969. (Verse 4) And the third angel poured out his vial into the rivers, and the fountains of waters. That this signifies the state of the church manifested as to the faculty of understanding the truths of the Word, is evident from the signification of the angel pouring out the vial, as denoting the state of the church manifested (see above, n. 960, 961, 965); and from the signification of rivers, as denoting those things that pertain to intelligence, consequently, to the faculty of understanding (see n. 518); and from the signification of fountains of waters, as denoting the truths of the Word (see n. 483).

It is therefore evident, that by the third angel pouring out his vial into the rivers and the fountains of waters, is signified the state of the church manifested as to the faculty of understanding the truths of the Word.

Continuation concerning the Fifth Precept:-

[2] Man is so created, that he may be an image of heaven, and an image of the world; for he is a microcosm. Of his parents he is born an image of the world; and he is born again, that he may be an image of heaven. To be born again is to be regenerated; and he is regenerated by the Lord by means of truths from the Word, and by a life according to them.

A man is an image of the world as to his natural mind, and an image of heaven as to his spiritual mind. The natural mind, which is the world, is beneath; and the spiritual mind, which is heaven, is above. The natural mind is full of evils of every kind, as thefts, adulteries, murders, false witness, lusts, indeed, of blasphemies and profanations of God. These evils and many others have their seat in that mind; for the love of them is there, and thence the delight of thinking, willing, and doing them. These things are innate in that mind from the parents; for a man is born into and grows up in the things that are in that mind, he is only restrained by the bonds of civil law and moral law from doing them, and thereby from manifesting the tendencies of his depraved will.

Who is there that cannot see that the Lord cannot flow in from heaven with a man, and teach and lead him, before those evils are removed? For they oppose, repel, pervert, and suffocate the truths and goods of heaven that press, apply themselves, and endeavour to flow in from above. For evil is infernal and good is heavenly, and everything infernal burns with hatred against everything heavenly. It is therefore evident that, before the Lord can flow in from heaven with heaven and form man to the image of heaven, those various evils that have accumulated in the natural mind must necessarily be removed.

[3] Now, because the removal of evils is the first step to be taken before a man can be taught and led by the Lord, the reason is clear why in eight precepts of the Decalogue the evil works that are not to be done, but not the good works which are to be done, are recounted. Good does not exist together with evil, nor does it exist before evils are removed; the way is not opened from heaven into a man until this is done. For man is like a black sea, the waters of which must be removed on each side, before the Lord in cloud and fire can give a passage to the sons of Israel. The black sea also signifies hell; Pharaoh, together with the Egyptians, the natural man; and the sons of Israel, the spiritual man.