Water generally represents “natural truth,” or true concepts about day-to-day matters and physical things. Since all water ultimately flows into the seas, then, it follows that a sea represents a huge agglomeration of such natural truths -- usually all of the natural truth a person has, or all the natural truth a church has. Water in the sea mixes freely, and is easily stirred up by winds and currents. This is also true of the concepts we hold about natural things -- they are not all related to each other, and when relationships do exist they usually can change without damaging the concepts themselves. Many of the concepts are easily disputed, and arguments can arise like waves on the ocean -- generally with little effect other than a mixing of waters. But the sea also offers great bounty. We draw fish from it (spiritual food), float ships (doctrinal systems) on it, bathe in it (using true concepts to purify ourselves), and the water that evaporates from it and falls as rain (purer forms of truth that can attach to desires for good) makes life possible.

1222. “他是雅弗的哥哥” 表它的敬拜是外在的. 这从 “雅弗” 的含义清楚可知, 前一章从第18节往后和本章1至5节都论述了, “雅弗” 是指外在教会. “闪是雅弗的哥哥” 尤表内在教会与外在教会是兄弟, 因为这就是内在敬拜和具有内在敬拜的外在敬拜的关系. 事实上, 这是一种血缘关系, 因为仁爱是他们二者里面的主要事物. 不过, 内在教会是哥哥, 因为它是在先和内在的. “雅弗的哥哥” 在此还象征, 被称为希伯的第二代教会是第一代古教会的兄弟. 因为 “雅弗” 的内义无非是指具有内在的外在敬拜, 无论它是哪个教会; 因此还指该新教会的敬拜, 这敬拜主要是外在的. 圣言的内义具有这样的特点, 当所关注的共性从字义提取出来后, 它并不在意历史细节, 因为这二者彼此完全不同. 所以, 就内义而言, “雅弗的哥哥” 在此表这个新教会的敬拜是外在的. 除非表示这类敬拜, 否则此处就没有必要声明他是雅弗的哥哥. 注: 也就是说, 当关注历史细节时, 我们就看不到共性, 当关注共性时, 就看不到历史细节.