In chapter 4 of the Book of Amos, verses 1-3 are talking about people who pervert the truths of the church. They will fall into falsities in outermost things.

In the Bible, fish represent "lower" things than mammals, so we can interpret the fishhooks in verse 2 as meaning being caught and held fast in natural or lower things.

Verses 4-6 are about acts of worship such as tithes and sacrifices. These look similar to genuine worship, but are only external sorts of things. We can tell because ‘teeth’ (in verse 6) represent ultimates or outermost things (see Secrets of Heaven 6380). It follows that “cleanness of teeth” would mean outermost things that look good but only imitate genuine worship. The Lord exhorts, “Yet you have not returned to me.”

Verses 7-8. Some things true will remain, when where there are too many false ideas, the truths don't get through. This can be seen where the Lord says, “I made it rain on one city; I withheld rain from another city... where it did not rain the part withered.” Again the Lord exhorts, “Yet you have not returned to me.”

Verse 9. Afterward all things of the church are falsified, shown by blight attacking the gardens, vineyards, fig tree and olive trees. The last three represent spiritual, natural and celestial things, or all the things of spiritual life. “Yet you have not returned to me,” says the Lord.

Verses 10-11. The Lord explains the devastating things he allowed to happen: plague in Egypt, death of young men by swords, stench in the camps, Sodom and Gomorrah. This is because they are profaned by sensual knowledges. Profanation means the mixing of good and evil together. (See Secrets of Heaven 1001[2]).

This extends to all things of the church, with the church being the Lord’s kingdom on earth (Secrets of Heaven 768[3]).

With profanation “as soon as any idea of what is holy arises, the idea of what is profane joins immediately to it,” (Secrets of Heaven 301).

Now there is hardly anything left. “Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the Lord again.

Verses 12-13: Because people adamantly remain in their profane ways, they are warned, “Prepare to meet your God!”. This is the God powerful and mighty, “who forms mountains, and creates the wind,” and even more close to home, “Who declares to man what his thought is.” As intimately a knowing as that is, the Lord’s love for all humanity is contained in His exhortations for them to turn themselves to Him.

See, for example, Luke 6:44-45, and True Christian Religion 373.

4926. “收生婆说, 你为什么给自己开了一个缺口呢” 表这真理表面上与良善分离. 这从 “缺口” 的含义清楚可知, “缺口” (breach) 是指通过与良善分离而对真理的侵犯和歪曲, 如下文所述. 此处 “开了一个缺口” 明显表示从手上拉下染过两次的线或红线, 因而表示脱离良善; 因为 “染过两次” 或红线表示良善 (4922节). 至于这种分离是一种表象, 这从以下事实可推知: 在收生婆看来, 分离已经发生了; 但事实上, 这不是那个有染过两次的线或红线的那个, 而是他那代表真理的哥哥. 关于这个主题, 可参看刚才的说明 (4925节), 即: 实际上, 良善才是头生的, 而真理只是表面上是头生的. 这一点从人体的功用和部位进一步得以说明. 表面上看, 部位和器官是在先的, 它们的功用是随后的; 因为器官和部位首先呈现在眼前, 在其功用出现之前为人所知. 然而, 其实功用在部位和器官之先, 后者来自功用, 因而照功用而得以形成. 事实上, 功用本身赋予它们这些形式, 并使它们适应自己. 若非如此, 人体的一切个体部分绝无可能以如此和谐一致的方式一起行动, 以致它们构成一个整体. 良善与真理也一样. 表面上看, 似乎真理在先, 但实际上良善在先, 因为良善形成真理, 并使它们适应自己. 因此, 就本身而言, 真理无非是被赋予形式的良善, 或良善的形式. 真理相对于良善, 就像身体的内脏和纤维相对于它们所发挥的功用. 就其本身而言, 良善无非是功用.

“缺口” (经上或译为破口) 表示通过与良善分离而对真理的侵犯和歪曲, 这一点从圣言中的其它经文也能明显看出来; 如诗篇:

我们的仓盈满, 能出各样的粮食; 我们的羊在街上孳生千万. 我们的牛驮着满驮, 没有缺口. (诗篇 144:13-14)

这论及古教会, 就是它年轻时的样子. “满仓的粮” 表示属灵良善, 也就是真理与良善. “羊” 和 “牛” 表示内在与外在的良善. “没有缺口” 表示这一事实: 真理没有通过与良善分离而遭到侵犯或歪曲.

阿摩司书:

我必树起大卫倒塌的帐幕, 堵住其中的破口. 把那破坏的建立起来, 重新修造, 像昔日一样. (阿摩司书 9:11)

这论及处于良善的教会, “大卫倒塌的帐幕” 表示从主接受的爱与仁的良善. 因为 “帐幕” 表示这良善 (参看414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 3312, 4128, 4391, 4599节), “大卫” 表示主 (1888节). “堵住破口” 表示纠正通过真理与良善的分离进入的虚假. “重新修造, 像昔日一样” 表示照古时教会的状态. 在圣言中, 这种状态和这些时代被称为 “昔日”, “往日”, 以及 “世世代代 (经上或译累代, 代代)”. 如以赛亚书:

你那些久已颓废的荒场必重建, 你必建立拆毁累代的根基, 你必称为补破口的, 和重修路径与人居住的. (以赛亚书 58:12)

这论及其中仁爱与生命为本质的教会. 此处 “补破口” 表示纠正通过良善与真理分离而潜入进来的虚假, 一切虚假皆来自这个源头; “重修路径与人居住” 表示与良善联结的真理, 因为 “路径” 或 “道路” 是指真理 (627, 2333节), “居住” 论及良善 (2268, 2451, 2712, 3613节).

又:

你们看见大卫城的破口很多, 便聚积下池的水. (以赛亚书 22:9)

“大卫城的破口” 表示教义的虚假, “下池的水” 表示传统, 他们通这些传统将瑕疵引入包含在圣言中的真理 (马太福音 15:1-6; 马可福音 7:1-14). 以西结书:

你没有上去堵挡破口, 也没有为以色列家重修墙垣, 使你当耶和华的日子在战争中站立得住. (以西结书 13:5)

又:

我在他们中间寻找一人重修墙垣, 在我面前为这地站在破口, 使我不灭绝它, 却找不着一个. (以西结书 22:30)

“站在破口” 表防御和警醒, 免得虚假入侵. 诗篇:

耶和华说, 祂要灭绝百姓, 若非有他所拣选的摩西在祂面前站在破口. (诗篇 106:23)

“站在破口” 也表示警醒, 免得虚假入侵; “摩西” 在此表示圣言 (参看18章序言, 4859末尾节).

阿摩司书:

人必用鱼钩将你们余剩的钩去. 你们各人必从破口在她面前直往前行, 投入宫殿. (阿摩司书 4:2-3)

“从破口前行” 表示通过由推理所产生的虚假; “宫殿” 表示圣言, 因而表示基于良善的教义真理. 由于 “破口” 表示通过良善与真理分离而产生的虚假, 故就代表意义而言, “修理耶和华殿的破坏之处” 所表相同 (列王纪下 12:6-8, 12; 22:5). 撒母耳记下:

大卫因耶和华闯杀乌撒 (broken a breach upon Uzzah), 心里愁烦, 就称那地方为毗列斯乌撒. (撒母耳记下 6:8)

这论及乌撒, 他因扶住约柜而死; 约柜代表天堂, 在至高意义上代表主, 因而代表神性良善; 然而, “乌撒” 代表那事奉者, 因而代表真理, 因为真理事奉良善. 上面所描述的这种分离由 “闯杀乌撒” 来表示.