True Christian Religion #34
34. The Divine Infinite is present in human beings as in images of itself, as is evident from the Word, where we read:
At length God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; so God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, Genesis 1:26-27 From this it follows that a human being is an organ capable of receiving God, and that its capability as an organ depends upon its capacity to receive. The human mind, which determines that a human being is human and how far he is so, is organised into three zones in accordance with the three degrees. In the first degree is the celestial zone, in which are the angels of the highest heaven; in the second degree is the spiritual zone in which are the angels of the middle heaven; and in the third degree is the natural zone in which are the angels of the lowest heaven.
[2] The human mind, organised as it is according to those three degrees, is a means of receiving Divine influence, but the Divine influence does not penetrate further than the extent to which a person clears the way or opens the door. If he does so up to the highest or celestial degree, then a person truly becomes an image of God, and after his death an angel of the highest heaven. But if he clears the way or opens the door only to the middle or spiritual degree, then although he becomes an image of God it is not to such a pitch of perfection, and after his death he becomes an angel of the middle heaven. But if he clears the way or opens the door only to the lowest or natural degree, then if he acknowledges God and worships Him with true piety, he becomes an image of God in the lowest degree, and after his death becomes an angel of the lowest heaven.
[3] If, however, he does not acknowledge God and worship Him with true piety, he puts off the image of God and becomes like an animal, apart from possessing the faculty of understanding and therefore of speech. If he then shuts off the highest natural degree, which corresponds to the highest celestial, he becomes so far as love is concerned like an animal. If he shuts off the middle natural degree, which corresponds to the middle spiritual, he becomes so far as love is concerned like a fox, and as far as the sight of the understanding is concerned like a nocturnal bird. But if he also shuts off the spiritual part of the lowest natural degree, he becomes so far as love is concerned like a savage beast, and as far as his understanding of truth is concerned like a fish.
[4] Divine Life, which by radiation from the sun of the heaven of angels makes human beings act, can be compared with the light from the sun of this world and its radiation affecting a diaphanous object. The way life is received in the highest degree is like light striking a diamond; in the second degree like light striking a crystal, and in the lowest degree like light striking glass or a transparent membrane. But if the spiritual part of this degree is totally shut off, which happens when the existence of God is denied and Satan is worshipped, the way life from God is received is like light falling upon dark objects on earth, such as rotten wood or a lump of mud or dung, and so on. For then a person becomes a spiritual corpse.
Arcana Coelestia #7930
7930. 'To inflict the plague' means damnation which they bring on themselves. This is clear from the meaning of 'the plague' here as the damnation of those belonging to the spiritual Church who have been governed by faith separated from charity, dealt with in 7879, 7926. Regarding damnation, that the ones to inflict it on the evil are the evil themselves, see just above in 7926.
'And you shall keep this custom as a statute for yourself and your children for evermore' means that all this will be in keeping with Divine order as it will apply from now on to those belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'keeping this custom for evermore' as that all this is to be observed from now on; from the meaning of 'as a statute' as in keeping with order, dealt with in 7884; and from the representation of the children of Israel, [to whom 'yourself and your children' refers here,] 1 as those who belong to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 4286, 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223.
The order meant here is that which has existed in heaven since the time that the Lord, from His Divine Human, began to bring order to all things in heaven and on earth, which was immediately after the Resurrection, Matthew 28:18. In keeping with this new order those belonging to the spiritual Church could now be raised to heaven and enjoy eternal blessedness; it could not be done in keeping with the old order. Formerly the Lord brought things into order by means of heaven; but latterly He did so by means of His Human which He glorified and made Divine in the world. The glorification of His Human brought so great an increase of might that those were raised to heaven who could not be raised previously, and also so great an increase that the evil departed from all around and were shut away in their hells. This order is what is meant here. 2
V:
1. This clause translates what Swedenborg has in his rough draft.
2. [NCBS editor's note] From sections 7930 to 7932, there are some differences between the first and third Latin editions, regarding where the text should be divided into its sections. These differences have been carried over into the translations into English and other modern languages; different translators have made different decisions about it. The text is all there in each translation, but you may find what you are looking for in 7930, 7931, or 7932.
