364. (Verse 4) And there went out another horse that was red. That this signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed as to good, is clear from the signification of a horse as denoting the Intellectual (concerning which see above, n. 355); in the present case, because the states of those who belong to the church where the Word is, are treated of. By a horse is signified the Intellectual of the men of the church as to the Word. And from the signification of red or reddish, as denoting the quality of a thing as to good, therefore, in the present case, the quality of the understanding of the Word as to good. That reddish here signifies this destroyed as to good, is evident from what immediately follows in this verse, for it is said, it was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, that they should kill one another, and there was given unto him a great sword, by which is signified, that there was thence the extinction of all truth. Because the horses seen by John, were distinguished by colours (for the first appeared white, the second red, the third black, and the fourth pale), and colours signify the qualities of things, therefore something shall first be said here concerning colours. In the heavens there appear colours of every kind, and they derive their origin from the light there, which light, as it immensely excels in brightness and splendour the light of the world, so also do the colours there; and because the light there is from the Sun of heaven, which is the Lord, and is the proceeding Divine, and hence that light is spiritual, therefore also all colours signify things spiritual. And since the proceeding Divine is the Divine good united to the Divine truth, and the Divine good in heaven is manifested by a flaming light, and the Divine truth by a white light, therefore, there are two fundamental colours there, namely, red and white; the red colour derives its origin from the flaming light which proceeds from the Divine good, and the white from the white light which proceeds from the Divine truth; therefore in proportion as colours are derived from red they signify good, and so far as they are derived from white, they signify truth.

(But these things will be more evident from what is said from experience concerning colours in the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that the most beautiful colours appear in the heavens (n. 1053, 1624); that colours in the heavens are from the light there, and that they are the modifications and variations thereof (n. 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4922, 4742); that thus they are appearances of truth and good, and signify such things as pertain to intelligence and wisdom (n. 4530, 4922, 1677, 9466); that therefore the precious stones, which were of various colours, in the breast-plate of the ephod, or in the urim and thummim, signified all things of truth from good in heaven and in the church, and that hence the breast-plate in general signified the Divine truth shining forth from the Divine good (n. 9823, 9865, 9868, 9905); and that hence responses were given by variegations and resplendences of light, and at the same time by silent perception, or by a living voice out of heaven (n. 3862); that colours signify good in proportion as they are derived from red, and truth in proportion as they are from white (n. 9467). Concerning the light of heaven, whence and what it is, see the work concerning Heaven and Hell 126-140, 275.)

[2] Moreover it should be known, that red not only signifies the quality of a thing as to good, but also the quality of a thing as to evil; for that colour exists from the flaming light which is the light from the Sun of heaven, as said above, and it also exists from the flaming [quality] in hell, which is from the fire there, this fire being like a coal fire. Hence the red in heaven is altogether different from the red in hell; the red in heaven is shining and living, whereas the red in hell is hideously obscure and dead; the red of heaven also imparts life, but the red of hell death; the reason is, that the fire from which red is produced is in its origin love, celestial fire, being from celestial love, and infernal fire from infernal love; hence it is that fire in the Word signifies love in both senses (as may be seen, n. 4906, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 7575, 10747; and in the work concerning, Heaven and Hell 134, 566-575); therefore the red existing therefrom signifies the quality of the love in both senses. This red also, or the red colour of this horse, in the original Greek, is expressed [by a word derived] from fire. From these considerations, and at the same time from the description of this horse in this verse, it is evident why it is that a red horse signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed as to good. That a horse signifies something of this sort, is quite evident from the fact, that the horses were seen when the seals were opened, and it is said that they went out, for horses could not go forth out of the book, but that those things were to be manifested that are signified by horses. That a horse signifies the Intellectual, and colour its quality, has been made well known to me from experience; for spirits who were meditating from the understanding upon some subject have appeared to me at different times riding upon horses, and when I asked them whether they were riding, they said they were not, but that they stood meditating upon the subject; hence it was evident, that riding upon a horse was an appearance representative of the operation of their understanding.

[3] There is also a place, which is called the assembly of the intelligent and wise, whither many resort for meditation, and when any one enters it, there appear to him horses of various colours, and variously caparisoned, and also chariots, and some riding, and others sitting in the chariots; when asked whether they ride upon horses, and are carried in chariots, they say that they are not, but that they go along meditating; hence also it was evident what is signified by horses, and by chariots. (But upon this subject more may be seen in the small work concerning the White Horse.) From these considerations, it is now evident, why it is that horses were seen by John when the seals of the book were opened, and also what they signify. The reason why those horses were seen, is, because all the spiritual things of the Word are set forth in the sense of its letter by such things as correspond or represent, and thence signify them, and this in order that the Divine may be there in ultimates, and, consequently, in fulness, as has been frequently said above.

