820、启19:11.“我看见天开了，见有一匹白马”表示主所启示的圣言的灵义，以及由此揭示的对圣言的内在理解；这就是主的降临。“看见天开了”表示来自主的启示和那时的显明，如下文所述。“一匹马”表示对圣言的理解，“一匹白马”表示对圣言的内在理解(AR 298节)；由于“一匹白马”表示对圣言的内在理解，而灵义就是对圣言的内在理解，所以“白马”在此表示灵义。这是主的降临，因为灵义清楚表明，主就是圣言，圣言唯独论述主，祂是天地之神，新教会唯独从祂那里存在，或说唯独源于主。主说：
他们要看见人子有荣耀、有能力，驾着天上的云降临。(马太福音17:5; 24:30; 26:64; 马可福音14:61, 62; 路加福音9:34-35; 21:27; 启示录1:7; 使徒行传1:9, 11)
当主与门徒谈论时代的完结，也就是教会的末期时，就是当审判发生时，祂也说了这话。凡不越过字义思考的人都以为，当最后的审判到来时，主将驾着天上的云与众天使并号声一同出现。然而，意思并不是这样，而是说，祂将出现在圣言中，这一点可从前面的解释(AR 24, 642节)明显看出来。主明显出现在圣言的灵义中。从灵义不仅清楚看出，祂就是圣言，也就是说，是神性真理本身，祂是圣言的至内层，因而是圣言的全部；还清楚看出，祂自己就是那一位神，三位一体在祂里面，因此祂是唯一的天地之神；此外，祂降世是为了荣耀祂的人身，也就是使人身变成神性。
主所荣耀，也就是变成神性的人身，是属世人身，祂若不通过在自然界的一个童女里面接受人身，就不能荣耀这属世人身，或将其变成神性，然后将祂自永恒所拥有的神性与这人身合一。这种合一是通过允许进入祂所取人身的试探(最后的试探是十字架受难)，同时通过圣言的一切的应验而实现的；这种应验不仅是圣言在其属世意义上的一切的应验，还是圣言在其属灵意义和属天意义上的一切的应验；如前所述，在属灵和属天意义上，圣言唯独论述主。关于这些事，可参看《新耶路撒冷教义之主篇》和《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》所揭示的。由于主是圣言，圣言成了肉身(约翰福音1:1, 2, 14)，并且圣言成了肉身，是为了祂可以应验它，所以很明显，主在“天上的云”中出现是指主在圣言中的降临。“天上的云”表示字义上的圣言(可参看AR 24, 642节)。显然，所指的是主出现在圣言中，因为“白马”表示对圣言的内在理解，经上说，那骑在马上的，名为“神的圣言”，祂名为“万王之王，万主之主”(启示录19:13, 16)。
由此明显可知，“我看见天开了，见有一匹白马”表示主所启示的圣言的灵义，以及由此揭示的对圣言的内在理解。如今圣言的灵义被揭示出来，对此，在基督教界，以前没有人知道，这一点可见于《属天的奥秘》，那里根据灵义解释了摩西五经中的两本书，即《创世记》和《出埃及记》；这一点也可见于《新耶路撒冷教义之圣经篇》(5-26节)和《白马》这本小著从头到尾，以及那里从《属天的奥秘》中所搜集的关于《圣经》的章节；此外还可见于对启示录的这些解释，其中，若没有灵义，甚至连一节经文也无法理解。
820. 19:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. This symbolizes the spiritual sense of the Word revealed by the Lord and the deeper meaning of the Word thereby disclosed, which is the coming of the Lord.
Seeing heaven opened symbolizes a revelation by the Lord and a disclosure then, which we will take up below. A horse symbolizes an understanding of the Word, and a white horse a deeper understanding (no. 298). And because this is the symbolic meaning of a white horse, and a deeper understanding of the Word is an understanding of the spiritual sense, therefore that sense is here symbolized by the white horse.
This is the coming of the Lord, because that sense makes it clearly apparent that the Lord embodies the Word, that the Word deals with Him alone, that He is God of heaven and earth, and that the New Church originates from Him alone.
The Lord told His disciples that they would see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with glory and power (Matthew 17:5; 24:30; 26:64; Mark 14:61-62; Revelation 1:7; Acts of the Apostles 1:9, 11). And the Lord said this also when He spoke with His disciples about the culmination of the age, which is the final period of the church when a judgment takes place.
