The Bible

 

创世记 8

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1 记念挪亚和挪亚方舟里的一切走牲畜,水势渐落。

2 渊源和上的窗户都闭塞了,上的大雨也止住了。

3 水从上渐退。过了一五十,水就渐消。

4 日,方舟停在亚拉腊上。

5 水又渐消,到十初一日,顶都现出来了。

6 过了四十,挪亚开了方舟的窗户,

7 放出一只乌鸦去;那乌鸦飞来飞去,直到上的水都乾了。

8 他又放出一只鸽子去,要水从地上退了没有。

9 但遍上都是水,鸽子不着落,就回到方舟挪亚那里,挪亚伸鸽子接进方舟

10 他又等了,再把鸽子从方舟放出去。

11 到了晚上鸽子回到他那里,嘴里叼着一个新拧下橄榄子,挪亚就知道上的水退了。

12 他又等了,放出鸽子去,鸽子就不再回来了。

13 到挪亚零一岁,正初一日,上的水都乾了。挪亚撤去方舟的盖观,便见地面上乾了。

14 到了二二十日,就都乾了。

15 对挪亚

16 你和你的妻子、儿子、儿妇都可以出方舟。

17 在你那里凡有血的活物,就是飞牲畜,和一切爬在上的昆虫,都要带出来,叫他在上多多滋生,大大兴旺。

18 於是挪亚和他的妻子、儿子、儿妇都出来了。

19 一切走、昆虫、飞,和上所有的动物,各从其类,也都出了方舟。

20 挪亚为耶和华筑了一座,拿各类洁净的牲畜、飞献在上为燔祭。

21 耶和华那馨之气,就:我不再因人的缘故咒诅地(人从小时里怀着恶念),也不再按着我才行的灭各种的活物了。

22 还存留的时候,稼穑、寒暑、冬夏、昼夜就永不停息了。

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #900

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900. That 'the second month' means the whole of the state prior to regeneration is clear from the meaning of 'two' in the Word. 'Two' has the same meaning as 'six', that is, the conflict and toil that come before regeneration. Thus here it means the whole of the state that comes before a person has been regenerated. In the Word it is common for periods of time, long or short, to be divided into threes or sevens and to be called days, weeks, months, years, or ages. 'Three' and 'seven' are holy, while 'two' or 'six', which come before them, are not holy but in comparison are unholy, as shown already in 720. Three and seven are also sacred numbers because both of them occur in statements concerning the Last Judgement which will take place on the third or the seventh day. It is the last judgement for everybody when the Lord comes, either in general or in particular. That is to say, there was a last judgement when the Lord came into the world; there will be a last judgement when He comes in glory; there is a last judgement when He comes to each person in particular. There is also a last judgement awaiting everyone when he dies. This last judgement is meant by 'the third day' and 'the seventh day'. It is a holy day for people who have lived well, but not for those who have lived wickedly. Consequently 'the third day', and 'the seventh', apply to people for whom judgement points to death as well as to those for whom judgement points to life. In reference to those therefore whose judgement points to death these numbers mean that which is not holy, but in reference to those whose judgement points to life they mean that which is holy. Two or six which come before them relate to, and in general mean, the whole of that state which precedes. This is the meaning of the numbers two and six, whatever the subject and whatever the aspects of it they refer to. This becomes clearer still from what follows next concerning the number 'twenty-seven'.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.