[4] That reddish or red signifies the quality of a thing as to good is also evident from the following passages in the Word: In Moses:

Who washes his clothing in wine, and his garment in the blood of grapes. His eyes are redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk (Genesis 49:11, 12).

These words are in the prophecy of the father Israel concerning Judah, and by Judah is there meant the Lord as to the good of love, and in a relative sense the Lord's celestial kingdom. What is signified by each particular there, in the spiritual sense, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, where they are explained. The Divine wisdom which is from the Divine good, is signified by his eyes being redder than wine; and the Divine intelligence, which is from the Divine truth, by his teeth being whiter than milk.

[5] In Lamentations:

"The Nazarites were whiter than snow, they were whiter than milk, their bones were more ruddy than pearls" (4:7).

By the Nazarites the Lord was represented as to the Divine Human (see above, n. 66, 196, at the end), wherefore also, in a relative sense, the good of celestial love was signified by them, because this good proceeds immediately from the Lord's Divine Human; its representative in the church is thus described. The truth of that good is signified by their being whiter than snow, and whiter than milk; and the good of truth, by their bones being more ruddy than pearls. For bones signify truths in their ultimate, thus truths in their whole extent, for in ultimates all things are together, and in fulness.

[6] That they are from good, and also are goods, is signified by their being ruddy. In Zechariah:

"I beheld four chariots going out from between mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; in the second chariot black horses; in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled horses, strong" (6:1-3).

That by the red horses is here also signified the quality of the understanding as to good in the beginning, by the black horses the quality of the understanding as to truth in the beginning, by the white horses the quality of the understanding as to truth afterwards, by the grisled horses the quality of the understanding as to truth and good afterwards, and by strong the quality thereof thence as to the power of resisting falsities and evils, may be seen above (n. 355), where the signification of the horse is treated of. In the same prophet almost the same is meant by the "red horse, upon which a man rode, standing among the myrtle trees" (1:8). Because by red or ruddy is signified the quality of a thing as to good, therefore, red rams' skins were used for the covering over the tabernacle (Exodus 25:5; 26:14; 35:7). And, therefore, also the water of separation, by which they were cleansed, was made from the ashes of a red heifer (Numbers 19:1-10). By the red heifer is signified the good of the natural man, and by the water of separation, made from those ashes, is signified the truth of the natural man; and this was commanded because all cleansing is effected by truths; the particulars also respecting the slaying of it, and respecting the preparation of the water of cleansing from it, involve spiritual things.

[7] Because red signifies the quality of a thing as to good, therefore, also names and things, which are named from the same expression in the original tongue, signify the good in which they originate. Red, in the original tongue, is called Adam, whence the name Adam, and also the name Edom, and hence also man is called Adam, the ground Adama, and the ruby Odam; thus, those names and those things are from red. By Adam is signified the Most Ancient Church, which was the church that was in the good of love; the same is signified by man, and also by ground in the spiritual sense, where celestial good is treated of. That Edom was named from red may be seen in Genesis 25:30; and hence the truth of the good of the natural man is signified by him. That the ruby is also named from red, may be seen in Exodus 28:17; 39:10; Ezekiel 28:13; hence it is that by the ruby is signified the truth of celestial good. (That Adam signifies the Most Ancient Church, which was the celestial church, or the church that was in the good of love to the Lord, may be seen, (n. 478, 479; that man signifies the church as to good, n. 4287, 7424, 7523; that ground also signifies the same, n. 566, 10570; that Edom, because he was named from red, signifies the truth of the good of the natural man, n. 3300, 3322; and that the ruby signifies the truth of celestial good, n. 9865.) Because red signifies the quality of a thing as to good, therefore, in the opposite sense, it signifies the quality of a thing as to evil, which is the opposite of good, consequently, good destroyed. In this sense red is mentioned in the following passages: In Isaiah:

"If your sins are as scarlet, they shall become white as snow; if they are red as crimson, they shall be as wool" (1:18).

And in Nahum:

"The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in purple; in a fire of torches are his chariots, the chariots raged in the streets; they ran to and fro in the broad ways, the appearance of them as of torches" (2:3, 4).

In that sense also the dragon is called red (Apoc. 12:3); which will be explained in what follows.

