Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 561I saw, and behold a white horse; and He that sat on him had abow, and there was given unto Him a crown; and He went forthconquering and to conquer (6:2).“The white horse and He that sat on him” is the Lord in respect tothe Word; “the bow” is the doctrine of truth by which the combatis waged; from which it is clear that “crown,” since it is attributedto the Lord, is the Divine good that He put on even in respect tothe human, as a reward of victory.[10] Again:Afterwards I saw, and behold a whig cloud; and on the cloud Onesat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, andin His hand a sharp sickle (14:14);a “white cloud” standing for the literal sense of the Word (ArcanaCoelestia, n. 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343, 6752, 8281, 8781); “the Sonof man” meaning the Lord in respect to Divine truth; “the goldencrown,” the Divine good from which is Divine truth; and “thesharp sickle,” the dispersion of evil and falsity.[11] That a “crown” is Divine good from which is Divine truthwas represented by the plats of gold upon the front of the miterthat was upon Aaron, which plate was also called a “crown” and a“coronet;” it is thus described in Exodus:Thou shalt make a plate of gold, and grave upon it with theengraving of a signet, Holiness to Jehovah; and thou shalt put it on athread of blue, and it shall be on the miter, over against the face of it(38:36, 37).That this plate was called a “crown of holiness” and a “coronet,” seeExod. 39:30; Lev. 8:9. (But what was specially signified thereby, seeArcana Coelestia, n. 9930–9936, where the particulars areexplained.)273. Verse 5. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings andthunders and voices, signifies illustration, understanding, and the