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Ezekiel 40

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1 In the twenty and fifth year of our removal, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in this self-same day hath a hand of Jehovah been upon me, and He bringeth me in thither;

2 in visions of God He hath brought me in unto the land of Israel, and causeth me to rest on a very high mountain, and upon it [is] as the frame of a city on the south.

3 And He bringeth me in thither, and lo, a man, his appearance as the appearance of brass, and a thread of flax in his hand, and a measuring-reed, and he is standing at the gate,

4 and the man speaketh unto me: `Son of man, see with thine eyes, And with thine ears hear, And set thy heart to all that I am shewing thee, For, in order to shew [it] thee, Thou hast been brought in hither, Declare all that thou art seeing to the house of Israel.'

5 And lo, a wall on the outside of the house all round about, and in the hand of the man a measuring-reed, six cubits by a cubit and a handbreadth, and he measureth the breadth of the building one reed, and the height one reed.

6 And he cometh in unto the gate whose front [is] eastward, and he goeth up by its steps, and he measureth the threshold of the gate one reed broad, even the one threshold one reed broad,

7 and the little chamber one reed long and one reed broad, and between the little chambers five cubits, and the threshold of the gate, from the side of the porch of the gate from within, one reed.

8 And he measureth the porch of the gate from within one reed,

9 and he measureth the porch of the gate eight cubits, and its posts two cubits, and the porch of the gates from within,

10 and the little chambers of the gate eastward, three on this side, and three on that side; one measure [is] to them three, and one measure [is] to the posts, on this side and on that side.

11 And he measureth the breadth of the opening of the gate ten cubits, the length of the gate thirteen cubits;

12 and a border before the little chambers, one cubit, and one cubit [is] the border on this side, and the little chamber [is] six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.

13 And he measureth the gate from the roof of the [one] little chamber to the roof of another; the breadth twenty and five cubits, opening over-against opening.

14 And he maketh the posts of sixty cubits, even unto the post of the court, the gate all round about;

15 and by the front of the gate of the entrance, by the front of the porch of the inner gate, fifty cubits;

16 and narrow windows [are] unto the little chambers, and unto their posts at the inside of the gate all round about -- and so to the arches -- and windows all round about [are] at the inside, and at the post [are] palm-trees.

17 And he bringeth me in unto the outer court, and lo, chambers and a pavement made for the court all round about -- thirty chambers on the pavement --

18 and the pavement unto the side of the gates over-against the length of the gates [is] the lower pavement;

19 and he measureth the breadth from before the lower gate, to the front of the inner court, on the outside, a hundred cubits, eastward and northward.

20 As to the gate of the outer court whose front [is] northward, he hath measured its length and its breadth;

21 and its little chambers, three on this side, and three on that side, and its posts and its arches have been according to the measure of the first gate, fifty cubits its length, and the breadth five and twenty by the cubit;

22 and its windows, and its arches, and its palm-trees [are] according to the measure of the gate whose face [is] eastward, and by seven steps they go up on it, and its arches [are] before them.

23 And the gate of the inner court [is] over-against the gate at the north and at the east; and he measureth from gate unto gate, a hundred cubits.

24 And he causeth me to go southward, and lo, a gate southward, and he hath measured its posts and its arches according to these measures;

25 and windows [are] to it and to its arches all round about, like these windows, fifty cubits the length, and the breadth five and twenty cubits;

26 and seven steps [are] its ascent, and its arches [are] before them, and palm-trees [are] to it, one on this side, and one on that side, at its posts;

27 and the gate of the inner court [is] southward, and he measureth from gate unto gate southward, a hundred cubits.

28 And he bringeth me in unto the inner court by the south gate, and he measureth the south gate according to these measures;

29 and its little chambers, and its posts, and its arches [are] according to these measures, and windows [are] to it and to its arches all round about; fifty cubits the length, and the breadth twenty and five cubits.

30 As to the arches all round about, the length [is] five and twenty cubits, and the breadth five cubits;

31 and its arches [are] unto the outer court, and palm-trees [are] unto its posts, and eight steps [are] its ascent.

32 And he bringeth me in unto the inner court eastward, and he measureth the gate according to these measures;

33 and its little chambers, and its posts, and its arches [are] according to these measures: and windows [are] to it and to its arches all round about, the length fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits;

34 and its arches [are] toward the outer court, and palm-trees [are] toward its posts, on this side and on that side, and eight steps [are] its ascent.

35 And he bringeth me in unto the north gate, and hath measured according to these measures;

36 its little chambers, its posts, and its arches; and windows [are] to it all round about: the length fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits;

37 and its posts [are] to the outer court, and palm-trees [are] unto its posts, on this side and on that side, and eight steps [are] its ascent.

38 And the chamber and its opening [is] by the posts of the gates, there they purge the burnt-offering.

39 And in the porch of the gate [are] two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slaughter on them the burnt-offering, and the sin-offering, and the guilt-offering;

40 and at the side without, at the going up to the opening of the north gate, [are] two tables; and at the other side that [is] at the porch of the gate, [are] two tables;

41 four tables [are] on this side, and four tables on that side, at the side of the gate, eight tables on which they slaughter.

