2353# "夜晚"象征最后的时刻，那时不再承认。这与"夜晚"本身的含义相符，它表示黑暗笼罩的时刻，光明不再可见。值得注意的是，天使们实际上是在傍晚到来的，而非深夜。然而，由于说话和呼喊的是所多玛人，也就是那些沉浸在伪谬和邪恶中的人，因此这里使用了"夜晚"而非"傍晚"。在圣经中，"夜晚"常常象征着一个特殊的时期和状态：真理之光完全消失，只剩下纯粹的伪谬和邪恶。这也暗示着最后审判的来临。
【2】这个词在圣经中经常带有这样的含义，例如在《弥迦书》中写道：
论到使我民走差路的先知……你们必遭遇黑夜，以致不见异象；又必遭遇幽暗，以致不能占卜。日头必向你们沉落，白昼变为黑暗。(弥迦书3:5，6 )
在这段经文中，"先知"指的是那些传播伪谬教义的人。"夜晚""黑暗""日落"和"变黑的白昼"都象征着伪谬和邪恶。
【3】同样，在《约翰福音》中也有类似的表述：
人在白日走路，就不至跌倒，因为看见这世上的光。 若在黑夜走路，就必跌倒，因为他没有光。” (约翰福音11:9-10 )
这里的"夜晚"代表源于邪恶的伪谬，而"光"则代表源于良善的真理。正如所有真理之光都来自良善，所有伪谬之夜都源于恶。
【4】在《约翰福音》中还有这样的记载：
趁着白日，我们必须做那差我来者的工；黑夜将到，就没有人能做工了。（约翰福音9:4）
这里的"白日"象征着良善和真理存在的时期和状态，而"黑夜"则代表邪恶与伪谬盛行的时候。
【5】类似地，《路加福音》中也提到：
我告诉你们，当那夜里，两个人在一张床上，要取去一个，撇下一个。（路加福音17:34）
这里的"夜"指的是最后的时刻，也就是信仰的真理不再存在的时候。
【6】在《出埃及记》中，以色列人离开埃及的故事也蕴含着深刻的象征意义。这个事件代表着教会中良善和真理的荒废，以及伪谬和邪恶开始统治的情况。因此，神命令以色列人"在半夜出去"（出埃及记11:4）。同时，"在半夜，耶和华把埃及地所有的长子尽都杀了"（出埃及记12:12，29，30）。
值得注意的是，那些坚持良善和真理的人，就像以色列人一样，如同罗得在所多玛城中一般，在伪谬和邪恶中得到了保护。对这些人来说，那个夜晚被称为"向耶和华守的夜"（出埃及记12:42）。
2353、“今夜”表示末期，那时，这两者不再被人承认。这从“夜”的含义清楚可知，“夜”是指当不再看见光明事物时的黑暗时期。那两个天使不是夜里来的，而是晚上来的；但由于说话和呼叫的，是所多玛人，也就是那些沉浸于邪恶和虚假的人，所以经上说的是“夜”，而不是“晚上”。因为在圣言中，“夜”表示当不再有任何真理之光，只有虚假和邪恶时的时间和状态，因而表示当审判到来时的末期。
这层含义的“夜”出现在许多地方，如弥迦书：
论到使百姓走入歧途的先知，你们只有黑夜，没有异象，只有黑暗，没有占卜。日头必向先知沉落，白昼向他们变为黑暗。（弥迦书3:5-6）
此处“先知”表示那些教导虚假的人；“黑夜”、“黑暗”、“日头沉落”和“白昼变为黑暗”表示虚假和邪恶。
约翰福音：
人在白日走路，就不会跌倒；若在黑夜走路，就会跌倒，因为他里面没有光。（约翰福音11:9-10）
此处“黑夜”表示源于邪恶的虚假；“光”表示源于良善的真理；正如一切真理之光都来自良善，一切虚假之夜都来自邪恶。
又：
趁着白日，我必须作那差我来者的工；黑夜将到，就没有人能作工了。（约翰福音9:4）
“白日”表示当良善和真理存在时的时间和状态；但“黑夜”是指当邪恶和虚假存在时的时间和状态。
路加福音：
我对你们说，当那一夜，两个人在一个床上，要取去一个，撇下一个。（路加福音17:34）
此处“夜”表示末期，那时不再有任何信之真理。
当以色列人出埃及时，埃及代表教会里良善和真理的毁灭，以及只有邪恶和虚假在那里掌权的事实。这就是为何他们被吩咐“半夜”离开（出埃及记11:4），又为何他们照做后，埃及一切头生的半夜都被杀了（出埃及记12:12，29-30）。由于以色列人代表那些处于良善和真理的人，当虚假和邪恶围绕他们，如所多玛的罗得那样时，他们就受到保护，所以对他们来说，那“夜”被称为“耶和华的看守夜”（出埃及记12:42）。
Potts(1905-1910) 2353
2353. This night. That this signifies the last time, when these are no longer acknowledged, is evident from the signification of "night," as being a time of darkness, when the things of light are no longer seen. The angels did not come in the night, but in the evening; but as it is the men of Sodom who spoke and cried out, that is, those who are in falsity and evil, it is not said in the "evening," but in the "night." For in the Word "night" signifies the time and state when there is no longer any light of truth, but merely falsity and evil. [2] Thus the last time when comes the Judgment; with which signification it is often found, as in Micah:
Against the prophets that lead the people astray: It shall be night unto you that ye have no vision; and it shall be darkness to you, that ye shall not divine, and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them (Micah 3:5-6). "Prophets" here denote those who teach falsities; "night," "darkness," the "going down of the sun," and the "blackening day," denote falsities and evils. [3] In John:
If anyone walk in the day, he stumbleth not; but if anyone walk in the night he stumbleth, because the light is not in him (John 11:9-10);
where "night" denotes falsity from evil; "light," truth from good; for as all the light of truth is from good, so all the night of falsity is from evil. [4] Again:
I must work the works of Him that sent Me while it is day; the night cometh when no one can work (John 9:4);
"day" denotes the time and state when there is what is good and true; but "night" when there is what is evil and false. [5] In Luke:
I say unto you, in that night there shall be two upon one bed, the one shall be accepted, the other abandoned (Luke 17:34);
here "night" denotes the last time, when there is no longer any truth of faith. [6] Inasmuch as when the sons of Israel went out from Egypt there was represented in that country the vastation of good and truth within the church, and that there then reigned therein nothing but what was evil and false, it was commanded that they should go out at midnight (Exod. 11:4); and it also came to pass that at midnight all the firstborn of Egypt were slain (Exod. 12:12, 29, 30). And inasmuch as they who are in what is good and true, who were represented by the sons of Israel, are guarded when among falsities and evils (as was Lot in Sodom), that night, in respect to them, is called "a night of the guardings of Jehovah" (verse 42).
