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])

1692. 几乎没人知道试探或试探的争战会产生什么效果. 它们都是手段, 用来击破和驱散恶与假, 引发对它们的恐惧, 不仅赋予良知, 还由此强化这良知, 从而使人重生. 这就是为何正在重生之人都被引入争战, 经历试探的原因. 他们在肉身生活时若不经历它们, 在来世也会经历, 倘若他们还能重生的话, 主的教会因此被称为精兵. 不过, 唯独主凭自己的力量和能力忍受最为残酷的试探的争战, 因为祂被所有地狱包围, 并不断战胜它们.

也唯独主在经历试探的争战之人里面斗争, 并战胜. 人凭自己的力量根本无法应对恶灵或地狱灵. 因为他们与地狱联结得如此紧密, 以致若一个被战胜, 另一个必冲进来, 如此直到永远. 他们就象挤压堤坝每一部分的海水, 若堤坝被缺口或裂缝冲破, 海水会永不停息地涌流并涨溢, 直到什么也不剩. 若非唯独主在他里面忍受试探的争战, 人的情形也是如此.