372. And behold, a black horse, signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to truth. This is evident from the signification of "horse," as being the understanding (See above, n. 355); also from the signification of "black," as being what is not true; thus "a black horse" signifies the understanding destroyed in respect to truth. "Black" signifies what is not true, because "white" signifies what is true. That "white" is predicated of truth and signifies it, may be seen above n. 196. "White" is predicated of truth and signifies it, because white has its origin in the brightness of light, and "light" signifies truth; and "black" is predicated of what is not true and signifies it, because black has its origin in darkness, that is, from the privation of light; and because darkness exists from the privation of light it signifies the ignorance of truth. That "a black horse" here signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to truth, is evident from the signification of "the red horse" (treated of above), as being the understanding destroyed in respect to good. Moreover, in the church, in process of time, good first perishes and afterwards truth, and at length evil succeeds in place of good, and falsity in place of truth. This last state of the church is meant by "the pale horse" (of which presently).

[2] That "black" signifies what is not true is evident also from other passages in the Word, where it is mentioned. As in Micah:

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

The "prophets" here treated of signify those who are in the truths of doctrine, and in a sense abstracted from persons, the truths of doctrine; that those meant by "prophets" would see evils and would divine falsities is signified by "it shall be night unto you for 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 over the prophets, and the day shall grow black over them;" "sun" signifying the good of love, and day" the truth of faith, and "to grow black" signifying not seen or known.

[3] In Ezekiel:

But when I shall have extinguished thee, 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 (Ezekiel 32:7).

This is said of Pharaoh king of Egypt, by whom is signified the knowing faculty applied to falsities, which is done when the natural man from things known enters into things spiritual instead of the reverse; because this is contrary to order, falsities are seized upon and confirmed as truths; that then nothing flows in 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," "stars" meaning knowledges of truth; that there is consequently no good of love nor truth of faith is signified by "I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine," "sun" signifying the good of love, and "moon" the truth of faith. (That this is the signification of "sun" and "moon," see Heaven and Hell 116-125.)

"Sun," "moon," and "stars," have a like signification in Joel:

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

Likewise in Revelation:

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

What these things signify in particular will be seen in what follows.

[4] In Ezekiel:

In the day when he shall go down into hell, and I will cover the abyss over him, and I will withhold the rivers thereof, that the great waters may be held back, and I will make Lebanon black for him, and all the trees of the field shall faint for him (Ezekiel 31:15).

This is said of "Assyria," which is here compared to a cedar. "Assyria" here signifies reasoning about the truths of the church from self-intelligence, and "cedar" the truth of the spiritual church; that by such reasoning all knowledges of truth, and with them all truths that savor of good and have their essence from good, would be destroyed is signified by all these words; the "abyss which is covered over him," and the "rivers that were withheld," mean the knowledges of truth and intelligence therefrom, the "abyss" or "sea" signifying the knowing and the cognizing faculties in general that are in the natural man, and "rivers" signifying the things that pertain to intelligence; the "great waters that shall be held back," signify the truths which savor of good and derive their essence from good, "waters" mean truths, and "great" in the Word is predicated of good.

That "Lebanon was made black over him, and the trees fainted for him," signifies that there will be no longer any truths of the church, and with its knowledges there will be no perception of truth; for "Lebanon," in like manner as "cedar," signifies the church in respect to truths, thus also the truths of the church; and "trees of the field" signify the church in respect to the knowledges of truth, thus also the knowledges of truth of the church, "trees" meaning the knowledges themselves, and "field" the church; from this it is clear that "to make Lebanon black" signifies that there are no longer any truths of the church.

[5] In Lamentations:

The Nazarites were whiter than snow, they were brighter than milk. Their form is more dark than blackness; they are not known in the streets (Lamentations 4:7-8).

No one can know what this signifies unless he knows what the Nazarites represented. "The Nazarites" represented the Lord in respect to the celestial Divine; and as 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 as the Nazariteship was the chief representative of the Lord, these words signify that every representative of the Lord had perished. A genuine representative of the Lord is described by "the Nazarites were whiter than snow, and brighter than milk," which signifies a representative of Divine truth and Divine good in its perfection; for "white" is predicated of truth, in like manner "snow," and "brightness" of the good of truth, in like manner "milk." That every representative of Divine truth had perished is described by "their form is darker than 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 "Nazarites" will be told elsewhere.

