402、所建造的“城”表示来自这个异端的一切教义或异端教导。这从圣言中有城名出现的所有经文清楚可知。在圣言中，“城”从来不是指一座城市，而是指某种教义或异端。天使完全不知道城是什么，也不知道任何城名。他们从来没有，也不可能有关于城的任何观念，因为他们的观念是属灵和属天的，如前所示。他们只感知到一座城及其名字表示什么。例如，对于也被称为“圣耶路撒冷”的“圣城”，他们只理解为主总体上的国度，或拥有主的国在里面的每个个体。他们以同样的方式来理解“锡安城”和“锡安山”，后者表示信的属天方面，前者表示信的属灵方面。
属天或属灵品质本身也被描述为“城”、“宫殿”、“房屋”、“城墙”、“城墙的根基”、“外郭”、“城门”、“门闩”和这些中间的“圣殿”；如在以西结书48章，启示录21:15直到末尾。在启示录21:2，10 ，它还被称为“圣耶路撒冷”；在耶利米书31:38，被称为“耶和华的城”；在诗篇46:4，被称为“神的城，至高者居住的圣所”；在以西结书48:35，被称为“城，耶和华的所在”。在以赛亚书：
外人要建造你的城墙。藐视你的，都要在你脚底前下拜。他们要称你为耶和华的城，为以色列圣者的锡安。（以赛亚书60:10，14）
撒迦利亚书：
耶路撒冷必称为真理的城，锡安山必称为圣山。（撒迦利亚书8:3）
此处“真理的城”，即耶路撒冷，表示信的属灵事物；“圣山”或“锡安山”，表示信的属天事物。
正如一座城代表信的属天和属灵事物，犹大和以色列的诸诚也表示作为一个整体的一切教义事物；其中每座城，当称其名时，都表示某个具体教义；但若不藉着内义，没有人能知道一座城表示哪个教义。城因表示教义事物，故也表示异端邪说，在这种情况下，每座具体的城照其名而表示某种具体的异端观点。但在此，我们只从以下圣言经文来说明，一座城一般表示某种教义或异端。
以赛亚书：
当那日，埃及地必有五城说迦南的语言，又指着万军之耶和华起誓；有一城必称为太阳城。（以赛亚书19:18）
此处论述的主题是在主降临的时候，属灵和属天事物的记忆知识。同一先知书：
你这充满喧哗、繁嚣的城，欢乐的城啊。（以赛亚书22:2）
这论及“异象谷”，也就是幻想或错觉。耶利米书：
南方的城尽都关闭，无人打开。（耶利米书13:19）
这论及那些“在南方”，也就是住在真理之光中，但却扑灭它的人。耶利米哀歌：
耶和华定意要拆毁锡安女儿的城墙。祂使外郭和城墙都悲哀，一同衰败。锡安的众城门已经陷入地里，祂将她的门闩毁坏折断。（耶利米哀歌2:8-9）
此处，谁都能看出，“城墙”、“外郭”、“城门”和“门闩”只表示教义事物。
以赛亚书：
在犹大地人必唱这歌，我们有坚固的城；救恩要建立城墙和外郭。你们打开城门，使守信的义族得以进入。（以赛亚书26:1-2）
又：
我要尊崇你，我要称颂你的名，因为你使城变为乱堆，使坚固城变为废瓦颓墙；使外族人的宫殿不再为城，永远不再建造。所以，强大的民必尊敬你，可怕民族的城必敬畏你。（以赛亚书25:1-3）
这段经文并不论及实际的城。在巴兰的预言：
以东将成为产业，有一位出于雅各的，必掌大权，他要除灭城中残存的人。（民数记24:18-19）
谁都看出，此处“城”不是指一座城。以赛亚书：
空城破毁了，各家关闭，使人不得进入。在街上因酒有呼喊之声。（以赛亚书24:10-11）
此处“空城”表示教义的空洞；“街”在此和在别处一样，表示构成一座城的事物，无论虚假还是真理。启示录：
第七位天使把碗倒在空中，那大城裂为三段，列族的城也都倒塌了。（启示录16:17，19）
谁都能清楚看出，“大城”表示某种异端邪说，“列族的城”也是。这也解释了这大城就是约翰所看见的那个女人（启示录17:18），这个“女人”表示具有该性质的一个教会，如前所示。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]402. The symbolism of the city that was built as every doctrinal or heretical teaching spawned by the original schism can be established from places in the Word where the names of cities occur. None of them refers to an actual city but to some doctrinal or else heretical teaching.
