41. Anything that is man's own has no life in it; and when depicted visually it looks like something hard as a bone and black. But anything that comes from the Lord does contain life. It has that which is spiritual and celestial within it, and when depicted visually it looks human and alive. It is perhaps incredible, but nevertheless absolutely true, that every expression, every idea, and every least thought of an angelic spirit is alive. In even the most detailed areas of his thought there is an affection that comes from the Lord, who is life itself. Consequently all that derives from the Lord has life within it, for it contains faith in Him, and is here meant by 'a living creature'. It then has the outward appearance of a body, meant here by that which is moving, or creeping. To man these matters remain arcana, but since the subject here is the living and moving creature, they ought at least to be mentioned here.

5301. 'Which there will be in the land of Egypt' means which will exist in the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'the land of Egypt' as the natural mind, dealt with in 5276, 5278, 5279, 5288. The expression 'the natural' is used here and in other places, and by it the natural mind is meant. For the human being has two minds, the rational mind and the natural mind. The rational mind belongs to the internal man, whereas the natural mind belongs to the external man; and it is the natural mind or external man that is meant when simply 'the natural' is used. The mind is a person's true self, as will be seen in what is spoken about next.