287. We can also tell that love and wisdom are human by looking at heaven's angels, who are people in full beauty to the extent that they are caught up in love, and therefore in wisdom, from the Lord. The same conclusion follows from what it says in the Word about Adam's being created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26), because he was created in the form of love and wisdom.

All earthly individuals are born in the human form as to their physical bodies. This is because our spirit, which is also called our soul, is a person; and it is a person because it is receptive of love and wisdom from the Lord. To the extent that our spirit or soul actually accepts love and wisdom, we become human after the death of these material bodies that we are carrying around. To the extent that we do not accept love and wisdom we become grotesque creatures, retaining some trace of humanity because of our ability to accept them.

8567. 'Why do you tempt Jehovah?' means that their complaining is against the Divine, from whom they despair of receiving aid. This is clear from the meaning of 'tempting Jehovah' as complaining against the Divine. The reason why going so far as to despair of receiving aid from Him is meant is that such despair lies within what people say when they complain in temptations; for temptations consist in ever-recurring feelings of despair over salvation. Initially those feelings are slight, but in course of time they weigh heavily on a person, till finally he doubts, almost denies God's presence or the possibility of aid from Him. In temptations the spiritual life is for the most part brought to this extremity, for in that way the natural life is snuffed out, since while a person is in the midst of despair the Lord keeps his inmost actively engaged in the fight against falsity. As a consequence also such despair is soon after that dispelled by the comfort which is then supplied by the Lord; for all spiritual temptation is followed by comfort and so to speak newness of life. Regarding the prolongation of temptations to the point of despair, see 1787, 2694, 5279, 5280, 7147, 7155, 7166, 8165; and regarding comfort after temptations, 3696, 4572, 5246, 6829, 8367, 8370 (end).