The angels are completely unaware of what a city is and what the name of any city is; they never do and never can have any mental picture of a city, because all their ideas are spiritual or heavenly, as previously shown [64]. They perceive only what the symbolic meanings are. The Holy City, for instance (for which another name is Jerusalem the Holy), brings nothing else to their minds than the Lord's kingdom in general or, more particularly, in every individual in whom it exists. The same is true of the city or mountain of Zion; they take the mountain to be the heavenly aspect of faith, the city, to be the spiritual aspect.
[2] The quality itself of being heavenly or spiritual is also depicted by cities, palaces, houses, walls, foundations, fortifications, gates, and the bars on gates, and by the temple at the heart of these. Examples occur in Ezekiel 48; Revelation 21:15-end; 21:2, 10, where the name Jerusalem the Holy is used; and Jeremiah 31:38. David uses the name the city of God, the sanctuary of the dwelling places of the Highest One in Psalms 46:4. That city is called Jehovah is there in Ezekiel 48:35. Isaiah speaks of it this way:
The children of a foreigner will rebuild your walls. All those spurning you will bow down at the soles of your feet, and they will call you Jehovah's city, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 60:10, 14)
In Zechariah:
Jerusalem will be called the city of truth, and Mount Zion, the holy mountain. (Zechariah 8:3)
The city of truth, or Jerusalem, symbolizes the spiritual aspects of faith, and the holy mountain, Zion, symbolizes the heavenly aspects of faith.
[3] Just as a city represents the heavenly and spiritual qualities of faith, so the cities of Judah and Israel symbolize all doctrinal teachings as a whole. When the cities are named, each symbolizes some particular teaching. Which teaching a city symbolizes no one can know without the inner meaning.
Just as cities symbolize doctrinal views, they also symbolize heretical views, and when they are named, each again symbolizes some particular view. At present the following places will show only that city in general symbolizes a point of doctrine or of heresy.
[4] In Isaiah:
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the tongue of Canaan and swearing to Jehovah Sabaoth. One will be called the city of Heres.{*1} (Isaiah 19:18)
The subject here is the systematic study of spiritual and heavenly matters that existed at the time of the Lord's Coming. In the same author:
Full of riots is the turbulent city, the jubilant city. (Isaiah 22:1, 2)
This is about the Valley of Vision, or about delusion. In Jeremiah:
The cities of the south have been closed, and there is no one to open them. (Jeremiah 13:19)
This is about people who are in the south,{*2} that is, who have access to the light of truth and yet extinguish it. In the same author:
Jehovah has thought to destroy the wall of Zion's daughter. He makes the bulwark and the wall mourn; together they have been weakened. Her gates have sunk into the earth; he has destroyed and smashed the bars locking them. (Lamentations 2:8-9)
Anyone can see here that the wall, bulwark, gates, and bars mean nothing but doctrinal tenets.
[5] Likewise in Isaiah:
This song will be sung in the land of Judah: A city strong for us. Salvation will place the walls and bulwark. Open the gates, so that an upright nation keeping faith may walk in. (Isaiah 26:1-2)
In the same author:
I will exalt you, I will acclaim your name! You have made a city into a heap, a fortified city into a ruin. A palace for foreigners will never be built from the city to eternity. Therefore a strong people will honor you, a city of fearsome nations will be afraid of you. (Isaiah 25:1-2, 3)
Neither is this passage talking about a city. In Balaam's prophecy:
Edom will be an inheritance and will rule from Jacob and cause the destruction of the remainder from the city. (Numbers 24:18-19)
Anyone can see that in this passage the city does not literally mean a city. In Isaiah:
The empty city has been broken; every house has been closed so that no one will be able to enter. A shouting over the wine in the streets! (Isaiah 24:10-11)
The empty city stands for the empty claims of doctrine. Streets here and elsewhere mean things that are part of the city, whether false or true. In John:
When the seventh angel poured out his bowl, the great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations fell. (Revelation 16:19)
The great city is a heretical point of view, and so are the cities of the nations, as anyone can see. Revelation 17:18 explains that the great city is the woman John saw, and I have already shown [252-253] that a woman is a church of the kind being described.
