Jerusalem, on Mount Zion, signifies the doctrine of love to the Lord, and how it governs your life. Jerusalem first comes to our attention in 2 Samuel 5, when King David takes the city from the Jebusites and makes it his capital. In the next chapter he brings the Ark of the Covenant there, and later it is where Solomon builds the temple, and his own palace. From then on Jerusalem is the center of worship of the Israelitish church. It is the place where the Lord was presented in the temple as a baby, where He tarried to talk to the priests at age twelve, where He cleansed the temple, had the last supper, was crucified and then rose. It is a central place in both the old and new Testaments. The city was built on Mount Zion, the highest point of the mountains of Judea. A city, in the Word, represents doctrine, the organized knowledge of the truths of the church. Mountains represent love of the Lord and the consequent worship. If you put those things together, Jerusalem on Mount Zion signifies the doctrine of love to the Lord, and how it governs your life. This is why David was led to make Jerusalem the most important city of the land, and why all worship was conducted there. And this is also why Jeroboam was condemned for introducing idol worship in Samaria. In the Book of Revelation, John's vision of the city New Jerusalem descending from God is a prophecy of a new dispensation of doctrine coming from the Lord.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 4539, 8938; The Apocalypse Explained 365 [35-38])

3249. “向东到东方之地去” 表向着信之良善. 这从下文所论述的 “东” 和 “东方之地” 的含义清楚可知. “东方之地” 所表示的信之良善无非是圣言中所谓的对邻之仁; 而对邻之仁无非是遵守主诫命的生活. 这就是 “东方之地” 所表示的 (1250节). 因此, 那些具有对信之良善的认知之人被称为 “东方人” (sons of the east). 东方人之地就是亚兰或叙利亚. 亚兰或叙利亚代表对良善的认知 (参看1232, 1234节); 亚兰-纳哈拉姆或两河之间的叙利亚代表对真理的认知 (3051节). 由于 “叙利亚人” 或 “东方人” 表示那些具有对良善与真理的认知之人, 所以他们尤其被视为 “智者或博士” (the wise). 如在列王纪上, 经上论到所罗门说:

所罗门的智慧超过所有东方人的智慧. (列王纪上4: 30)

又如在马太福音, 经上论到耶稣出生时来到他那里的人说:

有几个博士从东方来到耶路撒冷, 说: 那生下来作犹太人之王的在哪里? 我们在东方看见祂的星, 特来拜祂. (马太福音 2:1-2)

事实上, 古教会最后的余民就在叙利亚, 因此那地仍存留着对良善与真理的认知. 这也可从巴兰清楚看出来, 他不仅敬拜耶和华, 还作出关于主的预言, 称祂是 “出于雅各的星, 兴于以色列的杖” (民数记 24:17). 巴兰是住在叙利亚的东方人, 这是显而易见的, 因为他在题诗歌时论到自己说:

巴勒引我出亚兰 (或叙利亚), 摩押王引我东山. (民数记 23:7)

亚兰或叙利亚就是东方人所居住的地方, 这一点从以下事实明显看出来, 即: 当雅各来到叙利亚时, 经上说他到了 “东方人之地” (创世记 29:1).