12. The sixth chapter of the book of Revelation says that when the Lamb opened the first seal of the book, a white horse went out and that he who sat on it had a bow, and a crown was given him. That when He opened the second seal, a fiery red horse went out, and that he who sat on it was given a great sword. That when He opened the third seal, a black horse went out, and that he who sat on it had a scale in his hand. And that when He opened the fourth seal, a pale horse went out, and that the name of him who sat on it was Death.

The symbolic meanings of these images can be laid open only by knowing the spiritual sense, and they are fully laid open when one knows what opening the seals symbolizes, what a horse symbolizes, and all the rest. They describe the successive states of the church in respect to its understanding of the Word, from its beginning to its end. The Lamb’s opening the book’s seals symbolizes an exposure of these states of the church by the Lord. A horse symbolizes an understanding of the Word. A white horse symbolizes an understanding of truth from the Word in the church’s first state. The bow of him who sat on the horse symbolizes a doctrine of charity and faith fighting against falsities. The crown symbolizes eternal life, the reward of victory. The fiery red horse symbolizes an understanding of the Word extinguished as to goodness in the church’s second state. The great sword symbolizes falsity fighting against truth. The black horse symbolizes an understanding of the Word extinguished as to truth in the church’s third state. The scale symbolizes a regard for truth so little as to be almost nonexistent. The pale horse symbolizes no understanding of truth owing to evil practices and consequent falsities in the church’s fourth and last state. And Death symbolizes eternal damnation.

That this is what these images symbolize in the spiritual sense is not apparent in the literal or natural sense. Consequently, if the spiritual sense were not at some time revealed, the Word would remain closed in respect to this chapter and everything else in the book of Revelation, to the point that at last no one would know in what the Divine holiness in it lies. Neither would anyone know the symbolic meaning of the four horses in Zechariah 6:1-8 and the four chariots coming from between two mountains of bronze.

5. 1. What the spiritual meaning is. The spiritual meaning is not the sense that shines from the literal one when one is studying the Word and interpreting it in order to confirm some dogma of the church. This sense is the Word’s literal sense. Rather its spiritual meaning is one not apparent in the literal one. The spiritual meaning lies within the literal one, like the soul within the body, like thought within the eyes, and affection within the face, which operate in concert, like cause and effect.

That spiritual meaning is what principally causes the Word to be spiritual, not only for people, but also for angels. Consequently that meaning is the means by which the Word communicates with the heavens.