IN THE BEGINNING
The Geneses account of the creation has been attacked by many "inside" the church as well as those outside the church. The objection is that Genesis is not a scientific account with every I dotted and every T crossed. There is no claim in scripture that it is scientific. The claim is that it is inspired and that it is God's revelation. The scriptures primarily are to unfold God's eternal purpose for man and to show man how he may participate. It focuses upon man's fall and upon God's redemption in Jesus Christ. In order to bring the revelation of man's need of redemption it is important to show God's purpose in creating man and how man was deceived and fell into sin and death. If man had never sinned there would be no need of redemption.
Therefore, God gives several one sentence accounts to unfold His revelation. These are not meant to answer every conceivable question that might arise. Otherwise the bible would be several feet thick and still not satisfy everyone. Since God was there when it all began, He is the only one who can accurately define how it happened. If He told us everything we still couldn't understand it. It is by faith that we understand that the worlds were formed by the Word of God, so that what is seen is not made out of things which are visible. Geology cannot explain such things. Geology reads the first chapter of Geneses and says "We do not agree". Of course we know you can't read the scriptures the same way you read a geology book. The scriptures are revelation and geology is reason that came by research. Even though the scriptures are revelation, they still stand up to reason. However, we must search more than one chapter to find the answer. When people laugh at Geneses one they don't bother searching any farther. Most Geologists wouldn't take time to examine the Hebrew words to see what they mean.
Many fundamentalists have insisted upon a 6000 year history of the earth. No geologist could accept that as being anything but ignorance. Bible scholars have researched these things for probably 200 years and have arrived at very clear conclusions. Even the early church had much insight into these things according to Josephus. There is no reason for the modern church to be in darkness concerning these things. Volumes have been written on the subject. We don't have to be scholars or theologians. All we have to do is learn what others have discovered. The book of Geneses is not a history of all that God has done but an unfolding of what man needs to know in order to exercise his measure of faith in God's account.
The Bible never says that the history of the earth is 6000 years but that the history of Adam and his offspring is 6000 years. Now geology rejects that fact because they can find fossils much older that even one million years. Both sides think the other side is stupid. There is no need to reconcile the Bible to geology. That is not our purpose! Christians need to know what the scriptures say so their faith is not so easily shaken. However, all truth will agree with all truth. What is the answer to all these bones and things that have been dug up and dated back for millions of years? We have no quarrel with those things. The Bible is primarily a history of the race of Adam. There were certainly other races of men and species of animals upon the earth before Adam. Even if there were millions of years of other races that does not change the history of Adam and his generations. Our history as men after the race of Adam just goes back to Adam and not to monkeys or slime or frogs.
In my Bible, Genesis 1:1 is made up of just 10 words. GEN 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This is just a stated fact but within these 10 words is the unfolding of the first truth. In the beginning refers to eon of ages past. The number of years are not important. God created means that God made something out of nothing or at least not out of any thing that is visible. Since God is the ultimate Creator, whatever He creates is perfect. He doesn't create any thing slipshod or just throws something together for the time being. What He created was "the heavens" and "the earth". This is important because what God restored in the next verses was just the earth and not the heaven.
This fact hinges of on divinely given specific words. The word used in Geneses 1:1 for created is "bara" in the original. This word is used 3 more times in Geneses 1 and Geneses 2. The other times are GEN 1:21 And God created ( bara) the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. GEN 1:27 And God created ( bara) man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. GEN 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created ( bara) and made. ( asah). GEN 2:7 Then the Lord God formed ( yatsar) man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. These three words represents three kinds of work that God did in Geneses 1 & 2 . We can see these three words again in ISA 43:7. Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made. " Created, formed and made are all connected but are not the same thing. Created means calling into existence without the aid of any thing that pre-existed. Formed ( yatsar) means to shape or fashion out of some existing material. This word is used of a potter forming a pot out of clay. "Made" means to prepare out of something that already was there. We could say, the chair was made out of pieces of wood.
