8587. And he called the name of the place Massah. That this signifies the quality of the state of the temptation, is evident from the signification of “name” and of “calling by name,” as being the quality (see n. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2628, 2724, 3006, 3421, 6674, 6887); and from the signification of “the place,” as being the state (n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 4321, 4882, 5606, 7381). That the quality of the state of the temptation is meant, is because temptation is the subject treated of; the quality of the state of it is signified by “Massah.” Moreover in the original tongue “Massah” means “temptation.” Its quality will be described in what now follows.

9003. Her food, her raiment, and her conjugial due, he shall not diminish. That this signifies no deprivation of the interior life which is “food,” nor of the exterior life which is “clothing,” thus no deprivation of conjunction which is the “conjugial due,” is evident from the signification of “food,” as being the sustenance of the interior life, for in the spiritual sense “food,” or meat and drink, denote the knowledges of good and truth, “meat,” the knowledges of good (n. 5147), and “drink,” the knowledges of truth (n. 3168, 3772); and therefore “food” denotes the things which nourish the spiritual life of man (n. 5293, 5576, 5579, 5915, 8562); from the signification of “covering,” or “clothing,” as being the sustenance of the exterior life, for in the spiritual sense “covering,” or “clothing,” denotes lower memory-knowledges, because these are what sustain the external life of man (n. 5248, 6918); from the signification of the “conjugial due,” as being conjunction; and from the signification of “not to diminish,” as being not to deprive of.

[2] The case herein is that natural affection conjoined with spiritual truth, which is signified by “a maidservant betrothed to a son,” requires continual sustenance of life from the spiritual truth with which it has been conjoined; for affection without sustenance therefrom perishes. It is with the affection of man as it is with man himself-unless it is sustained with food it dies. Moreover in respect to his interiors man is nothing but affection; a good man the affection of good and the truth thence derived; but an evil man the affection of evil and the falsity thence derived. This is especially evident from a man when he becomes a spirit, for the sphere of life which then flows forth from him is a sphere either of the affection of good, or of the affection of evil. His nourishment or sustenance then is not from natural food and drink, but from spiritual food and drink, which are falsity from evil to an evil spirit, and truth from good to a good spirit. The nourishments of human minds during their life in the body in the world, are no other, and from this it is that all things which relate to food, such as bread, flesh, wine, water, and many other things, in the spiritual sense in the Word signify such things as belong to spiritual nourishment.

[3] From this it is also plain what is meant by these words of the Lord:

Man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that goeth forth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

Ye shall eat and drink upon My table in My kingdom (Luke 22:30).

I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this product of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom (Matthew 26:29);

saying these words after He had instituted the Holy Supper, in which “the bread and the wine” denote those things which are of love and faith; in like manner also “the flesh and the blood.” From this it may be clearly known what is meant by “the flesh and blood” of the Lord in John 6:49-58; and also by these words in the same chapter:

My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed (John 6:55).

(That “flesh” in the Word denotes the good of love, see n. 3813, 7850 also that “blood” denotes the good of faith, n. 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326, 7846, 7850, 7877; in like manner “bread and wine,” n. 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915, 6118, 6377)

782. ¹ The reason why the new church is meant by the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven (Revelation 21), is that Jerusalem was the capital city in the land of Canaan. It was there that the temple was and the altar where sacrifices were made, and so the Divine worship to which three times a year every male in the whole land was commanded to come. It was also because Jerusalem is where the Lord was, and taught in its temple; and He afterwards there glorified His Human. These are the reasons why Jerusalem means the church. It is perfectly plain that Jerusalem means the church from the prophecies in the Old Testament about the new church to be founded by the Lord, since it is there called Jerusalem.

[2] It is only necessary to quote the passages themselves, for anyone possessed of inward reason to be able to see, that Jerusalem there means the church. Let the following passages suffice:

Behold, I create a new heaven and a new earth; the former ones will not be remembered. Look, I shall make Jerusalem an exultation, and its people happiness, so that I may exult over Jerusalem and rejoice over my people. Then the wolf and the lamb will feed together. They will do no harm in all the mountain of my holiness, Isaiah 65:17-19, 25.

For Zion's sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth like a beam of light, and her salvation burns like a lamp. Then the nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. And you will be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah will utter, and you will be a crown of beauty [in the hand of Jehovah] ² and a diadem of kingship in the hand of your God. Jehovah will be pleased in you, and your land will be married. Behold, your salvation will come, behold, His reward is with Him. And they will call them the people of holiness, the redeemed of Jehovah. And you will be called a city sought after, not abandoned, Isaiah 62:1-4, 11-12.

