373. And he that sat upon him had a balance in his hand, signifies the estimation of truth from the Word in that state of the church. This is evident from the signification of "he that sat upon the horse," as being the Word (See above, n. 355, 356, 365); also from the signification of "balance in his hand," as being the estimation of truth from the Word; for all measures and weights mentioned in the Word, signify the estimation of the thing treated of in respect to good and in respect to truth, the numbers adjoined determining the estimation in respect to the quality and quantity thereof; as here "a measure of wheat for a denarius, and three measures of barley for a denarius" (of which presently).

There were many measures in the representative church, as the omer, the homer, the ephah, the bath, the hin (about which see Arcana Coelestia 10262); and besides there were balances and scales, by which weighings and balancings were made, and these in a particular sense signified the estimations of anything in respect to truth. For this reason also the weights of the scales were stones, or made of stones, "stones" in the Word signifying truths. That the weights were stones, or made of stone, appears from Leviticus 19:36; Deuteronomy 25:13; 2 Samuel 14:26; Isaiah 34:11; Zechariah 4:10. (That "stones" in the Word signify truths, see Arcana Coelestia 643[1-4], 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376.) Here, therefore, "a balance in the hand of him that sat upon the black horse" signifies the estimation of truth from the Word.

[2] It has been shown above that "he that sat upon the horses"-the white, the red, the black, and the pale horse-signifies the Word, and the "horses," according to their colors, signify the understanding of the Word, "the red horse" the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to good, and "the black horse" the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to truth. But as it is difficult to comprehend that "he that sat upon the horses" signifies the Word, in consequence of the red and the black horses signifying the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to good, and in respect to truth, it shall be explained how it is. The Word in itself is Divine truth, but the understanding of it is according to the state of the man who reads it. A man who is not in good perceives nothing of the good in it, and a man who is not in truths sees nothing of the truth in it; the cause of this, therefore, is not in the Word, but in him who reads it. This makes clear that "he that sat upon the horses" signifies the Word, although the horses themselves signify the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to good and in respect to truth. That "he that sat upon the white horse" signifies the Word is plainly evident in Revelation, where it is said:

The name of the one sitting upon that horse is called the Word of God (Revelation 19:13).

[3] That "a balance" or "scales" signify estimation, and also a just arrangement, which is effected by truths, is evident in Daniel:

A writing appeared upon the wall before Belshazzar the king of Babylon when he was drinking out of the vessels of gold and silver belonging to the temple of Jerusalem. Mene, Mene, Tekel, Perezin, that is, numbered, numbered, weighed, divided. This is the interpretation of these words: Mene, God hath numbered thy kingdom and brought it to an end. Tekel, Thou art weighed in the balance and art found wanting. Peres, Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Mede and the Persian (Daniel 5:25-28).

This history describes in the internal sense the profanation of good and truth, which is signified by "Babylon," for Belshazzar was king in Babylon, and a "king" in the Word signifies the same as the nation or kingdom itself over which he reigns. The profanation of the good and truth of the church is signified by "his drinking out of the vessels of gold and silver belonging to the temple at Jerusalem, and at the same time praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone" (verses 3 and 4). "The gold and silver vessels belonging to the temple at Jerusalem," signify the good and truth of heaven and the church, "gold" meaning good, and "silver" truth; and "praising the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone," signifies idolatrous worship of every kind, thus external worship without any internal, such as is with those who are meant by Babylon. That there is no church at all with such, because there is nothing of the good and nothing of the truth of the church in them, is signified by the writing from heaven; for "numbered, numbered," signifies exploration in respect to good and in respect to truth; "weighed in the balance," signifies estimation in accordance with their quality, and judgment; "divided," signifies dispersion and expulsion from the good and truth of the church and separation therefrom; and "kingdom" signifies the church; from which it is clear that "weighed in the scale or balance," signifies estimation in accordance with their quality. (That "to divide" signifies to disperse, to expel, and to separate from good and truth, see Arcana Coelestia 4424, 6360, 6361, 9093.) "Kingdom" means the church, because the Lord's kingdom is where the church is, therefore those who are of the church are called "sons of the kingdom" (Matthew 8:12; 13:38).

