313.“骑在马上的，手里拿着天平”表对良善与真理的估价，也就是这些人具有哪一种。“手里拿着天平”表示对良善与真理的估价，因为在圣言中，一切度量和重量都表示对所论述之物的估价。度量和重量表示这类事物，这一点从但以理书中的这些话明显看出来：
当巴比伦王伯沙撒用从耶路撒冷殿中所掠的金银器皿饮酒时，有文字在他面前显现，是：弥尼，弥尼，提客勒，乌法珥新，就是数算，数算，称一称，分裂；讲解是这样：弥尼，就是神已经数算你的国，使它完结；提客勒，就是你被称在天平里，被发现为亏欠的；毗勒斯（与“乌法珥新”同义），就是这国分裂，归与玛代人和波斯人。（但以理书5:1-2，25-28）
“用耶路撒冷殿中的金银器皿饮酒”，同时又敬拜其它诸神，表示对良善与真理的亵渎，这也是“巴比伦”的含义。“弥尼”或“数算”表示知道他在真理方面的性质；“提客勒”或“称一称”表示知道他在良善方面的性质。“毗勒斯”或“分裂”表示驱散。在圣言中，度量（如尺寸等）和天平（如升斗等）表示真理与良善的性质，这一点明显可见于以赛亚书：
谁曾用祂的手心量诸水，用手虎口量诸天，用升斗盛大地的尘土，用秤称诸山，用天平平冈陵。（以赛亚书40:12）
启示录：
天使又量了耶路撒冷的城墙，按着人的尺寸，就是天使的尺寸，共有一百四十四肘。（启示录21:17）
313. And he who sat on it had a scale in his hand. This symbolizes their valuation of goodness and truth, what it was like among them.
A scale in the hand symbolizes a valuation of goodness and truth, for all measures in the Word, including weights, symbolize a valuation of the subject which they describe.
That measures and weights have such symbolic meanings is apparent from the following account in Daniel: When Belshazzar, king of Babylon, was drinking wine from the vessels of gold and silver taken from the Temple in Jerusalem, writing appeared before him, saying, "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN," meaning, "numbered, numbered, weighed, and divided." (Daniel 5:1-5) And this was the interpretation of it:
MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. PERES: Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. (Daniel 5:25-28)
Drinking from vessels of gold and silver from the Temple in Jerusalem, and at the same time worshiping other gods, symbolizes the profanation of goodness and truth, which is also the symbolism of Babylon. Mene, or to number. This symbolically means to know its character in respect to truth. Tekel, or to weigh. This symbolically means to know its character in respect to goodness. And peres, or to divide. This symbolically means to disperse.
That measures and scales in the Word symbolize the character of truth and goodness is apparent in Isaiah:
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured the heavens with the span of His hand, comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in scales? (Isaiah 40:12)
And in the book of Revelation:
(The angel) measured the wall (of the Holy Jerusalem): one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. (Revelation 21:17)
313. 'And the one sitting upon it having a balance in his hand' signifies the evaluation of good and truth, what it was with these. By 'a balance in [his] hand' is signified the evaluation of truth and good; for all measures as well as weights in the Word signify the evaluation of the thing of which it treats. That measures and weights signify such things is plain from these things in Daniel:
A writing appeared before Belshazzar the king of Babel, when he was drinking wine Out of the vessels of gold and silver taken away from the Jerusalem temple, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Perizin, that is, Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, Divided; the interpretation of which is this: Mene, God has numbered thy kingdom and finished it; Tekel, Thou hast been weighed in the balance and found wanting; Perez, the kingdom is divided, and given to the Mede and the Persian. Daniel 5:1-2, 25-28.
By 'to drink out of the vessels of gold and silver in the Jerusalem temple' and at the same time 'to worship other gods' is signified the profanation of good and truth, as also by 'Babel.' By mene or to number is signified to get to know his quality as to truth; by 'tekel' or to weigh is signified to get to know his quality as to good; by 'perez' or to divide is signified to disperse. That the quality of truth and good is signified by measures and scales [of a balance] in the Word, is plain in Isaiah:
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of a hand, and has levelled out the heavens with a span, and has embraced the dust of the earth in a third of a foot (trientalis), and weighed the mountains in a balance (fibra), and the hills in scales (lances)? Isaiah 40:12; and in the Apocalypse:
The angel measured the wall of the Holy Jerusalem a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. Revelation 21:17.
313. And he that sat upon him had a pair of balances in his hand, signifies the estimation of good and truth, of what kind it was with these. By "the pair of balances in his hand," is signified the estimation of truth and good; for all measures and weights, in the Word, signify the estimation of the thing treated of. That measures and weights signify such things is manifest from these words in Daniel:
There appeared a writing before Belshazzar the king of Babylon, when he was drinking wine from the vessels of gold and silver taken out of the temple of Jerusalem, Mene, Mene, Thekel, Perizin; that is, Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, Divided; the interpretation of which is this: Mene, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it; Thekel, Thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting; Perez, The kingdom is divided, and given to the Mede and the Persian, (Daniel 5:1-2, 25-28).
By "drinking from the gold and silver vessels of the temple of Jerusalem," and at the same time worshiping other gods, signifies the profanation of good and truth; as also by "Babylon." By "Mene," or to number, is signified to know his quality as to truth; by "Thekel," or to weigh, is signified to know his quality as to good; by "Perez," or to divide, is signified to disperse. That the quality of truth and good is signified by measures and by balances in the Word, is manifest in Isaiah:
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and hath meted out the heavens with the span, and hath embraced the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in balances, (Isaiah 40:12).
And in Revelation:
The angel measured the wall of the holy Jerusalem a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel, (Revelation 21:17).
313. "Et sedens super illo habens stateram in manu sua," significat aestimationem boni et veri, qualis illa apud hos. -Per "stateram in manu" significatur aestimatio veri et boni; omnes enim mensurae tum pondera in Verbo significant aestimationem rei de qua agitur. Quod mensurae et pondera significent talia, patet ex his apud Danielem:
Apparuit scriptura coram Belschazare Rege Babelis, cum biberet vinum ex vasis auri et argenti e Templo Hierosolymitano desumptis, Mene, Mene, Thekel, Perizin, hoc est, Numeratus, Numeratus, Appensus, Divisus; cujus interpretatio haec est; Mene, numeravit Deus Regnum tuum et finivit illud; Thekel, appensus es in trutina et deprehensus deficiens; Perez, divisum est Regnum, et datum Medo et Persae, (5:1-2, 25-28); 1
per "bibere ex vasis auri et argenti Templi Hierosolymitani" et simul colere alios deos, significatur prophanatio boni et veri, sicut etiam per "Babelem;" per "mene" seu numerare, significatur nosse quale ejus quoad verum; per "thekel" seu appendere, significatur nosse quale ejus quoad bonum; per "perez" seu dividere, significatur dispergere. Quod quale veri et boni significetur per mensuras et per lances in Verbo, patet apud Esajam:
"Quis mensus est pugillo aquas, et Caelos spithama exaequavit, complexusque est in trientali pulverem terrae, et appendit in libra montes, et colles in lancibus," (40:12);
et in Apocalypsi:
Angelus mensus est murum sanctae Hierosolymae "centum quadraginta quatuor cubitorum, quae est mensura hominis, hoc est, Angeli' (21:17).
Footnotes:
1. 25-28 pro "26, 28"