6. It shall also be stated in a few words what is meant, in the Word, in its spiritual sense, by Jerusalem. Jerusalem means the Church itself with respect to doctrine; and this for the reason that there, in the land of Canaan, and nowhere else, were the temple and the altar, and that the sacrifices, and, consequently, the Divine worship itself, took place there. On this account, also, the three festivals were celebrated there every year, and to these every male throughout the land was commanded to go. This, then, is the reason why Jerusalem, in the spiritual sense, signifies the Church as to worship, or, what is the same, as to doctrine; for worship is prescribed by doctrine, and takes place according to it. It is said, "The holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven," because in the spiritual sense of the Word, a city and town signifies doctrine, and the holy city the doctrine of Divine Truth; for Divine Truth is what in the Word is called the Holy. It is called the New Jerusalem for a similar reason for which the earth is called "new" for, as said above, by earth or land is signified the Church, and by Jerusalem, that Church as to doctrine; it is said to come down from God out of heaven, because all Truth Divine, from which is doctrine, comes down out of heaven from the Lord. That by Jerusalem is not meant a city, although it was seen as a city, appears plainly from its being said that its height, like its length and breadth, was twelve thousand furlongs (ver. 16); and that the measure of its wall, which was a hundred and forty-four cubits, was the measure of a man, that is, of an angel (ver. 17); also from its being said to be prepared as a bride before her husband (ver. 2); and that afterwards the angel said, Come, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife: and he shewed me that holy city, Jerusalem (vers. 9, 10). The Church is what is called in the Word the bride and the wife of the Lord; she is called bride before conjunction, and wife after conjunction, see in the Heavenly Arcana, nos. 3103, 3105, 3164, 3165, 3207, 7022, 9182.