9372. And He said unto Moses. That this signifies that which concerns the Word in general, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being the Word (of which below); and from the signification of “He said,” as involving those things which follow in this chapter, thus those which concern the Word (see n. 9370). (That Moses represents the Word, can be seen from what has been often shown before about Moses, as from the preface to Genesis 18; and n. 4859, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 8601, 8760, 8787, 8805.) Here Moses represents the Word in general, because it is said of him in what follows, that he alone should come near unto Jehovah (verse 2); and also that, being called unto out of the midst of the cloud, he entered into it, and went up the mount (verses 16-18).

[2] In the Word there are many who represent the Lord in respect to truth Divine, or in respect to the Word; but chief among them are Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist. That Moses does so, can be seen in the explications just cited above; that so do Elijah and Elisha, can be seen in the preface to Genesis 18; and n. 2762, 5247; and that John the Baptist does so is evident from the fact that he was “Elias who was to come.” He who does not know that John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, cannot know what all those things infold and signify which are said about him in the New Testament; and therefore in order that this secret may stand open, and that at the same time it may appear that Elias, and also Moses, who were seen when the Lord was transfigured, signified the Word, some things may here be quoted which are spoken about John the Baptist; as in Matthew:

After the messengers of John had departed, Jesus began to speak concerning John, saying, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? a reed shaken by the wind? But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft things are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, even more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, Behold I send Mine angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee. Verily I say unto you, Among those who are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist; nevertheless he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he. All the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye are willing to believe, he is Elias who was to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:7-15; and also Luke 7:24-28).

No one can know how these things are to be understood, unless he knows that this John represented the Lord as to the Word, and unless he also knows from the internal sense what is signified by “the wilderness” in which he was, also what by “a reed shaken by the wind,” and likewise by “soft raiment in kings’ houses;” and further what is signified by his being “more than a prophet,” and by “none among those who are born of women being greater than he, and nevertheless he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he,” and lastly by his being “Elias.” For without a deeper sense, all these words are uttered merely from some comparison, and not from anything of weight.

[3] But it is very different when by John is understood the Lord as to the Word, or the Word representatively. Then by “the wilderness of Judea in which John was” is signified the state in which the Word was at the time when the Lord came into the world, namely, that it was “in the wilderness,” that is, it was in obscurity so great that the Lord was not at all acknowledged, neither was anything known about His heavenly kingdom; when yet all the prophets prophesied about Him, and about His kingdom, that it was to endure forever. (That “a wilderness” denotes such obscurity, see n. 2708, 4736, 7313.) For this reason the Word is compared to “a reed shaken by the wind” when it is explained at pleasure; for in the internal sense “a reed” denotes truth in the ultimate, such as is the Word in the letter.

[4] That the Word in the ultimate, or in the letter, is crude and obscure in the sight of men; but that in the internal sense it is soft and shining, is signified by their “not seeing a man clothed in soft raiment, for behold those who wear soft things are in kings’ houses.” That such things are signified by these words, is plain from the signification of “raiment,” or “garments,” as being truths (n. 2132, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 6914, 6918, 9093); and for this reason the angels appear clothed in garments soft and shining according to the truths from good with them (n. 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216). The same is evident from the signification of “kings’ houses,” as being the abodes of the angels, and in the universal sense, the heavens; for “houses” are so called from good (n. 2233, 2234, 3128, 3652, 3720, 4622, 4982, 7836, 7891, 7996, 7997); and “kings,” from truth (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148). Therefore by virtue of their reception of truth from the Lord, the angels are called “sons of the kingdom,” “sons of the king,” and also “kings.”

[5] That the Word is more than any doctrine in the world, and more than any truth in the world, is signified by “what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet;” and by, “there hath not arisen among those who are born of women a greater than John the Baptist;” for in the internal sense “a prophet” denotes doctrine (n. 2534, 7269); and “those who are born,” or are the sons, “of women” denote truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3704, 4257).

[6] That in the internal sense, or such as it is in heaven, the Word is in a degree above the Word in the external sense, or such as it is in the world, and such as John the Baptist taught, is signified by, “he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he;” for as perceived in heaven the Word is of wisdom so great that it transcends all human apprehension. That the prophecies about the Lord and His coming, and that the representatives of the Lord and of His kingdom, ceased when the Lord came into the world, is signified by, “all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” That the Word was represented by John, as by Elijah, is signified by his being “Elias who is to come.”

[7] The same is signified by these words in Matthew:

The disciples asked Jesus, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? He answered and said, Elias must needs first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, that Elias hath come already, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they wished. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them. And they understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:10-13).

That “Elias hath come, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they wished” signifies that the Word has indeed taught them that the Lord is to come, but that still they did not wish to comprehend, interpreting it in favor of the rule of self, and thus extinguishing what is Divine in it. That they would do the same with the truth Divine itself, is signified by “even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them.” (That “the Son of man” denotes the Lord as to truth Divine, see n. 2803, 2813, 3704)

[8] From all this it is now evident what is meant by the prophecy about John in Malachi:

Behold I send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh (Malachi 4:5).

Moreover, the Word in the ultimate, or such as it is in the external form in which it appears before man in the world, is described by the “clothing” and “food” of John the Baptist, in Matthew:

John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, had His clothing of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:1, 4).

In like manner it is described by Elijah in the second book of Kings:

He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins (2 Kings 1:8).

By “clothing,” or a “garment,” when said of the Word, is signified truth Divine there in the ultimate form; by “camel’s hair” are signified memory-truths such as appear there before a man in the world; by the “leathern girdle” is signified the external bond connecting and keeping in order all the interior things; by “food” is signified spiritual nourishment from the knowledges of truth and of good out of the Word; by “locusts” are signified ultimate or most general truths; and by “wild honey” their pleasantness.

[9] That such things are signified by “clothing” and “food” has its origin in the representatives of the other life, where all appear clothed according to truths from good, and where food also is represented according to the desires of acquiring knowledge and growing wise. From this it is that “clothing,” or a “garment,” denotes truth (as may be seen from the citations above; and that “food” or “meat” denotes spiritual nourishment, n. 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5576, 5579, 5915, 8562, 9003; that “a girdle” denotes a bond which gathers up and holds together interior things, n. 9341; that “leather” denotes what is external, n. 3540; and thus “a leathern girdle” denotes an external bond; that “hairs” denote ultimate or most general truths, n. 3301, 5569-5573; that “a camel” denotes memory-knowledge in general, n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145, 4156; that “a locust” denotes nourishing truth in the extremes, n. 7643; and that “honey” denotes the pleasantness thereof, n. 5620, 6857, 8056). It is called “wild honey,” or “honey of the field,” because by “a field” is signified the church (n. 2971, 3317, 3766, 7502, 7571, 9139, 9295). He who does not know that such things are signified, cannot possibly know why Elijah and John were so clothed. And yet that these things signified something peculiar to these prophets, can be thought by everyone who thinks well about the Word.

[10] Because John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, therefore also when he spoke of the Lord, who was the Word itself, he said of himself that he was “not Elias, nor the prophet,” and that he was “not worthy to loose the latchet of the Lord’s shoe,” as in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. The Jews from Jerusalem, priests and Levites, asked John who he was. And he confessed, and denied not, I am not the Christ. Therefore they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? But he said, I am not. Art thou the prophet? He answered, No. They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. They said therefore, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? He answered, I baptize with water; in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not; He it is who is to come after me, who was before me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose. When he saw Jesus, he said, Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man who was before me; for he was before me (John 1:1, 14, 19-30).

From these words it is plain that when John spoke about the Lord Himself, who was Truth Divine itself, or the Word, he said that he himself was not anything, because the shadow disappears when the light itself appears, that is, the representative disappears when the original itself makes its appearance. (That the representatives had in view holy things, and the Lord Himself, and not at all the person that represented, see n. 665, 1097, 1361, 3147, 3881, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4292, 4307, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 7439, 8588, 8788, 8806.) One who does not know that representatives vanish like shadows at the presence of light, cannot know why John denied that he was Elias and the prophet.

[11] From all this it can now be seen what is signified by Moses and Elias, who were seen in glory, and who spoke with the Lord when transfigured, of His departure which He should accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:29-31); namely, that they signified the Word (“Moses” the historic Word, and “Elias” the prophetic Word), which in the internal sense throughout treats of the Lord, of His coming into the world, and of His departure out of the world; and therefore it is said that “Moses and Elias were seen in glory,” for “glory” denotes the internal sense of the Word, and the “cloud” its external sense (see the preface to Genesis 18, and n. 5922, 8427).

