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:

8512. 'And Jehovah said to Moses' means that the appearance of the Divine had become obscured. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah said', which includes what comes after it, namely the accusation that they were not keeping the commandments and laws, thus that for them the appearance of the Divine had become obscured. This happens when people do not live lives in keeping with God's commandments; for when people's lives are in keeping with them they are in keeping with Divine order, because God's commandments are truths and forms of good that originate in order. And when people live lives in keeping with order they live and abide in the Lord, because the Lord is true order. From this it follows that anyone who does not live a life in keeping with the commandments and laws that belong to Divine order does not live and abide in the Lord, and the consequence for that person is that the Divine becomes obscured. By living a life in keeping with order one should here understand being led by the Lord through good. But by living a life not as yet in keeping with order one should understand being led through truth; and when a person is led through truth the Lord does not appear. Therefore also at this time the person walks in darkness, in which he does not see truths. It is different when a person is led through good; then he walks in the light, in which he does see truths. Regarding these matters, see what has been stated just above in 8505, 8506, 8510.