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.

6304. “领你们回到你们列祖之地” 表回到这两个古教会的状态。这从 “地” 和 “列祖” 的含义清楚可知: “地” 是指教会 (参看566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535, 4447, 5577节); “列祖” 是指那些属于古教会和上古教会的人 (6075节)。之所以说 “回到这两个古教会的状态”, 是因为以色列的儿子们及其后代, 就像两个古教会的成员一样, 要在每一个细节上代表主的属天和属灵国度。代表本身也得以建立; 在犹太民族当中, 建立了属天国度的代表; 在以色列人当中, 建立了属灵国度的代表。但在这一代当中, 教会或主国度的东西无法得以建立, 只能建立一种纯粹的代表; 因为他们只想在代表中看见并承认外在之物, 根本不想看见并承认任何内在之物。

然而, 为叫一种大体的代表能得以存在, 通过它与天堂, 并通过天堂与主的某种交流也得以存在, 他们被保持在外在; 那时, 主规定: 交流要通过一种缺乏任何内在的纯粹的外在代表进行。这就是雅各的后代们能被带回的状态; 然而, 在这些后代当中的外在代表内在却隐藏着神性事物, 在至高意义上隐藏着与主的神性人身有关的事物, 在相对意义上隐藏着与主的天国并教会有关的事物。两个古教会的这种状态由这句话来表示: “神必领你们回到你们列祖之地”。