923. And there came out blood from the wine-press, even to the horses' bridles. That this signifies falsifications of the Word, even to dominion over the understanding, flowing forth from evil, is evident from the signification of coming out from the wine-press, as denoting to be produced, or to flow forth, from evil (concerning which see the articles above, n. 920, 922); and from the signification of blood, as denoting the falsification of the Word. For by blood, in the genuine sense, is signified the Divine truth; but, in the opposite sense, violence offered to the Divine truth or the Word, which is the falsification of it (concerning which signification of blood, see above, n. 329); and from the signification of even to the horses' bridles, as denoting even to dominion over the understanding. For horses signify the understanding, and their bridles, government and dominion. For he who sits on horses governs them by the bridle, and rules over them. That horses signify the understanding of truth from the Word may be seen above (n. 355, 364); and that bridles [signify] government and dominion will be seen below.

[2] With respect to dominion over the understanding, it is the understanding of truth in the Word that is meant. For when falsities of religion are confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word, then the understanding no longer sees the truth. For every one who is in the spiritual affection of truth is enlightened by the Lord, when he reads the Word, and it is the understanding that is enlightened. But he who is not in the spiritual affection of truth cannot be enlightened as to the understanding; for he sees truth as in the night, and falsity as in the light. And because the church is such at its end, the understanding of truth then perishes to such a degree that it cannot be enlightened. For the falsities of religion are then confirmed to that degree from the Word; that is, the Word is falsified. This is the case with those meant by Babylon (ver. 8), and by the beast (ver. 10, of this chapter). For it is said of Babylon, "that she made all nations drink of the wine of the anger of her whoredom"; and of the beast there, "that he who adored the beast, shall drink of the wine of the anger of God mixed pure in the cup of his wrath." That the falsifications of the Word are thereby signified, may be seen above (n. 881 887).

[3] The reason why the understanding of truth in the Word perishes with such as are meant by the inhabitants of Babylon, and by the worshippers of the beast is, that they have not any spiritual good; and this good, which is the good of charity from the Lord, is what alone opens the spiritual mind, by which the Lord flows in and enlightens. And without the opening of that mind, enlightenment cannot take place, nor, consequently, the understanding of truth. He who believes that he can see any truth of the church from the light (lumen) of reason alone is much deceived. He may indeed know it from another, but he cannot see it in the light. While he desires to see it, or follow it in thought, mere shadows from falsities are in the way; these arise from fallacies, and from man's proprium, which cause blindness. From these things it is evident what is meant by falsifications of the Word even to dominion over the understanding, flowing forth from evil, signified by the blood coming out of the wine-press, even to the horses' bridles.

[4] In the Word the bridle is mentioned in many passages; and by it, in the spiritual sense, is signified restraint and government. And it is said of the understanding and its thought, because a bridle belongs to horses; and horses signify the understanding; and with those who have no understanding, they signify reasonings from falsities. It is therefore evident what is signified by the bridle mentioned in Isaiah:

"I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle into thy lips; and I will bring thee back by the way by which thou camest" (37:29).

These things are said of the king of Assyria, who signifies reasoning from falsities. For by Asshur, in the good sense, is signified the Rational. Because that king then besieged Jerusalem, and blasphemed God, it was said to him, that a hook should be put into his nose, which signifies that stupidity and foolishness should possess him. For the nose signifies perception; and the hook, its extraction - properly immersion into the corporeal Sensual, which, separated from the Rational, is stupid. It was also said, that a bridle should be put into his lips, which signifies senselessness as to the understanding of truth. For the lips signify thought from the understanding, and the bridle the restraining of it. To bring him back into the way by which he came, signifies into the falsities by which he was about to perish. Wherefore his army, by which falsities are signified, perished by a great slaughter.

In the same:

"The lips of Jehovah are full of indignation. His tongue is as a devouring fire, and his spirit as an inundating stream; he shall halve, even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity, and a bridle that causeth to err upon the jaws of the peoples" (30:27, 28).

The lips, tongue, and spirit of Jehovah, signify Divine truth, which is the Word, from its ultimates to its inmost. This is said to be full of indignation, as a devouring fire, and as an inundating stream, when it is adulterated and falsified; because its adulteration and falsification closes heaven to man, and devastates him. From the appearance that heaven does this - or what is the same, the Divine truth from which is heaven - it is said that it has indignation, that it is a devouring fire, and an inundating stream. He shall halve even to the neck, signifies the devastation thereof by falsities to such a degree that it is not understood. For by the neck is signified conjunction, which perishes when that which is beneath is taken away. To sift the nations with the sieve of vanity, signifies the adulteration of the Word by fictitious matters by those who are in evils. And a bridle that causeth to err upon the jaws of the peoples, signifies the falsification of the truth in the Word by those who are in falsities. A bridle causing to err properly denotes the withdrawing from the understanding of truth. The jaws denote thoughts from the corporeal Sensual, thus from fallacies. Peoples are said of those who are in falsities; and nations of those who are in evils.

Those who are not acquainted with correspondences may suppose that horses' bridles signify government over the understanding from the comparison only, but it is from correspondence. And this is clearly evident from the consideration that, in the spiritual world, horses variously harnessed and caparisoned appear; and these, with everything on them, are correspondences.

