1. CONCERNING THE WHITE HORSE as described in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 19.

In the writings of John, in the Book of Revelation, the following is a description of the Word in its spiritual sense, in other words the sense contained within it, or its 'inner meaning:'

I saw heaven standing open, and behold, a White Horse. And the one sitting on the White Horse was called faithful and true, judging and fighting in righteousness. His eyes were a flame of fire, and on His head were many jewels. He had a name inscribed that no one knew but He Himself. And He was dressed in a garment dyed with blood, and His name is called the Word of God. The armies that followed Him in heaven were on white horses, they themselves dressed in clean white linen. On His garment and on His thigh was written a name, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 19:11-14, 16.

No one can have a clear idea of what each of the details in this description entails except by way of its 'inner meaning." It is obvious that each particular detail must represent or signify something, as follows:

Heaven which was standing open; a horse which was white; the one seated on it was called faithful and true, ¹ judging and fighting in righteousness; His eyes a flame of fire; and many jewels ² on His head; having a name inscribed that no one knew but He Himself; and dressed in a garment dyed with blood; and the armies that followed Him in heaven were on white horses, they themselves dressed in clean white linen; ³ on His garment and on His thigh He has written a name.

It is stated plainly that the one seated on the White Horse is the Word, and He is the Lord who is the Word, for what is said is that His name is called The Word of God; and then, He has written on His garment and on His thigh the title King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

From the interpretation of each individual phrase or statement it is clear that all this serves to describe the spiritual sense or internal meaning of the Word. The phrase heaven which was standing open' represents and signifies that the inner meaning of the Word is seen by those in heaven, and consequently also by those on earth for whom heaven stands open. 'A horse which was white' represents and signifies an understanding of the Word as regards its inner meanings. ⁴ That the 'white horse' means what I have said will be clear from what follows.

It is clear that 'the one seated on it' means the Lord in His capacity as the Word, and thus means the Word itself, for it is stated that 'His name is called the Word of God;' and he is called 'faithful' and 'judging in righteousness' because of His goodness; and 'true' and 'fighting in righteousness' because of His truth, for the Lord Himself is righteousness. 'His eyes a flame of fire' signify divine truth radiating from the divine good flowing from His divine love. The 'many jewels on His head' signify all the good and true properties of faith. Having a 'name written which no one knew other than He Himself' signifies that no one sees what is the nature of the Word in its inner meaning except Himself, and one to whom He reveals it.

Dressed in a garment dyed with blood' signifies the violence done to the Word in its literal meaning. ⁵ 'The armies in heaven which followed Him on white horses' signifies those who understand the Word as regards its inner meanings.' 'Those dressed in clean white linen' signifies the same people who are endued with truth arising from what is good. 'On His garment and on His thigh a name written ⁶ ' signifies what is true and what is good and their specific qualities.

From all these verses, and from those which come before and after them, it is clear that they serve to foretell that the spiritual or internal sense of the Word will be laid open at around the final time of the Church; and what will happen at that time is also described there, Revelation 19:17-21. There is no need to show here the things which are signified by these words since they are individually shown in Arcana Caelestia. The Lord is the Word because He is the divine truth: 2533, 2803, 2894, 5272, 8535; ⁷ the Word is the divine truth: 4692, 5075, 9987; He is proclaimed to be sitting on a horse judging and fighting in righteousness because the Lord is righteousness. The Lord is proclaimed to be righteousness from the fact that by His own power He has saved the human race: 1813, 2025-2027, 9715, 9809, 10019, 10152. Righteousness is a merit belonging to the Lord alone: 9715, 9979. 'His eyes a flame of fire' signify divine truth radiating from the divine good flowing from His divine love, because 'eyes' signify the understanding and truth of faith: 2701, 4403-4421, 4523-4534, 6923, 9051, 10569; and 'a flame of fire' signifies the good of love: 934, 4906, 5215, 6314, 6832; the 'jewels on His head' ⁸ signify all the good and true properties of faith: 114, 3858, 6335, 6640, 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905.

