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372. And behold a black horse. That this signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed as to truth, is manifest from the signification of a horse, as denoting the understanding (see above, n. 355); and from the signification of black, as denoting what is not true; thus by a black horse is signified the understanding destroyed as to truth. The reason why black signifies what is not true, is, because white signifies what is true. That white is predicated of truth, and signifies it, may be seen above (n. 196). That white is predicated of truth and signifies it, is, because white derives its origin from the brightness of light, and light signifies truth; and the reason why black is predicated of what is not true, and signifies it, is, because black derives its origin from darkness, or from a deprivation of light, and darkness, because it exists from the deprivation of light, signifies ignorance of truth. That a black horse here signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed as to truth, is also evident from the signification of the red horse treated of above, as denoting the same destroyed as to good. In the church, also, in process of time good perishes first, and afterwards truth, and at length in the place of good succeeds evil, and in the place of truth falsity. This last state of the church is meant by the pale horse, which will be explained presently.
[2] That black signifies what is not true, is clear also from other passages in the Word, where it is mentioned; as in Micah:
"The night shall be unto you for a vision; and darkness shall arise to you for divination; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall grow black over them" (3:6).
By the prophets, of whom it is here treated, are signified those who are in truths of doctrine, and apart from persons, the truths of doctrine; that those who are meant by prophets should see evils, and divine falsities, is signified by, "The night shall be unto you for a vision; and darkness shall arise to you for divination." That they would know neither good nor truth, is signified by, "the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall grow black over them," the sun signifying the good of love, and day, the truth of faith, and to become black their not being seen or known.
[3] In Ezekiel:
"Yea, when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heavens, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine" (32:7).
These words are spoken of Pharaoh king of Egypt, by whom is signified the Scientific applied to falsities, as is the case when the natural man enters from the sciences into things spiritual, and not the reverse. Thus, because it is contrary to order, they seize upon falsities and confirm them for truths. That then there is no influx from heaven, is signified by, "I will cover the heavens"; and that there are then no knowledges of truth, is signified by, "I will make the stars thereof dark," for stars denote the knowledges of truth; that, consequently, there is no good of love and no truth of faith, is signified by, "I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine," the sun signifying the good of love, and the moon the truth of faith. (That such things are signified by the sun and moon, may be seen in the work concerning 2:10; 4:15).
And similar things in the Apocalypse:
"The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood" (6:12).
What is specifically signified by those things will be seen in the following pages.
[4] In Ezekiel:
"In the day when he shall descend into hell I will cover the abyss over him, and I will restrain the streams thereof, so that the great waters shall be shut up, and I will make Lebanon black over him, and all the trees of the field shall faint over him" (31:15).
Assyria is here treated of, which is compared to a cedar, Assyria here signifying reasoning concerning the truths of the church from one's own intelligence, and a cedar the truth of the spiritual church. That thus all knowledges of truth would perish, and with them all truths which savour of good, and have their essence thence. The abyss that is veiled above him, and the streams that were restrained, denote the knowledges of truth, and intelligence thence; the abyss, or sea, signifies the Scientific and the cognitive faculties in general, which belong to the natural man, and the streams signify the things pertaining to intelligence; the great waters which shall be shut up signify truths which savour of good, and thence derive their essence, waters denoting truths, and great in the Word being said of good. Lebanon becoming black over him, and the trees of the field fainting over him, signify that the truths of the church will cease to exist, and that its knowledges will be without the perception of truth; for Lebanon, like the cedar, signifies the church as to truths, thus also the truths of the church; and the trees of the field signify the church as to the knowledges of truth, thus also the knowledges of the truth of the church; trees denoting the knowledges themselves, and a field the church; hence it is evident that to make Lebanon black signifies that there are no longer any truths of the church.
[5] In Lamentations:
"The Nazarites were whiter [albi] than snow, they were whiter [candidi] than milk. Their form is obscured beyond blackness; they are not known in the streets" (4:7, 8).
