908. And in His hand a sharp sickle, signifies the Divine truth accurately exploring and separating. This is evident from the signification of a "sickle," as being the Divine truth accurately exploring and separating. This is the signification of "sickle," because it has almost the same signification as "sword" [gladius et machaera], which means in the spiritual sense the Divine truth fighting against falsity and dispersing it (See above, 73, 131, 367); so here in place of sword [gladius et machaera] a "sickle" is mentioned, because the harvest is treated of, respecting which and the sickle more will be said hereafter. "A sharp sickle" signifies the Divine truth accurately exploring and separating, because the "harvest" signifies the last state of the church preceding the Last Judgment, when the Lord explores everyone and separates; and when this is done the good are raised up into heaven and the evil cast into hell, which is the Last Judgment. That such exploration and separation are effected before the Last Judgment, and have also been done at this day, has been set forth to some extent from experience in the work on The Last Judgment, and also above; and more will be said about it in an appendix at the end of this work.

[2] That "sharp" signifies what is careful, accurate and complete, is evident without explanation. For a sharp sickle, like a sharp sword, acts with great accuracy and pierces very keenly. This is shown in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Jehovah hath made my mouth like a sharp sword (Isaiah 49:2).

The "mouth" of the prophet signifies the Divine truth, and for this reason is compared to a sharp sword, meaning that the Divine truth pierces and wholly disperses and destroys falsity. So in Revelation:

Out of the mouth of the Son of man went forth a sharp two-edged sword (Revelation 1:16; 2:12; 19:15, 21).

The tongue of the wicked, which speaks falsities from interior evil, and pierces and disperses truths, is also compared to a sharp sword and sharp arrows. In David:

My soul, in the midst of lions do I lie; the sons of man are set on fire, their teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword (Psalms 57:4).

And elsewhere:

Jehovah deliver my soul from the lip of falsehood, from the tongue of deceit, sharp arrows of the mighty (Psalms 120:2, 4).

Here "the lip of falsehood and the tongue of deceit" stand for falsities from evil; and the dispersion of truth by falsities is signified by "a sharp sword" and "sharp arrows." In like manner in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 5:1).

913. Verses 17-19. And another angel went out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel went out from the altar, having authority over the fire; and he cried with a great cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vineyard of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripened. And the angel cast his sickle into the earth and gathered the vineyard of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the anger of God.

17. "And another angel went out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle," signifies manifestation by the Lord of the devastation of the church as to the Divine truth such as it is in heaven, after exploration n. 914.

18. "And another angel went out from the altar," signifies manifestation by the Lord of the devastation of the church as to the good of love and charity (n. 915); "having authority over the fire," signifies thus in respect to celestial and spiritual love n. 916; "and he cried with a great cry," signifies announcement after exploration or visitation (n. 917); "saying, Send thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripened," signifies that the collection and separation of the good from the evil must take place, since there are no longer any truths of faith because there is no spiritual good, which is charity n. 918.

19. "And the angel cast his sickle into the earth and gathered the vineyard of the earth," signifies that this was done n. 919; "and cast it into the great wine-press of the anger of God," signifies falsification of the Word as to all spiritual truth, and consequent damnation, because there is no spiritual good, which is charity, n. 920.