At a recent Friday Evening Bible Study at International Bible Baptist Church - Riverside, our scheduled leader, Paul Garcia, had to work late and asked me to fill in for him. The previous week I led a discussion of Revelation and End Times prophecies. So this week I decided to go to the front of my Bible and lead a study from Genesis, chapter 1, the Creation.
During that study we discussed the compromise theology of the Gap Theory. During my 31 years as a believer, I have been saddened to see many pastors, Bible teachers, theologians, and scholars choose the path of least resistance when defending our Christian faith against secular science. A great example of that is the "switch, don't fight" compromise attitude which supports the Gap Theory.
And there is no better way to explain the Gap Theory than to share a dialogue I had with a dear Christian sister in 2002, and later commented on in 2004:
During that study we discussed the compromise theology of the Gap Theory. During my 31 years as a believer, I have been saddened to see many pastors, Bible teachers, theologians, and scholars choose the path of least resistance when defending our Christian faith against secular science. A great example of that is the "switch, don't fight" compromise attitude which supports the Gap Theory.
And there is no better way to explain the Gap Theory than to share a dialogue I had with a dear Christian sister in 2002, and later commented on in 2004:
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WHICH IS CORRECT - THE GAP THEORY OR THE BIBLE?
Saturday, August 28, 2004
Recently, while listening to Pastor's Perspective, a Christian radio talk show on KWVE Christian Radio, I was somewhat surprised to hear a senior Calvary Chapel pastor I have long admired advocate the Gap Theory as being possibly true.
For those not familiar with the Gap Theory, it is a theory, or postulation, put forth by some theologians who feel that they must make Biblical creation and secular science agree. So they offer a compromise suggesting that, between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 - there is a gap of possibly billions of years, or at least millions of years. Using that non-Biblical presupposition or hypothesis, Progressive Creation theologians can claim belief in the Biblical Creation - while still maintaining agreement with secular scientists and evolutionists.
Science suggests that during those millions or billions of years, simple lifeless cells floating in primordial pools had plenty of time to evolve into living cells - life created from non-life without God - possibly even prehistoric Albert Einsteins. And in theirhypothesis many diverse animals could have evolved from those simple lifeless cells, including the dinosaurs - which gives the theologians, scientists, and evolutionists comfort with their purposed timing of the dinosaurs on earth.
In other words, according to the Gap Theory theologians, after God tells us in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" - and before the time He tells us in Genesis 1:2, "And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters" - there was a previously created earth populated with people, animals, and plush beautiful vegetation. But in their scenario God destroyed that earlier version of earth because of early human corruption. Then He started all over again by creating a refurbished earth and creating Adam and Eve to populate this new Garden of Eden on His newly restored earth.
To make their theoretical postulation work - the Progressive Creation (Gap Theory) theologians tell us that God grew angry and destroyed that first earth. And that was the cause of the condition we read about in Genesis 1:2 - "And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. . ."
I suppose that theory also proves that God was the originator of the old maxim, "If at first you don't succeed - try, try again!" I always wondered where that saying originated.
Several really big problems pop into my head when I try to assimilate this theory.
First, did the first earth have a sun, moon, stars, i.e., the heavens? If so, did God also destroy them when He caused the flood (called Lucifer's Flood) which destroyed that first earth? To support their theory they tell us that God caused a Pre-Adamic Flood to destroy the earth. Did He cause the flood on earth - to destroy all the heavens also? Really? If not, then why did He have to recreate the heavenly bodies in Genesis 1?
Consider this, in Genesis 1:14-19, the Fourth Day, God created the sun, the moon, and the stars. If they already existed from the first earth creation; why did He have to create them again? Unless that first flood reached out into space and destroyed the heavenly bodies also? Please note that for Noah's Flood the Bible tells us the earth and all life on earth except Noah and his family were destroyed. But it says nothing of the sun, moon, and stars being destroyed. So, would there be a need to recreate them on the Fourth Day of our Creation?
Second, in Romans 5:12 we are told, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin - and so death spread to all men, because all sinned." That one man was Adam whose disobedience brought sin into the world, and with that sin came death for the first time.
Before Adam, if there really was an earth populated by many people and animals - how did they disappear? It could not have been through death; because death did not come into being until after Adam sinned. Did God rapture them up? I don't think so, do you?
Rather than continuing to belabor the point, I will copy/paste below a dialogue on "Floods In The Bible" I had with a dear Christian sister several years ago. In this dialogue we discuss the subject of the Gap Theory in detail. However, let me make one final point before we proceed to that dialogue. We know from Scripture, 1 Samuel 15:29, that God does not lie nor change His mind. We know from 2 Timothy 3:16 that ALL Scripture is inspired by God.
Based upon those two Scripture verses, we have to agree that ALL of the Bible is either inerrant, without error - OR - that the Bible is totally false. It cannot be the Written Word of God if any part of Scripture is in error. So when it tells us that through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin - we have to believe that. Either that, or we throw the whole Bible away. And with that we all would be condemned to an eternity without God, which can only be called hell. Think about it.