No one can know what these words signify, unless he knows what the Nazarites represented. The Nazarites represented the Lord as to the Divine Celestial; and because all the statutes of the church at that time represented such things as belong to heaven and the church, thus to the Lord, for all things of heaven and the church are from the Lord; and because the Nazarite was the principal representative of the Lord, hence by the above words is signified that every representative of the Lord had perished. The genuine representative of the Lord is described by the Nazarites being whiter than snow, and whiter than milk, by which expressions is signified the representative of Divine truth and Divine good in their perfection, white (album) being predicated of truth, [and] in like manner, snow; and whiteness (candidum) of the good of truth, [and] in like manner, milk. That every representative of Divine truth had perished, is described by, their form is obscured beyond blackness; they are not known in the streets; form signifying the quality of truth; blackness signifying its no longer appearing; streets signifying the truths of doctrine; and not to be known in them, signifying not to be recognized by genuine truths. What is further signified by the Nazarites will be told elsewhere.
[6] In Jeremiah:
"The whole earth shall be a desolation; yet will I not make a consummation. For this shall the whole earth mourn, and the heavens shall become black from above" (4:27, 28).
The whole earth shall be a desolation, signifies that the good and truth in the church will perish, the earth denoting the church; yet will I not make a consummation, signifies that something of good and truth would still remain; for this shall the earth mourn, signifies the weakness of the church thence; the heavens shall become black from above, signifies that there would be no influx of good and truth from the Lord through heaven; for the heavens are said to become black when no affection or perception of truth flows in from the Lord through heaven, because in the churches before the Lord's coming, which were representative churches, mourning represented spiritual grief of mind because there was no truth and good. For mourning was on account of oppression by an enemy, on account of the death of a father or mother, and other like circumstances; and by oppression by an enemy was signified oppression by evils which are from hell, and by father and mother was signified the church as to good and as to truth; because these things were represented by mourning with them, therefore they then went in black.
[7] As in David:
"I say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Why shall I go in black on account of the oppression of the enemy?" (Psalms 42:9; 43:2).
In the same:
"I bowed myself in black as bewailing a mother" (Psalms 35:14).
In the same:
"I am bent, I am bowed down greatly; I have gone in black all the day" (Psalms 38:6).
In Malachi:
"Ye have said, What profit is it that we walk in black before Jehovah?" (3:14).
In Jeremiah:
"Upon the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt; I am become black" (8:21).
The daughter of the people signifies the church.
In Jeremiah:
"Judah hath mourned, and her gates are become languishing, they are become black even to the earth; and the cry of Jerusalem hath gone up; for their great ones sent their lesser ones for water; they came to the pits, and found not waters; their vessels are returned empty" (14:2, 3).
That black signifies spiritual grief of mind because there is no truth in the church, is evident from the particulars herein in the internal sense; for by Judah is signified the church as to the affection of good; and by Jerusalem, the church as to the doctrine of truth; by gates is signified admission thereto. That truths no longer existed in the church, is described by, the great ones have sent their lesser ones for water; they came to the pits and found not waters; their vessels are returned empty; waters signifying truths; pits, those things that contain them, which are doctrinals from the Word, and the Word itself, in which they no longer see truths. From these considerations it is evident that black and sable in the Word signify that there is no truth. Similarly also darkness, clouds, obscurity, and many things from which blackness arises; as in Joel:
"A day of darkness and of thick darkness, a day of cloud and obscurity" (2:2); and in other passages.
372. And behold, a black horse, signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to truth. This is evident from the signification of "horse," as being the understanding (See above, n. 355); also from the signification of "black," as being what is not true; thus "a black horse" signifies the understanding destroyed in respect to truth. "Black" signifies what is not true, because "white" signifies what is true. That "white" is predicated of truth and signifies it, may be seen above n. 196. "White" is predicated of truth and signifies it, because white has its origin in the brightness of light, and "light" signifies truth; and "black" is predicated of what is not true and signifies it, because black has its origin in darkness, that is, from the privation of light; and because darkness exists from the privation of light it signifies the ignorance of truth. That "a black horse" here signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to truth, is evident from the signification of "the red horse" (treated of above), as being the understanding destroyed in respect to good. Moreover, in the church, in process of time, good first perishes and afterwards truth, and at length evil succeeds in place of good, and falsity in place of truth. This last state of the church is meant by "the pale horse" (of which presently).
