1. IN the Book of Revelation, this is how John describes the Word ¹ in regard to its spiritual or inner meaning ² :

"I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And the one who sat on it was called faithful and true, and with justice he judges and makes war. His eyes were a flame of fire, and on his head were many gems. He had a name written that no one knew except him. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. He has on his robe and on his thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords." (Revelation 19:11, 12, 13, 14, 16)

Only from the inner meaning can anyone know what these particular details involve. It is obvious that each one represents and means something — the heaven that is opened; the horse that is white; the one who sat on it; his judging and making war justly; his eyes being a flame of fire; his having many gems on his head; his having a name that no one knew except him; his being clothed with a robe dipped in blood; the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, following him on white horses; and his having a name written on his robe and on his thigh. It says plainly that this is the Word and that it is the Lord ³ who is the Word, since it says “his name is called the Word of God” and then says “he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

[2] If we interpret the individual words, we can see that this is describing the spiritual or inner meaning of the Word. Heaven being opened represents and means that the inner meaning of the Word is seen in heaven and therefore is seen by people in this world to whom heaven has been opened. ⁴ The horse that is white represents and means an understanding of the Word in regard to its deeper contents (the reason for this meaning of the white horse will become clear in what follows). Unquestionably, the one who sat on the horse is the Lord as the Word and is therefore the Word, since it says “his name is called the Word of God.” He is described as faithful and judging justly because he is good, and he is described as true and making war justly because he is true, since the Lord himself is justice. His eyes being a flame of fire means the divine truth that comes from the divine goodness of his divine love. His having many gems on his head means all the types of goodness and truth that belong to faith. His having a name written that no one knew except him means that what the Word is like in its inner meaning is seen by no one except him and those to whom he reveals it. His being clothed with a robe dipped in blood means the Word in its literal meaning, which has suffered violence. The armies in heaven that followed him on white horses mean the people who have an understanding of the deeper contents of the Word. Their being clothed in fine linen, white and clean, means that these people have an awareness of truth that comes from doing good. His having a name written on his robe and on his thigh means what is true and what is good, and what that truth and goodness are like.

[3] We can see from this and from what precedes and follows [this passage in the Word] that we have here a prediction that around the last time of the church ⁵ the spiritual or inner meaning of the Word will be opened. What will happen then is described in verses 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.

There is no need to demonstrate here that this is the meaning of these words, since the details have been explained in Secrets of Heaven ⁶ as follows:

The Lord is the Word because he is divine truth: 2533, 2813, 2894, 5272, 8535. The Word is divine truth: 4692, 5075, 9987. It says that the one who sat on the horse judges and makes war justly because the Lord is justice; the Lord is called “justice” because he saved the human race by his own power: 1813, 2025, 2026, 2027, 9715, 9809, 10019, 10152. Justice is a form of merit that belongs to the Lord alone: 9715, 9979. His eyes being a flame of fire means divine truth that comes from the divine goodness of his divine love, because eyes mean understanding and mean the truth that belongs to faith: 2701, 4403–4421, 4523–4534, 6923, 9051, 10569; and a flame of fire means the goodness of love: 934, 4906, 5215, 6314, 6832. The gems on his head mean all the types of goodness and truth that belong to faith: 114, 3858, 6335, 6640, 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905. His having a name written that no one knew except him means that no one sees what the Word is like in its inner meaning except him and those to whom he reveals it, because the name means what the named thing is really like: 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3237, 3421, 6674, 9310. His being clothed with a robe dipped in blood means the Word in its literal meaning, which has suffered violence, because a garment means truth since truth clothes what is good: 1073, 2576, 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9952, 10536 (and this has particular reference to the most external forms of truth and therefore to the Word in its letter: 5248, 6918, 9158, 9212); and because blood means the violence inflicted on what is true by what is false: 374, 1005, 4735, 5476, 9127. The armies in heaven that followed him on white horses mean the people who have an understanding of the deeper contents of the Word, because armies mean people who have the understanding of truth and the love for doing good that are characteristic of heaven and the church: 3448, 7236, 7988, 8019; a horse means understanding: 3217, 5321, 6125, 6400, 6534, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8381; and white means truth that is in heaven’s light ⁷ and therefore means deeper truth: 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319. Their being clothed in fine linen, white and clean, means that these people have an awareness of truth that comes from doing good, because linen or fine linen means truth of a heavenly origin, which is truth arising from what is good: 5319, 9469. His having a name written on his robe and on his thigh means what is true and what is good, and what that truth and goodness are like, because a robe means what is true and a name means what that truth is like (as noted above), and the thigh means goodness that comes from love: 3021, 4277, 4280, 9961, 10488. King of Kings and Lord of Lords is the Lord in respect to divine truth and in respect to divine goodness. The Lord is called “King” because of his divine truth: 3009, 5068, 6148. He is called “Lord” because of his divine goodness: 4973, 9167, 9194.

We can see from this what the Word is like in its spiritual or inner meaning and that there is not a word in it that does not mean something spiritual, something about heaven and the church.

각주:

9468. 'And twice-dyed scarlet' means mutual love. This is clear from the meaning of 'scarlet' and 'twice-dyed' as celestial truth, which is the same thing as the good of mutual love. There are two kingdoms into which the angelic heaven is divided, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. In both there is an internal and an external, the internal in the celestial kingdom being the good of love to the Lord and the external the good of mutual love. This external good is what 'twice-dyed scarlet' serves to mean, 'scarlet' the actual good and 'twice-dyed' its truth. But in the spiritual kingdom the internal is the good of charity towards the neighbour and the external the good of obedience that is the product of faith. 'Twice-dyed scarlet' means the good of mutual love and its truth on account of its appearance in the next life; for when the sphere of that good and truth is revealed visually in the lowest heaven it appears there as the colour scarlet. For what comes down from the celestial heaven and appears on a lower level begins as flaming red but is turned into scarlet on the lower level by the whiteness of light in the middle heaven through which it passes. This explains why twice-dyed scarlet was to be used among the other colours on the curtains of the dwelling-place, Exodus 26:1, on the veil before the ark, Exodus 26:31, on the screen to the door of the tent, Exodus 26:36, on the screen to the gate of the court, Exodus 27:16, on the ephod, Exodus 28:6, on the belt, Exodus 28:8, on the breastplate of judgement, Exodus 28:15, and on the hem of the robe of the ephod, Exodus 28:33.

[2] The fact that 'twice-dyed scarlet' means the good of mutual love, which is the external good of the celestial kingdom or Church, is evident from the consideration that over the table where the loaves of the Presence were laid a twice-dyed scarlet cloth was to be spread, which was then to be covered with a covering of badger skin, Numbers 4:8. The inmost things of the celestial kingdom or Church were meant by what lay on the table, chiefly the loaves, but more external things by its coverings. This also accounts for the order in which the materials that were to be gathered together are listed, that is to say, the inmost things, which were the violet and the purple, are mentioned first; the more external things, which were the twice-dyed scarlet, the fine linen, and the wool of she-goats, are mentioned secondly; and the completely external things, which were the skins of red rams and the skins of badgers, are mentioned last. The like applies everywhere else in what follows.

[3] Since external celestial good and its truth is meant by 'twice-dyed scarlet', this colour is used to portray the outward sense of the Word and teachings derived from it. The reason for this is that the Word is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, appearing as flaming light in the inmost heaven and as brilliantly white light in the middle heaven.

[4] The Word and teachings derived from the Word are portrayed in this way in the second Book of Samuel,

David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan, and entitled it, To teach the children of Judah the bow. Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul who clothed you in twice-dyed delicately, ¹ who placed an ornament of gold on your apparel. 2 Samuel 1:17-18, 24.

'Clothing in twice-dyed' stands for providing with truths that go with the good of mutual love, thus with truths from a celestial origin. This prophetic utterance refers to teachings about faith separated from teachings about love and charity; that is to say, it refers to truths which are snuffed out by such a separation but are then restored by those teachings about love and charity. For by 'the Philistines', who killed Saul and Jonathan, are meant those who champion teachings about faith separated from teachings about love and charity, 3412, 3413, 8093, 8096, 8099, 8313; and 'teaching the children of Judah the bow' means providing those who are governed by the good of love and charity with the truths that compose religious teachings.

'The children of Judah' are those governed by the good of love, see 3654, 3881, 5583, 5603, 5782, 5794, 5833, 6363.

'The bow' is teachings that send out the truth, 2686, 2709.

[5] In Jeremiah,

You who have therefore been laid waste, what will you do? If you clothe yourself in twice-dyed, if you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, in vain will you make yourself beautiful. Jeremiah 4:30.

This refers to the Church when it has been laid waste. 'Clothing oneself in twice-dyed and decking oneself with ornaments of gold' means pointing out the truths of doctrine from a celestial origin and the good ways to live, consequently pointing out truths and aspects of good derived from the Word. Something similar occurs in the same prophet,

Those who ate delicacies are desolate ² in the streets; those brought up in scarlet have embraced the dunghill. Lamentations 4:5.

'Being brought up in scarlet' stands for receiving instruction since early childhood in the good of mutual love derived from the Word.

[6] Because those things contained in the outward sense of the Word appear in heaven as the colour scarlet, for the reason stated above, people who use the outward sense of the Word to substantiate falsities arising from the evils of selfish and worldly love, thus ideas contrary to truths and forms of the good of love to the Lord and of mutual love, are said to be clothed in purple and scarlet. For their externals, being from the Word, display such an appearance; but their internals are profane. Such things are meant by 'scarlet' in John,

I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names. She was clothed in purple and scarlet. Revelation 17:3-4.

This refers to Babylon, which means a religion in which the holy things of the Word are made profane by the use of them to support false ideas that favour the devilish kinds of love, which are self-love and love of the world, and so to exercise control in heaven and on earth. Like things are also meant in another part of the same book, [where it is called,]

The great city, which was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and covered ³ with gold and precious stones and pearls. Revelation 18:16.

Therefore also fine linen, purple, and scarlet are listed among Babylon's wares in Revelation 18:12.

[7] Since the outward aspect of the Word appears in heaven as the colour scarlet, and since there is an influx from heaven into the human memory, in which the things derived from the Word appear in that shade of colour, scarlet was used with objects that served as a reminder of something, as in Moses,

The children of Israel shall make for themselves a fringe on the hems of garments, and they shall put on the fringe of the hem a violet ⁴ thread, that by means of it they might remember all the commandments of Jehovah and do them. ⁵ Numbers 15:38-39.

[8] For the same reason also it was customary in ancient times, when meaningful signs were in common use, to tie on a scarlet thread as the memorial or reminder of something, as one reads about Tamar's son Zerah, ⁶ on whose hand the midwife tied a twice-dyed thread, Genesis 38:28, 30, and about the prostitute Rahab, who tied a scarlet thread on the window, so that the spies would remember the promise, Joshua 2:18, 21.

[9] Since a person cannot be released from evils and falsities except by means of the truths and forms of good that reside with the person from the Word, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop were used in cleansings from leprosy, Leviticus 14:4-7, 49-52. For 'leprosy' means truth when it has been rendered profane, and so has been falsified, 6963, and 'being cleansed' means being released from those ills by means of truths and forms of good which are derived from the Word. Scarlet was in like manner used in the preparation of the water of separation and expiation involving the red cow, Numbers 19:6; the water of separation and expiation served as well to mean purification and release from evils and falsities by means of truths and forms of good that are derived from the Word.

[10] As the majority of things in the Word can have a contrary meaning, so too can 'twice-dyed' and 'scarlet'. Then they mean falsities and evils, which are the opposites of those truths and forms of good, as in Isaiah,

Though your sins are like twice-dyed, they will be as white as snow. Though they are as red as scarlet, they will be like wool. Isaiah 1:18.

The same applies to 'red', 'blood', 'flame', and 'fire'. In the true sense they mean forms of the good of love and faith, but in the contrary sense the evils which are their opposites.

각주:

9961. 'From the loins even to the thighs they shall be' means the range of those things, that is to say, of those composing that more external level of conjugial love, meant by 'the linen undergarments'. This is clear from the meaning of 'the loins' and 'the thighs' as those things which constitute conjugial love, 'the loins' those that belong to the more internal levels of conjugial love, 'the thighs' those that belong to the more external levels, so that the range of that love from internal to external levels is meant. The reason why the more internal levels of that love are meant by 'the loins' is that these are above; and the reason why the more external levels are meant by 'the thighs' is that these are below. For parts of a person that are above mean things which are more internal, and parts that are below mean those which are more external; this is why in the Word more internal things are meant by higher ones, and more external by lower ones, see 3084, 4599, 5146, 8325. The higher parts of a person correspond to celestial and spiritual things, which are the more internal ones, and the lower parts correspond to natural things, which are the more external. This is why natural things are meant by 'the feet', 2162, 3147, 3986, 4382, 4938-4952. And since the lower part of the loins which leads down towards the feet is understood by 'the thighs' the more external or lower levels of conjugial love are meant by them, see 4277, 4280.

[2] The loins in general however mean conjugial love, 3021, 3294, 4575, 5050-5062; they have this meaning by virtue of their correspondence. Regarding the correspondence with heaven of everything present with a human being, see what has been shown abundantly in the places referred to in 9276(end), 9280. The words 'range of conjugial love from internal to external levels' are used because all aspects of love and all matters of faith, or what amounts to the same thing, all those of good and all those of truth, have a wide range in the heavens; for all who are there are joined together in accord with the degree of similarity between the truths of their faith and the forms of good of their love. A range such as this exists in each separate heaven. But the range in each heaven also extends into heavens that are below, because all the heavens make one. Indeed they extend right down to mankind, in order that mankind also may make one with the heavens. This range is what is meant by the range from higher or more internal levels to lower or more external ones. The higher or more internal levels are called celestial and spiritual, and the lower or more external ones are called natural or worldly.

[3] As regards conjugial love specifically, whose range is the subject here, this love is fundamental to all other kinds of love; it descends from the marriage of good and truth in the heavens. And since the marriage of good and truth exists in and makes the heavens, truly conjugial love constitutes heaven itself with a person. But the marriage of good and truth in the heavens descends from the joining of the Lord to the heavens; for what emanates from the Lord and flows into the heavens is the good of love, and what is received there by the angels is the truth springing from it, thus truth which originates in good or in which there is good. This is why in the Word the Lord is called bridegroom and husband, and heaven together with the Church is called bride and wife.

[4] All this makes clear how holy marriages are in heaven, and how profane adulterous relationships are there. For in themselves marriages are so holy that there is nothing holier, and are so for the added reason that they are the seed-bed of the human race, and the human race is the seed-bed of heaven, since all people who have led an angelic life in the world go there. On the other hand adulterous relationships are so profane that nothing is more profane, because they are destructive of heaven and the Church with a person. For the truth of all this, see what has been stated and shown in 2727-2759 regarding marriages and regarding adulterous situations.

[5] All this once again makes it clear why foul and hellish things are meant by the kinds of 'nakedness' dealt with in 9960 above, and why it was commanded so strictly that when they ministered Aaron and his sons should be wearing the undergarments covering the loins, and that if they did not they would die, for it says,

Make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh; from the loins even to the thighs they shall be. And they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, that they may not bear iniquity and die. It shall be the statute of an age ⁶ for him and his seed after him.

[6] It should be recognized therefore that by conjugial love all celestial and spiritual love is meant, because truly conjugial love, as has been shown above, is fundamental to all other kinds of love. People therefore in whom that fundamental love is present have all other loves belonging to heaven and the Church present in them; for as has been stated, it descends from the marriage of good and truth in the heavens, the marriage that makes heaven. This also explains why heaven is compared in the Word to a marriage, and is also actually called a marriage. From this too it is evident why precautions were taken to prevent the nakedness of Aaron or his sons from being visible while they ministered; for their nakedness served to mean all loves contrary to heavenly loves, which in general are called self-love and love of the world when they are the ends in view, and are foul and hellish loves. People at the present day have no knowledge that all this is so because they are steeped in these loves and take delight in nothing except that which arises from them. So it is that when spiritual love and celestial love are mentioned they are perplexed, not knowing what they may be, nor consequently what heaven may be; and perhaps they are astonished when they hear and consider that spiritual and celestial love separated from self-love and love of the world holds eternal happiness within it that is indescribable.