Everyone who does not think beyond the literal sense believes that when the Last Judgment arrives, the Lord will appear in clouds of the sky, accompanied by angels and the blowing of trumpets. But this is not the meaning. Rather it means that the Lord will appear in the Word, as can be seen from the exposition above in nos. 24 and 642, and He appears clearly in the Word's spiritual sense. He appears not only as being an embodiment of the Word, that is, of Divine truth itself, or as being inmostly present in the Word and in everything springing from it, but also as being a single God, having the Trinity in Him, thus as being the only God of heaven and earth. Moreover, it appears also that He came into the world to glorify His humanity, that is, to make it Divine.
[2] The humanity that the Lord glorified, that is, the humanity that He made Divine, was the natural humanity, which He could not glorify or make Divine except by taking on a humanity in a virgin in the natural world, to which He then united His Divinity which He had from eternity. This union was achieved by temptations suffered by the humanity He had taken on, the last of which was His suffering of the cross and at the same time His fulfilling all of the Word, not only by His fulfilling all of the Word in its natural sense, but also by His fulfilling all of the Word in its spiritual sense, and also in its celestial sense, which, as we said before, deals with Him alone.
But on this subject see what we disclosed in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture.
Now because the Lord embodies the Word, and the Word became flesh (John 1:1-2, 14), and the Word became flesh in order that He might fulfill it, it is apparent that the Lord's appearing on the clouds of heaven means His coming in the Word. That the clouds of heaven symbolize the Word in its literal sense may be seen in nos. 24 and 642 above.
It is apparent that it is the Lord's appearing in the Word that is meant, because the white horse symbolizes a deeper understanding of the Word, and we are told that the name of Him who sat on the horse is "The Word of God," and that His name is "King of kings and Lord of lords" (verses 13, 16).
[3] It is apparent from this now that John's seeing heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, symbolizes the spiritual sense of the Word revealed by the Lord and the deeper meaning of the Word thereby disclosed, which is the coming of the Lord.
That the Word's spiritual sense has at this day been revealed, which no one in the Christian world has previously known anything about, may be see in Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), in which we expounded two of the books of Moses - Genesis and Exodus - in accordance with that sense. It may be seen also in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 5-26; in the short treatise, The White Horse, from beginning to end, and from the numbers collected there from Arcana Coelestia regarding the sacred scripture; and furthermore in this exposition of the book of Revelation, in which not even one little verse can be understood apart from its spiritual meaning.
820. [verse 11] 'And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse' signifies the spiritual sense of the Word revealed by the Lord, and thereby the disclosure of the interior understanding of the Word, which is the Lord's coming. By 'I saw heaven opened' is signified a revelation by the Lord and a making manifest at that time, concerning which [something] follows. By 'a horse' is signified the understanding of the Word, and by 'a white horse' the interior understanding of the Word (298) ; and because this is signified by 'a white horse,' and the spiritual sense is the interior understanding of the Word, therefore that sense is signified by the 'white horse' here. The reason why this is the Lord's coming is because by means of that sense it appears manifestly that the Lord is the Word, and that the Word treats of Himself Only, and that He is the God of heaven and earth, and that from Himself Only does the New Church come into existence. The Lord said that they should 'see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with glory and vigour (virtus)' (Matthew 17:5; 24:30; 26:64; Mark 14:61-62; Luke 9:34-35; 21:27; Revelation 1:7; Acts of the Apostles 1:9, 11). And in fact the Lord said this when He spoke with the disciples of the consummation of the age, which is the last time of the Church when there is the judgment. Everyone who does not think beyond the sense of the letter believes that when the last judgment comes the Lord is going to appear in the clouds of heaven with angels and the sounds of trumpets. That this, however, is not the meaning, but that He is going to appear in the Word, can be established from the exposition above (24, 642); and the Lord appears manifestly in the spiritual sense of the Word. [From that sense] it appears not only that He is the Word, that is, the Divine Truth itself, and that He Himself is the inmost of the Word and thence is everything thereof, but it also appears that He Himself is the one God in Whom is the Trinity, and thus the only God of heaven and earth; and, moreover, that He came into the world so that He might glorify His Human, that is, make it Divine.
