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:

4220. In the next life those who during their lifetime have been receiving Divine things which are the Lord's - that is, who have been receiving His love towards the whole human race, and so those who have been receiving charity towards the neighbour, also those who have been receiving reciprocal love to the Lord - are granted intelligence and wisdom, and indescribable happiness. For they become angels and thus human beings in the truest sense. But the lot in the next life of those who during their lifetime have not been receiving Divine things which are the Lord's - that is, those who have not been receiving His love towards the human race, let alone reciprocal love to the Lord, but have loved, indeed worshipped, only themselves, and as a consequence have had as their end in view the things which belong to self and the world - is different. After a few short periods there those people are deprived of all intelligence and become utterly stupid, being among the stupid ones in hell.