700. 'And its water was dried up, that the way of kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared' signifies that the untruths of those reasonings have been removed with those who from the Lord are in truths derived from good, and are to be introduced into the New Church. By the 'water' having been 'dried up' is signified that the untruths of those interior reasonings were removed. By 'was dried up' is signified that they were removed, and by 'water' truths are signified, and in the opposite sense untruths (n. 50, 614), here the untruths of the interior reasonings because it was the water of the river Euphrates, by which those reasonings are signified (n. 699). By the 'kings' for whom the way was prepared are signified those who from the Lord are in truths derived from good (n. 20, 483). By 'the rising of the sun' is signified the beginning of the New Church from the Lord, the like as by 'morning' (n. 151). By 'to prepare the way' is signified to prepare for introduction. It is plain from these considerations that by 'the water was dried up, that the way of kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared' is signified that the untruths of the interior reasonings have been removed with those who from the Lord are in truths derived from good, and are to be introduced into the New Church.
[2] The series of subjects is this: it treats here of the consummation or end of the present Church, and of the setting up or beginning of the New Church, and of contentions. Those belonging to the present Church who are in faith alone are understood by 'the dragon', 'the beast' and 'the false prophet', concerning which something follows. And the contentions thereof with those who will belong to the New Church are understood by 'the gathering together of the kings of the land to battle'. But those who will be of the New Church, with whom they contend, are understood by 'the water of the river Euphrates was dried up, that the way might be prepared for kings from the rising of the sun'. This involves something similar to the introduction of the sons of Israel into the land of Canaan, with the difference that for them the river Jordan was dried up, but for those [who will belong to the New Church it is] the river Euphrates. The reason why the river Euphrates [is dried up] for the latter is because here they contend by means of interior reasonings, which are to be dried up, that is, removed, before the introduction is effected. This is also the reason why their interior reasonings are discovered in this work. Unless they were discovered, a man not acquainted with them, even if intelligent, might easily be led astray.
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