Today we begin our study of Genesis Chapter One.
Click here for the Complete Jewish Bible translation.
Click here for the King James version.
So have you ever heard this argument?
“How could God have created the universe in just six days?”
“The Hebrews claim that by counting the generations we find the earth to be approximately six thousand years old.”
“How the heck do you reconcile that with…
…all of our scientific data that says the universe is billions of years old…
…to be more precise, around fifteen billion?”
What gives?
My answer:
READ THE TEXT PROPERLY HOMIE!!!
When we take a close look at what is said in the opening words of Genesis, the matter seems to resolve itself and we don’t have to engage in ridiculous scientific and theological debates.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.–Genesis 1:1
If you read carefully, you’ll see the creation of the heavens and the earth is not necessarily said to have occurred on the first day.
Rather, it says it occurred at a period of time called “the beginning”.
The first day of the creation story may NOT be referring to “the beginning”.
The first day could have been AFTER “the beginning“.
If we read the opening words of Genesis literally, what happened on the first day was the creation of light and its separation from darkness.
The wording (in both the Hebrew and English) leaves open the distinct possibility that the heavens and earth were created sometime before the first day.
“The beginning” could have been a 10-minute period or it could have been 10 billion years.
Who knows?!
CONCLUSION: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and then after that, from the first day, He began shaping and organizing His creation, the details of which we will get into in the next post.
I’m done.
god created all these crazy stories to fool the people.
please delete my comment with ocelot152. thank you.
No. People draw all these conclusions based on assumptions. No where in the bible does it say the earth is 6000. Years old. It is simply not there.
Does the Bible say how old the earth is? Not that I have read, but please, if you have seen other dates that can be used to determine the age of the earth let us know. I love learning about the Word.
Nope, the Gap theory is not supported by Scripture. The first two verses are the mission statement of what the rest of the 7 days narrative explains in detail.
I do believe the interpretation I wrote about is also valid.
Agreed. God created everything in 6 literal days and rested on the seventh.
God works in patterns and creation and 7 day week are the pattern. As such we can know that life and the universe as we know it will exist for 7 thousand years, then the new heaven new earth.
People, do not fall into the trap thst God’s word be made to fit man’s theories or ideas. That’s dangerous territory. Trust Him.
Please compare when God started resting in Gen 1 and 2.
If read carefully creation week (including the rest) was 8 days.
Gen 1 and Gen 2 use a different way of counting. Weekdays and days of the month.
The universe was created on day 1 of the month. (new moon day)
Light was created on day 2 of the month with is day 1 of the week
http://radical-reaction.com/MyChristianSites/Feasts/8creationdays.html
Are you sure about that?
Richoka you are right. I stumbled upon this as well through examining every word and line of each verse. This has been helpful to read things in its context and let scripture speak for itself-for example discerning that sometimes earth refers to the dry land and not the whole planet; same for the heavens. It’s especially helpful in the next chapter. Well amen keep up the bible studying.
Hi David! Welcome and thanks for reading! Yes, it can be a challenge to read Scripture minus our preconceived “doctrinal glasses”. Yet there is so much treasure awaiting us when we attempt to do so. Be blessed and shalom!
The comment made in this study regards the first verse in Scripture: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” is, in my opinion, the entire narrative of the “physical” creation of the universe — all matter and energy. The origin of the universe is of little concern of Scripture. The 1st verse is simply a statement of fact about the origin and originator of creation. The narrative itself is about the spiritual creation God will, and still is, bringing about. This creation effort evolves over a seven thousand year period of time which is metaphorically revealed through a very unnatural and physics defying narrative. Simply put, the purpose of the narrative isn’t to explain or reveal physical creation, but to reveal how God’s seven thousand year plan for mankind will manifest itself. Trying as we have for thousands of years, to view the Scriptures as a book on physics and anthropology instead as a purely spiritual communication and preview from God of His divine plan will only lead us to where we find ourselves now, confused and generally stumbling in the dark.
I suggest we approach the Scriptures as they were written to be understood — spiritually, and cease our efforts into making them into a science book. (And, a very poor science book at that!)
If you take Occam’s Razor and apply it here, I think the answer is much clearer. Rather than all of these mental gymnastics, is it possible that the authors of the bible simply weren’t aware of the history of the earth and modern science?
Can you do teachings from the book of Deuteronomy the way you have Genesis, Exodus etc?
Hi Joe, yes, that’s the plan. However, it’s going to take time as this blog is work in progress. Currently, I’m in the Book of Numbers. When I’m done with Numbers, I shall begin Deuteronomy. Please pray that God will give me the endurance to continue on! Shalom!
My pastor, who teaches from the original languages, translates Gen 1:1 something like, In the beginning, which was not the beginning, back in eternity past God created the heavens and the Earth. Job says ALL of the angels rejoiced. At some point according to Gen 1:2 the Earth became a waste land or garbage dump. What was that all about???
Hi ‘Israel’s teacher’, I was perusing through the internet and landed on a gem of a reference on your site, namely, Genesis 48, about Ephraim’s seed being the fullness of the gentiles. Very commendable work. Thanks for the effort.
But here on Genesis, I see that you have ‘followed the pack’ in subscribing to the current translation of Genesis which is erroneous all through.
To affirm this observation is the very first verse, which lacks the article ‘the’ and the word rendered as beginning isn’t a reference to time but to a being who is a head or chief. To summarize what I am saying, the verse intent was the same rhetoric that God used on Abraham saying ‘in your seed shall the nations be blessed, in Genesis 22:18.
So what God was actually saying in Genesis 1:1 is ‘In a head or a chief God created the heavens and the earth”….Apologies as that was lengthy but I wanted to leave you with a clear idea what Genesis 1:1 is actually saying. I wasn’t a reference to inanimate objects but creation of rational beings. For a full account of the erroneous rendering of Genesis you may refer to our study of Genesis account at; https://christinsymbols.com/genesis-what-it-is-and-what-it-isnt/
The following verse seems to indicate a discrepancy in the theory that the creation of the heavens and the earth was not necessarily occurring on the first day.
Exodus 20:11
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
Yes, a very interesting and thought provoking verse. How do we square it with the “physical creation before the 1st Day” thought? I am of the conviction the 6/7 day creation narrative is a purely spiritual narrative that outlines and previews God’s 7000 thousand year plan to bring His Elect to completion. The narrative has nothing to do with the physical creation of anything. It is a synopsis of His plan from one point in time to another, and the duration being seven thousand years
Here is my take.
Just as Adam and Chava were created as adults from the first day of their lives, the stuff of heaven and earth already appeared “aged”. The dating of the universe cannot take such “built-in” age into account and more than they could have if they examined the physical and cognitive features of Adam and Chava hourse after their creation and have come to deduce that they are just created moments earlier. The same goes for the animals.
So, this is the big blind spot of dating methods that depend on extrapolating based on uniformitarian assumptions. This sort of reasoning is utterly unable to determine the age of things having a built-in “age” from the get-go.
Besides, the books of Job, Isaiah and Jeremiah mention the Father’s “stretch[ing] out the heavens”; and this seems to imply that the Father did things not normally occurring within a naturalist framework. If we have determined the age of the universe simply by extrapolating backwords based on an assumption that everything occurred in a gradualistic timescale that can simply be measured by speed of light, distance, red shift, etc. – then such reasoning may be underappreciative of the great and unfathomable miracles the Father has performed. Let’s keep mystery a mystery while never questioning the explicit declarations of the Torah!
Wow so the beginning and the first day are two distinct days …This is new thank you
There are two timelines.
Time is the fourth dimension of our reality. It’s so intertwined with our reality that physicists have called these dimension the “space/time continuum”. Scientists say time is PART of creation.
There is of course a “heavenly” timeline, which we are not aware of or understand.
Every human soul was created on the 6th day, and placed in its specific location on the “earthly” timeline. This is why you are not aware of anything before your birth, and why there isn’t “soul sleep”. When we die, we immediately step into the “heavenly” timeline. Your great grandparents will step into heaven at the exact same time you will… On Judgement Day.
The creation week is most likely measured in terms of the “heavenly” timeline.
You mention in your website “intro” that we must view the Bible from an ancient “Hebraic” viewpoint. The ancient Hebrews did not align the Torah with science. If God created Adam from the earth, and Eve from Adam why cant He create the earth in six days and rest on the seventh? Why should God’s children care if this wicked and perverse generation’s sciences agree with the Word of God? The children of disobedience will know their science is a lie when they kneel before Jesus and confess Him as Lord, albeit to late. I have had many, many children of darkness mock my beliefs whether in Creation, Noah’s Ark, or the crucifixion, and resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ, but God will not be mocked as they will soon find out.
Good point.
Just found your website (July 2023) and I must say I am very grateful. Your wit makes my Sabbath.
I noticed that in the Hebraic translation, it mentions, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to divide the day from the night;…” Does that mean the flat earth believers are right?
Thank you for the warm words Renee.
It’s kind feedback like this that keeps me going…
Please share with others who might find these teachings from a Hebraic perspective to be a blessing.
And you too, be blessed!
Nope.
I forgot to add…NO, I don’t think the flat earth believers are right.
Check out Isaiah 40:22:
“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.”
While the word “circle” may not explicitly refer to a sphere, it does imply a rounded shape rather than a flat one.
And here’s a more important question…
Let’s say the earth is flat? Okay, so what implications does that have in terms of how you should live your life?
Ya see what I’m getting at here.
The Lord probably has more important things for us to be focusing on.
Be blessed and SHALOM!