The Bible

 

Genesis 8:8

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8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

Commentary

 

The Meaning of Noah and the Flood

By OffTheLeftEye Staff

Is the Noah’s Ark story in the book of Genesis really about God destroying creation? A spiritual Bible interpretation of the story reveals its true meaning.

In this video, host Curtis Childs guides us through the revelations about the Old Testament parable that eighteenth-century philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg had during his spiritual experiences. Swedenborg’s perspectives transcend literal interpretations to provide a hopeful lesson about salvation. While it may seem like the Bible story is about God destroying creation, Swedenborg’s spiritual perspectives suggest that it symbolizes God’s still-ongoing efforts to save us from self-destruction.

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This video is a product of the Swedenborg Foundation. Follow these links for further information and other videos: www.youtube.com/user/offTheLeftEye and www.swedenborg.com

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #772

Study this Passage

  
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772. Verses 14-15 They, and every wild animal according to its kind, and every beast according to its kind, and every creeping thing that creeps over the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, every flying thing, and every winged thing. And they went in to Noah into the ark, two and two from all flesh in which there was the spirit of life. 1

'They' means in general the member of the Church. 'Every wild animal according to its kind' means all spiritual good. '[Every] beast according to its kind' means natural good. 'Every creeping thing that creeps over the earth according to its kind' means all sensory and bodily good. 'Every bird according to its kind' means all spiritual truth. 'Flying thing' means natural truth. 'Winged thing' means sensory truth. 'They went in to Noah into the ark' means, as previously, that they were saved. 'Two and two' means, as previously, pairs. 'Of all flesh in which there is the spirit of life' 1 means a new creature, or the fact that they received new life from the Lord.

Footnotes:

1. literally, of lives

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