I pray that my article below will prove to you, once and for all, that the Gap Theory and the Pre-Adamic Flood Theory (Lucifer's Flood) are totally false.
This dialogue from 2002 was with my very dear Friend and Christian sister, Marna Howard, a wonderful and very intelligent lady. Marna was a retired school teacher in Missouri who often was my best proofreader (unfortunately many times it was after I had already published my eNewsletter to the world), and a person who loves the Lord. She has been with Him in glory for a number of years. I look forward to joining her there one day; so that we may continue our discussions of God's love and glory.
One last thought on Marna. Her husband was an elder in their Baptist church. And often during our many dialogues, when we would disagree, she would tell me, "You are just another Fundamentalist Baptist like my husband!" And I would smile and reply, "Thank you!"
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Subject: FLOODS IN THE BIBLE Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 22:01
From: Marna Howard To: Bill Gray
Bill, Let me give you a few thoughts to mull over.
BILL'S RESPONSE:
In responding I am using The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible which includes Greek and Hebrew dictionaries and references. I am using this in conjunction with The Blue Letter Bible web page. The URL is: blueletterbible (dot) org/index.html
That established, let's look at Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth".
When I refer to a Hebrew word I will italicize it and give the Strong's Concordance number. "In the beginning God created (bara 1254)." The Hebrew word bara, in its primary usage means "to create from nothing." And, obviously, the first thing God created from nothing is the heavens and the earth. He wanted to have a home for the rest of His earthly creations.
Genesis 1:2, "And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters."
Marna, you reference the word "was" which in Hebrew is hayah. The Strong's number is 1961 and it defines hayah as meaning "to exist, to be, or to become." Even though a word has a number of meanings, we must select the one which is contextually correct based upon it's use in that passage and its relationship with other Scripture verses.
So since we have just read that God created (bara) the heavens and the earth - we must assume that He is in an on-going process of His total creation. First, He created the heavens and the earth and it was formless (tohuw 8414 - waste, desolate) and void (bohuw 0922 - empty, a vacuity or empty space). This was step one in His creation. The Matthew Henry Commentary describes this as the "embryonic stage."
You reference Isaiah 45:18, "For thus saith the LORD who created the heavens. . ." Created here again uses the Hebrew word, bara, (1254) and is now referring to the past, i.e., the heavens had become. Continuing with Isaiah 45:18, "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.'"
He did not create it to be a waste place (tohuw 8414 - waste, desolate) but created it to be inhabited by Adam, Eve, their children, their descendants, and all of the animal and plant life He would create.
You mentioned that the Hebrew word, hayah (1961), is translated "became" many times in the Bible. That is true. And that is why, when we study the Bible, we must use the proper method of interpretation (hermeneutics) in deciding which meaning or tense of the word is contextually correct for that instance and in agreement with other Scripture. Scripture verifies Scripture.
BILL'S RESPONSE:
Once again, we must be careful to use the correct contextual interpretation of the word. Genesis 1:3 tells us, "And God said, ‘Let there be light: and there was light.'" Here "let there be" is hayah (1961) used in a variation of "to be."
Let's not confuse the "light" in Genesis 1:3 with the creation of the sun, moon, and stars which occurs in Genesis 1:16. This light is to be distinguished from that which radiates from the sun. What was the source of that light? I don't know since the Bible doesn't elaborate. It could have been the light of God's glory illuminating the universe - as it will when, in Revelation 21, we have the New Heavens, the New Earth, and the New Jerusalem when we go into eternity after the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
Or it could have been Jesus Christ, since we know from the Gospel of John that He, Jesus, was the instrument of creation from the Godhead. John 1:9 tells us, "There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." So, I am content to take that as the light meant when God spoke, "Let there be light: and their was light." You will note that it doesn't say, "God created the light," but instead He says, "Let there be light."
Genesis 1:16 reads, "God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also." The first phrase, "God made the two great lights," uses the Hebrew word `asah (6213 - to do or to make). In the last phrase, He made the stars also, the Hebrew word kowkab (3556 - a star, i.e., as round or as shining) is used most likely because it is more descriptive of those heavenly bodies.
There is nothing, so far, to support your suggestion that this is a work of reconstruction rather than creation. So far, everything God has done is steps in His initial creation process. And, again, Isaiah 45:18 is looking back at the completed work of creation, not at just a part of that process.
BILL'S RESPONSE:
Looking at Genesis 1:2, "And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters."
I agree with you that, at this point of time in the creation process, the earth was covered with water and darkness. In Genesis 1:6-7 (nasb) we read, "Then God said, ‘'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.' God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so."
What is that "expanse" or "firmament" spoken of in Genesis 1:6-7? Could it have been a dome of mist which covered the newly created earth? Keep in mind that God created the atmosphere in day 2 and plant life in day 3. But, it never rained until Noah's flood (about 1650 years after the Creation) - so the dome of mist would have nurtured the plant life. "Let there be an expanse (firmament) in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters (seas) from the waters (clouds)." That describes our earth atmosphere, i.e., the "first heaven."