In the beginning God created (bara) the heavens and the earth. He created them out of nothing. He called them into existence by the power of His word. In the beginning there was nothing there but space. After creation, the heavens and the earth were there. "The heavens" here refers to the area where the stars are, not the area surrounding the earth which is referred to as "air" or atmosphere. The heavens where the stars are have not been altered since the creation. The earth and the atmosphere have changed and are not the same as God originally created them.
The earth mentioned in Gen 1:1 is not in the same condition as the earth in Gen 1:2. When the earth was first created by God it was perfect. God is a perfect Creator. He does not create things "formless" and "void" and "in darkness". The margin says "a waste and emptiness". Waste and void was not the original creation but the result of something that happened after it was created perfect. ISA 45:18 For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, {But} formed it to be inhabited), "I am the Lord, and there is none else. The earth was not created a waste or desolate place! Therefore, it must have gotten that way between verse 1 and verse 2.
From verse 3 onward it does not speak about the original creation but the restoration of the earth that had become desolate. Not a recreation but a restoration. The first time God made everything out of nothing but the in restoration, God took what was there and repaired it. The earth was "inhabitable" but it became "uninhabitable". God used six days to accomplish the restoration to make the earth inhabitable again. Gen 1:3 onward is the earth as we know it today but before the fall of man. It is the same earth but it is not in the same condition as Genesis 1 & 2.
In verse 2 there is a connecting word "and" which in several places is translated "but". The earth was created perfect "BUT" it became formless and void. The word "was" (formless) is other places translated " BECAME" (formless). Many of the Hebrew words have different usage and it is up to the translator to choose one. "BECAME" is more definitive here than "but". Many Hebrew scholars agree on this. They point out that the same word is used in GEN 19:26 But his wife, from behind him, looked {back;} and she became a pillar of salt. If we put this in the context of Gen 1:2 we could say " And his wife looked back and was a pillar of salt". It says the same thing but in Gen 1:2 it would be much clearer. Also in GEN 2:7 Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being is the same word again. He was a living being but the translators used " He became a living being".
EXO 20:11 "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. God "created" the heavens and the earth. Then in six days "He made" them. It is not possible to measure the time span between "create" and "made". The first is creating out of nothing and the second is remaking out of something that was already there. Sometimes it is mistakenly said that man is a creator. That is not possible. Man can form and make but only God can create.
2 PET 3:5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God {the} heavens existed long ago and {the} earth was formed out of water and by water, 2 PET 3:6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 2 PET 3:7 But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. The heavens existed "LONG AGO", the earth was "FORMED OUT OF WATER". Many commentators believe that verse 5 refers to the time of Genesis 1:1 and verse 6 was the time the earth "became" formless and void. The heavens and earth spoken of in verse 7 refer to the restored heaven and earth on which we live.
The first thing that God did in the restoration was to speak light into existence because darkness was over everything. God is light. He didn't have to create it. We see that the earth or "firmament" already existed but it was flooded over with water and was in the deep. Therefore, it was waste, formless and empty and void. The earth was already there. What God did was command it to come out of the water. God didn't create the heavens of the stars on the second day but He spoke and separated the waters below from the waters above and the heavens appeared. That is the heavens that is our atmosphere.
For six days God continued to restore until all was restored to satisfy His eternal purpose. The total wisdom shown in Gen 1:1 and Gen 1:2 identifies the mark of God. In 10 words God covers all of the original creation. In verse 2 He states the condition that had come upon the earth. In 29 verses He covers all of the restoration. No man could write such an account without adding all kinds of details. This is the mark of God. Nothing here satisfies the curiosity of man with fine details and explanations. It is just received by faith. If you want to know more you must get in touch and relationship with God. Then He reveals Himself and everything else is acceptable and believable. Maybe not intellectually satisfying but in a dimension of faith. Genesis 1 & 2 reveals the character and glory of God, the creator.
