1. EL CABALLO BLANCO DE QUE HABLA EL APOCALIPSIS EN EL CAPÍTULO 19.

En el Apocalipsis de Juan la Palabra se describe así su sentido espiritual o interno:

“Y vi el cielo abierto, y he aquí un caballo blanco, y el que estaba montado sobre él, se llamaba Fiel y Verdadero; y en justicia juzga y combate. Y sus ojos son una llama de fuego, y sobre su cabeza hay muchas diademas, y tiene un nombre escrito, que nadie sabe, sino Él mismo. Y vestía una ropa rociada de sangre, y su nombre es “la Palabra de Dios. ” Y los ejércitos que están en el cielo le seguían montados en caballos blancos, y vestidos de lino fino, blanco y puro. Y en su vestidura y sobre su muslo tiene este nombre escrito: “Rey de Reyes y Señor de Señores” (Apocalipsis 19:11-14, 16).

Nadie puede conocer lo que significan estas cosas, sino por el sentido interno. Es evidente que todas sin excepción son representativas y significativas, como cuando se dice que “el cielo se abrió”; que había allí “un caballo blanco”; que “uno estaba montado en él”; que “juzgando y combatiendo en justicia”; que “sus ojos eran como llama de fuego”; que “en su cabeza tenía muchas diademas”; que “tenía un nombre que nadie conocía sino él”; que “estaba cubierto con un vestido manchado de sangre”; que “los ejércitos que estaban en el cielo lo seguían montados en caballos blancos”; que “estaban vestidos de lino fino, blanco y puro”; que “en su vestido y sobre su muslo tenía escrito un nombre”. Expresamente se dice que es “La Palabra”, y que el Señor que es la Palabra; porque se dice: “su nombre es llamado la Palabra de Dios”; y después “que Él tiene en su vestidura y sobre su muslo escrito: Rey de reyes, y Señor de señores. ” Por la interpretación de cada una de estas palabras aparece evidentemente está aquí descrita en su sentido espiritual o interno. Por “el cielo abierto” se representa y se significa que el sentido interno de la Palabra es visto en el cielo, y de aquí también por aquellos del mundo para quienes se abre el cielo. “El caballo blanco” representa y significa el entendimiento de la Palabra en cuanto a sus interiores; que ese es el significado del “caballo blanco” se demostrará ahora. Que “el que lo montaba” es el Señor en cuanto a la Palabra, así está manifestado en la Palabra misma, porque allí se dice “su nombre es llamado la Palabra de Dios”; y según el bien es llamado “fiel y que juzga en justicia”; y según la verdad es llamado “verdadero y que combate en justicia”; porque el Señor mismo es justicia, “sus ojos son como llama de fuego”, significa la Divina verdad procedente del Divino bien de su Divino amor. “Las muchas diademas sobre su cabeza” significan todos los bienes y todas las verdades de la fe. “Tener un nombre escrito que nadie conoce sino Él mismo” significa que la cualidad de la Palabra en el sentido interno no es vista por nadie sino por Él, y por aquellos a quienes Él la revela. “Vestido con una vestidura manchada de sangre” significa la Palabra en la letra, cuyo sentido fue violentado. “Los ejércitos de los cielos, que lo seguían montados en caballos blancos” significa los que entienden la Palabra en su sentido interior. “Vestidos de lino fino, blanco y puro” significa aquellos que tienen la verdad según el bien. Que sobre su vestido y sobre su muslo tiene un nombre escrito” significa la verdad y el bien, y su cualidad. Por estas cosas y por las que preceden, es evidente lo que está predicho, que en el último tiempo de la iglesia sería abierto el sentido espiritual o interno de la Palabra; y lo que debería acontecer allí también está escrito en los versículos 17 y 21.

“Y vi a un ángel puesto de pie en el sol el cual clamó a gran voz, diciendo a todas las aves que vuelan en medio del cielo: venid, juntaos a la cena del gran Dios, para que comáis carne de reyes, y carne de tribunos, y carne de valientes, y carne de caballos y de los que se sientas sobre ellos, y carne de los de toda clase, así libres como esclavos, así pequeños como grandes. Y vi la bestia, y a los reyes de la tierra y sus ejércitos, congregados para hacer guerra contra aquel que estaba sentado sobre el caballo blanco y contra su ejército. Y fue tomada la bestia, y con ella el falso profeta que había hecho prodigios en su presencia, con los cuales él había engañado a los que recibieron la marca de la bestia, y los que adoraban su imagen. Estos dos fueron echados vivos en el lago de fuego que arde con azufre. Y los demás fueron muertos con la espada de Aquel que estaba sentado sobre el caballo blanco, espada que salía de su boca; y todas las aves se hartaron de las carnes de ellos” (17-21).

Que tales cosas sean significadas por esas palabras no hay necesidad de mostrarse aquí, pues cada una de esas cosas fue mostrada en los Arcanos Celestiales, por ejemplo: que el Señor es la Palabra, porque Él es la Divina verdad, (ns. Arcanos Celestiales 2533, 2803, 2894, 5272, 7678). Que la Palabra es la Divina verdad (ns. 4692, 5075, 9987). Que porque el Señor es justicia, por lo tanto se dice que “El que cabalga en el caballo juzgando y combatiendo en justicia” y que el Señor es llamado “justicia” por esta razón, porque por su propio poder Él ha salvado al género humano (ns. 1813, 2025-2027, 9715, 9809, 10019, 10152). Y que la “justicia” es el mérito que pertenece al Señor solamente (ns. 9715, 9979). Que “sus ojos son como llama de fuego”, significa la Divina verdad que viene del Divino bien del Divino amor, es porque “los ojos” significan el entendimiento y la verdad de la fe (ns. 2701, 4403-4421, 4523-4534, 6923, 9051, 10569); y una “llama de fuego” significa el bien del amor (ns. 934, 4906, 5215, 6314, 6832). Que “las diademas que estaban sobre Su cabeza” significan todos los bienes y todas las verdades de la fe (ns. 114, 3858, 6335, 6640, 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905). Que “Él tenía un nombre escrito, que ninguno conocía sino Él mismo” significa que la cualidad de la Palabra en el sentido interno no es vista por ninguno, sino por Él mismo, y por aquellos a quienes Él lo revela, es, porque “un nombre” significa la cualidad de una cosa (ns. 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724[1-3], 3006, 3237, 3421, 6674, 9310). Que “trajeado con una vestidura salpicada de sangre” significa la Palabra en la letra, a la que se ha hecho violencia, es porque “una vestidura” significa la verdad que reviste al bien (ns. 1073, 2576, 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9952, 10536) especialmente la verdad en lo último, esto es, la Palabra en la letra (ns. 5248, 6918, 9158, 9212); y porque “sangre” significa violencia a la verdad, hecha por la falsedad (ns. 374, 1005, 4735, 5476, 9127). Que “los ejércitos de los cielos seguían sobre caballos blancos”, significa los que están en el entendimiento de la Palabra en cuanto a sus interiores, es porque “Ejércitos” significan los que están en las verdades y los bienes del cielo y de la iglesia (ns. 3448, 7236, 7988, 8019). Y “un caballo” significa el entendimiento (ns. 3217, 5321, 6125, 6400, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8381). Y “blanco” significa la verdad que está en la luz del cielo; por consiguiente la verdad interior (ns. 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319). Que “vestido con lino fino, blanco y limpio” significan aquellos que están en la verdad según el bien, es porque “lino fino” o “lino” simplemente significa la verdad de origen celestial, que es la verdad según el bien (ns. 5319, 9469). Que “un nombre escrito sobre la vestidura y sobre el muslo” significa la verdad y el bien, y su cualidad, es porque una vestidura” significa la verdad, y “un nombre” cualidad, como se ha observado arriba, y “el muslo” significa el bien del amor (ns. 3021, 4277, 4280, 9961, 10488). “Rey de reyes y Señor de señores” es el Señor en cuanto a la Divina verdad y en cuanto al Divino bien; el Señor es llamado “Rey” según la Divina verdad (ns. 3009, 5068, 6148). Y es llamado “Señor” según el Divino bien (ns. 4973, 9167, 9194). De aquí aparece cuál es la cualidad de la Palabra en el sentido espiritual o interno, y que no hay en ella ninguna expresión que no signifique algo espiritual, esto es, algo perteneciente del cielo y de la iglesia.

