Genesis 1

Genesis
Chapter 1

In the study of Scripture, it is important that we simply take God at His Word, meaning we do not add our own interpretation to what we think Scripture may say. We start with the Bible, stay in the Bible, and end in the Bible.  Because we live thousands of years since the Bible was first written, in a world completely foreign to Bible times, we do need supplemental material to exegetically study (systematically research) Scripture properly. Therefore, God has given us research material to learn the Hebrew and Greek meanings to various words to understand correctly the meanings of words lost in translation. It is also wise to use supportive Jewish writings, such as the Talmud and Rabbinical writings to understand the Jewish times of the Old Testament, as well as other study material to understand important sociological, cultural, theological and geographical issues of Bible times - both in the Old and the New Testament. These supplemental materials are given to us to help understand what the original author intended when he wrote down the Scriptures to his audience as God gave to each of them some 2000 to 3500 years ago.  

Man, however, throughout the centuries have often studied Scripture from an allegory perspective, meaning when they don't understand what the Scriptures are saying, based on their perception, they simply added their own interpretation based on what makes sense to them in their world; therefore, twisting Scripture to say something it does not say. Therefore, we must be very careful in using commentaries by other authors or even biblical scholars of various times in history, for often we do not know if private interpretation has been added to the meaning of various Scriptures. 

As we begin our study in the Book of Genesis, we must keep all the above considerations in mind because as we start in the first chapter of Genesis, we go directly into the study of biblical cosmology. There have been so many allegorical interpretations of creation that have been given confusing believers to what the Bible is actually saying. Then to add more fuel to that fire, science has its own interpretation. We must never forget that when science's claims of anything that goes contrary to Scripture, the Scriptures holds the only truth. With many people, however, including Christians,  they want to blend science and the Bible together to form an interpretation that is acceptable by society and to them.

Taking all the above into consideration, let's begin our study in the Book of Genesis using only the Bible and qualified biblical support as written above.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

In the beginning...The interpretation of the beginning of the creation of the earth has been a theological debate for hundreds of years by almost as many notable biblical scholars.  The “Old Earth” theory, meaning the earth is millions to billions of years old, and the “Young Earth” theory, meaning the earth is 6000-10,000 years old each have their varying interpretations, and they stand strong in their view. 

The Bible does not give definite answers as to the time of the beginning of creation; with some claiming a gap time period between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 designating an old earth. Some claim the earth then is millions to billions of years old. One important thing to note, however, is that on Day #1 day and night came into being, but the creation of Adam and Eve didn't come until Day #6. Taking the Bible literally, that would mean a 24-hour day. Then by doing a simple math of adding all the years, as listed in the Bible, from Day #1 of God's creation until the flood of Noah comes to 1656 years. Then taking Abraham until Christ comes to a little over 2000 years. That gives us around 4000 years of history. From Christ to the present is about another  2000 years. Adding everything up, we have around 6000 years of history behind us. To say then that some biblical scholars claim the earth is millions or billions of years old, attempting to reconcile the Bible with science is a presumption on whoever is attempting to interprete the Scriptures. By simply following what the Scriptures are telling us; however, the beginning of the earth is probably somewhere about 6000 years ago based on what Scripture tells us what happened on Day #1. As such, I lean toward supporting the "Young Earth" theory. While I do not support that the earth is million or billions of years old, I do allow for the possibility of a gap theory inbetween verses 1 and 2 based on other scripture verses that could possibly support that thought. How long that period of time could be, however, I cannot say!

In the beginning God...God has no beginning. He has always existed and will continue to exist forever. 

Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

We must know and support that God is! He always was and always will be. What that means in our finite minds of time is completely mind boggling. We only know that God has always been in existence and that He is the Creator of all things, including the earth and the heavens and everything in it. It is critical to know that science's purpose has always been to take God out of creation equation. Science's claim is that the earth is millions or billions of years old and it came about by a bang of atoms that exploded, and the earth's formation came as a result of part of that explosion. This became known as the Big Bang Theory.

• This Big Bang Theory was first suggested by Belgian priest Georges Llemaitre in the 1920s, claiming the universe began from a single primordial atom and expanded to where it resulted in exploding gasses and asteroids, or possible fallen meteoroids, thus creating planets and a solar system.  He continued to claim this expansion was known as the universe, and it keeps expanding into other universes as space continues to grow larger and larger over time.

