Iqiniso, noma okuyiqiniso, kuyindlela yokuchaza lokho okuyiqiniso ekugcineni. Ngokwezinga elingokwemvelo, iqiniso lingabhekwa njengelimane linembile kuyilapho ekuphileni kwethu kokukhula ngokomoya, iqiniso lingaba ukufundwa kwezimfundiso ezisekelwe ngokomoya noma, kangcono, ukwamukela kwethu kuzo njengamaqiniso aphezulu. Kodwa iSwedenborg iqhubekela phambili encazelweni yakhe yeqiniso, ifundisa ukuthi iqiniso liwuhlobo lothando, noma indlela uthando oluziveza ngayo.

Ngomqondo othile, iqiniso liwuhlelo lokunikeza uthando futhi ngenxa yokuthi ukwabelana ngothando kuyinjongo yangempela, lokhu kwenza iqiniso libaluleke kakhulu. Futhi nakuba iqiniso lingase lifike ngendlela eyomile, imithetho namaqiniso abandayo, limsulwa kakhulu liyinto yobuhle obungachazeki, into esishukumisa ngaphakathi.

Ubunjalo beqiniso busuka embonweni wokuthi iNkosi engqikithini Yakhe iluthando uqobo lwalo, luphelele futhi alunamkhawulo, nokuthi uyasithanda ngaphezu kwamandla ethu okucabanga. Futhi njengoba nje sifuna abantu esibathandayo baphinde basithande, kanjalo neNkosi inesifiso esijulile sokuthi siyithande futhi; Uthando lwakhe lufuna ukufinyelela kithi futhi lukhuthaze uthando ngokulandelana.

Nokho, uthando alukwazi ukuzisebenza ngokwalo; idinga umuntu ozosebenza kuyo. Cabanga ngalokhu ngale ndlela: ukuze ubonise uthando ngothile, udinga ubuso ozomomotheka nabo, izwi ozokhuluma nalo, izingalo ozogona ngazo, noma amathuluzi ahlukahlukene ongawasebenzisa ukuze wenze okuhle, ngothando. izinto zabantu obathandayo. Ngaphandle kwalezo zinto kuwumuzwa nje, onamathele ngaphakathi futhi kunalokho okungenamsebenzi. Ngomqondo othile, uma ingenakuvezwa, ubukhona bayo abuphelele ngempela.

Khona-ke, “iqiniso,” lingachazwa ngokuthi “ukubonakaliswa kothando” noma mhlawumbe “uthando olubonakaliswayo.” Lokhu kungaba kuhle kakhulu futhi kube kuhle: ukubonakala kobuso bukamama omusha, ukubona ingane yakhe okokuqala - okuyiqiniso, ezingeni elingaphezu kwamagama. Umuzwa okuye uyavezwa, futhi siyawuthatha futhi sizizwe sikhuphuka imizwa ngokwethu. Ezingeni eliphakeme nokho, singase sizame ukubonisa isimo sobuso beNkosi lapho isibheka, uthando oluthululwa luvela kuyo; lokho kuyiqiniso ekujuleni kwalo.

Kodwa iqiniso liza emazingeni aphansi futhi. Cabanga ngezindlela esithanda ngazo izingane zethu - ngezinye izikhathi lokho kusho ukubeka imithetho eqinile, emnyama nemhlophe. "Gcina izandla zakho kuwe" futhi "udinga ukungilalela" akuzwakali unothando kakhulu, futhi ukwenza ingane ikhiphe udoti akukhuthazi ncamashi imizwa efudumele nemicabango esankondlo. Kodwa eqinisweni siyabathanda lapho sibafundisa izifundo ezizobasiza babe abantu abalungile, ngisho noma lolo thando lungakhanyi kulokho esikushoyo. INkosi kufanele isiphathe ngendlela efanayo ngezinye izikhathi, ikakhulukazi ezigabeni zokuqala zokukhula kwethu ngokomoya. "Ungabulali" akuzwakali konke lokho kunothando, futhi umyalo wokungafisi ungabonakala ungekho ngokoqobo futhi ungenabulungisa. Nokho, uma sibabhekisisa, siyabona ukuthi banothando, futhi basiholela ekubeni sibe abantu abanothando.

Ngakho-ke iqiniso liza emazingeni amaningi nangezindlela eziningi, lakheke futhi livumelane nezindlela ezahlukahlukene esingaholwa ukuba sibe abahle futhi sibe nothando. Yingakho izinto eziningi ezahlukene eBhayibhelini - amatshe, amanzi, iwayini, izitshalo, izinkemba nezinye eziningi - zonke zimelela iqiniso; zonke zinemithunzi yencazelo ekhombisa izinhlobo eziningi zeqiniso iNkosi ezisebenzisayo ukusihola.

Nokho, enhliziyweni, lonke iqiniso liyindlela yokwabelana ngothando. Uma sibheka lokho, sizokwazisa ngendlela efanele.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 434; Izimfihlakalo Zezulu 1904 [3], 3077, 3207 [1-3], 3295, 3509 [2], 4247, 5912, 6880, 7270 [2-3], 8301 [2], 8456, 9407, Arcana Coelestia 9407 [13], 9806, 10026; Divine Wisdom 9; Inhlakanipho Yobungelosi 10, 36; The Apocalypse Explained 627 [5-6]; The Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem 36; The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 24; Inkolo YeQiniso yobuKhrestu 209 [2-4], 224 [1-2], 379, 398)

384. And there was given unto them power over the fourth part of the earth, to kill, signifies the deprivation of every good and thence of every truth from the Word, and in consequence in the doctrine of their church from the Word. This is evident from the signification of "power," as being effect, since to be able means to effect; from the signification of "to kill" or "to slay," as being to deprive of good and truth (of which above, n. 366; from the signification of "fourth part," as being every good and thence every truth (of which presently); and from the signification of "earth," as being the church and everything thereof (of which above, n. 29, 304). And as a church is a church from doctrine there, and from life according to it, and as every doctrine of the church must be from the Word, so the doctrine of the church from the Word is at the same time signified. From this it can be seen that "there was given unto them power over the fourth part of the earth to kill" signifies the deprivation of every good and thus of every truth from the Word, and in consequence in the doctrine of the church from the Word. It is said that "power was given unto them," meaning to evils and to falsities therefrom, and these are signified also by "death and hell." That those who are in evils and falsities deprive themselves of all the perception of good and the understanding of truth from the Word, and in consequence in the doctrine of their church from the Word, is clearly evident in the case of those who are in falsities of doctrine from evils of life. Such, although they read the Word, either do not see the truths that are in it or they falsify them by applying them to the falsities of their own opinions and to the evils of their own loves; for the sense of the letter of the Word is such that those who are in good see truths in it, and those who are in evil see falsities, for the sense of the letter is according to the apprehension of little children, boys, and the simple, and is therefore according to appearance; but still in that sense truths lie hidden that are not seen by any except those who are in good, those who are in evil not wishing to see them, but they draw all things by perverse interpretations to the evils of their loves and to the falsities of their opinions, as is plainly evident from so many heresies existing within the church, especially the heinous Babylonian heresy, and also from the Jewish heresy.

[2] "A fourth part" signifies every good and thence every truth, because the number "four" signifies the conjunction of good and truth, and therefore "a fourth part" or "a fourth" signifies everything of conjunction. In the Word "a third part" and also "a fourth part" are often mentioned, and those who do not know that all numbers signify things may believe that "a third part" means a third part, and "a fourth part" a fourth part, or that they signify some portion; but "a third part" signifies all truth, and "a fourth part" all good; and as all truth is from good, "a fourth part" signifies all good and the truth therefrom, here the deprivation of these, because it is said "there was given to them power over the fourth part of the earth to kill." That "three" and thence "a third part" are predicated of truths, will be seen hereafter, where that number is mentioned. But "four" and thence "a fourth part" are predicated of goods and the truths therefrom, because they signify the conjunction of good and truth. This has been made evident to me by much experience from the spiritual world; for when angels spoke there of the conjunction of good and truth, or of love and faith, and their speech was determined into numbers, the number four was exhibited, and sometimes also the number two, or the number eight, or the number sixteen, because these numbers have a like signification, for numbers multiplied or divided by themselves have a like signification as the numbers with which they are multiplied or divided (See Arcana Coelestia 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973). That angelic speech falls also into numbers, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 263). That "four" signifies the conjunction of good and truth has its origin from the four quarters in heaven, in two of which, namely, in the east and the west, those dwell who are in the good of love, and in the other two, namely, in the south and the north, those who are in truths therefrom (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 141-153). Consequently "the four quarters," or "the four winds," signify all good and the truth therefrom, and "four" their conjunction. "A fourth part" signifies everything of conjunction of good and truth, because here "a fourth" constitutes all, and "a fourth" is significative of conjunction; therefore "killing a fourth part" signifies all of conjunction, consequently every good and truth; for where no conjunction of good and truth exists, there they are not; for there can be no good without truth, nor truth without good; they are in their essence one, since truth is of good, and good is of truth (as can be seen from what is said, and the passages cited respecting good and truth in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 11-27).