496. Verse 6. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain no rain in the days of their prophecy, signifies that they who turn themselves away from these two essentials of the New Church, cannot receive any truth from heaven. By "heaven" is here meant the angelic heaven; consequently, by "rain," the truth of the church thence is signified; wherefore, by "shutting heaven that it rain no rain" is signified that they are not able to receive any truth of the church from heaven; the truth of the church from heaven is the truth of doctrine from the Word. It is said that the witnesses had this power, but it is meant here as above (n. 494), that they have not the power to shut heaven, but that they shut heaven to themselves who turn themselves away from these two essentials of the New Church, because they remain in their own falsities. That "rain" signifies the Divine truth from heaven, appears from these passages:
My doctrine shall flow down as the rain, My word shall drop as the dew (Deut. 32:2). If ye serve other gods, Jehovah will shut heaven, that there be no rain (Deut. 11:11, 14, 16-17). I will lay My vineyard a desolation, and I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it (Isa. 5:6). The showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; but still the forehead of a harlot woman remained to thee (Jer. 3:3). As the rain cometh down from heaven, so shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth (Isa. 55:10-11). Ye sons of Zion rejoice and be glad in Jehovah, for He hath given you the former rain in justice (Joel 2:23). Thou, O God, didst make to drop down a rain of good pleasure (Ps. 68:9). He shall come down like rain upon the herb of the meadow, in His days shall the just flourish (Ps. 72:6, 7). Jehovah shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain irrigateth the earth (Hos. 6:3). My word shall drop upon them, and they shall wait for Me as the rain, and he shall open his mouth to the latter rain (Job 29:22-23). Son of man, say, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, on which there is no rain in the day of anger, there is a conspiracy of the prophets in the midst of it (Ezek. 22:24-25);
besides other places (as in Isaiah 30:23; Jeremiah 5:24; 10:12-13, 14:3-4; 51:16; Ezekiel 34:26-27; Amos 4:7-8; Zechariah 10:1; Psalms 65:9-10; 135:7; 2 Samuel 23:3-4). "An inundating rain" is for the devastation of truth (Ezekiel 13:11, 13-14; 38:22); and for temptation (Matthew 7:24-27).
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