904.启21:15.“对我说话的，拿着金苇子，要量那城和城门、城墙”表主将理解和认识主的新教会在教义及其引入真理，以及它们所源自圣言上的性质的能力赐给那些处于爱之良善的人。
“对我说话的”表示主经由天堂说话，因为这位天使就是前面（｛21:9）所提到的那拿七香瓶的七位天使之一，他表示经由天堂说话的主（895节）；“金苇子”表示来自爱之良善的能力或官能，“苇子”表示能力或官能（485节）；“金”表示爱之良善（211，726节）；“量”表示认识事物的性质，因而表示理解并知道（486节）。“城”也就是圣耶路撒冷，表示教会的教义（879，880节）；“门”表示对出于圣言字义的真理与良善的认知，这些认知因里面有属灵的生命而成为真理与良善（899节）；“墙”表示它们所来自的字义中的圣言（898节）。由此明显可知，“对我说话的，拿着金苇子，要量那城和城门、城墙”表示主将理解和认识主的新教会在教义及其引入真理，以及它们所源自圣言上的性质的能力赐给那些处于爱之良善的人。
所表示的是这些事，这一点从字义上根本看不出来，字义只显示那与约翰说话的天使拿着金苇子，要量那城和城门、城墙；然而，另外一层含义，也就是灵义，就包含在这些话里，这一点从以下事实明显可知：“耶路撒冷城”不是指什么城，而是指教会，所以凡指着作为城的耶路撒冷所说的一切话，都表示涉及教会的一切事物，而涉及教会的一切事物本身都是属灵的。这种灵义也包含在前面的话中，那里有这些话：
有一根像量杖的芦苇赐给我；天使站在旁边，说，起来，将神的殿和祭坛，并在殿中礼拜的人都量一量。（启示录11:1）
天使用苇子所量的一切事物（以西结书40-48章）里面也有类似的灵义。撒迦利亚书中的这些话里同样有：
我又举目观看，见一人手拿准绳。我说，你往哪里去？他对我说，要去量耶路撒冷，看有多宽多长。（撒迦利亚书2:1-2）
会幕的一切事物，耶路撒冷圣殿的一切事物，我们所读到的尺寸，以及这些尺寸本身，里面都有这样的灵义；然而，它们在字义上丝毫看不出来。
904. 21:15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. This symbolically means that to people who possess the goodness of love, the Lord grants a faculty for understanding and knowing the nature of the Lord's New Church as regards its doctrine and its introductory truths, and as regards the Word from which they are drawn.
He who spoke with me symbolizes the Lord speaking from heaven, because it was an angel speaking, one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls mentioned in verse 9, who means the Lord speaking from heaven (no. 895). A reed symbolizes a power or ability springing from the goodness of love - a reed symbolizing power or ability (no. 485), and gold the goodness of love (nos. 211, 726). To measure means, symbolically, to learn the character of a thing, thus to understand and know it (no. 486). The city, the holy Jerusalem, symbolizes the church in respect to its doctrine (nos. 879, 880). Its gates symbolize concepts of truth and goodness from the Word's literal sense, which are truths and goods owing to the spiritual life in them (no. 899). And the wall symbolizes the Word in its literal sense from which the doctrine and concepts come (no. 898).
It is apparent from this that "he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall," symbolically means that to people who possess the goodness of love, the Lord grants a faculty for understanding and knowing the nature of the Lord's New Church as regards its doctrine and its introductory truths, and as regards the Word from which they are drawn.
[2] These symbolic meanings cannot be seen at all in the literal sense, for one sees in it only that an angel speaking with John had a gold reed with which to measure the city and its gates and wall. But even so, that these words contain another meaning, a spiritual meaning, is clearly apparent from the fact that the city Jerusalem does not mean a real city, but the church. Consequently everything said about Jerusalem as a city symbolizes such things as have to do with the church, and everything having to do with the church is, in itself, spiritual.