By design, science has set the narrative of omitted any mention of God or intelligent design Who was involved in the creation of this world, claiming science has all the answers as to the cosmology of the earth.  God, on the other hand, declared in His Word that this "world" (not the word "universe"), was created by Him and formed by His spoken word. In other words, according to the Bible, there were no such thing as exploding gasses, astroids, fallen meteroids, solar systems, planets, universe or universes even listed in the Scriptures.  As such, science's Big Bang Theory (or science's cosmology) is a lie, having made-up words and ideas by the scientific community, setting a narrative which goes contrary to God speaking the "world" into existence by His spoken word as we see in Scripture.

Heb 11:3 By faith we understand that the world has been created by the word of God
so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible. NASV

We see from Psalm 90:2 that before the mountains were brought forth - or ever, God formed the earth and the world. God is from everlasting to everlasting.

Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

In the beginning God created...This world did not come about as a result of the exploding of atoms. God deliberately and precisely created everything, placing the unformed earth in the exact position in the heavens. Just because science says something different, does not make it as truth. Whenever science conflicts with the Bible, God rules out every time. His Truth is eternal truth.

• We will discover that in the first chapter of Genesis alone, science makes several claims of which strongly oppose what the Scripture says. As believers, it is important that we carefully examine these oppositions that science protrays as truth through the eyes of Scripture to see what God has to say in these matters. 

...the heavens and the earth. Scripture tells us that God created three heavens - meaning the 3rd heaven is the highest heaven (heaven of heavens - Deut 10:14) where God reigns, the 2nd heaven the atmosphere above the earth and below the highest heaven, and the 3rd heaven the earth's atmosphere. 

2 Cor 12:2 I know a man in Christ about fourteen years ago (whether he was in the body I cannot tell,
or whether he was out of the body I cannot tell, God knows) who was taken up into the third heaven.

The earth, however, at the very beginning, was a mass of water in which we will learn about in the next verse.

Gen 1:2 The earth was without form and void; and darkness covered over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

 

When God first created the heavens and the earth, we see here that there was no form to the earth. It was a huge mass of water, being completely void of any shape of matter. God's Spirit then hovered over the surface of the water. 

God's claim as being a three part being (Trinity) is first spoken of here.
God's Spirit (the third part of the Trinity) hovered over the surface of the waters.

Day #1

Gen 1:3-5 Then God said: "Let there be light" and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. 

When God spoke, the waters lit up. Then God divided the light from the darkness. God, however, distinguishes here that this light was not the light from the sun, for the sun had not been created at this point in time. God did not create the sun until Day #4. While the Bible does not say specifically here, Rev 21:23 tells us that the Holy City in heaven has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it because the glory of God illumininated it.  Is this light then that lit the earth coming from the glory of God as He spoke the water mass of the earth into being? So ended Day #1.

Day #2

Gen 1:6-8 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. Thus God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

As we begin Day #2, God spoke and said: "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." This firmament (meaning something firm) was to divide and hold the waters apart - set inbetween the waters.

What then  is a firmament? The "firmament" is referred to in its Hebrew meaning as a "visible arch in the sky." 

   
Several versions of Genesis 1:6 use the word firmament to mean "a visible arch in the sky."

Let's examine the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to confirm the correct Hebrew meaning of the word "firmament." It is listed as #7549 in the Old Testament Hebrew. For those who have not studied the Greek and Hebrew languages of the Bible, the Strong's Concordance is the most trustworthy source to find the correct meaning of a particular word in the Bible in its original language. 

Easton Bible Dictionary
"Firmament"
From the Vulgate firmamentum, which is used as the translation of the Hebrew raki'a. It denotes the space or expanse like a visible arch in the sky appearing immediately above us, rendered as a solid body.  It denotes solidity as well as expansion.  It formed a division between the waters above and the waters below (Genesis 1:7 ). The raki'a supported the upper reservoir ( Psalms 148:4 ). It was the support also of the heavenly bodies ( Genesis 1:14 ), and is spoken of as having "windows" and "doors" ( Genesis 7:11)

The Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) use the word "dome."

Gen 1:7  CJB  God made the dome and divided the water under the dome from the water above the dome; that is how it was, 8 and God called the dome Sky.  So there was evening, and there was morning, a second day.

The word "firmament" is listed seventeen times throughout the Old Testament in the books of Genesis, Psalms, Ezekiel, and in the book of Daniel.  In all seventeen verses, the word "firmament" carries the Hebrew meaning of a "visible arch in the sky."  Since a"visible arch in the sky " or "dome" over the earth is so contrary to what science has been claiming for so long, and foreign to most people, it is easy to think that these two verses are a metaphor or a myth, or a fabricated man-made meanings to say something it does not mean. This, however, is God's Word and His truth! As Christians, we have to take God as His Word and deny science's claims when it runs contrary to God's Word. And so ended Day #2.

Day #3

Gen 1:9-10 Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear;" and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Under the dome, God, simply by His spoken word, called dry land into being. It appeared and God called the dry land Earth. The waters surrounding the dry land He then called seas. Outside the dome the waters continue to remain.

Gen 1:11-13 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth;" and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.

Again, with His spoken word, God called the earth to bring forth grass. Seeds were planted and instantly grew into grass. Then God spoke trees into being which bore fruit. Instantly, they went from seed to full grown trees bearing fruit. Knowing the sun, moon and stars have not been created yet at this point of time, and having the knowledge that grass, trees and plants need sun and water to grow, can we again go back to Day #1 when the waters lit up, giving light that was not the sun.? Again, could that light come from the manifestation of the glory of God (Rev 21:23), giving miraculous light for the instantly growing of grass and trees that filled the earth? And so ended Day #3.

Day #4

Gen 1:14-19 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth;" and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights; and the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

On Day #4, God created and planted the sun inside the firmament (arch in the sky/dome) to give out light for the day and the moon, as the lesser light, to give out light in the night.  To that, God added myriads of stars under the dome to fill the sky. With this, God also created seasons, days and years. This creation was meant to be perpetual, consistent and ongoing throughout time.

When God and Science Disagree

So then, what happened that science and the Bible disagree on so many issues on the cosmology of the earth? When did it begin?

For 5500 years (out of the 6000 years of world history) the Jews and Christians believed the Scriptures when it says there was an arch in the sky dividing the waters from the waters. When did it change?

The change began at a time when the world was at its spiritual lowest before the Reformation Period. An astronomer named Nicolaus Copernicus around 1543 A.D. began claiming a heliocentric model of the earth. By the time of the Reformation, the scientific community already had its grips over the world with its claims of the cosmology of the world, to where it was expanding and accepted by the world at large. 

Heliocentricism denies any biblical claim that the sun, which is much smaller than the earth, circles the stationary earth every day. Heliocentricism claims that the sun is 400 times larger than the earth, with the sun being stationary.  The earth, shaped as a sphere/globe, is located 93,000,000 (93 million) miles away from the huge stationary sun.  

• Heliocentricism also claims the earth rotates, along with the other claimed planets in orbit at 67,000 miles per hour and at the same time travels at a speed of 1000 miles per hour in a circular motion around the huge and stationary sun which is 400 times the size of the earth - completing one cycle around the sun every year.  

Over the next almost 500 years, the heliocentric view of cosmology grew, however, it wasn't heavily pushed upon the general populous of the people of the world until the forming of the National Aeronautics and Space Act (NASA) in 1958 - just some 60+ years ago.  By this time, a fairly large portion of the populous of the world were supporting this false narrative view.  NASA has aggressively been forcing this Heliocentric view of the earth on the populous of the people for the past six decades through science, education, politics, the media, and Hollywood in their movies.  This then sets the narrative of billions of miles of space and multiple planets, which supports the additional narrative of aliens and other forms of life in outer space.  As this movement progressed, any mention of God, by design, has been omitted, putting the control of the future of the earth into the hands of science and mankind. 

This heliocentric view of the earth is now the official view of science, which claims the sun is the center of the "universe" and the earth and the other planets swirling around a stationary sun at tremendous speeds every year.  Along with expanding universes and possible alien bodies in outer space, this cosmology is most widely accepted as truth.  

This, however, is a false claim and goes against what the Bible teaches.

The Bible, however, tells us that God spoke the earth into being, and that it is fixed with the sun, moon and stars circling the earth inside the firmament once a day.  The Bible says nothing about planets, meteriotes, or any other such words used by science.  None of these can be found in the Bible.  In fact, it goes contrary to what Scripture teaches.

