197. 启示录中这样描述新耶路撒冷：
城内有光，如同极贵的宝石，好像碧玉，明如水晶。她有高大的墙，有十二个门，门上有十二位天使，门上又写着以色列人十二个支派的名字。城墙按着人的尺寸，就是天使的尺寸，共有一百四十四肘高。墙是碧玉造的，城墙的根基是用各样宝石修饰的：碧玉、蓝宝石、绿玛瑙、绿宝石、红玛瑙、红宝石、黄碧玺、水苍玉、红碧玺、翡翠、紫玛瑙、紫晶。十二个门是十二颗珍珠。城本身是精金的，如同明净的玻璃，且是四方的，长宽高一样，共有一万二千斯他丢等等。（启示录21:11，12，16－21）
所有这一切都必须以属灵的方式来理解，这从以下事实明显可知：“新耶路撒冷”表示主即将建立的新教会，如《破解启示录》（880，896－925节）所说明的。“耶路撒冷”既然在此表示教会，那么可知，论及这城的一切，如城门、城墙、城墙的根基，以及城的尺寸等等，都包含属灵之义，因为凡关乎教会的事物都是属灵的。它们的含义在《破解启示录》（896－925）所有说明，因此，没有必要在此进一步解释。只要由此知道所描述的这些细节包含属灵之义，如同身体包含灵魂。若没有属灵之义，人们不可能在上述内容中看到关乎教会的任何事物。如：城是精金的；城门是珍珠的；城墙是碧玉造的；城墙的根基是极贵的宝石；按着人的尺寸，就是天使的尺寸，城墙有一百四十四肘高；城的长、宽、高都是一万二千斯他丢等等。凡通过对应学了解属灵之义的人都能理解所有这一切。例如，城墙及其根基表示源于圣言字义的该教会教义；数字十二、一百四十四、一万二千表示属于该教会的一切事物，就是总的真理，以及各种良善。
197. 『啟示錄』第二十一章描述了新耶路撒冷, 城的光輝如同極貴的寶石, 好像碧玉, 明如水晶。新耶路撒冷有高大的城牆, 有十二個門, 門上有十二位天人; 門上寫著以色列十二個支派的名字。城牆有一百四十四肘高, 是按著人的尺寸, 就是天人的尺寸。城牆是碧玉造的, 城牆的根基由各樣的寶石修飾:碧玉,藍寶石,綠瑪瑙,綠寶石,紅瑪瑙,紅寶石,黃碧璽,水蒼玉,紅碧璽,翡翠,紫瑪瑙,紫晶。十二個門是十二顆珍珠。城內街道是精金, 好像明透的玻璃。城是四方的; 長寬高一樣, 都是一萬二千斯塔德(一斯塔德約170釐米), 等等(啟示錄21:11-12, 16-21)。
所有這些細節, 必須從屬靈層面來認知。事實上, 新耶路撒冷表示主將要建立的全新的教會, 見破解啟示錄880節。
因為"耶路撒冷"在此表示教會, 於是關於這城的一切:城門,城牆,城牆的根基,城牆和城的尺寸等等, 都包含屬靈的意義, 因為一切關乎教會的都是屬靈的。
在破解啟示錄896-925節中詳細解釋了它們的屬靈意義, 在此就沒必要重述。只要讓我們知道, 這裡所有的描述都包含一種屬靈的意義,如同靈魂在身體之中, 這就夠了。沒有這層屬靈意義, 我們根本無法認知這些細節跟教會有什麼關係, 例如:城是精金造的; 城門是珍珠; 城牆是碧玉造的, 根基是各樣的寶石; 城牆有一百四十四肘高, 是人的尺寸,就是天人的尺寸; 城有一萬二千斯塔德長,寬,高; 等等。
人若從對應的知識而知道屬靈的意義,就會明白這些細節的含義。例如, 城牆及其根基表示教會以聖言文字意義為基礎的教導。數字十二,一百四十四(十二乘以十二),一萬二千(十二乘以一萬)表示教會的一切, 就是所有的真理和良善聯結在一起。
197. Revelation 21 gives the following description of the New Jerusalem: In it there was a light like a highly precious stone, such as a jasper stone, that looked like a dazzling crystal. The New Jerusalem had a wall that was great and high and had twelve gates and twelve angels by the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel were written there. The wall was 144 cubits high, which is the measure of a human being, that is, of an angel. The construction of the wall was of jasper, and its foundation was made of every precious stone: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sard, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. The gates were twelve pearls. The city itself was pure gold, like clear glass. It was square. Its length, width, and height were equal: twelve thousand stadia. And so on.
