915. 21:20 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 jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. This symbolizes all of the doctrines of the New Church from the Word's literal sense in their order, with those who turn directly to the Lord and live in accordance with the Ten Commandments by refraining from evils as being sins; for they and no others possess a doctrine of love toward God and love for the neighbor, which are the two foundations of religion.

The twelve foundations of the wall symbolize all the doctrines of the New Jerusalem from the literal sense of the Word, as may be seen in nos. 902, 914 above. Precious stones in general symbolize all the truths in the doctrine of the New Jerusalem from the Word with the spiritual sense shining through, as may be seen in nos. 231, 540, 726, 911, 914 above. Each of the stones here symbolizes some particular truth with the spiritual meaning thus shining through. That the Word's literal sense in respect to its doctrines corresponds to precious stones of every kind may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 43-45.

[2] Two colors in general that shine through in precious stones are the color red and the color white. The rest of the colors, such as green, yellow, blue, and many others, are composites of these, modified by shades of gray. The color red symbolizes the goodness of love, and the color white symbolizes the truth of wisdom. The color red symbolizes the goodness of love because it takes its origin from the fire of the sun, and the fire of the sun in the spiritual world is, in its essence, the Lord's Divine love, thus the goodness of love. And the color white symbolizes the truth of wisdom because it takes its origin from the light that emanates from the fire of that sun, and that emanating light is, in its essence, Divine wisdom, thus the truth of wisdom. Shades of gray take their origin from that fire and light shaded, which is ignorance.

[3] However, to explain in detail just what good and just what truth is symbolized by each stone would be too lengthy a task. Nevertheless, to learn what good and truth each stone symbolizes in this list, see the exposition of chapter 7 above, Revelation 7:5-8, nos. 349-361, where the subject was the twelve tribes of Israel. For each stone here has the same symbolism as each tribe named there, since the twelve tribes described there likewise symbolize all the goods and truths of the church and its doctrine in their order. Consequently we are also told in this chapter, verse 14, that on these twelve foundations were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and the twelve apostles symbolize all of the doctrines regarding the Lord and living in accordance with His commandments (no. 903).

The twelve stones here also have the same symbolism as the twelve precious stones in the breastpiece of Aaron, called the Urim and Thummim, as described in Exodus 28:15-21, which we explained one by one in Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), 9856-9882 with the difference that the stones there had on them the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, while these have on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

[4] That the foundations were laid with precious stones is something we are also told in Isaiah:

O you afflicted one..., behold, I will lay your stones with antimony. I will set your foundations in sapphires..., and your gates in carbuncle stones... All your children have been taught by Jehovah... (Isaiah 54:11-13)

The afflicted one means a church to be established by the Lord among gentiles.

In Isaiah as well:

...thus said the Lord Jehovih: ."..I will lay in Zion a foundation stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation... I will make judgment the rule, and justice the plumb line...." (Isaiah 28:16-17)

[5] Since every doctrinal truth from the Word is founded on an acknowledgment of the Lord, therefore the Lord is called the Stone of Israel in Genesis 49:24, and the cornerstone which the builders rejected in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10-11. That the cornerstone is a foundation stone is clear from Jeremiah 51:26.

In many places in the Word the Lord is also called a rock. Thus He meant Himself by the rock when He said, "On this rock I will build My church" (Matthew 16:18-19). The rock symbolizes the Lord in respect to the Divine truth in the Word.

Everything connected with the church and its doctrine relates to these two points, that one must turn directly to the Lord, and that one must live in accordance with the Ten Commandments by refraining from evils as sins. Thus everything connected with the doctrine relates to love toward God and love for the neighbor, something that will be seen in The Doctrines of the New Jerusalem Regarding Charity, where these precepts will be expounded in turn.

903. And on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. This symbolizes all of the doctrines from the Word regarding the Lord and living in accordance with His commandments.

The foundations had the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb written on them because the twelve apostles symbolize the Lord's church and everything connected with it (nos. 79, 233, 790), in this case the church in respect to all of its doctrines, because their names were written on the twelve foundations, which symbolize all of the doctrines of the New Jerusalem (no. 902). The twelve names symbolize its whole character, and its whole character has to do with two elements in the doctrine and so in that church: the Lord and living in accordance with His commandments. Therefore these are what are symbolized.

All of the doctrines of the New Jerusalem relate to these two elements, because they are its universal tenets on which all of its particular ones depend, and they are the essential elements from which all of its outward expressions originate. Therefore they are, as it were, the soul and life in all of its doctrines.

They are, indeed, two elements, but one cannot be divorced from the other. For to divorce them would be like divorcing the Lord from mankind, or mankind from the Lord, and in that case there would be no church.

These two elements are joined together like the two tables of the Ten Commandments, one of which contains commandments having to do with the Lord, and the other commandments having to do with people. There they are called a covenant, and a covenant symbolizes conjunction.

Think what the case would be with the tables of the Ten Commandments if only the first were to remain and the second were to be snatched away. Or if the second were to remain and the first were to be snatched away. Would it not be as though God did not see mankind, or as though mankind did not see God? Or as though one abandoned the other?

We say this to make it known that everything connected with the doctrine of the New Jerusalem relates to love toward the Lord and love for the neighbor. To love the Lord is to have faith in the Lord and obey His commandments, and to obey His commandments is to love the neighbor, since to obey the Lord's commandments is to be of useful service to the neighbor. People who love the Lord are those who obey His commandments, as the Lord Himself teaches in John 14:21-24. And love toward the Lord and love for the neighbor are the two commandments on which hang the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). The Law and the Prophets mean the Word in its entirety.