Having a name written which no one knew other than He Himself' signifies that no one sees what is the nature of the Word in its inner meaning except Himself, and one to whom He reveals it, because a name signifies the nature of a thing: 144-145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3237, 3421, 6674, 9310. 'Dressed in a garment dyed with blood' signifies the violence done to the Word in its literal meaning because a garment' signifies truth, which clothes what is good: 1073, 2576, 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9952, 10536; especially truth in its outermost form, and thus the Word in its literal meaning: 5248, 6918, 9158, 9212; and because 'blood' signifies violence done to truth by what is false: 374, 1005, 4735, 5476, 9127. 'The armies in heaven which followed Him on white horses' signify those who understand the Word as regards its inner meanings because 'armies' signify those who are equipped with the truth and goodness of heaven and the Church: 3448, 7236, 7988, 8019; and the horse' signifies understanding: 3217, 5321, 6125, 6400, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8381; and 'white' means the truth which the light of heaven has within itself thus, the inner truth: 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319.

Those dressed in clean white linen' signify the same people who are endued with truth arising from what is good because 'linen' or 'a garment of linen' signifies truth from a heavenly sourcewhich is truth from what is good: 5319, 9469. 'On His garment and on His thigh a name written' signifies what is true and what is good, and their specific qualities, because 'a garment' signifies truth, and 'a name' signifies its nature, as above, and 'thigh' signifies the good properties of love: 3021, 4277, 4280, 9961, 10488. 'King of Kings and Lord of Lords' is the Lord as regards divine truth and divine good; the Lord is called King by virtue of His divine truth: 3009, 5068, 6148, and He is called Lord by virtue of His divine good: 4973, 9167, 9194.

From all this it is clear what the nature of the Word is in its spiritual or inner sense, and that there is no single word within it which does not have some spiritual meaning relating to heaven and the Church.

脚注:

3994. 'And every black one among the lambs' means a proprium of innocence, which belongs to the good meant by 'Laban'. This is clear from the meaning of 'black' as the proprium, dealt with immediately above in 3993, and from the meaning of 'a lamb' as innocence, dealt with below. With regard to a proprium of innocence meant by 'black one among the lambs' the position is that, to be good, all good must contain innocence. Charity devoid of innocence is not charity, and still less can love to the Lord exist without it. Innocence is therefore an absolutely essential element of love and charity, and consequently of good. A proprium of innocence consists in knowing, acknowledging, and believing, not with the lips but with the heart, that nothing but evil originates in oneself, and everything good in the Lord, and therefore that such a proprium is altogether black, that is to say, both the will side of the proprium, which is evil, and the understanding side, which is falsity. When a person confesses and believes that in his heart, the Lord flows in with good and truth and instills a heavenly proprium into him which is bright and shining. Nobody can possibly be truly humble unless that acknowledgement and belief are present in his heart; and when they are present he is self-effacing, indeed self-loathing, and so is not preoccupied with himself, in which case he is in a fit state to receive the Lord's Divine. These are the circumstances in which the Lord flows in with good into a humble and contrite heart.

[2] Such is the proprium of innocence meant here by 'the black one among the lambs' which Jacob chose for himself, whereas 'the white one among the iambs' means the merit that is placed in good deeds - 'white' meaning merit, as stated above in 3993. Jacob did not choose this because it goes against innocence. Indeed anyone who places merit in good deeds acknowledges and believes that all good originates in himself, for he regards himself, not the Lord, in the good deeds he does and as a consequence seeks reward on the basis of that merit. For the same reason he also despises others in comparison with himself, indeed he even condemns them, and therefore to the same extent departs from heavenly order, that is, from good and truth. From all this it may be seen that charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord are by no means able to exist unless they have innocence within them, and consequently that no one can enter heaven unless he possesses some degree of innocence, according to the Lord's words,

Truly I say to you, Whoever has not received the kingdom of God like a young child will not enter into it. Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17.

Here and elsewhere in the Word 'a young child' means innocence - see what has been stated already on these matters in the following paragraphs,

Early childhood is not innocence, but innocence resides in wisdom, 2305, 3494.

The nature of the innocence of early childhood, and the nature of the innocence of wisdom, 2306, 3183; also the nature of the proprium when, with innocence and charity, the Lord gives it life, 154.

Innocence causes good to be good, 2526, 2780.

