Swedenborg says that water in the Bible represents true ideas about natural, external things – day-to-day life and physical existence. The sea represents the whole collection we have of these “natural truths” (to use a common term in Swedenborg).
Those representations – like all other representations in the Bible – can be negative as well as positive; the water in the sea can also represent false thinking and twisted logic. This is especially true when a storm stirs up the sea and causes waves; the waves represent arguments which come from false and twisted thinking and which attack our belief in what’s true. In most cases this comes in the form of temptation, when false thinking attempts to link up with our evil desires and convince us that it’s OK – and even good – to go ahead and do what we want.
Passages from Swedenborg
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[5] The same thing is signified by these words in Zechariah:
“Israel shall pass through the sea of affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the depths of the river shall be dried up; and the pride of Assyria shall be cast down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart away” (x. 11).
That those who live in truths from good are defended by the Lord, although falsities from the hells encompass them, is signified by Israel passing through the sea, and smiting thewaves in the sea, and all the depths of the river being dried up. For by Israel are meant those who are in truths from good; by the sea is signified hell and all the falsity thence; by the waves of the sea are signified reasonings from falsities against truths; by drying up all the depths of the river is signified to scatter all the falsities of evil, even the more profound.
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[23] In David:
“They who go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, and lifteth up the waves thereof. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still” (Psalm cvii. 23, 25, 29).
These things refer to temptations and liberation from them; the stormy wind, and the lifting up of the waves of the sea signify temptations, because spiritual temptations are caused by falsities rushing into the thoughts, from which arise pains of conscience and grief of mind and soul, and these are signified by “He raiseth the stormy wind and lifteth up the waves thereof.” Liberation from them is signified by, “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.”
[24] The same is signified by these words in Mark:
“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow; and they awoke him, and say unto him, Carest thou not that we perish? And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (iv. 37-39).
Also in Luke:
“As they sailed he fell asleep; and there came down a storm of wind on the lake, and they were filled with water and were in jeopardy. And they came to him and awoke him, saying Master, Master, we perish. Then he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water; and they ceased, and there was a calm” (viii. 23, 24).
This, like all the miracles of the Lord, contains arcana of heaven, and interior things of the church. Divine miracles differ from those that are not divine in this, that Divine miracles also signify Divine things, because the Divine is in them, but miracles not divine have no signification, because there is nothing of the Divine in them. And, moreover, in the description of the Divine miracles in the Word, and in every detail of it, there is a spiritual sense. The above miracle refers to spiritual temptations. The great storm of wind that caused the waves to beat into the ship, so that it was full, signifies those temptations; and deliverance from these is signified by Jesus awakening when they were in great fear, rebuking the wind, and saying to the sea, “Peace, be still;” and by the ceasing of the wind, and the great calm. Every word contains a spiritual sense. We shall not here however explain it in detail, but merely say that a whirlwind and a tempest signify temptations, which are irruptions of falsities, or inundations of the mind by falsities. This is also evident from the fact that the wind and the waves were rebuked, and from the Lord’s words to the sea, “Peace, be still,” as being said to those things, or to those who induce temptations.