876. The symbolism of it returned to him, to the ark, as goodness and truth that seemed to be religious can be seen from statements above [§874] and just below.

Liberation is symbolized on an inner level not by the dove's return to the ark but by its being sent from the ark and not returning, as indicated by what follows. Verse 12., for instance, says that Noah sent the dove out and it never returned to him again. Verses 15-16. say that he himself was ordered to leave the ark, and verse 18, that he did.

The ark symbolizes the circumstances of these people before rebirth. Under such circumstances they were captives or prisoners, beset on all sides by evil and falsity, or by the flood waters. So returning to Noah, to the ark, signals the relapse of goodness and truth (as meant by the dove) into that condition.

Anything good we intend to do when motivated by self-interest comes back to us, because it focuses on us; we want the world or the angels to see what we are doing, or we desire to earn a place in heaven, or we hope to be the greatest in heaven. Those are the urges inherent in self-interest and in every idea connected with it, however convincing the outer appearance of religious goodness and truth. The goodness and truth that faith embraces is good and true inside, from the very core; that is, the goodness and truth of faith comes entirely from the Lord by way of our deepest levels. When it comes instead from ourselves, or depends on our merits, it is dirty on the inside although apparently clean on the outside, just like a foul-smelling prostitute with a beautiful-looking face or like an Ethiopian person, or rather an Egyptian mummy, dressed in white clothing. ¹

Footnotes:

326. It often happens that when non-Christians come into the other life, if they have worshiped some god in the form of an image or statue or idol, they are introduced to people who take on the roles of those gods or idols in order to help rid them of their illusions. After they have been with these people for a few days, they are taken away.

If they have worshiped particular individuals, then they are introduced either to those people themselves or to individuals who play their parts. Many Jews, for example, are introduced to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, or David; but when they realize that they are just as human as anyone else and that they have nothing special to offer them, they are embarrassed, and are taken off to whatever place is in keeping with their lives.

Of non-Christians, the Africans are especially valued in heaven. They accept the good and true things of heaven more readily than others do. They want especially to be called obedient, but not faithful. They say that Christians could be called "faithful," since they have a doctrine of faith, but only if they accept the doctrine - or, as the Africans say, if they can accept it.