[3] The fact that innocence is meant by 'lambs' may be seen from many places in the Word, of which let the following be quoted to confirm the point,

The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the ox together; and a little child will lead them. Isaiah 11:6.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom and to the state of peace and of innocence there. 'The wolf' stands for those who are opposed to innocence, 'the lamb' for those in whom innocence is present. A similar example occurs elsewhere in the same prophet,

The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and for the serpent, dust will be his bread. They will not hurt and will not destroy on all My holy mountain. Isaiah 65:25.

As above, 'the wolf' stands for those who are opposed to innocence, and 'the lamb' for those in whom innocence is present. Because 'the wolf' and 'the lamb' are opposites, the Lord also said to the seventy whom He sent out, in Luke,

Behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Luke 10:3.

In Moses,

He causes him to suck honey out of the crag, and oil out of the stony rock - butter from the cattle, and milk from the flock, with the fat of lambs and rams, the breed ¹ of Bashan. Deuteronomy 32:13-14.

This refers in the internal sense to the celestial qualities of the Ancient Church. 'The fat of lambs' stands for the charity that goes with innocence.

[4] In the original language various nouns exist for lambs, and each is used to mean a different degree of innocence, for as has been stated, all good, if it is to be good, must have innocence within it. And so also must truth. Here in Genesis 30:32 the word used for lambs is also used for sheep, as in Leviticus 1:10; 3:7; 5:6; 17:3; 22:19; Numbers 18:17; and by that word is meant the innocence belonging to faith grounded in charity. Different words are used elsewhere, as in Isaiah,

Send the lamb of the ruler of the land from the rock towards the wilderness, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. Isaiah 16:1.

A different word again is used in the same prophet,

The Lord Jehovih is coming with strength, and His arm will exercise dominion for Him. He will pasture His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs into His arm, He will carry them in His bosom, and will lead those that give suck. Isaiah 40:9-11.

'Gathering the lambs into the arm and carrying in the bosom' stands for people who are governed by charity that has innocence within it.

[5] In John,

When He appeared [to the disciples] Jesus said to Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord; You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs. He said to him again, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My sheep. John 21:15-16.

Here as elsewhere 'Peter' means faith - see the Prefaces to Chapters 18 and 22, and 3750. And since faith is not faith if it does not arise out of charity towards the neighbour, and so out of love to the Lord, neither are charity and love charity and love if they do not arise out of innocence. This is why the Lord first asks whether he loves Him, that is, whether love is present within faith, and after that says, 'Feed My lambs', that is, feed those who are innocent. Then after putting the same question again, He says, 'Feed My sheep', that is, feed those who have charity.

[6] Because the Lord is the Innocence itself which exists in His kingdom, for He is the source of all innocence, the Lord is therefore called the Lamb, as in John,

The next day John Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who bears away the sin of the world. John 1:29, 36.

And in Revelation,

They will fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those with Him have been called and chosen. Revelation 17:14.

There are other places in Revelation besides this - 5:6; 6:1, 16; 7:9, 14, 17; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1, 4; 19:7, 9; 21:22-23, 27; 22:1, 3. It is well known that in the highest sense the paschal lamb means the Lord - for the Passover meant the Lord's glorification, that is, His enduing the Human with the Divine - and in the representative sense means the regeneration of man. Indeed the paschal lamb means that which is the essential feature of regeneration, namely innocence; for nobody can be regenerated except by means of charity that has innocence within it.

[7] Because innocence is the first essential in the Lord's kingdom and is the celestial itself there, and because sacrifices and burnt offerings used to represent the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord's kingdom, the essential itself of the Lord's kingdom, which is innocence, was therefore represented by 'lambs'. This was why the continual or daily burnt offering was made from lambs, the first in the morning and the second 'between the evenings', Exodus 29:37-39; Numbers 28:3-4; and a double offering on the sabbath, Numbers 28:9-10; and many more lambs still at the appointed festivals, Leviticus 23:12; Numbers 28:11, 14, 19, 27; 28:1-end. After the days of her cleansing had been completed a woman who had given birth was required to offer a lamb as a burnt offering, also a young pigeon or else a turtledove, Leviticus 12:6. This was required in order that the sign of the fruit of conjugial love - a love which is innocence itself, see 2736 - might be represented, and because innocence is meant by 'babes'.