2534. For he is a prophet. That this signifies that thus it would be taught, is evident from the signification of a “prophet.” In the Word we frequently read of a “prophet;” and in the sense of the letter “prophet” signifies those to whom revelation is made, also abstractedly, revelation itself; but in the internal sense a “prophet” signifies one who teaches, and also abstractedly doctrine itself; and as the Lord (as before said) is doctrine itself, that is, the Word which teaches, He is called a “Prophet,” as in Moses:

A Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me, will Jehovah thy God raise up; unto Him shall ye be obedient (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18).

It is said “like unto me,” because the Lord was represented by Moses, as well as by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and many more; and because they expected Him it is said in John:

The men, seeing the sign which Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world (John 6:14).

[2] It is because the Lord is the “Prophet” in the highest sense, and that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10), that in the internal sense of the Word a “prophet” signifies one who teaches, and also abstractedly, doctrine; which is plainly evident from the following passages.

In Luke:

Thou child shalt be called the prophet of the Highest (Luke 1:76).

This was said by Zacharias of his son John the Baptist, who himself said that he was not the prophet, but one preparing the way by teaching and preaching concerning the Lord’s coming:

They asked him, What art thou? Art thou Elias? But he said, I am not. Art thou that prophet? he answered, No. They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? he said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord (John 1:21-23).

[3] In Matthew:

Many will say in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied by Thy name? (Matthew 7:22),

where it is manifest that to “prophesy” is to teach.

In John:

Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings (Revelation 10:11);

to “prophesy” denotes to teach; and what “peoples, nations, tongues, and kings” mean, has been stated and shown before. In the same:

The nations shall trample the holy city forty-two months; but I will give to My two witnesses that they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days clothed in sackcloth (Revelation 11:2-3); where also to “prophesy” denotes to teach.

In Moses:

Jehovah said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet (Exodus 7:1); where “prophet” denotes the one who should teach or speak what Moses would say.

In Joel:

I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy (Joel 2:28);

“shall prophesy” denotes shall teach.

[4] In Isaiah:

Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your heads, the seers, hath He covered; the vision of all hath become like the words of a sealed book, which they give to him that knoweth letters, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot, for it is sealed (Isaiah 29:10-11); where by “prophets” are meant those who teach truth; and by “seers” those who see truth; who are said to be “covered” when they know and see nothing of the truth. As in ancient times those who taught were called “prophets,” they were therefore called also “seers,” because to “see” signifies to understand (n. 2150, 2325; that they were called “seers” may be seen 1 Samuel 9:9; 2 Samuel 24:11). They were also called “men of God,” from the signification of “man” (n. 158, 265, 749, 915, 1007, 2517 they were called “men of God,” 2 Kings 1:9-16; 4:7, 9, 16, 21-22, 25, 27, 40, 42; 5:8, 14, 20; 13:19; 23:16-17).

[5] That in the internal sense by “prophets” are signified those who teach, is evident in Jeremiah in the whole of chapter 23, and in Ezekiel in the whole of chapter 13, where “prophets” are specifically treated of; as also in many other places where they are mentioned. Hence also by “false prophets” are signified those who teach falsities; as in Matthew:

In the consummation of the age many false prophets shall arise, and shall mislead many. There shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs, and shall mislead if possible even the elect (Matthew 24:11, 24); where by “false prophets” no others are signified. In like manner by the “false prophet” in Revelation 16:13; 19:20; 20:10.

[6] This shows how greatly the internal sense of the Word is obscured by the ideas that have been formed from the representatives of the Jewish Church; for whenever a “prophet” is mentioned in the Word, there at once occurs the idea of prophets such as they were at that time; which idea is a great obstacle to perceiving what is signified by them. Yet the wiser anyone is, the more easily is the idea gathered from those representatives removed; as for example where the “temple” is mentioned, they who think more wisely do not perceive the temple at Jerusalem, but the Temple of the Lord; where “Mount Zion,” or “Zion,” is mentioned, they do not perceive that mountain at Jerusalem, but the Lord’s kingdom; and where “Jerusalem” is mentioned, they do not perceive the city that was in the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, but the holy and heavenly Jerusalem.

