89. Verse 4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when He created them, on the day in which Jehovah God made the earth and the heavens.

'The generations of the heavens and the earth' are stages in the formation of the celestial man. The fact that the formation of that man is now the subject is also quite clear from the details that follow, for example 'no plant had yet sprung up', 'there was no man to till the ground', then 'Jehovah God formed the man', and after that 'every beast and bird of the air'. ¹ According to the previous chapter, man, beast, and bird have been formed already, which means that a different man is the subject here. This is further evident from the fact that 'Jehovah God' is now mentioned for the first time, whereas previously, when the subject has been the spiritual man, He is called simply 'God'. Also 'ground and field' are referred to now, whereas previously it was merely 'the earth'. And in the present verse 'heaven' is first of all mentioned before 'earth' and then 'earth' before 'heaven'. This is because 'earth' means the external man and 'heaven' the internal. With the spiritual man, in whom reformation is taking place, the starting point is the earth or external man; but here, where the subject is celestial man, the starting point is the internal man or heaven.

Poznámky pod čarou:

In Genesis 1:24, beasts signify the things of man's will or loves. (Arcana Coelestia 44, 46)

In Genesis 9:10, beasts signify all that was living in the man of the Ancient Church, and also what belonged to his new will; likewise the lower things of his understanding and the will therefrom. (Arcana Coelestia 1026-1029)

In Psalm 104:20, beasts signify affections longing to be instructed, or spiritually nourished. (Apocalypse Explained 650[10])

In Luke 10:35, since the beast was a donkey, this signifies to instruct another according to his capability. (Apocalypse Explained 1154)

The beast of the south (Isaiah 30:6) signifies people who are principled in the knowledges of good and of truth, but do not apply them to life and instead to science.

Every beast and creeping thing (Genesis 8:19) signifies the goodnesses of the internal and external man.

"Beasts" represent the affection for doing good things, a true desire to do them from the heart. In the negative sense, "beasts" stand for the lust to do evil.

The beast ascending out of the sea (Revelation 13:1) signifies reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life.

(Odkazy: Apocalypse Explained 13, 773; Revelation 13:11)