脚注:

3448. 'And Ahuzzath his companion, and Phicol the commander of his army' means the first and foremost features of their doctrine of faith. This is clear from the representation of 'Abimelech' as the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts. Consequently 'his companion and the commander of his army' means those first and foremost things, indeed the first and foremost things of their doctrine; for 'a commander' like a prince means things that are first and foremost, 1482, 2089, and 'an army' means matters of doctrine themselves. The reason why 'an army' means matters of doctrine which are expressions of truth, that is, which are lower truths, is that by 'warfare' in the Word and by 'war' are meant those things that have to do with spiritual war and warfare, 1664, 1788, 2686. The same are also meant by weapons - by spears, shields, bows, arrows, swords, and so on, as has been shown in various places. And since they are truths or matters of doctrine through which spiritual conflicts are fought, armies therefore mean those truths or matters of doctrine, and also in the contrary sense falsities or heretical ideas.

[2] It may be seen from many places that by 'armies' or 'hosts' in the Word are meant truths or falsities, as in Daniel,

The one [little] horn of the he-goat ¹ grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. And it grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. It drew itself up even towards the pence of the host. His host was set over the continual [burnt offering] on account of the transgression, and it cast down truth to the earth. I heard a holy one speaking. He said, For how long is this vision, the continual burnt offering, and the desolating transgression, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden down? Daniel 8:9-13.

'The horn that grew towards the south, the east, and the glorious [land]' is the power of falsity that springs from evil, 2832, 'the host of heaven' truths, 'the prince of the host' the Lord as regards Divine Truth. And since in the good sense 'an army' or 'a host' is truth it is said that the horn cast down to earth some of the host, and then that it cast down truth to the earth.

[3] In the same prophet,

The king of the north will raise a multitude greater than the former, and at the end of the period of years he wit surely come with a great army and with many riches. Then he will stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south will engage in war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he will not stand. For even those who eat his food will break him, and his army will overflow, and many will fall down slain. Daniel 11:13, 25-26.

The whole of that chapter refers to war between the king of the north and the king of the south. 'The king of the north' is used to mean falsities as also is 'his army', while 'the king of the south and his army' is used to mean truths. It is prophecy concerning the vastation of the Church.

[4] In John,

I saw heaven standing open, and behold, a white horse! and He who sat on it was called faithful and true. He was clothed in a garment dyed in blood, and His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses and were clothed in linen, white and clean. I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to make war with Him who was sitting on the horse and with His army. Revelation 19:11, 13-14, 19.

'He who sat on the white horse' stands for the Word of the Lord, or the Lord as regards the Word, 2760-2762. 'His armies which in heaven were following Him' stands for truths from the Word and so for those in heaven who possess truths. 'The beast' stands for the evils that belong to self-love, 'the kings of the earth and their armies' for falsities. Conflicts between falsity and truth are what are described here.

[5] In David,

By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and their host by the spirit of His mouth. Psalms 33:6.

'Their host' or the host of heaven stands for truths. Since 'an army' means truths, the children of the kingdom, and angels, by virtue of the truths which they possess, are called the host of heaven, as in Luke,

Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God. Luke 2:13.

In David,

Bless Jehovah, all His hosts, His ministers doing His will. Psalms 103:21.

In the same author,

Praise Jehovah, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts. Psalms 148:2.

In Isaiah,

Lift up your eyes on high and see; who created these? He who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name. From the multitude of the powerful and of the mighty not a man will be missing. Isaiah 40:26.

In the same prophet,

It was I that made the earth and created man on it. It was I - My hands - that stretched out the heavens; and I commanded all their host. Isaiah 45:12.

Here 'the host of the heavens' stands for truths, and so for angels since angels, as has been stated, are in possession of truths.

[6] In the first Book of Kings,

I saw Jehovah sitting on His throne, and the entire host of heaven standing beside Him, on His right hand and on His left. 1 Kings 22:19

In Joel,

Jehovah gave voice before His army, for His camp is exceedingly great; for that which executes His word is uncountable. Joel 2:11.

In Zechariah,

I will pitch by My house a camp composed of an army passing through and resuming, so that the oppressor passes over them no more. Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion! Make a noise, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you. Zechariah 9:8-9.

This refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'His army' stands for Divine truths For this reason, and also because the Lord alone fights on man's behalf against hells that are constantly endeavouring to attack, the Lord is called many times in the Word Jehovah Zebaoth, God Zebaoth, the Lord Zebaoth - that is, Jehovah, God, or Lord of Hosts - as in Isaiah,

The noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah Zebaoth is leading an army of war. Isaiah 13:4.

'The kingdoms of the nations' stands for falsities that spring from evils, 'leading an army of war' for fighting on man's behalf.

[7] Because the twelve tribes of Israel represented the Lord's heavenly kingdom, and 'tribes' as well as 'twelve' meant all things of faith in their entirety, that is, all the truths of the kingdom, 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, they were also called Jehovah's hosts, as in Exodus 7:4; 12:17, 41, 51. And commands were given to bring them out of Egypt according to their hosts, Exodus 6:26, to encamp according to their hosts, Numbers 1:52, and to divide them into hosts, Numbers 2:1- end.

[8] That truths are meant by 'armies' is also clear in Ezekiel,

Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, as your men of war; they hung the shield and helmet in you, they gave you your reputation. The sons of Arvad, and your army, were on your walls round about, and the Gammadim were in your towers. Ezekiel 27:10-11.

This refers to Tyre which means interior cognitions of good and truth, and so those who possess them, 1201, 'army' standing for truths themselves 'Lud' and 'Put' too mean those who possess cognitions, see 1163, 1164, 1166, 1195, 1231. 'The shield and helmet' describes such things as belong to spiritual conflict.

[9] As regards 'an army' or 'a host' in the contrary sense meaning falsities, this is evident in Isaiah,

It will be on that day, that Jehovah will visit the host of the height on high, and the kings of the earth on the earth. Isaiah 24:21.

Here 'the host of the height' stands for falsities that result from self-love. In Ezekiel,

I will bring you back and put hooks in your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed perfectly, a great company with shield and buckler, all of them wielding swords. You will come from your place, from the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding horses, a great company, a great army. Ezekiel 38:4, 15.

This refers to Gog, who means external worship separated from internal and so made idolatrous, 1151. 'His army' stands for falsities.

[10] In Jeremiah,

I will send against Babel the archer, him who arches his bow and draws himself up in his breastplate. Do not spare the young men; utterly destroy all its host. Jeremiah 51:2-3.

'Babel' stands for worship whose external features appear holy but whose interiors are profane, 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326. 'Its host' means the falsities that go with such as these, and the army of Babel in other places has the same meaning as in Jeremiah 34:1, 21; 32:2; 39:1.

In Ezekiel,

Pharaoh will see them and will comfort himself over all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword; for I will put My terror in the land of the living. Ezekiel 32:31-32.

This refers to Egypt, which means those who by means of reasonings based on facts pervert truths, 1164, 1165. 'His army', that is, Pharaoh's, stands for derivative falsities, as also does 'Pharaoh's army' in other places, as in Jeremiah 37:5, 7, 11; 46:2; Ezekiel 17:17.

In Luke,

When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its devastation is near. Luke 21:20.

This refers to the close of the age or final period of the Church when faith does not exist any longer. 'Jerusalem' - which means the Church, see 2117 - is 'surrounded by armies' when beset by falsities.

[11] From these quotations it is clear that 'the hosts of heaven', which Jews and Israelite idolaters worshipped, in the internal sense meant falsities. The second Book of Kings says of them,

They forsook all the commandments of their God and made for themselves a molten image of two calves, and made a grove, and bowed down to all the host of heaven. 2 Kings 17:16.

This refers to the Israelites. And elsewhere it is said of Manasseh that he built altars for all the host of heaven, 2 Kings 21:5, and that King Josiah brought out of the temple all the vessels made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven, 2 Kings 23:4. And in Jeremiah it is said that they were to spread the bones of the princes, of the priests, and of the prophets before the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven, which they had loved and had served and had gone after, Jeremiah 8:1-2. And elsewhere,

The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the king of Judah will be defiled, like the place of Topheth - all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven and have poured out drink offerings to other gods. Jeremiah 19:13.

And in Zephaniah,

I will stretch out My hand against those worshipping on their roofs the host of heaven. Zephaniah 1:5.

It is the stars to which the expression 'the host of heaven' refers primarily, and by 'the stars' is meant truths, and also in the contrary sense falsities; see 1128, 1808.

脚注: