879. Verses 10-11. And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came back to him at eventide; and lo in her mouth an olive leaf plucked off; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. “And he stayed yet other seven days” signifies the beginning of the second state of regeneration; “seven days” signify what is holy, because now charity is treated of; “and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark” signifies a state of receiving the goods and truths of faith; “and the dove came back to him at eventide” signifies that little by little they began to appear; “eventide” means as in the twilight before morning; “and lo in her mouth an olive leaf plucked off” signifies some little of the truth of faith; “a leaf” is truth; “olive” the good of charity; “plucked off” means that the truth of faith is therefrom; “in her mouth” means that it was shown; “so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth” signifies that these things were so because the falsities that impeded were less abundant than before.

141. Innumerable things might be said about man’s Own in describing its nature with the corporeal and worldly man, with the spiritual man, and with the celestial man. With the corporeal and worldly man, his Own is his all, he knows of nothing else than his Own, and imagines, as before said, that if he were to lose this Own he would perish. With the spiritual man also his Own has a similar appearance, for although he knows that the Lord is the life of all, and gives wisdom and understanding, and consequently the power to think and to act, yet this knowledge is rather the profession of his lips than the belief of his heart. But the celestial man discerns that the Lord is the life of all and gives the power to think and to act, for he perceives that it is really so. He never desires his Own, nevertheless an Own is given him by the Lord, which is conjoined with all perception of what is good and true, and with all happiness. The angels are in such an Own, and are at the same time in the highest peace and tranquility, for in their Own are those things which are the Lord’s, who governs their Own, or them by means of their Own. This Own is the veriest celestial itself, whereas that of the corporeal man is infernal. But concerning this Own more hereafter.