[4] In Isaiah:

Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out the heavens with a span, and embraced the dust of the earth in a measure [of three fingers]; and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in scales? (Isaiah 40:12).

These measures describe the just arrangement and estimation of all things in heaven and in the church according to the quality of good and truth. The measures here are, "the hollow of the hand," "the span of the hand," "the measure [of three fingers]," "the balance" and "the scales:" "waters" signify truths; "the heavens" interior or spiritual truths and goods; "the dust of the earth" exterior or natural truths and goods, both of heaven and of the church; "mountains" the goods of love; "hills" the goods of charity; and "to weigh" means to estimate and arrange in accordance with their quality. That such is the signification of these words, no one can see except from a knowledge of correspondences.

[5] As a just estimation and exploration of good and truth are signified in the Word by "measures," it was commanded that the measures should be just, with no fraud about them. In Moses:

Ye shall not do perversity in judgment, in measure, in weight, or in dimension. Just balances, just stones, a just ephah, and a just hin shall ye have (Leviticus 19:35-36).

So justice, where it means the estimation and exploration of men in accordance with the quality of good and truth in them, is everywhere in the Word expressed by scales and balances of various kinds, and by "ephahs," "omers," "homers," "seas," "hins" (as in Job 6:2; 31:6); and injustice is expressed by "scales and balances of fraud and deceit" (as in Hosea 12:7; Amos 8:5; Micah 6:11).

2495. It has been stated and shown in many places already that the Word has an internal sense within it that is not seen in the letter. Also the nature of that sense is evident from the explanation given so far from Genesis 1 onwards. Even so, because the few at the present day who do believe in the Word do not in spite of that belief know about the existence of such an internal sense, let further confirmation of it be given.

[2] The Lord describes the close of the age, that is, the final period of the Church, as follows,

Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25.

That 'the sun' here does not mean the sun, nor 'the moon' the moon, nor 'the stars' the stars, but that 'the sun' means love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, 'the moon' faith received from love and charity, and 'the stars' cognitions of good and truth, has been shown in 31, 32, 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 2120, 2441. Thus these words spoken by the Lord mean that when the close of the age or final period has arrived there will no longer be any love or any charity, or consequently any faith. It is evident that this is their meaning from similar words of the Lord that occur in the Prophets, as in Isaiah,

Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, to make the earth a desolation, and He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not shine with their light. The sun will be darkened in its rising, and the moon will not give its light. Isaiah 13:9-10.

This too refers to the final period of the Church, or what amounts to the same, the close of the age.

[3] In Joel,

A day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and obscurity. The earth quaked before Him, the heavens trembled. The sun and the moon were darkened, and the stars withdrew their shining. Joel 2:2, 10.

Here the meaning is similar. Elsewhere in the same prophet,

The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes. Joel 2:31.

In addition in the same prophet,

The day of Jehovah is near. The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining. Joel 3:14-15.

In Ezekiel,

When I have blotted you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights in the heavens I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. Ezekiel 32:7-8.

Likewise in John,

When he opened the sixth seal I looked, and behold, a great earthquake took place, and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became like blood, and the stars fell to the earth. Revelation 6:12-13.

In the same book,

The fourth angel sounded, so that the third part of the sun was struck, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, and a third part of them was darkened. Revelation 8:12.

[4] These places show clearly that the Lord's words in the Gospels embody much the same as the Lord's words in the Prophets - namely that in the last times there will be no charity and no faith - and that this is the internal sense. All this is further evident in Isaiah,

The moon will blush, and the sun be ashamed, for Jehovah Zebaoth will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. Isaiah 24:23.

The meaning here is that faith, which is 'the moon', will blush, and charity, which is 'the sun', will be ashamed because their condition is such; for it cannot be said of the moon and the sun that they will blush and be ashamed. And in Daniel,

The horn of the he-goat grew towards the south, and towards the east, and grew even towards the host of heaven, and it cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. Daniel 8:9-10.

Here it is evident to anyone that 'the host of heaven' does not mean a host, nor 'the stars' the stars.