[2] The Human that He glorified, that is, made Divine, was the Natural Human, which He could not glorify or make Divine except by means of taking on the Human in a virgin in the natural world. To this He then united His own Divine, which He had from eternity. The unition was effected by means of the temptations admitted into His own assumed Human, the last of which was the passion of the cross, and at the same time by the fulfilment of all things of the Word. [This was done] not only by the fulfilment of all the things of the Word in its natural sense, but also by the fulfilment of all the things of the Word in its spiritual sense and in its celestial sense, in which as was said above it treats of Himself Only. But on these matters the things may be seen that have been made manifest in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE LORD and in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE. Now because the Lord is the Word, and the Word was made flesh (John 1:1-2, 14), and the Word was made flesh so that He might fulfil it, it is plain that the Lord's coming in the Word is understood by His appearing 'in the clouds of heaven.' That 'the clouds of heaven' signify the Word in the sense of the letter may be seen above (24, 642). That the appearing of the Lord in the Word is understood is plain because by the 'white horse' is signified the interior understanding of the Word, and it is said that the Name of the One sitting upon the horse is THE WORD OF GOD, also that His Name is 'King of kings and Lord of lords' (verse 13, 16).
[3] From these considerations it is plain that by 'I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse' is signified the spiritual sense of the Word revealed by the Lord, and by this means the disclosure of the interior understanding thereof; which indeed is the Lord's coming. That the spiritual sense of the Word, of which no one in Christendom has known anything before, has been revealed at this day, can be seen in ARCANA CAELESTIA, where two books of Moses, Genesis and Exodus, have been expounded in accordance with that sense; also in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE 5-26; in the little work CONCERNING THE WHITE HORSE from beginning to end, and the things collected there out of 'Arcana Caelestia concerning the Sacred Scripture'; and, moreover, in THESE EXPOSITIONS ON THE APOCALYPSE where not one little verse can be understood at all without the spiritual sense.
820. Verse 11. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, signifies the spiritual sense of the Word revealed by the Lord, and the interior understanding of the Word disclosed thereby; which is the coming of the Lord. By "heaven was seen open" is signified a revelation from the Lord, and the manifestation, concerning which below. By "a horse" is signified the understanding of the Word, and by "a white horse" the interior understanding of the Word, (298); and as this is signified by "a white horse," and as the spiritual sense is the interior understanding of the Word, therefore that sense is signified here by "the white horse." The reason that this is the coming of the Lord, is because it manifestly appears by that sense that the Lord is the Word, and that the Word treats of Him alone, and that He is the God of heaven and earth, and that from Him alone the New Church exists. The Lord said that:
They should see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with glory and power, (Matthew 17:5; 24:30; 26:64; Mark 14:61-62; Luke 9:34-35; 21:27; Revelation 1:7;Acts of the Apostles 1:9, 11).
And the Lord said this also where He spoke with the disciples concerning the consummation of the age, which is the last time of the church, when the judgment takes place. Everyone who does not think beyond the sense of the letter, believes that when the Last Judgment shall come, the Lord will appear in the clouds of heaven with the angels and sounds of trumpets. But that this is not meant, but that He will appear in the Word, may be evident from the explanation above, (24, 642). And the Lord appears manifestly in the spiritual sense of the Word. It appears not only that He is the Word, that is, the Divine truth itself, and that He is the inmost of the Word, and thence the all of it; but also that He Himself is the one God, in whom is the Trinity, and thus the only God of heaven and earth; and moreover that He came into the world, that He might glorify His Human, that is, make it Divine. The Human which He glorified, that is, made Divine, was the natural human, which He could not glorify or make Divine but by taking on the human in a virgin in the natural world; to which He then united His Divine, which He had from eternity. That unition was effected by temptations admitted into the human that He had taken, the last of which was the passion of the cross, and at the same time by the fulfilling of all things of the Word; not only by the fulfilling of all things of the Word in its natural sense, but also by the fulfilling of all things of the Word in its spiritual sense and in its celestial sense; in which, as was said above, He alone is treated of. But on these things, see what are manifested in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord, and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture. Now, because the Lord is the Word, and the Word became flesh, (John 1:1-2, 14), and the Word became flesh that He might fulfill it, it is manifest that the Lord's coming in the Word is meant by His appearing "in the clouds of heaven." That "the clouds of heaven" signify the Word in the sense of the letter, may be seen above, (24, 642). It is manifest that the Lord's appearing in the Word is meant, because the interior understanding of the Word is signified by "the white horse," and it is said that the name of Him that sat upon the horse is "The Word of God," and that His name is "King of kings and Lord of lords" (verses 13, 16). It is now manifest from this, that by "I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse," is signified the spiritual sense of the Word revealed by the Lord, and thereby the interior understanding of it disclosed; which also is the coming of the Lord. That the spiritual sense of the Word is at this day revealed, concerning which no one in the Christian world has before known anything, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, where the two books of Moses, Genesis and Exodus are explained according to that sense; also in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture, (5-26); in a little work Concerning the White Horse from beginning to end, and in the things collected there from the Arcana Coelestia concerning the Sacred Scripture; and besides in these explanations upon Revelation, where not a single verse can be understood without the spiritual sense.