Such a spiritual meaning is present also in what is said in chapter 11 above, where we are told the following:
I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood by, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there." (Revelation 11:1)
A similar spiritual meaning is present, too, in everything that the angel measured with a reed in Ezekiel 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48. Also in these verses in Zechariah:
I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said, "Where are you going?" And he said to me, "To measure Jerusalem, to see what its width is and what its length." (Zechariah 2:1-2)
Indeed, such a spiritual meaning is present in everything connected with the Tabernacle and in everything connected with the Temple in Jerusalem, whose measurements we are told, and also in the measurements themselves. And yet nothing of this can be seen in the literal sense.
904. [verse 15] 'And the one speaking with me had a golden reed that he might measure the city and the gates thereof and the wall thereof' signifies that by the Lord there is given to those who are in the good of love the capability of understanding and knowing the quality of the Lord's New Church as to the doctrine and its introductory truths, and as to the Word from which it is derived. 'And the one speaking with me' signifies the Lord out of heaven, because the angel was one of 'the seven angels having the seven phials,' treated of at verse 9 above, by whom is understood the Lord speaking out of heaven (895). By 'the reed' is signified power or capability derived from the good of love, by 'a reed' power or capability (485), and by 'gold' the good of love (211, 726). By 'to measure' is signified to get to know the quality of a thing, thus to understand and know (486). By 'the city,' which was the holy Jerusalem, is signified the Church as to the doctrine (879-880). By 'the gates' are signified the cognitions of truth and good derived from the sense of the letter of the Word, which by virtue of the spiritual life in them are truths and goods (899); and by 'the wall' is signified the Word in the sense of the letter, from which they are derived (898). It is plain from these things that by 'the one speaking with me had a golden reed that he might measure the city and the gates thereof and the wall thereof' is signified that by the Lord there is given to those who are in the good of love the capability of understanding and knowing the quality of the Lord's New Church as to the doctrine and its introductory truths, and as to the Word from which it is derived.
[2] That these things are signified cannot at all be seen in the sense of the letter for it is seen only that one angel speaking with John had a golden reed that he might measure a city, gates and a wall. Nevertheless, that another sense, which is spiritual, is within these things is quite plain from the fact that by 'the city Jerusalem' is not understood any city, but the Church; and therefore all the things that are said of Jerusalem as a city signify such things as are of the Church, and all the things of the Church in themselves are spiritual. Such a spiritual sense is also within the things that are said above at chapter 11, where are these words:
There was given me a reed like a staff, and the angel stood by, saying, Arise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those adoring therein (verse 1).
A like spiritual sense is also within all the things that 'the angel measured with a reed' in Ezekiel (chapter xl-xlviii). Also within these in Zechariah:
I lifted up mine eyes and saw, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand, and I said, Where art thou going? And he said to me, To measure Jerusalem that I may see what is the breadth thereof and what is the length thereof, Zechariah 2:1-2 [H.B. 5-6].
Indeed such a spiritual sense is within all the things of the tabernacle, and all those of the temple in Jerusalem, of which we read the measurements, and also in the measures themselves; and yet nothing thereof can be seen in the sense of the letter.
904. Verse 15. And he that spoke with me had a golden reed to measure the city and the gates thereof and the wall thereof, signifies that there is given by the Lord to those who are in the good of love the faculty of understanding and knowing what the quality of Lord's New Church is, as to doctrine and its introductory truths, and as to the Word from which they are. And "he that spake with me," signifies the Lord speaking out of heaven, because he was one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, mentioned above (verse 9), by whom is meant the Lord speaking out of heaven, (895); by "a reed" is signified power or faculty from the good of love, by "a reed" power or faculty, (485), and by "gold" the good of love, (211, 726); by "measuring" is signified to know the quality of a thing, consequently to understand and know, (486). By "the city," which was the holy Jerusalem, is signified the church as to doctrine, (879-880); by "gates" are signified the knowledges of truth and good from the sense of the letter of the Word, which from the spiritual life in them are truths and goods, (899); and by "a wall" is signified the Word, in the sense of the letter, from which they are, (898). Hence it is evident that by "he that spoke with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof," is signified that there is given by the Lord to those who are in the good of love, the faculty of understanding and knowing what is the quality of the Lord's New Church, as to doctrine and its introductory truths, and as to the Word from which they are.
