To the 21st century reader, the idea of evolution taking place in one week is ludicrous. Likewise it is generally thought that the narrative regarding other stories such as Noah's ark and the flood, the escape of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt, and their wanderings in the desert may not be historically accurate. Nevertheless many readers of the Bible have sensed something in these stories that is profound about the mystery of life.
b flix might say that the creation story is a general picture we can relate to in human terms of the Creator's working week after which a day of rest is needed. Which of us doesn't need a rest now and then. However, according to Secrets of Heaven there is much more to be learned from biblical imagery which is said to contain rich symbolic meaning. For example the six days are claimed to correspond to six distinct stages in personal growth.
Swedenborg and the Garden of Eden
According to Secrets of Heaven, the Garden of Eden represents an orderly state of mind where unselfish love inspires intelligent perception. We find the idea that when people rely instead on being sensory-minded they fall into all sorts of misconceptions and unwise behaviour. This is said to be the meaning of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge rather than from the tree of life. In other words, instead of taking the story of Eve in the Garden as an account of woman as the root of all evil, Swedenborg perceives an ever-present tendency in both men and women, represented by Eve, to 'fall', from intelligent perception when beguiled by the senses.
Swedenborg and the Flood
The story of the flood, which Noah's ark survived, has been generally seen as God's judgment on a corrupt society, but again we find in Secrets of Heaven a deeper analysis. It states that the inner conflict and personal crises which many people experience during the course of their lives, are testing times after each of which personal growth can take place: bad habits and adopted illusions are gradually set to one side whilst what is good and sensible is preserved.