In the Book of Amos, chapter two begins with the Lord declaring his anger against the people of Moab, Judea, and Israel. They have committed various wrongs against the Lord and the church, despite His efforts to guide them, and the chapter goes on to suggest that the Lord is losing faith in His people.

Verses 1-8 of this chapter describe the specific ways in which people can destroy or misuse the good and truth of the Word.

Verses 1-3 discuss the Moabites specifically. They represent people who corrupt the good and truth of the church, meaning they would twist what they learned from the Word to suit their own selfish purposes. Bones represent natural truths that we can use as a framework to support all higher knowledge that we learn, so the fact that people were ‘burning bones’ means they destroyed their own foundation to gain spiritual knowledge. In verse 3, the Lord says that he will cut off the judge and the prince, meaning that the Moabites’ failure to determine what is good (like the judge), and lead a life based in truth (like the prince) will not stand against the real spiritual principles of the Lord.

Verses 4-5 are about people who destroy celestial things from the Word, by turning their hearts away from the Lord. The people of Judea had believed they were the Lord’s chosen people for so many generations at this point that they grew complacent, and no longer felt they needed to obey the Lord’s commandments.

Verses 6-8 tell what can happen when people pervert spiritual truths from the church, and turn them into falsities. Swedenborg writes that most of the images from these verses - silver, shoes, dust, wine - can all represent either falsity, or only the most external type of truth. The Israelites were turning to these falsities and to their own greed, instead of using the Lord’s truths to help the poor and the meek.

In verses 9-11, the Lord reminds the children of Israel of everything he has done to prepare them for salvation. He fought for them and delivered them from Egypt, lifted up their leaders and prophets, and provided them with the truths they would need in order to be regenerated.

He also shows that He has the strength to punish them, because He’s already overcome the Amorites, who symbolize evil in general (Secrets of Heaven 6306).

Verses 12-16 describe how the Israelites perverted the knowledge the Lord tried to give them. Instead of trusting what the Lord had taught them, they turned to their own self-righteousness for guidance. Since they thought they had all the answers, they corrupted the Nazarites and silenced the prophets. Without a proper understanding of the Lord’s teachings, the people were no longer equipped to fight against evils or to grow spiritually.

At face value, this chapter depicts the Lord as an angry god who will punish those who disobey him. What seems to be anger is actually the Lord fiercely protecting us, and calling us to follow Him. This chapter reminds us to turn our hearts toward the Lord, and to live according to the truths of the Word.

795. 'All the high mountains beneath the whole sky were covered' means that all goods stemming from charity were done away with. This is clear from the meaning of 'mountains' among the most ancient people. Among them 'mountains' meant the Lord, for they conducted their worship of Him on mountains because these were the loftiest parts of the earth. Consequently 'mountains' meant heavenly things which they also called 'the most high', and accordingly love and charity, and so the goods that stem from love and charity, which are heavenly things. In the contrary sense also, the people who are haughty are called 'mountains' in the Word, and so mountains also mean self-love. The Most Ancient Church also is meant in the Word by 'mountains' from the fact that mountains rose up above the earth and were nearer so to speak to heaven, where things have their origins.

[2] That 'mountains' means the Lord, and all heavenly things deriving from Him, that is, goods that stem from love and charity, is clear from the following places in the Word. These show what 'mountains' means in particular, for every single detail takes its meaning from the matter to which it applies. In David,

The mountains will bring peace, and the hills, in righteousness. Psalms 72:3.

'Mountains' stands for love to the Lord, 'hills' for love towards the neighbour, such as existed with the Most Ancient Church, which, since it was of such a nature, is also meant in the Word by 'mountains' and therefore 'hills'. In Ezekiel,

On My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel, said the Lord Jehovih, there all the house of Israel, all of them that are in the land, will serve Me. Ezekiel 20:40.

Here 'holy mountain' stands for love to the Lord, 'mountain height of Israel' for charity towards the neighbour. In Isaiah,

It will be in the latter days that the mountain of the house Jehovah will be established on the top of the mountains, and raised above the hills. Isaiah 2:2.

This stands for the Lord and consequently for everything heavenly.

[3] In the same prophet,

Jehovah Zebaoth will make for all peoples on this mountain a feast of fat things, and He will swallow up on this mountain the face ¹ of the covering. Isaiah 25:6-7.

'Mountain' stands for the Lord and consequently for everything heavenly. In the same prophet,

It will be that on every high mountain, and on every lofty hill, there will be brooks, streams of water. Isaiah 30:25.

'Mountains' stands for goods that stem from love, 'hills' for goods that stem from charity, such goods being the source of truths of faith, which are 'brooks and streams of water'. In the same prophet,

You will have a song as in the night when a feast is hallowed, and joy of heart as when one goes with a flute to come to the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel. Isaiah 30:29.

'Mountain of Jehovah' stands for the Lord with reference to goods that stem from love, 'Rock of Israel' for the Lord with reference to goods that stem from charity.

[4] In the same prophet,

Jehovah Zebaoth will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Isaiah 31:4.

Here and in many other places 'Mount Zion' stands for the Lord and consequently for everything celestial, which is love, and 'hill' for what is celestial but lower, which is charity.

In the same prophet,

Get you up on to the high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings. Isaiah 40:9.

'Getting up on to the high mountain and declaring good tidings' is worshipping the Lord from love and charity, which are inmost things, and are therefore also called most high. That which is inmost is referred to as the most high. In the same prophet,

Let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Isaiah 42:11.

'Inhabitants of the rock' stands for those who abide in charity, 'shouting from the top of the mountains' for worshipping the Lord from love. In the same prophet,

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of Him who is bringing good tidings, causing peace to be heard, bringing good tidings of good, causing salvation to be heard. Isaiah 52:7

'Bringing good tidings on the mountains' in like manner stands for preaching about the Lord from doctrine concerning love and charity, and for worshipping from these. In the same prophet,

The mountains and the hills will resound before you with song, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12.

This stands for worshipping the Lord from love and charity, which are 'the mountains and the hills', and from faith deriving from these, which is 'the trees of the field'.

[5] In the same prophet,

I will set all My mountains as a way, and My pathways will be raised up. Isaiah 49:11.

'Mountains' stands for love and charity, 'way' and 'pathway' for the truths of faith deriving from these, which are said to be 'raised up' when they stem from love and charity, which are inmost. In the same prophet,

He who trusts in Me will take possession in the land, and will inherit My holy mountain. Isaiah 57:13.

This stands for the Lord's kingdom where there is nothing other than love and charity. In the same prophet,

I will bring forth seed from Jacob, and from Judah the heir of My mountains, and My chosen ones will possess it. Isaiah 65:9.

'Mountains' stands for the Lord's kingdom and for celestial goods, and 'Judah' for the celestial Church. In the same prophet,

Thus said the High and Lofty One inhabiting eternity, whose name is the Holy One. I dwell as the High and Holy One Isaiah 57:15.

Here 'high' stands for holy. Consequently 'mountains', on account of their height above the earth, meant the Lord, and holy heavenly things that are His. This also is why it was from Mount Sinai that the Lord proclaimed the Law. Love and charity are also what the Lord means by 'mountains' when, in reference to the close of the age, He says that those who were then in Judaea were to flee to the mountains, Matthew 24:16; Luke 21:21; Mark 13:14. Here 'Judaea' stands for the vastated Church.

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