3021. 'Put now your hand under my thigh' means being bound, as regards its power, to the good of conjugial love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in 878, and from the meaning of 'the thigh' as the good of conjugial love, dealt with in what follows. A binding of this good to that power is indeed the meaning, as is clear from the consideration that those who were bound by an obligation to carry out some matter connected with conjugial love put their hand, according to ancient custom, under the thigh of the one to whom they were so bound, and in so doing swore by him. This was done because 'the thigh' meant conjugial love, and 'the hand' power, or the full extent of whatever one's capability might be. For all parts of the human body correspond to spiritual and celestial things in the Grand Man, which is heaven, as shown in 2996, 2998, and will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown more extensively later on. The thighs themselves, together with the loins, correspond to conjugial love. Those things were well known to the most ancient people, and for that reason so many customs came down from them, including that of putting their hands under the thigh when being bound by an obligation to carry out something connected with the good of conjugial love. Their knowledge of such things, which was valued most highly by the ancients, and belonged among the chief things that constituted their knowledge and intelligence, is totally lost today, so much so that not even the existence of any such correspondence is known, and for this reason people will probably be astounded that such things are meant by that custom. Here, because the subject is the betrothal of Isaac his son to another member of Abraham's family, and the oldest servant was called on to perform that task, this custom was therefore followed.

[2] It has been stated that 'the thigh', because of its correspondence, means conjugial love, and this may also be seen from other places in the Word, for example, from the procedure to be followed when a woman was accused by her husband of adultery, in Moses,

The priest shall make the woman take the oath of a curse, and the priest shall say to the woman, Jehovah will make you a curse and an oath in the midst of your people, when Jehovah makes your thigh fall away and your belly swell. When he has made her drink the water, then it will happen, if she has defiled herself and committed a trespass against her husband, that the water causing the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, and her thigh will fall away; and the woman will be a curse in the midst of her people. Numbers 5:21, 27.

'The falling away of the thigh' means the evil of conjugial love, which is adultery. Every other detail in the same procedure had some specific meaning, so that not even the smallest detail fails to embody something, though anyone reading the Word who has no concept of its sacredness will wonder why such things are included there. It is because 'the thigh' means the good of conjugial love that the expression 'those coming out of the thigh' is used frequently, as in a reference to Jacob,

Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will go out from your thighs. Genesis 35:11.

And elsewhere in the same author,

Every soul coming with Jacob to Egypt, who came out of his thigh. Genesis 46:26; Exodus 1:5.

And in a reference to Gideon, Gideon had seventy sons, who came out of his thigh. Judges 8:30.

[3] Since 'the thigh' and 'the loins' mean the things that belong to conjugial love they also mean those that belong to love and charity, the reason being that conjugial love underlies every other kind of love, see 686, 2733, 2737-2739. These all have the same source - the heavenly marriage - which is a marriage of good and truth, regarding which see 2727-2759. For 'the thigh' means the good of celestial love and the good of spiritual love, as may be seen from the following places: In John,

He who sat on the white horse had on His robe and on His thigh the name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:16.

'He who sat on the white horse' is the Word, and so the Lord, who is the Word, see 2760-2762. 'Robe' means Divine Truth, 2576, and for that reason He is called 'King of kings', 3009. From this it is evident what 'the thigh' means, namely the Divine Good which flows from His love, on account of which He is also named 'Lord of lords', 3004-3011. And this being the Lord's essential nature, it is said that He had a name written on His robe and on His thigh, for 'name' means essential nature, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006.

