Apocalypse Revealed #861
861. 20:9 And they went up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. This symbolically means that, being roused up by followers of the dragon, these people scorned every truth in the church and attempted to destroy everything connected with the New Church and its fundamental doctrine regarding the Lord and life.
To go up over the breadth of the earth means, symbolically, to scorn every truth in the church, because going up over symbolically means to transcend and bypass, thus to scorn. And the breadth of the earth symbolizes the truth in the church, as will be seen below. To surround the camp of the saints means, symbolically, to besiege and try to destroy everything connected with the New Church, as will be seen in the number following next. And the beloved city symbolizes the doctrine of the New Church. That a city symbolizes a church's doctrine may be seen in nos. 194, 501, 502, 712 above. The city is called beloved because its doctrine teaches about the Lord and how to live, as it is the doctrine of the New Jerusalem that is meant here.
That this is the symbolic meaning of these words, no one can see except as a consequence of the Word's spiritual sense. For it cannot possibly enter a person's thought that the breadth of the earth symbolizes the truth in a church, that the camp of the saints symbolizes everything connected with the New Church, both its truths and its goods, and that the city symbolizes its doctrine. Lest the mind remain in a state of doubt, therefore, we must demonstrate what breadth and the camp of the saints symbolize in the spiritual sense, which will make it possible for one to see afterward that the meaning of these words is as we have said.
[2] The breadth of the earth symbolizes the truth in a church because the spiritual world has in it four zones - eastern, western, southern and northern - and the eastern and western zones form its longitude or length, while the southern and northern zones form its latitude or breadth. Moreover, because the inhabitants in the eastern and western zones are ones impelled by the goodness of love, and therefore the east and west symbolize goodness, so likewise does longitude or length. And because the inhabitants in the southern and northern zones are ones impelled by truths of wisdom, and therefore the south and north symbolize truth, so likewise does latitude or breadth. But for more on this subject, see the book Heaven and Hell (London, 1758), nos. 141-153.
That breadth symbolizes truth can be seen from the following passages in the Word:
You (Jehovah) have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in the broad place. (Psalms 31:8)
Out of distress I called on Yah; He answered me in the broad place. (Psalms 118:5)
(Jehovah) led me out into the broad place; He delivered me... (Psalms 18:19)
...I am raising up the Chaldeans, a bitter and impetuous nation which marches into the breadths of the earth... (Habakkuk 1:6)
(The Assyrian) will pass through Judah, He will overflow and pass over..., and the spreading of his wings will fill the breadth... (Isaiah 8:8)
...Jehovah will pasture them like a lamb in broad pasture. (Hosea 4:16)
And so on elsewhere, as in Psalms 4:1; 66:12, Deuteronomy 33:20.
[3] Nothing else is meant by the breadth of the city New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:16). For since the New Jerusalem means the New Church, its breadth and length cannot symbolically mean its breadth and length, but its truth and goodness. These, indeed, are the measures of a church.
So also in Zechariah:
I said (to the angel), "Where are you going?" He said..., "To measure Jerusalem, to see how great its width is and how great its length." (Zechariah 2:2)
So likewise the breadth and length of the new temple and new earth in Ezekiel, chapters 40-47.
So, too, the length and breadth of the altar of burnt offering, of the Tabernacle, of the table of showbread, of the altar of incense, and of the ark within. So also the length and breadth of the temple in Jerusalem, and of many other things whose dimensions are given.
Deuteronomy 33
1
This is the blessing, with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
2
He said, "Yahweh came from Sinai, And rose from Seir to them. He shone forth from Mount Paran. He came from the ten thousands of holy ones. At his right hand was a fiery law for them.
3
Yes, he loves the people. All his saints are in your hand. They sat down at your feet; [Everyone] shall receive of your words.
4
Moses commanded us a law, An inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.
5
He was king in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.
6
"Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few."
7
This is [the blessing] of Judah: and he said, "Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah. Bring him in to his people. With his hands he contended for himself. You shall be a help against his adversaries."
8
Of Levi he said, "Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one, whom you proved at Massah, with whom you strove at the waters of Meribah;
9
who said of his father, and of his mother, 'I have not seen him;' Neither did he acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he know his own children: For they have observed your word, and keep your covenant.
10
They shall teach Jacob your ordinances, and Israel your law. They shall put incense before you, and whole burnt offering on your altar.
11
Yahweh, bless his substance. Accept the work of his hands. Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him, of those who hate him, that they not rise again."
12
Of Benjamin he said, "The beloved of Yahweh shall dwell in safety by him. He covers him all the day long. He dwells between his shoulders."
13
Of Joseph he said, "His land is blessed by Yahweh, for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, for the deep that couches beneath,
14
for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, for the precious things of the growth of the moons,
15
for the chief things of the ancient mountains, for the precious things of the everlasting hills,
16
for the precious things of the earth and its fullness, the good will of him who lived in the bush. Let [the blessing] come on the head of Joseph, On the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.
17
The firstborn of his herd, majesty is his. His horns are the horns of the wild ox. With them he shall push the peoples all of them, [even] the ends of the earth: They are the ten thousands of Ephraim. They are the thousands of Manasseh."
18
Of Zebulun he said, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out; and Issachar, in your tents.
19
They shall call the peoples to the mountain. There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they shall draw out the abundance of the seas, the hidden treasures of the sand."
20
Of Gad he said, "He who enlarges Gad is blessed. He dwells as a lioness, and tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head.
21
He provided the first part for himself, for there was the lawgiver's portion reserved. He came [with] the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel."
22
Of Dan he said, "Dan is a lion's cub that leaps out of Bashan."
23
Of Naphtali he said, "Naphtali, satisfied with favor, full of the blessing of Yahweh, Possess the west and the south."
24
Of Asher he said, "Asher is blessed with children. Let him be acceptable to his brothers. Let him dip his foot in oil.
25
Your bars shall be iron and brass. As your days, so your strength will be.
26
"There is none like God, Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens for your help, In his excellency on the skies.
27
The eternal God is [your] dwelling place. Underneath are the everlasting arms. He thrust out the enemy from before you, and said, 'Destroy!'
28
Israel dwells in safety; the fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine. Yes, his heavens drop down dew.
29
You are happy, Israel. Who is like you, a people saved by Yahweh, the shield of your help, the sword of your excellency! Your enemies shall submit themselves to you. You shall tread on their high places."
