1. APPENDIX to THE WHITE HORSE ¹

Since today it must inevitably appear strange that a horse means the understanding of truth, and in a contrary sense, reasonings coming as it were from the understanding which confirm falsehood, I should like to quote more passages still from the Word where the horse is mentioned. Let these suffice:

Is Thine indignation against the sea, O Jehovah, when Thou dost ride upon Thy horses! Thy chariots are salvation. Thou didst trample the sea with Thy horses, the surging of the waters, Habakkuk 3:8, 15.

The hoofs of Jehovah's horses are reckoned as flint, Isaiah 5:28.

At Thy rebuke both chariot and horse lay stunned, Psalm 76:5-6.

I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will overthrow the chariot and those that ride in it, and the horses and their horsemen shall go down, Haggai 2:22.

I will cut off the horse from Jerusalem: he shall speak peace to the nations, Zechariah 9:10.

In these places the Church's understanding of truth is meant by the horse, and doctrine derived from it by the chariot; and those who are able to understand and learn from the Word are meant by riders and horsemen. The matter is plainer still from these places:

Gather yourselves from all around to My sacrifice; you shall be satisfied at My table with horse and chariot. So I will set My glory among the nations, Ezekiel 39:17, 20-21.

Gather yourselves to the great supper of God, and you shall eat the flesh of horses and of those seated on them, Revelation 19:17-18.

The subject here is the New Church that is to be established by the Lord. At that time the understanding of the Word will be opened and from it men will be taught the doctrine of truth. What else would the statements that they were to be filled at the Lord's table with horse and chariot, and that they were to eat the flesh of horses and of those seated on them, be but utter absurdities! In addition to the examples already brought forward, the meaning of horse and chariot is obvious from these places:

Gird on Thy sword, O Mighty One! Mount, and ride on the Word of truth, Psalm 45:3-4.

Sing, lift up a song to Him Who rides upon the clouds, Psalm 68:4.

Jehovah comes riding upon a cloud, Isaiah 19:1.

Sing to the Lord Who is riding on the highest heaven of old, Psalm 68:33-34.

God rode on a cherub, Psalm 18:10.

Then you shall take delight in Jehovah, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth, Isaiah 58:14; Deuteronomy 32:13.

I will make Ephraim ride, Hosea 10:11.

By riding in these passages is meant teaching and being taught the truths of doctrine, and thus being wise. By the heights of the earth are meant the summits of the Church, and by Ephraim also the understanding of the Word. Like matters are meant by horses and chariots, by the four chariots coming out between the mountains of bronze, and by the four horses harnessed to them, which were red, black, white, and dappled grey, and which are also called spirits and are said to have gone forth from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth, Zechariah 6:1-8, 15.

Things of a similar nature are meant by these words as well:

When the Lamb opened the seals of the book horses went out in order, first a white horse, second a red horse, third a black horse, and fourth a pale horse, Revelation 6:1-8.

It is obvious that by the book whose seals the Lamb opened the Word is meant, out of which nothing else could come except the understanding of it. What other meaning could horses coming out of an opened book have!

It is clear that a horse means the understanding of truth and a chariot doctrine from the same words when they are used in a contrary sense. A horse then means the understanding falsifying truths by means of mere reasonings, and a chariot consequent doctrine, that is, heresy, as in the following places:

Woe to those who go down into Egypt for help and rely on horses and do not look to the Holy One of Israel! For Egypt is man and not God, and his horses are flesh and not spirit, Isaiah 31:1, 3.

You shall set over Israel a king whom Jehovah shall choose, only let him not multiply horses for himself nor lead the people back into Egypt to multiply horses, Deuteronomy 17:14-16.

These matters have been stated because by Egypt is meant the natural man, who corrupts the truths of the Word by mere reasonings from the physical senses. What else could the horses of Egypt being flesh and not spirit, and the king not having to multiply horses, that is, falsehoods that have to do with religion, mean?

Assyria will not save us, we will not ride upon a horse, Hosea 14:3.

Some boast of the chariot and others of horses but we will boast of the name of our God, Psalm 20:7-8.

A horse is a vain thing for safety, Psalm 33:17.

The Holy One of Israel said, In trust shall be your strength. But you said, No. We will flee on a horse, we will ride on a swift one, Isaiah 30:15-16.

Jehovah will set Judah like a glorious horse; they shall put to shame those riding on horses, Zechariah 10:3-5.

I will bring against Tyre the king of Babylon, with horse and with chariot, and with horsemen. Their horses shall be so many that their dust will cover you, and the noise of horse and chariot so much that your walls will be shaken. With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets, Ezekiel 26:7-11.

By Tyre in the Word is meant the Church as regards its cognitions of good and truth, and by the king of Babylon the falsification and profanation of them. Hence it says here that he will come with horse and chariot and horsemen, and that the horses will be so many that their dust will cover him. Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies, with whinnying horse and bounding chariot, Nahum 3:1-4.

By the bloody city is meant doctrine derived from truths of the Word that have been falsified. And in other places as well, such as Isaiah 5:26, 28; Jeremiah 6:23, 8:16, 46:4, 9, 50:37-38, 42; Ezekiel 17:15, 23:6, 20; Habakkuk 1:6, 8-10; Psalms 66:11-12, 147:10. A falsified and ruined understanding of truth that is in the Word is also meant by the red, black, and pale horses of Revelation 6:4-5, 8. Since therefore a horse means an understanding of truth, and in a contrary sense, an understanding of falsehood, it is clear what the Word is like in its spiritual sense.

It is well known that hieroglyphics existed in Egypt and that these were inscribed on columns and temple walls, etc., and that nobody knows nowadays what they meant. They were nothing else but correspondences of natural and spiritual things, to which the Egyptians applied themselves more than any other peoples of their own times in Asia, and it was according to these correspondences that the ancient Greeks composed their fables. The most ancient style was nothing else but this. To all these matters let me add one that is new: All things that manifest themselves in the spiritual world to angels and spirits are without exception correspondences, and for that very reason the whole of the Sacred Scripture has been written by means of correspondences [in the margin: in order that by means of it, as this is the nature of it, men of the Church would be conjoined with angels of heaven]. But because the Egyptians, and others with them in the kingdoms of Asia, began to turn those correspondences into forms of idolatry which the children of Israel tended to favour, the latter were forbidden to call them back into any use at all, as is quite plain from the first of the Ten Commandments where these words appear:

You shall not make for yourself any carved image which is in the heavens above or which is on the earth beneath or which is in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them nor serve them, for I am Jehovah your God, Deuteronomy 5:8-9.

And there are many more examples elsewhere. From that time on the knowledge of correspondences was blotted out. This happened by stages, in so much that nowadays its existence in the past is almost unknown, or that there is such a thing. Now however because a New Church is to be established by the Lord, one that is to be based on the Word, and which is understood by the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation, the Lord has been pleased to reveal that knowledge, and so to open up the Word to show what it is like inside in its inmost parts, that is, to show what it is in the spiritual sense. This has been done by means of myself in ARCANA COELESTIA, published in London, and afterwards in APOCALYPSE REVEALED, published in Amsterdam. Since for men of early times that knowledge was the greatest knowledge of all, and from it came their wisdom, it is important that some member of your academy should devote his labours to that knowledge, which can be done chiefly from the correspondences disclosed in APOCALYPSE REVEALED and proved from the Word. If there is a demand for it I am willing to unravel the Egyptian hieroglyphics, which are nothing else but correspondences, and have the matter published. Nobody else can do it.

Em. Swedenborg

Footnotes:

1. 小論「白馬」の付録

馬は、真理を理解することを意味しますが、その反対の意味では、理性が偽りで心を固めた場合の推論を意味します。これは今日では、いささか奇妙に思えるかも知れませんので、〈みことば〉の中から「馬」の引用のある多くの箇所を挙げてみます。

「エホバよ、あなたは馬に乗った騎兵たち、あなたの馬は救いです。あなたは馬に乗って泥水の中を走られた。それは海にたいするあなたの怒りでしょうか」（ハバクク3:8、15）。

「エホバの馬のひずめは、岩と見なされている」（イザヤ5:28）。

「あなたの叱責を前にして、馬車と馬は眠りこけた」（詩76:7）。

「わたしは諸王国の王座を覆そう。またその王座に仕える馬車と騎兵たちを覆そう。馬と騎兵たちは下ってくるであろう」（ハガイ2:22）。

「エルサレムから来る馬をわたしは断つ。しかし諸民族にたいしては、平和を語るであろう」（ゼカリヤ9:10）。

以上の箇所で、馬は教会の真理を理解することを意味します。馬車はそれに由来する教義を意味し、乗馬者とか騎兵は、〈みことば〉に根差した理解力と教義を意味します。もっとはっきりするのは次です。

「あなた方は周囲から、わたしの犠牲のほうに集まってきなさい。あなた方は、わたしの食卓について、馬と馬車を食べ飽きなさい。こうしてわたしは、諸民族の中にわたしの栄光を与えよう」（エゼキエル39:17、20、21）。

「あなた方は、神の大宴会に集まって、馬の肉、それに乗る者たちの肉を食らいなさい」（黙示19:17、18）。

これは、主によって創設される新しい教会について語っています。そのさい、〈みことば〉にたいする理解が開かれ、〈みことば〉に基づいた真理の教義の中で教わります。そうでなかったら、主の食卓で馬と馬車で食べ飽きるようになり、馬の肉とそれに乗る者たちの肉を食べるだろうなどは、空文句でしかないことになります。

「あなたの剣を腰に帯びよ。力ある者よ、真理の〈みことば〉という馬に乗って行きなさい」（詩45:4、5）。

「歌え、雲に馬乗り跨って来る者を褒めあげよ」（詩68:5）。

「エホバは、雲の馬に乗ってこられる」（イザヤ19:1）。

「主を褒めたたえよ。主は古えの天界の天の上に馬乗りになって来られる」（詩18:33、34）。「神はケルブ天使の上に乗って来られる」（詩18:11）。

「その時あなたは、エホバを喜び楽しむ。わたしはあなたが地の高いところを馬乗りになるようにする」（イザヤ58:14、申命32:13）。

「わたしはエフライムが馬に乗るようにする」（ホセア10:11）。

以上の箇所で、「馬に乗る」とは教義上の真理を教える、または教わること、そしてそれを英知で味わうという意味です。「地の高いところ」とは、崇高な諸教会を表します。「エフライム」とは、〈みことば〉を理解することです。馬または馬車も同じことを表わします。空中の山々の中を行く四つの馬車、またそれに繋がれている赤、黒、白、灰色の四頭の馬も同じです。それは霊たちと呼ばれ、全地の主のみ側に立っていたところから走り出たといわれます（ゼカリヤ6:1-5、15）。

同様ですが、また次のようにあります。

「子ヒツジが書物の封印を解いたとき、馬が続いて出てきた。最初の馬は白色、次の馬は赤色、第三番目の馬は黒色、四番目の馬は青白い色をしていた」（黙示6:1-8）。

子ヒツジがその封印を解いたという書物は、〈みことば〉のことで、そこから出てきたのは、〈みことば〉への理解力以外のなにものでもありません。馬は真理を理解することを意味し、馬車は教義を意味しますが、それは対立する意味でいわれている箇所から明らかです。

「助けを求めてエジプトに下る者、馬に寄りかかる者、イスラエルの聖なる方に目を置かない者たちに、わざわいあれ。なぜならエジプトは人であって神ではなく、馬たちは肉であって霊ではないからである」（イザヤ31:1、3）。

「あなたは、エホバが選ばれる王をイスラエルの上に据えなさい。その王は自分のために馬を増やすことはないし、また馬を増やすため、民をエジプトに戻すこともない」（申命17:14、15、16）。

以上のように記されていますが、それは、エジプトが自然的人間のことを意味し、〈みことば〉の真理は、肉的感覚に根差す推理判断によって覆されるためです。さもなくば、エジプトの馬は肉であって霊ではないとか、王は馬を増やすべきでないとは記されなかったでしょう。ここで馬は宗教上の偽りを意味します。

「アッシリヤはわれわれには仕えず、それでわれわれは馬に乗って行かないであろう」（ホセア14:4）。

「この人たちは馬車を誇り、あの人たちは馬を誇る。わたしたちは、わたしたちの神のみ名を誇るであろう」（詩20:8）。

「馬は安全にたいしては嘘になる」（詩33:17）。

「イスラエルの聖なる方は言われた、信頼すればあなた方には力がある、と。しかしあなたは言った、われわれは馬に乗って逃げるであろう。われわれは馬に乗って疾走する」（イザヤ30:15、16）。

「エホバは栄光の馬にたいしてするようにユダを立てた。馬に乗る者らは恥じ入るであろう」（ザカリヤ10:3、4、5）。

「わたしはツロに逆らってバビロンの王を立てる。王は馬と馬車と騎兵を伴う。数多くの馬の前には、かれらの塵があなたを覆うだろう。騎兵と馬車の声に先だって、あなたの壁は動かされるであろう。かれらの馬のひずめは、あなたの大通りをすべて踏み散らすであろう」（エゼキエル26:7-11）。

〈みことば〉で、ツロは善と真理の認識の面での教会を意味します。バビロンの王とは、その認識を偽りに化したり、冒涜したりすることです。またその王は、馬と馬車と騎兵を率いいて来ると言われ、数多くの馬の前に、かれらの塵が覆うとあります」。

「血の都にわざわいあれ。都はデマに満ちあふれ、馬はいななき、馬車は踊り走る」（ナホム3:1、2）。

血の都とは、〈みことば〉の真理の歪曲に根差した教義のことです。またその他の箇所として、イザヤ5:26、28、エレミヤ6:23、8:16、46:4、9、50:37、38、43、エゼキエル17:15、23:6、20、ハバクク1:6、8、9、10、詩66:11、12、147:10を参照のこと。

赤馬、黒馬、青白い馬などは、〈みことば〉の真理を歪曲し、覆したまま理解していることを意味します（黙示6:4、5、8）。馬とは真理を理解すること、またその反対の意味では、偽った理解をも示しますが、それによって〈みことば〉の霊的意味とはどんなものか明らかになります。

エジプトには象形文字があったことは周知のことです。神殿の柱や壁に刻まれていました。ただし現在、それが何を意味しているか分かっている人はいません。そのような文字は、自然的なものと霊的なものとの相応以外のなにものでもないのです。エジプト人たちは、当時アジアのどの民族よりもそれに通じており、しかもギリシャの古代人たちは、それに基づいて自分たちの寓話を記しました。最古代の文体には、その他のものはありませんでした。

さらに新しいことを付け加えます。

霊界では天使たちや霊たちの眼前に現れるものは全部、特異なやりかたで、相応に由来します。聖書が全体として相応から記されているわけは、ここにあります。またエジプト人たちは、アジア諸国の他の国民もそうでしたが、偶像崇拝の方に、相応を曲げていきました。イスラエルの子らも、偶像崇拝に陥る傾向がありました。だからこそ、自分の手で転用することを禁じられていました。十戒の第一戒を見てもそれがはっきり出ています。すなわち、

「天の高きにあるものの像を自分のために刻んではいけない。また地上低くあるもの、地下の水の中にあるものをを像としてはいけない。その前に跪いてはいけない。それに仕えてはいけない。わたしはあなたの神エホバであるから」（申命5:8、9）と。

その他にもたくさんあります。

その時以来、相応の科学は廃れていきました。そしてついには現在のように、相応の科学がかつて存在したことだけでなく、意味あるものであることさえ分からなくなってしまっています。

それで主は、現在〈みことば〉を土台にして、新教会を創立されるおつもりです。その教会は、黙示録に出てくる新しいエルサレムのことです。

このように、主は相応の科学を啓示され、〈みことば〉の内奥すなわち〈みことば〉の霊的意味を開き示そうとの思し召しです。それは、ロンドンで発行した『天界の秘義』、およびアムステルダム発行の『啓示された黙示録』の中で、筆者の手をとおして実現しました。

相応の科学は、古代人にとっては諸科学の中の科学であり、さらに英知でもあります。ですから、読者の学問の世界から、どなたかが出て、その科学に専念されることが必要になります。それはなによりも相応に根差すものです。その相応は、啓示された黙示録の中に発見され、〈みことば〉に根拠をおいて証明されなくてはなりません。

もし望まれるなら、わたしはエジブトの象形文字を解読・出版したいと思います。この文字は相応以外のなにものでもなく、他の方によっては、できないことと思われます。

エマヌエル・スヴェーデンボルイ

3448. 'And Ahuzzath his companion, and Phicol the commander of his army' means the first and foremost features of their doctrine of faith. This is clear from the representation of 'Abimelech' as the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts. Consequently 'his companion and the commander of his army' means those first and foremost things, indeed the first and foremost things of their doctrine; for 'a commander' like a prince means things that are first and foremost, 1482, 2089, and 'an army' means matters of doctrine themselves. The reason why 'an army' means matters of doctrine which are expressions of truth, that is, which are lower truths, is that by 'warfare' in the Word and by 'war' are meant those things that have to do with spiritual war and warfare, 1664, 1788, 2686. The same are also meant by weapons - by spears, shields, bows, arrows, swords, and so on, as has been shown in various places. And since they are truths or matters of doctrine through which spiritual conflicts are fought, armies therefore mean those truths or matters of doctrine, and also in the contrary sense falsities or heretical ideas.

[2] It may be seen from many places that by 'armies' or 'hosts' in the Word are meant truths or falsities, as in Daniel,

The one [little] horn of the he-goat ¹ grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. And it grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. It drew itself up even towards the pence of the host. His host was set over the continual [burnt offering] on account of the transgression, and it cast down truth to the earth. I heard a holy one speaking. He said, For how long is this vision, the continual burnt offering, and the desolating transgression, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden down? Daniel 8:9-13.

'The horn that grew towards the south, the east, and the glorious [land]' is the power of falsity that springs from evil, 2832, 'the host of heaven' truths, 'the prince of the host' the Lord as regards Divine Truth. And since in the good sense 'an army' or 'a host' is truth it is said that the horn cast down to earth some of the host, and then that it cast down truth to the earth.

[3] In the same prophet,

The king of the north will raise a multitude greater than the former, and at the end of the period of years he wit surely come with a great army and with many riches. Then he will stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south will engage in war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he will not stand. For even those who eat his food will break him, and his army will overflow, and many will fall down slain. Daniel 11:13, 25-26.

The whole of that chapter refers to war between the king of the north and the king of the south. 'The king of the north' is used to mean falsities as also is 'his army', while 'the king of the south and his army' is used to mean truths. It is prophecy concerning the vastation of the Church.

[4] In John,

I saw heaven standing open, and behold, a white horse! and He who sat on it was called faithful and true. He was clothed in a garment dyed in blood, and His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses and were clothed in linen, white and clean. I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to make war with Him who was sitting on the horse and with His army. Revelation 19:11, 13-14, 19.

'He who sat on the white horse' stands for the Word of the Lord, or the Lord as regards the Word, 2760-2762. 'His armies which in heaven were following Him' stands for truths from the Word and so for those in heaven who possess truths. 'The beast' stands for the evils that belong to self-love, 'the kings of the earth and their armies' for falsities. Conflicts between falsity and truth are what are described here.

[5] In David,

By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and their host by the spirit of His mouth. Psalms 33:6.

'Their host' or the host of heaven stands for truths. Since 'an army' means truths, the children of the kingdom, and angels, by virtue of the truths which they possess, are called the host of heaven, as in Luke,

Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God. Luke 2:13.

In David,

Bless Jehovah, all His hosts, His ministers doing His will. Psalms 103:21.

In the same author,

Praise Jehovah, all His angels, praise Him, all His hosts. Psalms 148:2.

In Isaiah,

Lift up your eyes on high and see; who created these? He who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name. From the multitude of the powerful and of the mighty not a man will be missing. Isaiah 40:26.

In the same prophet,

It was I that made the earth and created man on it. It was I - My hands - that stretched out the heavens; and I commanded all their host. Isaiah 45:12.

Here 'the host of the heavens' stands for truths, and so for angels since angels, as has been stated, are in possession of truths.

[6] In the first Book of Kings,

I saw Jehovah sitting on His throne, and the entire host of heaven standing beside Him, on His right hand and on His left. 1 Kings 22:19

In Joel,

Jehovah gave voice before His army, for His camp is exceedingly great; for that which executes His word is uncountable. Joel 2:11.

In Zechariah,

I will pitch by My house a camp composed of an army passing through and resuming, so that the oppressor passes over them no more. Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion! Make a noise, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you. Zechariah 9:8-9.

This refers to the Coming of the Lord. 'His army' stands for Divine truths For this reason, and also because the Lord alone fights on man's behalf against hells that are constantly endeavouring to attack, the Lord is called many times in the Word Jehovah Zebaoth, God Zebaoth, the Lord Zebaoth - that is, Jehovah, God, or Lord of Hosts - as in Isaiah,

The noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah Zebaoth is leading an army of war. Isaiah 13:4.

