475. Who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it. This symbolically means, who animates all who are in heaven and the church, and enlivens each and every thing in them.

In the natural sense, to create means to create, but in the spiritual sense to create means, symbolically, to reform and regenerate (nos. 254, 290), which is also to enliven. Heaven means the heaven inhabited by angels. The earth and the sea symbolize the church - the earth those people who concern themselves with its internal elements, and the sea those people who concern themselves with its external ones (nos. 398, 470). The things that are in these symbolize each and every thing in such people.

Egyptians represent people who are in natural knowledge. In contrast, the Hebrews, people who are of the church, represent people in spiritual knowledge. The Egyptians also held the Hebrews to be so vile, as servants, that it was an abomination to them to eat with the Hebrews (Genesis 43:32), and also the sacrifices offered by the Hebrews were an abomination to them. (Exodus 8:26)

(Mga Sanggunian: Arcana Coelestia 5013)