All these details need to be understood spiritually, as we can see from the fact that the New Jerusalem means a new church that is going to be established by the Lord, as I showed in Revelation Unveiled 880.
Since "Jerusalem" here means a church, it follows that all the things that are said about it as a city - about its gates, wall, foundations under the wall, and their measurements - contain a spiritual meaning, since the attributes of a church are spiritual.
In Revelation Unveiled 896-925 I have shown what these things mean. It is unnecessary, therefore, to demonstrate their meaning once more. It is enough for us to know that there is a spiritual meaning within all the details of this description like a soul within a body. Without that meaning we would understand nothing about the church from the details written here: for example, the city being made of pure gold; its gates, of pearls; its wall, of jasper; the foundations of its wall, of precious stones; the wall being 144 cubits high, which is the measure of a human being, that is, of an angel; and the city being twelve thousand stadia in length, width, and height; and so on.
People who know correspondences and who therefore recognize the spiritual meaning understand these details. For example, the wall and its foundations mean the teachings of that church that are based on the literal meaning of the Word; and the , and 12, 000 mean everything about that church, that is, all that is good and true in it combined.
197. In Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem is described as having in it a source of light like a most precious stone, similar to the jasper stone, shining like crystal. It had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels above the gates, and the names inscribed of the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel. The wall was one hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, an angel. The material of the wall was jasper, and its foundation of every precious stone, jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth and amethyst. Its gates were twelve pearls. The city itself was of pure gold, resembling clear glass; and it was four-square, its length, width and height all equal, twelve thousand stades 1 , and other details [Revelation 21:11-12, 16-21].
All this must be understood spiritually, as is evident from the fact that the New Jerusalem means the new church which is to be founded by the Lord, as shown in Apocalypse Revealed 880. Since Jerusalem there means the church, it follows that everything which is said of that city, its gates, its wall, their foundations, and its measurements contain a spiritual sense, because anything that relates to the church is spiritual. Their meaning was demonstrated in Apocalypse Revealed 896-925, so it is unnecessary to pursue this demonstration here. It is enough to know from this that the details of the description contain a spiritual sense, as the body does a soul. Without that sense nothing of what is written there could be understood as referring to the church; for instance, that the city was of pure gold, its gates were of pearls, its wall of jasper, the foundations of the wall of precious stones, the wall measured one hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, an angel; and the city was twelve thousand stades in length, width and height, and so forth. Anyone who knows the spiritual sense from a knowledge of correspondences can understand these statements; as for instance, the wall and its foundations mean the doctrines of that church derived from the literal sense of the Word; and the numbers twelve, one hundred and forty-four, and twelve thousand mean everything belonging to it, truths as well as various kinds of good, all taken together.
Footnotes:
1. See note on 179; i.e. about 1350 miles.
197. In the Apocalypse the New Jerusalem is thus described:
That in her there was light like unto a stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone shining like crystal. And she had a wall great and high, having twelve gates, and above the gates twelve angels, and the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel written thereon. That the wall was a hundred and forty and four cubits, which was the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. That the building of the wall was of jasper, and its foundations were of every precious stone, jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, hyacinth, and amethyst. That the gates were twelve pearls. That the city itself was pure gold like pure glass, and was four square and her length, breadth, and height were equal, twelve thousand furlongs; and so forth (21:11, 12, 16-21).
That all this is to be understood spiritually can be seen from what is set forth in the Apocalypse Revealed (n. 880), that "the New Jerusalem" means a new church that is to be established by the Lord. And since "Jerusalem" here signifies the church it follows that everything said of it as a city, of its gates, its wall, the foundations of its wall, and also its dimensions contains a spiritual sense, for whatever relates to the church is spiritual. What these things signify has been shown in the Apocalypse Revealed (n. 896-925); therefore further explanation would be superfluous. It is sufficient to know from this that there is a spiritual sense in every particular of the above description, like the soul in the body, and without that sense nothing relating to the church could be seen in what is there written; as, that the city was of pure gold, its gates of pearls, its wall of jasper, the foundations of the wall of precious stones; that the wall was one hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel; that the city was twelve thousand furlongs in length, breadth, and height; and so on. But all this is understood by anyone who from a knowledge of correspondences is acquainted with the spiritual sense; as, that the wall and its foundations signify the doctrinals of that church drawn from the sense of the letter of the Word; also that the numbers twelve, one hundred and forty-four, and twelve thousand, signify all things of the church, that is, its truths and goods in one complex.
