This past week I read an article about Pastors not being clear on creation, which I will cite in the end notes. I was inspired to write on some things I have learned over the years regarding Genesis and creation. I started out in Christianity as a gap theorist (not an evolutionist), but when I home schooled my children I became a young earth theorist. I believe the bible is clear on the time line from Adam to present to be about six thousand years so that seemed reasonable as at that time young earth people believed in a six thousand year creation. But then the young earth folks changed their timeline to 10,000 years. I had a problem with that as the bible says we are in a 6,000 year time frame. So I began to explore. If young earth people can change from 6,000 to 10,000 years, why not 12,000 years or 20,000 years? The first thing I noticed is that people equate the age of the earth with the age of humanity, as in evolution. As Christians we have to change that thinking because it does not have to be young earth and young humanity, or old earth and old humanity, it in fact could be old earth and young humanity. As from previous blogs I have explored several points that young earth people do not take into account, geology, history, and archaeology, as well as the bible. Therefore it is more reasonable to pull together the whole of the matter rather than focus on a few small points. And while putting together all these aspects of knowledge gives us the understanding, the bible has actually been clear all along, we have simply been taught incorrectly.
The first thing we have to remember is that we have an enemy who wants to cloud the bible so that humans stay ignorant and can be overcome. With that in mind we then have to become intensely determined to do the research, and not simply regurgitate something someone once said. As I pointed out in a previous blog if our information is thirty years old, it is time for an upgrade. Firstly humans have not “evolved” there is no missing link, that is because God created humans after a cataclysmic disaster. Some people believe that God created the earth as a lump of clay and then made it look like what we see today. But that is not quite what Genesis says. That is simply an erroneous teaching that has pervaded many religions that do not study the bible. There have been numerous ice ages and floods, as well as cataclysmic events that have occurred over very long periods of time, as well as archeological evidence as megalithic structures on land and now under water. This will be a more intense study in Genesis, let’s take a look.
Gen 1:1-3 In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth.2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
In the beginning OT:7225 re'shiyth (ray-sheeth'); from the same as OT:7218; the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit): KJV - beginning, chief (-est), first (-fruits, part, time), principal thing.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Created OT:1254 bara' (baw-raw'); a primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes): -choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
God OT:430 'elohiym (el-o-heem'); plural of OT:433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: KJV - angels, exceeding, God (gods)- dess, -ly), (very) great, judges, mighty.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
UNTRANSLATED WORD OT: 853 'eth (ayth); apparent contracted from OT:226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly self, (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely): KJV - [as such unrepresented in English].(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:226 'owth (oth); probably from OT:225 (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.: KJV - mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
the Heaven OT:8064 shamayim (shaw-mah'-yim); dual of an unused singular shameh (shaw-meh'); from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):KJV - air, astrologer, heaven (-s).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
and OT:853 (ayth); apparent contracted from OT:226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly self, (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):KJV - [as such unrepresented in English].(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
the earth OT:776 'erets (eh'-rets); from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):KJV - common, country, earth, field, ground, land, natins, way, wilderness, world.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
The untranslated word and the word “and” are the same word Strongs #853. What we can derive from the definition is that God who is not himself heaven or earth, did something, he created. God is not heaven, and God is not earth, so we eliminate some religious beliefs with that understanding alone. The word can also mean the essence of God’s character did something. Being that the word #853 is to point out the object of the verb or preposition lets identify those. The prepositional phrase is In the beginning the verb of this sentence is created, God is the proper noun, heaven, noun, and conjunction, earth is a noun. The word #853 is ment to put emphasis on either In or created. While this does not lend itself to any great revelation, to leave a word out causes all kinds of misunderstanding. And I have heard lots of silly things regarding this missing word. Elohim, three or more, demonstrated as a signal, the creating of heaven and earth, in the beginning.
