1. And I saw when the Lamb had opened the first of the seals, and I heard one of the four animals saying as with a voice of thunder, Come and look. 2. And I saw, and behold a white horse, and the one sitting upon it having a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. 3. And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second animal saying, Come and look. 4. And there went forth another horse, red, and it was given to the one sitting upon it to take away peace from the land, so that they should slay one another, and there was given unto him a great sword (machaera). 5. And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third animal saying, Come and look. And I saw, and behold a black horse, and the one Sitting upon it having a balance in his hand. 6. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four animals saying, A measure (chaenix) of wheat for a penny (denarius), and three measures of barley for a penny, and do not hurt the oil and the wine. 7. And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth animal saying, Come and look. 8. And I saw, and behold a pale horse, and the one sitting upon it, whose name was death, and hell was following with him, and there was given unto them the power of putting to death over a fourth part of the land, with the sword (romphaea), with famine, with death, and by the beasts [of the land]. 9. And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony that they held. 10. And they were crying out with a great voice, saying, How long, O Lord, Who art Holy and True, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on those dwelling upon the land? 11. And white robes were given to each one; and it was said unto them that they should rest yet a little while, until both their fellow-servants and their brothers, who were going to be slain as they had been, are made up to the full extent. 12. And I saw when He had opened the sixth seal, and behold a great earthquake was brought about, and the sun became black as a hairy sack, and the moon became as blood. 13. And the stars of heaven fell to earth, as a fig-tree shaken by a great wind casts its unripe figs. 14. And the heaven departed as a book rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15. And the kings of the land and the great men, and the rich men and the rulers of thousands, and the mighty men, and every bondman and every freeman hid themselves away in the caves, and in the rocks of the mountains. 16. And they were saying to the mountains and the rocks, Fall upon us, and hide us away from the face of the One sitting upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17. Because the great day of His wrath is coming, and who is able to stand?

THE SPIRITUAL SENSE

THE CONTENT OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER

It treats of the examination of those upon whom there is going to be the last judgment; and an examination as to what kind of an understanding of the Word there had been with them, and from this what the state of their life was.

That there were those who were in truths derived from good (vers. 1, 2); those who were without good (vers. 3, 4); those who were in contempt of truth (vers 5, 6); and those who were altogether vastated as to good and as to truth (vers. 7, 8).

Of the state of those who, having been protected by the Lord in the lower land on account of the evil, were to be set free at the time of the last judgment (vers. 9, 10, 11).

Of the state of those who were in evils and the untruths therefrom; what it is like at the day of the last judgment (vers. 12-17).

THE CONTENTS OF EACH OF THE VERSES

1. And I saw when the Lamb had opened the first of the seals signifies the examination by the Lord of all upon whom there is going to be the last judgment, as to the understanding of the Word, and from this as to the states of their life. And I heard one of the four animals saying as with a voice of thunder signifies in accordance with the Divine Truth of the Word. Come and look signifies the manifestation concerning those first in order. 2. And I saw and behold a white horse signifies the understanding of truth and good out of the Word with these. And the one sitting upon it having a bow signifies that with these there is a doctrine of good and truth out of the Word, out of which they have fought against the untruths and evils that are from hell. And a crown was given unto him signifies their badge of combat. And he went forth conquering and to conquer signifies victory over evils and untruths for ever. 3. And when He had opened the second seal, and I heard the second animal saying, Come and look signifies the same here as above. 4. And there went forth another horse, red signifies the understanding of the Word utterly lost as to good, and consequently as to life with these. [And] it was given to the one sitting upon it to take away peace from the land signifies the abolition of charity, spiritual security, and internal rest. So that they should slay one another signifies intestine hatreds, infestations from the hells, and eternal unrests. And there was-given unto him a great sword signifies the destruction of truth by means of the untruths of evil. 5. And when He had opened the third seal, and I heard the third animal saying, Come and look signifies the same here as above. And I saw and behold a black horse signifies the understanding of the Word utterly lost as to truth, thus as to the doctrine with these. And the one sitting upon it having a balance in his hand signifies the evaluation of good and truth, what it was like with these. 6. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four animals saying signifies the Divine protection of the Word by the Lord. A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny signifies because the evaluation of good and truth is so very little as to be scarcely anything. And do not hurt the oil and the wine signifies that it is provided by the Lord that the holy goods and truths that lie hidden interiorly in the Word should not be violated and profaned. 7. And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth animal saying, Come and look signifies the same as above. 8. And I saw and behold a pale horse signifies the understanding of the Word utterly lost as to both good and truth. And the one sitting upon it, whose name was death, and hell was following with him signifies the extinction of spiritual life and the resulting damnation. And there was given unto them the power of putting to death over a fourth part of the land signifies the destruction of every good of the Church. With the sword and with famine and with death and by the beasts of the land signifies by means of untruths of doctrine, evils of life, love of proprium, and lusts. 9. And when He had opened the fifth seal signifies examination by the Lord of the states of life of those who were to be saved at the day of the last judgment, and were reserved in the meantime. I saw underneath the altar the souls of those slain for the Word of God and for the testimony that they held signifies those who, having been rejected by the evil on account of a life in accordance with the truths of the Word and the acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine Human, have been protected by the Lord lest they should be led astray. 10. And they were crying out with a great voice signifies grief of heart. Saying, How long, O Lord, [Who art Holy and True,] dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on those dwelling upon the land? signifies over the fact that the last judgment is deferred, and that those who inflict violence on the Word and the Lord's Divine are not being removed. 11. And white robes were given to each one signifies the communication and conjunction of these with angels who are in Divine truths. And it was said [unto them] that they should rest yet a little while, until both their fellow-servants and their brothers who were going to be slain as they had been, are made up to the full extent signifies that the last judgment would be deferred a little longer, until those who were in like manner rejected by the evil should be gathered together. 12. And I saw when He had opened the sixth seal signifies the examination by the Lord of the states of life of those who were interiorly evil, upon whom there is going to be the judgment. And behold a great earthquake was brought about signifies the state of the Church with those entirely changed, and terror. And the sun became black as a hairy sack, and the moon became as blood signifies with those every good of love adulterated, and every truth of faith falsified. 13. And the stars [of heaven] fell to earth signifies all the cognitions of good and truth detached (disparatus). As a fig-tree shaken by a great wind casts its unripe figs signifies by means of the reasonings of the natural man separated from the spiritual. 14. And the heaven departed as a book rolled up signifies separation from heaven and conjunction with hell. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places signifies that every good of love and truth of faith receded. 15. And the kings of the land and the great men and the rich men and the rulers of thousands and the mighty men and every bondman and [every] freeman signifies those who before the separation were in an understanding of truth and good, in a knowledge of the cognitions thereof, and in erudition, from others or from themselves, and yet were not in a life in accordance with them. Hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains signifies those now in evils and in the untruths of evil. 16. And they were saying to the mountains and the rocks, Fall upon us, and hide us away from the face of the One sitting upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb signifies confirmations of evil by means of untruths derived from evil, until they should not acknowledge any Divine of the Lord. 17. Because the great day of His wrath is coming, and who is able to stand? signifies that they became such from themselves through separation from the good and the faithful on account of the last judgment, which they would not otherwise endure.

THE EXPOSITION

[verse 1] 'And I saw when the Lamb had opened the first of the seals' signifies the examination by the Lord of all upon whom there is going to be the last judgment, as to the understanding of the Word, and as a consequence as to the states of their life. These things are signified because there now follows in order the examination of all upon whom there is going to be the last judgment, as to the state of their life, and this by the Lord in accordance with the Word. This, therefore, is what is signified by the Lamb's having opened the seals of the book. That 'to open the book' and 'to loosen the seals thereof' signifies to get to know the states of the life of all, and to judge each one in accordance with his own [state], may be seen above (n. 259, 265-267, 273, 274).