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Daniel 10:11

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11 και ειπεν μοι δανιηλ ανθρωπος ελεεινος ει διανοηθητι τοις προσταγμασιν οις εγω λαλω επι σε και στηθι επι του τοπου σου αρτι γαρ απεσταλην επι σε και εν τω λαλησαι αυτον μετ' εμου το προσταγμα τουτο εστην τρεμων

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Arcana Coelestia #9872

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9872. 'A tarshish, and a shoham, and a jasper' means the spiritual love of truth, in which higher things terminate. This is clear from the meaning of these stones, which they derive from their colours; for the colour of all the stones in this row is on the white side tinged with blue. The fact that tarshish means the spiritual love of truth is clear from places in the Word where it is mentioned, as in Ezekiel,

Behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubs; the appearance of the wheels was like that of tarshish stone. Ezekiel 1:16; 10:9.

The cherubs' wheels are similar in meaning to a person's arms and feet, which is the power to act and go forward, this power being that of truth springing from good, see 8215. This explains why the appearance of those wheels was like that of tarshish stone; for 'tarshish' means truth springing from spiritual good, which possesses power.

[2] In Daniel,

I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold, a man clothed in linen whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz, and his body was like tarshish; and his face was like [the appearance] of lightning, and his eyes were like fiery torches. Daniel 10:5-6.

'A man clothed in linen' was an angel from heaven. 'Linen' means truth that is the clothing of good, 7601. By 'loins' conjugial love, which belongs to goodness and truth, is meant, 3021, 4280, 5050-5062. This is why the man's loins are said to have been 'girded with gold of Uphaz', for 'gold' means the good of love, 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 9490, 9510. 'The body' however, by virtue of its correspondence, means the good of celestial love and also the good of spiritual love, 6135, while the surface of the body means the truth that springs from that good, which is why the man's body looked like tarshish. So it is that 'tarshish' means the truth that spiritual love desires.

[3] For the meaning of a shoham, the second stone in this row, as the truths of faith that spring from love, see what has been shown in 9476, 9841. As for a jasper, the third and last stone belonging to this row, that it means the truth of faith, this is clear in John's Revelation,

The light of the city, the holy Jerusalem, was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper stone, shining like crystal. Revelation 21:11.

'The holy Jerusalem' means the Church that is going to take the place of the one that is ours at the present day. Its 'light' is the truth of faith and resulting intelligence, 9548, 9551, 9555, 9558, 9561, 9684. Therefore it is likened to 'a jasper stone, shining like crystal'. 'Crystal' as well means the truth of faith springing from good, in the same book,

The construction of the wall of the holy Jerusalem was jasper, and the city was pure gold, like pure glass. Revelation 21:18.

The wall of the city is described as jasper because 'the wall' means the truth of faith protecting the Church, 6419. And since 'the wall' has this meaning, verse 19 of that chapter says that the first stone constituting its foundations was jasper. For by 'foundation' is meant the truth of faith springing from good, see 9643.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Revelation 21

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1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more.

2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

3 I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, "Behold, God's dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

4 He will wipe away from them every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away."

5 He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." He said, "Write, for these words of God are faithful and true."

6 He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life.

7 He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son.

8 But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he spoke with me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the wife, the Lamb's bride."

10 He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,

11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, as if it was a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

12 having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

13 On the east were three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

15 He who spoke with me had for a measure, a golden reed, to measure the city, its gates, and its walls.

16 The city lies foursquare, and its length is as great as its breadth. He measured the city with the reed, Twelve thousand Twelve stadia. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.

17 Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

18 The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was pure gold, like pure glass.

19 The foundations of the city's wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;

20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; and the twelfth, amethyst.

21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple.

23 The city has no need for the sun, neither of the moon, to shine, for the very glory of God illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

24 The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.

25 Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there),

26 and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter.

27 There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.