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.

9433. “从云中间” 表从以前所存在的模糊. 这从 “云” 的含义清楚可知,

“云” 是指圣言的最低层, 因此相对来说, 它是模糊的, 如前所述 (9430节).

“云” 之所以具有这种含义, 是因为发自主的神性真理绝不可能以它所拥有的实际亮度显现. 否则, 人必灭亡, 因为他的理解力被真理之光完全弄瞎了, 他的意愿被良善之火彻底灭绝了; 因此, 他的一切生命都将被消灭. 这解释了为何神性真理被调整以适应各人的理解力, 并且仿佛被一层云遮盖, 甚至在天使中间也是如此 (6849节). 在灵人中间, 这种遮盖物显为一层云, 其厚薄取决于各人对这真理的接受方式.

这一点由以赛亚书中的这些话来表示:

耶和华也必在锡安山的一切居民和她的会众以上, 日间创造云, 夜间创造火焰的烟和闪亮; 因为在全荣耀之上必有遮盖. 必有亭子, 白日可以得荫避热, 也可以作为避难所和藏身之处, 躲避洪水和暴雨.(以赛亚书 4:5, 6)

“锡安山的一切居民” 表示天堂和教会;

“她的会众” 表示良善和真理;

“日间云, 夜间火焰的烟和闪亮, 遮盖” 表示神之真理的遮掩物, 因而表示对它的调整, 以适应理解它的能力, 遮盖将在其上的 “荣耀” 表示来自主的神性真理 (参看9429节);

“亭子” 表示隐藏内层事物的神之真理的最低层;

“白日可以得荫避热, 也可以作为避难所, 躲避洪水和暴雨” 这些话的意思是, 为使人安全, 不受任何伤害.

诗篇也描述了对神性真理的遮掩:

耶和华我的神啊, 你为至大! 你披上荣耀和尊荣, 用光如衣裳遮盖自己, 在水中立楼阁的栋梁, 用云彩为战车, 将地立在根基上, 使地永不动摇. 你用深渊遮盖它, 犹如衣裳. 你定了界限, 使水不能过去.(诗篇 104:1-9)

耶和华, 也就是主所披的 “荣耀和尊荣” 是指神性真理 (参看9429节); 祂如衣裳遮盖自己所用的 “光” 是指诸如存在于天堂和教会中的神性真理; 因为在圣言中,

“光” 表示神性真理, 可参看前面引用的内容 (9429节); 祂在水中所立 “楼阁的栋梁” 是指天堂社群,

“水” 是指真理 (2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8568, 9323节); 祂造战车所用的 “云彩” 是指形成教义的真理,

“战车” 是指教义 (5321, 8215节); 祂 “将地立在根基上, 使地永不动摇”, 其中 “地” 是指教会; 因为在圣言中,

“地” 表示教会 (可参看前面所引用的内容9325节). 它立于其上的 “根基” 是指最低层的真理, 就是诸如存在于字义上的圣言中的那种; 所以经上说 “地永不动摇”; 遮盖它, 犹如衣裳的 “深渊” 是指属世人的外在真理, 或关于真理的记忆知识 (6431, 8278节); 由此明显可知,

“定了界限, 使水不能过去” 中的 “界限” 表示什么, 即表示神之真理的最低层, 内层事物就终止于这最低层, 矗立并停靠于其上, 如同它们的支撑和根基, 如前所述.