956.“听见的人也该说，来！口渴的人也当来；愿意的，都可以白白取生命的水”表凡对主的到来，新天堂和新教会，因而主的国度有所了解的人，都会祈祷这一切到来；凡渴望真理的人都祈祷主以光到来；那时，凡爱慕真理的人都会从主接受它们，无需自己的劳碌。“听见的人也该说，来”表示凡听说，并由此对主的到来，新天堂和新教会，因而主的国度有所了解的人，该祈祷这一切到来；“口渴的人也该说，来”表示凡渴望主的国度，同时渴望真理的人，该祈祷主以光到来；“愿意的，都可以白白取生命的水”表示凡出于爱愿意学习并吸收真理的人，都将从主那里接受它们，无需自己的任何劳碌；“愿意”表示爱，因为凡人发自内心所愿意的都是他所爱的，凡他所爱的同样是他发自内心愿意的；“生命水”表示从主经由圣言而来的神性真理（932节）；“白白”表示无需自己的劳碌。本节经文的含义和主祷文中这些话的含义是一样：
愿你的国降临，愿你的旨意行在地上如同行在天上。（马太福音6:10；｛839节）
“主的国”是指与天堂合而为一的教会；所以，现在经上说“听见的人也该说，来！口渴的人也当来”。
“口渴”表示渴望真理，这一点从以下经文明显看出来：
我要将水浇灌口渴的人，我要将我的灵浇灌你的种。（以赛亚书44:3）
你们一切干渴的都当就近水来，不用银钱来买酒和奶。（以赛亚书55:1）
耶稣呼喊说，人若渴了，就让他到我这里来喝；凡信我的人，从他腹中要流出活水的江河来。（约翰福音7:37，38）
我的灵魂渴想永生神。（诗篇42:2）
神啊，你是我的神；我的灵魂渴想你，它因无水而疲乏。（诗篇63:1）
饥渴慕义的人有福了。（马太福音5:6）
我要将生命水的泉源白白赐给那口渴的人喝。（启示录21:6）
这句话表示赐给那些出于属灵的功用而渴慕真理的人，即主将从祂自己通过圣言把有助于这种功用的一切都赐给他们。
“渴”或“口渴”也表示因缺乏真理而灭亡，这一点从以下经文明显看出来：
我的百姓因没有承认而被放逐，群众极其干渴。（以赛亚书5:13）
愚顽人必说愚顽话，心里想作罪孽，使口渴的人无水可喝。（以赛亚书32:6）
困苦穷乏人寻求水却没有；他们因口渴舌头干燥；我耶和华必垂听他们。（以赛亚书41:17）
与你们的母亲大大争辩，免得我使她赤体，以渴杀死她。（何西阿书2:2，3）
“母亲”在此是指教会。
看哪，日子将到，我必命饥荒降在地上；饥荒非因无饼，干渴非因无水，乃因不听耶和华的话；当那日，美貌的处女和少年的男子必因干渴发昏。（阿摩司书8:11，13）
但在以下经文中，“不渴”表示不缺乏真理：
耶稣说，凡喝我所赐他水的人，就永远不渴。（约翰福音4:13-15）
耶稣说，信我的，永远不渴。（约翰福音6:35）
耶和华救赎了雅各；他们并不干渴；祂为他们使水从磐石流出。（以赛亚书48:20，21）
956. And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. This symbolically means that anyone who has any knowledge of the Lord's coming and of the New Heaven and New Church, thus of the Lord's kingdom, let him pray for the Lord's coming; and anyone who desires truths, let him pray for the Lord to come with light. And anyone who loves truths will then receive them from the Lord apart from any endeavors of his own.
"Let him who hears say, 'Come!'" symbolically means that anyone who hears about the Lord's coming and about the New Heaven and New Church, thus about the Lord's kingdom, and so has some knowledge of these, should pray for the Lord to come. "Let him who thirsts say, 'Come!'" symbolically means that anyone who longs for the Lord's kingdom and truths at that time should pray for the Lord to come with light. "Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" symbolically means that whoever is moved by love to learn truths and assimilate them into himself will receive them from the Lord apart from any endeavors of his own. To desire symbolizes love, because whatever a person desires from the heart is something he loves, and whatever he loves is something he desires from the heart. The water of life symbolizes Divine truths obtained from the Lord through the Word (no. 932), and to obtain them freely means, symbolically, apart from any endeavors of his own.