3322. 'Therefore he called his name Edom' means the resulting nature of the good, to which matters of doctrine regarding truth were allied. This is clear from the meaning of 'calling the name' or calling by name as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, and from the representation of 'Edom'. In the Word Esau is mentioned in various places, as also is Edom. In those places 'Esau' means the good of the natural before matters of doctrine regarding truth have been joined to it, and also before the good of life brought by an influx from the rational has been joined to it - to natural good; while 'Edom' means the good of the natural to which matters of doctrine regarding truth have been allied. But in the contrary sense 'Esau' means the evil stemming from self-love before falsities have been allied to it, that is to say, to self-love, while 'Edom' means the evil stemming from that love once they have been allied to it. The majority of names in the Word, as shown quite often, also have the contrary sense. The reason why is that in course of time the self-same things which in the Churches were forms of good and truth deteriorated into forms of evil and falsity through various kinds of adulterations.

[2] That 'Esau' and 'Edom' mean these things becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

Who is this who is coming from Edom, with spattered clothes from Bozrah glorious in his apparel, marching in the vast numbers of his strength? Why are you red as to your clothing, and your clothes like his that treads in the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no man was with me. I looked around but there was none helping, and I wondered, and there was nobody to uphold, and my own arm saved me. Isaiah 63:1-3, 5.

Here it is quite clear that 'Edom' is the Lord, and the fact that it is the Lord as regards the Divine Good of the Divine Natural is evident because the subject is the joining together of good and truth in the Lord's Human, and the conflicts brought about by temptations through which He joined the two together. 'Clothes' here means the truths of the natural man, or truths that are lower compared with other truths, see 2576, while 'red' is the good of the natural man, 3300. The Lord's work in which - by His own power, and through the conflicts brought about by temptations - He joined truths present there to good is described by the words 'I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no man was with me. I looked around but there was none helping; I wondered, and there was nobody to uphold, and my own arm saved me' - 'arm' meaning power, 878.

[3] In the Book of Judges,

O Jehovah. when You went forth from Seir, when You set out from the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, the clouds indeed dropped [water], the mountains flowed down. Judges 5:4-5.

'Setting out from the field of Edom' is almost the same in meaning as 'coming from Edom' in Isaiah. Likewise in Moses,

Jehovah came from Sinai, and dawned from Seir upon them. Deuteronomy 33:2.

In the same author,

I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will arise out of Jacob, and a sceptre will rise up out of Israel. And Edom will be an inheritance, and Seir will be an inheritance, of his enemies - with Israel doing valiantly - and will have dominion in regard to Jacob, and will destroy what is left of the city. Numbers 24:17-19.

This refers to the Lord's Coming into the world, His Human Essence being called 'a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre out of Israel'. 'Edom' and 'Seir' which are to be 'an inheritance' stand for the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Natural. Their becoming 'an inheritance of his enemies' stands for the fact that it would take the place of those things that existed previously in the Natural. Dominion at that time over the truths there is meant by 'he will have dominion over Jacob, and he will destroy what is left of the city' - 'Jacob' being the truth of the natural, 3305, and 'a city' doctrine, 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216. Dominion is said to be had over those truths when they are subsidiary to and subject to good. Before this comes about they are called enemies because they constantly offer resistance, as shown above in 3321.

[4] In Amos,

On that day I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen down, and I will close up their breaches, and I will restore its destroyed places, and I will build it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnants of Edom, and all the nations which have been called by My name. Amos 9:11-12.

'The tent of David' stands for the Church and worship of the Lord; 'the remnants of Edom' for those within the Church who are governed by good, 'the nations which have been called by His name' for those outside the Church who are governed by good - 'the nations' being those who are governed by good, 1259, 1260, 1416, 1849. In David,

Upon Edom I will cast my shoe. Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me even to Edom? Will not You, O God? Psalms 60:8-10.

'Edom' stands for the good of the natural. Its being the good of the natural is evident from the meaning of 'shoe' as the lowest part of the natural, 1748.

[5] In Daniel,

At the time of the end the king of the south will clash with him; therefore the king of the north will rush upon him like a whirlwind with chariots, and will overflow and penetrate; and when he comes into the glorious land many will fall These however will be delivered out of his hand, Edom and Moab, and the firstfruits of the children of Ammon. Daniel 11:40-41.

This refers to the final state of the Church. 'The king of the north' stands for falsities, or what amounts to the same, for people in possession of falsities. 'Edom' stands for those in whom simple good is present, the type of good that exists with those who constitute the Lord's external Church. The same applies to 'Moab' and 'the children of Ammon', 2468; and as the two of them, that is to say, Edom and Moab, mean those in whom natural good exists, both are therefore mentioned together in many places. But the difference between them is that 'Edom' is the good of the natural to which matters of doctrine concerning truth have been allied, whereas 'Moab' is natural good such as also exists with those with whom the two have not been joined together. Both sets of people seem to outward appearance to be alike, but they are not so inwardly.