[4] In David,

Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One, in Your glory and honour! Psalms 45:3.

This refers to the Lord. 'Sword' stands for truth engaged in conflict, 2799, 'thigh' for the good of love. 'Girding the sword on the thigh' means that the truth which He was to use in the fight was allied to the good of love. In Isaiah,

Righteousness will be the girdle of His loins, and truth the girdle of His thighs. Isaiah 11:5.

This too refers to the Lord. Because 'righteousness' has reference to the good that flows from love, 2235, it is called 'the girdle of His loins', while 'truth' because it comes from good, is called 'the girdle of His thighs'. Thus 'loins' is used in reference to the love within good, and 'thighs' to the love within truth.

[5] In the same prophet'

None will be weary, and none will stumble in Him. He will not slumber nor sleep. Nor has the girdle of His thighs been loosed, nor the thong of His shoes torn away. Isaiah 5:27.

This refers to the Lord. 'The girdle of His thighs' stands, as above, for the love within truth. In Jeremiah Jehovah told the prophet to buy a linen girdle and put it over his loins but not dip it in water. He was then told to go away to the Euphrates and hide it in a cleft of the rock. When he went back at a later time to retrieve it from that place it was spoiled, Jeremiah 13:1-7. 'A linen girdle' stands for truth, but the placing of it over his loins was representative of the fact that truth was the outward expression of good. Anyone may see that these actions are representative. Their meaning however cannot be known except from correspondences, which will in the Lord's Divine mercy be dealt with at the ends of certain chapters further on.

[6] It is similar with the meaning of the things seen by Ezekiel, Daniel, and Nebuchadnezzar: Ezekiel saw,

Above the firmament that was above the heads of the cherubim, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne, there was a likeness, as the appearance of a Man (Homo) upon it above. And I saw as it were the shape of fiery coals, as the shape of fire, within it round about. From the appearance of His loins and upwards, and from the appearance of His loins and downwards, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, whose brightness was round about it like the appearance of the rainbow which is in the cloud on the day of rain; so was the appearance of the brightness round about, thus was the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of Jehovah. Ezekiel 1:26-28.

This scene was clearly representative of the Lord and His kingdom. 'The appearance of His loins upwards and the appearance, of His loins downwards' is descriptive of His love, as is evident from the meaning of 'fire' as love, 934, and from the meaning of 'brightness' and of 'the rainbow' as wisdom and intelligence from that love, 1042, 1043, 1053.

[7] Daniel saw,

A man clothed in linen whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz, and whose body was like tarshish, ¹ and whose face was like the appearance of lightning and whose eyes were like fiery torches, and whose arms and feet were like the shine of burnished bronze. Daniel 10:5-6.

What each of these expressions means - the loins, the body, the face, the eyes, the arms, and the feet - does not become clear to anyone except from representations and correspondences involved in these. From these it is evident that in what Daniel saw the Lord's heavenly kingdom was represented, in which Divine Love constitutes the loins, and 'the gold of Uphaz' with which He was girded, the good resulting from wisdom that is grounded in love, 113, 1551, 1552.

[8] In Daniel: Nebuchadnezzar saw a statue whose head was fine gold, breast and arms silver, belly and thighs bronze, feet partly iron, partly clay, Daniel 2:32-33. This statue represented consecutive states of the Church. The head of gold represented the first state, which was celestial because it was a state of love to the Lord; the breast and arms of silver represented the second state, which was spiritual because it was a state of charity towards the neighbour; the belly and thighs of bronze represented the third state, which was a state of natural good meant by 'bronze', 425, 1551 - natural good being love or charity towards the neighbour as this exists on a lower level than spiritual good - while the feet of iron and clay were the fourth state, which was a state of natural truth meant by 'iron', 425, 426, and also a state involving complete lack of cohesion with good, which is meant by 'clay'.