In 2 Corinthians 12:2 the apostle Paul speaks of being taken into the "third heaven." In Genesis 6:7 God speaks of the "birds of heaven."
In the Bible we find the "three heavens." First is our atmosphere which is about 10 miles high. Second heaven is space, also called the stratosphere. The third heaven is the throne room of God.
Genesis 1:2 tells me that when God created the earth, it was completely covered with water and then, in day 3 of the creation, He rearranges it so that the dry land appears. Imagine that you are doing your landscaping and need better soil; you order new soil and the truck pulls up in your yard and dumps the new dirt in a big pile. The truck leaves and you get your shovel and start rearranging the dirt to be where you want it. Effectively God did the same, rearranging the waters to make room for the dry land.
Given that, in the Bible, some references to a day is actually speaking of a period of time or an era, i.e., in "the Day of the Lord" meaning the Tribulation or End Times period. I will not argue that the time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 could not have been a longer period of time. It is very possible and it is irrelevant since God did not consider it worth elaborating. However, there is absolutely no indication anywhere in the Scriptures that human life, or any kind of life, was on the earth prior to Genesis 1:2. The theory that the earth contained living beings prior to Genesis 1:2 and that they were destroyed by a flood is just that, a conjecture, which has absolutely no Scriptural support.
Yes, the earth in Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 was covered with water and darkness. Remember, this was step 1 in the creation process. In step 2, day 1, God said, "Let there be light; and there was light." And in Genesis 1:16 the sun, the moon, and the stars were created. God created the earth covered with water, not flooded for punishment because there was no one yet to punish - and there was no reason to punish anyone because Adam had not fallen into sin yet.
BILL'S RESPONSE:
You refer to Psalm 136:6 which says, "To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting." We all know that Psalms is part of the poetic portion of the Bible. Therefore phrases, especially these being Hebrew poetic phrases - will not be written or spoken as we would when writing historical facts. In Psalm 136 David is giving Praise to God for being the Creator, for being the Deliverer of Israel, and for His loving mercy.
In my Bible's cross references to other Scripture verses which are in agreement with the verse we are studying, I find Genesis 1:9 which refers back to God rearranging the waters on the earth to make room for dry land. So, once again, as in Isaiah 45:18, we are looking back on God's completed work of creation.
In Jeremiah, chapter 4, the prophet Jeremiah is warning the kingdom of Judah of the coming destruction to be brought upon that people by the invading army of Nebuchadnezzar. The people of Judah had turned from God and were worshiping idols and living lustful lives. So God turned from them and left them to destruction. Jeremiah 4:23 is describing the total destruction of the land of Judah by the invading armies - and drawing a comparison of the ravaged Judah to the total void and darkness of the newly created earth in Genesis 1:1.
This is the first time rain is mentioned in the Bible and these verses are saying that God had not yet sent rain upon the earth, only a mist to water the vegetation. The first time it rains in the Bible is in Genesis 7:4 when God tells Noah, "For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made."
I can just picture Noah's face when God told him this and Noah's reply, "Okay, Lord, I am your faithful servant and listen to all You say. Did I not start building this huge ark one hundred years ago, just as you commanded me? Did I not ignore the laughs and taunts of all the people as I built a large boat in the middle of the desert? But, Lord, I have one question; what is RAIN?"
Prior to this there was no rain, and in Genesis 1:9 God separates the waters that cover the earth to create the dry lands. A mist covered the earth causing plants to grow. But, there was no rain to cause a flood prior to Noah's time. Therefore there could not have been a pre-Adamic flood.
BILL'S RESPONSE:
The Bible does not tell us when God created the angels. Satan could have fallen before the creation; he could have fallen in the period of time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2; or he could have fallen at any time during the creation. The Bible also does not tell us how long a period of time elapsed between the creation of Adam and Eve and the temptation and fall. But, one thing we do know, is that the beautiful archangel, Lucifer, had turned from God and was now the adversary, Satan.
Isaiah 14:12-21 is Isaiah's prophecy of Satan's final destruction. It starts by reminding Lucifer (v13) how he had rebelled against God by declaring that he, Lucifer, would raise his throne above the stars of God. In verses 13 and 14, Lucifer is being told of his boasts to be higher than God. Then, in verses 15 through 21 the prophecy is telling Satan of his miserable failure and his eternal destiny in the lake of fire, which was created for him and his fallen angels.
All of chapter 14 is Isaiah's warning to the king of Babylon that he might momentarily shine "like the star of morning, son of the dawn," but he will quickly be brought down to shame and defeat. So, in the same way that most Old Testament prophecies could be seen as a near term prophecy and as a future prophecy; here Isaiah is prophesying the near term fall of Babylon and the future demise of Satan.
Satan is not kicked out of heaven yet. He still has access to the throne room of God and is daily accusing the saints before God. We see this in Job 1:7 and in Revelation 12:7-9. Satan will not be denied access to God until during the Tribulation period. Revelation 12:7-8 tell us, "And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven."