66. (Verse 14) And his head and his hairs were white. That this signifies the Divine in primaries and in ultimates, is evident from the signification of the head when mentioned in reference to the Lord, of whom these things are said, as denoting the Divine in primaries, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of hairs, as denoting the Divine in ultimates, of which also we shall speak presently; and from the signification of white, as denoting what is pure. (That white (album) and white (candidum) denote what is pure, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319.) The reason why the head, when mentioned in reference to the Lord, denotes the Divine in primaries, is, that the head is the highest part of man, and therein are those primary things which give rise to all things that take place in the body. For in the head are the understanding and the will, from which, as from their beginnings, all the other things flow that relate to man's remoter things, as speech, and all actions. But the reason why hairs, when mentioned in reference to the Lord, denote the Divine in ultimates is, that hairs are ultimates, for they grow from the ultimate parts of man, and the primaries terminate in them; therefore, when the head and hairs are mentioned, primaries and ultimates are meant.

[2] He who knows that the head signifies primaries, and the hairs ultimates, even in spiritual things, and that primaries and ultimates signify all things (as was shown above, n. 41), may know many arcana of the internal sense, where those things are mentioned. As, for instance, a Nazarite was not allowed to shave the hair of his head, because, as is said, it was the Nazariteship of God upon his head, and when the days were accomplished, he had to shave it off, and consecrate it (Numbers 6:1-21); also the strength of Samson was in his hairs, and when they were shaved off he became weak, and when they grew again his strength returned (Judges 16:13 to the end). Again, forty-two boys were torn in pieces by bears, because they mocked Elisha, calling him bald-head (2 Kings 2:23, 24). So too Elias was clothed with a garment of hair (2 Kings 1:8) and John the Baptist with camel's hair (Mark 1:6). Moreover what is signified by the head, hairs, beard and baldness, may be seen where they are mentioned in the Word.

[3] The reason why a Nazarite was not allowed to shave his hair, because, as is stated, it was the Nazariteship of God upon his head, and that when the days were accomplished, he had to shave it off, and consecrate it, was, that a Nazarite represented the Lord in primaries and in ultimates, and His Divine in ultimates was His Human, which He made Divine even to the flesh and bones, which are the ultimates. That He made the Human Divine even to the flesh and bones, is clear from the fact that He left nothing in the sepulchre, and that He said to His disciples that He had flesh and bones, which a spirit has not (Luke 24:39, 40). And when the Divine itself is also Divine in ultimates, then it rules all things from primaries by ultimates. (As is evident from what was said and shown above, n. 41; especially from the things which are adduced in Arcana Coelestia, to the effect that interiors successively flow into exteriors, even to the outermost or ultimate, and that therein also they exist and subsist, n. Arcana Coelestia 634, 6239, 6465, 9215, 9216; that they not only flow in successively, but also form what is simultaneous in the ultimate; concerning which order see n. 5897, 6451, 8603, 10099; that therefore all interior things are held together in connection, from the primary by means of the ultimate, n. 9828; and in the work, Heaven and Hell 297; that hence the ultimate is more holy than the interiors, n. Arcana Coelestia 9824; that hence in the ultimates there is strength and power, n. 9836.) It was for these reasons that the Nazariteship was instituted. The reason why the Nazarite should ultimately consecrate his hair by putting it into the fire of the altar, was, because the Holy Divine was thereby represented, and the fire of the altar signified that Holy (n. 934, 6314, 6832).

[4] From these considerations it is also evident why the strength of Samson was in his hair (Judges 16[13] to the end), for it is said that he was a Nazarite from his mother's womb (Judges 13:7; 16:17); so also it was not lawful for the chief priest and his sons, nor for the Levites, to shave the head and make themselves bald (Leviticus 10:6; 21:5, 10; Ezekiel 44:20). So, too, to cut off the beard, which also had a similar signification, was ignominious with the people of Israel (2 Sam. 10:4, 5). The reason why the forty-two boys were torn in pieces by bears, because they mocked Elisha, calling him bald-head, was, that Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, which is Divine truth, the sanctity and strength of which are in the ultimates from primaries, as said above; and because baldness signified the deprivation of them, therefore this circumstance took place; bears also signify truth in ultimates. (That Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2762, 5247.)

[5] From these considerations it is also clear why the garment of Elias was hairy, and that of John was made of camel's hair; for John the Baptist, as well as Elias, represented the Lord as to the Word, therefore he was also called Elias (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 7643, 9372). When these things are understood it can be known what is signified by the head, hairs, beard, and baldness in the Word. As in Isaiah:

"In that time shall the Lord, by the king of Assyria, shave the head, and the hairs of the feet; he shall also consume the beard" (7:20).

In the same:

"Upon all heads shall be baldness, every beard shaven" (15:2).

In Jeremiah:

"Truth hath perished, and is cut off from their mouth; cut off thine hair and cast it away" (7:28, 29).

And in Ezekiel:

"Take a razor, and pass it upon the head and beard" (5:1).

Again:

"On every face shall be shame, and upon all heads baldness" (7:18).

Again:

"Every head was made bald" (29:18).

In Amos:

"I will bring baldness upon every head" (8:10).

And in David:

"God shall bruise the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of him that goeth on in his guilt" (Psalm 68:21).

In these passages, and in others, by cutting off the hair of the head, shaving the beard, and inducing baldness, is signified to deprive of all good and truth, because he who is deprived of the ultimates is also deprived of things prior, for prior things exist and subsist in ultimates, as said above. In the world of spirits also, there are seen those who are bald; and I have been informed that they are those who were abusers of the Word and had applied the sense of the letter, which is Divine truth in the ultimates, to wicked purposes, and consequently were deprived of all truth; they are also the most wicked, and many of them are from the Babylonish nation; but, on the contrary, the angels are seen with becoming hair.