Genesis 3 reveals the character and nature of man. God creates perfect and innocent in God's own image and likeness but man's character, motives and nature must be built by various trials and decisions and through his own cross. This reveals that in the process of salvation, God must completely rebuild and restore us. Not just to what Adam was but to what God predestined us to become. Where everything about our character, attitudes, ambitions and nature are in harmony with God's character and eternal purpose.
In Genesis 3 we see the temptation of man and the corruption of man and the collapse of his idyllic state. There is no mention of angels or demons or Satan. Just this serpent. REV 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. There is no record of the creation of Satan so we can assume that he existed before the restoration of Genesis 1:3. The same is true of angels and demons. The scripture is very detailed about what God created or formed or made in those six days. If these spiritual beings were not created then, when were they created? There must have been a former creation of beings in the original world.
Archaeologists have found evidence of disease, death, war and violence in their research of these ancient times, that belonged to another kind of man. What they refer to as "prehistoric" or before our history began. Sin and rebellion, death and destruction and the ruin of the earth was prehistoric. They found that some cataclysmic event destroyed these civilizations and the animals.
The bible is not a record of those civilizations but it gives some reference to that time. JER 4:23 I looked on the earth, and behold, {it was} formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light. JER 4:24 I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro. JER 4:25 I looked, and behold, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. JER 4:26 I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were pulled down Before the Lord, before His fierce anger. JER 4:27 For thus says the Lord, "The whole land shall be a desolation, Yet I will not execute a complete destruction. JER 4:28 "For this the earth shall mourn, And the heavens above be dark, Because I have spoken, I have purposed, And I will not change My mind, nor will I turn from it." This obviously took place between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. Something obviously happened in the former world that caused God to judge it.
When we search the scriptures we only find one explanation. EZE 28:11 Again the word of the Lord came to me saying, EZE 28:12 "Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God, "You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. EZE 28:13 "You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. EZE 28:14 "You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you {there.} You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. EZE 28:15 "You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created, Until unrighteousness was found in you. EZE 28:16 "By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. EZE 28:17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. EZE 28:18 "By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade, You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. EZE 28:19 "All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified, And you will be no more."
Most all of these statements cannot be applied to an earthly King of Tyre. This is most likely speaking of the real power behind an earthly king and is prophetic of the anti-christ. However, since verses 11 to 15 cannot be explained by any earthly person, it must be speaking of Satan. This is speaking of Satan before he was cast out of the mountain of God when he was still in his original created state.
ISA 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! Satan was originally called by another name before he became God's adversary by attempting to take over God's throne. Originally Satan was in Eden, the garden of God. EZE 28:13 "You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. In Eden of Genesis 3, Satan had already lost all this and was crawling around in the form of a snake. Then this must be speaking of a former "EDEN" of that former world. This Lucifer had a very high position in the realms of God and was a very beautiful creature. He had access to the very presence of God and the fire that surrounds the throne. Lucifer was created perfect because that is how God creates all things. He is the perfect Creator. The transition from Lucifer to Satan is also reflected in what took place in man who fell into the Devil's temptation.
ISA 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! ISA 14:13 "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ISA 14:14 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' ISA 14:15 "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. ISA 14:17 Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to {go} home? ' ISA 14:18 "All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb. ISA 14:19 "But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit, Like a trampled corpse. ISA 14:20 "You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever. ISA 14:21 "Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities."
Here, again, are facts that cannot be assigned to an human, earthly king. This is obviously speaking about Lucifer when he became Satan, God's adversary. It was he who made the former world a wilderness and destroyed it's cities. He was the one who was responsible for all the slain of the former world. No one who is of Satan or like Satan will be permitted to rise and take possession of the earth or inhabit it's cities in the eternal Kingdom. All will be cast into the pit. This will include fallen angels, demons and all those who stay in their fallen nature. The fallen angels are most likely the principalities and powers in EPH 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.}
Through out scripture we find references to evil spirits or demons. They were identified and cast out in the New Testament. No one knows who they are or where they came from but Derek Prince says he believes they are from the former world that Satan ruined. He refers to ISA 45:18 For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, {But} formed it to be inhabited), "I am the Lord, and there is none else. We have established that this world was not the same as Genesis 1:2. Therefore, God created the former world to be inhabited. That is the generations that the archaeologists are finding. These demon spirits are probably from those generations that predated Adam. From the New Testament we learn that they are always trying to get back into a human body so they can have a manifestation. Those spirits can only wander and find no rest until they inhabit a body. Mat 12:43.
Satan may have been the "governor" under God to govern the former world and it's inhabitants. He is still controlling those spirits. They obviously know what their fate will be when this age ends. LUK 8:30 And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. LUK 8:31 And they were entreating Him not to command them to depart into the abyss. LUK 8:32 Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and {the demons} entreated Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. They also know who Jesus is and what his authority is.
In Scofield's notes he also believes that Jer 4:23-26 is speaking about the former world and it was Satan's rebellion that caused the former world to become formless and waste. Hell was actually prepared for the Devil and those of his rebellion. MAT 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
Now the second man and the Last Adam has arisen upon the earth. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He has started another new generation of men. He brings us back to a new Genesis and we start over again. In the same way that Satan was loosed in the Garden of Eden, he is still loosed today. In the same way that he tempted Adam and Eve, he is tempting the ones who are of this new creation. Jesus Christ has recovered all that the first Adam lost and has given us that inheritance. We must be careful not to waste it on perverted living and some sense of false security that we can't fall like the first Adam.
Jesus Christ has restored creation to it's original design but now also all have to be tested to see how they will walk and who they will serve. The reason is because of God's eternal purpose. A new beginning is not the goal but God's predestined end is the goal.
The world of God's restoration has been lost by man and therefore had to be recovered by man. That happened at Calvary and brings us back to Genesis 2. The question now to be answered is: Will we also be deceived by Satan and forfeit God's desired end for us? 2 CO 11:2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you {as} a pure virgin. 2 COR 11:3 But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity {of devotion} to Christ. It can happen to us the same as it happened to Eve. Our Last "Adam" was not deceived but now will the last Eve be deceived?
JOB 9:4 "Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? JOB 9:5 "{It is God} who removes the mountains, they know not {how,} When He overturns them in His anger; JOB 9:6 Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; JOB 9:7 Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; We have to ask when did this take place in the history of the earth since Gen 1:3? This had to be applied to a former world before this one.
If God destroyed the former world with water and has promised to destroy this one with fire, what manner of lives should we be living? 2 PET 3:11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 2PE 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 2PE 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 2 PET 3:14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,
To summarize what we have deduced from the scriptures we could say that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. According to Jer. 4:23-26 there were cities and fruitful lands and inhabitants. The earth was a beautiful place. Then the earth became a waste place. The earth was submerged in water for an undetermined time. Possible thousands of years. Then the Spirit if God began to move upon the face of the waters. Then God's word spoke and the restoration process began. On the sixth day God created man, male and female, and gave them dominion over the earth. The bible says that man was created in God's own image and likeness. This aspect of man had to be "created" because there was nothing on the earth that could make this kind of man. Created means that he didn't exist before. Then the bible says that God formed man out of the dust from the ground. One part of man was created and another part was made or formed. Man's body was formed like a potter forms clay. The spirit and soul of man were created. There was nothing on the earth from which to make spirit or soul.
In six literal days with a morning and evening, God restored the earth, it's vegetation, animals, fish and birds and man. At this time Satan was cast out of the mountain of God and his angels with him. They probably dwelt in the mid heavens and Satan became the prince of the power of the air. Satan tempted Eve and she disobeyed God, and also Adam. Man fell into trespasses and sin and because of that death came upon on all men for all men have sinned. Man now had no way to redeem himself. There was no way he could stand righteous before God.
Since by man came death, by man also had to come the resurrection from the dead. No angel could redeem man. Therefore, God, Himself had to stretch out His hand to bring salvation to man. God became incarnate in the body of Jesus Christ and died as the Lamb of God on Calvary. Jesus Christ became the second man and the last Adam. Through faith in Him, men can now receive forgiveness of sins and be reconciled to God.
