Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 22:1
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AR 927.

AR 928.

AR 929.

AR 930.

AR 931.

AR 932. Verse 1. And he showed me a pure river of water of life bright as crystal, going forth from the throne of God and of the Lamb, signifies the Apocalypse now opened and explained as to its spiritual sense, where Divine truths in abundance are revealed by the Lord for those who will be in His New Church, which is the New Jerusalem. By "the pure river of water of life bright as crystal" is signified the Divine truth of the Word in abundance translucent from its spiritual sense, which is in the light of heaven. That the Divine truth in abundance is signified by "a river" (n. 409) because truths are signified by "the waters" of which a river consists (n. 50, 685, 719); and by "the waters of life" those truths from the Lord through the Word, as follows. And by "bright as crystal" are signified these truths translucent from the spiritual sense, which is in the light of heaven (n. 897). That the river was seen "to go forth out of the throne of God and the Lamb," signifies that it is out of heaven from the Lord; for by "the throne" the Lord is signified as to judgment and as to government and as to heaven; as to judgment (n. 229, 845, 865); as to government (n. 694, 808 at the end); and as to heaven (n. 14, 221, 222); here therefore out of heave" from the Lord. By "God and the Lamb" here as often above, the Lord is signified as to the Divine Itself from which all things are, and as to the Divine Human. That by "the river of water of life," in particular, are meant Divine truths in abundance, here now revealed by the Lord in the Apocalypse, is manifest from (verses 6, 7, 9; 10, 14, 16-19) of this chapter, where the book of this prophecy is treated of, and it is said the things which are there written are to be kept, which could not be kept before the things which are contained therein were revealed by means of the spiritual sense, because they were not before understood: and the Apocalypse is also the Word, like the prophetic Word of the Old Testament; and the evils and falsities of the church which are to be shunned and held in aversion, and the goods and truths of the church which are to be done, are now disclosed in the Apocalypse, especially those concerning the Lord and concerning eternal, life from Him; which are indeed taught in the prophets, but not so manifestly as in the Evangelists and in the Apocalypse; and the Divine truths concerning the Lord, that He is the God of heaven and earth, which then proceed from Him, and are received by those who will be in the New Jerusalem, which are treated of in the Apocalypse, are those which are meant in particular by "the pure river of water of life bright as crystal, going forth from the throne of God and of the Lamb," as may also be evident from these passages:--

By "living waters," or "waters of life," Divine truths from the Lord are there signified.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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