David is one of the most significant figures in the Bible. He was a musician, one of history’s greatest poets, the boy warrior who killed the giant Goliath, a devout servant of God, a great leader of men and ultimately Israel’s greatest king. His stories cover the second half of the First Book of Samuel and all of the Second Book of Samuel, and his legacy was such that Jesus himself was born in the “City of David” to fulfill prophecies. For all that, David the man was not perfect. Most notoriously, he ordered his soldiers to make sure one of their comrades was killed in battle because he had seen the man’s wife bathing and wanted her as his own. He was also willing to actually ally with the Philistines for a time, while his predecessor Saul was still king. But in spiritual terms, David’s meaning matches his reputation: He represents the Lord, and especially the Lord as we are able to know Him and understand Him. The Writings call this “divine truth,” and it can be our ultimate guide if we want to serve the Lord and make His desires our own. This representation makes sense if we look at following the Lord as a whole picture. There are essentially two elements. First, we need to accept the Lord, believe in Him, open our hearts to Him, worship Him. These are matters of affection, and related to the Lord’s divine goodness. And they are generally represented by priests, who lead worship and perform rituals. Second, we need to act in accord with the Lord’s wishes: We need to serve others, care for those in need, defend the defenseless and work to make life and society better for everyone. These actions require thought, judgment, design, and are thus related to Lord’s divine truth, or divine guidance. They are generally represented by kings, who are men of action and are responsible for the activity of their nations. As the greatest of the kings, David represents this truth in its greatest form.

496. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy. (11:6) This symbolically means that people who turn away from these two essential elements of the New Church cannot receive any truth from heaven.

Heaven here means the angelic heaven. Thus the rain symbolizes truth for the church from there. Consequently to close heaven so that no rain falls means, symbolically, that people cannot receive any truth for the church from heaven. Truth for the church from heaven is doctrinal truth from the Word.

We are told that the two witnesses have the power to shut heaven, but as in no. 494 above, the meaning here is not that they have that power, but that people who turn away from the two essential elements of the New Church close heaven to themselves, because they continue to be caught up in their falsities.

That rain symbolizes Divine truth from heaven is clear from the following passages:

My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My word shall fall as the dew... (Deuteronomy 32:2)

(If) you... serve other gods..., (Jehovah will) shut up heaven so that there be no rain... (Deuteronomy 11:16-17, see also 11:11, 11:14)

I will lay waste (My vineyard).... I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it. (Isaiah 5:6)

The showers have been withheld, and there has been no late rain. Yet you continue to have a harlot's forehead... (Jeremiah 3:3)

For as the rain comes down... from heaven..., so shall My word (go) forth from My mouth. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Rejoice then, you children of Zion, and be glad in Jehovah... For He has given you seasonable rain in righteousness. (Joel 2:23)

You have caused to drop, O God, a kindly rain... (Psalms 68:9)

He shall come down like rain upon the grass of the meadow... In His days the righteous shall flourish... (Psalms 72:6-7)

He will come to us as rain, as the late... rain waters the earth. (Hosea 6:3)

...my word shall rain down on them, and they will wait for me as for the rain, and they will open their mouth for the late rain. (Job 29:22-23)

Son of man, say...: "You are a land that is not cleansed, which will have no rain in the day of wrath. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst... (Ezekiel 22:24-25)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 30:23; Jeremiah 5:24; 10:12-13; 14:3-4; 51:16.

A flooding rain stands for the destruction of truth in Ezekiel 13:11, 13-14; 38:22. For temptation or trial in Matthew 7:24-27.