6534. And horsemen. That this signifies intellectual things, is evident from the signification of “horsemen,” as being things that belong to the intellect, for by a “horse” is signified the intellectual (see n. 2760-2762, 3217, 5321, 6125). That “horsemen” denote things that belong to the intellect or understanding, may be seen further from the following passages:

Jehovah alone did lead him; He made him ride upon the high places of the earth (Deuteronomy 32:12-13);

speaking of the Ancient Church; “to make him ride upon the high places of the earth” denotes to endow with higher understanding.

[2] In David:

In thine honor mount up, and ride upon the Word of truth, and of gentleness, and of righteousness, and thy right hand shall teach thee wonderful things (Psalms 45:4),

speaking of the Lord; “riding upon the Word of truth” denotes being in the very understanding of truth. Again:

Sing to God, praise ye His name; extol Him that rideth upon the clouds by His name Jah (Psalms 68:4);

this also is said of the Lord; the “clouds” denote the literal sense of the Word (see the preface to Genesis 18, n. 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343 at the end); “to ride upon them” is to be in the internal sense, where truth is in its intelligence and wisdom.

[3] In Zechariah:

In that day I will smite every horse with amazement, and his rider with madness, and I will open Mine eye upon the house of Judah; but will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness (Zech. 12:4); where “horse” denotes the intellectual; and “rider,” the intellect. Who does not see that “horse” here does not mean horse, nor “rider” rider; but that something is signified which can be smitten with amazement and madness, also with blindness? That this pertains to the understanding is obvious.

[4] That by “horses” and “horsemen” are signified intellectual things, and in the opposite sense reasonings and falsities thence derived, may be seen in John:

I saw and behold a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow, and there was given unto him a crown, and he went forth conquering. And there went forth another horse that was red, and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another, and there was given unto him a great sword. I saw and behold a black horse, and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. And I saw and behold a pale horse, and him that sat upon it, whose name was Death (Revelation 6:2-8).

That here the “horses” and “they that sat upon them” signify such things as belong to the understanding of truth, and in the opposite sense such things as belong to falsity, is evident from all the details. The “white horse and he that sat thereon” denotes the understanding of truth from the Word. That “he who sat upon the white horse” is the Lord as to the Word, is said in plain words (Revelation 19:11, 13, 16). The “red horse and he that sat thereon” denotes reasonings from the cupidities of evil, whereby violence is done to truths from the Word; the “black horse and he that sat thereon” denotes the intellectual of truth extinguished; and the “pale horse and he that sat upon it” denotes the consequent damnation.

[5] In the opposite sense “horses” and “horsemen” denote the intellect perverted; and the consequent falsities, as in Ezekiel:

Oholah committed whoredom under Me, and she doted on her lovers, governors and leaders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. Her sister Oholibah loved the sons of Asshur, governors and leaders, her neighbors, clothed in perfect attire, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men (Ezekiel 23:5-6, 12);

“Oholah” denotes the perverted spiritual church, which is “Samaria;” and “Oholibah” the perverted celestial church, which is “Jerusalem;” for the Israelites who were of Samaria represented the spiritual church, but the Jews who were of Jerusalem represented the celestial church. The “Assyrians” and “sons of Asshur” denote reasoning against the truths of faith (n. 1186); “horsemen riding on horses” denotes the understanding perverted, whence come falsities.

[6] And in Habakkuk:

I stir up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, that goeth into the breadth of the earth, to inherit habitations not their own; their horses are swifter than leopards, and are sharper than the evening wolves, that their horsemen may spread themselves, whence their horsemen come from far (Hab. 1:6, 8).

The “Chaldeans” denote those who are in falsities, but in externals appear to be in truths, thus the profanation of truth, and “Babylon” the profanation of good (n. 1182, 1368). “Going into the breadth of the earth” denotes to destroy truths. (That the “breadth of the earth” is truth may be seen above, n. 3433, 3434, 4482.) Hence it is evident that the “horsemen who spread themselves and come from far” denotes the things that belong to perverted understanding, thus falsities.