Psalm 104:5 You fixed the earth on its foundations, never to be moved.
Gen 1:1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. NKJV 
Gen 1:14 Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night...

The question finally arises whether the shape of the earth is a globe or is it flat or maybe even something else? The important thing to remember is that the Bible does not claim the earth to be in the shape of a globe. In fact, it would be impossible to be a globe with everything that Scripture properly teaches us about the earth. While the Bible does not specifically tell us it is flat, it does lean in that direction. God tells us in Proverbs 8:27 that He drew a circle on the face of the deep. Looking at the above pictures does point to the earth being more flat in a circlular earth resting on its foundations.

The Bible tells us that within the visible arch in the sky (dome), there are windows and doors that open up to heaven.  At the time of the flood of Noah, the Bible states that all the fountains of the great deep were broken up under the earth, creating a flood from below, along with the windows of heaven were also opened up, creating a flood from above.  As such, at the command of God, the earth was quickly flooded as the waters broke loose from below the earth, as well as rain poured down from above, flooding the whole earth very quickly, and it continued to rain for 40 days.

Gen 7:11  In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month,
on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up AND the windows of heaven were opened.  

The Canapy Theory

There are some Christians who hold to the false claim that following the flood of Noah that this arch in the sky, which was like a canopy over the earth, broke apart by the ravages of the flood.  Because the canopy was broke, the earth's protection was gone.  These Christians will stand strong on that belief, which then, to them, rationalizes science and the Bible coming together  This theory, however, is false because the Scriptures speak of the arch in the sky seventeen times throughout the Old Testament and most of these scriptures are listed long after the flood of Noah. The windows and doors in the arch are listed and most of those scriptures are listed long after the flood of Noah, and its windows and doors are shown to us in the Books of Psalms and Revelation, which means the arch is still in the sky.  

Psm 19:1  (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
(#H7549 visible arch in the sky) sheweth his handywork.

Revelation 4:1  After these things I looked, and behold, a door (#G2374 a portal or entrance [the opening or the closure,
literally or figuratively; - door, gate] - of the arch in the sky) standing open in heaven,
and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said,
“Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.

The Christians who support this canopy theory are allegorically interpreting their own meanings into what Scripture is saying.  This way they can rationalize science and the Bible as coming together.  That is so wrong!  We cannot twist Scripture to suit our belief system.  We must simply take God at His Word! 

Day #5

Gen 1:20-23 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” ²¹ So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” ²³ So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

On Day #5 God called forth living creatures in the waters of the earth. Each, after their own kind and fully developed, they were created - fish, sea creatures, and mammals.  God then told all water life to be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters. None of them evolved over millions of years but came into being the moment God spoke them into being. Then God looked to the sky and spoke into being a great variety of birds -each after their own kind - again being fully developed.

• So it was evening and the morning of the fifth day. According to Jewish tradition, each day begins at sunset.

Day #6

Gen 1:24-25 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. ²⁵ And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Upon the land God then created living creatures - again according to its kind - cattle and beasts of the earth. While there has not been evolution throughout time, as science claims, there has been inbred of certain creatures - but after its own kind that took place on the earth over time - such as species of dogs or cats. Today we have hundreds of breeds of dogs or even hundreds of breeds of cats, but a dog always remained a dog and a cat always remained a cat. God created every living creature AFTER ITS OWN KIND.

• There are many who would say that cross breeding is possible - even in the wild - such as the donkey and a horse. When that happens, the offsprings are known as hybrids and generally are sterile to prevent further cross breeding.  
• Sadly, science has done multiple cross breeding over the years under laboratory experientations, causing many mutations of animals.

Gen 1:26-28 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Then God created His most loved creation - mankind. With the words of His mouth, He, now referred to as "us," meaning the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit spoke mankind into being. 

John 1:1-3 & 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
 ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Mankind was created in the image and likeness of God, meaning we are a spirit, like God, we have a soul, but we live in a physical body. We will discuss that more in chapter 3.

God gave mankind dominion (power and authority) over everything upon the earth - the fish, birds, cattle, and every creeping thing. As will be discussed in chapter 3, God created male and female - to both rule over the earth. Then God blessed them and told them to multiply upon the earth and take dominion over it.

