836. 19:21 And the rest were slain with the sword of Him who sat on the horse, which went forth from His mouth. This symbolically means that all those of various heretical sects among the Protestant Reformed who had not lived according to the Lord's commandments in the Word that they knew, having been judged in accordance with the Word, perished.

The rest mean all those of various heretical sects among the Protestant Reformed who had not lived according to the Lord's commandments in the Word that they knew, namely the commandments of the Decalogue, thus who did not refrain from evils as being sins. For people who do not for that reason refrain from these are caught up in evils of every kind, inasmuch as they have these inherent in them from birth and so from early childhood to the end of life; and these evils increase daily if they are not removed by active repentance.

These are the people of whom we are told that they were slain with the sword of Him who sat on the horse. To be slain means symbolically, here are as often before, to be slain spiritually, which is to perish in respect to one's soul. The sword of Him who sat on the horse, which went forth from His mouth, symbolizes the Word's truths combating the falsities accompanying evil. For various kinds of swords symbolize truth fighting against falsity, and falsity fighting against truth (no. 52). However, a sword on the thigh means a combat from love; a sword in the hand, or dagger, means a combat with power; and a sword from the mouth means a combat from doctrine. Consequently the sword that went forth from the mouth of the Lord means a combat from the Word against falsities (nos. 108, 117, 827), as it is the Word that goes forth from the mouth of the Lord.

The reference here is to combat with the Protestant Reformed and not with Roman Catholics, because the Protestant Reformed read the Word and acknowledge the truths in it to be Divine truths. Not so Roman Catholics. They acknowledge the Word indeed, but still do not read it, and each regards the pronouncements of the Pope as having priority, and the Word as far from being on par with them. Combat from the Word is therefore impossible in their case. They also put themselves above it and not under it. But even so they are judged in accordance with the Word, and in accordance with papal pronouncements insofar as these accord with the Word.