670. II. The washing called baptism means spiritual washing, which is purification from evils and falsities, and so regeneration.

Acts of washing were enjoined upon the Children of Israel, as is well known from the statutes laid down by Moses. For instance, that Aaron should wash himself before putting on his garments as minister (Leviticus 16:4, 24); and before approaching the altar to minister (Exodus 30:18-21; 40:30-32). The same was enjoined upon the Levites (Numbers 8:6-7); and also others who had become unclean through sins, and they were said to be sanctified by acts of washing (Exodus 29:1, 4; 40:12; Leviticus 8:6). Therefore the bronze sea and many basins were placed near the temple, so that they could wash themselves (1 Kings 7:23-39). They were instructed to wash the vessels and utensils, such as tables, benches, beds, plates and cups (Leviticus 11:32; 14:8-9; 15:5-12; 17:15-16; Matthew 23:25-26).

[2] But the reason why washing and similar acts were ordered and enjoined upon the Children of Israel was that the church established among them was a representative one, and had the character it did so as to prefigure the Christian church which was to come. When therefore the Lord came into the world, He abolished representative acts, all of which were external, and established a church which was in all respects internal. So the Lord banished the symbols and revealed the actual forms, as when someone lifts a curtain or opens a door, allowing what is inside not only to be seen but also approached. Out of all the previous representative acts the Lord retained only two, to contain everything the internal church has in a single pair; these are baptism to replace the acts of washing and the Holy Supper to replace the lamb which was sacrificed every day, and in full measure on the feast of the Passover.

217. (i) THE TRUTHS OF THE LITERAL SENSE OF THE WORD ARE MEANT BY THE PRECIOUS STONES FORMING THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE NEW JERUSALEM IN (Revelation 21:17-21).

I mentioned above (209) that in the spiritual world precious stones are to be found just as in the natural one, and that they have a spiritual origin from the truths in the literal sense of the Word. Incredible as it may seem, this is in fact the truth. This is the reason why, every time there is a reference in the Word to precious stones, they mean in the spiritual sense truths. It follows from this that the precious stones, of which the foundations of the wall surrounding the city of the New Jerusalem are said to have been built, mean the truths of doctrine in the new church. For the New Jerusalem means the new church in respect of the doctrine it derives from the Word. Therefore its wall and the foundations of the wall must mean the external of the Word. This is its literal sense as the source of its doctrine, and by means of its doctrine the church. This sense is like a wall with its foundations, surrounding a city and making it secure.

[2] The description in Revelation of the New Jerusalem and its foundations is this:

The angel measured the wall of the city of Jerusalem as one hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, an angel. The wall had twelve foundations, decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh turquoise, the twelfth amethyst. .

The reason why the wall had twelve foundations, made of the same number of precious stones, is that the number twelve means the whole of truth derived from good, so here the whole of doctrine. These matters, together with the preceding and following parts of that chapter, can be found expounded in detail, with confirmations drawn from parallel passages in the Prophets, in my book Apocalypse Revealed.