984. 'Filling the earth' means residing with the external man. This is clear from the meaning of 'the earth' as the external man, dealt with several times already. In the case of someone who is regenerate the goods of charity and the truths of faith have been implanted in his conscience. And because they have been implanted by means of faith - that is, through hearing the Word - they lodge first of all in his memory, which belongs to the external man. Once he has been regenerated and the internal man is active, fruitfulness and multiplication follow too; goods that stem from charity reveal themselves in affections that belong to the external man, while truths of faith do so in his memory, where they grow and multiply in both places. Any regenerate person may know the character of this multiplying, for things of a confirmatory nature are coming in all the time, both from the Word and from the rational man, as well as from known facts, to confirm him more and more. It is the outcome of charity, with the Lord alone working by means of that charity.

43. Verse 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas; and let birds be multiplied upon the earth.

Everything that has life in it from the Lord is fruitful and multiplies without limit. This does not happen during a person's lifetime, but in the next life it does so to an astonishing extent. In the Word 'to be fruitful' has reference to matters of love, while 'to multiply' has reference to matters of faith. The fruit of love contains the seed by which it multiplies itself to so great an extent. The Lord' s blessing also means, in the Word, fruitfulness and multiplication, for they are the outcome of that blessing.

Verse 23 And there was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.