Spiritual Meaning of GENESIS 9:17
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AC 1057. Verse 17. And God said unto Noah, This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth. "And God said unto Noah," signifies that the church should know this; "this is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth," signifies that the indication of the presence of the Lord in charity was not only with the man of the church, but also with the man who is outside the church.

AC 1058. And God said unto Noah. That this signifies that the church should know this, is evident from the series of things treated of, which does not appear except from the internal sense, in which these things are thus connected: first, the regenerated spiritual man within the church is treated of; second, every man, universally; third, every man who can be regenerated; and this is the conclusion, namely, that the church should know this. That "Noah" is the church was shown before, and here indeed he is the spiritual church in general, because Noah alone is named. What the church should know, now follows.

AC 1059. his is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth. That this signifies that the indication of the Lord‘s presence in charity was not only with the man of the church, but also with the man outside the church, is evident from the signification of "all flesh," as being every man, and consequently the whole human race. That the whole human race is meant, both within the church and without the church, is evident not only from its being said "all flesh," but also from its not being said as before, "every living soul of all flesh;" and this is made still plainer from its being added, " that is upon the earth." That with those who are outside the church, and are called Gentiles, the Lord is equally present in charity as with those who are within the church, you may see stated above (n. 932, 1032). He is even more present, for there is not so great a cloud in their intellectual part as there is in general with those who are called Christians. For the Gentiles are ignorant of the Word, nor do they know what the Lord is, consequently not what the truth of faith is; and therefore they cannot be against the Lord and against the truth of faith. Hence their "cloud" is not against the Lord and the truth of faith; and such a cloud may be easily dispersed when they are enlightened. But the cloud of Christians is against the Lord and against the truths of faith, and this cloud is so dense as to be darkness. And when there is hatred in place of charity, then it is thick darkness. Still darker is it with those who profane the truths of faith, which the Gentiles cannot do because they live in ignorance of the truth of faith. No one can profane that of which he does not know the nature or the existence. This is why more of the Gentiles are saved than of Christians, accordance with what the Lord also said in (Luke 13:23, 28-30), besides that their children all belong to the Lord’s kingdom (Matt. 18:10, 14; 19:14; Luke 18:16).

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Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. www.BibleMeanings.info