons of Israel into the land of Canaan, and by the expulsion of the nations from it; for all the historical parts of the Word, as well as its prophetical parts, involve spiritual things.

[16] In Isaiah:

As to all mountains that shall be hoed with the hoe, there shall not come thither the fear of briar and bramble; but there shall be the sending forth of the ox and the trampling of the sheep (Isaiah 7:25).

"The mountains that shall be hoed with the hoe" mean those who do what is good from a love of good. (What the remainder signifies see above, n. 304, where it is explained.) In the same:

I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of My mountains, that My chosen may possess it and My servants dwell there (Isaiah 65:9).

"Jacob" and "Judah" signify the church, "Jacob" the external church, which is in the knowledges of good and truth, and "Judah" the [internal] church which is in the good of love to the Lord; therefore "a seed out of Jacob" signifies the knowledges of good and truth, and thus such as are in these; and "the mountains whose inheritor shall be out of Judah," signify the good of love to the Lord, and thence such as are in it; "the chosen who shall possess the mountain," signify those who are in good, and "the servants" those who are in truths from good.

[17] In Jeremiah:

I will bring the sons of Israel back upon their land. Behold, I will send to many fishers, who shall fish them; and I will send to many hunters, who shall hunt them from upon every mountain and from upon every hill and out of the holes of the cliffs (Jeremiah 16:15-16).

This treats of the establishment of a new church, which was represented and signified by the bringing back of the Jews from the captivity out of the land of Babylon into the land of Canaan. He who does not know what is signified by "fishing and hunting," by "mountain," "hill," and "holes of the cliffs," can gather nothing from these words that he can comprehend. That a church was to be established from those who are in natural good and in spiritual good is meant by "I will send fishers who shall fish them, and hunters who shall hunt them." To gather together those who are in natural good is meant by "sending fishers who shall fish them;" and to gather together those who are in spiritual good is meant by "sending hunters who shall hunt them;" because such are meant it is added, "from upon every mountain and from upon every hill, and out of the holes of the cliffs," those "upon a mountain" meaning those who are in the good of love, "those upon a hill" those who are in the good of charity; "and those out of the holes of the cliffs" those who are in obscurities respecting truth.

[18] In Ezekiel:

Ye mountains of Israel, ye shall give forth your branch, and bear your fruit to My people Israel, when they draw near to come (Ezekiel 36:8).

"The mountains of Israel" signify the goods of charity; that from these are the truths of faith and the goods of life, is signified by "ye shall give forth your branch, and bear your fruit;" "branch" meaning the truth of faith, and "fruit" the good of life.

[19] In Amos:

Behold, the days come, that the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall dissolve; for I will bring back the captivity of My people (Amos 9:13-14).

What these words signify may be seen above (n. 376), where they are explained. "The mountains" are said "to drop sweet wine," and "the hills to dissolve," because "mountains" signify the good of love to the Lord, and "hills" the good of charity towards the neighbor, and "sweet wine" truths; therefore these words signify that from these two goods they shall have truths in abundance, for the bringing back of the people from captivity, about which this is said, signifies the establishment of a new church.

[20] In David:

Jehovah, Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgments like a great deep (Psalms 36:6).

Because "righteousness," in the Word, is predicated of good, and "judgment" of truth, it is said that "the righteousness of Jehovah is like the mountains of God, and His judgments like a great deep;" "the mountains of God" signifying the good of charity, and "the deep" truths in general, which are called the truths of faith. (That "righteousness" is predicated of good, and "judgment" of truth, see Arcana Coelestia 2235, 9857.)

[21] In the same:

Jehovah hath founded the earth upon its bases; Thou hast covered it with the deep as with a vesture; the waters stand above the mountains. At Thy rebuke they flee; at the voice of Thy thunder they hurried away. The mountains arise, the valleys sink down unto the place which Thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound, they pass it not; they return not again to cover the earth. He sendeth forth springs into the brooks, they flow between the mountains. He watereth the mountains from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of Thy works (Psalms 104:5-10, 13).

This, understood in the spiritual sense, describes the process of regeneration, or of the formation of the church with man; and "He hath founded the earth upon its bases," signifies the church with man with its boundaries and closings; "Thou hast covered it with the deep as with a vesture," signifies with knowledges [scientifica] in the natural man, by which knowledges the interiors of the natural man, where the spiritual things of the church have their seat, are encompassed; "the deep" signifying knowledges in general, and "vesture" the true knowledges encircling and investing; "the waters stand above the mountains" signifies the falsities above the delights of the natural loves, which delights are in themselves evils; "mountains" meaning the evils of those loves, and "waters" falsities therefrom; "at Thy rebuke they flee, at the voice of Thy thunder they hurry away" signifies that falsities are dispersed by truths, and evils by goods from heaven; "the mountains arise, and the valleys sink down unto the place which Thou hast founded for them" signifies that in place of natural loves and of evils therefrom there are inserted heavenly loves and goods from them, and in place of falsities general truths are let down; "Thou hast set a bound, they pass it not, they return not again to cover the earth" signifies that falsities and evils are kept without, separated from truths and goods, and held within bounds that they may not flow in again and destroy; "He sendeth forth springs into the brooks, they flow between the mountains" signifies that the Lord, out of the truths of the Word, gives intelligence, all things of which are from the good of celestial love; "springs" signifying the truths of the Word, "springs sent into brooks" the intelligence therefrom, and their "flowing between the mountains" that they are from the goods of celestial love, "mountains" meaning such goods. "He watereth the mountains from His upper chambers" signifies that all goods are by means of truths from heaven; "to water" is predicated of truths, because "waters" mean truths; "mountains" mean the goods of love; and "upper chambers" the heavens from which these are; "the earth is satisfied with the fruit of Thy works" signifies that from the Divine operation the church continually increases with man; "the fruit of works" meaning, in reference to the Lord, the Divine operation, and "the earth" the church in man, the formation of which is here treated of; and the church is said "to be satisfied" by continual increase. These are the arcana that are hid in these words; but who can see them unless he knows them from the internal sense, and unless he is in knowledges, in this case, unless he is in knowledge respecting the internal and external man, and the goods and truths that constitute the church in these?

