3. That 'horse' signifies understanding comes from no other source than from representatives in the spiritual world; horses are seen there very often, and those seated on horses, and even chariots, and everyone knows there that they signify things of the intellect and doctrine. It seemed to me quite often, when any there were thinking by using their own understanding of things, that they appeared as if they were riding on horses; this was how their meditating presented itself before others, though they themselves were unaware of it. There is also a place there where many come together who, using their own understanding of things, think and talk about the truths contained in doctrine; and when others come there they see that whole plain full of chariots and horses; and newcomers, who wonder where all this comes from, are taught that this is a manifestation resulting from their own intellectual thought; this place is called the Assembly of the Intelligent and Wise. There even appeared to me horses beaming with light and chariots of fire, when certain souls were taken up into heaven, which was a sign that they were at that time instructed in the truths contained in heavenly doctrine, and made intelligent, and thus were taken up. As a result of my seeing this, there came into my mind what was signified by the chariot of fire and the horses of fire by which Elijah was taken up into heaven; and also by the horses and chariots of fire seen by Elisha's servant when his eyes were opened.

9979. The Lord alone has earned merit, for He alone, by His own efforts, has conquered the hells and subdued them. Consequently the Lord alone is merit and righteousness.

5075. 'After these words' means after the things prior to this. This is clear from the meaning of 'words' in the original language, in which the same expression also means things. This therefore is why 'after these words' here means after these things, and so after those that happened prior to this. The reason words ¹ in the original language also means things is that in the internal sense 'words' means the truths of doctrine, on account of which all Divine Truth in general is called the Word; and in the highest sense the Lord Himself, the source of all Divine Truth, is the Word, 1288. A further reason is that no thing which comes into being anywhere in the world has any existence, that is, any reality, unless it has been created by Divine Good acting through Divine Truth. It explains why in Hebrew the same expression is used for things as for words. The truth that no thing anywhere in the world has any existence, that is, any reality, unless it has been created by Divine Good acting through Divine Truth, that is, through the Word, is evident in John,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:1, 3.

[2] The interior meanings that words possess have their origin for the most part in the interior man, which dwells with spirits and angels. For as to his spirit, that is, as to his true self which lives after the death of his body, everyone lives in communion with angels and spirits, though the external man is not conscious of this. Living in communion with them he is also among those who use a universal language and so use that which is the origin of verbal expressions. It is for this reason that words have many spiritual meanings attached to them which to outward appearance seem to be out of keeping with them; but inwardly they are in keeping, as with the meaning of 'words' here as things. The same is true of very many other expressions, as when for instance a person's understanding is called his inner sight and is said to possess light, or as when his apprehension of and obedience to something is called hearing and listening, or as when his detection of something is called smelling, and so on.