368. Verses 5, 6. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third animal saying, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo, a black horse; and he that sat on him had a balance in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four animals saying, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

"And when he had opened the third seal," signifies prediction concerning a further succeeding state with those who belong to the church where the Word is; "I heard the third animal saying," signifies out of the inmost heaven from the Lord; "Come and see," signifies attention and perception; "and lo, a black horse," signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed as to truth; "and he that sat on him had a balance in his hand," signifies the estimation of truth from the Word in that state of the church.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four animals saying, "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny," signify that the genuine good of the church is of no account to them, and also the genuine truth of the church; "and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine," signifies that it is provided that the internal or spiritual. sense of the Word should not be injured either as to good or as to truth.