This is when Satan is finally thrown down and barred from access to heaven. And this is when his anger and wrath against Israel and all believers will really reach its pinnacle. This is the Great Tribulation, the second 3 ½ years of the Tribulation period, when the final and most terrifying persecution of the saints begin. For Satan knows that he has little time left.
Therefore, we, the church, will always have Satan accusing us before God until the Rapture takes us home. But, we have the greatest Advocate who ever was, sitting at the right hand of God interceding for us day and night (Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34).
BILL'S RESPONSE:
You are correct that in Genesis 1:2 there is no light. God does not call forth light until Day One in Genesis 1:3. Nor does He make the sun, moon, and stars until Genesis 1:16. But, as far as this being a judgment, man had not yet been created nor fallen, so there was nothing and no one to judge.
Once again, this is just a step in God's creation. God could have created the whole universe, including man and all living creatures, in one instance. He is omnipotent, nothing is beyond His power. However, He chose to create everything in a sequence. Why? I do not know and, once again, the Bible does not elaborate. Therefore I just accept that this is the way God wanted to do it.
You mention the distinction between "replenish" and "plenish." Using the Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary I find that both words can be construed to mean the same thing.
In the dictionary, Replenish is defined as: "To make full or complete again; To supply again; To repeople; and To finish; To complete; To consummate."
In that same dictionary I find the Plenish defined as: "To fill from; To fill up; To furnish; To stock."
Replenish we could take to mean "to finish or to complete" and Plenish we could take to mean "to furnish or stock." However, the most correct way to really understand God's meaning in Genesis 1:28 is to see what the word Replenish means in the Hebrew language.
In the KJV Bible translation, Genesis 1:28 reads, "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible shows the Hebrew word male' or mala' (4390, 4392) for the English word replenish. Definition 4390 shows male' or mala' to mean: "accomplish, confirm, fill, fulfill, fulness, satisfy, replenish, have wholly." Definition 4392 shows male' to mean: "full or filling; fully, i.e., she that was with child."
From this we see that there is no conflict in Genesis 1:28 whether God had chosen to use Replenish or Plenish. In both English and in Hebrew, they can have the same meaning.
Also in Genesis 9:1, God's blessing upon His faithful servant, Noah, and Noah's sons, we read, "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" - we find no conflict. The Hebrew word male' is once again used, this time to mean "to repeople" or "to fill" again.
Marna, I want to thank you for raising these questions. Going through this has certainly replenished my understanding of this portion of God's word. And I pray that this gives you a better understanding of His word, whether you agree with me or not. I have written my best understanding of this portion of Genesis and this is what I believe to be the correct interpretation.
But, if you and I disagree on such non-salvation issues, that if fine, for it generates discussions such as this - and from these, we grow in our knowledge of God's word and in our walk with the Lord. You know, it is sort of like having our own little interactive, non real-time, on-line Bible study.
Thank you once more and I hope you do not mind that I will share this with others in my Friends Ministry eNewsletter mail list.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
Saturday, August 28, 2004
Recently, while listening to Pastor's Perspective, a Christian radio talk show on KWVE Christian Radio, I was somewhat surprised to hear a senior Calvary Chapel pastor I have long admired advocate the Gap Theory as being possibly true.
For those not familiar with the Gap Theory, it is a theory, or postulation, put forth by some theologians who feel that they must make Biblical creation and secular science agree. So they offer a compromise suggesting that, between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 - there is a gap of possibly billions of years, or at least millions of years. Using that non-Biblical presupposition or hypothesis, Progressive Creation theologians can claim belief in the Biblical Creation - while still maintaining agreement with secular scientists and evolutionists.
Science suggests that during those millions or billions of years, simple lifeless cells floating in primordial pools had plenty of time to evolve into living cells - life created from non-life without God - possibly even prehistoric Albert Einsteins. And in theirhypothesis many diverse animals could have evolved from those simple lifeless cells, including the dinosaurs - which gives the theologians, scientists, and evolutionists comfort with their purposed timing of the dinosaurs on earth.
In other words, according to the Gap Theory theologians, after God tells us in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" - and before the time He tells us in Genesis 1:2, "And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters" - there was a previously created earth populated with people, animals, and plush beautiful vegetation. But in their scenario God destroyed that earlier version of earth because of early human corruption. Then He started all over again by creating a refurbished earth and creating Adam and Eve to populate this new Garden of Eden on His newly restored earth.
To make their theoretical postulation work - the Progressive Creation (Gap Theory) theologians tell us that God grew angry and destroyed that first earth. And that was the cause of the condition we read about in Genesis 1:2 - "And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. . ."
I suppose that theory also proves that God was the originator of the old maxim, "If at first you don't succeed - try, try again!" I always wondered where that saying originated.
Several really big problems pop into my head when I try to assimilate this theory.
First, did the first earth have a sun, moon, stars, i.e., the heavens? If so, did God also destroy them when He caused the flood (called Lucifer's Flood) which destroyed that first earth? To support their theory they tell us that God caused a Pre-Adamic Flood to destroy the earth. Did He cause the flood on earth - to destroy all the heavens also? Really? If not, then why did He have to recreate the heavenly bodies in Genesis 1?
