And Rav Naḥman said to Rabbi Yitzḥak: What is the meaning of the verse: “It is sacred in your midst, and I will not enter the city” (Hosea 11:9)?
This verse is puzzling: Because it is sacred in your midst, will God not enter the city?
Rabbi Yoḥanan said the verse should be understood as follows: The Holy One, Blessed be God, said: I shall not enter Jerusalem above until I enter Jerusalem below.
The Gemara asks: And is there such a place as Jerusalem above? The Gemara answers: Yes, as it is written: “Jerusalem built up, a city unified together” (Psalms 122:3).
"I will not come into Jerusalem"
This is how to read it-->
I will not enter into the City Above
until there is holiness below--that is Jerusalem
(נח) עוד יתבאר הכתוב על זה הדרך כי דבר ידוע כי מצינו להקב"ה שבחר לשכון בערפל, וחבב לשכון בתוכנו. ועוד לו שמצינו (תענית ה.) כביכול שנשבע שלא יכנס לירושלים של מעלה עד שיכנס לירושלים של מטה הרי זה מגיד שחביבה לו של מטה יותר משל מעלה, גם כשנשכיל בטעם בריאת כל העולם נדע כי העיקר הם התחתונים שהם עמו ונחלתו:
The verse can also be explained in this way; as it is well know that we have found that the Holy One, blessed be God, has chosen to dwell in the mist and [yet] prefers to live among us. And we have also found about Him (Taanit 5a) that He - as if it were possible - swore that he would not enter the 'heavenly Jerusalem' until He enters the earthly Jerusalem; behold this means that he prefers the earthly to the heavenly. Also, when we discern the reason for the creation of the entire world, we would know that the lower ones, which are His people and His inheritance, are the essence [of creation].
(ד) וְאִיתָא בְּכִתְבֵי הָאֲרִ"י זַ"ל, שֶׁהַכַּוָּנָה עַל־פִּי סוֹד הוּא, שֶׁבִּינָה אִמָּא עִלָּאָה, בֵּיתָא עִלָּאָה, הִיא בְּחִינַת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה. וּמַלְכוּת, בֵּיתָא תַּתָּאָה, הִיא בְּחִינַת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁלְּמַטָּה. שֶׁאֵין הַיִּחוּד שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת עֲלִיַּת בֵּיתָא עִלָּאָה נִשְׁלָם, עַד שֶׁנִּבְנֶה וְנִשְׁלָם בְּחִינַת מַלְכוּת בִּשְׁלֵמוּת, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת עֲלִיַּת בֵּיתָא תַּתָּאָה וְכוּ', עַיֵּן שָׁם.
(4) We find in the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory, that the mystical intention [behind this] is that Binah —Upper Imma, the upper house—is the aspect of Jerusalem of above. Malkhut —the lower house—is the aspect of Jerusalem of below. The union above, which is the aspect of the ascent of the upper house, is not complete until the aspect of Malkhut, which is the aspect of the ascent of the lower house, is built up and becomes perfectly complete. See there.