Something similar to the symbolic meaning in this verse is that of the wish contained in the Lord's Prayer, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in heaven, so upon the earth" (no. 839). The Lord's kingdom is the church that is united with heaven. So it is that we are now told, "Let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come."
[2] That thirsting symbolizes a longing for truths is clear from the following:
...I will pour water on him who is thirsty...; I will pour My spirit on your offspring... (Isaiah 44:3)
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters... buy wine and milk without money... (Isaiah 55:1)
...Jesus... cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me..., out of his belly will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38)
My soul thirsts... for the living God. (Psalms 42:2)
O God, You are my God...; my soul thirsts for You; ...I am weary, without water. (Psalms 63:1)
Blessed are those who... thirst for righteousness... (Matthew 5:6)
To him who thirsts I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6)
The last symbolically means that to those who desire truths for some useful spiritual purpose, the Lord will give of Himself through the Word everything conducive to that useful purpose.
[3] Thirst and thirsting also symbolize perishing from a lack of truth, as is clear from the following:
...my people will go into exile, because they have no acknowledgment... their multitude dried up with thirst. (Isaiah 5:13)
...the foolish person speaks foolishness, and his heart works iniquity..., and he causes the soul... of the thirsty for drink to fail. (Isaiah 32:6)
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, Jehovah, will hear them. (Isaiah 41:17)
Contend with your mother..., lest I strip her naked... and slay her with thirst. (Hosea 2:2-3)
The prophet's mother there is the church.
Behold, the days are coming... when I will send a hunger on the land, not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah... In that day the fair virgins and young men shall faint from thirst. (Amos 8:11, 13)
On the other hand, not thirsting symbolically means to have no lack of truth, in the following:
Jesus... said..., "Whoever drinks... of the water that I shall give him will not thirst to eternity." (John 4:13-15)
Jesus said..., ."..he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)
Jehovah has redeemed... Jacob. Then they will not thirst... He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them. (Isaiah 48:20-21)
956. 'And let the one hearing say, Come, and let the thirsting one come, and let the willing one take the water of life freely' signifies that he who knows anything of the Lord's coming, and of the New Heaven and the New Church, thus of the Lord's kingdom, will pray that it may come, and that he who longs for truths will pray that the Lord may come with light, and that he who loves truths is then going to accept those things from the Lord without any exertion of his own. By 'let the one hearing say, Come' is signified he who hears and consequently knows anything of the Lord's coming, and of the New Heaven and the New Church, thus of the Lord's kingdom, let him pray that it may come. By 'let the thirsting one come' 1is signified he who longs for the Lord's kingdom, and truths then, let him pray that the Lord may come with light. By 'let the willing one take the water of life freely' is signified he who out of love wants to learn truths and appropriate them to himself, let him look forward to accepting them from the Lord without any exertion of his own. By 'to be willing' is signified to love, because what a man wills at heart this he loves, and what he loves this at heart he wills. By 'the water of life' are signified Divine truths derived from the Lord by means of the Word (932); and by 'freely' is signified without any exertion of his own. Things similar to these in this verse are signified by those in the Lord's Prayer: 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven so also on earth' (839). The Lord's kingdom is the Church that makes one with heaven, and therefore it is now said, 'Let the one hearing say, Come, and let the thirsting one come.
[2] That 'to thirst' signifies to long for truths is established from these passages:
I will pour waters upon the thirsting one, I will pour My spirit upon thy seed. Isaiah 44:3.
Everyone thirsting, go to the waters, without silver buy wine and milk. Isaiah 55:1.
Jesus cried, saying, If anyone thirst, let him come unto Me and drink; whoever believes in Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. John 7:37-38.
My soul is thirsting for the living God. Psalms 42:2; [H.B. 3].
O God, Thou art my God; my soul is thirsting for Thee, it is faint without waters. Psalms 63:1; [H.B. 2].
Blessed are they who are thirsting for justice. Matthew 5:6.
To the thirsting one I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely. Revelation 21:6; by which is signified that to those who desire truths for the sake of any spiritual use the Lord out of Himself by means of the Word is going to give all the things that serve that use.
