575. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them.- That this signifies falsifications of the Word by reasonings from fallacies, is evident from the signification of horses, as denoting the understanding of the Word (see above, n. 355, 364, 372, 373, 381, 382); here the falsifications of it, because it is said, that he saw the horses in the vision, of which in what follows; and from the signification of them that sat on them, as denoting those who are intelligent in the Word, concerning which signification see also the passages above cited, but in this case, reasonings from fallacies concerning the meaning (sensus) of the Word, since the sensual man, and his reasoning from fallacies are here treated of (see above, n. 569); and because it was said that he saw them in the vision, and not, as before, in the spirit.

[2] To see in a vision here signifies from fallacies. For visions, which, and from which, man, or the spirit of man, sees, are of a two-fold kind. There are real visions, and visions that are not real. Real visions are of such things as really appear in the spiritual world, perfectly corresponding to the thoughts and affections of the angels, therefore they are real correspondences. Such were the visions which appeared to the prophets who prophesied truths, and such also were the visions which appeared to John, and which are described throughout the Apocalypse. But visions that are not real are such as appear in the external form like those that are real, but not in the internal, being produced by spirits by means of phantasies. Such were the visions which appeared to the prophets who prophesied vain things or lies. All these visions because unreal were fallacies, and therefore they signify fallacies. And since the horses and them that sat on them were seen by John in such a vision (tali visione), therefore reasonings from fallacies, and thence falsifications of the Word are signified by them.

[3] Because real visions appeared to the prophets, by whom the Word was written, and unreal visions to others who are also called prophets, and since the visions of the latter were vain, are also called lies, it is important to know the nature of visions. All things that really appear in the spiritual world, are correspondences, for they correspond to the interiors of the angels, which pertain to their minds, or to their affection and the thought thence, therefore they also signify such things. For the Spiritual which pertains to the affection, and thence to the thought of the angels, clothes itself with forms like those seen in the three kingdoms of the natural world, the animal, the vegetable, and the mineral, and all these forms are correspondences, such as were seen by the prophets, and which signified the things to which they corresponded.

But in the spiritual world there are also appearances that are not correspondences, which are produced by spirits, especially evil spirits, by means of phantasies, for by means of these such spirits can cause palaces, and houses full of decorations, as well as ornamented garments to appear, and they can also assume beautiful faces, with other things of a similar nature; but as soon as the phantasy ceases, everything that it has produced vanishes, because they are externals in which there is nothing internal. As such visions exist from phantasies, they signify fallacies, because they deceive the senses, and deceptively cause things to appear which resemble those that are real, since these are what are here signified, it is therefore said, "I saw the horses in the vision." As the subject here is reasonings from fallacies, the nature of fallacies shall be here explained.

[4] There are numerous fallacies in natural, civil, moral, and spiritual things; but as fallacies in spiritual things are here meant, therefore the nature and quality of these shall be illustrated by some examples. The sensual man is in fallacies, because all the ideas of his thought are from the world and enter by means of his bodily senses, therefore he also thinks and forms conclusions from them concerning spiritual things. He does not know what the Spiritual is, and believes that there is nothing above nature, and that, if there is anything, it is natural and material. He cannot apprehend at all, that objects like those in the natural world exist in the spiritual world, for example that paradises, shrubberies, beds of flowers, grass-plots, palaces, and houses can appear there. He calls these things phantasies, although he knows that similar things were seen by the prophets when they were in the spirit. [Sensual men] do not believe that such things exist in the spiritual world, because they believe that whatever they do not see with their eyes, or perceive by some bodily sense, has no existence.