[22] In Zechariah:

I lifted up mine eyes and saw, when behold, four chariots coming out from between the mountains; and the mountains were mountains of copper (Zechariah 6:1).

A new church to be established among the Gentiles is treated of in this chapter, for a new temple is treated of, which signifies a new church. "Chariots coming out from between the mountains" signify doctrine, which is to be formed out of good by means of truths, "chariots" signifying doctrinals, "mountains" the goods of love, and "between mountains" truths from goods; for "valleys," which are between mountains, signify lower truths, which are the truths of the natural man. That it may be known, that "mountains" here signify the goods of the natural man, it is said, "and the mountains were mountains of copper," "copper" signifying the good of the natural man.

[23] In Zechariah:

Jehovah shall go forth and fight against the nations; His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, before the faces of Jerusalem from the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be cloven asunder, a part thereof toward the east and toward the sea with a great valley, and a part of the mountain shall withdraw toward the north, and a part of it toward the south. Then shall ye flee through the valley of My mountains; and the valley of the mountains shall reach towards Azal (Zechariah 14:3-5).

This is said of the Last Judgment, which was accomplished by the Lord when He was in the world; for when the Lord was in the world He reduced all things to order in the heavens and in the hells, therefore He then wrought a judgment upon the evil and upon the good. This judgment is what is meant in the Word of the Old Testament by "the day of indignation," "of anger," "of wrath," "of the vengeance of Jehovah," and by "the year of retributions" (on this judgment see the small work on The Last Judgment 46). That the Lord's coming and the judgment that then took place are treated of in this chapter, is evident from these words in it:

Then Jehovah my God shall come, all the holy ones with Thee. And there shall be in that day no light, brightness, nor flashing; and it shall be one day that shall be known to Jehovah, not day nor night; for about the time of evening there shall be light (Zechariah 14:5-7).

"The time of evening" means the last time of the church, when judgment takes place; then it is "evening" to the evil, but "light" to the good. As soon as these things are known, it becomes plain, through the spiritual sense, what the particulars here signify, namely, "Jehovah shall go forth and fight against the nations" signifies the Last Judgment upon the evil, "to go forth and fight" means to execute judgment, and "nations" the evil; "His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives, before the faces of Jerusalem from the east" signifies that this is effected from the Divine love by means of Divine truths proceeding from His Divine good; "the Mount of Olives" signifying, in reference to the Lord, the Divine love, "Jerusalem," the church in respect to truths, and therefore the Divine truths of the church, and "the east" the Divine good; "the Mount of Olives shall be cloven asunder, a part thereof toward the east and toward the sea, with a great valley" signifies the separation of those who are in good from those who are in evil; for "the Mount of Olives," as was said, means the Divine love; "the east" means where those are who are in Divine good, and "the sea" where those are who are in evil, for in the western quarter of the spiritual world is a sea which separates; "a part of the mountain shall withdraw toward the north, and part of it toward the south" signifies the separation of those who are in the falsities of evil from those who are in the truths of good; "the north" meaning where those are who are in the falsities of evil, since they are in darkness, and "the south" where those are who are in the truths of good, since they are in light; "then shall ye flee through the valley of my mountains" signifies that then those who are in truths from good shall be rescued, "to flee" signifying to be rescued, "the valley of the mountains" signifying where those are who are in the knowledges of truth, and thus in truths from good, for those who are in the knowledges of truth dwell in valleys, and those who are in good upon the mountains; "and the valley of the mountains shall reach even unto Azal" signifies separation from the falsities of evil, "Azal" signifying separation and liberation.

[24] Because "the Mount of Olives," which was before Jerusalem eastward, signified the Divine love, and "Jerusalem from the east" Divine truth proceeding from Divine good, as was said above, the Lord was accustomed to stay on that mount, as is evident in Luke:

Jesus during the days was teaching in the temple; but at night He went out and lodged in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37; 22:39; John 8:1).

It was here, too, that He spoke with His disciples about His coming and the consummation of the age, that is, about the Last Judgment (Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:3). It was from here, also, that He went to Jerusalem and suffered (Matthew 21:1; 26:30; Mark 11:1; 14:26; Luke 19:29, 37; 21:37; 22:39); signifying thereby that He did all things from the Divine love, for "the Mount of Olives" signified that love; for whatever the Lord did in the world was representative, and whatever He spoke was significative. The Lord when in the world was in representatives and significatives, in order that He might be in the ultimates of heaven and the church, and at the same time in their firsts, and thus might rule and dispose ultimates from firsts, and thus all intermediates from firsts through ultimates; representatives and significatives are in ultimates.

