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.

The twelve precious stones in the foundation of the New Jerusalem signify every aspect of the doctrines of the New Jerusalem, in their order, from the literal sense of the Word -- as understood by people who directly approach the Lord and live according to the commandments of the Ten Commandments by shunning evil as sins.

These twelve precious stones signify the same thing as the twelve tribes of Israel, that is, all the goods and truths of the church and its doctrine in their order.

Similarly, the twelve apostles signify every aspect of doctrine concerning the Lord, and life conforming to His commandments. This is why the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb were written in these twelve foundations.

In the same vein, the stones in the breast-plate of Aaron were inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.

(References: Apocalypse Revealed 915; Revelation 21:19-20)