700. And its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be made ready. This symbolically means that the falsities in those reasonings were removed in the case of people who possess truths from the Lord that spring from goodness, and who are to be introduced into the New Church.

That the water was dried up means symbolically that the falsities in those interior reasonings were removed. Its being dried up symbolizes their removal - water symbolizing truths, and in an opposite sense falsities (nos. 50, 614), here the falsities in people's interior reasonings, because the water was the water of the river Euphrates, which symbolizes those reasonings (no. 699). The kings for whom the way was made ready symbolize people who possess truths from the Lord that spring from goodness (nos. 18, 483). The rising of the sun symbolizes the beginning of the New Church from the Lord, the same as morning (no. 151). Preparing the way symbolizes a preparation to introduce.

It is apparent from this that the water's being dried up, so that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be made ready, symbolically means that the falsities in their interior reasonings were removed in the case of people who possess truths from the Lord that spring from goodness, and who are to be introduced into the New Church.

[2] The context of this is as follows: The subject here is the final period or end of the present church and the establishment or beginning of a new church and its struggles. The people of the present church caught up in faith alone are meant by the dragon, beast, and false prophet, spoken of next, and their conflicts with people who will belong to the New Church are meant by the gathering of the kings of the earth to do battle. Those people who will belong to the New Church, on the other hand, with whom they will conflict, are meant by those for whom the water of the river Euphrates was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be made ready.

This involves an occurrence similar to one in the introduction of the children of Israel into the land of Canaan, with the difference that for the Israelites the river Jordan was dried up, while for the people here it is the river Euphrates. It is the river Euphrates for the people here because they use interior reasonings to carry on the conflict, reasonings that must be dried up, that is, removed, before the introduction can occur. This is also the reason that their interior reasonings are being exposed in this book. If they were not exposed, an unwitting person, no matter how intelligent, might easily be led astray.