3037. 'And who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying' means the Divine itself from whom came His Divine will and understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as perceiving, dealt with in 3029, and also as willing, 2626; and from the meaning of 'swearing' as confirmation from the Divine and as that which has reference to truths which belong to the understanding, 2842. When Jehovah is referred to as 'speaking' the meaning in the internal sense is that He wills, for whatever Jehovah speaks He also wills. But when Jehovah is referred to as 'swearing' the meaning in the internal sense is that He understands it to be true. Thus when used in reference to Jehovah, 'swearing' means understanding, as becomes clear also from the places quoted from the Word in 2842.

638. Verse 14 Make yourself an ark of planks of gopher; you shall make the ark with rooms and cover it ¹ inside and out with bitumen.

'The ark' means the member of this Church. 'Planks of gopher' means his lusts. 'Rooms' means the two parts of man - that of the will and that of the understanding. 'Bitumening it inside and out with bitumen ¹ means preservation from the deluge of evil desires.

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