From all this one may see what is meant by the thighs and loins, namely conjugial love primarily, and from this love every genuine kind of love, as is evident from the places quoted and also from Genesis 32:25, 31-32; Isaiah 20:2-4; Nahum 2:1; Psalms 69:23; Exodus 12:11; Luke 12:35-36. The thighs and loins also mean in the contrary sense those loves that are the reverse of conjugial love and all genuine loves, namely self-love and love of the world, 1 Kings 2:5-6; Isaiah 32:10-11; Jeremiah 30:6; 48:37; Ezekiel 29:7; Amos 8:10.

Footnotes:

878. 'He put out his hand' means his own power. 'And he took hold of it, and brought it in to himself into the ark' means that self was the source of the good he did and of the truth he thought. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hand' as power. Here therefore his own power from which he acts is meant. Indeed 'putting out his hand and taking hold of the dove and bringing it in to himself' is attaching and attributing to himself the truth meant by the dove. That 'the hand' means power, and also the exercise of power, and resulting self-confidence, is clear from many places in the Word, as in Isaiah,

I will visit upon the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Asshur, for he has said, By the power of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding. Isaiah 10:12-13.

Here 'hand' clearly stands for his own power to which he attributed what he had done, on account of which visitation was made on him.

[2] In the same prophet,

Moab will stretch out his hands in the midst of him as swimmer does to swim, but He will lay low his pride together with the powerfulness ¹ of his hands. Isaiah 25:11.

'Hands' stands for his own power resulting from projection of self above others, and so from pride. In the same prophet,

Their inhabitants were shorn of power, ² they were dismayed and filled with shame. Isaiah 37:27.

'Shorn of power' ² stands for having no power. In the same prophet,

Will the clay say to its potter, What are you making? or your work [say], He has no hands? Isaiah 45:9.

'He has no hands' stands for no power to it. In Ezekiel,

The king will mourn, and the prince will be wrapped in stupidity, and the hands of the people of the land will be all atremble. Ezekiel 7:17.

Here 'the hands' stands for power. In Micah,

Woe to those devising iniquity and working out evil upon their beds, which they carry out at morning light, and because they make their own hand their god! Micah 2:1.

'Hand' stands for their own power which they trust in as their god. In Zechariah,

Woe to the worthless shepherd deserting the flock! The sword will fall upon his arm and upon his right eye. His arm will be wholly withered, and his right eye utterly darkened. Zechariah 11:17.

[3] Since 'hands' means powers, men's evils and falsities are throughout the Word therefore called 'the works of their hands'. Evils come from the will side of man's proprium, falsities from the understanding side. The fact that this is the source of evils and falsities becomes quite clear from the nature of the human proprium, that it is nothing but evil and falsity. That this is the nature of the proprium see what has been stated already in 39, 41, 141, 150, 154, 210, 215. Because 'the hands' in general means power, the Word therefore frequently attributes hands to Jehovah, or the Lord. And in those contexts 'hands' in the internal sense means omnipotence, as in Isaiah, Jehovah, Your hand has been lifted up. Isaiah 26:11. 'Hand' stands for Divine power. In the same prophet,

Jehovah stretches out ³ His hand, they are all destroyed. Isaiah 31:3.

'Hand' stands for Divine power. In the same prophet,

Over the work of My hands command Me. My hands stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. Isaiah 45:11-12.

'Hands' stands for Divine power. In the Word regenerate people are often called 'the work of Jehovah's hands'. In the same prophet,

My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand measured out the heavens. Isaiah 48:13.

'Hand' and 'right hand' stand for omnipotence.

[4] In the same prophet,

Has My hand been shortened, that it cannot redeem? Is there no power in Me to deliver? Isaiah 50:2.

'Hand' and 'power' stand for Divine power. In Jeremiah,

You did bring Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. Jeremiah 32:17, 21.

'Power' in verse Jeremiah 32:17 and 'hand' in verse Jeremiah 32:21 stand for Divine power. It is quite often stated that 'they were brought out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm': in Ezekiel,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, On the day I chose Israel and lifted up My hand to the seed of the house of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I lifted up My hand to them, to lead them out of the land of Egypt. Ezekiel 20:5-6, 23.