820. (Vers. 11.) "Et vidi Caelum apertum, at ecce Equus albus," significat Sensum spiritualem Verbi a Domino revelatum, et per id intellectum Verbi interiorem detectum, quod est Adventus Domini. - Per "visum Caelum apertum" significatur revelatio a Domino et tunc manifestatio, de qua sequitur; per "equum" significatur intellectus Verbi, et per "Equum album" intellectus Verbi interior (298); et quia hoc per "Equum album" significatur, et Sensus spiritualis est intellectus Verbi interior, ideo ille Sensus per "Equum album" hic significatur. Quod id sit Adventus Domini, est quia per illum Sensum manifeste apparet quod Dominus sit Verbum, et quod Verbum de Ipso Solo agat, et quod sit Deus Caeli et Terrae, et quod ab Ipso Solo Nova Ecclesia existat. Dominus dixit, quod Visuri sint "Filium Hominis venientem in nubibus Caeli cum gloria et virtute," (Matthaeus 24:30; 17:5; 126:64; Marcus 14:61-62; Luca 9:34-35; 21:27; Apocalypsis 1:7; Acta Apostolorum 1:9, 11); et hoc etiam dixit Dominus, ubi locutus est cum discipulis de consummatione saeculi, quae est ultimum tempus Ecclesiae, quando judicium. Omnis qui non ultra Sensum literae cogitat, credit quod cum Ultimum Judicium venturum est, Dominus appariturus sit in nubibus Caeli cum angelis et sonis tubarum; at quod id non intelligatur, sed quod appariturus in Verbo, constare potest ab Explicatione supra (24, 642). 2Et Dominus apparet manifeste in Sensu Verbi spirituali; apparet non modo quod sit Verbum, hoc est, ipsum Divinum Verum, tum quod Ipse sit intimum Verbi et inde omne ejus, sed etiam quod Ipse sit Deus unus in Quo Trinitas, ita Deus Caeli et Terrae solus; et insuper quod in mundum venerit, ut Humanum Suum glorificaret, hoc est, Divinum faceret. Humanum quod glorificavit, hoc est, Divinum fecit, erat Humanum Naturale, quod non glorificare seu Divinum facere potuit, quam per susceptionem humani in Virgine in mundo naturali, cui tunc univit Divinum Suum quod fuit Ipsi ab aeterno. Unitio illa facta est per tentationes in Humanum Suum susceptum admissas, quarum ultima fuit Passio crucis, et simul per impletionem omnium Verbi, non solum per impletionem omnium Verbi in Sensu naturali ejus, sed etiam per impletionem omnium Verbi in Sensu spirituali et in Sensu caelesti ejus, in quo, ut supra dictum est, de Ipso Solo agitur: sed de his videantur quae in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Domino, et in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae Scriptura Sacra, manifestata sunt. Nunc quia Dominus - est Verbum, et Verbum Caro factum est, (Johannes 1:1-2, 14), et Verbum Caro factum est ut impleret illud, patet quod Adventus Domini in Verbo intelligatur per apparitionem Ipsius "in nubibus Caeli;" quod "nubes Caeli" significent Verbum in Sensu literae, videatur supra (24, 642). 3Quod apparitio Domini in Verbo intelligatur, patet, quia per "Equum album" significatur intellectus Verbi interior, et dicitur quod Nomen Sedentis super Equo sit "Verbum Dei," et quod Nomen Ipsius sit "Rex regum et Dominus dominorum," (vers. 13, 16). Ex his nunc patet, quod per "vidi Caelum apertum, et ecce Equus albus" significetur Sensus spiritualis Verbi a Domino revelatus, et per id intellectus ejus interior detectus, quod etiam est Adventus Domini. Quod Sensus spiritualis Verbi hodie revelatus sit, de quo nemo prius in Christiano orbe aliquid novit, videri potest in Arcanis Caelestibus, ubi duo Libri Mosis, Genesis et Exodus, secundum illum Sensum explicati sunt; tum in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae de Scriptura Sacra (5-26); in Opusculo De Equo Albo (a principio ad finem), et ibi Collectis ex Arcanis Caelestibus de Scriptura Sacra; et praeterea in Explicationibus his super Apocalypsin, ubi ne quidem unus versiculus absque Sensu spirituali potest intelligi.
Footnotes:
1. 24:30; 17:5 pro "17:5; 24:30"
2. 642 pro "692"
3. 642 pro "692"