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.

189. "'That no one may take your crown.'" This symbolically means, lest they lose the wisdom from which comes eternal happiness.

A person acquires wisdom from no other source than goodness gained through truths from the Lord. A person acquires wisdom through these truths because they are the means by which the Lord conjoins Himself with the person and the person with Himself, and the Lord is wisdom itself. Wisdom consequently perishes in a person when he stops putting truths into practice, that is, when he stops living in accordance with them. He also then ceases to love wisdom, and accordingly ceases to love the Lord.

By wisdom we mean wisdom in spiritual matters. From this as a wellspring flows wisdom in all else, which we call intelligence, and through this knowledge, which results from an affection for knowing truths.

A crown symbolizes wisdom, because wisdom occupies the highest place in a person and so crowns him. Nor is anything else symbolized by the crown of a king, for a king in the Word's spiritual sense is Divine truth (no. 20), and from Divine truth comes all wisdom.

[2] Wisdom is symbolically meant by a crown also in the following passages:

...I will make the horn of David grow..., and upon Him His crown shall flourish. (Psalms 132:17-18)

(Jehovah) put... earrings in your ears, and an ornate crown on your head. (Ezekiel 16:12)

This is said of Jerusalem, which symbolizes the church in respect to doctrine, and therefore the ornate crown is wisdom originating from Divine truth or the Word.

In that day Jehovah of Hosts will be for an ornate crown and a beautiful turban to the remnants of His people. (Isaiah 28:5)

This is said of the Lord, because it says "in that day." The ornate crown for which He will be is wisdom, and the beautiful turban is intelligence. The remnants of the people are people among whom the church will be.

[3] The crown and turban in Isaiah 62:1, 3 have the same symbolic meaning. So, too, does the plate upon the turban of Aaron in Exodus 28:36-37, which is also called a miter.

Furthermore, in the following:

Say to the king and his lady, "Lower yourselves, sit down, for the ornament of your head has come down, the crown of your beauty." (Jeremiah 13:18)

The joy of our heart has ceased... The crown has fallen from our head. (Lamentations 5:15-16)

He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. (Job 19:9)

You have profaned [by casting it] to the ground the crown (of Your anointed). (Psalms 89:39)

The crown in these places symbolizes wisdom.