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])

9216. “使他可以在里头睡觉” 表停靠在它们上面. 这从 “睡觉” 的含义清楚可知.

“睡觉” 是指休息, 在此是指停靠在 “衣服” 所表示的外在感官层上 (参看9212节); 因为经上说 “他可以在衣服里头睡觉”. 有必要说明当如何理解这一解释, 即: 内层事物停靠在感官层上. 感官层是人生命的最末和最低层, 如前所示. 这最低层包含一切内层事物, 是它们所共有的, 因为它们终止于它, 并相应地停靠在它上面. 例如, 这就像皮肤, 皮肤是身体最外在的覆盖物. 身体和身体里的一切事物都终止于皮肤, 因为皮肤包含它们, 它们相应地停靠在皮肤上. 这同样像体内的腹膜; 由于它包含腹部器官, 所以这些器官停靠在它上面, 还与它有全方位的联系. 它又像胸膜与胸部器官的关系.

构成人的真正生命的一切事物都存在这种情感. 如与人的理解力有关的事物, 以及与他的意愿有关的事物. 这些也按照从内层事物到外层事物的次序而彼此跟随. 外层事物是记忆知识及其快乐, 而最外层的事物是感官事物, 这些事物通过视觉, 听觉, 味觉, 嗅觉, 触觉与世界相联. 内层事物就停靠在它们上面, 因为内层事物终止于它们. 这些就是 “遮盖物”, 或 “他可以在里头睡觉的衣服” 在灵义上所表示的事物. 感官事物由 “衣服” 或 “遮盖物” 来表示的原因在于对应关系; 因为如前所述 (9212节), 灵人和天使照着他们的信之真理而身穿衣服; 那些处于源于良善的真理之人穿着放光的衣服, 如在主坟墓旁的天使 (路加福音 24:4; 马太福音 28:3); 有的穿着白色细麻衣, 如启示录 (19:14) 提到的天使; 有的穿着各种颜色的衣服.

此外, 要知道, 一切事物, 无一例外, 都按照连续阶段从它们的最初或至内层行进到它们的最末和最低层, 并停靠在它们上面. 每一个在先或内层事物都依次与最低层的终止之物有自己的联系. 因此, 如果最低层的事物被驱散, 那么内层事物也会被驱散. 这也解释了为何天堂有三层; 至内层或第三层天堂流入中间或第二层天堂; 中间或第二层天堂流入第一或最低层天堂, 该层天堂又流入人类并与人同住. 所以, 人类构成秩序的最低层; 天堂便终止于人类, 并停靠在它上面. 正因如此, 主出于其神性的爱和关怀, 始终规定人类当中应有一个教会, 神所揭示的真理存在于这教会中, 在我们地球, 这真理就是圣言. 人类与天堂通过圣言有一个持续的联结. 这就是为何圣言的每一个细节都有一个为天堂而存在的内义在里面, 这内义具有这样的性质: 它用一根纽带将天使的心智与人类的心智如此紧密地结合在一起, 以致他们行如一体. 这一切又一次清楚表明内层事物停靠在最低层的事物上是怎么回事.