223.And the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. That this signifies the doctrine of the New Church in the heavens is evident from the signification of the city of my God, as being the doctrine of Divine truth (which will be treated of presently); and from the signification of the New Jerusalem, as being the church as to doctrine (concerning which see the small work, The New Jerusalem 6); and from the signification of which cometh down out of heaven from my God, as denoting that it is out of heaven from the Divine truth there. (That by God in the Word is meant Divine truth, may be seen above, n. 220, 222.) And because Divine truth, which is in heaven, and which comes down therefrom, is from the Lord alone, therefore the Lord calls it His God. That by the city of my God is signified the doctrine of Divine truth, may seem, at first sight, far fetched, because it seems difficult for the mind to think of doctrine when a city is mentioned, and to think of the church when the earth is mentioned; but nevertheless nothing else is meant in the spiritual sense by cities in the Word; the reason is, that the idea of a city, or town, is merely natural, but the idea of doctrine as a city is spiritual. Because the angels are spiritual they can have no other idea of a city than that of the people therein as to their doctrine, as they have no other idea of a land than of a nation as to the church, or as to what is religious there. The reason of this also is that the societies into which the heavens are divided are, for the most part, like cities, and they all differ one from another as to the reception of Divine truth in good; hence also it is that the angels have the idea of the doctrine of truth when a city is mentioned. (That the heavens are divided into societies according to the differences of the good of love and faith, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 41-50; and that their dwellings are arranged in the form of cities, n. 184 in the same work.)

That by cities in the Word are signified doctrines is evident from many passages, of which we shall only adduce the following, by way of confirmation.

[2] In Jeremiah:

"Behold, I have given thee for a defenced city against the whole land" (1:18).

These things are said to the prophet, because by a prophet in the Word is signified one who teaches truth, and in the abstract the doctrine of truth. Such being the signification of a prophet, it is therefore said unto him, "I have given thee for a defenced city," by which is therefore signified the doctrine of truth defending against falsities. (That by prophet in the Word is signified one who teaches truth, and, in the abstract, the doctrine of truth, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2534, 7269.) Again:

"The crown of your gracefulness cometh down. The cities of the south are shut" (13:18, 19).

The subject here treated of is the falsification of truth; and by the crown of their gracefulness coming down is meant that intelligence shall come down; and by the cities of the south being shut is meant that all the truths of doctrine, which otherwise would have been in light, will be obscured. (That a crown denotes intelligence and wisdom may be seen above, n. 126, 218; and that the south denotes a state of light, see the work, Heaven and Hell 148, 149, 151.)

[3] In Isaiah:

"Thou hast made counsels from afar, truth and faithfulness; and thou hast made of a city a heap, of a defenced city a ruin, a palace of strangers of a city, that it may not be built for ever; wherefore a strong people shall honour thee, a city of strong nations shall fear thee" (25:1-3).

The vastation of the former church, and the establishment of a new one, are here treated of; the vastation of the church as to doctrine, is meant by making of a city an heap, a defenced city a ruin, a palace of strangers of a city; and the establishment of a new church as to doctrine, is meant by, A strong people shall honour thee, the city of the strong nations shall fear thee.

Again:

In that day shall the song be sung in the land of Judah, We have a strong city; salvation will He appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the just nation which keepeth faithfulnesses may enter in (26:1, 2).

Here, by a strong city, is signified the doctrine of genuine truth, which falsities cannot destroy; walls and bulwarks signify truths for defence; gates, admission (see above, n. 208). The just nation keeping faithfulnesses denotes those who are in good and thence in truths.

[4] Again:

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer: thou art cut down to the earth, that made the world into a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof. Prepare slaughter for his sons, that they may not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities" (14:12, 17, 21).

By Lucifer is here meant Babel, where all the truth of the doctrine of the church was either falsified or annihilated. By the world which he made into a wilderness, and the cities thereof which he destroyed, are signified the church and its doctrinals. Preparing slaughter for his sons that they may not rise, signifies that its falsities should be destroyed. By their not possessing the land, and not filling the faces of the world with cities, is signified that they should be prevented from establishing such a church and such doctrine. In the Apocalypse:

"The great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell" (16:19).

