409. And it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. This symbolically means that consequently all the Word's truths had been completely falsified.

Rivers symbolize truths in abundance, because waters symbolize truths (no. 50); and springs of water or fountains symbolize the Word (no. 384). The meaning is that the Word's truths had been completely falsified, because in the next verse we are told that a third of the waters became wormwood, and wormwood symbolizes hellish falsity (no. 410).

[2] That rivers symbolize truths in abundance can be seen from the following passages:

...I am doing a new thing... ...I will give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. (Isaiah 43:19-20)

...I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and rivers on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants. (Isaiah 44:3)

Then... the tongue of the dumb shall sing; for waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert plain. (Isaiah 35:6)

I will open rivers in the heights, and put fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. (Isaiah 41:18)

(Jehovah) has founded (the world) upon the seas, ...established it upon the rivers. (Psalms 24:2)

I will set His hand over the sea, and His right hand on the rivers. (Psalms 89:25)

Was Jehovah angry with the rivers? Was Your anger against the rivers? Was Your wrath against the sea, that You rode on Your horses...? (Habakkuk 3:8)

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God... (Psalms 46:4)

He showed me a pure river of water of life..., proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Revelation 22:1)

He split the rocks in the wilderness, and made the great abysses drink... ...He struck the rock..., and rivers flowed out... (Psalms 78:15-16, 20, cf. 105:41)

The waters will fail in the sea, and the river will be... dried up. (Isaiah 19:5-7; cf. 42:15; 50:2, Nahum 1:4, Psalms 107:33, Job 14:11)

(Jesus said, "If anyone comes to Me,) as the Scripture has said, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38)

And so, too, elsewhere, such as Isaiah 33:21, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Deuteronomy 8:7.

[3] In an opposite sense, however, rivers symbolize falsities in abundance, as can be seen from the following:

(It) will send ambassadors by sea... to a nation... downtrodden, whose land the rivers have despoiled. (Isaiah 18:2)

If not for Jehovah on our side..., ...the waters would have overwhelmed us, (and) the river would have gone over our soul. (Psalms 124:2, 4-5)

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. (Isaiah 43:2)

The cords of death surrounded me, and the rivers of Belial terrified me. (Psalms 18:5)

(The dragon) spewed water out of its mouth like a river after the woman, that it might cause her to be swallowed up by the stream. (Revelation 12:15)

...behold, Jehovah will cause to rise over them the waters of the river, strong and many..., and it will... overflow and pass through, and reach up to the neck. (Isaiah 8:7-8)

...the floods came, and... rushed upon that house; and (yet) it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (Matthew 7:25; cf. 7:27, Luke 6:48-49)

Rivers here, too, stand for falsities in abundance, because the rock symbolizes the Lord in relation to Divine truth.

Rivers also symbolize temptations or trials, because temptations or trials are inundations of falsities.

384. "And lead them to living fountains of waters." This symbolically means, and lead them by the truths in the Word to conjunction with Him.

Since a living fountain of waters symbolizes the Lord and also the Word, and waters symbolize truths (no. 50), and because when Divine truths in the Word are applied to life, which happens when a person lives in accordance with them, they bring about a conjunction with the Lord, therefore to lead people to living fountains of waters means, symbolically, to lead them by the truths in the Word to conjunction with the Lord.

That a fountain or fountains symbolize the Lord and also the Word is clear from these passages:

All my fountains are in You (Jehovah). (Psalms 87:7)

...they have forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living waters. (Jeremiah 17:13)

(The people) have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters... (Jeremiah 2:13)

...You give them drink from the river of Your delights, for with You is the fountain of life. (Psalms 36:8-9)

On that day a fountain shall be opened... for the inhabitants of Jerusalem... (Zechariah 13:1)

Israel dwelt alone in safety at the fountain of Jacob. (Deuteronomy 33:28)

(When the Lord sat by Jacob's well, He said to the woman,) "The water that I shall give... will become... a fountain of water springing up into eternal life." (John 4:5-20)

Joseph is a fruitful son... by a fountain. (Genesis 49:22)

Bless... the Lord, from the fountain of Israel. (Psalms 68:26)

Then with joy you will draw waters from the fountains of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3)

To him who thirsts I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6)

I will lead them to fountains of waters by a straight way... (Jeremiah 31:9)

Words like these here and just above in the book of Revelation are found also in Isaiah:

They shall neither hunger nor thirst, neither shall heat... strike them; for He who has mercy on them will lead them, even to springs of waters... (Isaiah 49:10)