Stones in the Bible in general represent truths, or things we know concerning the Lord and what He wants from us and for us in life. This is why the people of Israel built altars of stone, and is also why stoning was a principal form of capital punishment (using truth to destroy falsity, or in the negative sense using falsity to destroy truth). It is also why precious stones are described in such detail on Aaron's breastplate and ephod, and also in the New Jerusalem in Revelation; precious stones represent true ideas directly from the Lord with the various colors showing various forms of love. Stones are not alone in representing truth, of course -- it sometimes seems that almost everything in the Bible represents either true ideas or desires for good. But that makes sense, since our thoughts and our desires together are everything we are in life, and the interplay between them is what life is all about. The many ways they are represented in the Bible reflect the incredible variety in our feelings and thoughts, though we can only distantly understand how those representations work. In the case of stones, in their weight, strength and permanence they tend to represent true ideas that come from a desire for good, the understanding we can have if we are truly good and loving -- and in the highest sense the exalted ideas that come from the Lord's love. Those ideas are ones that are not easily moved or changed, and make wonderful foundations for the things we want to build in our spiritual lives.

8018. 'That Jehovah brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt' means that the Lord delivered those governed by the good of truth and guided by the truth of good from damnation. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing out' as delivering; from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those belonging to the spiritual Church, or what amounts to the same thing, those governed by the good of truth and guided by the truth of good, dealt with above in 7957, 8006; and from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as damnation. 'The land of Egypt' at this point means damnation because damnation is meant by the Egyptians' state at this time, 7766, 7778. The fact that the Lord delivered from damnation those belonging to the spiritual Church, that is, those governed by the good of truth and guided by the truth of good, see 6854, 6914, 7091 (end), 7828, 7932.

[2] Their deliverance by the Lord when He rose again is meant by the Lord's descent to the lower regions (ad inferos); ¹ and it was made plain by the raising of the dead from their tombs, described in Matthew,

And the tombs were opened, and many bodies of sleeping saints were raised; and coming out of their tombs after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. Matthew 27:52-53.

Their coming out of tombs, their going into the holy city, and also their appearing to many took place to bear witness to the deliverance by the Lord of those who until then had been held back in spiritual captivity, and to the introduction of them into heaven, heaven being meant in the internal sense by 'the holy city'. This is why the expression 'the holy city' is used when in actual fact it was not a holy but a profane city, since the Lord Himself - who was represented in all the ritual observances of their Church and described in the Word existing among them, and so was the God of their Church - was treated by them in so cruel a manner.

[3] Much the same is meant by this in Daniel,

At that time Your people will be rescued, every one who is found written in the book. Finally, many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awake - these to eternal life, but the rest to reproaches and to eternal disgrace. Daniel 12:1-2.

And also by this in Ezekiel,

Prophesy and say, Thus said the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people, and I will bring you onto the land of Israel, in order that you may know that I am Jehovah when I open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people. And I will put My spirit in you, in order that you may live, and I will place you on your own land, in order that you may know that I Jehovah have spoken it and done it, said Jehovah. Ezekiel 37:11-14.

'The land of Israel', which is the land of Canaan, is used to mean heaven, 8011. The words quoted here from the prophet describe the new creation or birth of a person, and also the vivifying by the Lord of those belonging to the spiritual Church.

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