364. Verse 4. And there went forth another horse that was red, signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to good. This is evident from the signification of "horse," as being the intellect (of which above, n. 355. Here because the states of those who are of the church where the Word is are treated of, "horse" signifies the intellect of the men of the church in relation to the Word. It is also evident from the signification of "red" [ruber] or "reddish" [rufus], as being of what nature a thing is in relation to good, so here, of what quality the understanding of the Word is in relation to good. That "reddish" [rufus] here signifies this understanding destroyed in respect to good, can be seen from what immediately follows in this verse, for it is said, "to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, that they should slay one another, and to him was given a great sword," which signifies a consequent extinction of all truth. Since the horses that John saw were distinguished by colors, for the first appeared "white," the second "red," the third "black," and the fourth "pale," and colors signify the quality of a thing, let something first be said here about colors.

In the heavens colors of every kind appear, and they draw their origin from the light there; and as that light immensely excels in brightness and splendor the light of the world, so also do the colors there; and as the light there is from the sun of heaven, which is the Lord, and is the Divine Proceeding, and as consequently that light is spiritual, so all colors signify things spiritual. And as the Divine Proceeding is Divine good united to Divine truth, and as Divine good in heaven is presented to view by a flamy light, and Divine truth by a bright white light, so there are two colors that are the fundamentals of all colors there, namely, the red color and the white color; the red color has its origin from the flamy light that goes forth from Divine good, and the white color from the bright white light that goes forth from Divine truth; consequently so far as colors are derived from red they signify good, and so far as they are derived from white they signify truth. (But these things can be seen better from what is told about colors, from experience, in the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that most beautiful colors are seen in the heavens, n. 1053, 1624; colors in the heavens are from the light there, and are modifications and variations of light, n. 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4742, 4922; thus they are the appearances of truth and good, and signify such things as are of intelligence and wisdom, n. 4530, 4677, 4922, 9466; consequently the precious stones that were of various colors in the breastplate of the ephod, or in the Urim and Thummim, signified all things of truth from good in heaven and in the church, and therefore the breastplate in general signified Divine truth shining forth from the Divine good, n. 9823, 9865, 9868, 9905; and responses were thence given by variegations and resplendences of light, and at the same time by tacit perception, or by a living voice out of heaven, n. 3862, [9905]; colors so far as they are derived from red signify good, and so far as they are from bright white signify truth, n. Arcana Coelestia 9467. Of the Light of Heaven, whence and what it is, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 126-140, 275.)

[2] It is to be known, moreover, that "red" color not only signifies what the quality of a thing is in relation to good, but also what the quality of a thing is in relation to evil; for that color not only exists from the flamy light that is from the sun of heaven, as was said above, but it also exists from something flamy in hell, which is from the fire there, which fire is like a coal fire. Therefore the red in heaven is a wholly different red from the red in hell; the red in heaven is shining and living, while the red in hell is horribly obscure and dead; moreover, the red of heaven gives life, while the red of hell brings death; the reason is that the fire from which red is derived is in its origin love; heavenly fire is from heavenly love, and infernal fire from infernal love; consequently "fire" in the Word signifies love in both senses (See Arcana Coelestia 4906, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 7575, 10747; and in the work on Heaven and Hell n. 134, 566-575); therefore the "red" existing thence signifies the quality of the love in both senses. Moreover, this red, that is, the "red" of this horse is, in the original Greek, from a word that means fire. All this, together with the description of this horse in this verse, makes clear why it is that a "red horse" signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to good.

That "horse" signifies something connected with the subject can be clearly seen from this, that horses were seen when "the seals were opened," and it was said that "they went forth," for horses could not go forth out of a book, but those things could be manifested which are signified by "horses." That "horse" signifies the intellect, and "color" its quality, has been made familiar to me from experience; for spirits who were meditating from the understanding upon some subject have several times been seen by me to be riding upon horses, and when I asked them whether they were riding, they said that they were not, but that they stood meditating upon some subject; which made clear that riding upon a horse is an appearance representing the operation of their understanding.

[3] There is also a place called the assembly of the intelligent and wise, to which very many resort for meditation, and when anyone is coming to it horses of various colors and variously caparisoned, and also chariots, with some riding and others sitting in the chariots, appear to him; and then also when they are asked whether they are riding upon horses, or are carried in chariots, they say that they are not, but that they are going along meditating; from this also it was clear what is signified by "horses" and by "chariots." (But about this see more in the small work on The White Horse.) From this it can now be seen why John saw horses when the seals of the book were opened, and also what they signify. These horses were seen, because all the spiritual things of the Word are presented in the sense of its letter by means of such things as correspond, that is, as represent and thence signify; and this in order that the Divine may be there in ultimates and consequently in fullness, as has been several times said above.

