Arcana Coelestia #403
403. From these quotations it is clear what 'a city' means. But because everything is put together as history, what else can people who are confined to the sense of the letter see than the idea that Cain built a city and called it Enoch? Yet even they from the sense of the letter must suppose that the earth was already populated, notwithstanding what is said about Cain being Adam' s firstborn. The historical sequence of events implies this. But as stated already, it was the custom among the most ancient people to convert all things into representative types and then arrange them as history. And to them this was something supremely delightful. When they did this everything they saw was seemingly alive.
Isaiah 25:1-3
1
Yahweh, you are my God. I will exalt you! I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago, in complete faithfulness and truth.
2
For you have made a city into a heap, a fortified city into a ruin, a palace of strangers to be no city. It will never be built.
3
Therefore a strong people will glorify you. A city of awesome nations will fear you.