In this passage Babel is treated of; its false doctrines are meant by the city divided into three parts, and the evils therefrom by the cities of the nations which are said to have fallen.

[5] In David:

"The redeemed of Jehovah wandered in the wilderness in the solitude of the way; they found no city of habitation; hungry and thirsty, he led them forth by a right way, that they might go to a city of habitation" (Psalms 107:2, 4, 5, 7).

To wander in a wilderness and in the solitude of the way denotes that they were in want of the knowledges of truth and good. That they could not find a city of habitation denotes that there was no doctrine of truth according to which they might live. The hungry and thirsty are those who were in the desire of knowing good and truth. To lead them by a right way that they might go to a city of habitation signifies to lead them into genuine truth and the doctrine of life.

In Isaiah:

"I said, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities are devastated that they may be without inhabitant, and the houses without a man, and the land be reduced to a desert" (6:11).

The total vastation of the church is here treated of; cities signify truths of doctrine; houses, the goods thereof; and land, the church.

[6] Again:

"The land shall be utterly emptied, the land shall be confounded, the land shall be profaned under its inhabitants; the empty city shall be broken, every house shall be shut, a cry over the wine in the streets, the remnant in the city wasteness, and the gate shall be smitten even to devastation" (24:3-5, 10-12).

Here also the devastation of the church is treated of; for by the land, which is said to be utterly emptied, confounded and profaned, is signified the church. By city is signified the truth of doctrine, and by house, the good thereof. By wine over which there is a cry in the streets is signified the truth of doctrine falsified, respecting which there is contest and indignation.

[7] In Zephaniah:

"I will cut off the nations; I will desolate their streets, and their cities shall be laid waste" (3:6).

Nations denote those who are in evils, streets denote truths, and cities doctrines. In Jeremiah:

"The lion cometh up from the thicket to reduce thy land to wasteness, thy cities shall be destroyed; I saw Carmel a desert, and all cities thereof desolate; for this the land shall mourn; before the voice of the horseman and the archers the whole city fleeth; the whole city is deserted, not a man dwelling therein" (4:7, 26, 28, 29).

By the lion coming up from the thicket is signified falsity proceeding from evil; the land denotes the church, and cities denote the truths of doctrine. By Carmel is meant the spiritual church. The voice of the horseman and archers, on account of which it is said the whole city shall flee, denotes reasonings and combat from falsities.

[8] Again:

"The spoiler shall come upon every city, so that no city shall escape; the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed" (48:8).

By these words also is described the total vastation of the church, until nothing of the truth of doctrine remains. Again:

"Behold, waters rising up out of the north, which shall become an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, the city and them that dwell therein" (47:2).

Here, by an overflowing flood is also signified vastation.

Again:

"If ye hallow the day of the Sabbath, there shall enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes riding in chariots and on horses, and this city shall be inhabited to eternity" (17:24, 25).

By hallowing the Sabbath, in the spiritual sense, is signified the holy acknowledgment of the Divine Human of the Lord and of His conjunction with heaven and the church. By kings and princes entering in through the gates of the city, are signified the truths of the church; their riding in chariots and on horses signifies that they shall be in the truths of doctrine and in intelligence; the city, which is Jerusalem, is the church as to doctrine: such is the spiritual sense of these words: such is it in heaven.

[9] Again, in Zechariah:

"Thus said Jehovah; I will return to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof" (8:3, 5).

[10] By Zion in this passage is not meant Zion, nor by Jerusalem, Jerusalem; but by Zion is signified the celestial church, and by Jerusalem that church as to the doctrine of truth; this is why it is that it is called a city of truth. By the streets of the city are signified truths of doctrine; by boys and girls playing in the streets thereof are signified the affections of truth and good. (That by Zion is signified the celestial church, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2362, 9055: that by Jerusalem is signified the church as to doctrine, n. 402, 3654, 9166, in the small work, The New Jerusalem 6. That by streets are signified truths of doctrine, n. 2336; that by boys girls are signified affections of truth good in which there is innocence 3067, 3110, 3179, 5236, 6742; that to play denotes what pertains to interior festivity, which is that of the affection of truth and good, n. 10416.) Because Zion signifies the celestial church, and Jerusalem the church as to the doctrine of truth, therefore Zion is called the city of Jehovah, and Jerusalem the holy city, the city of God, and the city of the great king: as in Isaiah:

"They shall call thee, The city of Jehovah, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel" (60:14).