[25] Because "a mountain" signified the good of love and in reference to the Lord, the Divine good of the Divine love, from which good Divine truth proceeds, so Jehovah, that is, the Lord, descended upon Mount Sinai and promulgated the law. For it is said that:

He came down upon that mount, to the top of the mount (Exodus 19:20; 24:16-17);

And that He promulgated the law there (Exodus 20).

Therefore also Divine truth from Divine good is signified in the Word by "Sinai," and also by "the law" there promulgated. So too:

The Lord took Peter, James, and John into a high mountain, when He was transfigured (Matthew 17:1; Mark 9:2).

and when He was transfigured He appeared in Divine truth from Divine good, for "His face which was as the sun" represented the Divine good, and "His raiment which was as the light" the Divine truth; and "Moses and Elias," who appeared, signified the Word, which is Divine truth from the Divine good.

[26] Since "a mountain" signified the good of love, and in the highest sense, the Divine good, and from the Divine good Divine truth proceeds, so Mount Zion was built up above Jerusalem, and in the Word "Mount Zion" signifies the church that is in the good of love to the Lord, and "Jerusalem" the church that is in truths from that good, or the church in respect to doctrine. For the same reason Jerusalem is called "the mountain of holiness," also "the hill;" for "the mountain of holiness," likewise "hill" signify spiritual good, which in its essence is truth from good, as can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

It shall come to pass in the latter end of days that the mountain of Jehovah shall be on the head of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; whence all nations shall flow unto it; and many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob (Isaiah 2:2-3).

In the same:

In that day a great trumpet shall be blown, and the perishing in the land of Assyria shall come, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and they shall bow down to Jehovah in the mountain of holiness at Jerusalem (Isaiah 27:13).

In Joel:

Blow ye the trumpet in ² Zion, and cry aloud in the mountain of holiness (Joel 2:1).

In Daniel:

Let thine anger and Thy wrath be turned back from Thy city Jerusalem, the mountain of Thy Holiness (Daniel 9:16).

In Isaiah:

They shall bring all your brethren out of all nations unto Jehovah, unto the mountain of My holiness, Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:20).

He that putteth His trust in Me shall have the land for a heritage, and shall possess as an inheritance the mountain of My holiness (Isaiah 57:13).

In Ezekiel:

In the mountain of My holiness, in the mountain of the height of Israel, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve Me (Ezekiel 20:40).

In Micah:

In the latter end of days it shall be that the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and the peoples shall flow unto it (Micah 4:1).

Besides many passages elsewhere in which "the mountain of holiness," "Mount Zion," and "the mountain of Jehovah" are mentioned:

The mountain of holiness (Isaiah 11:9; 56:7; 65:11, 65:25; Jeremiah 31:23; Ezekiel 28:14; Daniel 9:20; 11:45; Joel 2:11; 3:17; Obadiah 1:16; Zephaniah 3:11;Zechariah 8:3; Psalms 15:1; 43:3).

And Mount Zion (Isaiah 4:5; 8:18; 10:12; 18:7; 24:23; 29:8; 31:4; 37:32; Joel 3:5; Obad. verses 17, 21; Micah 4:7; Lamentations 5:18; Psalms 48:11; 74:2; 78:68; 125:1).

Because "Mount Zion" signified Divine good and the church in respect to Divine good, it is said in Isaiah:

Send ye [the lamb of] the ruler of the land from the cliff towards the wilderness unto the mountain of the daughter of Zion (Isaiah 16:1).

And in Revelation:

A lamb standing upon the Mount Zion, and with him a hundred forty and four thousand (Revelation 14:1).

[27] From this it can also be seen why the New Jerusalem, in which was a temple, was seen by Ezekiel built upon a high mountain, respecting which it is thus written:

In the visions of God I was brought unto the land of Israel; he set me down upon a very high mountain, whereon was as it were the building of a city on the south (Ezekiel 40:2).

Respecting this, much is said in the chapters that follow. In David:

Great is Jehovah, and to be praised exceedingly in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness; beautiful in situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces as a refuge (Psalms 48:1-3).

This describes the worship of the Lord from truths that are from good. The worship of Him from spiritual truths and goods and the consequent pleasure of the soul is signified by "Great is Jehovah, and to be praised exceedingly in the city of our God, in the mountain of His Holiness, beautiful for situation;" worship is meant by "to be great," and "to be praised exceedingly;" spiritual truth that is from spiritual good by "in the city of our God, the mountain of His Holiness;" and the consequent pleasure of the soul by "beautiful for situation;" the worship of the Lord from celestial goods and truths is described by "the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king;" worship from celestial good is meant by "the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion;" and truths from that good by "on the sides of the north, the city of the great King;" "the sides of the north" meaning truths from celestial good, and "the city of the great King" the doctrine of truth therefrom. That truths are inscribed on those who are in celestial good is signified by "God is known in her palaces." "The sides of the north" signify truths from celestial good, because those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom dwell in the east in heaven; and those who are in truths from that good, towards the north there.

[28] In Isaiah:

O Lucifer, thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into the heavens; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit on the mount of the meeting, on the sides of the north (Isaiah 14:13).

