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.

3986. 'And Jehovah has blessed you since I set foot here' means resulting from the Divine endowment which the natural possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah blessing' as being endowed with good, dealt with in 3406, and as a joining together, 3504, 3514, 3530, 3565, 3584. 'Jehovah blessing' accordingly means being endowed with Divine good by means of a joining together, at this point a joining to the good of the natural represented by 'Jacob', the natural being meant by 'the foot'. As regards 'the foot' meaning the natural, see 2162, 3147, 3761; and this will be clear in addition from the correspondence of the Grand Man with every part of the human being, the subject in the sections at the ends of chapters. From this it is evident that 'Jehovah has blessed you since I set foot here' means originating in the Divine which the natural possessed.

[2] The arcanum which lies concealed in these words and in those immediately before them is known to few, if any, and is therefore to be revealed. The goods present with people both inside the Church and outside it vary in every case. They vary so much that no one person's good is ever exactly like another's. These variations arise out of the truths to which those goods are joined, for the nature of every type of good is received from truths, and truths derive their essential nature from goods. Such variations also arise out of the affections that belong to each person's love, and which become rooted in a person and are made his own through the life he leads. Few genuine truths exist even with someone inside the Church, and fewer still with one outside. Consequently affections for genuine truth seldom exist with anyone.

[3] All the same, people who lead good lives, that is, who live in love to God and in charity towards the neighbour, are saved. The reason they are able to be saved is that the Lord's Divine is present within good that stems from love to God and within good that stems from charity towards the neighbour. And when the Divine is inwardly present everything is being arranged into order so that it can be joined to genuine goods and genuine truths which exist in the heavens. The truth of this may be proven from the communities constituting heaven, which are countless. Every single community varies as regards good and truth, and yet all of them taken together form one complete heaven. They are like the members and organs of the human body which, though varying in every case, still constitute one complete human being. For no complete whole is ever made up of any identical or entirely similar individual parts, but of varying parts harmoniously joined together. Varying parts joined together harmoniously present a single whole. The same applies to goods and truths in the spiritual world. Although these vary so much as never to be exactly similar with one person as with another, nevertheless from the Divine through love and charity they make one since love and charity are spiritual conjunction. Their variation is a heavenly harmony which produces such accord that they are one in the Divine, that is, in the Lord.

[4] Furthermore, however much truths may vary, and however much affections for truth may do so, good that stems from love to God and good that stems from charity towards the neighbour are nevertheless capable of receiving genuine truth and good, as they are not so to speak hard and resistant but soft and yielding. They allow themselves to be led by the Lord and in so doing to be turned towards good, and through good to be turned towards Him. It is different with those in whom self-love and love of the world reign. They do not allow themselves to be led and turned by the Lord towards the Lord but strongly resist, since each wishes to be his own leader, even more so when they have become subject to false and firmly established assumptions. As long as they are such they do not allow the Divine to come in.

[5] These considerations now make clear what is meant in the internal sense by these words which Jacob addressed to Laban, for 'Laban' means the kind of good which is not genuine because it does not have genuine truths planted within it but is nevertheless capable of having these joined to it and of having the Divine present within it. This kind of good is what normally exists with young children before they have received genuine truths. It is also the kind of good present with simple people within the Church who know few truths of faith but who nevertheless lead a charitable life. It is in addition the kind of good present with upright gentiles who offer holy worship to their gods. By means of such good, genuine truths and goods are able to be introduced, as may be seen from what has been stated about young children and simple people inside the Church in 3690, and about upright gentiles outside the Church in 2598-2603.