"And I saw," signifies prediction concerning the separation of the good from the evil: "and behold a white cloud," signifies Divine truth in ultimates, such as the Word is in the sense of the letter, which contains the spiritual sense: "and on the cloud one sitting like unto the Son of man," signifies the Lord in the heavens in Divine truth, or the Word which is from Him: "having upon his head a golden crown," signifies Divine good girded for judgment: "and in his hand a sharp sickle," signifies Divine truth minutely exploring and separating.

"And another angel went out from the temple," signifies exploration by the Lord concerning the state of the Church in general: "crying with a great voice to him who sat upon the cloud," signifies annunciation after exploration or visitation; "Thrust in thy sickle and reap, for the hour is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe," signifies that it is time to collect the good and separate them from the evil, because it is the end of the church.

"And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle upon the earth, and the earth was reaped," signifies the collection of the good from the evil, and that thus the church was laid waste.