Apocalypse Revealed # 905
905. 21:16 The city is laid out as a square. This symbolizes justice in the New Church.
The city was seen as square because a square or quadrilateral form symbolizes justice, inasmuch as a triangle symbolizes rectitude, all of these being symbols on the lowest level, which is the natural one.
A square or quadrilateral layout symbolizes justice because it has four sides, and the four sides face the four cardinal points of the compass; and to face the four cardinal points equally is to regard everything equitably. That is why there were three gates on each side giving entrance into the city, and why it is said in Isaiah,
Open the gates, that a righteous nation which keeps its fealties may enter in. (Isaiah 26:2)
The city was laid out as a square in order that its length and breadth might be equal, the length symbolizing the goodness of the New Church, and the breadth its truth, and when goodness and truth are in balance, then there is justice.
It is because a square has this symbolic meaning that we say in everyday speech that this or that man deals squarely, meaning a man who does not incline unjustly to either one party or the other.
Because a square symbolizes justice, therefore the altar of burnt offering was square (Exodus 27:1), which symbolized a worship springing from a celestial goodness and consequent truth. The altar of incense, too, was square as well (Exodus 30:1-2). And other objects also were square.
Ezekiel 42
1
Then he brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward the north: and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was before the building toward the north.
2
Before the length of an hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits.
3
Over against the twenty cubits which were for the inner court, and Over against the pavement which was for the utter court, was gallery against gallery in three stories.
4
And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north.
5
Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building.
6
For they were in three stories, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the building was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground.
7
And the wall that was without over against the chambers, toward the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits.
8
For the length of the chambers that were in the utter court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were an hundred cubits.
9
And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the utter court.
10
The chambers were in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over against the building.
11
And the way before them was like the appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, as long as they, and as broad as they: and all their goings out were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors.
12
And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door in the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them.
13
Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.
14
When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people.
15
Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about.
16
He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
17
He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.
18
He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed.
19
He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
20
He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.