1368. That by “Ur of the Chaldees” is signified external worship in which there are falsities, is evident from the signification in the Word of “the Chaldeans.” It has been shown above, at verse 9, that by “Babel” is signified worship in which interiorly there are evils; but by “Chaldea” is signified worship in which interiorly there are falsities. Consequently by “Babel” is signified worship in which there is inwardly nothing of good; and by “Chaldea,” worship in which there is inwardly nothing of truth. Worship in which there is inwardly nothing good and nothing true, is a worship wherein there is interiorly what is profane and idolatrous. That such worship is signified in the Word by “Chaldea,” may be seen from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people is no more; Asshur founded it in Ziim; they shall set up the watchtowers thereof, they shall raise up her palaces; he shall make it a ruin (Isaiah 23:13).

“The land of the Chaldeans which is not a people,” denotes falsities; “Asshur founded it,” denotes reasonings; “the watchtowers,” phantasies. Again:

Thus hath said Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have thrown down the bars, all of them, and the Chaldeans in whose ships is a cry (Isaiah 43:14).

“Babylon” denotes worship in which inwardly there is evil; “the Chaldeans,” worship in which inwardly there is falsity; the “ships” are knowledges of truth which are corrupted.

[2] Again:

Sit thou silent and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for they shall no more call thee the lady of kingdoms. I was wroth with My people, I profaned My inheritance, and gave them into thy hand; these two things shall come to thee suddenly in one day, the loss of children and widowhood together; to the full shall they come upon thee, because of the multitude of thy sorceries, and because of the greatness of thine enchantments (Isaiah 47:5-6, 9).

Here it is evident that “Chaldea” is the profanation of truth, and is called “sorceries” and “enchantments.” Again:

Go ye forth out of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans (Isaiah 48:20).

That is, from the profanation of good and of truth in worship.

In Ezekiel:

Cause Jerusalem to know her abominations; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite; thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt; thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur; hence thou hast multiplied thy whoredom even into the land of Chaldea (Ezekiel 16:2-3, 26, 28-29).

This is said specifically of the Jewish Church; “the Sons of Egypt” denote memory-knowledges; “the sons of Assyria,” reasonings; “the land of Chaldea into which she multiplied her whoredom,” the profanation of truth. That countries are not meant by Egypt, Assyria, and Chaldea, and that no other whoredom is spoken of, may be seen by anyone.

[3] Again:

Oholah hath committed whoredom, and hath doted on her lovers the Assyrians, her neighbors; and she hath not forsaken her whoredoms from Egypt; she hath added to her whoredoms; and she saw men, it was portrayed upon the wall, images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, girded with girdles upon their loins, dyed turbans hanging down on their heads, all of them leaders to look upon, the likeness of the sons of Babylon, of the Chaldeans, the land of their nativity. As soon as she saw them she loved them lewdly, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea; the sons of Babylon polluted her by their whoredoms (Ezekiel 23:5, 8, 14-17).

Here the Chaldeans are called “sons of Babylon,” and denote truths profaned in worship. “Oholah” denotes the spiritual church, which is called Samaria.

[4] In Habakkuk:

I stir up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, that march through the breadths of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs, a horrible and a terrible one, and from itself doth its judgment and its exaltation go forth; whose horses are swifter than leopards, and keener ¹ than the evening wolves; and the horsemen thereof spread themselves, yea, the horsemen thereof come from afar; they fly as an eagle that hasteth to devour; wholly doth it come for violence; the panting desire of its faces is toward the east (Habakkuk 1:6-9).

The Chaldean nation is here described by many representatives that are significant of the profanations of truth in worship.

[5] Moreover, Babylon and Chaldea are described in two entire chapters in Jeremiah (chapters Jeremiah 50 and Jeremiah 51), where what is signified by each is plainly evident, namely, by Babylon the profanation of celestial things, and by Chaldea the profanation of spiritual things, in worship. From all this therefore it is evident what is signified by “Ur of the Chaldees,” namely, external worship in which there is inwardly profane idolatry. Moreover it has been permitted that I should be instructed by themselves that such was the character of their worship.

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