[3] That by 'thirst' and 'to thirst' is also signified to perish on account of a lack of truth is established from these passages:
My people shall be exiled on account of non-acknowledgment, a great number of them is dry with thirst. Isaiah 5:13.
The fool speaks foolishness, and his heart does iniquity, and he makes the soul of one thirsting for a drink to fail. Isaiah 32:6.
When the poor and needy are seeking water, but there is none, their tongue fails for thirst, I Jehovah will hear them. Isaiah 41:17.
Plead with your mother, lest I strip her naked, and slay her with thirst, Hosea 2:[2,] 3.
The 'mother' here is the Church.
Behold the days are going to come in which I will send hunger into the land, not hunger for bread nor thirst for waters, but for hearing the words of Jehovah: in that day shall the beautiful virgins and the young men faint for thirst, Amos 8:11, 13.
But to have no lack of truth is signified by 'not to thirst' in these:
Jesus said, He who drinks of the water that I shall give him shall not thirst to eternity. John 4:13-15.
Jesus said, He who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35.
Jehovah has redeemed Jacob; then shall they not thirst; He shall make waters to flow forth out of the Rock for them. Isaiah 48:20-21.
Footnotes:
1. Reading sitiens veniat instead of sitiens dicat veniat (let the thirsting one say let him come). The word dicat is not found in this phrase in the text of the chapter nor in the paragraph heading.
956. And let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that thirsteth come, and let him that willeth take the water of life freely, signifies that he who knows anything of the Lord's coming, and of the New Heaven and New Church, thus of the Lord's kingdom, should pray that it may come, and that he who desires truths, should pray that the Lord may come with light, and that he who loves truths, will then receive them from the Lord without his own work. By "let him that heareth say, Come," is signified he who hears and thence knows anything of the Lord's coming, and of the New Heaven and the New Church, thus of the Lord's kingdom, let him pray that it may come; by "him that thirsteth, let him say, Come" is signified he who desires the Lord's kingdom, and, at the same time, truths, let him pray that the Lord may come with light; by "him that willeth let him take of the water of life freely," is signified that he who from love is willing to learn truths and appropriate them to himself, will receive them from the Lord without any work of his own; by "willing" is signified to love, because that which a man wills from his heart he loves, and that which he loves the same he wills from the heart; by "the water of life" is signified Divine truths through the Word from the Lord, (932); and by "freely" is signified without his own work. The things in this verse have the same signification as these in the Lord's Prayer:
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done as in heaven so also upon the earth, (Matthew 6:10; 839).
The Lord's "kingdom" is the church which makes one with heaven; wherefore it is now said, "let him that heareth, say, Come, and let him that thirsteth come."
[2] That "to thirst" signifies to desire truths, appears from the following passages:
I will pour water upon him that thirsteth, I will pour My spirit upon thy seed, (Isaiah 44:3).
Everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, buy wine and milk without silver, (Isaiah 55:1).
Jesus cried, saying, If anyone thirst, let him come unto Me and drink; whosoever believeth in Me, out of his belly shall flow streams of living water, (John 7:37-38).
My soul thirsteth for the living God, (Psalms 42:2).
O God, thou art my God; my soul thirsteth for Thee, it is weary without water, (Psalms 63:1).
Happy are they who thirst after justice, (Matthew 5:6).
Unto him that thirsteth I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely, (Revelation 21:6).
By which is signified that to those who desire truths for any spiritual use, the Lord will give from Himself through the Word all which conduce to that use.
[3] That by "thirst" and "thirsting" is also signified to perish from lack of truth, is evident from these:
My people are exiled because they have no acknowledgment, the multitude is dried up with thirst, (Isaiah 5:13).
The fool speaketh foolishness, and his heart doeth iniquity, and he maketh the drink of the thirsty to fail, (Isaiah 32:6).
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongue faileth for thirst; I Jehovah will hear them, (Isaiah 41:17).
Plead with your mother, lest I strip her naked, and slay her with thirst, (Hosea 2:2-3).
"Mother" here is the church.
Behold, the days come, in which I will send a famine in the land; not a famine for bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah; in that day shall the beautiful virgins and the young men faint for thirst, (Amos 8:11, 13).
