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:

8250. As long as sincerity and uprightness existed with people, so also did that kind of speech remain in existence. But as soon as the mind began to think one thing and say another, which happened when a person loved self and not the neighbour, speech consisting of spoken words was used more and more. The face then remained still or else at the same time had expressions on it that were counterfeit. As a result the face's inward form was altered, in that it shrank, hardened, and started to become virtually devoid of life; but its outward form, heated by the fire of self-love, began to appear full of life. But being devoid of life, what lies beneath and inwardly serves as a groundwork is not visible to men's eyes, only to angels' eyes since they see interior things. This is what the faces of people who think one thing and say another are like; for presence, hypocrisy, trickery, and deceit, which constitute prudence at the present day, produce such effects.

[2] But the situation is different in the next life; no one is allowed there to speak in one way and think in another. That lack of agreement is also clearly perceived there in every word, and in every tone of the voice. And when it is perceived the spirit in whom such lack of agreement exists is forcibly removed from association with others and punished. After that he is compelled by various means to speak as he thinks, and to think as he wills, until his mind is single and not divided. This is done in order that, if he is a good spirit, he may will what is good and may be moved by good to think and speak what is true, or, if he is evil, he may will what is evil and may be moved by evil to think and speak what is false. Till then the good spirit cannot be raised to heaven or the evil one cast into hell. This is done to the end that in hell there may be nothing except evil, and that falsity there may be the falsity of evil, and that in heaven there may be nothing except good, and that truth there may be the truth of good.