[2] That these things are signified cannot be seen at all in the sense of the letter, for in this it only appears that an angel who was speaking with John had a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and wall; but, nevertheless, that another sense, which is spiritual, is contained in these words, is plain from this, that by "the city Jerusalem" is not meant any city, but the church, wherefore all things which are said of Jerusalem as a city signify such things as relate to the church, and all things relating to the church are in themselves spiritual. Such a spiritual sense is also contained in what is said above, where these words occur:
And there was given unto me a reed, like unto a staff, and the angel stood, saying, Arise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that adore therein, (Revelation 11:1).
There is also a like spiritual sense in all the things which the angel "measured with a reed" (in Ezekiel, chapter 40-48). And likewise in these words in Zechariah:
I lifted up mine eyes and saw, and behold, a man, with a measuring line in his hand. And I said, Whither goest thou? who said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof, (Zechariah 2:1-2).
Yea such a spiritual sense is in all things of the tabernacle, and in all things of the temple in Jerusalem, the measures of which we read, and also in the measures themselves; and yet nothing of them can be seen in the sense of the letter.
904. (Vers. 15.) "Et loquens cum me habebat calamum aureum, ut metiretur urbem et portas ejus et murum ejus, significat quod detur a Domino illis qui in bono amoris sunt facultas intelligendi et sciendi qualis est Nova Domini Ecclesia quoad Doctrinam et ejus vera introducentia, et quoad Verbum ex quo. -"Et loquens cum me" significat Dominum e Caelo, quia erat Angelus unus ex septem Angelis habentibus septem phialas, de quo supra (vers. 9), per Quem intelligitur Dominus e Caelo loquens (895); per "calamum" significatur potentia seu facultas ex bono amoris, per "calamum" potentia seu facultas (485), et per "aurum" bonum amoris (211, 726); per "metiri" significatur cognoscere quale rei, ita intelligere et scire (486); per "urbem" quae erat Sancta Hierosolyma, significatur Ecclesia quoad Doctrinam (879, 880); 1per "portas" significantur cognitiones veri et boni ex Sensu literae Verbi, quae ex spirituali vita in illis sunt vera et bona (899); et per "murum" significatur Verbum in Sensu literae, ex quo (898). Ex his patet, quod per "loquens cum me habebat calamum aureum, ut metiretur urbem et portas ejus et murum ejus" significetur quod detur a Domino illis qui in bono amoris sunt facultas intelligendi et sciendi qualis est Nova Domini Ecclesia quoad doctrinam et ejus vera introducentia, et quoad Verbum ex quo. Quod haec significentur, prorsus non videri potest in Sensu literae; in eo enim solum videtur quod unus angelus cum Johanne loquens habuerit calamum aureum, ut metiretur urbem, portas et murum; sed tamen quod alius Sensus, qui est spiritualis, illis insit, patet manifeste ex eo, quod per "urbem Hierosolymam" non intelligatur aliqua urbs, sed Ecclesia; quare omnia quae dicuntur de Hierosolyma ut urbe, significant talia quae Ecclesiae sunt, et omnia Ecclesiae in se spiritualia sunt. Talis Sensus spiritualis etiam inest illis quae dicuntur supra, ubi haec:
"Datus est mihi calamus similis baculo; et Angelus adstitit dicens, Surge et metire Templum Dei et Altare et adorantes in eo," (Apocalypsis 11:1).
Similis etiam Sensus spiritualis inest omnibus illis quae Angelus calamo mensus est, apud Ezechielem 40-48);
etiam his apud Sachariam:
"Sustuli oculos meos et vidi, cum ecce vir cujus in manu funiculus mensurae; et dixi, Quo pergis; qui dixit ad me, Ad metiendum Hierosolymam, ut videam quanta latitudo ejus et quanta longitudo ejus," (2:5-6 (B.A. 2:1-2)).
Imo talis Sensus spiritualis inest omnibus Tabernaculi et omnibus Templi in Hierosolyma, quae mensurata leguntur, et quoque ipsis mensuris illorum; et tamen nihil eorum videri potest in Sensu literae.
Footnotes:
1. 879, 880 pro "878, 879"