Footnotes:
{*1} Heres here reflects a transliteration in Swedenborg's Latin text (cheres), which Swedenborg based on either a Hebrew text of this passage in Isaiah or a Latin transliteration of it in Schmidt 1696 or some other Latin Bible. Although today's preferred reading of the Hebrew is הַהֶרֶס (haheres), "destruction," Swedenborg and others clearly read it as הַחֶרֶס (haḥeres), "the sun." [JSR]
{*2} The Latin phrase here translated "in the south," in meridie, may also mean "at noon." [RS]
Potts(1905-1910) 402
402. That by the "city that was built" is signified all the doctrinal and heretical teaching that came from that heresy, is evident from every passage of the Word in which the name of any city occurs; for in none of them does it ever mean a city, but always something doctrinal or else heretical. The angels are altogether ignorant of what a city is, and of the name of any city; since they neither have nor can have any idea of a city, in consequence of their ideas being spiritual and celestial, as was shown above. They perceive only what a city and its name signify. Thus by the "holy city" which is also called the "holy Jerusalem" nothing else is meant than the kingdom of the Lord in general, or in each individual in particular in whom is that kingdom. The "city" and "mountain of Zion" also are similarly understood; the latter denoting the celestial of faith, and the former its spiritual. [2] The celestial and spiritual itself is also described by "cities" "palaces" "houses" "walls" "foundations of walls" "ramparts" "gates" "bars" and the "temple" in the midst; as in Ezekiel 48; in Revelation 21:15 to the end, where it is also called the Holy Jerusalem, verses 2, 10; and in Jeremiah 31:38. In David it is called "the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High" (Ps. 46:4); in Ezekiel, "the city, Jehovah there" (Ezek. 48:35), and of which it is written in Isaiah:
The sons of the stranger shall build thy walls, all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet, and they shall call thee the city of Jehovah, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel (Isa. 60:10, 14). In Zechariah:
Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth; and the mountain of Zion, the mountain of holiness (Zech. 8:3), where the "city of truth" or "Jerusalem" signifies the spiritual things of faith; and the "mountain of holiness" or "of Zion" the celestial things of faith. [3] As the celestial and spiritual things of faith are represented by a city, so also are all doctrinal things signified by the cities of Judah and of Israel, each of which when named has its own specific signification of something doctrinal, but what that is no one can know except from the internal sense. As doctrinal things are signified by "cities" so also are heresies, and in this case every particular city, according to its name, signifies some particular heretical opinion. At present we shall only show from the following passages of the Word, that in general a "city" signifies something doctrinal, or else heretical. [4] Thus we read in Isaiah:
In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking with the lip of Canaan, and swearing to Jehovah Zebaoth; one shall be called the city Heres (Isa. 19:18), where the subject treated of is the memory-knowledge [scientia] of spiritual and celestial things at the time of the Lord's advent. So again, when treating of the valley of vision, that is, of phantasy:
Thou art full of tumults, a tumultuous city, an exulting city (Isa. 22:2). In Jeremiah, speaking of those who are "in the south" that is, in the light of truth, and who extinguish it:
The cities of the south have been shut up, and none shall open them (Jer. 13:19). Again:
Jehovah hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; therefore He maketh the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together. Her gates are sunk into the ground; He hath destroyed and broken her bars (Lam. 2:8-9), where anyone may see that by a "wall" a "rampart" "gates" and "bars" doctrinal things only are meant. [5] In like manner in Isaiah:
This song shall be sung in the land of Judah, We have a strong city; salvation will set the walls and the bulwark; open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth fidelities may enter in (Isa. 26:1-2). Again:
I will exalt thee, I will confess to Thy name, for Thou hast made of a city a heap, of a defensed city a ruin; a palace of strangers shall not be built of the city forever. Therefore shall the strong people honor Thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear Thee (Isa. 25:1-3), in which passage there is no reference to any particular city. In the prophecy of Balaam:
Edom shall be an inheritance, and out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the residue of the city (Num. 24:18-19)where it must be plain to everyone that "city" here does not mean a city. In Isaiah:
The city of emptiness is broken; every house is shut, that the cry over wine in the streets cannot enter (Isa. 24:10-11), where the "city of emptiness" denotes emptinesses of doctrine; and "streets" signify here as elsewhere the things which belong to the city, whether falsities or truths. In John:
When the seventh angel poured out his vial, the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell (Rev. 16:17, 19). That the "great city" denotes something heretical, and that the "cities of the nations" do so too, must be evident to everyone. It is also explained that the great city was the woman that John saw (Rev. 17:18); and that the woman denotes a church of that character has been shown before.
Elliott(1983-1999) 402
402. 'A city that was built' means all doctrinal or heretical teaching founded on that heresy. This is clear from the Word wherever the name of any city occurs. In the Word 'city' never means a city but something doctrinal or else something heretical. For angels are totally ignorant of what a city is or what the name of any city is. They never do nor can have any city in mind, for their ideas are of spiritual and celestial things, as shown already. Their perception is solely of what is meant spiritually by cities, and the names of them. For example, by the Holy City, which is also called the Holy Jerusalem, they understand nothing other than the Lord's kingdom in general, or as it exists with each individual who has the Lord's kingdom within him. And the city of Zion or Mount Zion they understand in a similar way, the latter being the celestial degree of faith, the former the spiritual.