42 And the four tables for burnt-offering [are] of hewn stone: the length one cubit and a half, and the breadth one cubit and a half, and the height one cubit: on them they place the instruments with which they slaughter the burnt-offering and the sacrifice.

43 And the boundaries [are] one handbreadth, prepared within all round about: and on the tables [is] the flesh of the offering.

44 And on the outside of the inner gate [are] chambers of the singers, in the inner court, that [are] at the side of the north gate, and their fronts [are] southward, one at the side of the east gate [hath] the front northward.

45 And he speaketh unto me: `This chamber, whose front [is] southward, [is] for priests keeping charge of the house;

46 and the chamber, whose front [is] northward, [is] for priests keeping charge of the altar: they [are] sons of Zadok, who are drawing near of the sons of Levi unto Jehovah, to serve Him.'

47 And he measureth the court: the length a hundred cubits, and the breadth a hundred cubits, square, and the altar [is] before the house.

48 And he bringeth me in unto the porch of the house, and he measureth the post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side, and the breadth of the gate, three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side;

49 the length of the porch twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and by the steps whereby they go up unto it: and pillars [are] at the posts, one on this side, and one on that side.

   

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Apocalypse Revealed # 194

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194. "'And the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem.'" This symbolically means that they will have the doctrine of the New Church engraved on their hearts.

The New Jerusalem symbolizes the New Church, and when it is called a city, it symbolizes the New Church in respect to its doctrine. Therefore to "write on him the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem," means, symbolically, that they will have the doctrine of the New Church engraved on their hearts.

To be shown that Jerusalem symbolizes the church, and that as a city it means the church in respect to its doctrine, see nos. 880, 881, below.

A city symbolizes doctrine because a land, and particularly the land of Canaan, symbolizes a church in its entirety; and the inheritances into which the land of Canaan was divided consequently symbolized various components of the church, and the cities in it doctrines. Because of this, when cities are mentioned in the Word, the angels understand them to mean nothing else. I have also had this attested for me through a good deal of experience.

The case with this is the same as with the symbolic meanings of mountains, hills, valleys, springs, and rivers, all of which symbolize such things as have to do with the church.

[2] That cities symbolize doctrines can be seen to some extent from the following passages:

The land shall be... emptied..., the land shall be turned upside down..., the land shall be profaned... The empty city shall be broken down... What is left in the city shall be waste, and the gate shall be stricken even to its destruction. (Isaiah 3; 4; 5; 10; 11; 12)

The lion has come up from his thicket..., to make your land a wasteland. Your cities will be destroyed... I beheld... Carmel a wilderness, and all its cities desolate... ...the land shall mourn... The whole city shall flee..., forsaken... (Jeremiah 4:7, 26-29)

The land there is the church, and the city is its doctrine. The devastation of the church by doctrinal falsities is described in this way.

The despoiler shall come upon every city, so that no city escapes. The valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed... (Jeremiah 48:8)

Likewise:

Behold, I have made you this day as a fortified city... against the whole land... (Jeremiah 1:18)

This was addressed to the prophet because a prophet symbolizes the doctrine of the church (no. 8).

On that day they will sing... in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks." (Isaiah 26:1-2)

...the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. (Revelation 16:18-19)

(The prophet saw) on a very high mountain... the structure of a city to the south... (And an angel measured the wall, the gates, their chambers, and the vestibule of the gate,) and the name of the city... shall be JEHOVAH IS THERE. (Ezekiel 40:1ff., 48:35)

There is a river whose streams have made glad the city of God? (Psalms 46:4-5)

I will embroil Egypt with Egypt, so that... city (fights) against city, and kingdom against kingdom. (Isaiah 19:2)

Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city... divided against itself will not stand. (Matthew 12:25)

Cities in these passages mean, in the spiritual sense, doctrines, as is the case also in Isaiah 6:11; 14:4, 17, 21; 19:18-19; 25:1-3; 33:8-9; 54:3; 64:10, and elsewhere.

[3] From the symbolic meaning of a city it can be seen what cities mean in this parable of the Lord:

A... nobleman (going) into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom..., delivered to (his servants) minas (with which to) do business... ...when he returned..., he (called the) servants... The first came, saying, ."..your mina has earned ten minas," and he said to him, ."..good servant..., you shall have authority over ten cities." And the second came, saying, ."..your mina has earned five minas." And he said... to him, "You also be over five cities." (Luke 19:12-19)

Cities here likewise symbolize doctrines or doctrinal truths, and to be over them is to be intelligent and wise. Thus to give power over them is to impart intelligence and wisdom. Ten symbolizes much, and five some. It is apparent that to do business and earn a profit means to acquire intelligence for oneself by making use of one's abilities.

[4] That the holy city Jerusalem symbolizes the doctrine of the New Church is clearly apparent from its description in chapter 21 of the book of Revelation, for it is described in respect to its dimensions, its gates, and its wall and foundations, and inasmuch as Jerusalem symbolizes the church, these can symbolize nothing other than matters having to do with its doctrine. Neither is the church a church on any other basis.

Because the city Jerusalem means the church in respect to doctrine, it is therefore called the City of Truth (Zechariah 8:3-4), and in many places a holy city, and this because holiness is predicated of truths derived from the Lord (no. 173).

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.