Stones in the Bible in general represent truths, or things we know concerning the Lord and what He wants from us and for us in life. This is why the people of Israel built altars of stone, and is also why stoning was a principal form of capital punishment (using truth to destroy falsity, or in the negative sense using falsity to destroy truth). It is also why precious stones are described in such detail on Aaron's breastplate and ephod, and also in the New Jerusalem in Revelation; precious stones represent true ideas directly from the Lord with the various colors showing various forms of love. Stones are not alone in representing truth, of course -- it sometimes seems that almost everything in the Bible represents either true ideas or desires for good. But that makes sense, since our thoughts and our desires together are everything we are in life, and the interplay between them is what life is all about. The many ways they are represented in the Bible reflect the incredible variety in our feelings and thoughts, though we can only distantly understand how those representations work. In the case of stones, in their weight, strength and permanence they tend to represent true ideas that come from a desire for good, the understanding we can have if we are truly good and loving -- and in the highest sense the exalted ideas that come from the Lord's love. Those ideas are ones that are not easily moved or changed, and make wonderful foundations for the things we want to build in our spiritual lives.

8806. “叫百姓分别为圣” 表遮盖那些人的内层, 好叫他们能出现在信仰的圣洁中. 这从前面的解释 (8788节) 清楚可知. 然而, 那一段说明了以色列人当中的分别为圣是什么样子, 即: 遮盖他们的内层, 是为了叫这些人在进行代表性敬拜时, 他们的外在能出现在神圣之物中. 那时, 若非他们的内层已经被遮盖起来, 他们不仅早就通过污秽的思维和邪恶的情感玷污了敬拜的神圣, 还会完全摧毁它, 并且毁得如此彻底, 以至于无法从他们的敬拜中觉察到一丝表现在外在事物中的属天或属灵之物.

不过, 由于 “以色列人” 在此表示那些属于属灵教会的人, 所以有必要简短阐述一下当如何理解这些人当中的 “分别为圣”. 那些属于属灵教会, 过着真理的生活, 并由此过着良善生活的人被主阻离邪恶, 保守在良善中. 来自主的良善在他们那里是神圣的. 因此, 他们从主接受良善到何等程度, 就在何等程度上是神圣的; 他们从主接受多少良善, 也就是多么神圣, 取决于他们在多大程度上照纯正的信之真理过良善的生活, 同时相信那时他们所思所行的一切良善皆来自主. 当他们做这些事时, 与他们同在的邪恶也就被分离出来, 以至于根本不显现, 尤其他们通过遗传从父母所获得的污秽邪恶, 因为它们已经通过历代的父母累积了很多年, 并因此在后代里面堆积起来. 这些就是那些属于属灵教会的人被隐藏起来, 可以说被遮盖起来的内层 (966, 1667, 2307, 2308, 3701, 4317, 8550节). 正因如此, 他们通过遗传所整个意愿都已经败坏. 因此, 他们拥有一个新意愿, 这个新意愿是主通过信之真理在心智的理解力部分形成的. 这解释了为何当正在重生时, 他们通过真理被引向良善; 后来当已经重生时, 他们从良善被引入良善之真理. 这清楚表明他们的新意愿是如何被主创造的. 关于在那些属于属灵教会的人那里, 这新意愿在心智的理解力部分中的形成, 可参看前文 (863, 875, 895, 927, 1023, 1043, 1044, 1555, 2256, 4328, 4493, 5113, 6125节).