1171. “拉玛的儿子” 同样表那些没有内在敬拜, 但有对信的认知之人, 他们的宗教信仰只在于具有这类认知; “示巴, 底但” 是指具有这些认知的民族, 因为在内义上, 这些民族表认知本身. 这从以下先知书的经文, 以及诗篇中有关西巴, 示巴和拉玛的经文明显看出来, 诗篇:

他施和海岛的王要进贡, 示巴和西巴的王要献礼物; 诸王都要叩拜祂. (诗篇 72:10-11)

这论及主, 祂的国和属天的教会. 谁都能看出, “贡” 和 “礼物” 在此表各种敬拜; 但是, 若不明白 “他施和海岛”, “示巴和西巴” 各是什么意思, 就不知道这些敬拜属于哪种类型, 以及它们的性质. 前面已说明 “他施和海岛” 表与内在相应的外在敬拜. 由此可知, “示巴和西巴” 表内在敬拜, 即 “示巴” 表敬拜的属天事物, “西巴” 表敬拜的属灵事物.

以赛亚书:

我已经使埃及作你的赎价, 使古实和西巴代替你. (以赛亚书 43:3)

此处, “古实和西巴” 表信的属灵事物. 同一先知书:

埃及劳碌得来的和古实的货物, 身量高大的西巴人都必过来归你. (以赛亚书 45:14)

“埃及劳碌得来的” 表知识, “古实的货物, 身量高大的西巴人” 表对属灵事物的认知, 这些认知有助于人们信主.

又:

成群的骆驼并米甸和以法的独峰驼必遮满你; 示巴的众人都必来到, 要奉上黄金乳香, 又要传说耶和华的赞美. 基达的羊群都必聚集到你这里. (以赛亚书 60:6, 7)

此处, “示巴” 用来表属天事物和衍生的属灵事物, 它们被描述为 “黄金乳香”; 就象刚才所解释的, 这些是 “耶和华的赞美”, 就是内在敬拜.

以西结书:

示巴和拉玛的商人与你交易, 他们用各类上好的香料, 各类的宝石和黄金兑换你的货物. (以西结书 27:22-23)

这论及推罗. “示巴和拉玛” 的意思从经上所说他们交易的货物清楚可知, 即香料, 宝石和黄金. “香料” 的内义是仁爱, “宝石” 的内义是源于仁之信, “黄金” 的内义是对主的爱, 所有这一切都是 “示巴” 所表示的属天事物. 严格来说, “示巴” 表对这些事物的认知, 这就是为何他们在此被称为 “商人” 的原因, 那些成为教会成员的人就被赋予这些认知, 因为没有认知, 没人能成为教会成员.

同样代表这类事物的还有, 拜访所罗门, 并给他带来香料, 黄金和宝石的示巴女王 (列王纪上10: 1-3), 还有耶稣出生时前来跪拜祂的东方智者, 他们打开财宝, 将黄金, 乳香和没药献为礼物 (马太福音 2:1, 11). 这些礼物表属天, 属灵和属世之善. 耶利米书:

从示巴出的乳香, 从远地出的甘蔗奉来给我有何益呢? 你们的燔祭不蒙悦纳. (耶利米书 6:20)

此处也很明显, “示巴” 表认知和崇拜, 也就是 “乳香和甘蔗” 所指的, 但它们在此是指那些缺乏仁爱的事物, 因而不蒙悦纳.

662. 'Everything that is on the earth will breathe its last' means those belonging to that Church who became such. This becomes clear from the fact that 'the earth' does not mean every land throughout the world but only those people who belonged to the Church, as shown already. No flood of any kind is meant here therefore, let alone a flooding of the whole world, but instead the decease or choking to death of those people there who when cut off from remnants, and so from things connected with the understanding of truth and with the will for good, were consequently cut off from the heavens. In addition to places already quoted from the Word, let the following also serve to confirm the fact that 'earth' means that area where the Church is, and therefore those who are there. In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, The whole earth will be desolate, yet I will not bring it to a close. For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black. Jeremiah 4:27-28.

Here 'the earth' stands for people living where the Church is that has been vastated. In Isaiah,

I will jolt heaven, and the earth will be shaken out of its place. Isaiah 13:13.

'Earth' stands for mankind which is to be vastated where the Church is. In Jeremiah,

The slain ¹ of Jehovah on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. Jeremiah 25:33.

Here 'the end of the earth' does not mean every land throughout the world, only that area where the Church was, and consequently where members of the Church were. In the same prophet,

I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth. A clamour is coming even to the end of the earth, for Jehovah's controversy is against the nations. Jeremiah 25:29, 31.

Nor is the whole world meant here, only the area where the Church is, and consequently where the inhabitant or member of the Church is. 'The nations' here stands for falsities. In Isaiah,

Behold, Jehovah is coming out of His place to visit the iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth. Isaiah 26:21.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,

Do you not hear? Has it not been pointed out to you from the beginning? Do you not understand the foundations of the earth? Isaiah 40:21.

In the same prophet,

Jehovah who creates the heavens, the God who forms the earth and makes it, the Same establishes it. Isaiah 45:18.

'Earth' stands for the member of the Church. In Zechariah,

The Word of Jehovah who stretches out the heavens, and founds the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. Zechariah 12:1.

'The earth' obviously stands for the member of the Church. The earth is different from the ground in the way that the member of the Church is different from the Church itself, or as love and faith are different.

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