[4] That "reddish" [rufus] or "red" [ruber] signifies the quality of a thing in relation to good, can be seen also from the following passages in the Word. In Moses:

Who washeth his vesture in wine, and his covering in the blood of the grapes. His eyes are redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk (Genesis 49:11-12).

These words are in the prophecy of Israel the father respecting Judah, and "Judah" here means the Lord in relation to the good of love, and in a relative sense the Lord's celestial kingdom. What the particulars here signify in the spiritual sense may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, where they are explained. Divine wisdom which is from Divine good is signified by "his eyes are redder than wine;" and Divine intelligence which is from Divine truth by "his teeth are whiter than milk."

[5] In Lamentations:

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

The Nazarites represented the Lord in respect to the Divine Human (See above, n. 66, 196, at the end), therefore they signified also, in a relative sense, the good of celestial love, because this good immediately proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human. The representative of this in the church is thus described, the truth of that good is signified by "they were whiter than snow, and brighter than milk," and the good of truth by "their bones were more ruddy than pearls;" for "bones" signify truths in their ultimate, thus truths in the whole complex, for in ultimates all things are together and in fullness; that these truths are from good, and also are goods, is signified by their being "ruddy."

[6] In Zechariah:

I saw four chariots coming out from between mountains of copper. 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, stout (Zechariah 6:1-3).

That here, too, "red horses" signify the quality of the understanding in the beginning in relation to good, "black horses" the quality of the understanding in the beginning in relation to truth, "white horses" the quality of the understanding afterwards in relation to truth, "grisled horses" what is the quality of the understanding afterwards in relation to truth and good, and "stout" what it is consequently in respect to the power to resist falsities and evils, may be seen above (n. 355b), where the signification of "horse" is treated of. Nearly the like is meant in the same prophet by:

The red horse, upon which a man rode, standing among the myrtle-trees (Zechariah 1:8).

Because "red" [ruber] or "reddish" [rufus] signifies the quality of a thing in relation to good:

Red rams' skins were used for a covering over the tent (Exodus 25:5; 26:14; 35:7).

And therefore also:

The water of separation, used in cleansing, was made from a red heifer burned (Numbers 19:1-10);

"red heifer" signifying the good of the natural man, and the "water of separation" made from it when burned signifying the truth of the natural man; and this was commanded because all cleansing is effected by means of truths; moreover, the particulars of the process of slaying the heifer, and of preparing the water for cleansing by it, involve spiritual things.

[7] Because "red" signifies the quality of a thing in relation to good, those names also and the things that derive their names from this same word in the original tongue signify the good from which they are. The word red in the original is adam, from which is the name Adam, and also the name Edom; from this also man is called adam, the ground adama, and the ruby odam; thus these names and things are from red. "Adam" signifies the Most Ancient Church, a church that was in the good of love; "Man" has a like signification, also "ground" in the spiritual sense when celestial good is treated of. That "Edom" was named from red, see Genesis 25:30; and for this reason it signifies the truth of the good of the natural man. That the ruby is also named from red may be seen in Exodus 28:17; 39:10; Ezekiel 28:13; for this reason "ruby" signifies the truth of celestial good. (That "Adam" signifies the Most Ancient Church, which was a celestial church, or a church in the good of love to the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia 478, 479; that "Man" signifies the church in respect to good, n. 4287, 7424, 7523; that "ground" also has a like signification, n. 566, 10570; that "Edom," because he was named from red, signifies the truth of good of the natural man, n. 3300, 3322; and that "ruby" signifies the truth of celestial good, n. 9865) As "red" signifies the quality of a thing in relation to good, so in a contrary sense it signifies the quality of a thing in relation to evil, which is the opposite to good, consequently good destroyed. In this sense "red" is mentioned in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Although your sins have been as scarlet, they shall become white like snow; although they have been red as purple, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18).

And in Nahum:

The shield of his mighty ones is made red, the men of valor are in crimson; 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 ¹ is like torches (Nahum 2:3-4).

In this sense also the dragon is called red (Revelation 12:3, of which in what follows).

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7822. Exodus 12

1. And Jehovah said to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt - He said,

2. This month shall be for you the head of months; the first shall it be for you in the months of the year.

3. Speak to all the assembly of Israel, saying, On the tenth of this month they shall take for themselves each one a member of the flock according to the household of his fathers, a member of the flock according to the household.

4. And if the household is too small for a member of the flock, let him and his neighbour immediately next to his house take one, by the number of the souls; each of them according to the mouth of his eating, you shall make your count for the member of the flock.

5. A perfect member, a male, the son of a year it shall be to you; from the lambs and from the she-goats you shall take it.

6. And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; and all the congregation of the assembly of Israel shall slaughter it between the evenings.

7. And they shall take some of the blood and put it onto the two doorposts and onto the lintel, on the houses in which they will eat it.

