7. Then too, we cannot know what the difference between these qualities is unless we know about correspondence, since these three qualities are absolutely distinguishable from each other, like a goal, the means to it, and its result; or like the first, the intermediate, and the last. However, they coalesce by means of their correspondence, since what is earthly corresponds to what is spiritual and also to what is heavenly. Arcana Coelestia 1884, [1885,] , 1 Kings 14:23, [24,] 25-26;

You may see what correspondence is, though, in Heaven and Hell, under the headings “The Correspondence of Everything in Heaven with Everything in the Human Being” (§§Heaven and Hell 87-102) and “The Correspondence of Heaven with Everything Earthly” (§§103-115). There will be more to see in the examples from the Word cited below [§§9-17, 29, 35, 40[2]-49,79].

9. 2. There is a spiritual meaning throughout the Word and in all its details. There is no better way to make this clear than by using examples, such as the following. In the Book of Revelation, John says,

I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And the one who sat on it was called faithful and true, and with justice he judges and makes war. His eyes were a flame of fire, and on his head were many gems. He had a name written that no one knew except him. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. His armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. He has on his robe and on his thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, “Come and gather together for the great supper, so that you may eat the flesh of monarchs and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and of those who ride on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slaves, both small and great.” (Revelation 19:11-18)

No one can tell what this means except on the basis of the spiritual meaning of the Word; and no one can see the spiritual meaning except on the basis of a knowledge of correspondences, because all the expressions are correspondential, and there is not a word there that does not matter.

A knowledge of correspondences tells us the meaning of the white horse and of the one who sat on it, of the eyes that were like a flame of fire, of the gems that were on his head, of the robe dipped in blood, of the white linen worn by the people of his army in heaven, of the angel standing in the sun, of the great supper to which they were coming and gathering, also of the flesh of monarchs and commanders and the many others that they were to eat.

You may find what these particular expressions mean when spiritually understood in the booklet White Horse, where these expressions are interpreted, so there is no need to give further interpretation here. That booklet shows that this is a description of the Lord as the Word, that his eyes like a flame of fire, the gems on his head, and the name written that no one knew except him mean the spiritual meaning of the Word and that no one knows it except him and those to whom he wills to reveal it [Matthew 11:27]; and the robe dipped in blood means the earthly meaning of the Word, its literal meaning, which has suffered violence. It is obvious that the Word is what is being described because it says “His name is called the Word of God”; and it is equally obvious that it means the Lord because it says that the name of the one who sat on the horse was written, “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

The message that the spiritual meaning of the Word was to be opened at the close of the church is conveyed not only by what I have just said about the white horse and the one who sat on it but also by the great supper to which all were invited by the angel standing in the sun, so that they might come and eat the flesh of monarchs and commanders, of the mighty, of horses, of those who ride on them, and of all people, both free and slaves. All these expressions would be meaningless words, with neither life nor spirit, if there were nothing spiritual within them like a soul within a body.