Consider this, in Genesis 1:14-19, the Fourth Day, God created the sun, the moon, and the stars. If they already existed from the first earth creation; why did He have to create them again? Unless that first flood reached out into space and destroyed the heavenly bodies also? Please note that for Noah's Flood the Bible tells us the earth and all life on earth except Noah and his family were destroyed. But it says nothing of the sun, moon, and stars being destroyed. So, would there be a need to recreate them on the Fourth Day of our Creation?
Second, in Romans 5:12 we are told, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin - and so death spread to all men, because all sinned." That one man was Adam whose disobedience brought sin into the world, and with that sin came death for the first time.
Before Adam, if there really was an earth populated by many people and animals - how did they disappear? It could not have been through death; because death did not come into being until after Adam sinned. Did God rapture them up? I don't think so, do you?
Rather than continuing to belabor the point, I will copy/paste below a dialogue on "Floods In The Bible" I had with a dear Christian sister several years ago. In this dialogue we discuss the subject of the Gap Theory in detail. However, let me make one final point before we proceed to that dialogue. We know from Scripture, 1 Samuel 15:29, that God does not lie nor change His mind. We know from 2 Timothy 3:16 that ALL Scripture is inspired by God.
Based upon those two Scripture verses, we have to agree that ALL of the Bible is either inerrant, without error - OR - that the Bible is totally false. It cannot be the Written Word of God if any part of Scripture is in error. So when it tells us that through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin - we have to believe that. Either that, or we throw the whole Bible away. And with that we all would be condemned to an eternity without God, which can only be called hell. Think about it.
I pray that my article below will prove to you, once and for all, that the Gap Theory and the Pre-Adamic Flood Theory (Lucifer's Flood) are totally false.
This dialogue from 2002 was with my very dear Friend and Christian sister, Marna Howard, a wonderful and very intelligent lady. Marna was a retired school teacher in Missouri who often was my best proofreader (unfortunately many times it was after I had already published my eNewsletter to the world), and a person who loves the Lord. She has been with Him in glory for a number of years. I look forward to joining her there one day; so that we may continue our discussions of God's love and glory.
One last thought on Marna. Her husband was an elder in their Baptist church. And often during our many dialogues, when we would disagree, she would tell me, "You are just another Fundamentalist Baptist like my husband!" And I would smile and reply, "Thank you!"
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Subject: FLOODS IN THE BIBLE Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2002 22:01
From: Marna Howard To: Bill Gray
Bill, Let me give you a few thoughts to mull over.
MARNA'S UNDERSTANDING:
I am not a Hebrew scholar, but according to all the teaching I have had, the Hebrew verb WAS in Genesis 1:2 is from the verb, hayah, meaning TO BECOME - not the verb TO BE. Therefore the earth must have become waste and empty since its original creation and habitation in the beginning.
It reads, "And the earth BECAME without form," - tohu, meaning waste, without form, or in vain. In Isaiah 45:18, it says God did not create the earth in tohu or in vain. In Deuteronomy 32:10, the same word is translated WASTE. The Hebrew word, hayah, is translated BECAME many, many times elsewhere in the Bible.
BILL'S RESPONSE:
In responding I am using The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible which includes Greek and Hebrew dictionaries and references. I am using this in conjunction with The Blue Letter Bible web page. The URL is: blueletterbible (dot) org/index.html
The Blue Letter Bible is a powerful on-line Bible tool. Once you select the Scripture you want to examine, it gives you many options such as 14 different English Bible translations plus translations in Spanish, Latin Vulgate, Textus Receptus (TR), and Morphological Greek New Testament (mGNT) - if those are helpful.
You can look at a Scripture verse in a table which shows that verse in each of the those many translations - allowing you to compare them side be side. It allows you to choose a verse and see the Hebrew or Greek translations with a reference number to that word or phrase in the Strong's Concordance Hebrew or Greek Dictionary.
It also gives you options such as commentaries, dictionary aids, music or hymns which refer to this particular verse, and a Treasury of Scripture Knowledge References for that verse. The Blue Letter Bible is co-sponsored by Koinonia House, Chuck Missler's ministry. The Koinonia House URL is: khouse (dot) org
That established, let's look at Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth".
When I refer to a Hebrew word I will italicize it and give the Strong's Concordance number. "In the beginning God created (bara 1254)." The Hebrew word bara, in its primary usage means "to create from nothing." And, obviously, the first thing God created from nothing is the heavens and the earth. He wanted to have a home for the rest of His earthly creations.
Genesis 1:2, "And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters."
Marna, you reference the word "was" which in Hebrew is hayah. The Strong's number is 1961 and it defines hayah as meaning "to exist, to be, or to become." Even though a word has a number of meanings, we must select the one which is contextually correct based upon it's use in that passage and its relationship with other Scripture verses.
So since we have just read that God created (bara) the heavens and the earth - we must assume that He is in an on-going process of His total creation. First, He created the heavens and the earth and it was formless (tohuw 8414 - waste, desolate) and void (bohuw 0922 - empty, a vacuity or empty space). This was step one in His creation. The Matthew Henry Commentary describes this as the "embryonic stage."
