Gen
1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
The Hebrew has 'eth' before heaven and
earth, emphasizing each "the" article before both. This treatment makes a
distinction between the state of the earth in Genesis 1:2. In other words, as we'll find
out in the next verse, this creation of the heaven (heavens, plural in the Hebrew), and
the earth, is the very first forming of the universe by God (Elohiym here in
Hebrew). When God accomplished this, no one truly knows how long ago, but scientists can
document that this old earth is literally thousands and thousands of years old. There is
no disagreement here with God's Word.1
Gen 1:2 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.
This verse speaks of a different condition of the
earth than in Genesis 1:1. Stay with me, I'm going to document it. The word 'was'
in Hebrew is 'hayah', meaning "to become, to exist, or come to pass". This
word 'was' is in italics in much of The Old Testament, as it was added by the
King James translators, because there is no verb 'to be' in the Hebrew. (This is another
subject for another time.) 2 So this word 'hayah' in the Hebrew
should be interpreted as 'became', i.e., past tense. The phrase 'without
form' in the Hebrew is 'tohuw', meaning to 'lie waste, a desolation,
vain' (Strong's no.8414). And the word 'void' is 'bohuw' in
the Hebrew, meaning 'an undistinguishable ruin'.(Strong's no. 922).
In other words, the earth became a 'desolation', a
'ruin'. You'll find in Isaiah 45:18 that God said He did not create the earth "tohuw"
(the Hebrew word tohuw appears there again as 'in vain', meaning a
waste, a desolation). Well what does this mean? It means that something caused that
'desolate' condition upon the ancient earth. God did not make it that way.
What could have caused the beautiful earth that God originally set up in the beginning to
become a 'waste', a 'desolation'? The Books of 2 Peter and Jeremiah give us more
clues as to this state of ruin. In 2 Peter 3, Peter makes a distinction between 'the
world that then was' verses 'the heavens and earth which are now.' Let's
turn to 2 Peter 3:5.
2 Pet 3:5 For this they willingly are
ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth
standing out of the water and in the water:
Peter is explaining that in the latter days
scoffers at The Word would be saying: "It's not going to happen, Jesus isn't going to
come, everything continues just as before," kind of like, "Ah yeah, every new
millennium we get the same old bunch saying the end is near...". But Peter
wished for God's people not to be ignorant of The Word, and he's explaining that the first
creation of the heavens and the earth (of old), were by The Word (Logos), that is to say
through Christ (see John 1), and that the earth was 'standing' (sat in place) out
of water and in water. This means that the earth then existed, it had already been
created, as in Gen.1:1. I know that these verses are taught by many to mean the time of
Noah's flood, but stay with me, for Peter is going to show us the difference, in the
Greek.
2 Pet 3:6 Whereby the world that then
was, being overflowed with water, perished:
This word 'world' is kosmos in
the Greek, which does not mean soil like the earth, but an 'orderly arrangement'
or order of things, i.e., the first creation, a time, an age that God referred to in
Isaiah 45:18 (see Strong's no.2889). Well what is this word 'perished'? It
is apollumi in the Greek, and means 'to destroy fully, a ruin', roughly
equal to the word tohuw in Hebrew (Strong's no.622). This is not speaking of
Noah's flood, for apollumi means everything was destroyed, the earth literally
wiped clean of all its inhabitants, no man, no birds, no Ark, nothing, a desolation. This
Greek word apollumi was used all throughout the New Testament to also mean those
who will be 'blotted' out in the eternity, in the lake of fire. The word Apollyon, which is another name for Satan written in Rev.9:11, is
derived from the root of apollumi, 'to perish', and furthermore, that's
how we know that 'the son of perdition' as written in 2 Thess.2 is Satan himself,
not Judas. (Strong's nos.623 & 622. Are you checking me out in a Strong's Concordance
yet?). It was the rebellion of Satan during that first earth age that caused God to
