5199. Beautiful in look. That this signifies that were of faith, is evident from the signification of “beauty” and of “look.” Spiritual beauty is the affection of interior truth, and spiritual look is faith; hence by “beautiful in look” is signified the affection of the truth of faith (see n. 553, 3080, 3821, 4985). That spiritual beauty is the affection of interior truth, is because truth is the form of good. Good itself which is from the Divine in heaven is that from which angels have life; but the form of their life is given by means of the truths which are from this good. And yet beauty is not produced by the truth of faith, but by the affection itself within the truths of faith, which is from good. Beauty that is from the truth of faith alone is like that of a painted or sculptured face; but beauty from the affection of truth, which is from good, is like that of a living face animated by heavenly love; for such as is the love or affection that beams from the form of the face, such is the beauty. From this it is that the angels appear in ineffable beauty; from their faces beams forth the good of love through the truth of faith, which not only appear before the sight, but are also perceived from the spheres coming from them. The reason why they have beauty from this is that the universal heaven is a Grand Man, and corresponds to all things in man both in general and in particular; and therefore the man who is in the good of love, and hence in the truth of faith, is in the form of heaven, and consequently is in the beauty in which heaven is, where the Divine from the Lord is all in all. It is for this reason also that they who are in hell, being against good and truth, are horribly ugly; and that in the light of heaven they appear not as men, but as monsters. The reason why spiritual looking is faith, is that in the internal sense “to look” and “to see” are to understand, and in a still more interior sense are to have faith (see n. 897, 2150, 2325, 2807, 3863, 3869, 4403-4421).

4985. And Joseph was beautiful in form, signifies the good of life thence derived, and beautiful in look, signifies the truth of faith thence derived, as is evident from the signification of “beautiful in form” and “beautiful in look;” for “form” is the essence of a thing, and “look” is the manifestation thence derived; and because good is the very essence, and truth the manifestation thence derived; thence, by “beautiful in form” is signified the good of life, and by “beautiful in look” the truth of faith. For the good of life is the very being of man, because it is of his will; and the truth of faith is the coming forth thence derived, because it is of his understanding; for whatever is of the understanding comes forth from the will. The being of man’s life is in his willing, and the coming forth of his life is in his understanding. The understanding of man is nothing else than the will unfolded, and so put in form that its quality may appear in its look. From this it is plain whence is the beauty (that is, of the interior man), namely, from the good of the will through the truth of faith. The very truth of faith presents beauty in the external form, but the good of the will imparts and forms it. From this it is that the angels of heaven are of ineffable beauty, being as it were loves and charities in form; and therefore when they appear in their beauty, they affect the inmosts. With them, the good of love from the Lord shines forth through the truth of faith, and as it penetrates it affects. Hence it is evident what is signified in the internal sense by “beautiful in form and beautiful in look” (see also n. 3821).