197. In the Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem is described as follows.
"Her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel. The wall was a hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper; and its foundations of all manner of precious stones, of jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysopraus, jacinth and amethyst. The gates were twelve pearls. The city itself was pure gold, like clear glass; and it was four-square, the length, the breadth and the height being equal, twelve thousand furlongs;" with many other particulars.
That all these things are to be understood spiritually may be evident from the fact that by the New Jerusalem is meant a New Church to be established by the Lord, as is shown in The Apocalypse Revealed 880. Since by Jerusalem is there signified the Church, it follows that everything said of it as a city, of its gates, its wall, the foundations of the wall, and their dimensions, contains a spiritual sense, for whatever relates to the Church is spiritual. What those things signify is shown in The Apocalypse Revealed 896-925; it is therefore needless to explain them at great length. It is sufficient to know from that work that there is a spiritual sense in every particular of that description, like the soul in the body. Apart from that sense nothing that is there written could be understood as relating to the Church; as that the city was of pure gold, its gates of pearl, its wall of jasper, the foundations of the wall of precious stones; that the wall was a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of the angel, and that the city was in length, breadth and height twelve thousand furlongs: with many other particulars. Any one, however, who has a knowledge of the spiritual sense from the science of correspondences understands those things, as for instance that the wall and its foundations signify the doctrinal teachings of the Church, derived from the sense of the Letter of the Word, and that the numbers twelve, one hundred and forty-four, and twelve thousand signify everything belonging to that Church, namely, the sum total of its truths and goods.
197. In Apocalypsi 21, describitur ita Nova Hierosolyma, "Quod in illa esset Luminare simile Lapidi pretiosissimo, sicut Lapidi jaspidi, instar Chrystalli splendenti. Quod haberet Murum magnum et altum, habentem Portas duodecim, et super 1 portis Angelos duodecim, et Nomina scripta duodecim Tribuum filiorum 2 Israelis. Quod Murus esset 144 cubitorum, quae est mensura hominis, hoc est, Angeli; et quod structura Muri esset Jaspis, et fundamenta ejus ex omni Lapide pretioso, ex jaspide, sapphiro, chalcedonio, smaragdo, sardonyche, 3 sardio, chrysolitho, beryllo, topazio, chrysopraso, hyacintho, et amethisto. Quod Portae essent duodecim Margaritae. Quod ipsa Urbs esset aurum purum, simile vitro puro; et quod esset quadrangularis; Longitudo, Latitudo et Altitudo aequalia, 12000 4 stadiorum," praeter plura. Quod omnia haec spiritualiter intelligenda sint, constare potest ex eo, quod per Novam Hierosolymam intelligatur Nova Ecclesia, quae a Domino instauranda est, ut in APOCALYPSI REVELATA 880, ostensum est; et quia per Hierosolymam ibi significatur Ecclesia, sequitur, quod omnia quae dicuntur de illa ut Urbe, de Portis ejus, de Muro ejus, de Fundamentis muri, tum quae de mensuris eorum, sensum spiritualem contineant, quoniam illa quae Ecclesiae sunt, spiritualia sunt; quid autem significant, in APOCALYPSI REVELATA 896-925, demonstratum est, quare ulterius illa demonstrare, superfluum foret. Satis est, ut inde sciatur, quod Sensus spiritualis insit singulis descriptionis ejus, ut Anima corpori, et quod absque illo sensu nihil Ecclesiae intelligeretur in illis quae ibi scripta sunt, ut quod Urbs illa esset ex puro auro, portae ejus ex margaritis, murus ex jaspide, fundamenta muri ex lapidibus pretiosis, quod murus esset 144 cubitorum, quae mensura hominis, hoc est, Angeli, et quod Urbs esset longitudine, latitudine, et altitudine 12000 stadiorum, praeter plura; qui autem ex Scientia Correspondentiarum Sensum spiritualem novit, is intelligit illa, ut quod Murus et Fundamenta ejus significent doctrinalia illius Ecclesiae ex Sensu literae Verbi; et quod Numeri 12, 144, 12000, omnia ejus significent, seu vera et bona ejus in uno complexu.
Footnotes: