377. Verses 7-8. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth animal saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a pale horse; and he that sat upon him his name was Death, and hell followed with him. And there was given unto them power over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

7. "And when he had opened the fourth seal," signifies prediction still further manifested (n. 378); "I heard the voice of the fourth animal saying," signifies out of the inmost heaven from the Lord. n. 379); "Come and see," signifies attention and perception (n. 380).

8. "And I saw, and behold a pale horse," signifies the understanding of the Word then become nought in consequence of evils of life and then of falsities therefrom n. 381; "and he that sat upon him," signifies the Word (n. 382); "his name was Death, and hell followed with him," signifies eternal damnation (n. 383); "and there was given unto them power over the fourth part of the earth, to kill," signifies the loss of every good and thence of every truth from the Word, and in consequence, in the doctrine of their church from the Word n. 384; "with sword," signifies by falsity (n. 385); "and with famine," signifies by the loss, lack, and ignorance of the knowledges of truth and good (n. 386); "and with death," signifies the consequent extinction of spiritual life (n. 387); "and by the wild beasts of the earth," signifies the evils of life or lusts and falsities therefrom springing from the love of self and of the world, which devastate all things of the church with man n. 388.

139. In ancient times those who were guided as celestial people by the Lord were said 'to dwell alone', for the reason that evil forces, or evil spirits, were infesting them no longer. This was also represented in the Jewish Church by their dwelling alone after the nations had been driven out. For this reason several times in the Word the Lord's Church is described as 'alone', as in Jeremiah,

Rise up, go up against a nation at ease that dwells securely. It has no gates or bars; they dwell alone. Jeremiah 49:31.

In the prophecy of Moses,

Israel dwelt securely, alone. Deuteronomy 33:28.

And plainer still in Balaam's prophecy,

See, a people, it dwells alone, and is not reckoned among the nations. Numbers 23:9.

Here 'nations' stands for evils. These descendants of the Most Ancient Church did not wish to dwell alone; they did not wish to be a celestial man, that is, to be guided as a celestial man by the Lord, but to be among the nations, as also did the Jewish Church. And since this was what they desired it is said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone'. Indeed when this is what a person desires, he is already under the influence of evil, and his wish is granted.