400. And lo, there was a great earthquake. That this signifies the state of the church entirely changed, is plain from the signification of an earthquake, as denoting a change in the state of the church, for the earth denotes the church, and its quaking denotes a change of state. (That the earth denotes the church, may be seen above, n. 304; and that its quaking denotes a change of state, in the Arcana Coelestia 1273-1275, 1377, 3356). That this prediction, which is signified by the sixth seal being opened, involves a total change in the state of the church, is evident from the things that precede and those that follow in this chapter. In what precede it was predicted that the understanding of the Word would perish as to good, and afterwards as to truth, and at length that there would be no understanding of the Word, from evils of life and falsities of doctrine thence. The destruction of the understanding of the Word as to good, was signified by the red horse that was seen to go out from the opened seal of the book (concerning which see above, n. 364); the destruction of the understanding of the Word as to truth, was signified by the black horse that was seen (concerning which see above, n. 372); and that thence there was no understanding of the Word in consequence of evils of life, and falsities of doctrine, was signified by the pale horse (concerning which see above, n. 381). Hence then it follows that the state of the church was entirely changed; these things [appear] from what precedes; also from what follows, forasmuch as it is said that the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and that the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, with other circumstances, signifying that there was no longer any good of love or truth of faith, nor any knowledges of good and truth; from which also it is evident that by a great earthquake is here signified that the state of the church was altogether changed.

[2] Moreover, that an earthquake signifies a change in the state of the church, is manifest from many passages in the Word, some of which shall be adduced in what follows. That an earthquake signifies this is from the appearances in the spiritual world; in that world, just as in the natural world, there are earths, valleys, hills, mountains, and upon them societies of spirits and angels dwell. Those places, before the new heaven was formed upon them, were seen to undergo remarkable changes; some appeared to subside, some to be agitated and shaken, and some to be rolled together as the volume or scroll of a book is wont to be rolled, and to be borne away; and some to shake and tremble as by a great earthquake. Such things were often seen by me before the new heaven was formed, and were always signs that the state of the church there was changed. When they shook and trembled as if by an earthquake, it was a sign that the state of the church there was being changed, and how much changed appeared from the extent and character of the earthquake; and when the state of the church was completely changed from good into evil and from truth into falsity, the earth then appeared to be rolled together as the scroll of a book and borne away. This is meant by the words in the 14th verse of this chapter, namely, "and the heaven departed as a scroll rolled together." Similar things were also seen by John, for when he saw them he was in the spirit, as he also says (1:10; 4:2); and he who sees in the spirit, sees the things that exist and appear in the spiritual world. From these things it is also now evident, that by an earthquake is signified a change in the state of the church, namely, from good into evil, and from truth into falsity.

[3] That nothing else is meant in the Word by the quakings and tremblings of the earth, is also evident from the following passages. In Joel:

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

By the earth and the heavens here, as often elsewhere, is signified the church; by the earth, the external church; and by the heavens, the internal church. By the external church is meant worship from good and truth in the natural man; and by the internal church, the good of love and faith, which is in the spiritual man, whence worship is derived. For there is an internal and an external, or a spiritual and a natural man; so also is it with the church, for the church is in man, and it is from the men in whom the church is. The change and perversion of the church is signified by the earth quaking, and the heavens trembling. By the sun and the moon being darkened, is signified that there is no good of love and truth of faith; and by the stars withdrawing their shining, is signified that there were no longer any knowledges of truth and good.

[4] In Isaiah:

"I will make a man (virum hominem) more rare than pure gold. Therefore I will shake the heaven, and the earth shall be moved out of its place, in the indignation of Jehovah of hosts, and in the day of the wrath of his anger" (13:12, 13).

By a man (virum hominem) is meant intelligence, and by making him more rare than pure gold, is meant that there is scarcely any intelligence remaining. By intelligence is meant intelligence from truths, for all intelligence is from truths. Besides, "I will shake the heaven, and the earth shall be moved out of its place," signifies that the good of love and the truth of faith is dissipated, and the worship in externals thence. By heaven and the earth are signified here, as above, the internal and the external of the church, the internal of the church being the good of love and the good of faith, and the external thereof being the worship thence; for according to the quality of the internal of the man of the church, such is his external, because the latter proceeds solely from the former. Without this external, worship is lifeless, and expression is without spirit; and the thought from which expression flows, and the will from which gesture comes, are without life, for there is no spiritual therein from which it may receive life. What is signified by the indignation of Jehovah, and the wrath of His anger, will be told in the explanation to the 17th verse below.

