welve gates in his vision,
and twelve foundations. By 'that great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God' is meant the holy Law of God, and this
is set forth in many Tablets and still to be read in the Scriptures of the
Prophets of the past: for instance, that Jerusalem was seen going out into
the wilderness.

The meaning of the passage is that this heavenly Jerusalem hath twelve
gates, through which the blessed enter into the City of God. These gates
are souls who are as guiding stars, as portals of knowledge and grace; and
within these gates there stand twelve angels. By 'angel' is meant the
power of the confirmations of God--that the candle of God's confirming
power shineth out from the lamp-niche of those souls--meaning that every
one of those beings will be granted the most vehement confirming support.

These twelve gates surround the entire world, that is they are a shelter
for all creatures. And further, these twelve gates are the foundation of
the City of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and on each one of these
foundations is written the name of one of the Apostles of Christ. That is
to say, each one maketh manifest the perfections, the joyous message, and
the excellency of that holy Being.

In brief, the Scripture saith: 'And he that talked with me had a rod made
out of gold, that is, a measure, wherewith he measured the city and the
gates thereof and the towers thereof.' The meaning is that certain
personages guided the people with a staff grown out of the earth, and
shepherded them with a rod, like unto the rod of Moses. Others trained and
shepherded the people with a rod of iron, as in the dispensation of
Muhammad. And in this present cycle, because it is the mightiest of
Dispensations, that rod grown out of the vegetable kingdom and that rod of
iron will be transformed into a rod of purest gold, taken from out the
endless treasure houses in the Kingdom of the Lord. By this rod will the
people be trained.

Note well the difference: at one time the Teachings of God were as a
staff, and by this means the Holy Scriptures were spread abroad, the Law
of God was promulgated and His Faith established. Then followed a time
when the staff of the true Shepherd was as iron. And today, in this new
and splendid age, the rod is even as pure gold. How wide is the difference
here! Know, then, how much ground hath been gained by the Law of God and
His Teachings in this dispensation, how they have reached