Apocalypse Revealed # 781
781. "And merchandise of horses, and wagons, and the bodies and souls of people." This symbolically means that all of these things depend on an understanding of the Word and on doctrine drawn from it, and on the goods and truths in the Word's literal sense, which these Roman Catholics do not possess, because they have falsified and adulterated the Word by using the things in it contrary to their real meaning in order to gain dominion over heaven and the world.
The valuables here follow the preposition "of," because they involve all of the things that go before. That horses symbolize an understanding of the Word may be seen in no. 298. Chariots symbolize doctrine from the Word (no. 437); consequently so do wagons. The bodies and souls of people symbolize goods and truths in the literal sense of the Word, because they have the same symbolism as the body and blood in the Holy Supper. The body in that supper symbolizes the Lord's Divine goodness, and the blood the Lord's Divine truth; and because of this symbolism they also symbolize the Divine good and truth in the Word, because the Lord embodies the Word.
Instead of blood, however, the text here says souls. That is because the soul likewise symbolizes truth (see no. 681 above), and because blood in the Word is called the life or soul (Genesis 9:4-5). "Human lives" in Ezekiel 27:13 has a similar symbolic meaning. So does the "seed of men" in Daniel 2:43.
[2] Horses and wagons have a similar symbolic meaning in Isaiah:
Then they shall bring all your brethren... on horses and in chariots and in wagons, and on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem... (Isaiah 66:20)
This is said of the Lord's New Church, which Jerusalem is, regarding people in it who have an understanding of the Word and doctrine derived from it, which are the horses, chariots, and wagons.
Now because these people of the Roman Catholic religion falsify and adulterate the Word by using it to gain dominion over heaven and the world, the symbolic meaning here is that they do not possess any goods and truths from the Word, and so do not have any in their doctrine either.
Regarding this Jeremiah says the following:
...the king of Babylon has devoured me, has thrown me into confusion; He has made me an empty vessel; He has swallowed me up like a whale; He has filled his stomach with my delicacies... (Jeremiah 51:34-35)
A sword is against the horses (of Babylon), against her chariots, and... against her treasures, so that they are plundered. A drought is upon her waters, so that they are dried up. For the land is one of carved images, and they boast of their dreadful deeds. (Jeremiah 50:37-38)
2 Kings 6
1
The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See now, the place where we dwell before you is too small for us.
2
Please let us go to the Jordan, and every man take a beam from there, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell." He answered, "go!"
3
One said, "Please be pleased to go with your servants." He answered, "I will go."
4
So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.
5
But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water. Then he cried, and said, "Alas, my master! For it was borrowed."
6
The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?" He showed him the place. He cut down a stick, threw it in there, and made the iron float.
7
He said, "Take it." So he put out his hand and took it.
8
Now the king of Syria was warring against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, "My camp will be in such and such a place."
9
The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, "Beware that you not pass such a place; for the Syrians are coming down there."
10
The king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of; and he saved himself there, not once nor twice.
11
The heart of the king of Syria was very troubled about this. He called his servants, and said to them, "Won't you show me which of us is for the king of Israel?"
12
One of his servants said, "No, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom."
13
He said, "Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him." It was told him, saying, "Behold, he is in Dothan."
14
Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great army there. They came by night, and surrounded the city.
15
When the servant of the man of God had risen early, and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was around the city. His servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"
16
He answered, "Don't be afraid; for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
17
Elisha prayed, and said, "Yahweh, please open his eyes, that he may see." Yahweh opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha.
18
When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to Yahweh, and said, "Please strike this people with blindness." He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19
Elisha said to them, "This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek." He led them to Samaria.
20
It happened, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, "Yahweh, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." Yahweh opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
21
The king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, "My father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?"
22
He answered, "You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master."
23
He prepared great feast for them. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. The bands of Syria stopped raiding the land of Israel.
24
It happened after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria.
25
There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it, until a donkey's head was sold for eighty pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
26
As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king!"
27
He said, "If Yahweh doesn't help you, from where could I help you? From of the threshing floor, or from the winepress?"
28
The king said to her, "What ails you?" She answered, "This woman said to me, 'Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'
29
So we boiled my son, and ate him: and I said to her on the next day, 'Give your son, that we may eat him;' and she has hidden her son."
30
It happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes (now he was passing by on the wall); and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth underneath on his flesh.
31
Then he said, "God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stay on him this day."
32
But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Then the king sent a man from before him; but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, "Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? Behold, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold the door shut against him. Isn't the sound of his master's feet behind him?"
33
While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, "Behold, this evil is from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?"
