1856. “到了第四代, 他们必回到这里” 表恢复的时间和状态. 这从 “第四代” 的含义清楚可知. “第四代” 和 “四十”, “四百” 的含义一样, 都表示试探持续的时间和状态, 如13节所述. 因为四是这些数字中的小数字. 任何数字, 无论大小, 只要是相同数目的倍数, 都具有相同的含义, 这在前面说过多次. “第四代” 不是指源于亚伯兰或以撒, 雅各的任何后代, 这一点从圣言的历史部分清楚可知. 因为不止四代, 当这些人回来时, 他们与其列祖大不相同. “第四代” 也出现在其它地方, 但就内义而言, 它从不表示一代人. 它在此表示恢复的时间和状态, 因为它表示那些 “四十” 或 “四百” 所表之物的终结 (参看862, 1847节).

1863. Verse 18 On that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river, the river Phrath. ¹

'On that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram' means the joining together of the Lord's Interior Man and His Internal Man, or Jehovah. 'Saying, To your seed I will give this land' means the comfort experienced after these temptations and their horrors, to the effect that people who have charity and faith in Him will become His heirs. 'From the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Phrath' means the extension of spiritual and celestial things, 'to the river of Egypt' being the extension of spiritual things, 'to the river Phrath' the extension of celestial things.

Poznámky pod čarou: