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God created all things, the universe and the earth in 6 days, about 6000 years – the Bible and real
- Thread starter SavedByTheLord
- Start date
Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon 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 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
The fourth day God made the sun, moon and stars
It matters because either we believe it or not. Just like Adam and Eve matter. The exact age does not matter, but knowing that God created it all recently, when He made Adam is important. We have the sons of Adam on down to recent history
Craigbythesea
Well-Known Member
What matters is the truth—not what we want the truth to be, but the actual truth. Believing something that is not true is not good for anyone, and it has seriously harmed many. I have here in my study 28 commentaries on Genesis, most of which are commentaries on the Hebrew text—and some of them are very extensive multi-volume works. None of these commentaries find anything in the Scriptures that teach that the earth was created in six days or about 6,000 years ago. These concepts are a consequence of interpreting the Bible without the information that is necessary to arrive at the truth. As for the genealogies, they vary greatly from one ancient Old Testament text to another, demonstrating that they are not based upon reliable information.
That’s surprising. I did the math straight from Scripture decades ago and I can tell you Adam was created very close to 6000 years ago. I can’t be exact because some kings reigns overlapped, preventing a completely accurate count, but 6000 is quite close.
Also the Millennial Reign is 1000 years, 1 day, the earth’s rest (sabbath), therefore the seventh day. Man, created on the sixth day, rules and ruins earth six days (6000 years) before the thousand-year seventh day Millennial Reign of Christ.
ChristB4Us
Member
Either we see the truth in His words or we are allowing something else to read into His words for why we cannot see the truth in His words as plainly written.
2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
ChristB4Us
Member
And @37818
Relying on educated Biblical scholars and teachers is not what was written in the Bible for us to do, but to rely on Jesus Christ as our personal Good Shepherd & Friend to teach us & confirm His word as truth to us through the Holy Spirit in us.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.....
26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
You want an example of how tainted our Christian Universities are for believing the evolution theory is true?
Job 40:15 Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. 16 Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. 17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
Biblical scholars, even in the footnotes of the KJV, deem the behemoth as an elephant, a hippo, or an alligator and yet none of them has a tail as long as a tree which is what a cedar is. Evolutionists try to deny it by saying it moves like a tree, but there is no point for that reference whatsoever in the Word of God other than to describe the behemoth as what we call a dinosaur today.
And in the last decade, "science" discovered that the male sex organs of the dinosaur are internal but the latter part of Job 40:17 already testified to that.
Still doubting the word of God as if the evolution theory has been proven true? If dinosaurs has been extinct millions of years before mankind came unto the scene, then there is no way any man has seen a living dinosaur, right? WRONG!! On an archway in an ancient ruins in Cambodia is a carving of a stegosaurus.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/dinosaur-angkor-wat
Now they are saying that the Law of Biogenesis; " life did not come from nothing but life comes from similar life" was never a law of science. One can smell a rat of the liberal woke Democrats pushing for socialism and communism by shaming anyone for believing in God and the Bible and scattering any potential seekers from Him. Is it any wonder why many Americans are turning to drugs for seeing God so distant and our existence as random, thus void of purpose and meaning?
1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.
So yeah, the truth matters and truth can only be found in His words as long as we rely on Jesus Christ to help us see the truth in His words as it is plainly written that Genesis creation is a literal 6 day event for Him to rest on the 7th day.
To doubt His words is to allow false teachings like Satan created the heaven and the earth and God got jealous and destroyed it and so remade everything rather than seeing it as Him starting from scratch as all that was there was just water in that first day thus testifying to earth was not there that first day. All that was created the first day was time by that light, as there was evening and morning that first 24 hour day.
It took God 2 days to create the earth as He began on the 2nd day by creating a water planet with the upper atmosphere aka the sky but did He say it was good that day? No, because it was until the 3rd day when He was done creating the earth for why He said it was good then.
Then God created the heavens the 4th day and commanded her lights to shine on the earth that 4th day for signs, seasons, times, and years. That was the purpose of the heavens and it was not created until that 4th day.
So how can mankind judge the age of the universe by that speed of light? It can't when God commanded her lights to shine on the earth that 4th day. It could not have been created before that 4th day or else why would their lights not shine on the earth that second, or third day if they had existed when God decided to create a planet or remake it as those that believe in the evolution theory surmised in that day? Because the heavens was not there.
And when you read Genesis 2:1-3 for how His word testified that He rested on the 7th day from all that He has made, then there was no age gap before that first day. Readers need to see Genesis 1:1 as a topic of a paragraph and the following verses as to God explaining how He did that in verse 1 and thereby ending in Genesis 2:3 on the 7th day.
We have to defend the literal account of creation to defy the lies of the evolution theory against the world that seeks to lie to shame believers form believing in the Bible and God all together.
Matthew 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Craigbythesea
Well-Known Member
At least as early as the first half of the third century Christians observed and wrote that what they could see with their eyes and touch with their hands was radically different from a literal interpretation of Genesis. By the fourth century, literal interpretations of Genesis 1-11 were abandoned based upon massive amounts of data to the contrary. However, Augustine of Hippo was greatly disturbed by this and spent much of his Christian life attempting to find a literal way of interpreting the first three chapters of Genesis that did not contradict observable reality. Late in his life, he published a large two-volume work with the title De Genesi ad litteram (Literal Meaning of Genesis) in which he wrote that that he had not succeeded in his endeavor. See also the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament, Volume 1 on Genesis 1-11 in which numerous ancient Christians are quoted in context to reveal their non-literal interpretations of the passages of Genesis that were of special interest to them.
And, of course, even the very strict literalists find different dates from the Bible for the creation of the earth. For example, Harold Camping taught that a very careful reading of the genealogies in the Bible reveal that the earth was created in 11,013 BC!
The truth is that Genesis 1-11 is NOT an accurate literal account of history events.
ChristB4Us
Member
Like what?
There is nothing in the first 3 chapters of Genesis that contradicts observable reality even now.
So you are going to have to cite them as seen in the 4th century as you claim.
I do not know why you look to other Christians for the truth in His words when you should be going to Jesus Christ.
I am sure you will get different results of such searches as one will go to 6,000 years ago for when the earth was created and about 4,000 years ago for when God flooded the world that covered the mountains.
Until you show me otherwise, just saying so does not make it so.
Let us address the biblical global flood that Jesus confirmed as history along with the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah in Luke 17:26-37 to warn believers to be ready or else be left behind to escape the coming fiery calamity on the earth 2 Peter 3:3-15.
What can be observed in our reality? Marine fossils are found on mountain tops all over the world, including Mount Everest. Evolution theory attempts to cover it up by saying tectonic plates upheaval caused the mountains to rise from the sea. Another scientist Novacek said the same thing in regards to the fossil beds of marine and land animals found buried together on the Andes Mountaintops and while they explained that discovery of fossilized whale bones with other marine fossils away, they neglected to explain how the land animal fossils were found buried with them in one smooth gradient; meaning they were both fossilized by the same sedimentary layer on that mountain top. Glossing over that white elephant in the room, then Novacek commented that such a finding was unusual because such tectonic plate upheaval usually destroys fossil beds in that NY Times article, thus ignoring the other white elephant that was in the room. Amazing how fossil beds can be found all over the world on various mountain tops and far inland too.
Think about the time if you ever come across a fossilized sea shell far inland. and if you did, mayhap the Lord will use that to make you reconsider the reality of the world you live in by how the scriptures are true since He referred to them a lot in defending Himself and in regards to future events.
So how about that for reality when the Lord helps you to see the truth in the world around you?
But if you wish to share information to the contrary, go ahead, but other Christian searches in the past do not count.
Craigbythesea
Well-Known Member
The Hebrew Masoretic text of Genesis 1:6-8 expressly describes the creation of a flat earth covered with a dome that “separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome.”
1:6 ויאמר אלהים יהי רקיע בתוך המים ויהי מבדיל בין מים למים׃
1:7 ויעשׂ אלהים את־הרקיע ויבדל בין המים אשׁר מתחת לרקיע ובין המים אשׁר מעל לרקיע ויהי־כן׃
1:8 ויקרא אלהים לרקיע שׁמים ויהי־ערב ויהי־בקר יום שׁני׃
The Septuagint concurs:
Gen 1:6 Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεός Γενηθήτω στερέωμα ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ ἔστω διαχωρίζον ἀνὰ μέσον ὕδατος καὶ ὕδατος. καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως.
Gen 1:7 καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ στερέωμα, καὶ διεχώρισεν ὁ θεὸς ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ ὕδατος, ὃ ἦν ὑποκάτω τοῦ στερεώματος, καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ ἐπάνω τοῦ στερεώματος.
Gen 1:8 καὶ ἐκάλεσεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ στερέωμα οὐρανόν. καὶ εἶδεν ὁ θεὸς ὅτι καλόν. καὶ ἐγένετο ἑσπέρα καὶ ἐγένετο πρωί, ἡμέρα δευτέρα.
The Latin Vulgate also concurs:
6. dixit quoque Deus fiat firmamentum in medio aquarum et dividat aquas ab aquis
7. et fecit Deus firmamentum divisitque aquas quae erant sub firmamento ab his quae erant super firmamentum et factum est ita
8. vocavitque Deus firmamentum caelum et factum est vespere et mane dies secundus
The Wycliffe Bible also concurs:
6 And God seide, The firmament be maad in the myddis of watris, and departe watrisfro watris.
7And God made the firmament, and departide the watristhat weren vndurthe firmament fro these watris that weren on the firmament; and it was don so.
8 And God clepide the firmament, heuene. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, the secounde dai.
The best Roman Catholic translation in English (NAB) also concurs:
6. Then God said, "Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other." And so it happened:
7. God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
8. God called the dome "the sky." Evening came, and morning followed-the second day.
The best Protestant translation in English (NRSV) also concurs:
6. And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
7. So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so.
8. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
Even the KJV of 1611 concurs:
6. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters: and let it diuide the waters from the waters.
7. And God made the firmament; and diuided the waters, which were vnder the firmament, from the waters, which were aboue the firmament: and it was so.
8. And God called the firmament, Heauen: and the euening and the morning were the second day.
The KJV correctly translates the Hebrew word רָקִיעַ as “firmament”, but most modern readers of the KJV are unaware of the meaning of the word and do not realize that it came down to us from the Latin present active infinitive (firmāre) of the verb firmō, meaning “I make firm, strengthen, harden, or fortify.”
Needless to say, as more and more Christians came to believe that the earth is round rather than flat, they invented out of thin air new definitions for the word firmament—but the new definitions in no way change what the inspired word of God really says.
Read Augustine’s two-volume work for yourself. He compares in great detail what is written in Genesis 1-3 and then attempts whole heartedly to reconcile these scriptures that he loved with the reality that he and others observed. For example, in Genesis chapter one, all the beasts, birds, and creepers on the earth are herbivores. Lions and tigers are not observed to able to digest plants or any of their parts. Indeed, they are not able to.
“In order to be able to expound the Scriptures, and as an aid to your pulpit studies, you will need to be familiar with the commentators: a glorious army, let me tell you, whose acquaintance will be your delight and profit. Of course, you are not such wiseacres as to think or say that you can expound Scripture without assistance from the works of divines and learned men who have laboured before you in the field of exposition. If you are of that opinion, pray remain so, for you are not worth the trouble of conversion, and like a little coterie who think with you, would resent the attempt as an insult to your infallibility. It seems odd, that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others. My chat this afternoon is not for those great originals, but for you who are content to learn of holy men, taught of God, and mighty in the Scriptures. It has been the fashion of late years to speak against the use of commentaries. If there were any fear that the expositions of Matthew Henry, Gill, Scott, and others, would be exalted into Christian Targums, we would join the chorus of objectors, but the existence or approach of such a danger we do not suspect. The temptations of our times lie rather in empty pretensions to novelty of sentiment, than in a slavish following of accepted guides. A respectable acquaintance with the opinions of the giants of the past, might have saved many an erratic thinker from wild interpretations and outrageous inferences. Usually, we have found the despisers of commentaries to be men who have no sort of acquaintance with them, in their case, it is the opposite of familiarity which has bred contempt….”
Spurgeon, C. H. Commenting & Commentaries. 1876.
The genealogies vary greatly from one ancient Old Testament text to another, demonstrating that they are not based upon reliable information.
My knowledge of evolutionary biology did not come from the New York Times.
We have today 3,000,000+ men and women who have earned one or more doctorates in one or more of the hundreds of fields of the natural sciences, who are today employed as scientists, and who support the theory of evolution. We have today 0.00 (zero, zilch) men and women who have earned one or more doctorates in one or more of the hundreds of fields of the natural scientists, who are today employed as scientists, and who deny the theory of evolution. For more than 18 years, I have researched the teachings and the character of the big three young earth creationist organizations (Answers in Genesis, Institute for Creation Research, and Creation Ministries International). I have also spent more than 14 years researching the teachings and character of the Watchtower Societies. Compared to the big three young earth creationist organizations, the Watchtower Societies are squeaky clean.
The flood as depicted in Genesis 6-8 did not occur, and Jesus did not confirm it as being an historical event. I have posted inconvertible proof of these facts on this message board several times in the past, but too many people believe what they want to believe and have no interest in learning the truth.
ChristB4Us
Member
That is what tainted educated scholars get you and they are all wrong. Go to Jesus Christ for that wisdom. Nowhere in the Bible did it say "hey dumb Christain... go to the educated Greek and Hebrew scholars to tell you what God's words mean."
1 John 2:26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
So I am not asking you to take my word for it but to confirm with the Lord Jesus Christ as He will prove His word to you.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Now read that scripture without the commentaries which fails to answer what firmament placed in the water by God that can divide the water from the water.?
Genesis 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
The firmament in verse 6 is what divides the water from the water. What divides the water planet from the sky? Gravity.
7 And 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. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
This is why God did not say it was good that 2nd day, because He was not done creating the earth until day 3.
That means earth did not exist on the first day as all that was there, was water for light to be created that day to establish the beginning by assigning a 24 hour period by that evening and morning that first day as in the actual beginning of creation week.
timtofly
Well-Known Member
No such thing as a dome in Genesis 1. Perhaps another verse in Scripture, but none in Genesis 1. If the earth was flat in Genesis 1 then so was the firmament. If the earth was flat it was a square, and had corners. So was the firmament.
The only item that was circular was the motions of the lights in the sky. Obviously their path was not in the shape of a square.
It was the Catholic church and the advent of a higher education system by both Catholic and Protestants alike, who went down the path there was a dome, which is a circular concept.
The concept of a firm area called the expance of the sky was what God told Moses, He put water above that firmament. Seems more miraculous to say a dome kept the water up there even though water would run down the sides of a dome per physics, but would not if the firmament was flat. Of course water above the firmament would defy modern day physics, as would that water returning to earth which caused the entire earth to Flood, since on the day God separated that water, there was no dry land either. The earth/dry land happened on the 3rd day of creation. Seems straightforward that at the time of the Flood, all that water God brought back from above the sky would change the dynamic again, until God allowed dry land to reappear, so Noah could leave the ark.
Even more defying than water above the firmament and the stars, would be the condition of the total lack of death and decay in creation. Prior to Adam's disobedience, physics was totally different than after God placed the curse on creation. There was no evolution nor change period. The elements had no half lives. Explain that one, since you claim Genesis is not true any way. Creation could not even be dated by modern means prior to sin and death entering the world.
It was not just the Flood that changed earth's dynamic, but sin as well.
From the perspective of science, not even creationist seem to accept that the physical dynamic of creation changed when God punished Adam and creation, with sin and death.
When Satan was allowed to test Job, we got to see some of the conversation between God and Satan. When it came to Adam's disobedience, we have zero information on the agreement Satan had with God. Seems item's mentioned at that point would include human deception all the way up until today.
ChristB4Us
Member
Granted, Jesus prophesied a warning from the Father that there will be those that do not love Him to keep His words per John 14:23-24 & neither will they keep the words of His disciples per John 15:20 and so any discrepancy in the genealogies is probably why Paul had written this exhortation;
1 Timothy 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
But the Biblical genealogies is reliable enough to say that the earth is about 6,000 years old.
So you were not proving everything they taught you with the Lord Jesus Christ?
Your next quote would shows why since it is a coercive tactic.
Romans 1: 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Seeing how you are looking at everything with a controlled narrative spectacles for the evolution theory, it is not surprising.
Jesus placed the historical event of Noah with Sodom & Gomorrah for that coming historical even of the Son of Man when He is revealed as a warning for saved believers to be ready to go for when the Bridegroom comes and not to even go back to their homes as if they can bring something with them or risk being left behind.
Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
The ruins of Sodom & Gomorrah has been found. You can look it up yourself on YouTube.
Only in your eyes. Take off the those spectacles that the evolution theory has given you, then lean on Him for wisdom to see.
If you were ever taught that the Law of Biogenesis was one of the laws of science as I was, and see how now they are saying it was never a science law, then maybe you can see them for the liars that they are.
ChristB4Us
Member
So ask the Lord Jesus Christ to confirm the meaning of His words as He will prove His word to you.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
Now read that scripture and note how the commentaries fails to answer what firmament placed in the water by God that can divide the water from the water.?
Genesis 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
The firmament in verse 6 is what divides the water from the water. What divides the water planet from the sky? Gravity.
7 And 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. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
This is why God did not say it was good that 2nd day, because He was not done creating the earth until day 3.
That means earth did not exist on the first day as all that was there, was water for light to be created that day to establish the beginning by assigning a 24 hour period by that evening and morning that first day as in the actual beginning of creation week.
timtofly
Well-Known Member
What is your point. The heaven and the earth were created in an instant. Just because the earth was without form, does not make it less earth. I said the "earth/dry land" happened the 3rd day.
There was no dry land until the 3rd day, but there was still the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void."
What was the heaven prior to the sky/ firmament placed in the heaven?
ChristB4Us
Member
Genesis 1:1 is the topic where all the following verses from Genesis 1:2 to Genesis 2:3 is how God did all that in Genesis 1:1.
Genesis 2:4 is the beginning of another topic of where all the generations of man came from and so it is a re-enactment of the 6th day of creation since Genesis 2:5 cites no man was made yet to till the ground. And so from that topic of Genesis 2:4 is God explaining what had happened that came about for God to make a helpmeet for man from where the generations of mankind came from.
Craigbythesea
Well-Known Member
The Hebrew Masoretic texts of Genesis 1:6-8 expressly describe the creation of a flat earth covered with a dome that “separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome.”
