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.
Genesis 9:8-27
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God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,
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"As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you,
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and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth.
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I will establish my covenant with you: all flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, neither will there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth."
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God said, "This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
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I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.
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It will happen, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud,
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and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
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The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."
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God said to Noah, "This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth."
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The sons of Noah who went forth from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan.
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These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, the whole earth was populated.
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Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard.
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He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.
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Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
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Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn't see their father's nakedness.
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Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him.
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He said, "Canaan is cursed. He will be servant of servants to his brothers."
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He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.
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May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant."
