Transparency is needed to sort things out. Before big change happens, God first reveals what’s really going on.

In the Book of Revelation - the last book of the Word - the apostle John describes a series of apocalyptic visions that he experienced during his exile on the Isle of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea.

In one of these visions, he saw four horsemen, the first riding a white horse, the second a red horse, the third a black, and the fourth - named Death - riding a pale horse. These "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" - oft-pictured - are described in Revelation 6:1-8.

What do these horses, and their riders, represent? What do they have to do with us, today? Watch as Curtis Childs and Jonathan Rose explore the hidden Bible meaning of the Four Horsemen in the Book of Revelation, in this video from the Swedenborg and Life Series, from the Swedenborg Foundation.

Plus, to go straight to the source, follow the links below to the places in "Apocalypse Revealed" where Swedenborg explained the inner meaning of this famous Bible story. A good place to start would be Apocalypse Revealed 298.

(Referencias: Apocalypse Explained 315; Apocalypse Revealed 262-263, 301, 306, 314, 316, 320, 322-323)

308. And there was given to him a great sword. This symbolizes the destruction of truth by the falsities accompanying evil.

It may be seen in no. 52 above that swords symbolize truth combating falsities and destroying them, and in an opposite sense, falsity combating truths and destroying them. The great sword here symbolizes the falsities accompanying evil destroying the truths accompanying goodness.

We say the falsities accompanying evil, because there are falsities that are not connected with evil, and these do not destroy truths, as those accompanying evil do.

That this is the symbolic meaning of the great sword is apparent from the fact that a black horse is seen next, which symbolizes an understanding of the Word extinguished as to truth, and truth is extinguished only by evil.