202. Internal Meaning of Amos, Chapter 2

1-3 About those who adulterate the good of the sense of the letter of the Word: these destroy the good and truth of the church. (2, 17)

4-5 About those who destroy the celestial things of the Word: they destroy both its celestial and its spiritual things. (2)

6-8 About those who destroy the spiritual things of the church: these go away in consequence into falsities of every kind. (2)

9-11 The Lord entirely removed falsities of evil when the church was instituted among them, and they were instructed. (2)

12-16 Nevertheless that church perverted all things, and hence it has become like one who has truth and yet is without truth, and thus perishes in the 2 (2)

time of judgment. (15)

A 'sword,' as in Ezekiel 21:9-15, signifies a person so desolated that he can see nothing good and true, but only falsities and contradictions. A 'sword,' in the Word, signifies the truth of faith combating and the vastation of truth. In an opposite sense, it signifies falsity combating and the punishment of falsity.

The 'sword,' in Revelation 1:16, represents a dispersion of falsities by the Lord because the sword came out from His mouth, which means it comes from the Word. Because the Word is understood by doctrine taken from it, this is also symbolically meant. It is called a sharp two-edged sword because it pierces the heart and soul.

A 'flaming sword which turned every way,' as in Genesis 3:24, signifies divine truth in extremes, which, like the Word in its literal sense, can be turned.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 2799)