The divinity proceeding from the Lord is called a sphere, because it comes out of Him, surrounds Him and fills both the spiritual and natural worlds, working out the effect of the aims which the Lord predestined in the act of creation, and subsequently provides. Every emanation from an object, surrounding and hemming it in, is named a sphere; as for instance the sphere of light and heat coming from the sun and surrounding it, the sphere of life coming from a person and surrounding him, the sphere of fragrance coming from a shrub and surrounding it, the sphere of attraction coming from a magnet and surrounding it, and so on.

[2] But the universal spheres referred to here come from the Lord and surround Him. They emanate from the sun of the spiritual world, in the midst of which He is. The sphere of heat and light, or what is the same, the sphere of love and wisdom, emanates from the Lord by means of that sun to bring about His aims, which are His purposes. But the sphere is given various names depending on the purposes it serves. The Divine sphere which has as its aim the conservation of the universe in the state in which it was created through a succession of generations is called the reproductive sphere. The Divine sphere which has as its aim the conservation of the generations in their beginnings, and subsequently in their developments, is called the sphere of the protection of what is procreated. Apart from these two, there are many other Divine spheres, which are given separate names depending on their purpose (see 222 above), The realisation of these purposes by means of these spheres is Divine providence.