358. And a crown was given unto him. That this signifies life eternal, which is the reward of victory, is manifest from the signification of a crown, which, when spiritual combat is treated of, as in this case, denotes life eternal, which is the reward of victory. That spiritual combat is here treated of, is clear from what precedes and follows. In what precedes it is said, that He who sat upon the white horse had a bow, and by a bow is signified the doctrine of charity and faith, from which evils and falsities are fought against and dispersed. And also from what follows, in which it is said, and "He went forth conquering, and to conquer," by which is signified victory over them; hence by the crown is here signified life eternal, which is the reward of victory.
[2] The same is signified by a crown, where temptations are treated of, because temptations are spiritual combats, as in the second chapter of this book, where these [words occur]:
"Behold, it shall be that the devil will cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tempted; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (verse 10).
That wisdom and eternal happiness are here signified by a crown, may be seen above (n. 126). Wisdom and eternal happiness taken together are life eternal, for in wisdom and eternal happiness the very life of heaven consists. The same is signified by the crown of the martyrs, because they were in tribulation, and were faithful even to death, and were also in temptations, and conquered; crowns were also given to them after death, but lest they should thence arrogate honour to themselves, and thus contract haughtiness, they cast them off from their heads. Because by wars in the Word are signified wars in a spiritual sense, which are combats against evils and falsities, and by kings are signified truths from good which fight against them; hence, in ancient times, when men were in the knowledge of correspondences and representations, the kings in their battles had a crown upon the head, and a bracelet upon the arm; as is evident from the second book of Samuel:
[3] The boy the son of an Amalekite, who told David that Saul and Jonathan were dead, said, "I came upon mount Gilboa, when behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and leaders followed hard after him. And he called to me, Come and slay me. And I stood against him, and slew him, and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and I bring them to thee" (i. 5-10).
The crown in battle was then a mark of combat, and the bracelet, upon the arm was a mark of power, each against evils and falsities. These combats are also signified by battles everywhere in the Word, even in the historical parts. (That the bracelet upon the arm signifies the power of truth from good, may be seen, n. 3105. What further the crowns of kings signify, and crowns in general, see n. 272.)
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