'The kingdoms of the nations' stands for falsities that spring from evils, 'leading an army of war' for fighting on man's behalf.

[7] Because the twelve tribes of Israel represented the Lord's heavenly kingdom, and 'tribes' as well as 'twelve' meant all things of faith in their entirety, that is, all the truths of the kingdom, 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, they were also called Jehovah's hosts, as in Exodus 7:4; 12:17, 41, 51. And commands were given to bring them out of Egypt according to their hosts, Exodus 6:26, to encamp according to their hosts, Numbers 1:52, and to divide them into hosts, Numbers 2:1- end.

[8] That truths are meant by 'armies' is also clear in Ezekiel,

Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, as your men of war; they hung the shield and helmet in you, they gave you your reputation. The sons of Arvad, and your army, were on your walls round about, and the Gammadim were in your towers. Ezekiel 27:10-11.

This refers to Tyre which means interior cognitions of good and truth, and so those who possess them, 1201, 'army' standing for truths themselves 'Lud' and 'Put' too mean those who possess cognitions, see 1163, 1164, 1166, 1195, 1231. 'The shield and helmet' describes such things as belong to spiritual conflict.

[9] As regards 'an army' or 'a host' in the contrary sense meaning falsities, this is evident in Isaiah,

It will be on that day, that Jehovah will visit the host of the height on high, and the kings of the earth on the earth. Isaiah 24:21.

Here 'the host of the height' stands for falsities that result from self-love. In Ezekiel,

I will bring you back and put hooks in your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed perfectly, a great company with shield and buckler, all of them wielding swords. You will come from your place, from the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding horses, a great company, a great army. Ezekiel 38:4, 15.

This refers to Gog, who means external worship separated from internal and so made idolatrous, 1151. 'His army' stands for falsities.

[10] In Jeremiah,

I will send against Babel the archer, him who arches his bow and draws himself up in his breastplate. Do not spare the young men; utterly destroy all its host. Jeremiah 51:2-3.

'Babel' stands for worship whose external features appear holy but whose interiors are profane, 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326. 'Its host' means the falsities that go with such as these, and the army of Babel in other places has the same meaning as in Jeremiah 34:1, 21; 32:2; 39:1.

In Ezekiel,

Pharaoh will see them and will comfort himself over all his multitude, Pharaoh and all his army, slain by the sword; for I will put My terror in the land of the living. Ezekiel 32:31-32.

This refers to Egypt, which means those who by means of reasonings based on facts pervert truths, 1164, 1165. 'His army', that is, Pharaoh's, stands for derivative falsities, as also does 'Pharaoh's army' in other places, as in Jeremiah 37:5, 7, 11; 46:2; Ezekiel 17:17.

In Luke,

When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its devastation is near. Luke 21:20.

This refers to the close of the age or final period of the Church when faith does not exist any longer. 'Jerusalem' - which means the Church, see 2117 - is 'surrounded by armies' when beset by falsities.

[11] From these quotations it is clear that 'the hosts of heaven', which Jews and Israelite idolaters worshipped, in the internal sense meant falsities. The second Book of Kings says of them,

They forsook all the commandments of their God and made for themselves a molten image of two calves, and made a grove, and bowed down to all the host of heaven. 2 Kings 17:16.

This refers to the Israelites. And elsewhere it is said of Manasseh that he built altars for all the host of heaven, 2 Kings 21:5, and that King Josiah brought out of the temple all the vessels made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven, 2 Kings 23:4. And in Jeremiah it is said that they were to spread the bones of the princes, of the priests, and of the prophets before the sun, the moon, and all the host of heaven, which they had loved and had served and had gone after, Jeremiah 8:1-2. And elsewhere,

The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the king of Judah will be defiled, like the place of Topheth - all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven and have poured out drink offerings to other gods. Jeremiah 19:13.

And in Zephaniah,

I will stretch out My hand against those worshipping on their roofs the host of heaven. Zephaniah 1:5.

It is the stars to which the expression 'the host of heaven' refers primarily, and by 'the stars' is meant truths, and also in the contrary sense falsities; see 1128, 1808.

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