In Ezekiel:

The prophet saw upon a high mountain the frame of a city on the south; and an angel measured the city, the wall, the gates, the chambers, and the porch of the gate; and the name of the city was Jehovah there (40:1, and following verses; 48:35).

In Isaiah:

"Behold, Jehovah hath caused it to be heard, even to the extremity of the land, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; thou shalt be called, Sought out, a city not forsaken" (62:11, 12).

In David:

"As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of Jehovah of hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish it for ever" (Psalms 48:8).

(What the celestial church is, and what the spiritual church, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 20-28.) Those two cities are called holy cities, in Isaiah:

"Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation" (64:10).

Jerusalem in particular is called the holy city, in the Apocalypse:

The gentiles shall tread the holy city under foot (11:2).

In another place:

"I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven" (21:2).

In Matthew:

"The devil took Jesus into the holy city" (4:5).

[11] And again:

"They came out of the tombs, and went into the holy city" (27:53).

Jerusalem was called the holy city because it signified the church as to the doctrine of truth; and Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord is what is called holy (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 6788, 8302, 9229, 9820, 10361).

That without such representation and resulting signification, that city was not at all holy, but rather profane, is evident from the circumstance that the Lord was there rejected and crucified; therefore also it is called Sodom and Egypt in the Apocalypse (11:8). But because it signified the church as to the doctrine of truth, it was not only called the holy city, but also the city of God, and the city of the great king; as in David:

"A river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her" (Psalms 46:4, 5).

Again:

"Great is Jehovah in the city of our God, beautiful for situation, the city of the great king" (Psalms 48:1, 2).

And in Matthew:

"Thou shalt not swear by the earth, for it is God's footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king" (5:35).

The reason why Jerusalem was called the city of God was, that by God in the Word of the Old Testament is meant the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord (as may be seen above, n. 220, 222). And the reason why it was called the city of the great king was, that by king, when said of the Lord, is likewise signified Divine truth proceeding from Him (as also may be seen above, n. 31).

This now is why Jerusalem is called

The city of truth (Zechariah 8:3).

[12] In Isaiah:

"Thus said Jehovah, thy Redeemer and Former from the womb; I frustrate the tokens of the liars, turning wise men backward, and making their knowledge foolish; saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built; and I will raise up the waste places thereof" (44:24-26).

This passage treats of the rejection of the church the doctrine of which is from man's own intelligence, and of the establishment of a new church, the doctrine of which is from the Lord. Doctrine from man's own intelligence is meant by, I frustrate the tokens of the liars, turning wise men backward, and making their knowledge foolish. And the doctrine which is from the Lord is meant by,

"Saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built."

[13] In Jeremiah:

"Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land shall be laid waste" (7:17, 34).

The cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, in this passage, also signify the truths of doctrine; the voice of joy and the voice of gladness signify delight from the affection of good and truth; the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride signify those affections themselves; and their being caused to cease, is meant by the land being laid waste; the land signifies the church.

[14] In Isaiah:

"I will commix Egypt with Egypt, that they may fight a man against his brother, and a man against his companion; city against city, kingdom against kingdom. In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak with the lip of Canaan, and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. In that day shall there be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of Egypt" (19:2, 18, 19).

By Egypt is meant the natural man and his Scientific. By their fighting, a man against his brother, and a man against his companion, is meant, that they should fight against good and truth. City against city, and kingdom against kingdom, signifies doctrine against doctrine, and church against church. In that day, signifies the coming of the Lord, and the state, at that time, of those who are natural and in scientific truths (veris scientificis). Five cities in the land of Egypt speaking with the lip of Canaan, signify truths of doctrine in abundance, in accord with the genuine truths of the church; five denote many, or in abundance, cities truths of doctrine. The lip of Canaan signifies the genuine truths of the church; an altar to Jehovah there signifies worship from the good of love.

[15] Again:

"The paths are devastated, he that passeth through the way hath ceased; he hath despised the cities, he regardeth not man. The earth mourneth and languisheth; Lebanon hath faded away" (33:8, 9).

