The 23rd Psalm is one of the best-known and most-loved literary works in the world, and it may well be the best poem ever written. It is also a fine example of the power of figurative language: We read deep things into the vision of ourselves as sheep, led to green pastures and good water by a kind shepherd. It’s empowering to feel the confidence to go fearlessly into the valley of the shadow of death, and to feel the love and caring of a table prepared by the Lord and a cup so full it overflows.

What people don’t know, however, is that this language actually has precise internal meanings, and that when we see them there is an even deeper beauty in the poem. That’s because what it actually describes is the path to heaven, and the fierce desire the Lord has to lead us there.

The first step is to let the Lord be our shepherd – to accept His teaching and His leadership. The green pastures and the still waters represent the things He will teach us for the journey. Then He begins working inside is, setting our spiritual lives in order, so that we desire to do what’s good and to love one another. That’s represented by restoring our souls and leading us in the paths of righteousness.

But we will still face challenges. We still live external lives, out in the world, and we are subject to desires that arise in those externals, in our bodily lives. That’s the valley of the shadow of death. But the rod and staff represent truth from the Lord on both external and internal levels, ideas that can defend us against those desires.

And if we keep following, the Lord will prepare a table for us – a place inside us that he can fill with love (the anointing oil) and wisdom (the overflowing cup). Thus transformed, we can enter heaven, with love for others (“goodness”) and love from the Lord (“mercy”) and can love and be loved to eternity.

One of many beautiful things about this is the fact that it is the Lord who really does all the work. In the whole text, the only action taken by the sheep is walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Other than that, they follow the Lord, trust the Lord, accept the blessings of the Lord. And that is really true! In external states (in the valley) we might seem to be doing the work ourselves, but internally, spiritually, we simply need to give ourselves to the Lord and let Him bless us.

The underlying idea here is that the Lord created us so that He could love us, in loving us wants us to be happy, knows that our greatest happiness will come from being conjoined to Him in heaven, and Himself wants nothing more than to be conjoined to us. So everything He does, in every moment of every day for every person on the face of the planet, is centered on the goal of getting that person to heaven. He wants each and every one of us in heaven more than we are capable of imagining. We just need to cooperate.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 375 [34], 727 [2]; The Inner Meaning of the Prophets and Psalms 273)

957. 22:18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add upon him the plagues that are written in this book. This symbolically means that people who read and know the doctrinal truths in this book now laid open by the Lord, and yet acknowledge some other God than the Lord, and some other faith than faith in the Lord, by adding something which destroys these two tenets, cannot but perish as a result of the falsities and evils symbolized by the plagues described in this book.

To hear the words of the prophecy of this book means, symbolically, to read and know the doctrinal truths in this book now laid open by the Lord, as may be seen in no. 944 above. To add to these things means, symbolically, adding something in order to destroy those truths, as will be seen below. The plagues that are written in this book symbolize the falsities and evils that are symbolically meant by the plagues described in this book, which we dealt with in chapters 15, 16. The plagues symbolize the falsities and evils entertained by people who worship the dragon's beast and the false prophet. See nos. 456, 657, 673, 676, 677, 683, 690, 691, 699, 708, 718. The dragon's beast and the false prophet are people who make faith alone saving without good works.

[2] There are two principal points in this prophetic book to which all the others in it have relation: The first is that no other God than the Lord is to be acknowledged; and the second, that no other faith than faith in the Lord is to be acknowledged. Someone who knows this, and yet adds something with the intention of destroying these two points, cannot help but be caught up in falsities and evils and perish on account of them, since from no other God than the Lord, and through no other faith than faith in the Lord, is good possible that is a matter of love, and truth that is a matter of faith, and in consequence of these the felicity of eternal life, as the Lord Himself teaches in many places in the Gospels. See no. 553 above.

[3] This is what is symbolically meant, and not that God will add the plagues described in chapters 15, 16 upon a person who adds something to the words of the prophecy of this book, as anyone can see in the light of his own ability to judge. For a person may add something innocently, and many also may do so for a good purpose, and in ignorance of what is symbolically meant. The book of Revelation, indeed, has so far been like a closed book or a mystical one. Anyone can see, therefore, that the meaning is that one is not to add or take away something that destroys the doctrinal truths in this book now laid open by the Lord, truths which have relation to the above two principal points. Therefore the declaration here also follows in this prior one in the series:

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." And the spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:16-17)

It symbolically means that the Lord will come in His Divine humanity and grant eternal life to people who acknowledge Him. Consequently the declaration here is also followed in the series by this one:

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20)

It is apparent from this that there is no other meaning.

To add is also a prophetic term symbolically meaning to destroy, as in Psalms 120:3 and elsewhere.

It can now be seen from this what is symbolically meant by the declaration in this verse and the one in the next.