[5] Those who judge from fallacies cannot at all apprehend that man is in a perfect human form after death, nor that the angels are in that form; therefore they deny that men after death have the human form, saying that they are phantoms, without eyes, ears, or mouths, consequently without sight, hearing, or speech, flying about in the air, and waiting for the resurrection of the body, in order to be able to see, hear, and speak. They speak and believe in this way, because from the fallacies of the bodily senses. Those who reason and form conclusions from the fallacies of the senses, ascribe all things to nature, and scarcely anything to the Divine [Being]; and if they do ascribe creation to the Divine [Being], they still suppose that all things have been transferred to nature, and that from it alone all effects proceed, and nothing from the spiritual world. As when they see the wonderful things connected with silk-worms, butterflies, and bees, and the wonderful phenomena seen in the generation of all animals from eggs (omnium animalium ex ovis), and other similar things without number, they regard them as the works of nature only, nor are they able to think anything about the spiritual world and its influx into the natural, and the existence and subsistence of such wonderful things therefrom. When yet the fact is, that the Divine flows in continually through the spiritual world into the natural, and produces such things, and that nature was created to be serviceable for clothing those things which flow in and proceed from the spiritual world. But it would take us to a great length to enumerate all the fallacies in spiritual things, which the sensual man of the church believes. Some of them are stated also in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 53).

372. And behold a black horse. That this signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed as to truth, is manifest from the signification of a horse, as denoting the understanding (see above, n. 355); and from the signification of black, as denoting what is not true; thus by a black horse is signified the understanding destroyed as to truth. The reason why black signifies what is not true, is, because white signifies what is true. That white is predicated of truth, and signifies it, may be seen above (n. 196). That white is predicated of truth and signifies it, is, because white derives its origin from the brightness of light, and light signifies truth; and the reason why black is predicated of what is not true, and signifies it, is, because black derives its origin from darkness, or from a deprivation of light, and darkness, because it exists from the deprivation of light, signifies ignorance of truth. That a black horse here signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed as to truth, is also evident from the signification of the red horse treated of above, as denoting the same destroyed as to good. In the church, also, in process of time good perishes first, and afterwards truth, and at length in the place of good succeeds evil, and in the place of truth falsity. This last state of the church is meant by the pale horse, which will be explained presently.

[2] That black signifies what is not true, is clear also from other passages in the Word, where it is mentioned; as in Micah:

"The night shall be unto you for a vision; and darkness shall arise to you for divination; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall grow black over them" (3:6).

By the prophets, of whom it is here treated, are signified those who are in truths of doctrine, and apart from persons, the truths of doctrine; that those who are meant by prophets should see evils, and divine falsities, is signified by, "The night shall be unto you for a vision; and darkness shall arise to you for divination." That they would know neither good nor truth, is signified by, "the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall grow black over them," the sun signifying the good of love, and day, the truth of faith, and to become black their not being seen or known.

[3] In Ezekiel:

"Yea, when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heavens, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine" (32:7).

These words are spoken of Pharaoh king of Egypt, by whom is signified the Scientific applied to falsities, as is the case when the natural man enters from the sciences into things spiritual, and not the reverse. Thus, because it is contrary to order, they seize upon falsities and confirm them for truths. That then there is no influx from heaven, is signified by, "I will cover the heavens"; and that there are then no knowledges of truth, is signified by, "I will make the stars thereof dark," for stars denote the knowledges of truth; that, consequently, there is no good of love and no truth of faith, is signified by, "I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine," the sun signifying the good of love, and the moon the truth of faith. (That such things are signified by the sun and moon, may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 116-125.) Similar things are signified by the sun, moon, and stars, in Joel:

"The earth was moved before him; the heavens trembled; the sun and moon became black, and the stars withdrew their shining" (2:10; 3:15).

And similar things in the Apocalypse:

"The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood" (6:12).

What is specifically signified by those things will be seen in the following pages.

[4] In Ezekiel:

"In the day when he shall descend into hell I will cover the abyss over him, and I will restrain the streams thereof, so that the great waters shall be shut up, and I will make Lebanon black over him, and all the trees of the field shall faint over him" (31:15).

Assyria is here treated of, which is compared to a cedar, Assyria here signifying reasoning concerning the truths of the church from one's own intelligence, and a cedar the truth of the spiritual church. That thus all knowledges of truth would perish, and with them all truths which savour of good, and have their essence thence. The abyss that is veiled above him, and the streams that were restrained, denote the knowledges of truth, and intelligence thence; the abyss, or sea, signifies the Scientific and the cognitive faculties in general, which belong to the natural man, and the streams signify the things pertaining to intelligence; the great waters which shall be shut up signify truths which savour of good, and thence derive their essence, waters denoting truths, and great in the Word being said of good. Lebanon becoming black over him, and the trees of the field fainting over him, signify that the truths of the church will cease to exist, and that its knowledges will be without the perception of truth; for Lebanon, like the cedar, signifies the church as to truths, thus also the truths of the church; and the trees of the field signify the church as to the knowledges of truth, thus also the knowledges of the truth of the church; trees denoting the knowledges themselves, and a field the church; hence it is evident that to make Lebanon black signifies that there are no longer any truths of the church.

[5] In Lamentations:

"The Nazarites were whiter [albi] than snow, they were whiter [candidi] than milk. Their form is obscured beyond blackness; they are not known in the streets" (4:7, 8).

No one can know what these words signify, unless he knows what the Nazarites represented. The Nazarites represented the Lord as to the Divine Celestial; and because all the statutes of the church at that time represented such things as belong to heaven and the church, thus to the Lord, for all things of heaven and the church are from the Lord; and because the Nazarite was the principal representative of the Lord, hence by the above words is signified that every representative of the Lord had perished. The genuine representative of the Lord is described by the Nazarites being whiter than snow, and whiter than milk, by which expressions is signified the representative of Divine truth and Divine good in their perfection, white (album) being predicated of truth, [and] in like manner, snow; and whiteness (candidum) of the good of truth, [and] in like manner, milk. That every representative of Divine truth had perished, is described by, their form is obscured beyond blackness; they are not known in the streets; form signifying the quality of truth; blackness signifying its no longer appearing; streets signifying the truths of doctrine; and not to be known in them, signifying not to be recognized by genuine truths. What is further signified by the Nazarites will be told elsewhere.

[6] In Jeremiah:

"The whole earth shall be a desolation; yet will I not make a consummation. For this shall the whole earth mourn, and the heavens shall become black from above" (4:27, 28).

The whole earth shall be a desolation, signifies that the good and truth in the church will perish, the earth denoting the church; yet will I not make a consummation, signifies that something of good and truth would still remain; for this shall the earth mourn, signifies the weakness of the church thence; the heavens shall become black from above, signifies that there would be no influx of good and truth from the Lord through heaven; for the heavens are said to become black when no affection or perception of truth flows in from the Lord through heaven, because in the churches before the Lord's coming, which were representative churches, mourning represented spiritual grief of mind because there was no truth and good. For mourning was on account of oppression by an enemy, on account of the death of a father or mother, and other like circumstances; and by oppression by an enemy was signified oppression by evils which are from hell, and by father and mother was signified the church as to good and as to truth; because these things were represented by mourning with them, therefore they then went in black.

[7] As in David:

"I say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Why shall I go in black on account of the oppression of the enemy?" (Psalms 42:9; 43:2).

In the same:

"I bowed myself in black as bewailing a mother" (Psalms 35:14).

In the same:

"I am bent, I am bowed down greatly; I have gone in black all the day" (Psalms 38:6).

In Malachi:

"Ye have said, What profit is it that we walk in black before Jehovah?" (3:14).

In Jeremiah:

"Upon the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt; I am become black" (8:21).

The daughter of the people signifies the church.

In Jeremiah:

"Judah hath mourned, and her gates are become languishing, they are become black even to the earth; and the cry of Jerusalem hath gone up; for their great ones sent their lesser ones for water; they came to the pits, and found not waters; their vessels are returned empty" (14:2, 3).

That black signifies spiritual grief of mind because there is no truth in the church, is evident from the particulars herein in the internal sense; for by Judah is signified the church as to the affection of good; and by Jerusalem, the church as to the doctrine of truth; by gates is signified admission thereto. That truths no longer existed in the church, is described by, the great ones have sent their lesser ones for water; they came to the pits and found not waters; their vessels are returned empty; waters signifying truths; pits, those things that contain them, which are doctrinals from the Word, and the Word itself, in which they no longer see truths. From these considerations it is evident that black and sable in the Word signify that there is no truth. Similarly also darkness, clouds, obscurity, and many things from which blackness arises; as in Joel:

"A day of darkness and of thick darkness, a day of cloud and obscurity" (2:2); and in other passages.