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.

4618. 'And Isaac breathed his last, and died' means an awakening within the Divine Natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'breathing one's last, and dying' as an awakening, dealt with in 3326, 3498, 3505; for when mention is made in the Word of someone having died, the latter end of that person's [representation] and a new beginning in another, and so a continuation, is meant in the internal sense. When for instance the kings of Judah and Israel, or the high priests, are referred to as having died, the meaning in the internal sense is the end of the representation by means of them and the continuation of it in another, and so an awakening of it. What is more, those in the next life who are present with man when these references are read have no conception of death, since in that life they are completely unaware of what it is to die. Instead of death therefore they perceive the representation which is continued in the other person. Besides, when a person dies he does so only so far as his body is concerned, which has been of service to him for performing uses on earth. So far as his spirit is concerned he continues his life in a world where what belongs to that body is no longer of any use to him.

[2] The reason why 'Isaac breathed his last, and died' means an awakening within the Divine Natural is that the rational has no life until the natural corresponds to it, 3493, 3620, 3623. It is like the sight of the eye. If this does not have any objects outside itself to look at it perishes; and it is similar with each of the other senses. It likewise perishes if the objects are utterly incompatible with it, for these bring death to it. It is also like the outlet of a spring from which no water flows, and therefore is a stream that is blocked up. Similarly with the rational. Unless its light is received within the natural its sight perishes, for facts present within the natural are the objects of sight for the rational. Or if these objects are incompatible with that light, that is, with an intelligent understanding of truth and a wise discernment of good, again the sight of the rational perishes, for it is unable to enter into things incompatible with itself. This is why in the case of those under the influence of evils and falsities the rational is closed, so that no communication with heaven lies open through it, except so to speak through chinks enabling them to think, reason, and speak. Consequently, so that the natural may be joined to the rational, it must be made ready to receive it; and this is effected through regeneration by the Lord. When it is so joined the rational lives within the natural, for within the natural it sees objects proper to the rational, as has been stated, just as within the world the eye sees objects proper to the eye.

[3] The rational does indeed possess life within itself which is distinct and separate from the life of the natural. Nevertheless the rational exists within the natural, like a person within his own house, or the soul within the body. The same is true of the heavens, in that the inmost or third heaven lives distinct and separate from the heavens beneath it, and yet if there were no reception of it in the second or middle heaven the wisdom there would evaporate. In a similar way if there were no reception of the light and intelligence of this middle heaven within the ultimate or first heaven, and finally of this heaven within man's natural, the intelligence of those heavens would likewise evaporate unless the Lord provided for its reception somewhere else. The heavens therefore have been formed by the Lord in such a way that one serves as the recipient of another, and lastly man who, as to his natural and sensory degrees, serves as the ultimate recipient of all; for at this point in him the Divine is present in the ultimate degree of order and passes into the world. If therefore the ultimate degree accords or corresponds with the degrees prior to it, those prior degrees exist simultaneously within the ultimate; for the things constituting the ultimate are the receptacles of those prior to itself, and things that are consecutive to one another are present together there within it. This shows what is meant by an awakening within the Divine Natural.