²⁹ And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. ³⁰ Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. ³¹ Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

God then told mankind that He gave them every herb that yields seed and every tree that yields fruit to be food for themselves. In other words, man was first given instruction to become vegetarians. That is the way it would remain until the flood of Noah. To every beast on the earth and every bird of the air then, God instructed them to eat green herbs for food.  In other words, all animal life and birds were instructed to become herbivores. This tells us that all animal life and birds ate no meat whatsoever, including worms, bugs, and other small rodents.

God looked down upon His creation and was pleased, saying "indeed it was very good." So ended Day #6.

Conclusion on Chapter #1

We see so many contradictions where Science radically violates the Scriptures - just in the 1st chapter of Genesis alone.  Let's do a recap:

Science's lie #1:  Science makes no mention of God in any of its claims. In its voidence, science denies there is a God. 

• The Scriptures claim God has always been and will forever be - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Science's lie #2: The heavens and the earth came as a result of the Big Bang Theory where astroids/gasses exploded and the earth became one of its particles.

• The Scriptures claim God created the heavens and earth with His Words.

Science's lie #3:  Science denies any arch in the sky - claiming the earth is part of a universe that keeps expanding continuously out in space billions of miles out (light years).

• The Scriptures claims there is an arch in the heavens dividing the waters from the waters and that inside the arch is the earth and its atmosphere, having the sun, moon and stars above that are under the arch in the sky.

Science's lie #4:  Science claims there is an outerspace where many planets are located in this universe and expanding universes meaning light years away from the earth.

• The Scriptures say absolutely nothing about planets or universes in outer space. How can there be planets in outer space when there is no outer space outside of the arch in the sky. Only the sun, moon and stars are located under the arch in the sky above the earth. Above and below the arch are masses of water with only heaven above where God reigns.

Science's lie #5:  Science claims the sun is 400 times large than the size of the earth and the sun is the center of the universe.

• The Scriptures say the earth is the center of the world (not universe) and that the sun, which is very small in comparison to the earth rotates above the earth under the arch in the sky. 

Science's lie #6: Science claims the earth is 93,000,000 miles away from the huge sun that is 400 times larger than the size of the earth.

• While that Bible does not claim how high the top of the arch in the sky is, it can not possibly be 93,000,000 miles away from the earth. If that were so, knowing the sun is much smaller than the earth, and it rotates around the earth every day, we would not be able to see the sun, or feel its affect, if it were such a distance away.

Science's lie #7:  Science claims the tiny earth (and the other planets) spins around the huge sun at 67,000 miles per hour while the earth also spins in circular at 1000 miles per hour as it rotates around the sun once per year.

• The Scriptures claim that the sun rotates around the stationary earth every day under the arch in the sky. Because the earth is much larger than the sun, the rotation allows for the sun to bring on night and day, as well as seasons of the year as it rotates around the earth from the center to the outside of the arch.

Science's lie #8: Science claims that rockets and mankind have landed on the moon, which is in outer space.

• The Scriptures claim the moon is the lesser light to light the night sky. It is not a planet but a light. As a light, it does not have dirt or other matters that could sustain a landing of a rocket. The world has been dupped into believing what science claims as truth.

Science's lie #9: Science claims the earth is shaped like a sphere or globe. 

• The Scriptures definitely does not state the earth is a globe. The Bible does not use the word "flat earth," however, the earth is filled with mountains, valleys, plains, and masses of water with an arch over it like an inverted bowl. Therefore, the earth has to be more flat for many reasons: The greatest would be that water always levels itself out. If it were a sphere, spinning at 67,000 mph while circulating at 1000 mph, waters, having no arch in the sky, all human life, and anything not fastened down tight would spin off into space.

Science's lie #10:  Science claims that mankind has evolved over eons of time and originally came from apes.

• Scriptures most definitely tells us that we were lovingly and precisely created in the image and likeness of God. Evolution is a fake and must never be considered as part of the human race.

People, including Christians, are still trying to mix science and the Bible together to where things make more sense and acceptable in the society they live in?  If that is what you are doing, you have allegorically perverted the Bible and made science as your truth. Therefore, you have been most deceived! So then, let's get back into the Bible and let the Bible speak for itself.