"Lucifer" means Babylon, as is evident from what precedes and follows in this chapter; its love of ruling over heaven and the church is described by "I will ascend into the heavens, and will exalt my throne above the stars of God;" which means a striving for dominion over those heavens that constitute the Lord's spiritual kingdom, for truths and the knowledges of truth appear to such as stars; "I will sit on the mount of meeting, on the sides of the north" signifies a striving for dominion over the heavens that constitute the Lord's celestial kingdom, "the mount of meeting" and "the sides of the north" meaning the goods and truths there (as above). The fact that Mount Zion and Jerusalem were built as far as possible according to the form of heaven makes clear what the words cited above from David signify, "Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great king;" and the words from Isaiah, "The mount of meeting on the sides of the north."

[29] In Isaiah:

Sennacherib the king of Assyria said, By the multitude of my chariots I will come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; where I will cut down the height of its cedars, the choice of its fir trees (Isaiah 37:24).

This describes, in the internal sense, the haughtiness of those who wish to destroy the goods and truths of the church by reasonings from falsities; "the king of Assyria" signifies the rational perverted; "the multitude of his chariots" signifies reasonings from the falsities of doctrine; "to come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and to cut down the height of its cedars, and the choice of its fir trees" signifies the endeavor to destroy the goods and truths of the church, both internal and external; "mountains" meaning the goods of the church, "the sides of Lebanon" meaning where goods are conjoined with truths, "Lebanon" the spiritual church, "cedars" its internal truths which are from good, and "fir trees" its external truths, also from good. This is the meaning of these words in the spiritual sense, consequently in heaven.

[30] "Mountain" and "mountains" signify the goods of love and of charity in the following passages also. In David:

Jehovah who covereth the heavens with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to spring forth upon the mountains (Psalms 147:8).

"The clouds," with which Jehovah covers the heavens, signify external truths, such as are in the sense of the letter of the Word; for the truths in that sense are called in the Word "clouds," while the truths in the internal sense are called "glory;" "the heavens" mean internal truths, because those who are in the heavens are in them; "the rain which he prepares for the earth" signifies influx of truth, "the earth" meaning the church, and thus those there who receive truth, for the church consists of such; "the mountains on which He makes grass to spring forth" signify the goods of love, and thence those who are in the goods of love, "grass" signifying the spiritual nourishment that such have; for grass for beasts is meant, and "beasts" signify the affections of good of the natural man.

[31] In Moses:

Of Joseph he said, Blessed of Jehovah be the land [of Joseph] for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that lieth beneath, for the firstfruits of the mountains of the east, and for the precious things of the hills of an age (Deuteronomy 33:13-15).

This is the blessing of Joseph, or of the tribe named from Joseph by Moses; and this blessing was pronounced upon Joseph because "Joseph" signifies the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and the heaven there that most nearly communicates with the Lord's celestial kingdom; "the land of Joseph" means that heaven, and also the church that consists of those who will be in that heaven; "the precious things of heaven, the dew, and the deep that lieth beneath" signify Divine-spiritual and spiritual-natural things from a celestial origin, "the precious things of heaven" Divine-spiritual things, "the dew" spiritual things communicating, and "the deep that lieth beneath" spiritual-natural things; "the firstfruits of the mountains of the east, and the precious things of the hills of an age" signify genuine goods, both of the love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbor, "the mountains of the east" meaning the goods of love to the Lord, "the firstfruits" genuine goods, and "the hills of an age" the goods of charity towards the neighbor. Those who are ignorant of what is represented by "Joseph" and "his tribe," and also by "dew," "the deep that lieth beneath," "the mountains of the east," and "the hills of an age," can know scarcely anything of what such words involve, and, in general, can know scarcely anything of the significance of what is said by Moses in this whole chapter respecting the tribes of Israel, and of what is said by Israel the father in Genesis 49.

[32] In Matthew:

Ye are the light of the world; a city ³ that is set on a mountain cannot be hid (Matthew 5:14).

This was said to the disciples, by whom the church which is in truths from good is meant; therefore it is said, "Ye are the light of the world," "the light of the world" meaning the truth of the church. That it is not the truth unless it is from good is signified by "a city that is set on a mountain cannot be hid," "a city on a mountain" meaning truth from good.

[33] In the same:

If any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, will he not leave the ninety and nine in the mountains, and going seek that which is gone astray? (Matthew 18:12).

It is said, "will he not leave the ninety and nine in the mountains?" for "sheep in the mountains" signify those who are in the good of love and charity; but "the one that is gone astray" signifies one who is not in that good, because he is in falsities from ignorance; for where falsity is, there good is not, because good is of truth.

[34] In the Gospels:

When ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, then let them that are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let him that is on the roof not go down into the house (Mark 13:14; Matthew 24:15-17; Luke 21:21).

In those chapters the Lord describes the successive vastation of the church, but it is described by pure correspondences. "When ye shall see the abomination of desolation" signifies when the disciples, that is, those who are in truths from good, perceive the church to be devastated, which takes place when there is no longer any truth because there is no good, or no faith because there is no charity; "then let them that are in Judea flee to the mountains" signifies that those who are of the Lord's church are to remain in the good of love, "Judea" signifying the Lord's church, and "mountains" the goods of love; "to flee to them" means to remain in those goods; "let him that is on the roof not go down into the house" signifies that he that is in genuine truths should remain in them, "house" signifying a man in respect to all the interior things which belong to his mind, and "the roof of the house" signifying therefore the intelligence that is from genuine truths, thus also the genuine truths through which there is intelligence. Unless the particulars of what the Lord said in these chapters of the Gospels are illustrated by the spiritual sense, scarcely anything that is contained there can be known, thus when it is said "let him that is on the roof not go down into the house;" or in another place, "let not him that is in the field return back to take his garments;" and many other things.

