194. And the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem signifies that the doctrine of the New Church shall be written in their hearts. By "the New Jerusalem" is signified the New Church, and by the same, when it is called "city," is signified the New Church as to doctrine; therefore by "writing upon him the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem," is signified that the doctrine of the New Church will be written in their hearts. That by "Jerusalem" is signified the church, and by it as a city, the church as to doctrine, may be seen below (n. 880, 881). A city signifies doctrine, because "land," and in particular "the land of Canaan," signifies the church in the aggregate, and thence by the inheritances into which the land of Canaan was divided, are signified the various things of the church, and, by the cities in them, doctrinals. It is from this that the angels understand nothing else by cities when they are named in the Word; which has also been testified to me by much experience. Similar is the signification of mountains, hills, valleys, fountains, rivers, all which signify such things as are of the church. [2] That "cities" signify doctrinals, may in some measure appear from the following passages:
The land shall be emptied, the land shall be confounded, the land shall be profaned, the empty city shall be broken, the remnant in the city is a waste, and the gate shall be beaten down even to devastation (Isa. 24:3-4, 10, 12). The lion has come up from the thicket, to reduce the land to a waste; thy cities shall be destroyed; I saw Carmel a wilderness, and her cities desolate: the land shall mourn; the whole city shall flee, being deserted (Jer. 4:7, 26-29). "The land" here is the church, and "the city" is its doctrine. Thus is described the devastation of the church by the falsities of doctrine. The waster shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape, and the valley shall perish, and the plain be destroyed (Jer. 48:8). In like manner:
Behold, I have made thee a fortified city against the whole land (Jer. 1:18). This was said to the prophet, because by "a prophet" the doctrine of the church is signified (n. 8). In that day it shall be sung in the land of Judah, We have a strong city; salvation will He put for walls, and bulwarks (Isa. 26:1). The great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell (Rev. 16:19). The prophet saw upon a high mountain the structure of a city to the south, and an angel measured the wall, the gates, the chambers, the porch of the gate; and the name of the city was Jehovah there (Ezek. 40:1 seq.). A river, whose streams made glad the city of God (Ps. 46:4). I will confound Egypt with Egypt, that city may fight against city, and kingdom against kingdom (Isa. 19:2). Every kingdom divided against itself is desolated, and every city divided against itself shall not stand (Matt. 12:25). In these places by cities, in the spiritual sense, are meant doctrines; as also in Isa. 6:11; 14:12, 17, 21; 19:18, 19; 25:1-3; 33:8, 9; 54:3; 64:10; Jer. 7:17, 34; 13:18, 19; 32:42, 44; 33:4; Zeph. 3:6; Ps. 48:2; 55:9; 107:4, 7; Matt. 5:14, 15, and elsewhere. [3] From the signification of "city" it may appear what is meant by cities in this parable of the Lord:
A nobleman going away to receive for himself a kingdom, gave his servants pounds to trade with: when he returned, he called the servants: the first approached, saying, Thy pound hath gained ten pounds; to whom he said, Good servant, thou shalt have authority over ten cities; and the second came, saying, Thy pound hath gained five pounds; to whom he said, Be thou over five cities (Luke 19:12-19). By "cities" here, also, doctrinals or truths of doctrine are signified, and by "being over them" is meant to be intelligent and wise, thus to give "authority over them" is to give intelligence and wisdom; "ten" signifies much, and "five" something; that by "trading" and "gaining" is meant to acquire intelligence by the exercise of one's faculties, is evident. [4] That "the holy city Jerusalem" signifies the doctrine of the New Church, is plainly manifest from the description of it (Rev. 21); for it is described as to its dimensions, also as to the gates, and as to the wall, and its foundations, which, when Jerusalem signifies the church, cannot signify any other than things belonging to its doctrines. The church is a church from no other source. Since by "the city of Jerusalem" is meant the church as to doctrine, therefore it is called "the city of truth" (Zech. 8:3-4), and in many places "the holy city," and this because holy is predicated of truths from the Lord (n. 173).
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