The Bible

 

Genesis 1:9

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9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Spiritual Experiences #5605

  
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5605. They have the Word of the ancient Church, which Moses mentioned, calling it "the wars of Jehovah" [Num. 21:14], and the prophetical enunciations, about which [he speaks] 1 . They said that this Word has been written so that they can be instructed in the details. It was also inspired, but because it ceased to be suitable to subsequent people another word (sic) was written. The nature of this Word is evident from the first Books of Genesis, which are taken from it.

Footnotes:

1. See The Doctrine of New Jerusalem concerning Sacred Scripture 103.

  
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Thanks to the Academy of the New Church, and Bryn Athyn College, for the permission to use this translation.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1929

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1929. That such things as these are meant by the statement that 'the angel of Jehovah found Hagar near a spring of water in the desert, near the spring on the road to Shur' cannot possibly be seen from the literal sense, still less when seen as an event in history; for this sense seems to be far removed from - meaning such things. Yet this is the very meaning which enters into the ideas present in the minds of angels when these descriptions are read by man. For angels have no idea in their minds of Hagar, or of a spring of water, or of a desert, or of a road, or of Shur. None of these come through to them, but perish at the threshold. It is that meant by Hagar, a spring, a desert, a road, or Shur, which they understand and from which they form heavenly ideas; and it is in this manner that they perceive the Word of the Lord, for to them the internal sense is the Word.

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