1232. “亚兰” 表对良善的认知. 这可从前面所述, 以及圣言推知, 如以西结书:

亚兰人因你的货品繁多, 就作你的客商; 他们用绿宝石, 紫色布, 绣货, 细麻布, 珊瑚, 红宝石兑换你的货物. (以西结书 27:16)

这论及推罗, 或拥有认知. “货品, 绿宝石, 紫色布, 绣货, 细麻布, 珊瑚, 红宝石” 在此无非表对良善的认知. 何西阿书:

从前雅各逃到亚兰的田野, 以色列为得妻服侍人, 为得妻与人放羊. 耶和华借先知领以色列从埃及上来, 以色列也藉先知而得保存. 以法莲大大惹动主怒. (何西阿书 12:12-14)

此处 “雅各” 表外在教会, “以色列” 表内在属灵教会. “亚兰” 表对良善的认知, “埃及” 表败坏的知识, “以法莲” 表败坏的聪明才智. 在此上下文中, 这些所表示的意思无法从字义看出来, 只能通过内义推知, 这些名字的内义表教会的真实事物, 如前所述. 以赛亚书:

看哪, 大马士革已被废弃, 不再为城, 必变作废墟. 以法莲不再有保障, 大马士革不再有国权; 亚兰所剩下的, 必像以色列人的荣耀. (以赛亚书 17:1, 3)

“亚兰所剩下的” 在此表对良善的认知, 它们被称为 “以色列的荣耀”. “亚兰” 或叙利亚在反面意义上表对已败坏的良善的认知. 一个词具有 (好与坏) 两方面的意义, 这在圣言中是常有的事 (以赛亚书 7:4-6; 9:11-12; 申命记 26:5).

5621. 'Wax and stacte' means the truths of interior natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'wax', in this case aromatic wax, as the truth of good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'stacte' too as truth derived from good, dealt with in 4748. The truths of interior natural good are meant because these spices are purer substances than resin or honey, and for that reason the mention of them comes second. For in the Word order determines the way in which such substances are listed. 'Wax' is not used here to mean ordinary wax but an aromatic kind, such as storax. This kind of wax is what the word in the original language is used to describe; and the same word is used for spice. From this one may see why this aromatic wax means the truth of good; for all spices, because they are sweet smelling, mean in the internal sense truths that are derived from good.

[2] This may be recognized from the consideration that in heaven truths derived from good are perceived with the same pleasure as sweet scents in the world. Also, when angels' perceptions are converted into odours, which in the Lord's good pleasure happens frequently, they are therefore detected as fragrances coming from spices and from flowers. This is why frankincense and incense were prepared from odiferous substances and put to a sacred use, and also why aromatic substances were mixed with oil for anointing. Anyone who does not know that the cause behind those practices lay among the perceptions enjoyed by those in heaven may suppose that they were practices enjoined solely to make external worship pleasant and that they held nothing of heaven and nothing holy at all within them, consequently that such religious practices held nothing Divine within them. See what has been shown already on these matters:

Frankincense and incense, as well as the fragrant substances in oil for anointing, were representative of spiritual and celestial things, 4748.

Spheres of faith and love are converted into pleasant odours; and therefore pleasant and sweet-smelling odours, also aromatic ones, mean the truths of faith which are derived from the good of love, 1514, 1517-1519, 4618.