1:6 ויאמר אלהים יהי רקיע בתוך המים ויהי מבדיל בין מים למים׃
1:7 ויעשׂ אלהים את־הרקיע ויבדל בין המים אשׁר מתחת לרקיע ובין המים אשׁר מעל לרקיע ויהי־כן׃
1:8 ויקרא אלהים לרקיע שׁמים ויהי־ערב ויהי־בקר יום שׁני׃
6. And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
7. So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so.
8. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. (NRSV)
However, hundreds of years earlier, the first five books of the Tanakh were translated into Greek giving us the first part of the Septuagint. In the Septuagint, Genesis 1:6-8 reads,
Gen. 1:6. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεός γενηθήτω στερέωμα ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ ἔστω διαχωρίζον ἀνὰ μέσον ὕδατος καὶ ὕδατος. καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως.
7. καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ στερέωμα, καὶ διεχώρισεν ὁ θεὸς ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ ὕδατος, ὃ ἦν ὑποκάτω τοῦ στερεώματος, καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ ἐπάνω τοῦ στερεώματος.
8. καὶ ἐκάλεσεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ στερέωμα οὐρανόν. καὶ εἶδεν ὁ θεὸς ὅτι καλόν. καὶ ἐγένετο ἑσπέρα καὶ ἐγένετο πρωί, ἡμέρα δευτέρα.
The Greek word στερέωμα is used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew word רָקִיעַ, and expresses the concept of “the sky as a supporting structure, the firmament.” (BDAG, the italics are theirs). This Greek word is also found in Paul’s writings to express the concept of a “state or condition of firm commitment, firmness, steadfastness” (BDAG, the italics are theirs),
Col. 2.5. εἰ γὰρ καὶ τῇ σαρκὶ ἄπειμι, ἀλλὰ τῷ πνεύματι σὺν ὑμῖν εἰμι, χαίρων καὶ βλέπων ὑμῶν τὴν τάξιν καὶ τὸ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως ὑμῶν. (NA28)
Col. 2.5. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ. (NRSV)
The Greek word στερέωμα is also found in a number of other ancient Greek writings where it always expresses the concepts of something solid, strength, firmness or steadfastness. Indeed, all hands (even the folks at Answers in Genesis!) freely admit that this Greek word expresses in Genesis the concept of a ‘solid, supporting structure.’
The Septuagint was the Bible of the Early Church until it was superseded by the Latin Vulgate. And, of course, what really matters is the choice of words used by the writers who penned the Tanakh—they used the Hebrew word רָקִיעַ that expresses the concept of the solid dome over the flat earth.
Every word in the Hebrew text of Genesis 1-11 is to be understood literally. The windows were real windows in a solid structure. On page 21 of his commentary on Genesis, the late John Skinner, Principal and Professor of Old Testament Language and Literature, Westminster College, Cambridge, writes,
6-8 Second Work: The Firmament.—The second fiat calls into existence a firmament, whose function is to divide the primeval waters into an upper and lower ocean, leaving a space between as the theater of further creative developments. The “firmament” is the dome of heaven, which to the ancients was no optical illusion, but a material structure, sometimes compared to an “upper chamber” (Ps. 104:12, Am 9:6) supported by “pillars” (Jb 26:11), and resembling in its surface a “molten mirror” (Jb 37:18). Above this are the heavenly waters, from which the rain descends through “windows” or “doors” (Gn 7:11, 8:2, 2 Ki 7:2, 19) opened and shut by God at His pleasure (Ps 78:23).
For an excellent study of the first eleven chapters of Genesis as they were given to us in the Hebrew language, please see the following:
Westermann, Clause. Genesis 1 - 11, German orig. 1972 (English translation by John J. Scullion, 1984 in the Continental Commentaries series, 636 pages).
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timtofly
Well-Known Member
Genesis 2 is not a re-anything.
Genesis 2:1-6 is the description of the Sabbath Day of the Lord. Genesis 2:7 shows how Adam was created, not when. Genesis 2:8-15 was the creation of Eden after the completion of the Sabbath Day of the Lord.
Creation began in Genesis 1:1.
Genesis 1:2-31 is the description of the 6 days of creation, and bringing form to the heaven and the earth. Creation is heaven and earth. How creation works was developed after creation had already come into existence.