destroy that time. That's why one of Satan's nicknames (Apollyon) is tied to
2 Peter 3:6, and 'the world that then was'.
The interpretation is this: Genesis 1:1 is the first setting
up of the universe in the beginning, the first earth age, the time of dinosaurs and fossil
remains. This is when The Elohiym created everything, all souls included. Genesis 1:2
is the desolate condition caused by 'the overthrow', or rebellion of Satan against God. It
is written in Ezekiel 28 that Satan (his symbolic name there is the King of Tyrus, and prince
of Tyrus), was originally 'perfect in his ways' before 'iniquity'
was found in him. It also states that Satan was a covering cherub, and corrupted because
of his beauty, and that he coveted the position of God's Throne. You'll find in
Revelation 12:3-4 that a third of the stars (angels) followed him during that period of overthrow. This
condition of ruin over the earth is what caused God to 'scrub' or destroy that first earth
age, and end the original first state of all creation, on the earth.
The Truth is that God's Word must account for discoveries and
anomalies dealing with prehistoric remains, fossils and dinosaur bones, ancient buried
civilizations, mammoths found in Alaska with buttercups in their mouths, frozen instantly
in time, etc., and God's Word does account for them. The discrepancy is in traditions
and old folk tales handed down from generation to generation by the uneducated in God's
Word. Am I being too harsh on those who keep handing down the same old false traditions?
Not really, because our Father has revealed His Truth to us in His Letter. He
accounts for all time. So try to understand that there was a previous earth age, even
before the flood of Noah, when this whole earth was a paradise, the original state that
God intended his creation to remain. In that verse of Isaiah 45:18, God said that He
created the earth 'to be inhabited'. The myth that the eternity
is going to be a brand new universe, living up in the clouds instead of on the earth, is
not in The Word (God's dwelling place will still be on this earth in the eternity,
although the 'height' of The New Jerusalem situated on earth will ascend up to heaven from
earth in the form of a cube. See Ezekiel and Rev.21:16 for the dimensions). God is
merely going to 'cleanse', or 'renew' this earth again, as He did after the time of
Satan's rebellion. Let's turn to Jeremiah 4 to find out more about the destruction of
that first earth age.
Jer 4:22 For My people is foolish, they have
not known Me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise
to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
This fourth Chapter of Jeremiah is about God being
angry with His children, because they were following all sorts of idols and abominations,
instead of Him. He is saying that since His people don't search for Him in
truth, etc., they thus have no knowledge of the Truth, for to know God's Truth, including
that first earth age, is to want to do good. They don't even remember that first
'desolate' state of the earth of old times, and He's getting ready to give them a little
reminding of that wasted condition that was a result of Satan's rebellion, to let them
know that He's going to put this old earth through another 'trembling'
again.
If you began reading this fourth Chapter of Jeremiah, and then
get to these next few verses and feel a big subject change or shift just happened, that
means it's time to really think about what our Father is trying to tell us.
Jer 4:23 I beheld the earth, and,
lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and
they had no light.
Here's the words 'without form' and 'void'
again, the 'tohuw va bohuw' covered in Genesis 1:2! So God is bringing into
remembrance that time of Genesis 1:2, to them, and to you, if you have 'eyes to see'. That
there was 'no light' means that Satan's rebellion had caused a state of utter
darkness, spiritually. Consider this verse in Jer.13:16: "Give glory to the LORD
your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains,
and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross
darkness." You will find in Rev.6:8 and Hebrews 2:14, that another name for
Satan, the devil, is 'Death', so this phrase 'the shadow of death' is referring
to Satan, so again, remember that the earth's state of 'desolation' in that first earth
age was due to Satan's mutiny against God.
Jer 4:24 I beheld the mountains, and,
lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
The Lord really shook the earth to end that first
earth age. Might this 'trembling' have caused the 16-21 degree tilt of the earth's axis that
caused that instant arctic freeze, and the 90 mile error between the geographic and
magnetic pole? 'All the hills moved lightly' means the whole earth was
affected, not just partly. Since God's Word is 'Perfect', it accounts for all natural
phenomena that happened in the past history of this old earth, and for what is to come.
Some might be thinking these Scriptures are talking
about the flood of Noah's time. Indeed God cleansed the earth from the filth
on it with a flood during Noah's day, but not with a trembling that made all
the hills move lightly. The latter part of Hebrews 12 gives a hint to a
future time when God will bring another destruction upon this earth similar
to the one of Genesis 1:2. Let's go to Hebrews 12 for a moment:
Heb 12:25 See that ye refuse not
Him That speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him That spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from
Him That speaketh from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying,
"Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven."
