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.

151. "'And I will give him the morning star.'" (2:28) This symbolizes intelligence and wisdom then.

Stars symbolize concepts of goodness and truth, as may be seen in no 51 above; and because concepts of goodness and truth are the means to intelligence and wisdom, therefore these concepts are symbolically meant by the morning star. It is called the morning star, because the people meant here will be given intelligence and wisdom by the Lord when He comes to establish the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem; for He says, "Hold fast what you have till I come" (verse 25), which symbolically means, "so that they may retain the few truths that they know from the Word about charity and its resulting faith, and live according to them, until the New Heaven and New Church are formed, which are the Lord's advent" (no. 145).

[2] It is called the morning star because the morning symbolizes the Lord's advent, when the New Church is formed. That this is the meaning of the morning in the Word is apparent from the following passages:

Till the two thousand three hundredth evening and morning, then the sanctuary shall be made right... The vision of the evening and the morning... is the truth. (Daniel 8:14, 26)

One is calling to me from Seir, "Watchman..., watchman, what of the night?" The watchman said, "The morning comes, and also the night. (Isaiah 21:11-12)

Evening and night symbolize the final period of the old church, and morning the initial period of a new church.

An end has come... The morning has come upon you, you who dwell in the land... Behold, the day... has come! The morning has gone forth. (Ezekiel 7:6-7, 10)

Jehovah... every morning will bring His judgment to light, and it shall not be lacking. (Zephaniah 3:5)

God is in the midst of her...; God shall help her when He beholds the morning. (Psalms 46:5)

I have waited for Jehovah... My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, [indeed] than those who watch for the morning... For... with Him is abundant redemption, and He shall redeem Israel... (Psalms 130:5-8)

[3] And elsewhere. Morning in these passages means the Lord's advent, when He came into the world and established a new church, and likewise now. Moreover, because the Lord alone imparts intelligence and wisdom to the people who will be people of His New Church, and as everything that the Lord imparts embody Him because they are His, therefore the Lord says that He is the morning star:

I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. (Revelation 22:16)

He is also called the morning in 2 Samuel:

The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: .".. He is as the light of the morning..., a morning without clouds...." (2 Samuel 23:3-4)