Now we should simply ask ourselves what were the first things Elohim created, heaven and earth. Then the earth became without form and void. It does not say the heavens were without form and void. It does not say that they were created formless and void. Neither does it say that the earth was created without form or void. To create something does not imply an unfinished work. Truly only God can create because he made something from nothing. But for our understanding, if I created a picture of you on a canvass, you could look at it and expect to see your likeness. You would be mad if you looked at the picture I created of you and found it to be a blob of scribbled paint. While all the elements of a potential picture are there I did not make the elements into a picture of you. That would mean I did not create a picture of you. It would mean that I threw paint on a canvas, but an image of you was not created. If I said I created a picture of you and a picture of your mother, one would expect to see a likeness of you and your mother on the canvass. If you looked at the picture I created of you and your mother and your mother looked like I created her image on the canvas but next to her, where your image should be, you were just a big blob of paint, one could not say I created an image of you and your mother, one would have to say I created an image of your mother. Now what if I created a canvas painting of you and your mother, and someone later threw black paint on your image, one would have to say that I created the canvass of you and your mother, but that the portion of the picture with your image became ruined. It would not be reasonable to say that I did not paint your picture correctly if someone later threw black paint on it. In fact, one would have to say that an event took place to destroy what I painted, or created. As with God, He created a finished work heaven and earth. But only earth was lying in waste, not the heavens. Now let’s look at verse 2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the earth #776 as above
was OT:1961 hayah (haw-yaw); a primitive root [compare OT:1933]; to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):KJV - beacon, altogether, be (-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, have, last, pertain, quit (oneself-), require, use.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
without form OT:8414 tohuw (to'-hoo); from an unused root meaning to lie waste; a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain: KJV - confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
and void OT:922 bohuw (bo'-hoo); from an unused root (meaning to be empty); a vacuity, i.e. (superficially) an undistinguishable ruin:KJV - emptiness, void.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
and darkness OT:2822 choshek (kho-shek'); from OT:2821; the dark; hence (literally) darkness; figuratively, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness: KJV - dark (-ness), night, obscurity.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
was OT:9999 NOTE: inserted word (x); This word was added by the translators for better readability in the English. There is no actual word in the Hebrew text. The word may be displayed in italics, or in parentheses or other brackets, to indicate that it is not in the original text.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
upon OT:5921 `al (al); properly, the same as OT:5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow): KJV - above, according to (-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, both and, by (reason of), had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through (-out), to, touching, with.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
the face of OT:6440 paniym (paw-neem'); plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun [paneh (paw-neh'); from OT:6437]; the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.): KJV - accept, a- before (-time), against, anger, as (long as), at, battle, because (of), beseech, countenance, edge, employ, endure, enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront (-part), form (-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, him (-self), honourable, impudent, in, it, look [-eth] (-s), me, meet, more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), on, open, out of, over against, the partial, person, please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, regard, right forth, serve, shewbread, sight, state, straight, street, thee, them (-selves), through (+-out), till, time (-s) past, (un-) to (-ward), upon, upside (+down), with (-in, -stand), ye, you.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
the deep OT:8415 tehowm (teh-home'); or tehom (teh-home'); (usually feminine) from OT:1949; an abyss (as a surging mass of water), especially the deep (the main sea or the subterranean water-supply): KJV - deep (place), depth.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
And the earth became waste, or desolate. The earth became empty. Emptiness, misery, destruction, and death were all over the many sides of the mass of water and land.
We can see the word become as an emphatic is properly translated and a better translation than the word was. Form & void mean to lie in waste, undistinguishable, which would mean again that it was not created as a big blob, as that is not creating. In other words it is not creating earth to make a blob of waste that no one can identify. If we believe that Elohim created heaven and earth as an indistinguishable mass of emptiness, then we have to say his next creative act is to make darkness on the waters. But why would Elohim who is light make darkness first? Now we are getting somewhere. If the earth, not the heaven, became ruined, it would make more sense that whatever caused its ruin resulted in darkness, misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness, in the many turning faces of the waters. If we quote God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5), then we have to wonder why he would create darkness before light, especially if he is in the process of creating as some would contend. Some people believe that verse 2 of Genesis 1 is the process of Elohim creating. If that is the case, logically, Elohim created darkness before light because darkness was before light. Now we have contradictions all over the place and that very hotly contended argument of God being in the process of forming a blob of nothing into something has many inherent problems. However if Elohim created heaven and earth a finished work, and it later was destroyed, the cause of the destruction could have caused darkness over the entire abyss.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
Diagramming this sentence with the added “was” goes like this: Earth is the noun, was or became is the verb, without form and void is a prepositional phrase, and is a conjunction, darkness is the noun, was is the verb upon the face is one prepositional phrase, and of the deep, second prepositional phrase. Yet if we diagram this sentence without the added “was” it changes the sentence and means something different. Earth is the noun was or became is the verb, but then the first prepositional phrase is without form and void and darkness, and the second prepositional phrase is upon the face, and the third prepositional phrase is of the deep. If we take out the added word “was”, then the structure of the sentence changes. Properly it would read that the earth became formless, void and dark, all over all the sides of the abyss. With the added word “was” darkness ends up being a subject (noun) of the deep, without “was” darkness becomes part of the description of how the earth became. Remembering that punctuation was added later into translations, we could more accurately understand that Elohim did not create darkness but darkness formlessness and empty was the way the earth became. Also keep in mind that the King James Version puts words into italics if they are added. Sometimes diagramming a sentence helps our understanding, and if we diagram it without the added words that the translators thought made it read smoother, we find a more definitive meaning to our sentences. I am adding a link in end notes to a diagramming site.