[2] That "black" signifies what is not true is evident also from other passages in the Word, where it is mentioned. As in Micah:
It shall be night unto you for vision; and darkness shall arise to you for divination; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall grow black over them (Micah 3:6).
The "prophets" here treated of signify those who are in the truths of doctrine, and in a sense abstracted from persons, the truths of doctrine; that those meant by "prophets" would see evils and would divine falsities is signified by "it shall be night unto you for vision, and darkness shall arise to you for divination;" that they would know neither good nor truth is signified by "the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall grow black over them;" "sun" signifying the good of love, and day" the truth of faith, and "to grow black" signifying not seen or known.
[3] In Ezekiel:
But when I shall have extinguished thee, I will cover the heavens, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine (Ezekiel 32:7).
This is said of Pharaoh king of Egypt, by whom is signified the knowing faculty applied to falsities, which is done when the natural man from things known enters into things spiritual instead of the reverse; because this is contrary to order, falsities are seized upon and confirmed as truths; that then nothing flows in from heaven is signified by "I will cover the heavens;" and that there are then no knowledges of truth is signified by "I will make the stars thereof dark," "stars" meaning knowledges of truth; that there is consequently no good of love nor truth of faith is signified by "I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine," "sun" signifying the good of love, and "moon" the truth of faith. (That this is the signification of "sun" and "moon," see Joel 2:10; 3:15).
Likewise in Revelation:
The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood (Revelation 6:12).
What these things signify in particular will be seen in what follows.
[4] In Ezekiel:
In the day when he shall go down into hell, and I will cover the abyss over him, and I will withhold the rivers thereof, that the great waters may be held back, and I will make Lebanon black for him, and all the trees of the field shall faint for him (Ezekiel 31:15).
This is said of "Assyria," which is here compared to a cedar. "Assyria" here signifies reasoning about the truths of the church from self-intelligence, and "cedar" the truth of the spiritual church; that by such reasoning all knowledges of truth, and with them all truths that savor of good and have their essence from good, would be destroyed is signified by all these words; the "abyss which is covered over him," and the "rivers that were withheld," mean the knowledges of truth and intelligence therefrom, the "abyss" or "sea" signifying the knowing and the cognizing faculties in general that are in the natural man, and "rivers" signifying the things that pertain to intelligence; the "great waters that shall be held back," signify the truths which savor of good and derive their essence from good, "waters" mean truths, and "great" in the Word is predicated of good.
That "Lebanon was made black over him, and the trees fainted for him," signifies that there will be no longer any truths of the church, and with its knowledges there will be no perception of truth; for "Lebanon," in like manner as "cedar," signifies the church in respect to truths, thus also the truths of the church; and "trees of the field" signify the church in respect to the knowledges of truth, thus also the knowledges of truth of the church, "trees" meaning the knowledges themselves, and "field" the church; from this it is clear that "to make Lebanon black" signifies that there are no longer any truths of the church.
[5] In Lamentations:
The Nazarites were whiter than snow, they were brighter than milk. Their form is more dark than blackness; they are not known in the streets (Lamentations 4:7-8).
No one can know what this signifies unless he knows what the Nazarites represented. "The Nazarites" represented the Lord in respect to the celestial Divine; and as all the statutes of the church at that time represented such things as belong to heaven and the church, thus to the Lord, for all things of heaven and the church are from the Lord, and as the Nazariteship was the chief representative of the Lord, these words signify that every representative of the Lord had perished. A genuine representative of the Lord is described by "the Nazarites were whiter than snow, and brighter than milk," which signifies a representative of Divine truth and Divine good in its perfection; for "white" is predicated of truth, in like manner "snow," and "brightness" of the good of truth, in like manner "milk." That every representative of Divine truth had perished is described by "their form is darker than blackness, they are not known in the streets," "form" signifying the quality of truth, "blackness" signifying its no longer appearing, "streets" signifying the truths of doctrine, and "not to be known in them" signifying not to be recognized by genuine truths. What is further signified by "Nazarites" will be told elsewhere.
[6] In Jeremiah:
The whole land shall be a waste; but I will not make a consummation. For this shall the land mourn, and the heavens above shall be blackened (Jeremiah 4:27-28).
"The whole land shall be a waste" signifies that good and truth in the church shall perish, "land" meaning the church; "yet I will not make a consummation" signifies that something of good and truth will still remain; "for this shall the land mourn" signifies the consequent feebleness of the church; "the heavens above shall be blackened" signifies that there will be no influx of good and truth from the Lord through heaven; for the heavens are said to be "blackened" when no affection or perception of truth flows in from the Lord through heaven. Since in the churches before the Lord's coming, which were representative churches, mourning represented spiritual grief of mind on account of the absence of truth and good, for they mourned when oppressed by an enemy, on the death of a father or mother, and for like things, and oppression by an enemy signified oppression by evils from hell, and father and mother signified the church in respect to good and in respect to truth, because with them these things were represented by mourning, they at such times went in black.
[7] As in David:
I say unto God my rock, why hast Thou forgotten me? Why shall I go in black because of the oppression of the enemy (Psalms 42:9; 43:2)?
In the same:
I bowed myself in black as bewailing a mother (Psalms 35:14).
In the same:
I was bent, I was bowed down exceedingly; I have gone in black all the day (Psalms 38:6).
In Malachi:
Ye have said, What profit is it that we walk in black before Jehovah? (Malachi 3:14).
In Jeremiah:
For the breach of the daughter of my people I am broken down; I am made black (Jeremiah 8:21);
"daughter of the people" signifying the church. In Jeremiah:
Judah hath mourned, and her gates have been made to languish, they are made black even to the earth; and the cry of Jerusalem hath gone up; for their nobles sent their little ones for water, they came to the pits and found no waters, their vessels return empty (Jeremiah 14:2-3).
That "to be made black" signifies spiritual grief of mind because of the absence of truth in the church is evident from the particulars here in the internal sense; for "Judah" signifies the church in respect to the affection of good; and "Jerusalem" the church in respect to the doctrine of truth; "gates" signify admission to the church. That there were no longer any truths is described by "the nobles sent their little ones for water, they came to the pits and found no waters, their vessels return empty," "waters" signifying truths, and "pits" the things that contain, which are the doctrinals from the Word and the Word itself, and in these truths are no longer seen. From this it can be seen that "black" [nigrum] and "black" [atrum] in the Word signify the absence of truth; and "darkness," "clouds," "obscurity," and many things from which blackness arises have a like signification. As in Joel:
A day of darkness and of thick darkness, a day of cloud and of obscurity (Joel 2:2);
and in other passages.
372. "Et (vidi et) ecce equus niger." - Quod significet intellectum Verbi deperditum quoad verum, constat ex significatione "equi", quod sit intellectus (de qua supra, n. 355); et ex significatione quod sit non verum; ita per "equum nigrum" significatur intellectus deperditus quoad verum.
Quod "niger" significet non verum, est quia "album" significat verum; quod "album" dicatur de vero, et significet illud, videatur supra (n. 196).
Quod "album" dicatur de vero et significet illud, est quia album originem ducit ex candore lucis, et "lux" significat verum; et quod "nigrum" dicatur de non vero et significet illud, est quia nigrum originem ducit ex tenebris seu ex privatione lucis; et "tenebrae", quia existunt ex privatione lucis, significant ignorantiam veri.
Quod "equus niger" hic significet intellectum Verbi deperditum quoad verum, etiam patet ex significatione "equi rufi", (de quo supra, ) quod sit intellectus deperditus quoad bonum; in ecclesia etiam successu temporis primum perit bonum, et dein verum, et tandem loco boni succedit malum, et loco veri falsum; hic ultimus status ecclesiae intelligitur per "equum pallidum", de quo in sequentibus.
