16. Verse 1. In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The most ancient times of all are called 'the beginning', and are throughout the Prophets referred to as 'days of antiquity' and also 'days of eternity'. 'The beginning' also embodies within it that first Period when a person is being regenerated, for at that time he is being born anew and receiving life. Regeneration itself is therefore called a new creation of man. Almost everywhere in the prophetical sections 'to create', 'to form', and 'to make' mean to regenerate, though each of these verbs has a different shade of meaning, as in Isaiah,

Every one who is called by My name - I have created him for My glory, I have formed him, I have also made him. Isaiah 43:7

This is why the Lord is called Redeemer, One who forms from the womb, Maker, and also Creator, as in the same prophet,

I am Jehovah, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. Isaiah 43:15.

In David,

A people to be created will praise Jah. Psalms 102:18.

In the same author,

You send forth Your Spirit; they are created; and You renewest the face ¹ of the ground. Psalms 104:30.

'Heaven' means the internal man, and 'earth' the external man prior to regeneration. This will be seen further on.

Footnotes:

5732. 'And he commanded the one who was over his house, saying' means an influx from itself. This is clear from the meaning of 'commanding as an influx, dealt with in 5486, and from the meaning of 'the one who was over his house' as the one who was to serve as communicator. The fact that the influx came from itself - from the internal celestial man, which 'Joseph' represents - is self-evident. The reason why 'commanding' means influx is that no one in heaven is given commands or orders. On the contrary one shares his thoughts and the other freely acts in accordance with them. The communication of thought, together with a desire to see something put into effect, is influx; and on the part of the receiver it is perception, which is why 'commanding' also means perception, 3661, 3682.

[2] Furthermore those in heaven not only think but also talk to one another - about those things that are matters of wisdom. Yet there is not in what they say any trace of an order given to another; for no one wishes to be the master and consequently regard another as his slave. Rather, each wishes to minister and be of service to another. From this one may see what form of government exists in heaven, the form described by the Lord in Matthew,

It shall not be so among you, but whoever has the wish to become great among you must be your minister, and whoever has the wish to be first must be your servant. Matthew 20:26-27.

And in the same gospel,

He who is the greatest of you shall be your minister; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

This is how a person who has heartfelt love of his neighbour behaves - a person who feels delight and bliss in doing good to others for no selfish reason, that is, one who has charity towards the neighbour.