[3] Awake, awake, Zion, put on your strength. Put on the clothes of your beauty, Jerusalem, city of holiness; for no more will the uncircumcised and the unclean come into you. Shake off the dust, arise and take your seat, Jerusalem. The people will know my name on that day, for I am he that speaks, here I am. Jehovah has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem, Isaiah 52:1-2, 6, 9.

Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem. The king of Israel is in your midst. Fear evil no longer. He will rejoice over you with joy; he will be satisfied in his ³ love, he will exult over you with a shout of joy. I will make you a name and the object of praise to all the peoples of the earth, Zephaniah 3:14-17, 20.

Thus spoke Jehovah your Redeemer, telling Jerusalem, You will be dwelt in, Isaiah 44:24, 26.

Thus spoke Jehovah, I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Therefore Jerusalem will be called the city of truth, and the mountain of Jehovah Zebaoth the mountain of holiness, Zechariah 8:3, 20-23.

Then you will know that I am Jehovah your God, who dwell in Zion, the mountain of holiness; and Jerusalem will be holiness. And it will happen on that day that the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk. And Jerusalem will stay fixed from one generation to another, Joel 3:17-21.

[4] On that day the shoot of Jehovah will be an adornment and a glory; and it will come about that the one who is left in Zion, the one who remains in Jerusalem, will be called holy, everyone enrolled with a view to life in Jerusalem, Isaiah 4:2-3.

At the end of days the mountain of Jehovah's house will be established on the head of mountains; for from Zion will come forth teaching, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem, Micah 4:1-2, 8.

At that time they will call Jerusalem Jehovah's throne, and all nations will be gathered to Jerusalem for Jehovah's name's sake, and they will no longer follow the prompting of their evil hearts, Jeremiah 3:17.

Look to Zion, the city of our appointed feast, let you eyes behold Jerusalem, a tranquil dwelling, a tent which will not be blown away. Its pegs will never be removed, and its ropes will not be pulled up, Isaiah 33:20.

There are further passages such as Isaiah 24:23; 37:32; 66:10-14; Zechariah 12:3, 6-10; 14:8, 11-12, 21; Malachi 3:4; Psalms 122:1-7; 137:4-6.

[5] It is obvious from the details of the description of Jerusalem in the passages quoted that it means there the church to be founded by the Lord, and not the Jerusalem where the Jews lived. For instance, it is said Jehovah will create a new heaven and a new earth, and also at that time Jerusalem; that it will be a crown of beauty and a diadem of kingship; that it is to be called holiness and a city of truth, Jehovah's throne, a tranquil dwelling, a tent which will not be blown away. It is said that the wolf and the lamb will feed together there; that there the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills flow with milk, and it will stay fixed for one generation after another; and much more besides. It is also said of its people that they are holy, everyone enrolled with a view to life, and they are to be called Jehovah's redeemed. Moreover, all those passages deal with the Lord's coming, especially His second coming, when there will be a Jerusalem such as is there described; for it has not previously been married, that is, made the bride and wife of the Lamb, as the New Jerusalem is described in Revelation.

[6] The earlier, that is, the present-day church, is meant by Jerusalem in Daniel, and its beginnings are there described as follows:

Know and perceive, from the time the word went forth to restore and build Jerusalem, until the coming of the Messiah, the prince, will be seven weeks. Afterwards for sixty-two weeks the street and the moat will be restored and built, but at a time of distress, Daniel 9:25.

Its end is there described as follows:

At last upon the bird of abominations desolation, and it will drip upon devastation up to the point of ending and cutting off, Daniel 9:27.

It is this last passage which is meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:

When you see the abomination of desolation, foretold by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place - let him who reads take due note, Matthew 24:15.

It can be established that Jerusalem in the passages quoted above does not mean the Jerusalem inhabited by the Jews, from the passages in the Word which say that it has been utterly lost and is to be destroyed; for instance, Jeremiah 5:1; 6:6-7; 7:17ff; Jeremiah 8:6ff; Jeremiah 9:11-12, 14ff; Jeremiah 13:9-10, 14; 14:16; Lamentations 1:8-9, 17; Ezekiel 4:1 - end; Ezekiel 5:9- end; Ezekiel 12:18-19; 15:6-8; 16:1-63; 23; Matthew 23:37-38; Luke 19:41-44; 21:20-22; 23:28-30; and in many other passages. There are also passages where it is called Sodom: Isaiah 3:9; Jeremiah 23:14; Ezekiel 16:46, 48; and elsewhere.

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