8. And they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted with fire, and [with] unleavened bread on bitter herbs, they shall eat it.

9. Do not eat any of it raw, nor boiled at all in water, but roasted indeed with fire, its head over its legs and over its middle.

10. And you shall not leave any of it until the morning; and what does remain of it until the morning you shall burn with fire.

11. And thus you shall eat it: Your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your rod in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste; it is a Passover to Jehovah.

12. And I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man (homo) even to beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will make judgements. I am Jehovah.

13. And the blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and I will see the blood and pass you by, and the plague will not be on you for the destroyer, when I strike the land of Egypt.

14. And that day shall be to you for a memorial, and you shall keep it as a feast to Jehovah, throughout your generations; you shall keep it as a feast by an eternal statute.

15. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; even on the first day you shall remove ¹ yeast from your houses, for anyone eating anything made with yeast, that soul shall be cut off from Israel, from the first day until the seventh day.

16. And on the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No work shall be done on them; only what must be eaten by every soul, this alone shall be done by you.

17. And you shall observe [the feast of] unleavened bread, for on this same day I have brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; and you shall observe this day throughout your generations by an eternal statute.

18. In the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month in the evening.

19. For seven days no yeast shall be found in your houses; for anyone eating anything made with yeast, that soul shall be cut off from the assembly of Israel, whether a sojourner or a native of the land.

20. You shall eat nothing made with yeast; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.

21. And Moses called all the elders of Israel, and said to them, Draw out and take for yourselves a member of the flock according to your families, and slaughter the Passover.

22. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and you are to dip it in the blood that is in the basin and strike ² the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And you shall not go out, no one out of the door of his house until the morning.

23. And Jehovah will go through to inflict the plague on Egypt; and He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and Jehovah will pass by the door and not allow the destroyer to come to your houses to inflict the plague.

24. And you shall keep this custom ³ as a statute for yourself and your children for evermore.

25. And it shall be, when you come to the land which Jehovah will give you, as He has spoken, that you shall keep this service.

26. And it shall be, when your children say to you, What do you mean by this service? ⁴

27. That you shall say, This is the Passover sacrifice to Jehovah, because He passed by the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He inflicted the plague on Egypt, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed, and bowed down.

28. And the children of Israel went and did as Jehovah had commanded Moses and Aaron - so they did.

29. And it happened at midnight, that Jehovah struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from Pharaoh's firstborn who was to sit on his throne even to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon ⁵ and all the firstborn of the beasts.

30. And Pharaoh rose that night, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no house where there was not one dead.

31. And he called Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise, go out from the midst of my people, both you and the children of Israel; and go, serve Jehovah, in accordance with what you have spoken.

32. Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have spoken, and go; and may you also bless me.

33. And Egypt pressed the people, in a hurry to send them away from the land; for they said, We are all dying.

34. And the people carried their dough before the yeast was added, their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulder.

35. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked from the Egyptians vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and clothes.

36. And Jehovah gave the people favour ⁶ in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they lent [these things] to them. And they despoiled the Egyptians.

37. And the children of Israel travelled from Rameses to Succoth, around six hundred thousand men (vir) on foot, besides young children.

38. And also a large mixed crowd went up with them, and flocks and herds, an extremely large acquisition of them.

39. And they baked the dough which they brought out of Egypt - unleavened cakes, since no yeast was added, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, and also had not made for themselves provision for the way.

40. And the dwelling of the children of Israel, when they dwelt in Egypt, [lasted] four hundred and thirty years.

41. And so it was at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even on this same day it was, that all the hosts of Jehovah went out of the land of Egypt.

42. This was the night when Jehovah was keeping watch, ⁷ to lead them out of the land of Egypt; this is that night when Jehovah was keeping watch, ⁷ for all the children of Israel [to observe] throughout their generations.

43. And Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, This is the statute of the Passover: No son of a foreigner shall eat it.

44. And every man's slave, a purchase paid for with silver, ⁸ when you have circumcised him, shall eat it.

45. A stranger and a hired servant shall not eat it.

46. It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not bring any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break a bone of it.

47. All the assembly of Israel shall keep it.

48. And when a sojourner sojourns with you and would keep the Passover to Jehovah, every male he has shall be circumcised, and then he shall come near to keep it, and shall be as if a native of the land. And no uncircumcised person shall eat it.

49. There shall be one law for the native and for the sojourner sojourning in the midst of you.

50. And all the children of Israel did as Jehovah had commanded Moses and Aaron - so they did.

51. And so it was on this same day, that Jehovah brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.

CONTENTS

This chapter deals in the internal sense with the deliverance of those belonging to the spiritual Church, and the damnation of those governed by faith separated from charity. The damnation of the latter and the deliverance of the former is represented by the Passover; and the states of charity and faith enjoyed by those who were delivered are represented by the observances to be kept on Passover days.

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