Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 7:17
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AR 383. Verse 17. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, signifies that the Lord alone will teach them. By "the Lamb in the midst of the throne," is signified the Lord as to His Divine Human in the inmost, and thus in all things of heaven; "in the midst" is in the inmost, and thus in all things (n. 44); "the throne" is heaven (n. 14); and "the Lamb" is the Lord as to His Divine Human (n. 269, 291); and He who is in the inmost, and thus in all things of heaven, alone feeds, that is, teaches all. If it be asked, how He alone can feed all, be it known that it is because He is God, and because in the whole heaven He is as the soul in its body, for heaven is from Him as one man. "To feed" is to teach, because the church, in the Word, is called "a flock" and the men of the church are called "sheep" and "lambs," hence "to feed" signifies to teach, and "the shepherd" one that teaches; and this in many places, as:--

In that day they shall feed the flocks in a wide meadow (Isa. 30:23).

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd (Isa. 40:11).

They shall feed in the ways and their pastures shall be in all hillsides (Isa. 49:9).

Israel shall feed in Carmel and Bashan (Jer. 50:19).

I will seek my flock, I will feed them in a good pasture, and in a fat pasture upon the mountains of Israel (Ezek. 34:12-14).

Feed thy people, let them feed in Bashan and Gilead (Micah. 7:14).

The remnant of Israel shall feed, and they shall rest (Zeph. 3:13).

Jehovah is my Shepherd, I shall not want, He maketh me to lie down in the pastures of herb (Ps. 23:1, 2).

The Lord hath chosen David to feed Jacob and Israel, and he fed them (Ps. 78:70-72).

Jesus said to Peter, Feed My lambs, the second and third time He said, Feed My sheep (John 21:15-17).

AR 384. And shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, signifies, and lead them by the truths of the Word to conjunction with Himself. Since by "a living fountain of waters" is signified the Lord, and also the Word, and by "waters" are signified truths (n. 50), and since by the Divine truths of the Word, when they are made of the life, which is done when one lives according to them, conjunction is effected with the Lord, therefore by "leading them to living fountains of waters," is signified to lead by the truths of the Word to conjunction with the Lord. That by "a fountain" and "fountains" is signified the Lord, and also the Word, is evident from these passages:--

All my fountains are in Thee, O Jehovah (Ps. 87:7).

They have deserted Jehovah, the fountain of living waters (Jer. 17:13).

The people deserted Me the fountain of living waters (Jer. 2:13).

Thou makest them drink of the river of pleasures, for with Thee is the fountain of life (Ps. 36:8, 9).

In that day shall a fountain be opened to the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Zech. 13:1).

Israel dwelt securely solitary at the fountain of Jacob (Deut. 33:28).

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

Joseph is the son of a fruitful one near a fountain (Gen. 49:22).

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

Then with joy shall ye draw waters from the fountains of salvation (Isa. 12:3).

Unto him that thirsteth I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely (Apoc. 21:6).

I will lead them to the fountains of waters in a straight way (Jer. 31:9).

Similar to these and the above in the Apocalypse, are said also in Isaiah:--

They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat smite them, for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them even to the fountains of waters (Isa. 49:10).

AR 385. And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, signifies that they shall no longer be in combats against evils and their falsities, and thus not in grief, but in goods and truths, and thence in celestial joys from the Lord. That these things are signified by the Lamb "wiping away every tear from their eyes," is, because in (verse 14), it is said, that "these are they which come out of great affliction," by which is signified that they are those who have been in temptations, and have fought against evils (n. 377); and who afterwards are not in combats against evils, the same are in goods and truths, and thence in celestial joys. The following passage in Isaiah has a similar signification:--

He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord Jehovah will wipe away the tears from all faces. Then they shall say in that day, Behold this is our God, whom we have waited for that He might deliver us; This is Jehovah, whom we have waited for, we will exult and be glad in His salvation (Isaiah 25:8, 9).