Here is the summation: the earth became formless, voided, and dark, all over the ground and the water. When we see three things listed in scripture we can reference EW Bullingers work Numbers in the Scripture to understand that the number three means complete. The earth was completely and totally ruined. Again if it was created as earth it could not be called earth in a blob of clay (formless and void) state, otherwise Elohim would have had to have created the darkness before the light.
A couple more things to point out, the word for the face of is a plural word, just like the word for Elohim. However Strong’s points out that even though it is plural meaning three or more, it is always used in a singular form. It does not say that for Elohim, while it means three or more, it is to be plural. Our translating and understanding make it singular. Again in the Hebrew there is a singular (one), a dual (two) and a plural (three or more). Remember Elohim is a title, like Mr or Sir or King. Therefore we should understand it as Misters, or Sirs, or Kings. The word for deep is in the feminine, so we should think of water and waters, above or below the earth, as feminine.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters
And the Spirit of OT:7307 ruwach (roo'-akh); from OT:7306; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions): KJV - air, anger, blast, breath, cool, courage, mind, quarter, side, spirit ([-ual]), tempest, vain, ([whirl-]) wind (-y).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
God # 430 'Elohiym as above
moved OT:7363 rachaph (raw-khaf'); a primitive root; to brood; by implication, to be relaxed: KJV - flutter, move, shake.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
upon #5921 as above
the face of #6440 as above
the waters OT:4325 mayim (mah'-yim); dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen: KJV - piss, wasting, water (-ing, [-course, -flood, -spring]).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Previously we saw that with darkness was death and destruction, but now we see the Holy Spirit bringing life. The Spirit of Elohim who blew like a violent wind, brooded over the many faces of the waters. I find it interesting that Spirit in the Hebrew is in the feminine, and the Spirit brooded, like a hen sits on her eggs waiting for them to hatch. The word for water here is different than in the previous sentence, this word can mean semen. When you put semen, and brooding together we have a lovely picture of the bringing forth life after death, despair, emptiness, and darkness. Simply the Spirit moves. Compare this to Proverbs 8 (the American Standard reads smoother here)
Prov 8:22-31 Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was.24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.27 When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep,28 When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong,29 When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;30 Then I was by him, (as) a master workman; And I was daily (his) delight, Rejoicing always before him,31 Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men.ASV
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom, was with Jehovah, as a master craftsmen or architect before the beginning and after the earth became without form and void and dark. The Spirit was in the re-birthing of our planet. We will explore this more next week.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And said OT:559'amar (aw-mar'); a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude): KJV - answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boastself, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command (-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, desire, determine, expressly, indeed, intend, name, plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), still, suppose, talk, tell, term, that is, think, use [speech], utter, verily, yet.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
God #430 Elohim as above
Let there be OT:1961 hayah (haw-yaw); a primitive root [compare OT:1933]; to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary): KJV - beacon, altogether, be (-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, have, last, pertain, quit (oneself-), require, use.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
light OT:216 'owr (ore); from OT:215; illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.): KJV - bright, clear, day, light (-ning), morning, sun.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
and there was #1961 as above
light #216 as above
This could be literally understood: Said Elohim, “be illumination”, and illumination came to exist. This is something we have to understand, it was not light as in sun, this was illumination or to make visible. There was darkness, emptiness, destruction, and Elohim called out for the earth to be seen, in other words to come out of the darkness. In the next verse Elohim divides the light from the dark. There are some figurative suggestions that night may be understood as adversity. None the less we see that the first three verses of Genesis is a beautiful depiction of our story. There was a creation made, and then something destroyed the creation, but there was the bringing back of life to the creation, then an enlightening.
· In summation, creation of heaven and earth was a finished work as the word creation indicates.
· Only the earth, not the heavens, became formless, voided and dark.
· If God was in the “process of creating” heaven and earth, He then created darkness before light.
· If we eliminate the added “was” darkness is part of the first prepositional phrase describing earth not the subject of the second part of a compound sentence.
· If God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, then the very implication of tohuw, bohuw, and choshek, and its implied violence and death go against the very nature of God who is light and life.
There is much more to cover on this subject. We will explore some other verses in light of Genesis 1:2 next week.
End Notes:
Online Hebrew/English Interlinear Bible
Reed-Kellogg Diagrammer
The Holy Spirit the Feminine Aspect of the Godhead
Are Pastors Clear on What They Believe About Creation?
