2. In the prophetical parts of the Word a horse is mentioned very often, ¹ but until now no one has known 'horse' means understanding, and 'horseman' one who understands, perhaps because it seems extraordinary and astonishing that that is what is meant by 'horse' in a spiritual sense, and consequently in the Word. But that it constantly means this can be agreed from very many instances in the Word, from which I should like to refer to only a few at this point.

In Israel's prophetic utterance ² about Dan we find:

Dan will be a serpent on the road, a darting snake ³ on the path, that will bite the horse's heels, and the horseman will fall backwards. Genesis 49:17-18.

What this prophetic statement about one of the tribes of Israel means no one is going to understand unless he knows what 'serpent' signifies, and also 'horse' and 'horseman." Yet is there anyone who does not see that it holds something spiritual within it? This being so, what the individual details signify may be seen in Arcana Caelestia 6398-6401, where this prophetical utterance is explained.

In Habakkuk we find:

O Lord [...] You ride on Your horses and Your chariots are salvation [...] You caused Your horses to tread in the sea. Habakkuk 3:8, 15.

It is obvious that 'horses' here signify something spiritual, because these things are being said about God. What else would it be, 'God rode on [his] horses, and caused [his] horses to tread in the sea?'

In Zechariah we find, with a similar significance:

'On that day, HOLY TO THE LORD will be on the horse-bells', Zechariah 14:20. ⁴

In the same authority:

On that day I will strike every horse with bewilderment and the horseman with madness, declares the Lord, I will open my gaze on the house of Judah, and I will strike with blindness every horse of the peoples. Zechariah 12:4-5.

What is being talked about here is the Church when it has been laid waste, which happens when there is no longer an understanding of anything true. This is what is being indicated by 'horse' and 'horseman;' what else would it be, [...] every horse about to be struck with bewilderment [...] and the horse of the peoples with blindness?' What, otherwise, would this have to do with the Church?

In Job we find:

'Because God has made her ⁵ forget wisdom, neither has He imparted to her understanding; having raised herself on high, she mocks the horse and its rider' Job 39:17-19.

That understanding is signified here by 'horse' is manifestly obvious; similarly in David, where the expression 'to ride upon the word of truth' is used, Psalms 45:5; and besides in very many other places.

Moreover, who is likely to know why it is that Elijah and Elisha were called 'the chariots of Israel and its horsemen;' and why there appeared to Elisha's servant a mountain full of horses and fiery chariots, unless it is known what 'chariots' and horsemen' signify, and what Elijah and Elisha represented? For Elisha said to Elijah, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen,' 2 Kings 2:11-12; and King Joash said to Elisha, 'My father, my father [...] the chariots of Israel and its horsemen,' 2 Kings 13:14.

Concerning the servant of Elisha we read:

'The Lord opened the eyes of Elisha's servant, and he looked and saw the mountain full of horses and fiery chariots all around Elisha' 2 Kings 6:17.

Elijah and Elisha were called the chariots of Israel and its horsemen because each represented the Lord in his capacity as the Word. 'Chariots' represent doctrine derived from the Word, and 'horsemen' represent understanding. That Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord in this capacity may be seen in Arcana Caelestia: 5247, 7643, 8029, 9327, and that 'chariots' signify doctrine derived from the Word: 5321, 8215.

Footnotes:

10488. 'Put everyone his sword on [his] thigh' means truth springing from good engaged in conflict against falsity arising from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'sword' as truth engaged in conflict against falsity, dealt with in 2799, 8294; and from the meaning of 'the thigh' as the good of love, dealt with in 3021, 4277, 4280, 5050-5062, 9961. The words 'sword on the thigh' are used because truth that is engaged in conflict against falsity and evil and is overcoming them must spring from good. All the power truth possesses is derived from it. Without good truth is not even truth, for it is no more than lifeless factual knowledge; consequently truth without good possesses no power at all. By truth springing from good a life in keeping with truth should be understood, for good is connected with life. From this it is evident why it says that the sword was to be put on the thigh, as also in David where what is said refers to the Lord,

Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Hero, in Your glory and Your honour! Psalms 45:3.

9470. 'And wool of she-goats' means the good from this, that is to say, from the good of mutual love. The reason why 'wool of she-goats' means this good is that 'a she-goat' means the good of innocence in the external or natural man, 3519, 7840, and therefore 'wool' means the truth belonging to that good. However, since not truth but good is meant, the original language does not actually say 'wool of she-goats', only 'she-goats', as is also the case in other places, such as in the following words in Exodus,

All the skilled ¹ women brought what they had spun, violet, purple, twice-dyed scarlet, [and] fine linen thread; and all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun she-goats. Exodus 35:25-26.

'Spinning she-goats' stands for producing things woven from the wool of she-goats.

[2] The fact that 'wool' means truth from a celestial origin, which in itself is good, is clear from places in the Word where the actual word is used, as in Hosea,

[Their mother has committed whoredom.] She said, I will go after my lovers, those giving me my bread and my water, my wool and my linen. Therefore I will return and take back My grain in its season, and I will snatch away My wool and My linen. Hosea 2:5, 9.

This refers to a corrupted Church, meant here by 'mother'. 'The lovers' with whom she is said to have committed whoredom are those who pervert forms of good and truths. 'Bread' and 'water' mean internal forms of the good of love, and the internal truths of faith; 'wool' and 'flax' mean external ones.

[3] In Daniel,

I saw until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. Daniel 7:9.

This refers to the Church laid waste so far as every truth of faith was concerned, and then restored by the Lord, its having been completely laid waste being meant in the words 'thrones were placed'. 'The Ancient of Days' is the Lord in respect of celestial good as this existed in the Most Ancient Church, which was a celestial Church. In the Word that good is called 'ancient', its external truth being meant by clothing which was 'white as snow', and its external good by hair of the head which was 'like pure wool'. Similar words occur in John,

... in the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man. His head and hair were white, like white wool, like snow. Revelation 1:13-14.

[4] This kind of truth, being in itself good because it is the outward form of celestial good, is again meant by 'wool' in Ezekiel,

Damascus was your merchant in the wine of Helbon and the wool of Zachar. ² Ezekiel 27:18.

And in Isaiah,

Though your sins are like twice-dyed, they will be as white as snow. Though they are as red as scarlet, they will be as wool. Isaiah 1:18.

[5] Because Aaron's garments represented the kinds of realities that belong to the Lord's spiritual kingdom, thus the spiritual realities that belong to truth, his 'holy garments' were made of linen and not of wool. For 'linen' is spiritual truth, whereas 'wool' is celestial truth, which in comparison is good. On this account it says in Ezekiel,

The priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, when they enter the gates of the inner court they shall put on the linen garments, and no wool shall come upon them. The linen turbans shall be on their heads, the linen undergarments shall be over their loins. Ezekiel 44:17-18.

The fact that Aaron's garments were made not of wool but of linen is clear from Leviticus 16:4, 32.

[6] From all this it becomes clear that 'linen' means spiritual truth, which is the truth of the good of faith, whereas 'wool' means celestial truth, which is the truth of the good of love. And since those endued with the latter kind of truth cannot be endued with the former, because the two are as different as the light of the sun is from the light of the stars, it was laid down that no one should wear a garment made of wool and linen mixed together, Deuteronomy 22:10-11. The fact that between what is celestial and what is spiritual there is such a difference, and that both cannot be together in one and the same person, see the places referred to in 9277.

Footnotes: