Transparency is needed to sort things out. Before big change happens, God first reveals what’s really going on.

In the Book of Revelation - the last book of the Word - the apostle John describes a series of apocalyptic visions that he experienced during his exile on the Isle of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea.

In one of these visions, he saw four horsemen, the first riding a white horse, the second a red horse, the third a black, and the fourth - named Death - riding a pale horse. These "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" - oft-pictured - are described in Revelation 6:1-8.

What do these horses, and their riders, represent? What do they have to do with us, today? Watch as Curtis Childs and Jonathan Rose explore the hidden Bible meaning of the Four Horsemen in the Book of Revelation, in this video from the Swedenborg and Life Series, from the Swedenborg Foundation.

Plus, to go straight to the source, follow the links below to the places in "Apocalypse Revealed" where Swedenborg explained the inner meaning of this famous Bible story. A good place to start would be Apocalypse Revealed 298.

(Reference: Apocalypse Explained 315; Apocalypse Revealed 262-263, 301, 306, 314, 316, 320, 322-323)

9505. Verses 17-22 And you shall make a mercy-seat from pure gold; two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And you shall make two cherubs; from solid gold you shall make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat. And make one cherub at the end on one side, and one cherub at the end on the other side; of one piece with the mercy-seat you shall make the cherubs ¹ on its two ends. And the cherubs shall be spreading out their wings upwards, covering over the mercy-seat with their wings, and their faces of a man towards his brother; ² the faces of the cherubs shall be towards the mercy-seat. And you shall put the mercy-seat onto the ark, up above; and into the ark you shall put the Testimony which I shall give you. And I will meet with you there, and I will speak to you from up above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubs which are over the ark of the Testimony, [declaring] everything that I shall command you for the children of Israel.

'And you shall make a mercy-seat from pure gold' means the hearing and reception of all things that belong to worship arising from the good of love. 'Two cubits and a half shall be its length' means all so far as good is concerned. 'And a cubit and a half its breadth' means what is complete so far as truth is concerned. 'And you shall make two cherubs' means that there is no admission or access to the Lord except through the good of love. 'From solid gold you shall make them' means a representative sign of that good. 'At the two ends of the mercy-seat' means celestial good and spiritual good. 'And make one cherub at the end on one side, and one cherub at the end on the other side' means access to celestial good and access to spiritual good. 'Of one piece with the mercy-seat you shall make the cherubs on the two ends' means the reception of all things that belong to worship arising from those two kinds of good. 'And the cherubs shall be spreading out their wings upwards' means a raising accomplished by the truth of faith. 'Covering over the mercy-seat with their wings' means spiritual realities that provide cover. 'And their faces of a man towards his brother' means truth and good joined together. 'The faces of the cherubs shall be towards the mercy-seat' means the interiors looking unceasingly towards good, thus towards the Lord. 'And you shall put the mercy-seat onto the ark, up above' means the hearing thereby and reception of all things of worship that arise from the good of love. 'And into the ark you shall put the Testimony' means by the Lord in heaven. 'Which I shall give you' means a representative. 'And I will meet with you there' means hearing and reception. 'And I will speak to you from up above the mercy-seat' means a joining together. 'From between the two cherubs' means where celestial good and spiritual good have been joined together. 'Which are over the ark of the Testimony' means with the Lord in heaven. 'Everything that I shall command you for the children of Israel' means the worship of the representative Church.

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