12
Και εγεινεν ο υετος επι της γης τεσσαρακοντα ημερας και τεσσαρακοντα νυκτας.
Arcana Coelestia #795
795. All the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. That this signifies that all the goods of charity were extinguished, is evident from the signification of mountains among the most ancient people. With them mountains signified the Lord, for the reason that they held their worship of Him on mountains, because these were the highest places on earth. Hence “mountains” signified celestial things (which also were called the “highest”), consequently love and charity, and thereby the goods of love and charity, which are celestial. And in the opposite sense those also are called “mountains” who are vainglorious; and therefore a “mountain” stands for the very love of self. The Most Ancient Church is also signified in the Word by “mountains” from these being elevated above the earth and nearer as it were to heaven, to the beginnings of things.
[2] That “mountains” signify the Lord, and all things celestial from Him, or the goods of love and charity, is evident from the following passages in the Word, from which it is plain what they signify in particular cases, for all things in the Word, both in general and in particular, have a signification according to the subject to which they are applied.
In David:
The mountains shall bring peace, and the hills, in righteousness (Psalms 72:3).
“Mountains” denote here love to the Lord; “hills” love toward the neighbor, such as was with the Most Ancient Church, which because of this character is also signified in the Word by “mountains” and “hills.”
In Ezekiel:
In the mountain of My holiness, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovih, there shall all the house of Israel serve Me, that whole land (Ezekiel 20:40).
The “mountain of holiness” here denotes love to the Lord; the “mountain of the height of Israel” charity toward the neighbor.
In Isaiah:
It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills (Isaiah 2:2),
where “mountains” denote the Lord, and thence all that is celestial.
Again:
In this mountain shall Jehovah Zebaoth make unto all peoples a feast of fat things, and He will take away in this mountain the face of the covering (Isaiah 25:6-7).
“Mountain” here denotes the Lord, and hence all that is celestial.
[3] Again:
And there shall be upon every lofty mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers, streams of waters (Isaiah 30:25),
where “mountains” denote goods of love; “hills” goods of charity, from which are truths of faith, which are the “rivers and streams of waters.” Again:
Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy feast is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of Jehovah, to the rock of Israel (Isaiah 30:29).
The “mountain of Jehovah” here denotes the Lord with reference to the goods of love; the “Rock of Israel” the Lord with reference to the goods of charity. Again:
Jehovah Zebaoth shall come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon the hill thereof (Isaiah 31:4).
“Mount Zion” here and elsewhere in many places, denotes the Lord, and hence all that is celestial and which is love; and “hills” denote what is celestial of lower degree, which is charity.
[4] Again:
O Zion that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength (Isaiah 40:9).
To “go up into the high mountain and bring good tidings” is to worship the Lord from love and charity, which are inmost, and are therefore also called “highest” because what is inmost is called highest. Again:
Let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains (Isaiah 42:11).
The “inhabitants of the rock” denote those who are in charity; to “shout from the top of the mountains” is to worship the Lord from love. Again:
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation (Isaiah 52:7).
To “bring good tidings upon the mountains” is likewise to preach the Lord from the doctrine of love and charity, and from these to worship Him. Again:
The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12);
denoting worship of the Lord from love and charity, which are “the mountains and the hills;” and from the faith thence derived, which are the “trees of the field.”
[5] Again:
I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be exalted (Isaiah 49:11); where “mountains” denote love and charity; and “way” and “highways” the truths of faith thence derived, which are said to be “exalted” when they are from love and charity as their inmost.
Again:
He that putteth his trust in Me shall possess the land as a heritage, and shall inherit the mountain of My holiness (Isaiah 57:13); denoting the Lord’s kingdom, wherein is nothing but love and charity.
Again:
I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of My mountains, and Mine elect shall possess it (Isaiah 65:9).
“Mountains” here denote the Lord’s kingdom and celestial goods; “Judah” the celestial church.
And again:
Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place (Isaiah 57:15).
“High” here denotes what is holy; and hence it is that on account of their height above the earth, mountains signify the Lord and His holy celestial things. And it was for this reason that the Lord promulgated the Law from Mount Sinai. Love and charity are also meant by the Lord, by “mountains” where, speaking of the consummation of the age, He says:
Then let them that are in Judea flee into the mountains (Matthew 24:16; Luke 21:21; Mark 13:14), where “Judea” denotes the vastated church.
Genesis 7
1
Yahweh said to Noah, "Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation.
2
You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female.
3
Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth.
4
In seven days, I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights. Every living thing that I have made, I will destroy from the surface of the ground."
5
Noah did everything that Yahweh commanded him.
6
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth.
7
Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, because of the waters of the flood.
8
Clean animals, animals that are not Clean, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground
9
went by pairs to Noah into the ship, male and female, as God commanded Noah.
10
It happened after the seven days, that the waters of the flood came on the earth.
11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky's windows were opened.
12
The rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
13
In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship;
14
they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort.
15
They went to Noah into the ship, by pairs of all flesh with the breath of life in them.
16
Those who went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him; and Yahweh shut him in.
17
The flood was forty days on the earth. The waters increased, and lifted up the ship, and it was lifted up above the earth.
18
The waters prevailed, and increased greatly on the earth; and the ship floated on the surface of the waters.
19
The waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth. All the high mountains that were under the whole sky were covered.
20
The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.
21
All flesh died that moved on the earth, including birds, livestock, animals, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.
22
All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land, died.
23
Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ship.
24
The waters prevailed on the earth one hundred fifty days.
