117. “古实地”, 亦即埃塞俄比亚, 盛产黄金, 宝石, 香料, 如前面所说, 这些象征良善, 真理及由两者所生的可喜之物, 如对爱与信的认知. 前面 (n. 113) 所引用的经文 (以赛亚书 60:6; 马太福音 2:1; 诗篇 72:15) 已说明这一点.

对于 “古实” (亦即 “埃塞俄比亚”), “示巴” 在圣经中所表类似, 这从先知书可知, 例如《西番雅书》也提到 “古实河”: “耶和华在她中间是公义的, 每早晨显明他的公义... 那时, 我必用清楚的语言转向百姓, 好让他们都求告耶和华的名, 并肩事奉他... 祈祷我的, 必从古实河外来, 给我献供物.” (西番雅书 3:5, 9–10)

又如《但以理书》论北方王和南方王说: ” 他必把持埃及的金银财宝和各样的宝物, 利比亚人和埃塞俄比亚人都必跟从他.” (但以理书 11:43) 在此, “埃及” 表知识, “埃塞俄比亚” 表信仰认知.

再如: “示巴和拉玛的商人与你交易, 他们用各类上好的香料, 各类的宝石和黄金兑换你的货物.” (以西结书 27:22)“示巴和拉玛的商人” 也表信仰认知. 《诗篇》论到主 (故也论属天之人) 说: “在他的日子义人要发旺, 大有平安, 直到月亮消逝. 他施和海岛的王要进贡, 示巴和西巴的王要献礼物.” (诗篇 72:7, 10)

从上下文可知, 这话是象征信的属天之性. 类似的有前来求见所罗门, 用难题进行试探, 并献上香料, 黄金, 宝石的示巴女王 (列王纪上10: 1–2), 因为圣经先知书和历史书的所有内容都象征, 代表, 蕴含着奥秘.

Ships were used in the ancient world -- as they generally are now -- to carry freight from nation to nation for trade. The various valuable items in the cargo represent desires for specific good things and individual ideas about how to accomplish good things. The ships, then, represent containers for those good desires and true ideas -- they represent doctrinal systems, large collections of good desires and true thoughts woven into a whole and working as one. For instance, if we believe that we need to turn to the Bible to learn about right and wrong, need to compel ourselves to do what's right even if we don't want to, and need to trust that the Lord will help us come to love doing what's right, that would be a doctrinal system -- a bunch of ideas and desires for good all working together. Specific ideas -- we should read the Bible, we should pray, we can trust that the Lord is helping us -- are like cargo that is carried along by that larger doctrine.