[35] Thus far it has been shown that "mountains" signify in the Word the goods of love; but as most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, so do "mountains," which in that sense signify the evils of the love, or the evils that spring forth from the loves of self and the world. Mountains are mentioned in this sense in the following passages in the Word. In Isaiah:

The day of Jehovah of Hosts shall come upon everyone that is proud and exalted, and upon all the exalted mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up (Isaiah 2:12, 14).

"The day of Jehovah of Hosts" means the Last Judgment, when the evil were cast down from the mountains and hills which they occupied in the spiritual world, as was said in the beginning of this article. It is because such before the Last Judgment dwelt upon mountains and hills, that "mountains and hills" mean the loves and the evils therefrom in which they were, "mountains" the evils of the love of self, and "hills" the evils of the love of the world. It is to be known that all who are in the love of self, especially those who are in the love of ruling, when they come into the spiritual world, are in the greatest eagerness to raise themselves into high places; this desire is inherent in that love; and this is why "to be of a high or elated mind" and "to aspire to high things" have become expressions in common use. The reason itself that there is this eagerness in the love of ruling is that they wish to make themselves gods, and God is in things highest. That "mountains and hills" signify these loves, and thence the evils of these loves, is clear from its being said, "a day of Jehovah of Hosts shall come upon everyone that is proud and exalted, and upon all the exalted mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up;" what else could be meant by "coming upon the mountains and hills?"

[36] In the same:

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, make level a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low (Isaiah 40:3-4).

This, too, treats of the Lord's coming and of the Last Judgment at that time; and "the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, and a highway for our God," signifies that they should prepare themselves to receive the Lord; "wilderness" signifying where there is no good because there is no truth, thus where there is as yet no church; "every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low" signifies that all who are humble in heart, that is, all who are in goods and truths, are received, for such as are received by the Lord are raised up to heaven; while "every mountain and hill shall be made low" signifies that all who are elated in mind, that is, who are in the love of self and the world, shall be put down.

[37] In Ezekiel:

For I will make the land a desolation and wasteness, that the pride of strength may cease; and the mountains of Israel have been laid waste, that none may pass through (Ezekiel 33:28).

This describes the desolation and vastation of the spiritual church, which the Israelites represented; for the Jews represented the Lord's celestial kingdom, or the celestial church, while the Israelites represented the Lord's spiritual kingdom, or the spiritual church. Its "desolation and vastation" signifies the last state of the spiritual church, which was when there was no longer any truth because there was no good, or, when there was no faith because no charity; "desolation" is predicated of truth which is of faith, and "vastation" of good which is of charity. Boasting and elation of mind from falsities that they call truths, is signified by "the pride of strength," "strength" and "power" having reference to truths from good, because all strength and all power belong to such truths; here, however, they have reference to falsities, because of the boasting and elation of mind. That there was no longer any good of charity and faith is signified by "the mountains of Israel have been laid waste;" that there was no good whatever, but only evil, is signified by "that none may pass through."

[38] In the same:

Son of man, set thy faces toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovih; Thus said the Lord Jehovih to the mountains and to the hills, to the water-courses and to the valleys: Behold I bring the sword upon you (Ezekiel 6:2-3).

Here, too, "mountains of Israel" signify the evils that proceed from the love of self and of the world, which exist with those who are in the spiritual church, when they no longer have any good of life, but only evil of life and the falsity of doctrine therefrom; "mountains," "hills," "water-courses," and "valleys," signify all things of the church, both interior or spiritual and exterior or natural, "mountains and hills" signifying things interior or spiritual, "water-courses and valleys" things exterior or natural; that these will perish through falsities is signified by "Behold I will bring the sword upon you," "sword" meaning the destruction of falsity by truths, and in a contrary sense, as here, the destruction of truth by falsities.

[39] In the same:

In the day in which God shall come upon the ground of Israel, the fishes of the sea, and the fowl of the heavens, and the wild beast of the field, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the ground, and every man who is upon the faces of the ground, shall quake before Me, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steps shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the earth; then I will call for the sword against him unto all My mountains (Ezekiel 38:18, 20-21).

What all this signifies see above, n. 400, where it is explained, namely, what is signified by "God," by "the fishes of the sea," "the fowl of the heavens," "the wild beast of the field," "the creeping thing that creepeth upon the ground;" also that "the mountains of Israel" signify the goods of spiritual love, but here, the evils of love that are opposed to those goods.

[40] In Micah:

Arise, strive thou with the mountains, that the hills may hear thy ⁴ voice. Hear, O ye mountains, the strife of Jehovah, and ye strong foundations of the earth; for Jehovah hath a strife with His people, and He reproveth Israel (Micah 6:1, 2).

This, too, was said of the spiritual church, which was represented by the Israelites when separated from the Jews; and "mountains" mean the goods of charity, and "hills" the goods of faith; but here, the evils and falsities that are the opposites of these goods; therefore, it is said, "strive thou with the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice;" "the strong foundations of the earth" mean the principles of falsity in that church, "the earth" meaning the church, and "foundations" the principles upon which the other things are founded. It is said, "with His people," "with Israel," because "people" means those who are in truths, or those who are in falsities; and "Israel" those who are in goods, or those who are in evils.

