AE 223 - "The City of My God"

AC 223

And the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem,
which is coming down out of heaven from My God,
(Revelation 3:12)

signifies the doctrine of the new church,
which is in the heavens.
This is evident from the signification of "the city of My God,"
as being the doctrine of Divine truth;
also from the signification of "the New Jerusalem,"
as being the church in respect to doctrine;
also from the signification of
"which comes down out of heaven from My God,"
as being that it is out of heaven from Divine truth there.

. . . That "the city of My God"
signifies the doctrine of Divine truth
seems at first view remote,
for the mind cannot readily think of doctrine
when "city" is mentioned,
or think of the church when a "land" is mentioned;
yet in the Word, "cities"
mean nothing else in the spiritual sense;
and for the reason that the idea of a city is merely natural,
but the idea of doctrine in a city is spiritual.
Angels, because they are spiritual,
can have no other idea of a city
than of the people therein in respect to doctrine,
as they can have no other idea of a land
than of the people therein in respect to their church
or their religion.
The reason of this is
that the societies into which the heavens are divided
are for the most part like cities [communities],
all differing from one another
in respect to the reception of Divine truth in good;
when, therefore, a "city" is mentioned
angels think of the doctrine of truth.