[6] In Jeremiah:

The whole land shall be a waste; but I will not make a consummation. For this shall the land mourn, and the heavens above shall be blackened (Jeremiah 4:27-28).

"The whole land shall be a waste" signifies that good and truth in the church shall perish, "land" meaning the church; "yet I will not make a consummation" signifies that something of good and truth will still remain; "for this shall the land mourn" signifies the consequent feebleness of the church; "the heavens above shall be blackened" signifies that there will be no influx of good and truth from the Lord through heaven; for the heavens are said to be "blackened" when no affection or perception of truth flows in from the Lord through heaven. Since in the churches before the Lord's coming, which were representative churches, mourning represented spiritual grief of mind on account of the absence of truth and good, for they mourned when oppressed by an enemy, on the death of a father or mother, and for like things, and oppression by an enemy signified oppression by evils from hell, and father and mother signified the church in respect to good and in respect to truth, because with them these things were represented by mourning, they at such times went in black.

[7] As in David:

I say unto God my rock, why hast Thou forgotten me? Why shall I go in black because 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 was bent, I was bowed down exceedingly; 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? (Malachi 3:14).

In Jeremiah:

For the breach of the daughter of my people I am broken down; I am made black (Jeremiah 8:21);

"daughter of the people" signifying the church. In Jeremiah:

Judah hath mourned, and her gates have been made to languish, they are made black even to the earth; and the cry of Jerusalem hath gone up; for their nobles sent their little ones for water, they came to the pits and found no waters, their vessels return empty (Jeremiah 14:2-3).

That "to be made black" signifies spiritual grief of mind because of the absence of truth in the church is evident from the particulars here in the internal sense; for "Judah" signifies the church in respect to the affection of good; and "Jerusalem" the church in respect to the doctrine of truth; "gates" signify admission to the church. That there were no longer any truths is described by "the nobles sent their little ones for water, they came to the pits and found no waters, their vessels return empty," "waters" signifying truths, and "pits" the things that contain, which are the doctrinals from the Word and the Word itself, and in these truths are no longer seen. From this it can be seen that "black" [nigrum] and "black" [atrum] in the Word signify the absence of truth; and "darkness," "clouds," "obscurity," and many things from which blackness arises have a like signification. As in Joel:

A day of darkness and of thick darkness, a day of cloud and of obscurity (Joel 2:2);

and in other passages.

1107. Come forth out of her, my people, signifies that they should leave them and not communicate with them. This is evident from the signification of "coming forth out of Babylon," as being to leave those who are meant by "Babylon," also not to communicate with them. Also from the signification of "my people," as being those who are in truths, and through truths in the good of life. (That "people" signifies those who are in truths from good may be seen, n. 175, 331, 625.) These are the subjects of the exhortation that is meant by "the voice from heaven." They were exhorted to leave such, and not to communicate with them, because interaction with such is dangerous, especially in the spiritual world, where they send out emissaries, as they do in the natural world, and these persuade others in various ways and entice them by promises that they may accede to their religion; for as a man acts in the world so he acts after his departure out of the world, for the ruling love with everyone remains, and the love of such is to bring all the world over to their religious persuasion, and this for no other end than that they may extend the boundaries of their empire for the sake of the infernal delight of the love of self and the infernal delight of the love of the world. It is for the sake of these delights that the devil, as it is said, walks about and leads astray, as can be seen from what is said in the Gospels about the Lord's temptations by the devil, where the love of self in which he is, is described by his wishing to be adored, and his love of the world by his showing from a mountain all the kingdoms of the world as his own. As everyone's love continues the same after death, so is it with the Babylonish nation when it has come into the spiritual world; then those who have exercised dominion from the delight of those loves, acquire arts unknown in the natural world, and by these they fascinate men's spirits and draw them over to their side against their will. And now since the Last Judgment has been accomplished upon these, they are strictly forbidden to send emissaries into societies in which the Reformed are, or to the Gentiles; and when any are sent they are sought out and punished. As the state of such after the Last Judgment, especially their state in the spiritual world, is here treated of, what is said here and in the following parts of this chapter about Babylon must be understood as said chiefly on their account. For as regards Babylon in the natural world or on our earth, those meant by Babylon there are not in the same state as those who are in the spiritual world, and yet the exhortation is also for them, that they may take heed to themselves.

