TREATISE

CONCERNING

THE NEW JERUSALEM,

AND IT'S

HEAVENLY DOCTRINE.

OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH, AND WHAT IS MEANT BY THE NEW JERUSALEM.

1.

IT is written in the Revelation, " I saw a

66 new heaven and a new earth; for the first "heaven and the first earth were passed away. "And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, « coming down from God out of heaven, pre"pared as a bride adorned for her husband. The city had a wall great and high, which 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. And the wall of the city had twelve "foundations, and in them the names of the "twelve apostles of the Lamb. And the city

66

lieth four square, and the length is as large as the breadth. And he measured the city with "the reed twelve thousand furlongs; and the length, and the breadth, and the height of it "were equal. And he measured the wall thereof, B

66

an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. And the wall of it was of jasper; but "the city itself was pure gold like unto clear glass; and the foundations of the wall of the city were of every precious stone. And "the twelve gates were twelve pearls; and "the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. The glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the "earth shall bring their glory and honour into "it." Ch. xxi. ver. 1, 2, 12 to 24. These words are commonly interpreted by mankind according to their literal sense, from which it is concluded that the visible heavens and earth must be dissolved, and a new heaven be created, and that the holy city Jerusalem will descend upon the new earth, answering to the measures above described. But the angels understand these. things differently, that is to say, what man understands naturally, they understand spiritually; and as the angels understand them, such is their true signification; and this is the internal or spiritual sense of the Word. According to this internal' or spiritual sense, in which the angels are, by a new heaven and a new earth is meant a new church, both in the heavens and the earths, which shall be spoken of more particularly here. after; by the city of Jerusalem descending from. God out of heaven, is signified the heavenly doc trine of that church; by the length, breadth, and height thereof, which are equal, are signified all the goods and truths of that doctrine, in. the complex; by the wall of the city are meant

the truths which defend and secure it; by the measure of the wall, which is an hundred and forty and four cubits, the measure of a man and of an angel, all those defending truths in the complex, and their quality; by the twelve gates of pearls are meant all introductive truths; which are likewise signified by the twelve angels at the gates; by the foundations of the wall, which are of every precious stone, are meant the knowledges whereupon the heavenly doctrine is founded. By the twelve tribes of Israel, and also by the twelve apostles, are meant all things of the church in general and in particular; by gold like unto clear glass, whereof the city and it's streets were built, is signified the good of love, giving brightness and transparence to the doctrine and it's truths; by the nations who are saved, and the kings of the earth who bring glory and honour into the city, are meant all the members of the church, who are in goods and truths; by God and the Lamb is meant the Lord, as to the essential divine and the divine-huiman. Such is the spiritual sense of the Word of God, whereunto the natural sense, which is that of the letter, serveth as a basis; nevertheless these two senses, the spiritual and the natural, are united and make one by correspondencies. It is not, however, the design of the present work to prove, that such a spiritual meaning is involved in the fore-mentioned passages, since it may be seen proved at large in the Arcana Coelestia, under the following places. That by EARTH, when used in the Word, is meant the church particularly when it is applied to signify the land of Canaan, n. 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1413, 1607, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 8011,

B 2

9325,

9325, 9643. Because by earth, or land, in a spiritual sense, is signified the nation inhabiting therein, and it's worship, n. 1262. That the people of the land signify all such as belong to the spiritual church, n. 2928. That a new heaven and new earth signify something new in the heavens and the earths, with respect to goods and truths, and of consequence with respect to all things that concern the universal church, n. 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535, 10373. What is meant by the first heaven and the first earth, which passed away, may be seen in a small treatise on the last judgment, and the destruction of Babylon, throughout, but particularly from n. 65 to 72. That by JERUSALEM is signified the church with regard to doctrine, n. 402, 3654, 9166. That by cities (urbes) and cities (civitates) are signified the doctrines which belong to the church and religion, n. 402, 2450, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493. That by the WALL of a city is signified the defensive truth of doctrine, n. 6419. That by the GATES of a city are signified such truths as are introductory to doctrine, and thereby to the church, n. 2943, 4478, 4492, 4495. That by the twelve TRIBES OF ISRAEL were represented and thence signified all the truths and goods of the church, in general and in particular, thus all things of faith and love, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335. That the same is signified by the Lord's TWELVE APOSTLES, n. 2129, 2329, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397. That when it is said of the apostles, that they shall sit upon twelve thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel, it is signified thereby, that all men are to be judged according to the goods and truths of the church; and of consequence by the Lord, from whom those truths and

goods

goods proceed, n. 2129, 6397. That by TWELVE are signified all things in their complex, n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. The same is also signified by an hundred and fortyfour, inasmuch as that number is the product of twelve multiplied by twelve, n. 7973. That twelve thousand hath likewise the same signification, n. 7973. That all numbers in the Word signify things, n. 482, 487, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 6175, 9488, 9659, 10217, 10253. That the products arising from numbers multiplied into each other have the same signification with the simple numbers so multiplied, n. 5291, 5335,5708, 7973. That by MEASURE is sig nified the quality of a thing with respect to truth and good, n. 3104, 9603, 10262. That by the FOUNDATIONS of a wall are signified the knowledges of truth whereupon doctrinals are founded, n. 9642. That by a QUADRANGULAR figure, or SQUARE, is signified what is perfect, n. 9717, 9861. That by LENGTH is signified good and it's extension; and by BREADTH is signified truth and it's extension, n. 1613, 9487. That by PRECIOUS STONES are signified truths from good, n. 114, 9863, 9865. What is signified, both in general and particular, by the precious stones in the urim and thummim, may be seen, n. 3862, 9864, 9866, 9905, 9891, 9895. What is signified by the JASPER whereof the wall was built, may be seen, n. 9872. That by the STREET of the city is signified the truth of doctrine from good, n. 2336. That by GOLD is signified the good of love, n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881. That by GLORY is signified divine truth, such as it is in heaven, with the intelligence and wisdom thence derived, n. 4809, 5292, 5922, 8267, 8427, 9429, 10574. That by NATIONS are signified those

in