305. [verse 4] 'And there went forth another horse, red (rufus)', signifies the understanding of the Word utterly lost as to good, and consequently as to life with these. By 'a horse' the understanding of the Word is signified (n. 298), and by 'red' is signified good utterly lost. That the colour white is predicated of truths because it is derived from the light of the Sun of heaven, and the colour red of goods because it is derived from the fire of the Sun of heaven, may be seen above (n. 167, 231). 'Red', however, is predicated of good utterly lost, because by 'red' an infernal red is understood, and this is derived from the fire of hell, which is the love of evil. The redness that is the infernal red is hideous and abominable because there is nothing alive in it, but it is all dead. It is in consequence of this that by the 'red horse' is signified the understanding of the Word utterly lost as to good. This can also be established from the description thereof, as it follows that 'it was given him to take away peace from the land, so that they should slay one another'. Moreover, the second animal which was like a calf, by which is signified the Divine Truth of the Word as to affection (n. 242), said, 'Come and look', thus showing that there was no affection of good, thus no good with them. That 'red' (rubrum) is said of the love of good as well as of evil, can be established from the following passages:-
Who washed his clothing in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes, with eyes redder than wine, and teeth whiter than milk Gen. xlix 11, 12.
These things are said of the Lord. Also concerning the Lord:-
Who is this coming out of Edom, red as to garment, and a garment as of those treading in the winepress? Isa. lxiii 1, 2.
The Nazirites were whiter than snow, more bright than milk, they were redder as to bones than rubies Lam. iv 7
In these passages 'red' is predicated of the love of good: in the following it is predicated of the love of evil:-
The shield was made ruddy, and the men dressed in purple, in a fire of little torches were their chariots, their aspect as of torches Nah. ii 3, 4 [H.B. 4, 5].
If your sins have been as scarlet, they shall become white as snow; if they have been red as purple, they shall be as wool Isa. i 18.
Nor is anything else signified by the 'red dragon' (Rev. xii 3); and by the 'red horse standing among the myrtle trees' (Zech. i 8). Similar things are predicated of the colours that are derived from red, as of scarlet and purple.
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