In Moses,

Israel saw the great work ⁴ which Jehovah did on the Egyptians. Exodus 14:31.

[5] All these quotations plainly show that 'the hand' means power. Indeed so much was the hand the symbol of power that it also became its representative, as is clear from the miracles performed in Egypt, when Moses was commanded to stretch out his rod or his hand and they were accomplished -

Moses stretched out his hand and there was hail all over Egypt. Exodus 9:22-23.

Moses stretched out his hand and there was darkness. Exodus 10:21-22.

Moses stretched out his hand and rod over the Sea Suph and it was dried up, and he stretched out his hand and it returned. Exodus 14:11, 27. ⁵

No mentally normal person can believe that any power resided in Moses' hand or rod. Rather, because the lifting up and stretching out of the hand symbolized Divine power, that action also became its representative in the Jewish Church.

[6] The same applies to Joshua's stretching out his javelin, described as follows,

Jehovah said, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand towards Ai, for I will give it into your hand. When Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand, they entered the city and took it. And Joshua did not draw back the hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Joshua 8:18-19, 26.

This also makes clear the nature of the representatives which comprised the external features of the Jewish Church. Consequently the Word is such that details recorded in its external sense do not give the appearance of being representatives of the Lord and His kingdom, such as the reference in these quotations to Moses or Joshua stretching out his hand, and all other details recorded there. In these it is never evident that such things are being represented as long as the mind is fixed solely on the historical details of the letter. From this it is also evident how far the Jews had receded from a true understanding of the Word and of the religious practices of their Church by focusing the whole of their worship purely on things of an external nature, even to the extent of attributing power to Moses' rod and to Joshua's javelin, when in fact these had no more power in them than a piece of wood. Yet because they did symbolize the Lord's omnipotence, which was at the time understood in heaven, signs and miracles were accomplished when by command they stretched out their hand or rod. Something similar happened when Moses on the hilltop held up his hands. When he did so Joshua was winning, but when he dropped them he was losing. So they held his hands up for him. Exodus 17:9-13.

[7] It was similar with the laying on of hands when men were being consecrated, as the people did to the Levites, Numbers 8:9-10, 12, and as Moses did to Joshua when the latter was to succeed him, Numbers 27:18, 23 - the purpose being to confer power. And this is why in our own times the ceremonies of ordination and of blessing are accompanied by the laying on of hands. To what extent the hand meant and represented power becomes clear from the following references in the Word to Uzzah and Jeroboam,

Of Uzzah it says that he reached out (his hand) to the Ark of God and took hold of it, and as a consequence died. 2 Samuel 6:6-7.

'The Ark' represented the Lord, and so everything holy and heavenly. 'Uzzah reached out to the Ark' represented man's own power, which is his proprium. And because the proprium is unholy the word 'hand' is left out but nevertheless understood. It is left out to prevent angels perceiving anything so profane as his touching with his hand that which was holy. And because he 'reached out' he died.

[8] In reference to Jeroboam,

It happened, when he heard the saying of the man of God which he cried out against the altar, that Jeroboam reached out his hand from above the altar saying, Lay hold of him. And his hand which he reached out against him dried up, and he could not draw it back to himself. He said to the man of God, Entreat now the face ⁶ of Jehovah your God, that my hand may be restored to me. And the man of God entreated the face ⁶ of Jehovah and his hand was restored to him, and became as it was before. 1 Kings 13:4-6.

Here similarly 'reaching out his hand' means man's own power, or proprium, which is unholy. He was willing to violate what was holy by stretching out his hand against the man of God, as a consequence of which his hand was dried up. Yet because he was an idolater and therefore not able to profane, as stated already, his hand was restored. The fact that 'the hand' means and represents power becomes clear from representatives in the world of spirits. In that world a bare arm sometimes comes into sight possessing so much strength that it can break bones to bits and crush their inner marrow to nothing at all. It consequently strikes so much terror as to cause heart-failure. It really does possess such strength.

Footnotes: