51. As regards what the image is, an image is not a likeness but is 'according to a likeness'. Therefore it is said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness'. A spiritual man is an image, whereas a celestial man is a likeness or exact replica. The spiritual man is the subject in this present chapter, the celestial man in the next. The spiritual man, who is an image, is called by the Lord 'a son of light', as in John,

He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be sons of light. John 12:35-36.

He is also called 'a friend',

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. John 15:14-15

The celestial man however, who is a likeness, is called 'a son of God', in John,

As many as received Him, to them He gave power to be sons of God, to those believing in His Name, who were born, not of blood, ¹ nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13.

Mga talababa:

6650. Verses 8-14 And a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are many and numerous, more than ourselves. Come, let us use prudence with them; perhaps they will multiply, and it will be when wars occur, that they also will join themselves to our enemies and fight against us, and go up out of the land. And they set princes of tributes ¹ over them, to afflict them with burdens. And they built cities of store-houses for Pharaoh - Pithom and Raamses. And according as they afflicted them, so they multiplied and so they grew; and they were filled with loathing because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigour. And they made their life bitter with hard service, in clay and in bricks, and in all [manner of] service in the field, with all their [other] service in which they made them serve with rigour.

'And a new king arose over Egypt' means separated factual knowledge, which is opposed to the Church's truths. 'Who did not know Joseph' means which is completely alienated from the internal. 'And he said to his people' means subordinated factual knowledge. 'Behold, the people of the children of Israel are many and numerous, more than ourselves' means that the Church's truths are prevailing over alienated factual knowledge. 'Come, let us use prudence with them' means guile. 'Perhaps they will multiply, and it will be when wars occur' means superior strength if they increase. 'That they also will join themselves to our enemies and fight against us' means that in that way allied forces who inflict harm will be made stronger. 'And go up out of the land' means that the Church will have thereby been established. ' And they set princes of tributes over them' means falsities which would compel them to serve. 'To afflict them with burdens' means increasing distress caused by forms of hard service. 'And they built cities of store-houses for Pharaoh' means teachings composed of falsified truths in the natural where alienated factual knowledge resides. 'Pithom and Raamses' means the essential nature of those teachings. 'And according as they afflicted them, so they multiplied' means that in the measure that there were molestations, so the truths increased. 'And so they grew' means that they became strong. 'And they were filled with loathing because of the children of Israel' means greater aversion. 'And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve' means the aim to bring them under their control. 'With rigour means without showing any mercy. 'And they made their life bitter with hard service' means to such an extent that the aim to bring them under their control became vexatious. 'In clay and in bricks' means on account of the evils which they devised and the falsities which they fabricated. 'And in all [manner of] service in the field' means the aim to bring things of the Church under their control. 'With all their [other] service in which they made them serve with rigour' means the aim to bring them under their control by the use of many methods, without showing them any mercy.

Mga talababa: