899. And twelve gates. This symbolizes all the concepts of truth and goodness by which a person is introduced into the church.

Gates symbolize concepts of truth and goodness from the Word, because a person is introduced into the church by them. For the wall that had the gates symbolizes the Word, as explained just above in no. 898. Moreover we are later told that "the twelve gates were twelve pearls: each gate was of one pearl" (verse 21), and pearls symbolize concepts of truth and goodness (no. 727). Clearly it is by these concepts that people are introduced into the church, as through gates into a city.

That the number twelve symbolizes all people may be seen in no. 348 above.

Gates symbolize concepts of truth and goodness also in the following places:

I will... lay your foundations in sapphires; I will make your pinnacles of garnets, and your gates carbuncle-stones. ¹ (Isaiah 54:11-12)

Jehovah loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! (Psalms 87:2-3)

Enter through His gates with confession... Confess Him, bless His name. (Psalms 100:4)

Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem is built as a city that holds fast together. (Psalms 122:2-3)

Praise Jehovah, O Jerusalem! ...For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your children in your midst. (Psalms 147:12-13)

...that I may recount all Your praises in the gates of the daughter of Zion. (Psalms 9:14)

Open the gates, that a righteous nation which keeps its fealties may enter in. (Isaiah 26:2)

...raise your voice... that they may enter the gate of the princes. (Isaiah 13:2)

Blessed are those who do His commandments... and enter through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)

Lift up your heads, O you gates... that the King of glory may come in. (Psalms 24:7, 9)

The roads to Zion mourn... All her gates are desolate; her priests groan... (Lamentations 1:4)

Judah mourned, and her gates have been made to languish. (Jeremiah 14:2)

Jehovah has purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion... Her gates have sunk into the ground. (Lamentations 2:8-9)

...who make a man to sin against the Word, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate... (Isaiah 29:21)

They chose new gods; then he began to attack the gates. (Judges 5:8)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 3:25-26; 14:31; 22:7; 24:12; 28:6; 62:10; Jeremiah 1:15; 15:7; 31:38, 40; Micah 2:13; Nahum 3:13; Judges 5:11.

Since gates symbolize introductory truths, which are concepts from the Word, therefore the elders of the city used to sit as judges at the gates, as is apparent from Deuteronomy 21:18-21; 22:15; Lamentations 5:14; Amos 5:12, 15; Zechariah 8:16.

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97. It should be known, moreover, that the Word’s literal sense is a protection for the genuine truths that lie concealed within. The literal sense is a protection in that it can be turned this way and that and explained in accord with a person’s comprehension, and yet without the inner meaning’s being harmed or violated. For it does no harm if the Word’s literal sense is interpreted in one way by one person, and in another way by another person. But it does do harm if the Divine truths that lie concealed within are perverted; for this does violence to the Word.

This is guarded against by the literal sense. And it is guarded against among people who, owing to their religion, are caught up in falsities, but do not affirm those falsities, for they do not do any violence.

[2] This protection is symbolized by cherubim in the Word, and described by them, too.

It is symbolized by the cherubim that were placed at the entrance to the garden of Eden after Adam and his wife were cast out, about which we read the following:

(When Jehovah God) drove out the man..., He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword turning hither and thither, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:23-24)

The cherubim symbolize protection. The way to the tree of life symbolizes an entryway to the Lord, which people have through the Word. The flaming sword turning hither and thither symbolizes Divine truth in outmost expressions, which, like the literal sense of the Word, can be turned in this way.

[3] Protection is likewise meant by the cherubim of gold placed at the two ends of the mercy seat on top of the ark in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:18-21). Because this is what the cherubim symbolized, therefore the Lord spoke with Moses from between them (Exodus 25:22, 30:6, 33:9, Numbers 7:89). It may be seen in nos. 37-49 above that the Lord speaks with a person only in fullness, and that the Word in its literal sense is Divine truth in its fullness; thus the Lord accordingly spoke with Moses from between cherubim.

Nor is anything else symbolized by the cherubim on the curtains and veil of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:1, 31). For the curtains and veil of the Tabernacle represented the outmost constituents of heaven and the church, and so also those of the Word (see no. 46 above).

Nor is anything else symbolized by the cherubim inside the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 6:23-28). And by the cherubim carved on the walls and doors of the Temple (1 Kings 6:29, 32, 35). Likewise by the cherubim in the new temple (Ezekiel 41:18-20). (See also no. 47 above.)

[4] Since cherubim symbolize a protection to keep the Lord, heaven, and the Divine truth contained in the Word from being approached directly, so that they must be approached indirectly through outmost expressions, therefore we are told regarding the king of Tyre the following:

You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering.... You, O cherub, spread out a covering.... I destroyed you, O covering cherub, in the midst of stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:12-14, 16)

Tyre symbolizes the church with respect to its concepts of truth and goodness, and its king accordingly symbolizes the Word which contains and is the source of those concepts. It is apparent that the Word here is symbolized as it is in its outmost expression, namely its literal sense, and its protection by a cherub; for the text says, “You were the seal of perfection, ” “every precious stone was your covering, ” and “You, O cherub, spread out a covering, ” including as well the phrase, “O covering cherub.” The precious stones listed here also mean truths in the Word’s literal sense, as may be seen in no. 45 above.

Since cherubim symbolize the outmost expression of Divine truth set as a protection, therefore we are told in the Psalms of David,

He bowed the heavens and came down..., and He rode upon a cherub.... (Psalms 18:9-10)

O Shepherd of Israel..., You who sit upon the cherubim, shine forth! (Psalms 80:1)

Jehovah...is seated upon the cherubim. (Psalms 99:1)

To ride upon cherubim, to sit on them and be seated on them, is to do so on the outmost sense of the Word.

[5] Divine truth and its character are described in the Word by cherubim in the first and ninth chapters in Ezekiel, and in the tenth. But because no one can know what the particulars in the description of them symbolize, unless he is someone for whom the spiritual sense has been laid open, therefore I have had disclosed to me what everything said about the cherubim in the first chapter in Ezekiel symbolizes, which in brief is as follows:

Verse 4: The Divine atmosphere surrounding the Word is described.

Verse 5: This represented as having the likeness of a man.

Verse 6: Its conjunction with spiritual and celestial elements.

Verse 7: The nature of the natural component of the Word.

Verses 8-9: The spiritual and celestial components of the Word conjoined with its natural one; their character.

Verses 10-11: The Divine love accompanying the celestial, spiritual and natural goodness and truth present in the Word, separately and together.

Verse 12: They look in one direction.

Verses 13-14: The atmosphere of the Word emanating from the Lord’s Divine goodness and Divine truth, which give the Word life.

Verses 15-21: The doctrine of goodness and truth found in the Word and emanating from the Word.

Verses 22-23: The Divinity of the Lord above the Word and in it.

Verses 24-25: And emanating from it.

Verse 26: The Lord’s being above the heavens.

Verses 27-28: And His possessing Divine love and Divine wisdom.

I have, moreover, compared these summaries with the Word in heaven and found them to be in conformity with it.