1857. “因为亚摩利人的罪恶到现在还没有满盈” 表不再有任何良善之时的末期. 这从 “亚摩利人” 和 “满盈” 的含义清楚可知. 在圣言中, “亚摩利人” 表总体上的邪恶, 原因在于, 迦南地被被称为 “亚摩利人之地”, 这清楚可见于以西结书 (16:3, 4) 和阿摩司书 (2:9, 10). 因此, “亚摩利人” 在此表迦南地的所有民族, 就象前面说的, 这些民族尤表恶与假. 所以, “亚摩利人” 表总体上的一切邪恶. “满盈” 表不再有任何良善之时的末期.

不过, “亚摩利人的罪恶到现在还没有满盈” 这句话的内义是一个奥秘. 在来世, 恶者的情况是这样: 在其罪恶尚未达到顶点之前, 他们不会受到惩罚. 这既适用于总体的罪恶, 也适用于具体的罪恶. 因为在来世, 一切事物都处于这样的平衡: 邪恶自我惩罚, 也就是说, 只有当罪恶达到顶点时, 恶者才会面临罪恶的惩罚. 每一种罪恶都有自己的极限, 这极限因人而异, 超过这个极限是不可以的. 恶者一旦越过这个极限, 就会面临惩罚. 具体情况就是如此.

总体上也是这样. 恶者不是立刻, 而是逐渐将自己推入地狱. 这源于主所确立的秩序的普遍法则: 主从不将任何人送入地狱, 而是在罪恶满盈, 没有一丝良善出现时, 罪恶本身, 或这个恶人将自己逐渐扔进地狱. 只要尚有一丝良善, 他就会从地狱被提升上来. 不过, 当只有罪恶时, 他就被自己推入地狱. 善与恶必须首先彼此分离, 因为它们是对立面, 人不可以向这两边倾斜. 这就是 “亚摩利人的罪恶到现在还没有满盈” 的含义. 但善者的情形则不然, 他们不断被主提升向天堂, 而他们的罪恶也会逐渐被抹除.

教会的状态也是这样. 只有等到它的罪恶达到完结, 即仁之善和信之真不复存在之时, 处罚才会到来. 先知书经常提及这种完结 (或结局, 终结, 满了, 满盈等). 如以赛亚书:

我从主万军之耶和华那里听见, 已经决定在全地上施行清算, 终结的事. (以赛亚书 28:22)

耶利米书:

巴比伦啊, 你这住在众水之上多有财宝的, 你的结局到了! 你贪婪之量已满盈! (耶利米书 51:13)

但以理书:

为你本国之民和你圣城, 已经定了七十个七, 要终止罪过, 除净罪恶, 赎尽罪孽, 引进永义, 封住异象和预言, 并膏至圣所. (但以理书 9:24)

最终, 那荒凉必临到可憎的飞鸟身上, 直到所定的结局, 它必倾在那行毁坏的身上. (但以理书 9:27)

主自己也在路加福音中以这些话预言了结局:

他们要倒在刀下, 又被掳到各国去. 耶路撒冷最终要被外邦人践踏, 直到外邦人的日期满了. (路加福音 21:24)

“要倒在刀下” 表虚假, 因为在圣言中, “刀” 是指对虚假的惩罚. “耶路撒冷” 表主的国度和教会 (402节), “外邦人” 表邪恶 (1260节). 因此, 这段经文的意思是, 当教会被恶与假所占据, 从而自行毁灭时, “结局” 就到了.

6917. 'Vessels of silver' means factual knowledge of what is true, 'and vessels of gold' means factual knowledge of what is good. This is clear from the meaning of 'vessels' as known facts, dealt with in 3068, 3079 (known facts are called 'vessels' because they are general and can contain within them countless truths and manifold forms of good); from the meaning of 'silver' as truth, and of 'gold' as good, dealt with in 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658, 'the silver of Egypt' being factual knowledge that held truth in it and was appropriate, see 6112. As regards the vessels of silver and the vessels of gold in the hands of the Egyptians - that they mean factual knowledge of what is true and factual knowledge of what is good, even though here and in what has gone before, as well as in what follows, false factual knowledge is meant by 'the Egyptians - it should be recognized that in themselves known facts are neither true nor false. Rather, they become true in the hands of those who are guided by truths, and false in the hands of those who are steeped in falsities. What use they are put to and then made to serve is what determines which of these they become. The facts a person knows are like the wealth and riches he possesses. Wealth and riches in the hands of those governed by evil are ruinous because they put them to evil kinds of use, whereas wealth and riches in the hands of those governed by good are advantageous because they put them to good kinds of use. Therefore if wealth and riches in the hands of evil people are handed over to those who are good they become good. So too with factual knowledge.

[2] Among the Egyptians, for example, there remained a large number of the representatives that belonged to the Ancient Church, as is clear from their hieroglyphics. But because they applied them to magical practices and therefore made them serve an evil use, these things were for them not true factual knowledge but false. Yet in the Ancient Church the same knowledge had held what was true since people had put it to its correct use - to Divine worship. Take sacrifices on altars as another example. Among the Hebrew nation, and subsequently among the Jewish and Israelite nation, they were ritual acts that were true because they were put to use in the worship of Jehovah. But among the nations in the land of Canaan they were false ritual acts because they were put to use in the worship of their idols. This was why the command was also given to destroy those nations' altars wherever they were. The same holds true with a very large number of other things. For this reason many known facts can be learned from those who are steeped in evils and falsities, and put to good kinds of use, thus becoming good. Similar things were also meant by plundering the nations in the land of Canaan - by the wealth, large cattle, small cattle, houses, and vineyards which the children of Israel plundered there. The same thing is still further evident from the gold and silver plundered from the nations. This too was devoted to a sacred use, as is clear from the second Book of Samuel,

There were in his hand vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze. King David consecrated these also to Jehovah, along with the silver and gold that he had consecrated from all the nations which he had subdued - from the Syrians, [and] from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek, and from the plunder of Hadad Ezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah. 2 Samuel 8:10-12.

And in Isaiah,

At length the merchandise of Tyre and her harlot's wages will be holy to Jehovah, they will not be hoarded or held back; but her merchandise will be for those that dwell before Jehovah to eat to their satiety and for one covering himself with what is ancient. Isaiah 23:18.

And also the objects which the women of the children of Israel asked of the Egyptians, thereby plundering them, were later on put to use in the making of the Ark, and to many other sacred objects in their worship.