CREATION IN THE ETERNITY PAST

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Rolf Casey
5 years ago
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1 PHASE ONE CREATION IN THE ETERNITY PAST FIRST GENERATION OF HEAVENS AND EARTH (ORIGINAL PERFECT GENERATION) DEGENERATION OF FIRST HEAVENS AND EARTH 1

2 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men. (Proverbs 8:27-31; Scriptures taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved). 2

3 ORIGINAL PERFECT CREATION To those who might ask Theistic Evolutionists as to Why would God have created a process like evolution? Dr. Joseph Tkach, of Grace Communion International, responds: We could equally well ask of those who interpret Genesis 1 as a literal, six-day creation, Why would Creation take God six days? Couldn t He have done it all in one instant? 1 And, that is exactly what God did, In A Beginning, by creating instantly by fiat! To be precise, God did create the original heavens and the earth all in one instant by fiat, as is recorded in Genesis 1:1. In no way does it cover the creation account in Genesis 1:3-31relating to the work of the first six days. Unfortunately, this biblical fact has not been acknowledged by the sixday creationists and has not been recognized by the theistic evolutionists. It involves rightly dividing and separating the Word of Truth stated in Genesis 1:1 from that of Genesis 1:2 and These Scriptures when interpreted independently with the help of other related Scriptures, given here a little, and there a little, definitely prove that the original creation of heavens and earth was perfect. God spoke it into existence and it stood fast. However, prejudice somehow has to play its role to keep oneself from openly acknowledging the truth of an earlier perfect creation. After all, the belief of traditional six-day creationism has become deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of those who have been exposed to it. Moreover, it has been believed as such throughout the church history. After all, how could the church and all the theologians be ever wrong, all along? The human tendency is always to resist truth that contradicts one s established belief systems and that, even when one once confronted with biblical facts is able to see that his or her beliefs are biblically untenable. Next, attempts are made to seize on certain Scriptures apparently supporting one s beliefs and from which one next concludes he or she is right even as such Scriptures are interpreted through the grid of one s beliefs, erroneous though they be. For example, it is very often defensively stated that Moses confirms the creation of original heavens and earth in six days by quoting Exodus 20:11 and 31:17. However, heavens and earth of Genesis 1:1 differ from the heavens of Genesis 1:8, and the earth of Genesis 1:10. 3

4 As such, when Moses states that God made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them in six days and rested on the seventh day, it is obvious that he is actually referring to the work of the six days described in Genesis1:3-31 and not directly to the original creation. Next, when Jesus states that from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female (Mark 10:6), He is talking about the creation of Adam and Eve as male and female from the beginning of the phased six days work of creation of Genesis 1:3-31 if not from the beginning of their creation as male and female on the sixth day. Similarly, when Jesus states that there shall be affliction such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be (Mark 13:19), He did not mean to say from the beginning of the original creation but from the beginning of the creation of the phased work of the six days. Unlike the traditional 6-day creationists, Jesus was fully aware of two inter-related generations of heavens and earth (Gen.1:1, 2:1,4a) having distinct beginnings of their creation. One, the first generation of heavens and earth of Genesis 1:1 having a beginning in the eternity past. The other, the second generation of heavens and the earth having a beginning on the 2 nd and 3 rd day made during the phased creation work of the six days. The phrase beginning of creation needs to be understood from the meaning of the Hebrew word reshith translated beginning in Genesis1:1. It actually refers to the initiation of a series of historical events that involved the creation of the first generation of heavens and earth of Genesis 1:1. This is followed by the second generation of heavens and earth during the work of the six days. Creation in Greek ktisis, in a passive sense refers to what is created in general; the sum total of what God has created, the entire creation (Mark 10:16, 13:9; Romans 1:20; Hebrews 9:11; 1 Peter 2:13; 2 Peter 3:4) and, in particular, it refers specially to mankind as God s creation (Mark 16:15; Colossians 1:28) 2 Next, A Beginning in Genesis 1:1 refers to the actual beginning of God s physical Works of Creation in the eternity past (Proverbs 8:22-31). It has no reference whatsoever to any beginning in relation to time. Time, actually began with the first day of the creation week as in Genesis 1:3-5. During the phased work of the six days God created the second generations of heavens and earth and all that in them is ever since. This second generation of heavens and earth is obviously an outgrowth of the first. 4

