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.

5337. 'And Joseph came out from before Pharaoh' means when the natural in general belonged to it. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming out' as belonging to it, dealt with below; from the representation of 'Joseph' as the celestial of the spiritual, and of 'Pharaoh' as the natural, both dealt with above. As regards the meaning of 'coming out' as belonging to it, or being its own, this is evident from what is said before and after this. It is also evident from the spiritual sense of the expression, for in that sense 'coming out' or going forth is making oneself present before another in a form suited to this other. Thus one is still the same person; only the form in which one appears is different. The expression 'coming out' is used in this sense in reference to the Lord, in John,

Jesus said regarding Himself, From God I came out and now come. John 8:42.

The Father loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came out from God. I came out from the Father and have come into the world; again I am leaving the world and going to the Father. The disciples said, We believe that You came out from God. John 16:27-28, 30.

They have received and know in truth that I came out from You. ¹ John 17:8.

[2] To show what is meant by 'coming out' or going forth let some examples be used. Truth is said to come out or go forth from good when truth is the form that good possesses, that is, when truth is good existing in a form intelligible to the understanding. The understanding too may be said to come out or go forth from the will when the understanding is the form that the will possesses, that is, when the will exists in a form discernible to a person's inner sight. Thought which is the activity of the understanding may in a similar way be said to come out or go forth when it is transformed into speech, and so may the will when this is transformed into action. Thought takes on a different form when it is transferred into speech; yet it is still thought which comes out or goes forth within such speech, for the words and sounds which are chosen are no more than adjuncts to thought which serve to present it in such a way that it can be discerned. The will in a similar way takes on a different form when it is transferred into action; yet it is still the will which is present in that different form. The gestures and movements which it adopts are no more than adjuncts to the will which serve to reveal this in a suitable way that enables it to be known. The external man may likewise be said to come out or go forth from the internal man, and to do so as that which manifests the substance, for the external man is nothing else than the form given to the internal man [or the substance], enabling it to function in a proper way in the world in which it exists. From all these examples one may see what is meant in the spiritual sense by 'coming out' or going forth, namely that when used in reference to the Lord, 'coming out' or going forth means the Divine existing within a human form, thus in a form suited to believers' perception. For these two [the Divine and the human form] exist as one.

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