Swedenborg Arcana Caelestia Vol. III (1750)

In the internal spiritual sense (see n. 1069), the female donkey signifies natural truth, and the foal of a donkey signifies rational truth. That the foal of a donkey is rational truth stems from the fact that the female donkey signifies the affection for natural truth (n. 1486), and that its foal represents rational truth (see n. 1895, 1896, 1902, 1910). In ancient times, a judge rode upon a female donkey, and his sons upon young donkeys, because judges represented the goods of the Church and their sons represented the truths derived from them. A king, however, rode upon a mule, and his sons upon mules, because kings and their sons represented the truths of the Church (see n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069).

That a judge rode upon a female donkey is evident in the Book of Judges: "My heart is toward the Legislators of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless the Lord, you who ride on white donkeys, you who sit on rich carpets" (v. 9, 10).

That the sons of judges rode on young donkeys: "Jair the judge over Israel had thirty sons, riding on thirty young donkeys" (Judges x:3, 4). And elsewhere: "Abdon the judge of Israel had forty sons and thirty grandsons, riding on seventy young donkeys" (Judges xii:14).

That a king rode upon a mule: "David said to them, 'Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.' ... And they made Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him there as king in Gihon" (1 Kings i:33, 38, 44, 45).

That the king's sons rode on mules: "All the king’s sons arose, and each one rode on his mule, and they fled before Absalom" (2 Samuel xiii:29).

From this it is clear that riding upon a female donkey was the badge of a judge, and riding upon a mule was the badge of a king. Riding upon a young donkey was the badge of the judge’s sons, and riding upon a mule was the badge of the king's sons. This is because, as stated, the female donkey represented and signified the affection for natural good and truth, the mule represented the affection for rational truth, the donkey or young donkey represented natural truth itself, and the mule (as well as the foal of a donkey) represented rational truth.

From this, it is evident what is meant by the prophecy concerning the Lord in Zechariah: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a female donkey. His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth" (ix:9, 10). That the Lord wished to ride upon these when He came to Jerusalem is known from the Evangelists, recorded thus in Matthew: "Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, 'Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a female donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.' This was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 'Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a female donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.' ... And they brought the female donkey and the colt, and laid their clothes on them, and set Him upon them" (xxi:2, 4, 7).

Riding upon the donkey was a sign that the Natural was subordinated, and riding upon the colt, the foal of a donkey, was a sign that the Rational was subordinated. That the foal of a donkey signifies the same thing as a mule was shown above in reference to Genesis xlix:11. Because it was the prerogative of the supreme Judge and King to ride upon them, and in order that the representatives of the Church might be fulfilled, the Lord chose to do this. John writes of this: "The next day a great..."