[6] From this it is now evident why it was said that they were not to abhor an Edomite since he was a brother, nor an Egyptian since they had been strangers in his land, Deuteronomy 23:7. Because 'an Edomite' means the good of the natural, and 'an Egyptian' means the truths of the same, which are facts, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, therefore the two are mentioned in the good sense. It is also evident why Jehovah told Moses that they were not to quarrel ¹ with the children of Esau, for none of their territory would be given to the children of Jacob, not even enough to leave a footprint, Deuteronomy 2:4-6.

[7] In the contrary sense however Esau and Edom represent those who turn away from good by utterly despising truth and who are unwilling to associate any truth of faith at all with it, which happens chiefly for reasons of self-love. Consequently Esau and Edom in the contrary sense mean those people The same was also represented by the king of Edom coming out with many people and a strong force and refusing to let Israel pass across his frontier, Numbers 20:14-22. This evil, that is to say, the evil of self-love, which is such as does not accept the truths of faith, nor thus matters of doctrine concerning truth, is described in various places in the Word as Esau and Edom, the state of the Church when it comes to be such also being described at the same time; as in Jeremiah,

Against Edom. Is there no wisdom any longer in Teman? Has counsel perished from those who have intelligence? Has their wisdom become rotten? Flee! They have turned themselves away, they have gone down to dwell in the deep, O inhabitants of Dedan, for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him. I will strip Esau bare, I will uncover his secret places, and he is not able to be concealed. His seed have been laid waste, and his brothers, and his neighbours. Leave your orphans, I will keep them alive, and let your widows trust in Me. Edom will become a waste; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and will hiss at all its plagues. Jeremiah 49:7-8, 10-11, 17, and following verses.

[8] In David,

They say, Let not the name of Israel be remembered any more, for they consult together with one accord; against You they make a covenant - the tents of Edom, and the Ishmaelites, and Moab, and the Hagrites. Psalms 83:4-6.

In Obadiah,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih to Edom, Behold, I have made you small among the nations; you are utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose seat is on high, who say in your heart, Who will bring me down to the ground? Though you exalt yourself like the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there will I bring you down. How are the men of Esau searched out, their hidden treasures sought out! Will I not on that day destroy the wise men out of Edom, and those who have intelligence out of Mount Esau, so that your mighty men may be dismayed, O Teman, and every man from Mount Esau cut off by slaughter? For the violence done to Jacob your brother shame will cover you, and you will be cut off for ever. The house of Jacob will be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau turned into stubble; and they will burn them and consume them, and there will be nothing left over to the house of Esau. And the people of the south will inherit the mountain of Esau. Obad. verses 1-4, 6, 8-10, 18, 19, 21.

'Edom' and 'Esau' here stand for the evil of the natural man, which evil, arising out of self-love, despises and rejects all truth - which leads to its devastation.

[9] In Ezekiel,

Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, and say to it, Thus said the Lord Jehovih, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out My hand against you, and I will make you a waste and a desolation. Because you possess eternal enmity, and give over the children of Israel to the power of the sword ² in the time of their disaster and in the time of the iniquity of the end. Because you said concerning the two nations and the two lands, They are mine and we will inherit them - and Jehovah is there. And you will know that I Jehovah have heard all your insults which you have uttered against the mountains of Israel. You will be a waste, Mount Seir, and all Edom. the whole of it. Ezekiel 35:2-5, 8-10, 12, 15.

Here it is quite clear that 'Edom' in the contrary sense is those who despise, reject, and insult spiritual goods and truths, meant by 'the mountains of Israel'.

[10] In the same prophet,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Surely in the fire of My jealousy have I spoken against the remnants of the nations, and against the whole of Edom, who have given My land to themselves as an inheritance with the joy of all [their] heart, with utter contempt. ³ Ezekiel 36:5.

Here similarly 'giving the land to themselves as an inheritance' stands for laying waste the Church, that is, good and truth that are the Church's.

[11] In Malachi,

The Word of Jehovah against Israel; I have loved you, said Jehovah, and you say, How have You loved us? Is not Esau Jacob's brother? And I love Jacob, and I hate Esau and am making his mountain into a waste. Malachi 1:1-3.

Here 'Esau' stands for the evil of the natural which does not accept spiritual truth, meant by 'Israel', 3305, or the doctrine of truth, meant by 'Jacob', 3305, and is for that reason 'laid waste', meant by 'hating'. For 'hating' has no other meaning, as is evident from what has been introduced above from the Word regarding Esau and Edom in the good sense. But when truth does not allow itself to be allied to good, Jacob is referred to in a contrary way, as in Hosea,

He will make a visitation on Jacob over his ways and requite him according to his deeds; in the womb he supplanted his brother. Hosea 12:2-3.

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