5 As such, what God actually created and made rather regenerated during the six days of Genesis 1:3-31 is in addition to what God originally perfectly created In the Beginning in timelessness. It is subsequent to the chaos on earth described in Genesis 1:2 which was a later outcome. Biblical Creation Truth, as such, interprets Genesis 1:1 with full conviction, by stating that it describes the creation of a perfect, fully developed universe by fiat. In other words, God of His own free will and by His absolute power called the whole universe into being; evoking into existence what was previously nonexistent. (See Psalms 33:6, 9; 102:25; Isaiah 45:18; Jeremiah 10:12; John 1:3; Acts 14:15; 17:24; Romans 4:17; Hebrews 3:4; Revelation 4:11). If we concede the absolute power of God, we must accept His power to create and destroy as stated in the Scripture. There are many problems which the finite mind cannot completely grasp. We accept those things by faith (Hebrews 11:3). 3 All that can be actually stated about the original universe from the Scriptures here a little and there a little is that it was created perfect and beautiful. After all, whatever God does according to His plan is always perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4) and beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This is a clear biblical fact; and to think otherwise and state that the original creation was incomplete with chaos on earth covered with waters and darkness so as to hold on to traditional beliefs is totally unscriptural if not blasphemous. However, it has not been revealed as to the exact nature and physical composition of the original heavens and earth as they were initially created nor any man can actually find it out. All that can be said is that God hath made everything beautiful in his time: and, that no man can find out the work that God maketh ftom the beginning to the end (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Man s attempt to find out about the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end is bound to be a futile exercise; a fruitless effort. Atheistic scientists and evolutionists can only guess and speculate but in vain as to the origins and the exact nature of the vast incomprehensible universe. However, what is observed by the scientists relating to the present universe does not necessarily mean the universe was as such from the moment of its original perfect creation. What is scientifically observed and studied of the present universe is actually what has been re-created later (Genesis1:3-31) subsequent to the chaos of Genesis 1:2 during which the original creation was subjected to uselessness (Romans 8:20). 5

6 Actually, it is impossible for anyone to find out about the real nature of the original universe of Genesis 1:1. As a matter of fact, whatever is currently discovered about the universe and related findings in astronomy actually indicate the physical aspects of the universe as it has been since its re-creation following the chaotic condition on earth as in Genesis 1: 2. Further, recent findings only confirm that the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope as stated in Romans 8:20; 22, subsequent to Adam s fall. Traditional Six-day Creationists and Theistic evolutionists will do well to interpret appropriately all the Scriptures relating to creation in Genesis and elsewhere in the Bible. We need to be in the faith of God s creative wisdom and power and accept the biblical fact which states that In the Beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth at its face value. We should not interpret the same according to traditional beliefs! Traditional six-day creationists have overlooked, all along, the biblical fact of two independent creation accounts in Genesis 1. They have mixed up these two accounts as if the same were one event. As a consequence, the traditional six-day creationists have come up with erroneous conclusions about the age of the earth as well as have distorted scientific facts about the solar system and the rest of the universe. Thus, their erroneous conclusions have been the target of attack by the atheistic and theistic scientists and evolutionists, all along. Theistic evolutionists, on the other hand, hastily adopted the absurd atheistic evolutionary concepts as if evolution, rather macro-evolution, has really occurred. However, there are evolutionists who, themselves, are not wholly convinced and know that evolution is not really a scientific fact. As such, theistic evolutionists will do well not to speculate that the universe has evolved with some big bang or from a soup of hydrogen atoms culminating into a fully developed universe with the suns, moons, stars, planets, galaxies, and so on. Next, that by some mysterious processes of organic evolution, the vegetable and animal kingdoms have mysteriously evolved from some lower forms of life to what they are today. To assume as such, is to display one s ignorance of biblical truth. Biblical creation facts when interpreted appropriately convincingly rules out any evolution. The concepts of evolution and chance forces would sound strange to the biblical authors who knew God as a Perfect Creator God. 6

