Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 558

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558. And the voice of their wings was as the voice of chariots of many horses running to battle.- That this signifies reasonings as though from truths of doctrine understood from the Word for which they must zealously combat, is evident from the signification of the voice of wings, as denoting reasonings, concerning which in what follows; and from the signification of the voice of chariots, as denoting doctrinals or truths of doctrine from the Word, concerning which also in what follows; and from the signification of horses, as denoting the understanding of the Word: see above (n. 355, 364, 372, 373, 381, 382); and from the signification of running to battle, as denoting the eagerness of combating, for war signifies spiritual combat, and to run denotes eagerness for it. From these considerations it is evident that the voice of their wings being as the voice of chariots of many horses running to battle, signifies reasonings as though from truths of doctrine understood from the Word, for which they must zealously fight. In order that these things may be understood, it must be observed, that spiritual combats, which are for truths against falsities, are maintained from the Word, and are confirmed by a series of arguments and conclusions, by which the mind is enlightened and fully convinced. This, therefore, is the signification of the voice of their wings being as the voice of chariots of many horses running to battle. The reasonings of the sensual man from falsities and on behalf of falsities, appear, in external form, to be quite similar to those of the spiritual man, but in the internal they are altogether dissimilar, for they do not possess any series of arguments and conclusions, but only persuasions derived from sensual scientifics, with which the mind is infatuated but not convinced; the nature of these scientifics will be explained in the following article. That wings signify spiritual truths, and that hence the voice of wings signifies discussions from them, consequently reasonings, and in the highest sense the Divine Spiritual, which is the Divine Truth, may be seen above (n. 283). But that chariots signify doctrinals, or truths of doctrine, was shown above (n. 355), when explaining the signification of a horse, as denoting the Intellectual, and, where the Word is treated of, as denoting the understanding of the Word.


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