You reference Isaiah 45:18, "For thus saith the LORD who created the heavens. . ." Created here again uses the Hebrew word, bara, (1254) and is now referring to the past, i.e., the heavens had become. Continuing with Isaiah 45:18, "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.'"
He did not create it to be a waste place (tohuw 8414 - waste, desolate) but created it to be inhabited by Adam, Eve, their children, their descendants, and all of the animal and plant life He would create.
You mentioned that the Hebrew word, hayah (1961), is translated "became" many times in the Bible. That is true. And that is why, when we study the Bible, we must use the proper method of interpretation (hermeneutics) in deciding which meaning or tense of the word is contextually correct for that instance and in agreement with other Scripture. Scripture verifies Scripture.
MARNA'S UNDERSTANDING:
In verse 1, the word for created is barah, meaning to bring into being from nothing. Hebrews 11:3 - "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" In all other places in this passage the words, MADE and MAKE, are used, so the six days' work was mainly reconstructive. Just as we might make something of a material which had already been created.
In v1, the universe is brought into existence, created from something that did not exist before. Starting in v2, it is reconstructed. Since the Isaiah passage says He did not create the world tohu, and yet, in Genesis 1:2 the world had BECOME tohu, then something must have happened to the perfect creation God made in the beginning.
BILL'S RESPONSE:
Once again, we must be careful to use the correct contextual interpretation of the word. Genesis 1:3 tells us, "And God said, ‘Let there be light: and there was light.'" Here "let there be" is hayah (1961) used in a variation of "to be."
Let's not confuse the "light" in Genesis 1:3 with the creation of the sun, moon, and stars which occurs in Genesis 1:16. This light is to be distinguished from that which radiates from the sun. What was the source of that light? I don't know since the Bible doesn't elaborate. It could have been the light of God's glory illuminating the universe - as it will when, in Revelation 21, we have the New Heavens, the New Earth, and the New Jerusalem when we go into eternity after the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
Or it could have been Jesus Christ, since we know from the Gospel of John that He, Jesus, was the instrument of creation from the Godhead. John 1:9 tells us, "There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." So, I am content to take that as the light meant when God spoke, "Let there be light: and their was light." You will note that it doesn't say, "God created the light," but instead He says, "Let there be light."
Genesis 1:16 reads, "God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also." The first phrase, "God made the two great lights," uses the Hebrew word `asah (6213 - to do or to make). In the last phrase, He made the stars also, the Hebrew word kowkab (3556 - a star, i.e., as round or as shining) is used most likely because it is more descriptive of those heavenly bodies.
There is nothing, so far, to support your suggestion that this is a work of reconstruction rather than creation. So far, everything God has done is steps in His initial creation process. And, again, Isaiah 45:18 is looking back at the completed work of creation, not at just a part of that process.
MARNA'S UNDERSTANDING:
In Genesis 1:2, we find the earth not only flooded with water but covered with total darkness - the sun, moon, and stars having withdrawn their light - causing the death of all inhabitants on earth. So, the earth, the water, and the darkness were already in existence before God started his six days' work of reconstruction.
In Scripture all instances of obscuring the sun and bringing darkness and universal floods are revealed to be the result of Judgment, not creation, as seen in the flood of Noah's time - as seen in Exodus 10:21-23 when the plague of darkness came over Egypt - in the prophecies of woes and judgments in Isaiah 5:30 - and in Jeremiah 4:23 we find the prophecy of disasters to come.
Also there is Matthew 8:12 where Jesus speaks of the sons of the kingdom (Satan's kingdom) being thrown into the outer darkness. Again, in Matthew 24:29, these are signs of the end of the age. I could give you many more in Amos, Joel, and Revelation. All referring to judgment for sin. Surely Genesis 1:2 would not be the only exception in the whole Bible where darkness resulted from anything else. So, I think sin was being judged here.
BILL'S RESPONSE:
Looking at Genesis 1:2, "And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters."
I agree with you that, at this point of time in the creation process, the earth was covered with water and darkness. In Genesis 1:6-7 (nasb) we read, "Then God said, ‘'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.' God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so."
Genesis 1:6, (kjv and nkjv), "Then God said, 'Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.'"
What is that "expanse" or "firmament" spoken of in Genesis 1:6-7? Could it have been a dome of mist which covered the newly created earth? Keep in mind that God created the atmosphere in day 2 and plant life in day 3. But, it never rained until Noah's flood (about 1650 years after the Creation) - so the dome of mist would have nurtured the plant life. "Let there be an expanse (firmament) in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters (seas) from the waters (clouds)." That describes our earth atmosphere, i.e., the "first heaven."
In 2 Corinthians 12:2 the apostle Paul speaks of being taken into the "third heaven." In Genesis 6:7 God speaks of the "birds of heaven."
In the Bible we find the "three heavens." First is our atmosphere which is about 10 miles high. Second heaven is space, also called the stratosphere. The third heaven is the throne room of God.