[2] Quod "nigrum" significet non verum, constat quoque ex aliis locis in Verbo, ubi dicitur:
Ut apud Micham,
"Nox vobis pro visione, et tenebrae orientur vobis pro divinatione; et occidet sol super prophetis, et nigrescit super iis dies" (3:6):
per "prophetas", de quibus hic agitur, significantur illi qui in veris doctrinae sunt, et abstracte a personis vera doctrinae; quod illi qui per "prophetas" intelliguntur mala visuri, et falsa divinaturi, significatur per "Nox vobis pro visione, et tenebrae orientur vobis pro divinatione"; quod non scituri bonum nec verum, significatur per "Occidet sol super prophetis, et nigrescet super iis dies"; "sol significat bonum amoris, et "dies" verum fidei, et "nigrescere" quod non videatur et sciatur.
[3] Apud Ezechielem,
"Quin obtegam, cum exstinxero te, caelos, et atrabo stellas eorum solem nube obtegam, et luna non lucere faciet lumen suum" (32:7):
haec de Pharaone rege Aegypti, per quem significatur scientificum applicatum falsis, quod fit quando naturalis homo ex scientiis intrat in spiritualia, et non vicissim; id quia contra ordinem est, pro veris arripiuntur et confirmantur falsa: quod tunc non influat aliquid e caelo, significatur per "obtegam caelos"; et quod tunc nullae cognitiones veri, significatur per "atrabo stellas eorum", "stellae" enim sunt cognitiones veri; quod inde non bonum amoris et non verum fidei, significatur per "solem nube obtegam, et luna non lucere faciet lumen suum"; per "solem" significatur bonum amoris, et per "lunam" verum fidei. (Quod per "solem" et "lunam" illa significentur, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 116-125.) Similia significantur per "solem", "lunam" et "stellas" apud Joelem,
"Coram illo commota est terra, contremuerunt caeli, sol et luna atrati 1
sunt et stellae contraxerunt splendorem suum" (2:10; cap. 4 [B.A. 3) 15);
et similia in Apocalypsi,
"Sol factus est niger, tanquam saccus cilicinus, et luna facta est tanquam sanguis" (6:12):
quid in specie per haec significatur, videbitur in sequentibus.
[4] Apud Ezechielem,
"In die quo descensurus est in infernum obtegam super eo abyssum, et inhibebo flumina ejus, ut occludantur aquae magnae, et atrabo super eo Libanum, et omnes arbores agri super eo languescent" (31:15):
agitur ibi de Aschure, qui ibi assimilatur cedro; et per "Aschurem" ibi significatur ratiocinatio de veris ecclesiae ex propria intelligentia, et per "cedrum" verum ecclesiae spiritualis; quod sic periturae omnes cognitiones veri, et cum illis omnia vera quae sapiunt ex bono et inde suam essentiam habent, significatur per omnia illa verba: "abyssus" quae super illo obtegetur, et "flumina" quae inhibebuntur, sunt cognitiones veri ac inde intelligentia; "abyssus aut "mare" significat scientificum et cognitivum in communi quod in naturali homine, et "flumina" significant illa quae sunt intelligentiae: "aquae magnae" quae occludentur, significant vera quae sapiunt ex bono et inde essentiam trahunt; "aquae" sunt vera, et "magnum" in Verbo praedicatur de bono: "Libanus" qui "super eo atrabitur", et "arbores" quae "super eo languescent", significat quod vera ecclesiae amplius nulla erunt, et quod cognitiones erunt absque perceptione veri; "Libanus" enim significat ecclesiam quoad vera, ita quoque vera ecclesiae, simile ac "cedrus"; et "arbores agri" significant ecclesiam quoad cognitiones veri, ita quoque cognitiones veri ecclesiae, "arbores" ipsas cognitiones, et "ager" ecclesiam; inde patet quod "atrare Libanum" significet quod non amplius vera ecclesiae.
