589. Slain from the foundation of the world. This symbolizes the Lord's Divine humanity unacknowledged from the inception of the church.

To be shown that the Lamb slain means symbolically that the Lord's Divine humanity was not acknowledged, see nos. 59, 269, where the following declaration is explained:

I am the First and the Last, and am He who lives, and was put to death, and behold, I am alive forevermore. (Revelation 1:17-18)

And also this:

And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne... a Lamb standing as though slain... And they sang a new song, saying, "You are worthy to take the book..., because You were slain and have redeemed us to God... (Revelation 5:6, 9)

From the foundation of the world means, symbolically, from the inception of the church, both Jewish and Christian. That Jews did not acknowledge the Lord's Divine humanity is something people know. They also know that Roman Catholics did not. That the Protestant Reformed did not either may be seen in no. 294 above.

The foundation of the world does not mean the creation of the world, but the establishment of the church. For in its broadest sense the world means the whole world, including both good people and evil, and sometimes only the evil. But in a narrower sense the world has the same meaning as the earth, namely the church. That the world symbolizes the church may be seen in no. 551, and that the earth does in no. 285.

That to lay the foundation of the world or the earth means, symbolically, to establish the church, and that the foundation or founding of these symbolizes its establishment, may be seen from Isaiah 24:18; 40:21; 48:12-13; 51:16-17; 58:12.

That the world symbolizes the church may be seen from Matthew 13:37-39, John 1:9-10.

That the world is also the people of the church may be seen from John 12:19; 18:20.

It can be seen from this what the foundation of the world symbolizes. See also Matthew 25:34, Luke 11:50, John 17:24, Revelation 17:8.