[2] And the celestial and spiritual itself is also described by cities, palaces, houses, walls, the foundations of walls, ramparts, gates, bars, and by the temple at the centre, as in Ezek. 48, and in Rev 21:15-end. In Rev 21:2, 10, it is called 'the Holy Jerusalem'; in Jer 31:38 ['the city for Jehovah']; in David, Ps 46:4, 'the city of God, the holy place of the dwellings of the Most High'; and in Ezek 48:35, it is called 'the city, Jehovah is there'. And in Isaiah,
The sons of the foreigner will build up your walls. They will bend down to the soles of your feet, all who disapprove of you, and they will call you the City of Jehovah, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Isa 60:10, 14.
In Zechariah,
Jerusalem [will be called] the city of truth, and Mount Zion the mountain of holiness. Zech 8:3
Here 'city of truth', which is Jerusalem, means the spiritual things of faith, and 'the holy mountain', which is Zion, the celestial things of faith. And whereas the celestial and spiritual things of faith were represented by a city, so all matters of doctrine were meant by the cities of Judah and Israel, each one, when mentioned by name, meaning some specific point of doctrine, though exactly which nobody can know except from the internal sense.
[3] As cities meant matters of doctrine, cities also meant heretical ideas, each one when mentioned by name meaning some specific heretical idea. But at this point solely the consideration that in general a city means doctrinal teaching or else heretical may be established from the following places:
[4] In Isaiah,
On that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt which speak in the lip of Canaan and swear to Jehovah Zebaoth. One of these will be called the city Heres. Isa 19:18.
This refers to man's knowledge of spiritual and celestial things at the time of the Lord's Coming. In the same prophet,
Full of tumults, a tumultuous city, an exultant city. Isa 22:1, 2.
This refers to 'the valley of vision', which is delusion. In Jeremiah,
The cities of the south are shut up, with none opening them. Jer 13:10.This refers to people who are in 'the south', that is, who dwell in the light of truth, but blot it out. In the same prophet,
Jehovah thought to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion. He causes rampart and wall to mourn; they have languished together. Her gates have sunk into the ground, He has destroyed and broken in pieces her bars. Lam 2:8, 9.
Here anyone may see that nothing else is meant by 'wall, rampart, gates and bars' than matters of doctrine.
[5] Similarly in Isaiah,
This song will be sung in the land of Judah, Ours is a strong city, salvation will establish walls and a rampart. Open the gates that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. Isa 26:1, 2.
In the same prophet,
I will exalt You, I will confess Your name. You have made the city into a heap, the fortified city into a ruin; let not a palace of aliens be built of the city for ever. Therefore a strong people will honour You, the city of terrifying nations will fear You. Isa 25:1-3.
Nor does this refer to any actual city. In Balaam's prophecy,
Edom will be an inheritance, and out of Jacob one will have dominion, and he will accomplish the destruction of the remnant of the city. Num 24:18, 19.
Here anyone may see that 'the city' does not mean an actual city. In Isaiah,
The city of hollowness has been broken down, every house has been shut up so that none may enter in. There is an outcry in the streets over the wine. Isa 24:10, 11.
Here 'city of hollowness' stands for hollowness of doctrine. In this and other places 'streets' means the things that constitute a city, namely falsities or truths. In John,
When the seventh angel poured out his bowl the great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations fell. Rev 16:17, 19.
That 'a great city' means something heretical, as do 'the cities of the nations', may be clear to anyone. The explanation is also given in Rev 17:18 that the great city means the woman whom John saw, 'the woman', as shown already, being a Church of that nature.
Latin(1748-1756) 402
402. Quod per 'urbem aedificatam' significetur omne doctrinale et haereticum inde, constat ex Verbo ubicumque nomen alicujus urbis occurrit; ibi nusquam significatur urbs sed doctrinale quoddam, aut haereticum; nam quid urbs, et quid aliquod nomen urbis, prorsus ignorant angeli; nusquam aliquam urbis ideam habent nec possunt habere, quia in spiritualibus et caelestibus ideis sunt, ut ostensum prius; sed modo percipiunt quid significant; ut per 'civitatem sanctam,' quae etiam 'sancta Hierosolyma' appellatur, nihil aliud intelligitur quam regnum Domini in universali, seu in unoquovis in particulari in quo regnum Domini; per 'civitatem seu montem Zionis' similiter; per hunc caeleste fidei, per illam spirituale fidei: [2] ipsumque caeleste et spirituale describitur quoque per civitates, palatia, domos, muros, fundamenta murorum, antemuralia, portas, vectes; et in medio, templum; ut apud Ezech. xlviii; in Apoc. xxi 15 ad fin; vocatur Sancta Hierosolyma, ibid. vers. 2, 10; apud Jer. xxxi 38; apud Davidem, 'Civitas Dei, sanctum habitaculorum Altissimi,' Ps. xlvi 5 [A.V. 4]; apud Ezech. vocatur 'Civitas, Jehovah ibi, xlvii 35; de qua apud Esaiam, Aedificabunt filii alienigenae muros tuos,... incurvabunt se ad volas pedum tuorum, omnes reprobantes te, vocabuntque te Civitatem Jehovae, Zion Sancti {1} Israelis, lx 10, 14:apud Zachariam, [Vocabitur] Hierosolyma civitas veritatis; et mons {2} Zionis, mons sanctitatis, viii 3;
ubi 'civitas veritatis seu Hierosolyma' significat spiritualia fidei, et 'mons sanctitatis seu Zionis' caelestia fidei. Sicut caelestia et spiritualia fidei repraesentata sunt per civitatem, ita omnia doctrinalia significata sunt per 'civitates, Jehudae et Israelis,' quae etiam dum nominantur, significant in specie aliquid doctrinale; sed quodnam, nemo scire potest nisi ex sensu interno. [3] Sicut per 'urbes' significata sunt doctrinalia, etiam per 'urbes' significata sunt haeretica; et cum nominantur, etiam in specie aliquod haereticum significant; nunc solum quod 'urbs' in genere significet doctrinale vel haereticum, a sequentibus locis constare potest; apud Esaiam, [4] In die illo, erunt quinque urbes in terra Aegypti, loquentes labio Canaanis, et jurantes Jehovae Zebaoth, urbs Heres dicetur uni, xix 18; ubi agitur de scientia spiritualium et caelestium tempore Adventus Domini: apud eundem, Tumultibus plena, urbs tumultuans, urbs exsultans, xxii 1, 2;
ubi agitur de valle visionis seu phantasia: apud Jeremiam, Urbes meridiei clausae sunt, nec aperiens, xiii 19; ubi agitur de illis qui 'in meridie' seu in luce veritatis sunt, et eam exstinguunt: apud eundem, Cogitavit Jehovah perdere murum filiae Zionis, lugere facit promurale, ac murum, simul infirmati sunt; subsiderunt in terram portae ejus, perdidit et confregit vectes ejus, Thren. ii 8, 9;
ubi quisque videre potest quod per 'murum, antemurale, portas et vectes' non intelligantur alia quam doctrinalia: similiter apud Esaiam, Cantabitur canticum hoc in terra Jehudae, Urbs valida nobis, salus ponet muros, et antemurale; aperite portas, ut ingrediatur gens justa, custodiens fidelitates, xxvi 1, 2: apud eundem, Exaltabo Te, confitebor Nomini Tuo,... posuisti de urbe in acervum, urbem munitam in ruinam, palatium alienorum de urbe in saeculum non aedificetur; propterea honorabunt Te populus validus, urbs gentium formidabilium timebunt Te, xxv 1-3;
ubi nec agitur de aliqua urbe: in prophetia Bileami, Erit Edomus hereditas,... et dominabitur de Jacobo, et perdere faciet residuum de urbe, Num. xxiv [18], 19;
ubi quisque videre potest quod 'urbs' non significet urbem: apud Esaiam, Fracta est urbs inanitatis, clausa est omnis domus, ut non intret, clamor super vino in plateis, xxiv 10, 11;
ubi 'urbs inanitatis' pro inanitatibus doctrinae; 'plateae' hic et alibi significant quae sunt urbis, falsa aut vera: apud Johannem, Cum septimus angelus effudit phialam,... disrupta est urbs magna in tres partes, et urbes gentium ceciderunt, Apoc. xvi [17,] 19;
quod 'urbs magna' sit haereticum et quod 'urbes gentium' similiter, cuivis constare potest; explicatur etiam quod urbs magna sit mulier quam vidit, Apoc. xvii 18; quod 'mulier' sit talis Ecclesia, prius ostensum est. @ 1 sancti 1.$ @ 2 The Heb. ='mountain of the Lord of Hosts,' but 'Zion' occurs earlier in the verse.$