[5] In Threnis,
"Albi erant Naziraei prae nive, candidi erant prae lacte"... obscurataest prae nigredine forma eorum, non cognoscuntur in plateis" (4:7, 8):
quid haec significant nemo scire potest, nisi sciat quid Naziraei repraesentabant; "Naziraei" repraesentabant Dominum quoad Divinum caeleste; et quia omnia statuta ecclesiae tunc repraesentabant talia quae caeli et ecclesiae sunt, ita quae Domini, nam a Domino sunt omnia caeli et ecclesiae, et quia principale repraesentativum Domini erat Naziraeatus, inde per illa verba significatur quod omne repraesentativum Domini perierit. Genuinum repraesentativum Domini describitur per "Albi erant Naziraei prae nive, et candidi erant prae lacte", per quae significatur repraesentativum Divini Veri et Divini Boni in sua perfectione; "album" enim praedicatur de vero, similiter "nix"; et "candidum" de bono veri, similiter "lac": quod omne repraesentativum Divini Veri deperditum sit, describitur per "Obscurata est prae nigredine forma eorum, non cognoscuntur in plateis"; "forma" significat quale veri, "nigredo" significat non amplius apparens, "plateae" significant vera doctrinae. et "non cognosci in illis" significat non recognosci a genuinis veris. Quid porro per "Naziraeos" significatur, dicetur alibi.
[6] Apud Jeremiam,
"Vastitas erit tota terra, consummationem tamen non faciam; propter hoc lugebit 2
terra, et atrati erunt caeli desuper" (4:27, 28):
"vastitas erit tota terra", significat quod bonum et verum in ecclesia periturum ("terra" est ecclesia); "consummationem tamen non faciam" significat quod usque aliquid boni et veri remansurum; "propter hoc lugebit terra" significat imbecillitatem ecclesiae inde; "atrati erunt caeli desuper" significat non aliquem influxum boni et veri a Domino per caelum; caeli enim dicuntur "atrati", quando non influit a Domino per caelum aliqua affectio et perceptio veri. Quoniam luctus in ecclesiis ante adventum Domini, quae erant ecclesiae repraesentativae, repraesentabat dolorem mentis spiritualem ob non verum et bonum, (luctus enim erat propter oppressionem ab hoste, propter mortem patris aut matris, et propter similia, et per oppressionem ab hoste significabatur oppressio a malis quae ab inferno, et per patrem et matrem significabatur ecclesia quoad bonum et quoad verum, ) quia haec repraesentabantur per luctus apud illos, ideo tunc incedebant atrati:
[7] - Ut apud Davidem,
"Dico Deo petrae meae, Quare oblitus es mei? quare atratus incedam in oppressione hostis?" (Psalms 42:10 [B.A. 9); Psalms 43:2):
apud eundem,
"Quasi lugens matrem atratus incurvavi me" (Psalms 35:14):
apud eundem,
"Eversus sum, incurvatus sum valde, tota die atratus incessi" (Ps. 38 (2-17 [B.A. 6]).
apud Malachiam,
"Dixistis, ... Quid lucri, ... si ambulemus atrati coram Jehovah?" (3:14)
apud Jeremiam,
"Super contractione filiae populi mei confractus sum, atratus sum" (8:21);
"filia populi" significat ecclesiam.
Apud Jeremiam,
"Luxit Jehudah, et portae ejus languescentes factae sunt; atrati suntusque ad terram; et clamor Hierosolymae ascendit; nam magnates eorum miserunt minores suos aquae causa, venerunt ad foveas, nec invenerunt aquas, reversa sunt vasa eorum vacua" (14:2, 3):
quod "atratus" significet dolorem mentis spiritualem ob non verum in ecclesia, patet a singulis ibi in sensu interno; per "Jehudam" enim significatur ecclesia quoad affectionem boni, et per "Hierosolymam" ecclesia quoad doctrinam veri; per "portas" significatur aditus ad illa; quod non vera amplius, describitur per quod "magnates miserint minores suos aquae causa, venerunt ad foveas, nec invenerunt aquas, reversa sunt vasa eorum vacua"; "aquae" significant vera, "foveae" illa quae continent, quae sunt doctrinalia ex Verbo ac ipsum Verbum, in quo non amplius vera vident. Ex his constare potest quod "nigrum" et "atrum" in Verbo significet non verum, similiter ac "tenebrae", "nubes", "obscuritas", et plura ex quibus nigredo: ut apud Joelem,
"Dies tenebrarum et caliginis, dies nubis et obscuritatis" (2:2)
et alibi.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.