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.

8278. “深渊淹没了他们” 表恶欲所带来的虚假吞没了他们. 这从 “深渊” 的含义清楚可知, “深渊” 是指恶欲所带来的虚假. 在圣言中, “深渊” 表示深处的水和大量的水; “水” 在正面意义上表示真理, 在反面意义上表示虚假 (参看739, 790, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668节), “深处” 表示地狱. 正因如此, “深渊” 表示恶欲所带来的虚假; 它们也表示地狱. 在圣言中, “深渊” 表示深处的水和大量的水, 这一点明显可见于以下经文:

众水使香柏树生长, 深渊水使它长高. 所栽之地有江河围流, 他打发水道延到田野诸树. (以西结书 31:4)

诗篇:

祂在旷野分裂磐石, 使他们饱饮大渊; 祂使溪水从磐石涌出, 叫水如溪河下流. (诗篇 78:15, 16).

申命记:

一个美地, 一个有水河, 有泉有渊从山谷中流出之地. (申命记 8:7)

在这些经文中, “(深) 渊” 表示大量的水; 大量的水或 “深渊” 表示大量的信之真理. “祂他们饱饮从磐石涌出的大渊” 表示祂使他们接受信之真理, 从不缺乏, 因为 “磐石” 是指源于主的信, 因而是指信方面的主; “从山谷中流出的 (深) 渊” 表示出于爱的信之真理. 这也解释了为何约瑟的祝福是 “伏于下面的深渊之福” (创世记 49:25; 申命记 33:13).

“深渊” 表示恶欲所带来的虚假, 因而也表示地狱, 这一点清楚可见于以下经文:

醒来吧! 醒来吧! 像古时的日子, 上古的世代一样. 使海与大深渊的水干涸, 使海的深处变为赎民经过之路的, 不是你吗? (以赛亚书 51:9, 10)

又:

耶和华在他们前面将水分开, 领他们经过深渊, 如马行走旷野, 使他们不至绊跌. (以赛亚书 63:12, 13)

以西结书:

主耶和华如此说, 我使你变为荒废的城市, 如无人居住的城邑, 又使深渊漫过你, 多水淹没你. (以西结书 26:19)

启示录:

我就看见一个星从天落到地上, 有深渊之坑的钥匙赐给他. 他开了深渊之坑. (启示录 9:1, 2, 11)

又:

那从深渊里上来的兽必与他们交战. (启示录 11:7)

又:

你所看见的兽, 先前有, 如今没有, 将要从深渊上来, 又要归于沉沦. (启示录 17:8)

在这些经文中, “深渊” 表示地狱, 因而也表示恶欲所带来的虚假, 因为这些欲望就存在于地狱中, 并构成地狱.

“深渊” 在表示这些事物, 故也表示试探, 因为试探通过地狱所注入的虚假和邪恶实现. 这层意义上的 “深渊” 就出现在以下经文中:

诸水环绕我, 直到灵魂; 深渊围住我. (约拿书 2:5)

诗篇:

你的水道发声, 深渊就与深渊响应; 你的波浪洪涛漫过我身. (诗篇 42:7)

又:

你是叫我多经历重大急难的, 必转回使我复活, 从地的深渊上来. (诗篇 71:20)