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:

5951. 'And the sons of Israel did so' means a putting into effect by the spiritual truths within the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'they did' as a putting into effect; and from the representation of 'the sons of Israel' as the spiritual truths within the natural, dealt with in 5414, 5879. What spiritual truths within the natural are must be stated: The truths of faith if separate from man, spirit, or angel are not in fact the truths of faith, for they are not attached to a recipient in whom they become such truths. But when they are attached to man, spirit, or angel as their recipient they then become the truths of faith, yet varyingly so according to each individual's state of life. With those who are just beginning to learn them they are no more than factual knowledge. If after that those people truly revere them they go on from being factual knowledge to become the truths of the Church. When however they have an affection for those truths and lead lives in keeping with them, they become spiritual truths; for the good of love and charity, which has its origin solely in the spiritual world, then enters in and brings life to them. For having an affection for them and leading a life in keeping with them stem from that good.

[2] What truths, called the truths of faith, are like with those who lead lives in keeping with them, and with those who do not, has been shown to me. With people who do not lead lives in keeping with them those truths have manifested themselves as white threads; and with people who knew those truths yet did nothing good at all they were fragile ones. But with people who do lead lives in keeping with them those truths have manifested themselves as fibres extending from the brain, which were filled with spirituous fluid and were soft. Thus these latter truths had life in them, the former did not. From all this one may recognize that the nature of the truths present with people depends on the individual's state of life. The truths which 'the sons of Jacob' represent are not as yet spiritual truths because they have not as yet been made matters of life. But the truths represented by those men as 'the sons of Israel' are spiritual ones because, having been made matters of life, the good of love and charity has entered them. Such truths are meant here because now the subject is the initial stage in the joining of the truths within the natural, which are 'the sons of Jacob', to internal good, which is 'Joseph', through the intermediary, which is 'Benjamin', and also through spiritual good, which is 'Israel'.