[5] In the same:

"The flood-gates from on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth are shaken, the earth is utterly broken, the earth is moved exceedingly, the earth staggereth as a drunkard, it moves to and fro like a hovel; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and shall not have occasion to rise again" (24:18-20).

That these things are not said of the earth but of the church, is clearly evident; for who can suppose that the foundations of the earth are shaken, that the earth shall stagger like a drunkard, shall move to and fro like a hovel? but every one can understand them when instead of the earth the church is thought of. That its change and perversion are signified by these words, is evident, for it is said, "the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall and shall not rise again”: by the floodgates opened from on high, is also meant an inundation of evil and of falsity.

[6] In David:

"The earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the mountains trembled, because he was wroth" (Psalms 18:7).

It is not meant by these words that the earth and its foundations shook and trembled, but that the church and the truths upon which it is founded trembled; for the earth signifies the church, and the foundations of the mountains signify the truths on which it is founded, which are truths from good; "because he was wroth," signifies the same thing as the wrath of Jehovah, in the Word. That the earth is agitated and shaken, and that the foundations of the mountains tremble, is from appearances in the spiritual world; for it so happens there when the state of the church is changed with those who dwell there. Moreover, those who are in truths dwell at the foot of the mountains, for all the habitations of the angels are in such order that those who are in the good of love to the Lord dwell upon mountains, and below them dwell those who are in truths from that good. When the state of the latter is changed as to truths, then their habitations tremble, thus also the foundations of the mountains. That there are such things in the spiritual world, and that they exist from the changes of the state of the church there, no one knows but him to whom it is revealed.

[7] In Nahum:

"The mountains quake before" Jehovah, "and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world and all that dwell therein. His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are overturned before him" (1:5, 6).

Mountains signify the church where there is love to the Lord, and hills the church where there is love towards the neighbour; hence by mountains is signified love to the Lord, and by hills love towards the neighbour. The reason is, that the angels who are in love to the Lord, dwell upon mountains, and those who are in love towards the neighbour, upon hills. When instead of love to the Lord the love of self reigns, and instead of love towards the neighbour, the love of the world reigns, then the mountains are said to tremble, and the hills to melt; for thus it happens in the spiritual world; not with the angels who are in heaven, but with the spirits who made to themselves the likeness of heaven upon mountains and hills, before the Last Judgment. Because the love of self and of the world is meant, therefore it is said that they melt, and also that the earth is burned before them, also the world, and all that dwell therein, likewise that His wrath is poured out like fire; for fire signifies those loves, and to melt and to be burned signify to perish by them. By the rocks which are overturned, are signified the truths of faith, because those who are in faith, and do good from obedience, although not from charity, dwell upon rocks in the spiritual world.

[8] In Job:

Jehovah "who shaketh the earth out of her place, so that the pillars thereof tremble" (9:6).

And in Jeremiah:

"Jehovah is God in truth, he is the living God, and king of the age; from his wrath the earth trembleth, neither can the nations abide his indignation" (10:10).

Here also by the earth is signified the church, but the church where falsities are, which is said to tremble when falsities are believed and are called truths. By nations are signified evils of falsity, the casting down of which into hell, and their destruction, are signified by the nations being unable to abide His indignation. In consequence of the earth here signifying the church where falsities are, therefore Jehovah is called a God in truth, the living God, and the king of the age; for He is called God and king from Divine truth, the living God from Divine truth in the heavens, and king of the age from Divine truth in the earths; and because where truth is treated of in the Word, good is treated of, because of the heavenly marriage in every particular of the Word, and hence, on the other hand, where falsity is treated of, evil is also treated of, mention is therefore also made of the nations, by which are signified the evils of falsity. What the evils of falsity are, which flow from falsities of doctrine, shall be illustrated by this instance:- Where the doctrine prevails that faith alone saves, and not the good of life, also that nothing of evil is imputed to him who has faith, and that a man may be saved by faith alone, even in the last [hours] of his life, if he then only believe that the Lord has delivered all from the yoke of the law by His fulfilment thereof, and made propitiation by His blood, then the evils which man does in consequence of such a faith are evils of falsity.