Once man is redeemed he still must fulfil God's original purpose because we have been predestined unto His purpose. God redeemed us, not just to save us from hell but to save us to fulfil God's eternal purpose.
Jesus Christ has now been given dominion and authority over heaven and earth. The first Adam only had authority and dominion over the earth. Now Jesus has given dominion to His body, the church. We are to be fruitful ( John 15) and multiply and fill the earth and subdue and guard it and take it back from the devil and his crowd. Satan was defeated at Calvary but now we must enforce that defeat. Man created in God's own image and likeness shows that God's intention was for man to represent God on the earth.
It is interesting to note that on each of the six days of restoration there was evening and morning for each day but on God's Sabbath day there was no evening and morning. This is one eternal day.
We saw that there was an original creation that became ruined and fell into darkness. It that same way each one of us of the first Adam have become ruined and fell into darkness. God's purpose was interrupted because the man in His purpose was in darkness. He was dead in trespasses and sins. Man had come under God's judgement. Man's condition before God is waste and void and empty. Man cannot make light so how will he ever come out of darkness? The Spirit must hover over us and give us light. No man can come unless the Father draw him. Without God there is no way for fallen man to lift himself up or recover. He is forever lost.
But one day God says let there be light and light shines out of darkness like the day star arising in our hearts. As we respond, the work of restoration begins. This is called "regeneration" or it means "a new Genesis". Most people think that now it is all light and no evening but God's work is morning and evening. Darkness still exists but our goal is to walk in His light. Eventually we will enter into God's Sabbath which is eternal day.
Then God focuses upon the waters and brings us to water baptism. Here there is a great separation of that which is above from that which is below. Then there is an emergence up out of the water in resurrection on the third day. Jesus' resurrection was on the third day. 1CO 15:4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, God spoke twice on the third day. The first time the earth emerged up out of the water and the second time the earth produced grass, herbs and fruit trees. This speaks of life again from the dead. Man's spirit comes alive and he is born again. Fruit bearing is the goal of resurrection. ROM 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God.
Through each of the six days, God's purpose is to restore every aspect of our life. His work continues until we enter His seventh day Sabbath rest. God was satisfied with each days work but the next days work still had to be done. Each days work accomplished something different and necessary. God must bring us through several spiritual stages of restoration and He must work until He is satisfied.
If we stop or call a halt to God dealing in our lives we will suffer eternal loss because the full restoration has not taken place. The complete restoration ( or perfection) is required to be an overcomer and inherit all things and to sit with Him on His throne.
Each days work was accomplished by God's word. If we neglect God's word or ignore it, we suffer eternal loss. God releases His power with His word. Our confidence is that God didn't stop half through in His restoration of the earth and He will not stop until he is satisfied with our restoration. That is why the bible say that we are a new creation. God is taking nothing and making something out of it. His goal is to restore us to His own image and likeness so He can give us dominion over all the works of His hands.
Everything was created through Jesus Christ originally and the restoration is also completely through Jesus Christ. There is nothing created that He didn't create. That means in the physical as well as the spiritual.
God created man as a perfect creation. But like the original world was ruined by the work of the Devil so also was man. The earth was restored in the renewal and the light again shone and fruit grew. It that same way fallen man exists on the earth but he also has been ruined. The earth had no way to restore itself and we have no way to recover by ourselves. God must work or nothing will change. Man has already been created so now he must be restored, rebuilt and repaired. Not just forgiven but completely restored. This is also the work of God. He begins this work in us and He must complete it for the day of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God must move over us and light must shine in us and God still is looking for fruit. There must be a separation between that which is above from that which is below. We must emerge in resurrection and fulfil the purpose for which God created us in the first place. That alone is eternal fruit. The fulfillment of the feast of firstfruits through the resurrection of who have been JOINED to Jesus Christ and borne fruit for God.