By the paths which are devastated, and the way which is not passed through, are denoted truths leading to heaven, which are the truths of the church; to despise the cities denotes to despise truths of doctrine, and to regard not man signifies not to regard truth and good. By the earth which mourneth and languisheth is signified the church as to good; Lebanon which hath faded away denotes the church as to truth.

[16] Again:

"Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; for more are the sons of the desolate than the sons of the married wife. Enlarge the place of thy tent; thy seed shall inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited" (54:1-3).

The barren that did not bear signifies the nations who have not as yet possessed truths from the Word; the sons of the desolate denote truths which will be received; the sons of the married wife denote truths with those who are in the church. To enlarge the place of the tent, denotes that they shall worship from good; seed denotes truth thence derived; the nations which it shall inherit denote goods; and the cities which shall be inhabited, denote doctrines therefrom.

[17] In Jeremiah:

"I will bring upon them every good; they shall buy fields with silver, and that by writing in a book, in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountain, and in the cities of the plain, and in the cities of the south" (32:42-44; 33:13).

These things are said of those in the church who are in good and thence in truths. To buy fields with silver denotes to procure for themselves the good of the church by means of truths; to write in a book denotes to implant in the life; the cities of Judah and the cities of the mountain, denote truths of doctrine pertaining to those who are of the Lord's celestial kingdom; the cities of the plain, and the cities of the south denote truths of doctrine pertaining to those who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom.

[18] In Matthew:

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do they light a lamp, and put it under a bushel" (5:14, 15).

These things were said to the disciples, by whom are signified all truths and goods in the aggregate: therefore it is said, ye are the light of the world; for by light is signified Divine truth and intelligence therefrom. From this signification of those words, it is therefore said, A city that is set on a mountain cannot be hid, neither [can] a lamp be lighted and put under a bushel; for by a city set on a mountain, is signified truth of doctrine from the good of love; and by a lamp is signified, in general, truth from good, and intelligence therefrom.

[19] Again:

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself does not stand" (12:25).

By kingdom, in the spiritual sense, is signified the church; by city and house, the truth and good of its doctrine, which do not stand but fall, if they do not fully agree.

[20] Again:

Jesus sent forth the twelve disciples, saying unto them, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into a city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (10:5, 6).

The way of the Gentiles into which they were not to go signifies falsity from evil; the city of the Samaritans into which they were forbidden to enter signifies the false doctrine of those who reject the Lord; the lost sheep of the house of Israel signify those who are in the good of charity and thence in faith, Israel, denoting these, wherever they are. That the city of the Samaritans signifies the false doctrine of those who reject the Lord, is, because the Samaritans did not receive Him (as may be seen in Luke 9:52-56).

[21] Again, in Matthew:

Jesus said, "when they persecute you in one city, flee ye into another" (10:23).

Here also by city is meant the doctrine of falsity from evil; and that where this exists, the doctrine of truth would not be admitted, is meant by its being said, "If they persecute you in one city, flee ye into another."

[22] In Luke:

"The master of the house being angry, said to the servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind" (14:21).

By going into the streets and lanes of the city is signified that they should inquire where those are who receive the truths of doctrine; for streets and lanes denote truths of doctrine, as above, and city denotes doctrine. The poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind, signify those who are not in truths and goods, but yet desire them. (Who are specifically signified by the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind, may be seen [in extracts] from Arcana Coelestia, in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 107.)

[23] Again:

A nobleman going away in order to receive for himself a kingdom, gave to his servants ten pounds to trade with; when he returned he commanded the servants to be called. "The first came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. He said unto him, Good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a very little, thou shalt have authority over ten cities. Soon the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. He said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities" (Luke 19:12-19, and the following verses).

By these words, in the spiritual sense, much more is signified than can be expressed in a few words; it only need be remarked, that by cities are not meant cities, but the doctrinals of truth and good; and by having power over them, intelligence and wisdom; by ten much, and by five some. (That ten in the Word signifies much, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 1988, 3107, 4638, 9757; and that five signify some, see n. 4638, 9604.) From these considerations it is now evident that by the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, is signified the doctrine of the new church, which is in the heavens. (This doctrine also has been given in a special small work, entitled The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine.)