Apocalypse Revealed #646
646. 14:16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. This symbolizes the end of the church, because it no longer had any Divine truth in it.
This is the symbolic meaning, because He who sat on the cloud symbolizes the Lord in relation to the Word (no. 642). To thrust in the sickle and reap means, symbolically, to put an end to something and execute judgment (no. 643). The harvest symbolizes the state of the church, here its last state (nos. 643, 645). And the earth symbolizes the church (no. 285).
When these symbolic meanings are combined into one, it is apparent from them that "He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped" symbolizes the end of the church, because it no longer had any Divine truth in it.
Apocalypse Revealed #643
643. Having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. This symbolizes the Divine wisdom emanating from the Lord's Divine love, and the Divine truth in the Word.
That a crown on the head symbolizes wisdom may be seen in nos. 189, 252 above, and a golden crown wisdom springing from love in no. 235. And because the crown was seen on the head of the Son of Man, or the Lord, the golden crown symbolizes the Divine wisdom emanating from His Divine love.
A sickle symbolizes the Divine truth in the Word because a harvest symbolizes the state of the church in respect to Divine truth - here its last state - and therefore to harvest, which is what a sickle is used for, here means, symbolically, to put an end to the state of the church and to execute judgment. Moreover, because these actions are accomplished by means of the Word's Divine truth, therefore this is what is symbolically meant by a sickle, and by a sharp sickle its being accomplished perfectly and flawlessly.
A sickle has the same symbolic meaning as swords, but a sickle is specified when the subject has to do with harvesting, while a sword is specified when the subject has to do with war.
That swords symbolize Divine truth combating falsities, and the converse, may be seen in nos. 52, 108, 117 above.
