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.

Marriages among people – both in the Bible and in life – represent spiritual marriage. Women represent the desire to be good and to do good things; men represent the understanding of how to be good and how to do good things. Each one of us, male or female, can experience that marriage within us if we work to learn about the Lord and dedicate ourselves to doing His will. And just as natural marriages produce children, so do spiritual marriages. Daughters represent affections, the emotional response we have to good things and positive ideas. Sons represent those positive ideas, facts and knowledge leading to a greater understanding. This makes sense if you think about it. If in life you’re working to be a good person and thinking about how to do that, finding a nugget of wisdom in the Word – or from another source – is a joyful thing. Finding a way to be good to someone and serve them is a joyful thing as well (it helps if they appreciate it, but that’s not really the point). That joy, that affection for what is true and what is good, is a "daughter." On a broader level, daughters also sometimes represent churches, since churches are based on an affection for truth. And as with all representations, the meaning of "daughter" can also be reversed, representing the thrill of evil.

In Psalm 45:9, this signifies a church from goods. (Arcana Coelestia 490)

In Genesis 20:12, this signifies the rational, conceived of celestial good as a father, but not of spiritual truth as a mother. (Arcana Coelestia 2557)