[9] In Ezekiel:

"In the day in which Gog shall come upon the land of Israel, wrath shall rise up in my anger, and in my zeal, and in the fire of indignation will I speak: Surely there shall be in this day a great earthquake upon the land of Israel, so that they shall tremble together before me, the fishes of the sea, and the bird of the heavens, and the wild beast of the field, and every reptile creeping upon the earth, and every man who is upon the faces of the earth, and the mountains shall be overturned, and the steps shall fall, and every wall shall fall in ruins to the earth" (Ezekiel 38:18-26).

By Gog is signified external worship without internal; by the land of Israel is signified the church. Hence it is evident what, "In that day Gog shall come upon the land of Israel," signifies. That then there shall be a great earthquake, signifies the change of the church, and the inversion thereof; for external worship derives all its quality from internal worship, so that according to the quality of the latter, such is the former. Hence where there is no internal worship, external worship is not worship, but only gesture and speech, the thought which is then present being from the natural memory alone, and the affection from the body, such as springs from habit before men. By the fishes of the sea, the bird of the heavens, the wild beast of the field, and every reptile creeping upon the earth shall tremble, are signified all things of man. For by the fishes of the sea are signified natural things in general, and specifically the scientifics there; by the birds of the heavens are signified intellectual things in general, specifically thoughts from truths, but here from falsities; by the wild beast of the field is signified the affection and lust of falsity and evil; and by the reptile creeping upon the earth, is signified the Sensual, which is the ultimate of the Natural, together with its delights and scientifics. And because all things of man are signified thereby, it is therefore said, "and every man who is upon the faces of the earth," every man, in the spiritual sense, denoting everything of man as to intelligence and wisdom. That all the good and all the truth thereof shall perish, and that thus every evil and falsity will break in without resistance, is signified by the mountains being overturned, the steps falling, and every wall falling in ruins to the ground. By the mountains are signified the goods of love; by the steps, the truths thence; and by the wall, defence; and where there is no defence, thither every evil and falsity break in without resistance. Who does not see that the fishes of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the wild beast of the field, and the creeping thing of the earth, as trembling together before Jehovah, are not meant?

[10] In Jeremiah:

"At the noise of the fall" of Edom and of the inhabitants of Theman, "the earth trembled, a cry and the sound thereof was heard in the sea Suph" (49:21).

By Edom and the inhabitants of Theman, these are not meant, but the evils and falsities opposed to the goods and truths of the celestial kingdom. Hence by the earth trembling at the noise of the fall of Edom and the inhabitants of Theman, is signified the change of the church, and also its perishing by those evils and falsities; the cry, the sound whereof was heard in the sea Suph, signifies their damnation, the sea Suph denoting damnation, a cry being said of the damnation of evil, and a sound of the damnation of falsity. (That the sea Suph signifies damnation and hell, may be seen, n. 8099.)

[11] In David:

"O God, thou hast forsaken us, thou hast made a breach in us, thou hast been displeased; bring back rest to us. Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it; heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh" (Psalms 60:1, 2).

The falling away of the church, and thence the perversion of truth and the breaking in of falsity, are signified by the breach; this, therefore, is signified by, "Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou has broken it"; and by, the earth shaketh, the earth denoting the church.

[12] In Haggai:

"Yet once, a little while, and then I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry [land]; and I will shake all nations, that the choice of all nations may come: and I will fill this house with glory" (2:6, 7).

These things are said concerning the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, and by the new temple there is signified the new church to be established by the Lord. This is meant by, "Yet once, a little while," and by, "then I will shake all nations, that the choice of all nations may come; and I will fill this house with glory"; by nations and the choice of the nations are signified all who are in good (see above, n. 175, 331). By house is signified the church, and by glory, Divine truth. This new church is further described in that chapter thus:

"The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, for in this place will I give peace" (verse 9).

The judgment in the spiritual world, which shall precede, is described by, "I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry [land]." And by the heavens and the earth are meant all the interior things of the church, and by the sea and the dry [land], all its exterior things.

[13] In the Evangelists:

"Nation shall be roused against nation, kingdom against kingdom; for there shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places" (Matthew 24:7, 8; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11).

By, "Nation shall be roused against nation, and kingdom against kingdom," is signified that evil shall fight with evil, and falsity with falsity; by a nation is signified the good of the church, and, in an opposite sense, its evil, and by a kingdom is signified the truth of the church, and, in an opposite sense, its falsity. By, "there shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places," is signified that there will no longer be any goods and truths, and knowledge of good and truth, and thus that the state of the church has been changed, which an earthquake denotes. In these chapters of the Evangelists, the successive states of the church even to its consummation are predicted, but they are described by pure correspondences (which are explained in the Arcana Coelestia 3353-3356, 3486-3489, 3650-3655, 3751-3757, 3897-3901, 4056-4060, 4229-4231, 4332-4335, 4422-4434.

[14] It is recorded also in the Word that there was an earthquake when the Lord suffered upon the cross, and also when the angel descended and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the sepulchre; by each earthquake was signified a change in the state of the church. Concerning the earthquake [which took place] when the Lord suffered, it is thus written:

"The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did shake, and the rocks were rent. The centurion and they who were guarding Jesus with him, seeing the earthquake, and those things that were done, feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God" (Matthew 27:51, 54).

And concerning the earthquake which took place when the angel descended and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the sepulchre, it is thus stated:

When "Mary Magdalene came and the other Mary to see the sepulchre; and, behold, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone from the mouth, and sat upon it" (Matthew 28:1, 2).

Those earthquakes took place to indicate that the state of the church was then being changed; for the Lord, by His last temptation, which He sustained in Gethsemane and upon the cross, conquered the hells, and reduced to order all things there and in the heavens, and also glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine, therefore, there was an earthquake, and the rocks were rent. That the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, signified that His Human was made Divine; for within the veil was the ark in which was the testimony, and by the testimony was signified the Lord as to His Divine Human (as may be seen shown above, n. 392). The veil signified the external of the church which was with the Jews and Israelites, and which covered their eyes, so that they might not see the Lord and the Divine truth, or the Word in its own light. The same is signified by the great earthquake which took place when the angel descended from heaven and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the sepulchre, namely, that the state of the church was being entirely changed; for the Lord then rose again, and as to His Human took upon Him all dominion over heaven and earth, as He Himself says in Matthew (28:18). The angel rolling away the stone from the mouth and sitting upon it, signifies that the Lord removed all the falsity that cut off approach to Him, and that He opened Divine truth; for a stone signifies Divine truth, which the Jews had falsified by their tradition; for it is said that

the chief-priests and Pharisees sealed the stone with a watch (Matthew 27:66);

but that an angel from heaven removed it, and sat upon it. But [although] the things that are mentioned respecting the earthquakes, also respecting the veil of the temple, and the stone before the mouth of the sepulchre, are few, there are still more things signified thereby; for everything in general and particular written in the Gospels concerning the Lord's passion involves and signifies arcana. By the earthquakes also elsewhere in the Apocalypse, are signified changes of the state of the church (as chaps. 11:13; 16:18, 19).

364. (Verse 4) And there went out another horse that was red. That this signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed as to good, is clear from the signification of a horse as denoting the Intellectual (concerning which see above, n. 355); in the present case, because the states of those who belong to the church where the Word is, are treated of. By a horse is signified the Intellectual of the men of the church as to the Word. And from the signification of red or reddish, as denoting the quality of a thing as to good, therefore, in the present case, the quality of the understanding of the Word as to good. That reddish here signifies this destroyed as to good, is evident from what immediately follows in this verse, for it is said, it was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, that they should kill one another, and there was given unto him a great sword, by which is signified, that there was thence the extinction of all truth. Because the horses seen by John, were distinguished by colours (for the first appeared white, the second red, the third black, and the fourth pale), and colours signify the qualities of things, therefore something shall first be said here concerning colours. In the heavens there appear colours of every kind, and they derive their origin from the light there, which light, as it immensely excels in brightness and splendour the light of the world, so also do the colours there; and because the light there is from the Sun of heaven, which is the Lord, and is the proceeding Divine, and hence that light is spiritual, therefore also all colours signify things spiritual. And since the proceeding Divine is the Divine good united to the Divine truth, and the Divine good in heaven is manifested by a flaming light, and the Divine truth by a white light, therefore, there are two fundamental colours there, namely, red and white; the red colour derives its origin from the flaming light which proceeds from the Divine good, and the white from the white light which proceeds from the Divine truth; therefore in proportion as colours are derived from red they signify good, and so far as they are derived from white, they signify truth.

(But these things will be more evident from what is said from experience concerning colours in the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that the most beautiful colours appear in the heavens (n. 1053, 1624); that colours in the heavens are from the light there, and that they are the modifications and variations thereof (n. 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4922, 4742); that thus they are appearances of truth and good, and signify such things as pertain to intelligence and wisdom (n. 4530, 4922, 1677, 9466); that therefore the precious stones, which were of various colours, in the breast-plate of the ephod, or in the urim and thummim, signified all things of truth from good in heaven and in the church, and that hence the breast-plate in general signified the Divine truth shining forth from the Divine good (n. 9823, 9865, 9868, 9905); and that hence responses were given by variegations and resplendences of light, and at the same time by silent perception, or by a living voice out of heaven (n. 3862); that colours signify good in proportion as they are derived from red, and truth in proportion as they are from white (n. 9467). Concerning the light of heaven, whence and what it is, see the work concerning Heaven and Hell 126-140, 275.)

[2] Moreover it should be known, that red not only signifies the quality of a thing as to good, but also the quality of a thing as to evil; for that colour exists from the flaming light which is the light from the Sun of heaven, as said above, and it also exists from the flaming [quality] in hell, which is from the fire there, this fire being like a coal fire. Hence the red in heaven is altogether different from the red in hell; the red in heaven is shining and living, whereas the red in hell is hideously obscure and dead; the red of heaven also imparts life, but the red of hell death; the reason is, that the fire from which red is produced is in its origin love, celestial fire, being from celestial love, and infernal fire from infernal love; hence it is that fire in the Word signifies love in both senses (as may be seen, n. 4906, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 7575, 10747; and in the work concerning, Heaven and Hell 134, 566-575); therefore the red existing therefrom signifies the quality of the love in both senses. This red also, or the red colour of this horse, in the original Greek, is expressed [by a word derived] from fire. From these considerations, and at the same time from the description of this horse in this verse, it is evident why it is that a red horse signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed as to good. That a horse signifies something of this sort, is quite evident from the fact, that the horses were seen when the seals were opened, and it is said that they went out, for horses could not go forth out of the book, but that those things were to be manifested that are signified by horses. That a horse signifies the Intellectual, and colour its quality, has been made well known to me from experience; for spirits who were meditating from the understanding upon some subject have appeared to me at different times riding upon horses, and when I asked them whether they were riding, they said they were not, but that they stood meditating upon the subject; hence it was evident, that riding upon a horse was an appearance representative of the operation of their understanding.

[3] There is also a place, which is called the assembly of the intelligent and wise, whither many resort for meditation, and when any one enters it, there appear to him horses of various colours, and variously caparisoned, and also chariots, and some riding, and others sitting in the chariots; when asked whether they ride upon horses, and are carried in chariots, they say that they are not, but that they go along meditating; hence also it was evident what is signified by horses, and by chariots. (But upon this subject more may be seen in the small work concerning the White Horse.) From these considerations, it is now evident, why it is that horses were seen by John when the seals of the book were opened, and also what they signify. The reason why those horses were seen, is, because all the spiritual things of the Word are set forth in the sense of its letter by such things as correspond or represent, and thence signify them, and this in order that the Divine may be there in ultimates, and, consequently, in fulness, as has been frequently said above.

