The Ark as the Church

Dogs, according to what was said: 'Watch out for the dogs'; and having fully received the craftiness of wickedness, they were dissolved in a manner fitting the destruction caused by wickedness, this being a symbolic indication of the water. These themselves are also earthly, as having lost the heavenly image; and they themselves perished 'upon the dry land,' of a wickedness possessing nothing life-giving (Gen 7:23–24).

And Noah alone was left remaining, and those with him in the ark, and the water rose upon the earth for one hundred and fifty days. Fittingly Noah is saved without participating in wickedness, along with those who were with him and being instructed by him, having risen above the weight of the water understood allegorically by fifteen cubits, reaching the temple through the steps, and having fulfilled the things foretold through the number: for 'water' 'will not be able to much extinguish love' (Gen 8:1–3).

And God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock and all the winged creatures, as many as were with him inside the ark. And God brought a wind upon the earth, and the water subsided; and the fountains of the abyss were covered and the cataracts of the heaven, and the rain was restrained from the heaven. And the water was receding as it went from the earth, the water was receding and retreating after fifty and one hundred days.

And the 'remembered' is to be heard in a God-befitting way, not as from forgetfulness, but just as he says concerning the ungodly: 'I do not know where you are from; depart, workers of iniquity; never did I know you' (Matt 25:12), the 'never' here indicating knowledge, 'never as having had you as our own'; 'remembered' is not having been overlooked—for the holy is before God always—but rather to make the memory of him a beginning of a race to lead him to the beginning, and similarly for the others. Some seek where the water of the deluge has retreated, through the coming of a wind, by which the water was subsided, whether this be the will of God or a divine power being at work; and in addition to this, it became a co-worker for the subsiding of the abysses and the upper downpour being hindered (Gen 8:4).

And the ark rested in the seventh month, and the following. The spoken is manifest; let us look at the thing toward understanding.

Yes, the ark is the church saving those who are clinging to it through prudence and works of virtue, which also sits in highness. For it never becomes in lowliness, therefore nor do the gates of Hades prevail against it; it stands before Christ glorious, having neither wrinkle nor line or anything of that kind, since even Christ is in highness, which is shown in 'Behold, this one comes leaping upon the mountains' (Song of Solomon 2:8), the prophets and Moses and the invisible powers. It sits, therefore, upon the rock, by the word of the cleavage of piety. For 'the foundations' (Psalm 127:1) of God are 'in the holy mountains' (Psalm 127:1), which also are the city of God; for 'God' (Psalm 89:2) 'established it for all eternity' (Psalm 89:2). 'For they received' (Isaiah 26:2) it says 'the city having the foundations' (Isaiah 26:2), of which God is the craftsman and creator. Let the mountains also have driven away 1380 sheep that did not fall by the plan. And if anyone through the number wishes to speak technically, he might say that the stability of the divine church is shown through it; for this is square, and the same is also a cube; for three times three is twenty-seven. And 'Arariad' is interpreted as a testimony of descent; but God testifies to that which is upon the church through a descending polity, which is unseasonable; for it has been said: 'If you pass through water, rivers shall not overwhelm you' (Isaiah 43:2), and again: 'We passed through fire and water, and you brought us out to refreshment' (Isaiah 43:2). And it is also good that the deluge be fulfilled in a year; for when the true sun shines and illuminates our intellect, then every disturbance of the soul shall be driven away.

[Uncertain/Broken Greek] And Noah opened the door of the ark, and the following. And here the spoken word is not obscure; but if, looking toward edification, you investigate the things concerning opening, that the knowledge of 196 seasons is necessary for the righteous and is for his own benefit and for the benefit of others. For there is a time when it is proper to close and a time when it is proper to open; thus, after the Savior opened, it was said to those regarding Cleopas: 'Did not our heart burn within us when he opened to us the Scriptures?' (Luke 24:32) but also you will observe the 'Open to me the gates of righteousness' (Psalm 115:19) if it coincides with the spoken word, and the thing protected in Isaiah, 'Open, you princes' (Isaiah 26:2), from the same sequence; and the...