From Swedenborg's Works

 

Secrets of Heaven #1024

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1024. The symbolism of with you as a spiritual person who has been reborn is established by a plethora of earlier statements to the effect that Noah and his sons symbolize a spiritual church that took the place of the earliest, heavenly church [§§597-598, 605, 726, 765, 788:1, 851]. Since they symbolize a church, they symbolize every member of that church and so a spiritual person who has been reborn.

  
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Many thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation and its New Century Edition team.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Secrets of Heaven #765

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765. Up to this point, the subject has been the trials of the people in the church who were called Noah. First to be discussed were their trials involving the contents of their intellect, which are the true ideas that compose faith (verses 6-10). Next were their trials involving the contents of their will, which have to do with the good impulses of charity (verses 11, 12). The purpose of these struggles was to bring about the rebirth of the individual belonging to the church — in other words, the birth of a new church — when the earliest church ended.

This church, as already explained [§§371, 597, 607], had a different character than the earliest church. It was a spiritual religion, which is one whose members are reborn by means of the doctrinal precepts of faith. When these precepts have taken root, they allow for the introduction of conscience, which prevents a person from acting contrary to the truth and goodness that faith embraces. Such people can then receive the gift of charity, which governs their conscience, and this becomes their guide to behavior. These details illustrate the nature of the spiritual person — not one who considers faith without charity to be saving but one who views charity as the essential quality of faith and takes it as a basis for action.

The emergence of such an individual, or such a church, was the end in view, and so attention now turns to this church.

We can also see that this church is now the subject from the repetition of what seems to be the same idea. The present verse says, "On that very day Noah entered the ark, as did Shem and Ham, and Japheth, Noah's sons, and Noah's wife and his sons' three wives with them." Verse 7 above makes a similar statement, but in these words: "And Noah entered the ark, as did his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him." Because the church is now the subject, the sons are mentioned by name — Shem, Ham, and Japheth. When they are called by name, they symbolize the people of the church. When on the other hand they are referred to as sons, without names, they symbolize the true concepts of faith.

In addition, what was said at verses 8-9 about the entry of the animals and birds into the ark is repeated in verses 14-15, and 16, with variations here to suit and adapt it to the church.

  
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Many thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation and its New Century Edition team.