10288. 'Shall be cut off from his people' means separation and spiritual death. This is clear from the meaning of 'being cut off', and of being put to death, as separation from those governed by good and by truths springing from it, and destruction of spiritual life, dealt with in 6767, 8902; and from the meaning of 'people' as those belonging to the Church in whom the truths and forms of the good of faith are present, dealt with in 3581, 4619, 6451, 6465, 7207. Thus 'being cut off from one's people' means being separated from them and being destroyed. In the Word those who belong to the Church are sometimes called a people, sometimes a nation, as in the expressions Israelite people and Jewish nation. The word 'people' there means those who belong to the spiritual Church, and 'nation' those who belong to the celestial Church; and this is the reason why 'peoples' means truths and forms of the good of faith, while 'nations' means forms of the good of love, see in the places referred to immediately above.

8294. 'I will unsheathe the sword' means unceasing conflict on the part of falsity arising from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sword' as truth engaged in conflict against falsity and evil, and in the contrary sense as falsity engaged in conflict against truth and good, dealt with in 2799, 4499; and from the meaning of 'unsheathing', or baring it, as unceasing conflict until the enemy has been laid low. Unceasing conflict is likewise meant by an unsheathed or drawn sword in Moses, I will scatter you among the nations, and unsheathe a sword after you. Leviticus 26:33.

In Ezekiel,

I will scatter to every wind all his troop; and I will unsheathe the sword after them. Ezekiel 12:14.

In the same prophet,

Thus said Jehovah, Behold Me against you; I will draw my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. My sword will go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north; so that all flesh may know that I Jehovah have drawn My sword out of its sheath, and it is not going to return any more. Ezekiel 21:3-5.

Here 'unsheathing' or 'drawing the sword' stands for not ceasing to engage in conflict until enemies have been laid low, and so stands for unceasing conflict. Unceasing conflict against evils and falsities is also meant by the unsheathed sword of the Prince of the army of Jehovah whom Joshua saw when he entered the land of Canaan, Joshua 5:13. It was a sign to them that they were to fight the nations there and to destroy them. By 'the nations' in possession of the land of Canaan at that time are meant those who before the Lord's Coming occupied the region of heaven which was subsequently given to members of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, 6914, 8054.