Genesis 1:2 tells me that when God created the earth, it was completely covered with water and then, in day 3 of the creation, He rearranges it so that the dry land appears. Imagine that you are doing your landscaping and need better soil; you order new soil and the truck pulls up in your yard and dumps the new dirt in a big pile. The truck leaves and you get your shovel and start rearranging the dirt to be where you want it. Effectively God did the same, rearranging the waters to make room for the dry land.
Given that, in the Bible, some references to a day is actually speaking of a period of time or an era, i.e., in "the Day of the Lord" meaning the Tribulation or End Times period. I will not argue that the time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 could not have been a longer period of time. It is very possible and it is irrelevant since God did not consider it worth elaborating. However, there is absolutely no indication anywhere in the Scriptures that human life, or any kind of life, was on the earth prior to Genesis 1:2. The theory that the earth contained living beings prior to Genesis 1:2 and that they were destroyed by a flood is just that, a conjecture, which has absolutely no Scriptural support.
Yes, the earth in Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 was covered with water and darkness. Remember, this was step 1 in the creation process. In step 2, day 1, God said, "Let there be light; and there was light." And in Genesis 1:16 the sun, the moon, and the stars were created. God created the earth covered with water, not flooded for punishment because there was no one yet to punish - and there was no reason to punish anyone because Adam had not fallen into sin yet.
MARNA'S UNDERSTANDING:
This pre-Adamic flood was even worse than the one in Noah's time, because everything was completely destroyed. In Noah's flood not everything was completely void. Psalm 136:6 says God stretched out the dry land above the waters, not the waters to cover the earth. And if we go back to the Jeremiah 4 passage, not only does it say everything was empty, the mountains were quaking, there were no people nor birds, and the fruitful land had become desert, and all its towns lay in ruins before the Lord in his fierce anger.
This could not refer to the flood of Noah's time, because then there were lights in the heavens, and there were men, birds, and fruitful places left after the flood. There were none of these things in Genesis l:2. So I feel that darkness and global flooding is used of judgment here.
BILL'S RESPONSE:
You refer to Psalm 136:6 which says, "To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting." We all know that Psalms is part of the poetic portion of the Bible. Therefore phrases, especially these being Hebrew poetic phrases - will not be written or spoken as we would when writing historical facts. In Psalm 136 David is giving Praise to God for being the Creator, for being the Deliverer of Israel, and for His loving mercy.
In my Bible's cross references to other Scripture verses which are in agreement with the verse we are studying, I find Genesis 1:9 which refers back to God rearranging the waters on the earth to make room for dry land. So, once again, as in Isaiah 45:18, we are looking back on God's completed work of creation.
In Jeremiah, chapter 4, the prophet Jeremiah is warning the kingdom of Judah of the coming destruction to be brought upon that people by the invading army of Nebuchadnezzar. The people of Judah had turned from God and were worshiping idols and living lustful lives. So God turned from them and left them to destruction. Jeremiah 4:23 is describing the total destruction of the land of Judah by the invading armies - and drawing a comparison of the ravaged Judah to the total void and darkness of the newly created earth in Genesis 1:1.
Genesis 2:4-6, "This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created , in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground."
This is the first time rain is mentioned in the Bible and these verses are saying that God had not yet sent rain upon the earth, only a mist to water the vegetation. The first time it rains in the Bible is in Genesis 7:4 when God tells Noah, "For after seven more days, I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made."
I can just picture Noah's face when God told him this and Noah's reply, "Okay, Lord, I am your faithful servant and listen to all You say. Did I not start building this huge ark one hundred years ago, just as you commanded me? Did I not ignore the laughs and taunts of all the people as I built a large boat in the middle of the desert? But, Lord, I have one question; what is RAIN?"
Prior to this there was no rain, and in Genesis 1:9 God separates the waters that cover the earth to create the dry lands. A mist covered the earth causing plants to grow. But, there was no rain to cause a flood prior to Noah's time. Therefore there could not have been a pre-Adamic flood.
MARNA'S UNDERSTANDING:
Add to all this Isaiah 14:12-14, where Lucifer is cast out of heaven to earth. Satan was already a fallen creature before he came into the Garden of Eden. He had a kingdom to rule under the clouds, under the stars, and under heaven, and it says that Lucifer was one who once laid low the nations. Then he decided to invade heaven. Nothing like that happened after Adam, so it must have been before. Ezekiel 28:11-17 talks about Lucifer being thrown to the earth, to the Garden of Eden.
He must have been ruling here on earth and decided he would ascend above the clouds and make himself like God (v. 14) In 2 Peter 3:5-7 it speaks of the earth that then was and the one that now is. At Noah's flood the earth was not destroyed. In v6 it says the first world was destroyed, so it must have been at another time other than Noah's flood. Psalm 104:5-9 speaks of God rebuking the flood and they FLED. In Noah's time, the water went down slowly and naturally, so this must be the same flood as the one in Genesis 1:2.
