701. If the spiritual meaning of the Word were not opened - or to put it another way, if the correspondences of earthly things to spiritual things were not revealed - the holiness of the sacrament we are currently focusing on would be as impossible to recognize as the true value of a field that contains hidden treasure. Such a field is at first considered no more valuable than any other field; but when someone finds that there is treasure in the field, it is valued at a much higher price, and the person who buys it becomes the owner of that wealth. This happens to an even greater degree when it is discovered that the treasure in the field is more valuable than all the gold in the world.

[2] If we do not know about the spiritual meaning, this sacrament is like a house that is locked and shuttered, but full of treasure chests that contain valuables. People pass by the house like any other on the street. The clergy decorate its outside walls with a surface of marble and cover its roof with gold plate; as a result, the eyes of passers-by are drawn to the house and they compliment it and consider it more valuable. The situation is very different, however, when the house is opened up and all are allowed in, and a guard inside loans treasures to some and gives treasures to others, depending on each person's worthiness. I mention that some of the wealth is given away, because the valuables there never run out, since they are constantly restocked. This is how it is for the spiritual riches within the Word and the heavenly riches within the sacraments.

[3] Before the hidden inner holiness of the sacrament that is our topic here is revealed to us, the sacrament looks like river sand that invisibly harbors gold particles in great quantities. When that holiness is revealed, it is like collecting those gold particles, melting them together into a mass, and forming them into beautiful shapes.

Before the holiness of this sacrament has been disclosed and is seen, this sacrament is like a box or case made out of beech or poplar wood. Inside, however, it contains diamonds, rubies, and many other precious stones laid out in an orderly way in little compartments. Obviously, we see this box or case as more valuable when we hear what is hidden inside it; and we see it as still more valuable when we actually see for ourselves what is inside and are given its contents for free.

Before this sacrament's correspondences with heaven have been revealed and we have actually seen the heavenly things to which it corresponds, this sacrament is like angels seen in the world wearing everyday clothing. People at first accord them no more honor than their clothes would suggest they were due. People treat the angels completely differently, however, when they recognize that they are angels, hear them saying angelic things, and see them performing miracles.

[4] A situation I experienced in the spiritual world illustrates the difference between holiness that is merely said to be present and holiness that is actually experienced. Someone read out loud an epistle that had been written by Paul while he was traveling in the world but had never been made public, so no one knew that it was by Paul. The people who heard the letter considered it worthless to begin with; but when they were told it actually belonged among the Pauline Epistles, they found tremendous joy in it and adored every single thing about it.

This experience suggests that when leaders of the clergy assert that the Word and the sacraments are holy, they do succeed in conveying some sense of holiness; but it is nothing like the experience we have when the true holiness is unveiled and is visibly presented before our eyes, which occurs when the spiritual meaning is revealed. Then an outer sense of holiness becomes an inner sense of holiness, and being told something turns into acknowledging it for ourselves. This is true of the holiness within the sacrament of the Holy Supper.

196. 2. There is a spiritual meaning throughout the Word and in every part of it. The best way to see this is through examples as follows:

In the Book of Revelation John says,

I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. The One sitting on it was called faithful and true, who judges with justice and does battle. His eyes were like a flame of fire. On his head were many gems. He had a name written that no one knew except him. He was dressed in blood-stained clothing. His name was the Word of God. His armies in heaven followed him on white horses; they were dressed in linen that was white and clean. On his clothing and on his thigh he had a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun who was crying with a great voice, "Come and gather yourselves for the great feast, that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and those who ride on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slaves, small and great. " (Revelation 19:11-18)

No one can see what these words mean except from the Word's spiritual meaning. We cannot see the spiritual meaning unless we work with the study of correspondences. All these words are correspondences; not a word is pointless. The study of correspondences teaches the meaning of the white horse, the One sitting on it, the eyes like a flame of fire, the gems on his head, the blood-stained clothing, the white linen worn by the members of his army from heaven, the angel standing in the sun, the great feast to which people should come and gather themselves, and the flesh of kings and commanders and of many other people and things that they were supposed to eat.

[2] For what each detail means spiritually, see the explanations in Revelation Unveiled 820-838. See also the small work White Horse. Because of those treatments, I will forgo a detailed explanation here. There I have shown that this passage describes the Lord in his role as the Word. His eyes that were like a flame of fire mean the divine wisdom that comes from his divine love. The gems on his head and the name that no one knows except him mean the divine truths of the Word that come from him and the fact that no one sees the nature of the Word in its spiritual meaning except the Lord and anyone to whom he reveals it. The blood-stained clothing means the Word's earthly meaning, its literal meaning, that has had violence inflicted upon it.

It is obvious that the Word is being described, because it says, "His name is the Word of God. " It is also obvious that the passage refers to the Lord, because it says that the name of the One sitting on the white horse was King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This is like Revelation 17:14, where it says, "The Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. "

[3] The necessity for the Word's spiritual aspect to be revealed when the church comes to an end - this is the inner meaning of what is said of the white horse and the One sitting on it. It is also the meaning of an angel standing in the sun, extending an invitation to all to come and eat the flesh of kings and commanders and so on. Eating these things means our incorporation into ourselves of everything that is good from the Lord.

All the expressions in this passage would be pointless words, words without life or spirit, if there were no spiritual meaning inside them like the soul in a body.