A Brief Exposition of New Church Doctrine #100
100. BRIEF ANALYSIS
The reason the New Church is meant by the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, in Revelation 21, is that Jerusalem was the metropolis of the land of Canaan. The temple and the altar were there; there also sacrifices were offered. Thus, Divine worship itself was performed there, and every male throughout the land was commanded to come to this worship three times a year. A further reason is that the Lord was in Jerusalem and taught in its temple; afterwards glorifying His Human there; thence it is that Jerusalem signifies the Church. That the Church is meant by Jerusalem is clearly evident from the prophecies in the Old Testament concerning a New Church to be established by the Lord, and which is there called Jerusalem.
[2] The following passages only shall be cited, from which anyone possessed of interior reason may see that by Jerusalem is there meant the Church. Let these passages alone be taken from the prophets:
Behold, I create a new heaven and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered. . . . I will create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy; that I may rejoice over Jerusalem and be joyful over My people. . . Then the wolf and the lamb shall feed together. . . they shall do no evil in all the mountain of My holiness.Isaiah 65:17-19, 25.
For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof goes forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. Then the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah shall name. And thou shalt be a crown of beauty.. . and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God... Jehovah shall be well pleased in thee, and thy land shall be married . . . Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him . . . and they shall call them, The holy people, the redeemed of Jehovah; and thou shalt be called, sought out, a city not forsaken.Isaiah 62:1-4, 11-12.
Awake! awake! put on thy strength, O Zion; put on the garments of thy beauty, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem . . . The people shalt know My name in that day, for I am He that doth speak; behold, it is I. . .. Jehovah hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem.Isaiah 52:1-2, 6, 9.
Shout with joy, O daughter of Zion; be glad with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. . .. The King of Israel is in the midst of thee; fear not evil any more . . . He will be glad over thee with joy; He will rest in thy love; He will exult over thee with joyful shouting. . . will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth.Zephaniah 3:14-17, 20.
Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer . . . saying to Jerusalem, thou shalt be inhabited. Isaiah 44:24, 26.
Thus saith Jehovah, I am returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; whence Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth, and the mountain of Jehovah Zebaoth, the mountain of holiness. Zechariah 8:3.
Then shall ye know that I am Jehovah your God, dwelling in Zion, the mountain of holiness; and Jerusalem shall be holiness... .And it shall come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drop new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk... and Jerusalem shall abide from generation to generation. Joel 3:17-18, 20.
In that day shall the branch of Jehovah be beauty and glory. . . And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy; everyone that is written unto life in Jerusalem. Isaiah 4:2-3.
In the last days the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established in the head of the mountains ... for out of Zion shall go forth doctrine, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. Micah 4:1-2.
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah, and all nations shall be gathered to Jerusalem because of the name of Jehovah; neither shall they go any more after the confirmation of their own evil heart. Jeremiah 3:17.
Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts; let thine eyes see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; the stakes thereof shall never be removed, and the cords thereof shall not be broken. Isaiah 33:20.
Other passages are: Isaiah 24:23; 37:32; 66:10-14; Zechariah 12:3, 6-10; 14:8, 11-12, 21; Malachi 3:2, 4; Psalms 122:1-7; 137:4-6.
[3] That by Jerusalem in the above passages is meant a Church to be established by the Lord, and not the Jerusalem inhabited by the Jews, is plain from every detail of its description therein; as that Jehovah God was about to create a new heaven and a new earth, and Jerusalem also at the same time; that this Jerusalem would be a crown of beauty, and a royal diadem; that it is to be called holiness, and the city of truth, the throne of Jehovah, a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; that the wolf and the lamb shall feed together there; that there the mountains shall drop with new wine, and the hills flow with milk; that it should abide from generation to generation; besides many other things respecting the people therein, that they should be holy, all written unto life, and should be called the redeemed of Jehovah.
Isaiah 33
1
Woe to you who destroy, but you weren't destroyed; and who betray, but nobody betrayed you! When you have finished destroying, you will be destroyed; and when you have made an end of betrayal, you will be betrayed.
2
Yahweh, be gracious to us. We have waited for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
3
At the noise of the thunder, the peoples have fled. When you lift yourself up, the nations are scattered.
4
Your spoil will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men will leap on it as locusts leap.
5
Yahweh is exalted, for he dwells on high. He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness.
6
There will be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of Yahweh is your treasure.
7
Behold, their valiant ones cry outside; the ambassadors of peace weep bitterly.
8
The highways are desolate. The traveling man ceases. The covenant is broken. He has despised the cities. He doesn't respect man.
9
The land mourns and languishes. Lebanon is confounded and withers away. Sharon is like a desert, and Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare.
10
"Now I will arise," says Yahweh; "Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted.
11
You will conceive chaff. You will bring forth stubble. Your breath is a fire that will devour you.
12
The peoples will be like the burning of lime, like thorns that are cut down and burned in the fire.
13
Hear, you who are far off, what I have done; and, you who are near, acknowledge my might."
14
The sinners in Zion are afraid. Trembling has seized the godless ones. Who among us can live with the devouring fire? Who among us can live with everlasting burning?
15
He who walks righteously, and speaks blamelessly; He who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing to take a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from looking at evil--
16
he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure.
17
Your eyes will see the king in his beauty. They will see a distant land.
18
Your heart will meditate on the terror. Where is he who counted? Where is he who weighed? Where is he who counted the towers?
19
You will no longer see the fierce people, a people of a deep speech that you can't comprehend, with a strange language that you can't understand.
20
Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won't be removed. Its stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken.
21
But there Yahweh will be with us in majesty, a place of broad rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will go, neither will any gallant ship pass by there.
22
For Yahweh is our judge. Yahweh is our lawgiver. Yahweh is our king. He will save us.
23
Your rigging is untied. They couldn't strengthen the foot of their mast. They couldn't spread the sail. Then the prey of a great spoil was divided. The lame took the prey.
24
The inhabitant won't say, "I am sick." The people who dwell therein will be forgiven their iniquity.
