The Bible

 

Genesis 6

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1 Ja kui inimesi hakkas maa peal palju saama ja neile sündis tütreid,

4 Sel ajal, ja veel pärastpoolegi, kui Jumala pojad heitsid inimeste tütarde juurde ja need neile lapsi ilmale tõid, olid hiiglased maa peal: needsamad vägimehed, kes muistsest ajast on kuulsad mehed.

6 siis Issand kahetses, et ta inimese oli teinud maa peale, ja ta süda valutas.

7 Ja Issand ütles: 'Ma tahan inimese, kelle ma olen loonud, maa pealt kaotada, niihästi inimesed kui loomad ja roomajad ja taeva linnud, sest ma kahetsen, et ma nad olen teinud!'

8 Aga Noa leidis armu Issanda silmis.

9 See on jutustus Noa soost: Noa oli üks õige mees, täiesti vaga oma rahvapõlve seas; Noa kõndis koos Jumalaga.

10 Ja Noale sündis kolm poega - Seem, Haam ja Jaafet.

11 Aga maa oli Jumala palge ees raisku läinud ja vägivald täitis maad.

12 Ja Jumal vaatas maad, ja näe, see oli raisku läinud, sest kõik liha maa peal oli oma eluviisides raiskunud.

13 Ja Jumal ütles Noale: 'Ma olen otsustanud teha lõpu kõigele lihale, sest maa on täis nende vägivalda, ja seepärast, vaata, ma hävitan nemad koos maaga.

14 Tee enesele laev goferipuust; laev tee kambritega ja pigita seda seest ning väljast maapigiga!

15 Ja tee see nõndaviisi: laeva pikkus olgu kolmsada küünart, laius viiskümmend küünart ja kõrgus kolmkümmend küünart;

16 valmista see küünramõõdu järgi; tee laevale katus peale ja tee uks laeva küljesse; tee sellele alumine, keskmine ja ülemine lagi!

17 Sest vaata, ma saadan veeuputuse maa peale ja hävitan taeva alt kõik liha, kus eluvaim sees on; kõik, mis maa peal on, peab hinge heitma!

18 Aga sinuga ma teen lepingu ja sina pead minema laeva, sina ja su pojad, su naine ja su poegade naised sinuga.

19 Ja sa pead viima laeva kõigist elavaist olendeist, kõigest lihast, igast liigist kaks, et nad koos sinuga jääksid elama: need olgu isane ja emane.

20 Lindudest nende liikide järgi ja loomadest nende liikide järgi, kõigist roomajaist maa peal nende liikide järgi, kõigist peavad kaks tulema sinu juurde, et nad võiksid jääda elama.

21 Ja sina võta enesele kõigest roast, mida süüakse, ja kogu enese juurde, et see oleks toiduks sinule ja neile.'

22 Ja Noa tegi kõik. Nii nagu Jumal teda käskis, nõnda ta tegi.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #662

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662. 'Everything that is on the earth will breathe its last' means those belonging to that Church who became such. This becomes clear from the fact that 'the earth' does not mean every land throughout the world but only those people who belonged to the Church, as shown already. No flood of any kind is meant here therefore, let alone a flooding of the whole world, but instead the decease or choking to death of those people there who when cut off from remnants, and so from things connected with the understanding of truth and with the will for good, were consequently cut off from the heavens. In addition to places already quoted from the Word, let the following also serve to confirm the fact that 'earth' means that area where the Church is, and therefore those who are there. In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, The whole earth will be desolate, yet I will not bring it to a close. For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black. Jeremiah 4:27-28.

Here 'the earth' stands for people living where the Church is that has been vastated. In Isaiah,

I will jolt heaven, and the earth will be shaken out of its place. Isaiah 13:13.

'Earth' stands for mankind which is to be vastated where the Church is. In Jeremiah,

The slain 1 of Jehovah on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. Jeremiah 25:33.

Here 'the end of the earth' does not mean every land throughout the world, only that area where the Church was, and consequently where members of the Church were. In the same prophet,

I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth. A clamour is coming even to the end of the earth, for Jehovah's controversy is against the nations. Jeremiah 25:29, 31.

Nor is the whole world meant here, only the area where the Church is, and consequently where the inhabitant or member of the Church is. 'The nations' here stands for falsities. In Isaiah,

Behold, Jehovah is coming out of His place to visit the iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth. Isaiah 26:21.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,

Do you not hear? Has it not been pointed out to you from the beginning? Do you not understand the foundations of the earth? Isaiah 40:21.

In the same prophet,

Jehovah who creates the heavens, the God who forms the earth and makes it, the Same establishes it. Isaiah 45:18.

'Earth' stands for the member of the Church. In Zechariah,

The Word of Jehovah who stretches out the heavens, and founds the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. Zechariah 12:1.

'The earth' obviously stands for the member of the Church. The earth is different from the ground in the way that the member of the Church is different from the Church itself, or as love and faith are different.

Footnotes:

1. literally, The pierced

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