But by "not thirsting" is signified not to have a lack of truth, in these passages:
Jesus said, Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall not thirst to eternity, (John 4:13-15).
Jesus said, he that believeth on Me shall never thirst, (John 6:35).
Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob; then shall they not thirst; He shall make waters to flow out of the rock for them, (Isaiah 48:20-21).
956. "Et audiens dicat Veni, et sitiens veniat, et volens accipiet aquam vitae gratis," significat quod qui scit aliquid de Adventu Domini et de Novo Caelo et de Nova Ecclesia, ita de Regno Domini, oret ut veniat; et quod qui desiderat vera, oret ut Dominus cum luce veniat; et qui amat vera, tunc accepturus sit illa a Domino absque sua opera. -Per "audiens dicat Veni" significatur qui audit et inde scit aliquid de Adventu Domini, et de Novo Caelo et de Nova Ecclesia, ita de Regno Domini, oret ut veniat; per "sitiens" dicat "veniat" significatur qui desiderat Regnum Domini, et tunc vera, oret ut Dominus cum luce veniat; per "volens accipiet aquam vitae gratis" significatur qui ex amore vult discere vera et appropriare sibi illa, accepturus sit illa a Domino absque sua opera; per "velle" significatur amare, quia quod homo ex corde vult hoc amat, et quod amat hoc ex corde vult; per "aquam vitae" significantur Divina vera per Verbum ex Domino (932); et per "gratis" significatur absque sua opera. Similia per haec quae in hoc versu significantur per haec in Oratione Dominica:
"Veniat Regnum Tuum, fiat Voluntas Tua, sicut in Caelo etiam in Terra," (839);
"Regnum" Domini est Ecclesia quae unum facit cum Caelo; quare nunc dicitur, "Audiens dicat Veni, et sitiens veniat." Quod "sitire" significet desiderare vera constat ex his:
"Effundam aquas super Sitientem, effundam spiritum Meum super semen tuum," (Esaias 44:3);
"Omnis Sitiens ite ad aquas: emite sine argento vinum et lac," (Esaias 55:1);
"Jesus clamavit, dicens, Si quis Sitiverit, venito ad Me et bibito; quisquis credit in Me, flumina e ventre ejus fluent aquae viventis," (Johannes 7:37-38);
"Sitit anima mea ad Deum vivum," (Psalm 42:3 (B.A. 2));
"Deus, Deus meus Tu; Sitit anima mea Tibi, lassus sine aquis," (Psalm 63:2 (B.A. 1));
"Beati qui Sitiunt justitiam," (Matthaeus 5:6);
"Ego Sitienti dabo ex fonte aquae vitae gratis," (Apocalypsis 21:6);
per quae significatur quod Dominus illis qui desiderant vera ex aliquo usu spirituali, daturus sit ex Se per Verbum omnia quae usui illi conducunt. Quod per "sitim" et "sitire" etiam significetur ex defectu veri perire, constat ex his:
"Exulabit populus Meus ob non agnitionem, multitudo ejus sicca Siti," (Esaias 5:13);
"Stultus stultitiam loquitur, et cor ejus facit iniquitatem, et (ad evacuandum) animam (esurientis, et) potum Sitientis deficere facit," (Esaias 32:6);
"Pauperes et egeni aquam quaerentes, sed non; lingua eorum Siti deficit; Ego Jehovah exaudiam eos," (Esaias 41:17); "Contendite cum matre vestra, ne exuam eam nudam, et occidam eam per Sitim," (Hoschea 2:(2,) 3);
"mater" ibi est Ecclesia.
"Ecce dies venturi, quibus immittam famem in terram; non famem ad panem neque Sitim ad aquas, sed ad audiendum verba Jehovae in die illo deficient virgines pulchrae et juvenes Siti," (Amos 8:11, 13).
At non defectum veri habere significatur per "non sitire," in his: "Jesus dixit, Qui bibit ex aqua quam Ego dabo, non Sitiet in aeternum," (Johannes 4:13-15);
"Jesus dixit, Qui credit in Me, non Sitiet unquam," (Johannes 6:35);
"Redemit Jehovah Jacobum; tunc non Sitient, aquas e Petra effluere faciet illis," (Esaias 48:20-21).