Elliott(1983-1999) 2353
2353. 'In the night' means the final period when these two are acknowledged no longer. This is clear from the meaning of 'the night' as a time of darkness when the things of light are seen no longer. The angels did not come in the night but at evening time, but because it was the men of Sodom who spoke and cried out, that is, those who are immersed in falsity and evil, the expression used is not 'in the evening' but 'in the night'. For 'night' in the Word means the period of time and the state when the light of truth exists no longer, but merely falsity and evil, and so is the final period when judgement takes place.
[2] This meaning is met in other places, as in Micah,
Against the prophets who lead the people astray: It is night for you instead of vision, and darkness for you instead of divination, and the sun is setting upon the prophets and the day is becoming black over them. Micah 3:-5, 6.
'The prophets' here stands for those who teach falsities. 'Night', 'darkness', 'sunset', and 'the day becoming black' stand for falsities and evils.
[3] In John,
If anyone walks in the day he does not stumble; but if anyone walks in the night he stumbles because the light is not in him. John 11:-9, 10.
Here 'night' stands for falsity deriving from evil. 'The light' stands for truth deriving from good, for just as all the light of truth derives from good, so all the night of falsity does so from evil.
[4] In the same gospel,
I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when nobody can work. John 9:-4.
'Day' stands for the period of time and the state when good and truth are present, but 'night' when evil and falsity are present.
[5] In Luke,
I tell you, in that night there will be two upon one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Luke 17:-34.
Here 'night' stands for the final period when the truth of faith is no more.
[6] When the children of Israel were going out of Egypt they were commanded 'to go out at midnight', because in this way the vastation of good and truth inside the Church was represented, and also that nothing except falsity and evil reigned there any longer, Exod 11: 4. And when they did, all the firstborn of Egypt were slain at midnight, Exod 12: 12, 29, 30. Now because those with whom good and truth are present, who were represented by the children of Israel, are watched over when, like Lot in Sodom, they are among falsities and evils, that night is described in reference to them as 'the night when Jehovah kept watch', Exod 12: 42.
Latin(1748-1756) 2353
2353. `Noctu': quod significet ultimum tempus, quando amplius non agnoscuntur, constat a significatione `noctis' quod sit tempus tenebrarum, quando non amplius conspiciuntur illa quae lucis sunt: angeli non venerunt noctu sed vespera, sed quia sunt viri Sodomae qui locuti et clamaverunt, hoc est, qui in falso et malo sunt, non dicitur vespere, sed `noctu'; `nox' enim in Verbo significat tempus et statum quando nulla amplius lux veri sed mere falsum et malum, ita ultimum, quando judicium; [2] in qua {1} significatione legitur passim {2}, ut apud Micham, Contra prophetas seducentes populum;... nox vobis ex visione, et obtenebrescit vobis ex divinatione, et occidit sol super prophetis, et nigrescit super iis dies, iii 5, 6;`prophetae' hic pro iis qui docent falsa; `nox, obtenebratio, occasus solis, nigrescens dies' pro falsis et malis: [3] apud Johannem, Si quis ambulat in die, non offendit,... si quis autem ambulat in nocte, offendit, quia lux non est in illo, xi 9, 10;
ubi `nox' pro falso ex malo; {3} `lux' pro vero ex bono; sicut enim omnis lux veri est ex bono, ita omnis nox falsi est ex malo: [4] apud eundem, Me oportet operari opera Ipsius, Qui misit Me, quousque dies est, venit nox quando nemo potest operari, ix 4;
`dies' pro tempore et statu quando bonum et verum, `nox' autem quando malum et falsum: [5] apud Lucam, Dico vobis, ea nocte erunt duo super lecto uno, unus acceptabitur, alter deseretur, xvii 34;
(o)ibi nox pro ultimo tempore quando non amplius verum fidei. [6] Quia in Aegypto cum exibant inde filii Israelis, repraesentabatur vastatio boni et veri intra Ecclesiam, et quod amplius nihil nisi falsum et malum regnaret, mandatum erat ut `media nocte exirent,' Exod. xi 4; et factum, quod `media nocte omnia primogenita Aegypti occisa sint,' Exod. xii 12, 29, 30: et quia illi qui in bono et vero, repraesentati per filios Israelis, inter falsa et mala, sicut Lot Sodomae, custoditi sunt, nox illa respective ad eos `nox custodiarum Jehovae' dicitur, ibid. vers. 42. @1 simili.$ @2 i alibi in Verbo.$ @3 i et.$