[4] That reddish or red signifies the quality of a thing as to good is also evident from the following passages in the Word: In Moses:

Who washes his clothing in wine, and his garment in the blood of grapes. His eyes are redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk (Genesis 49:11, 12).

These words are in the prophecy of the father Israel concerning Judah, and by Judah is there meant the Lord as to the good of love, and in a relative sense the Lord's celestial kingdom. What is signified by each particular there, in the spiritual sense, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, where they are explained. The Divine wisdom which is from the Divine good, is signified by his eyes being redder than wine; and the Divine intelligence, which is from the Divine truth, by his teeth being whiter than milk.

[5] In Lamentations:

"The Nazarites were whiter than snow, they were whiter than milk, their bones were more ruddy than pearls" (4:7).

By the Nazarites the Lord was represented as to the Divine Human (see above, n. 66, 196, at the end), wherefore also, in a relative sense, the good of celestial love was signified by them, because this good proceeds immediately from the Lord's Divine Human; its representative in the church is thus described. The truth of that good is signified by their being whiter than snow, and whiter than milk; and the good of truth, by their bones being more ruddy than pearls. For bones signify truths in their ultimate, thus truths in their whole extent, for in ultimates all things are together, and in fulness.

[6] That they are from good, and also are goods, is signified by their being ruddy. In Zechariah:

"I beheld four chariots going out from between mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; in the second chariot black horses; in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled horses, strong" (6:1-3).

That by the red horses is here also signified the quality of the understanding as to good in the beginning, by the black horses the quality of the understanding as to truth in the beginning, by the white horses the quality of the understanding as to truth afterwards, by the grisled horses the quality of the understanding as to truth and good afterwards, and by strong the quality thereof thence as to the power of resisting falsities and evils, may be seen above (n. 355), where the signification of the horse is treated of. In the same prophet almost the same is meant by the "red horse, upon which a man rode, standing among the myrtle trees" (1:8). Because by red or ruddy is signified the quality of a thing as to good, therefore, red rams' skins were used for the covering over the tabernacle (Exodus 25:5; 26:14; 35:7). And, therefore, also the water of separation, by which they were cleansed, was made from the ashes of a red heifer (Numbers 19:1-10). By the red heifer is signified the good of the natural man, and by the water of separation, made from those ashes, is signified the truth of the natural man; and this was commanded because all cleansing is effected by truths; the particulars also respecting the slaying of it, and respecting the preparation of the water of cleansing from it, involve spiritual things.

[7] Because red signifies the quality of a thing as to good, therefore, also names and things, which are named from the same expression in the original tongue, signify the good in which they originate. Red, in the original tongue, is called Adam, whence the name Adam, and also the name Edom, and hence also man is called Adam, the ground Adama, and the ruby Odam; thus, those names and those things are from red. By Adam is signified the Most Ancient Church, which was the church that was in the good of love; the same is signified by man, and also by ground in the spiritual sense, where celestial good is treated of. That Edom was named from red may be seen in Genesis 25:30; and hence the truth of the good of the natural man is signified by him. That the ruby is also named from red, may be seen in Exodus 28:17; 39:10; Ezekiel 28:13; hence it is that by the ruby is signified the truth of celestial good. (That Adam signifies the Most Ancient Church, which was the celestial church, or the church that was in the good of love to the Lord, may be seen, (n. 478, 479; that man signifies the church as to good, n. 4287, 7424, 7523; that ground also signifies the same, n. 566, 10570; that Edom, because he was named from red, signifies the truth of the good of the natural man, n. 3300, 3322; and that the ruby signifies the truth of celestial good, n. 9865.) Because red signifies the quality of a thing as to good, therefore, in the opposite sense, it signifies the quality of a thing as to evil, which is the opposite of good, consequently, good destroyed. In this sense red is mentioned in the following passages: In Isaiah:

"If your sins are as scarlet, they shall become white as snow; if they are red as crimson, they shall be as wool" (1:18).

And in Nahum:

"The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in purple; in a fire of torches are his chariots, the chariots raged in the streets; they ran to and fro in the broad ways, the appearance of them as of torches" (2:3, 4).

In that sense also the dragon is called red (Apoc. 12:3); which will be explained in what follows.