[41] In Jeremiah:

Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, destroying the whole earth; and I will stretch out the hand against thee, and roll thee down from the cliffs, and will make thee a mountain of burning (Jeremiah 51:25).

This was said of Babylon, by which those who are in the falsities of evil and in the evils of falsity from the love of self are meant, for such misuse the holy things of the church as a means of ruling; it is from that love and the falsities and evils therefrom that Babylon is called "a destroying mountain, destroying the whole earth," "the earth" meaning the church. The destruction and damnation of such by the falsities of evil is signified by "I will roll thee down from the cliffs," "cliffs" meaning where the truths of faith are, here, where the falsities of evil are; while the destruction and damnation of such by the evils of falsity is signified by "I will make thee a mountain of burning," "burning" having reference to the love of self, because "fire" signifies that love (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 566-573). This makes clear that "mountains" signify the evils of the love of self and the world, since Babylon is called "a destroying mountain," and is to be made "a mountain of burning." In Nahum:

The mountains quake before Him, and the hills dissolve, and the whole earth is burned up before Him. Who can stand before His rebuking (Nahum 1:5-6).

What this, in series, signifies, may be seen above n. 400, where the particulars are explained; showing that "mountains and hills" here mean the evils of the love of self and the world.

[42] In Micah:

Jehovah going forth out of His place cometh down and treadeth upon the high places of the earth. Therefore the mountains are melted under Him, and the valleys are cleft, as wax before the fire, as waters poured down a descent; on account of the transgressions of Jacob is all this, and on account of the sins of the house of Israel (Micah 1:3-5).

This, too, was said of the Last Judgment, and of those who then made for themselves a semblance of heaven upon the mountains and hills (who have been treated of above, in several places). The Last Judgment is meant by "Jehovah going forth out of His place, He cometh down and treadeth upon the high places of the earth," "upon the high places of the earth" signifying upon those who were in the high places, that is, upon whom judgment was executed, for in the spiritual world, just as in the natural world, there are lands, mountains, hills, and valleys. The destruction of those who are upon the mountains and in the valleys, who are such as are in evils from the love of self and the world and in the falsities therefrom, is signified by "the mountains are melted under Him, and the valleys are cleft, as wax before the fire, as waters poured down a descent," "mountains" signifying the evils of the loves of self and of the world, and "valleys" the falsities therefrom; of these evils of the loves of self and of the world that are signified by "mountains" it is said that they are melted "as wax before the fire," since "fire" signifies those loves; and of the falsities that are signified by "valleys" it is said "as waters poured down a descent," since "waters" signify falsities. This was evidently because of evils and falsities, for it is said, "on account of the transgressions of Jacob is all this, and on account of the sins of the house of Israel."

[43] In Jeremiah:

I saw the earth, and lo, it is void and empty; and towards the heavens, and they have no light. I saw the mountains, and lo, they quake, and all the hills are overturned. I saw, and lo, there is no man, and every fowl of heaven hath fled away (Jeremiah 4:23-25).

"The quaking of the mountains" signifies the destruction of those who are in the evils of the love of self, and "the overturning of the hills," the destruction of those who are in the evils of the love of the world, and in falsities. (The remainder may be seen explained above, n. 280, 304).

In Isaiah:

O Jehovah, that Thou wouldst rend the heavens, that Thou wouldst come down, that the mountains might flow down before Thee (Isaiah 64:1).

These words have a similar signification as those in Micah (1:3-5) which have been explained above.

[44] In David:

Bow Thy heavens, O Jehovah, and come down; touch the mountains that they may smoke. Flash forth the lightning and scatter them (Psalms 144:5-6.

"To bow the heavens and come down," means the like as "to rend the heavens and come down," "to go forth out of His place, and to come down and tread upon the high places of the earth," quoted above, namely, to visit and judge; "to touch the mountains that they may smoke" signifies to destroy by His presence those who are in the evils of the loves of self and of the world, and in falsities therefrom; "to smoke" signifies to be let into the evils of these loves and into their falsities, for "fire" signifies these loves, and "smoke" their falsities; "flash forth the lightning and scatter them" signifies the Divine truth by which they are dispersed, for it is by the presence of Divine truth that evils and falsities are disclosed, and from the collision then there are appearances like lightnings.

[45] In Moses:

A fire hath been kindled in Mine anger, and shall burn even unto the lowest hell, and it shall devour the earth and its produce, and shall set in flames the foundations of the mountains (Deuteronomy 32:22).

It is said that "a fire hath been kindled in Jehovah's anger, which shall burn even unto the lowest hell," although Jehovah has no fire of anger, much less one that burns to the lowest hell; for Jehovah, that is the Lord, is angry with no one, and does evil to no one, neither does He cast anyone into hell, as may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 545-550; but it is so said in the sense of the letter of the Word, because it so appears to an evil man, and also to a simple man, for the Word in the letter is according to appearance, because according to the apprehension of natural men. But as angels, who are spiritual, see the truths themselves of the Word, not apparently according to the apprehension of man, but spiritually, therefore with the angels the sense of such expressions is inverted, and this is the internal or spiritual sense, that is, that the infernal love with man is such a fire, and burns even to the lowest hell; and as that fire, that is, that love, destroys all things of the church with man, from the very foundation, therefore it is said that "it shall devour the earth and its produce, and shall set in flames the foundations of the mountains," "the earth" meaning the church, "its produce" everything of the church, "the foundations of the mountains" the truths upon which the goods of love are founded, and these are said "to be set in flames" by the fire of the love of self and the world. In David:

Then the earth tottered and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled and tottered because He was wroth (Psalms 18:7).

