956. And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. This symbolically means that anyone who has any knowledge of the Lord's coming and of the New Heaven and New Church, thus of the Lord's kingdom, let him pray for the Lord's coming; and anyone who desires truths, let him pray for the Lord to come with light. And anyone who loves truths will then receive them from the Lord apart from any endeavors of his own.
"Let him who hears say, 'Come!'" symbolically means that anyone who hears about the Lord's coming and about the New Heaven and New Church, thus about the Lord's kingdom, and so has some knowledge of these, should pray for the Lord to come. "Let him who thirsts say, 'Come!'" symbolically means that anyone who longs for the Lord's kingdom and truths at that time should pray for the Lord to come with light. "Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" symbolically means that whoever is moved by love to learn truths and assimilate them into himself will receive them from the Lord apart from any endeavors of his own. To desire symbolizes love, because whatever a person desires from the heart is something he loves, and whatever he loves is something he desires from the heart. The water of life symbolizes Divine truths obtained from the Lord through the Word (no. 932), and to obtain them freely means, symbolically, apart from any endeavors of his own.
Something similar to the symbolic meaning in this verse is that of the wish contained in the Lord's Prayer, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in heaven, so upon the earth" (no. 839). The Lord's kingdom is the church that is united with heaven. So it is that we are now told, "Let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come."
[2] That thirsting symbolizes a longing for truths is clear from the following:
...I will pour water on him who is thirsty...; I will pour My spirit on your offspring... (Isaiah 44:3)
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters... buy wine and milk without money... (Isaiah 55:1)
...Jesus... cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me..., out of his belly will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38)
My soul thirsts... for the living God. (Psalms 42:2)
O God, You are my God...; my soul thirsts for You; ...I am weary, without water. (Psalms 63:1)
Blessed are those who... thirst for righteousness... (Matthew 5:6)
To him who thirsts I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6)
The last symbolically means that to those who desire truths for some useful spiritual purpose, the Lord will give of Himself through the Word everything conducive to that useful purpose.
[3] Thirst and thirsting also symbolize perishing from a lack of truth, as is clear from the following:
...my people will go into exile, because they have no acknowledgment... their multitude dried up with thirst. (Isaiah 5:13)
...the foolish person speaks foolishness, and his heart works iniquity..., and he causes the soul... of the thirsty for drink to fail. (Isaiah 32:6)
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, Jehovah, will hear them. (Isaiah 41:17)
Contend with your mother..., lest I strip her naked... and slay her with thirst. (Hosea 2:2-3)
The prophet's mother there is the church.
Behold, the days are coming... when I will send a hunger on the land, not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah... In that day the fair virgins and young men shall faint from thirst. (Amos 8:11, 13)
On the other hand, not thirsting symbolically means to have no lack of truth, in the following:
Jesus... said..., "Whoever drinks... of the water that I shall give him will not thirst to eternity." (John 4:13-15)
Jesus said..., ."..he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)
Jehovah has redeemed... Jacob. Then they will not thirst... He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them. (Isaiah 48:20-21)
