861. Verse 9. And they went up upon the breadth of the earth, and encompassed the camp of the saints, and the beloved city, signifies that being aroused by the dragonists, they spurned every truth of the church, and endeavored to destroy all things of the New Church, and its very doctrine concerning the Lord and concerning life. "To go up upon the breadth of the earth," signifies to spurn every truth of the church, for by "going up" is signified to climb over and pass by, thus to spurn; and by "the breadth of the earth" is signified the truth of the church, as will be seen presently: "to encompass the camp of the saints," signifies to besiege and to wish to destroy all things of the New Church, as will be shown in the next article; and by "the beloved city" is signified the doctrine of the New Church; that by "a city" is signified the doctrine of the church, may be seen above (n. 194, 501, 502, 712), which is called "beloved," because it treats of the Lord and of life, for it is the doctrine of the New Jerusalem which is here meant. That this is the signification of these words, no one can perceive except by the spiritual sense of the Word, for it could never enter into anyone's thought, that by "the breadth of the earth" is signified the truth of the church, and that by "the camp of the saints" are signified all things of the New Church, both its truths and goods, and that by "the city" is signified its doctrine. Wherefore, lest the mind should remain in doubt, it is necessary to demonstrate what "the breadth" and what "the camp of the saints" signify in the spiritual sense, from which it may afterwards be seen that such is the sense of these words.
[2] The reason why the "breadth of the earth" signifies the truth of the church, is because in the spiritual world there are four quarters, east, west, south, and north, and the east and west constitute its length, and the south and north its breadth; and because they dwell in the east and west who are in the good of love, and thence by "east" and "west" is signified good, therefore the same is meant by "length;" and because they dwell in the south and north who are in the truths of wisdom, and thence by "south" and " north" is signified truth, therefore the same is meant by "breadth;" but on this more may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell, published at London in 1758 (n. 141-153). That by "breadth" is signified truth, may appear from these passages in the Word:
O Jehovah, Thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast made my feet to stand in a broad place (Ps. 31:8).
I called upon Jah in straitness, He answered me in a broad place (Ps. 118:5)
Jehovah led me forth also into a broad place, He delivered me (Ps. 18:19).
I raise up the Chaldeans, a nation bitter and swift, that walketh in the breadths of the earth (Hab. 1:6).
Ashur shall pass through Judah, he shall overflow and go over, and the stretching out of his wings is the fullness of the breadth (Isa. 8:8).
Jehovah shall feed them as a sheep in a broad place (Hos. 4:16). Besides other passages, as Ps. 4:1; 66:12; Deut. 33:20.
[3] Nor is anything else meant by:
The breadth of the city New Jerusalem (Re. 21:16).
For when by "the New Jerusalem" is meant the New Church, by "the breadth and length of it" breadth and length cannot be signified, but its truth and good; for these are the things of the church, as also in Zechariah:
I said to the angel, Whither goest thou? He said, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof and what is the length thereof (Zech. 2:2).
The same by:
The breadth and length of the new temple, and of the new earth (Ezek. 40-47).
Also by "the length and breadth of the altar of burnt-offering, of the tabernacle, of the table upon which was bread, of the altar of incense, and of the ark therein;" and also by "the length and breadth" of the temple at Jerusalem, and of many other things, which are described by measures.