The meaning here is similar, but for an explanation of the particulars see above, n. 400. In the same:

God is a refuge for us. Therefore will we not fear when the earth shall be changed, and when the mountains are moved in the heart of the seas; the waters thereof shall be in tumult, they shall foam, the mountains shall quake in the uprising thereof (Psalms 46:1-3).

This, too, may be seen explained above n. 304, where it may be seen what is signified by "the mountains are moved in the heart of the seas," and "the mountains shall quake in the uprising," namely, that the evils of the loves of self and of the world will cause distress according to their increase.

[46] In Isaiah:

The anger of Jehovah is against all nations, and His wrath upon all their host; He hath devoted them, He hath given them to the slaughter, that their slain may be cast forth; and the stink of their carcasses shall come up, and the mountains shall be melted by their blood (Isaiah 34:2-3).

This is said of the Last Judgment; and "the anger of Jehovah is against all nations, and His wrath upon all their host" signifies the destruction and damnation of all who are in evils and their falsities from purpose and from the heart; "nations" signifying these evils, and "host" all falsities therefrom. That such are to be damned and that they will perish is signified by "He hath devoted them, and hath given them to the slaughter." The damnation of those who will perish through falsities is signified by "their slain shall be cast forth;" those are said in the Word "to have been slain" who have perished through falsities; and "to be cast forth" signifies to be damned. The damnation of those who would perish by evils is signified by "the stink of their carcasses shall come up;" those are called in the Word "carcasses" who have perished by evils, and "stink" signifies their damnation; "the mountains shall be melted by their blood" signifies that evils of the loves with such are full of falsities, "mountains" meaning the evils of the loves of self and of the world, and "blood" falsity.

[47] In the same:

I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools (Isaiah 42:15).

"To make waste mountains and hills" signifies to destroy all the good of love to the Lord and towards the neighbor; "to dry up every herb" signifies the consequent destruction of all truths, "herb" signifying truths springing from good; "to make the rivers islands, and to dry up the pools" signifies to annihilate all the understanding and perception of truth, "rivers" signifying intelligence which is of truth, "islands" where there is no intelligence, "pools" the perception of truth. The understanding of truth is from the light of truth, but the perception of truth is from the heat or love of truth.

[48] In the same:

Behold, O Jacob, I have made thee into a new threshing instrument having sharp teeth, that thou mayest thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and make the hills as chaff. Thou shalt disperse them, that the wind may carry them away and the tempest scatter them (Isaiah 41:15-16).

"Jacob" means the external church in respect to good and truth, and thence external good and truth, which are good and truth from the sense of the letter of the Word. Those who are of the external church are in such good and truth. These are compared to "a new threshing instrument having sharp teeth," because a threshing instrument beats out wheat, barley, and other grain from the ears, and these signify the goods and truths of the church (See above, n. 374-375; here therefore because evils and falsities are what are to be crushed and broken up it is said "a threshing instrument having sharp teeth, that thou mayest thresh the mountains and beat them small, and make the hills as chaff," which signifies the destruction of the evils arising from the love of self and the world, and of the falsities therefrom; and it is added "thou shalt disperse them, that the wind may carry them away and the tempest scatter them," which signifies that they shall be of no account; both "wind" and "tempest" are mentioned because both evils and falsities are meant, "wind" having reference to truths, and in the contrary sense to falsities, and "tempest" to the evils of falsity.

[49] In the same:

The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but My mercy shall not depart from with thee (Isaiah 54:10).

"The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed," does not mean that the mountains and hills that are on the earth are to depart and be removed, but those who are in evil loves and in falsities therefrom, for this chapter treats of the nations from which a new church is to be formed, therefore "mountains and hills" mean, in particular, those of the former church, consequently the Jews with whom were mere evils of falsity and falsities of evil, because they were in the loves of self and of the world.

[50] In Jeremiah:

For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are laid waste so that no man passeth through (Jeremiah 9:10).

"The mountains" for which there is weeping and wailing, mean evils of every kind springing forth from the two loves just mentioned; and "the habitations of the wilderness" signify falsities therefrom, for "wilderness" signifies where there is no good because there is no truth, and "habitations" where falsities are; so here the "habitations of the wilderness" mean the falsities from the evils above described; that there is no good and truth whatever is meant by "they are laid waste so that no man passeth through." Where vastation is treated of in the Word, it is customary to say, "so that no man passeth through," and it signifies that there is no longer any truth, and consequently no intelligence. It is evident that it is not mountains and habitations of the wilderness for which there is weeping and wailing.

[51] In the same:

My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have caused them to err, the mountains have turned away; they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place (Jeremiah 50:6).

In Ezekiel:

My sheep go astray on all the mountains and upon every exalted hill; and My sheep were scattered upon all the faces of the earth, and there is none that enquireth or seeketh (Ezekiel 34:6).

That "the sheep have gone from mountain to hill," and that "they go astray on all the mountains and upon every exalted hill" signifies that they seek goods and truths, but do not find them, but that evils and falsities are seized upon instead. "The mountains have turned away" signifies that instead of goods there are evils.

[52] In Jeremiah:

Give glory to Jehovah your ⁵ God, before He cause darkness and before your feet stumble upon the mountains of twilight (Jeremiah 13:16).

This signifies that Divine truth must be acknowledged, that falsities and evils therefrom may not break in from the natural man; "to give glory to God" signifies to acknowledge the Divine truth, "glory" in the Word signifying Divine truth, and to acknowledge it and live according to it is the glory which the Lord desires, and which is to be given to Him; "before He cause darkness" signifies lest falsities take possession, "darkness" meaning falsities; "and before your feet stumble upon the mountains of twilight" signifies lest evils therefrom out of the natural man take possession, "the mountains of twilight" meaning the evils of falsity, for "mountains" mean evils, and it is "twilight" when truth is not seen, but falsity instead, and "feet" signify the natural man, for all evils and the falsities therefrom are in the natural man, because that man by inheritance is moved to love himself more than God, and the world more than heaven, and to love the evils adhering to those loves from parents. These evils and the falsities therefrom are not removed except by means of Divine truth and a life according to it; by these means the higher or interior mind of man, which sees from the light of heaven, is opened, and by this light the Lord disperses the evils and the falsities therefrom that are in the natural mind. (That "feet" signify the natural man, see above, n. 65, 69 and Arcana Coelestia 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952)

[53] In the Gospels:

Jesus saith unto the disciples, Have the faith of God; verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto [this] mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, what he hath said shall be done for him (Mark 11:22-23; Matthew 17:20).

One who is ignorant of the arcana of heaven and of the spiritual sense of the Word, might believe that the Lord said this, not of saving faith, but of another faith that is called historical and miraculous; but the Lord said this of saving faith, which faith makes one with charity and is wholly from the Lord, therefore the Lord calls this faith "the faith of God;" and because it is by this faith, which is the faith of charity from Him, that the Lord removes all evils flowing from the loves of self and of the world and casts them into hell from which they came, so He says, "Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea, what he hath said shall he done;" for "mountain" signifies the evils of those loves, and "sea" signifies hell; therefore "to say to a mountain, Be thou taken up," signifies the removal of those evils, and "to be cast into the sea" signifies to be cast into the hell from which they came. Because of this signification of "mountain" and "sea," this came to be a common expression with the ancients when the power of faith was the subject of discourse; not that that power can cast the mountains on the earth into the sea, but it can cast out the evils that are from hell.

Moreover, the mountains in the spiritual world upon which the evil dwell are often overturned and cast down by faith from the Lord; for when the evils with such are cast down, the mountains upon which they dwell are also cast down, as has been several times said before; and this has often been seen by me. That no other faith than the faith of charity from the Lord is here meant is evident from what follows in the Lord's discourse in Mark, where it is said:

Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever that praying ye ask for, believe that ye are to receive, and it shall be done for you. But when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any, that your Father also who is in the heavens may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye shall not forgive, neither will your Father who is in the heavens forgive your trespasses (Mark 11:24-26).

This makes evident that "the faith of God," of which the Lord here speaks, is the faith of charity, that is, the faith that makes one with charity, and is therefore wholly from the Lord. Moreover, the Lord said these things to the disciples when they supposed that they could do miracles from their own faith, thus from themselves; nevertheless such things are done by faith from the Lord, thus by the Lord (as is also evident from Matthew 17:19, 20, where like things are said).

[54] Because "mountains" signified the goods of celestial love, and "hills" the goods of spiritual love, the ancients, with whom the church was representative, had their Divine worship upon mountains and hills, and Zion was upon a mountain, and Jerusalem on mountainous places below it. But that the Jews and Israelites, who were given to idolatry, might not turn Divine worship into idolatrous worship, it was commanded them that they should have their worship in Jerusalem only, and not elsewhere; but because they were idolaters at heart they were not content to have their worship in Jerusalem, but after a custom of the nations derived from the ancients they everywhere held worship upon mountains and hills, and sacrificed and burnt incense thereon; and because this was idolatrous with them, worship from evils and falsities was signified by their worship upon other mountains and hills; as in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Upon a mountain high and lifted up hast thou set thy bed; thither also wentest thou up to sacrifice sacrifices (Isaiah 57:7).

In Hosea:

They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills (Hosea 4:13).

In Jeremiah:

Backsliding Israel is gone away upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and thou hast played the harlot (Jeremiah 3:6).

"To play the harlot" signifies to falsify worship; that this was idolatrous, is evident from these words in Moses:

Ye shall destroy the places wherein the nations served their gods, upon the mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree (Deuteronomy 12:2).

In these passages, therefore, worship upon mountains and hills signifies worship from evils and falsities. From this, also, it came that the nations in Greece placed Helicon on a high mountain, and Parnassus on a hill below it, and believed that their gods and goddesses dwelt there; this was derived from the ancients in Asia, and especially those in the land of Canaan, who were not far away, with whom all worship consisted of representatives.

[55] It is said in the Gospels:

The devil took Jesus up into a high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and tempted Him there (Matthew 4:8; Luke 4:5).

This signifies that the devil tempted the Lord through the love of self, for this is what "the high mountain" signifies; for the three temptations described in these passages signify and involve all the temptations that the Lord endured when He was in the world; for the Lord, by temptations admitted into Himself from the hells and by victories then, reduced all things in the hells to order, and also glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine. All the Lord's temptations were described so briefly, since He has revealed them in no other way; but yet they are fully described in the internal sense of the Word. (Respecting the Lord's temptations see what is cited in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 201, 293, 302.)

Footnotes: