7024. And he made them ride upon the ass. That this signifies the things that would be of service to new intelligence, is evident from the signification of “riding,” as being the things of the intellect, here of new intelligence, which must be of life among those who are in the spiritual church (see n. 7016); that these things are signified by “riding” is because a “horse” signifies the intellectual (of which see n. 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321, 6534); and from the signification of an “ass,” as being the truth that is of service, here to new intelligence (n. 2781, 5741), and also as being memory-knowledge (n. 5492).

6534. And horsemen. That this signifies intellectual things, is evident from the signification of “horsemen,” as being things that belong to the intellect, for by a “horse” is signified the intellectual (see n. 2760-2762, 3217, 5321, 6125). That “horsemen” denote things that belong to the intellect or understanding, may be seen further from the following passages:

Jehovah alone did lead him; He made him ride upon the high places of the earth (Deuteronomy 32:12-13);

speaking of the Ancient Church; “to make him ride upon the high places of the earth” denotes to endow with higher understanding.

[2] In David:

In thine honor mount up, and ride upon the Word of truth, and of gentleness, and of righteousness, and thy right hand shall teach thee wonderful things (Psalms 45:4),

speaking of the Lord; “riding upon the Word of truth” denotes being in the very understanding of truth. Again:

Sing to God, praise ye His name; extol Him that rideth upon the clouds by His name Jah (Psalms 68:4);

this also is said of the Lord; the “clouds” denote the literal sense of the Word (see the preface to Genesis 18, n. 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343 at the end); “to ride upon them” is to be in the internal sense, where truth is in its intelligence and wisdom.

[3] In Zechariah:

In that day I will smite every horse with amazement, and his rider with madness, and I will open Mine eye upon the house of Judah; but will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness (Zech. 12:4); where “horse” denotes the intellectual; and “rider,” the intellect. Who does not see that “horse” here does not mean horse, nor “rider” rider; but that something is signified which can be smitten with amazement and madness, also with blindness? That this pertains to the understanding is obvious.

[4] That by “horses” and “horsemen” are signified intellectual things, and in the opposite sense reasonings and falsities thence derived, may be seen in John:

I saw and behold a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow, and there was given unto him a crown, and he went forth conquering. And there went forth another horse that was red, and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another, and there was given unto him a great sword. I saw and behold a black horse, and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. And I saw and behold a pale horse, and him that sat upon it, whose name was Death (Revelation 6:2-8).

That here the “horses” and “they that sat upon them” signify such things as belong to the understanding of truth, and in the opposite sense such things as belong to falsity, is evident from all the details. The “white horse and he that sat thereon” denotes the understanding of truth from the Word. That “he who sat upon the white horse” is the Lord as to the Word, is said in plain words (Revelation 19:11, 13, 16). The “red horse and he that sat thereon” denotes reasonings from the cupidities of evil, whereby violence is done to truths from the Word; the “black horse and he that sat thereon” denotes the intellectual of truth extinguished; and the “pale horse and he that sat upon it” denotes the consequent damnation.

[5] In the opposite sense “horses” and “horsemen” denote the intellect perverted; and the consequent falsities, as in Ezekiel:

Oholah committed whoredom under Me, and she doted on her lovers, governors and leaders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. Her sister Oholibah loved the sons of Asshur, governors and leaders, her neighbors, clothed in perfect attire, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men (Ezekiel 23:5-6, 12);

“Oholah” denotes the perverted spiritual church, which is “Samaria;” and “Oholibah” the perverted celestial church, which is “Jerusalem;” for the Israelites who were of Samaria represented the spiritual church, but the Jews who were of Jerusalem represented the celestial church. The “Assyrians” and “sons of Asshur” denote reasoning against the truths of faith (n. 1186); “horsemen riding on horses” denotes the understanding perverted, whence come falsities.

[6] And in Habakkuk:

I stir up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation, that goeth into the breadth of the earth, to inherit habitations not their own; their horses are swifter than leopards, and are sharper than the evening wolves, that their horsemen may spread themselves, whence their horsemen come from far (Hab. 1:6, 8).

The “Chaldeans” denote those who are in falsities, but in externals appear to be in truths, thus the profanation of truth, and “Babylon” the profanation of good (n. 1182, 1368). “Going into the breadth of the earth” denotes to destroy truths. (That the “breadth of the earth” is truth may be seen above, n. 3433, 3434, 4482.) Hence it is evident that the “horsemen who spread themselves and come from far” denotes the things that belong to perverted understanding, thus falsities.