(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith)

[2] Now in regard to the agreement of all things of the Athanasian doctrine with this truth, that God is one both in essence and Person, in whom is a trine, to establish this agreement and make it clear I will proceed in the following order. The Athanasian doctrine first teaches thus: "The Catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the essence." When in place of three Persons one Person in whom is the trine is understood, this is in itself a truth, and in a clear idea is thus seen: The Christian faith is this: We worship one God in whom is a trine, and a trine in one God; and the God in whom is the trine is one Person, and the trine in God is one essence; thus there is one God in a Trinity, and a Trinity in the unity; and neither are the Persons confounded nor is the essence divided. That the Persons are not confounded and the essence is not divided will appear more clearly from what follows. The Athanasian doctrine further teaches: "For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit; but the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is one and the same, and the glory equal." When in place of three Persons one Person, in whom is the trine, is understood, this also in itself is a truth, and in a clear idea is thus seen: The trine in the Lord as in one Person is the Divine that is called the Father, the Divine Human that is called the Son, and the Divine proceeding that is called the Holy Spirit; but the Godhead or Divine essence of the three is one, the glory equal. Again, "Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit." These words are to be understood thus: Such as is the Divine that is called the Father, such is the Divine that is called the Son, and such is the Divine that is called the Holy Spirit.

[3] And further, "The Father is uncreate, the Son is uncreate, and the Holy Spirit is uncreate. The Father is infinite, the Son is infinite, and the Holy Spirit is infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal, and yet there are not three eternals, but one eternal. Also there are not three infinites, but one infinite; neither are there three uncreates, but one uncreate. As the Father is Almighty the Son is Almighty and the Holy Spirit Almighty; and yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty." When in place of three Persons one Person in whom is a trine is understood, this also in itself is a truth, and in a clear idea is thus seen: As the Divine in the Lord that is called the Father is uncreate, infinite, Almighty, so the Divine Human that is called the Son is uncreate, infinite, Almighty, and the Divine that is called the Holy Spirit is uncreate, infinite, and Almighty; but these three are one; because the Lord is one God, both in essence and in Person, in whom is a trine. Again, in the Athanasian doctrine this follows: "as the Father is God so the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord; and yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord." Here again, when in place of three persons one person in whom is a trine is understood, this in a clear idea is thus seen: the Lord from his Divine that is called the Father, from His Divine Human that is called the Son, and from His Divine proceeding that is called the Holy Spirit, is one God and one Lord; since the three Divines called by the names Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are in the Lord, one in essence and in Person.

[4] Still again: "For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say there be three gods or three lords." Elsewhere thus: "Like as we are bound by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person to be God and Lord, so we cannot in Christian faith make mention of three gods or three lords." This can be understood in no other way than that by Christian truth we cannot help acknowledging and thinking three gods and three lords, yet it is not permitted by the Christian faith and religion to speak of and name three gods or three lords. And this is what is done, for most people think of three gods who are of one mind, and consequently call them a unanimous Trinity, and yet they are bound to say one God. But with the idea that there are not three Persons but one Person, in place of these words, which ought to be expunged from the Athanasian doctrine, this might be said: "When we acknowledge a trine in the Lord, then it is from truth, and thus from the Christian faith and religion, that we acknowledge both with the lips and the heart, one God and one Lord." For if it were permissible to acknowledge and think of three it would be permissible also to believe in three, for believing or belief belongs to the thought and acknowledgment and to the speech therefrom, and not to the speech separately.

[5] Afterwards this follows: "the Father was made of none, neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits." This is wholly in agreement with the truth if by the Father the Divine of the Lord that is called the Father is meant, and if by the Son His Divine Human is meant, and if by the Holy Spirit His Divine proceeding is meant; for from the Divine that is called the Father the Divine Human that is called the Son was begotten, and from both the Divine that is called the Holy Spirit proceeds. But the Divine Human begotten of the Father will be spoken of particularly hereafter. All this makes clear that the Athanasian doctrine agrees with the truth that God is one both in essence and in Person, if only in place of three Persons one Person, in whom is a trine that is called Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is understood. In the following article a like agreement will be established respecting the unity of Person in the Lord.