BILL'S RESPONSE:
The Bible does not tell us when God created the angels. Satan could have fallen before the creation; he could have fallen in the period of time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2; or he could have fallen at any time during the creation. The Bible also does not tell us how long a period of time elapsed between the creation of Adam and Eve and the temptation and fall. But, one thing we do know, is that the beautiful archangel, Lucifer, had turned from God and was now the adversary, Satan.
Isaiah 14:12-21 is Isaiah's prophecy of Satan's final destruction. It starts by reminding Lucifer (v13) how he had rebelled against God by declaring that he, Lucifer, would raise his throne above the stars of God. In verses 13 and 14, Lucifer is being told of his boasts to be higher than God. Then, in verses 15 through 21 the prophecy is telling Satan of his miserable failure and his eternal destiny in the lake of fire, which was created for him and his fallen angels.
All of chapter 14 is Isaiah's warning to the king of Babylon that he might momentarily shine "like the star of morning, son of the dawn," but he will quickly be brought down to shame and defeat. So, in the same way that most Old Testament prophecies could be seen as a near term prophecy and as a future prophecy; here Isaiah is prophesying the near term fall of Babylon and the future demise of Satan.
Satan is not kicked out of heaven yet. He still has access to the throne room of God and is daily accusing the saints before God. We see this in Job 1:7 and in Revelation 12:7-9. Satan will not be denied access to God until during the Tribulation period. Revelation 12:7-8 tell us, "And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven."
This is when Satan is finally thrown down and barred from access to heaven. And this is when his anger and wrath against Israel and all believers will really reach its pinnacle. This is the Great Tribulation, the second 3 ½ years of the Tribulation period, when the final and most terrifying persecution of the saints begin. For Satan knows that he has little time left.
Therefore, we, the church, will always have Satan accusing us before God until the Rapture takes us home. But, we have the greatest Advocate who ever was, sitting at the right hand of God interceding for us day and night (Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34).
MARNA'S UNDERSTANDING:
Only the earth was cursed in Genesis - cursed, flooded, and filled with darkness. But, NOT the heavens. In Genesis 1:2, the Spirit began to move upon the flooded earth to restore the dry land again. Any time in the Bible when the sun is obscured, this is judgment, not creation. All predictions of future darkness are depicting judgment.
Another thing, God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply and REplenish the earth. So it must have been "plenished" before Adam and Eve, or they could not REPLENISH it. It all fits together perfectly. Note also that God gave Noah the same command after the flood of his day (Genesis 9:1-2).
I could go on and on, and on and on with this, but it is late, and it is hard for me to see the fine print, especially at night. I love the study of words, and I love to study the Word. It doesn't really matter whether we all agree on all these things as long as we agree about salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
In love, Marna Howard
BILL'S RESPONSE:
You are correct that in Genesis 1:2 there is no light. God does not call forth light until Day One in Genesis 1:3. Nor does He make the sun, moon, and stars until Genesis 1:16. But, as far as this being a judgment, man had not yet been created nor fallen, so there was nothing and no one to judge.
Once again, this is just a step in God's creation. God could have created the whole universe, including man and all living creatures, in one instance. He is omnipotent, nothing is beyond His power. However, He chose to create everything in a sequence. Why? I do not know and, once again, the Bible does not elaborate. Therefore I just accept that this is the way God wanted to do it.
You mention the distinction between "replenish" and "plenish." Using the Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary I find that both words can be construed to mean the same thing.
In the dictionary, Replenish is defined as: "To make full or complete again; To supply again; To repeople; and To finish; To complete; To consummate."
In that same dictionary I find the Plenish defined as: "To fill from; To fill up; To furnish; To stock."
Replenish we could take to mean "to finish or to complete" and Plenish we could take to mean "to furnish or stock." However, the most correct way to really understand God's meaning in Genesis 1:28 is to see what the word Replenish means in the Hebrew language.
In the KJV Bible translation, Genesis 1:28 reads, "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible shows the Hebrew word male' or mala' (4390, 4392) for the English word replenish. Definition 4390 shows male' or mala' to mean: "accomplish, confirm, fill, fulfill, fulness, satisfy, replenish, have wholly." Definition 4392 shows male' to mean: "full or filling; fully, i.e., she that was with child."
From this we see that there is no conflict in Genesis 1:28 whether God had chosen to use Replenish or Plenish. In both English and in Hebrew, they can have the same meaning.
Also in Genesis 9:1, God's blessing upon His faithful servant, Noah, and Noah's sons, we read, "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" - we find no conflict. The Hebrew word male' is once again used, this time to mean "to repeople" or "to fill" again.
Marna, I want to thank you for raising these questions. Going through this has certainly replenished my understanding of this portion of God's word. And I pray that this gives you a better understanding of His word, whether you agree with me or not. I have written my best understanding of this portion of Genesis and this is what I believe to be the correct interpretation.
But, if you and I disagree on such non-salvation issues, that if fine, for it generates discussions such as this - and from these, we grow in our knowledge of God's word and in our walk with the Lord. You know, it is sort of like having our own little interactive, non real-time, on-line Bible study.
Thank you once more and I hope you do not mind that I will share this with others in my Friends Ministry eNewsletter mail list.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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