Apocalypse Revealed # 898
898. 21:12 It had a great and high wall. This symbolizes the Word in its literal sense from which the doctrine of the New Church comes.
Since the holy city Jerusalem means the Lord's New Church in respect to its doctrine, its wall can only mean the Word in its literal sense, from which its doctrine comes; for the literal sense protects the spiritual meaning that lies within, as a wall protects a city and its inhabitants.
That the literal sense is the foundation, containing vessel, and buttress of the Word's spiritual meaning may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 27-36; and that the literal sense serves as a safeguard to keep the Divine truths within from being injured - truths which constitute the Word's spiritual meaning - may be seen in no. 97 of the same work. Also, that the church's doctrine is to be drawn from the Word's literal sense and verified by it, in nos. 50-61 there.
The wall is said to be great and high because it means the Word in respect to its Divine goodness and Divine truth, for greatness is predicated of goodness, and height of truth, as in no. 896 above.
[2] A wall symbolizes something that protects, and when mentioned in reference to the church, it symbolizes the Word in its literal sense, as it does also in the following places:
I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall not keep silent day or night, who make mention of Jehovah... (Isaiah 62:6)
They shall call you the City of Jehovah, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel... And you shall call your walls salvation, and your gates praise. (Isaiah 60:14, 18)
(Jehovah) will be a wall of fire all around her, and... the glory in her midst. (Zechariah 2:5)
Men of Arvad... were on your walls..., and the men of Gammad... hung their shields on your walls all around, and made your beauty perfect. (Ezekiel 27:11)
The last is said of Tyre, which symbolizes the church in respect to its concepts of truth from the Word.
Run about through the streets of Jerusalem, and see... if there is anyone who... seeks the truth... Go up on her walls and cast them down. (Jeremiah 5:1, 10)
Jehovah has purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion... ...He has caused the rampart and wall... to lament, to languish together... The Law and her prophets are no more... (Lamentations 2:8-9)
They will run about in the city, they will run on the wall; they will climb up into the houses, they will enter through the windows... (Joel 2:9)
These passages refer to falsifications of truth.
Day and night (the impious) go around (in the city) on its walls... Destructions are in their midst. (Psalms 55:10-11)
And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 22:5; 56:5; Jeremiah 1:15; Ezekiel 27:11; Lamentations 2:7.
That a wall symbolizes the Word in its literal sense is clearly apparent from the following verses in the present chapter, which describe at some length the wall of the city and its gates, foundations and dimensions. That is because the doctrine of the New Church, which the city symbolizes, comes only from the Word's literal sense.
创世记 10
1
挪亚的儿子闪、含、雅弗的後代记在下面。洪水以後,他们都生了儿子。
2
雅弗的儿子是歌篾、玛各、玛代、雅完、土巴、米设、提拉。
3
歌篾的儿子是亚实基拿、利法、陀迦玛。
4
雅完的儿子是以利沙、他施、基提、多单。
5
这些人的後裔将各国的地土、海岛分开居住,各随各的方言、宗族立国。
7
古实的儿子是西巴、哈腓拉、撒弗他、拉玛、撒弗提迦。拉玛的儿子是示巴、底但。
8
古实又生宁录,他为世上英雄之首。
9
他在耶和华面前是个英勇的猎户,所以俗语说:像宁录在耶和华面前是个英勇的猎户。
13
麦西生路低人、亚拿米人、利哈比人、拿弗土希人、
14
帕斯鲁细人、迦斯路希人、迦斐托人;从迦斐托出来的有非利士人。
16
和耶布斯人、亚摩利人、革迦撒人、
17
希未人、亚基人、西尼人、
19
迦南的境界是从西顿向基拉耳的路上,直到迦萨,又向所多玛、蛾摩拉、押玛、洗扁的路上,直到拉沙。
20
这就是含的後裔,各随他们的宗族、方言,所住的地土、邦国。
24
亚法撒生沙拉;沙拉生希伯。
25
希伯生了两个儿子,一个名叫法勒(法勒就是分的意思),因为那时人就分地居住;法勒的兄弟名叫约坍。
28
俄巴路、亚比玛利、示巴、
29
阿斐、哈腓拉、约巴,这都是约坍的儿子。