7 It is of primary importance for the traditional six-day creationists, theistic scientists and evolutionists to convincingly come to terms with the fact of two independent creation accounts in Genesis 1 itself. Accordingly, next interpret scientific evidence within the framework of the two creation accounts taking into account the chaotic conditions on earth in Genesis 1:2. To adopt such a biblical creation framework convincingly one will have to renounce traditional unbiblical presuppositions. And then one has to confidently choose to attune and align with the biblical truth of two independent creation accounts. This can be only achieved by shedding away one s bias or prejudice! Unfortunately, we aren t interested in hearing anything that doesn t support what we have already determined is true. But, irrespective of whether one acknowledges two independent creation accounts in Genesis 1 or not, the Bible is very clear about it and that settles it. Accordingly, it can be convincingly accepted that God did create the original heavens and earth in a perfect physical condition according to His perfect plan and, as such, it was not some vague formless matter. And given the fact that God is a Creator who creates perfectly or does things perfectly, the condition on earth stated in Genesis 1:2 cannot be a part of the original creation. As such, the prevailing hypothesis of the six-day creationists that the earth when originally created was in an imperfect condition of tohu and bohu is biblically and theologically untenable. When God created the Heavens and the Earth in A beginning, it was a completed perfect creation with nothing lacking in it, so as to necessitate by implication, further work for its development. The entire universe (the merism: heavens and earth) has had to consist of everything that then existed in timelessness and now exists anywhere in space and in time. Obviously, it includes all the physical matter including disintegrated matter (supernova) as well as light, electro-magnetism, radiation and all other forms of energy. And right away from the beginning of creation, the vast universe with everything in it, is sustained and maintained by God s power. Of course, the physical creation is undergoing change through disintegration having been subjected to futility and decay consequent to Lucifer s rebellion and later on, as a consequence of Adam s sin. In other words, the present regenerated physical creation is subjected to futility or uselessness. Accordingly, it is eventually going to be by a new and permanent creation. 7

8 When the Bible states that In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, it logically means that He created it all with everything that we now know of and everything we may never come to know about the vast universe. Accordingly, our solar system has been a part of the universe from the beginning of creation. So also all the sextillions stars of which more than 100 billion stars comprise our giant spiral shaped Milky Way Galaxy has been a part of the universe. Next, Studies of distant space with optical and radio telescopes indicate that there may be about 100 billion galaxies in the visible universe. Galaxies tend to be grouped together into clusters, and some clusters appear to be grouped into super-clusters. 4 Obviously, our unique solar system with all its planets, the moons, asteroids, comets, etc has been in existence along with the earth from the beginning and not from the fourth day of the creation week as assumed by the Traditional six-day creationists. God created a fully organized universe from the beginning itself. He did not create the so-called stellar heavens of the outer space without the solar system supposedly believed to be created on the fourth day and the earth on the first day contrary to Genesis 1:1 5. It is a well known fact that our earth is organized into a solar system, which is a part of a highly organized group of stars called a galaxy, which is part of a highly organized family of galaxies called clusters which, in turn, are organized into an enormous group of clusters called super-cluster. 6 The solar system was not created on the fourth day 7. On the fourth day, God positioned the sun and the moon and the stars also to align in such a way so as to restore order out of chaos. And, the pristine earth was not void and empty in the beginning of its creation but was inhabited with life. 1: Speaking of Life, with Dr. Joseph Tkach; link: 2: Spiros Zodhiates, op. cit. p : Spiros Zodhiates, op.cit. p.1. 4: World Book Encyclopedia 5: Gleason L. Archer, Jr. Encyclopedia of BIBLE DIFFICULTIES, Regency Reference Library, A Zondervan Publication, USA, 1982, p.61 6: Jeremy Walter, In Six Days, Ed: p. 11 7: Jack W. Langford, The Gap is Not a Theory, Section 1,

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GOD S PHYSICAL CREATION

GOD S PHYSICAL CREATION So many evidences have come from so many directions and have converged with such remarkable unanimity upon the conclusion that the material Universe came into existence all at once