(KJV)
Paul is quoting this from Haggai
2:6, which also has parallel passages in Joel 3:16, Isaiah 13:13. It's about
a yet future shaking of this earth at Christ's second coming (see Zech.14;
Rev.16:18).
Heb 12:27 And this word,
"Yet once more", signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are
made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
(KJV)
The event Paul is talking about in
that Hebrews Scripture is about the future coming of the Day of The LORD,
when Christ comes to rule on earth with a rod of iron. The "Yet once
more" phrase reveals there was another previous shaking of this
earth, and it was on the same level of destruction that is to occur at
Christ's future second coming. That did not happen in Noah's time. It
happened before, when Satan fell from Heaven in rebellion against God and
drew one-third of the angels into rebellion with him. That is the connection
our Heavenly Father is also making with these Jeremiah 4:23-28 verses.
Jer 4:25 I beheld, and, lo, there
was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
This verse is letting us know that man, and all
creation that existed during that first earth age, was gone from the earth, even all the
birds. No Noah's ark, no animals, absolutely nothing, thus this was an event that took place
long before the days of Noah.
Jer 4:26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful
place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken
down at the presence of the LORD, and by His fierce anger.
All the cities of that first earth age were
destroyed, and the 'fruitful place' was a 'wilderness'
(desert). Again, this is not the flood of Noah's time, especially since the previous
verse tells us that 'there was no man', i.e., not even Noah's
ark. Possibly the reason why it is difficult for most people to understand the
existence of cities and people living on the earth, in spiritual bodies and not flesh,
during the first earth age, is due to tradition, and the fact that many people can't think
in the spiritual. Many traditions teach in a way that heaven in God's eternity is
not upon this earth, when The Word says that it is.
Many would also teach that God's people are just going to 'fly
away' into the sky, when that word 'air' in I Thess.4:17 should be properly
translated 'spirit', the 'breath', i.e., the spiritual body, which
represents the casting off of this flesh age, and the destruction of all works by man on
this earth when Christ returns for the second coming. (Take a Strong's Concordance and
translate that word 'air' in I Thess.4:17 for yourself, then read Gen.2:7 again.)
The translation of 'air' to 'spirit', or 'breath of life', is
supported by Paul in I Corinthians 15 where he taught that on the "last trump" we shall all be
changed into a spiritual body, casting off this flesh, as also written in 2 Peter 3:10,
Psalms 97, and Nahum 1.
You'll find a more graphic version of the casting off of the flesh
body of the deceived in Zechariah 14. There are many more Old Testament references to The Lord's Day
when this 'change' takes place. They all point to the destruction of this world (second
earth age) by 'fire', for you'll find in Hebrews 12 that God is a 'consuming fire'.
Satan's little propaganda department works overtime in trying to teach that this day of
destruction by fire is caused by all other means except what is written. God is The One
Who will do it, and not man. If you remember in the Book of Daniel how Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego were protected by The Lord in that furnace, heated seven times
hotter (spiritual completion) than necessary, then don't worry if you're in Christ, for we
shall not be harmed. Their garments didn't even smell of smoke when they came out of
that hot furnace.
Don't confuse God's 'consuming fire' with the 'lake
of fire'. The 'lake of fire' happens at the end of God's Millennium, the
thousand year reign of Christ and His elect on earth that begins when Christ returns for
the second Advent. Those who hear The Word then, without any distraction or
obstruction, and still choose to follow Satan instead of our Father, will be cast into
that 'lake of fire' along with the 'dragon', or Satan.(see Rev.20 - 22). Let's continue
back in Genesis 1.
Back to Gen.1:2, and let's cover the last part of
that verse:
Gen
1:2 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.
This word 'Spirit' is 'ruwach'
in Hebrew, and It means 'wind, by resemblance breath' (Strong's no. 7307). This
is when God's Spirit 'spoke', starting the cleansing of that state of 'ruin' and began
this earth age we are now in. This act is also referred to in John 3:3-8,
Romans 8. You'll also see this 'ruwach' translated as the 'four winds'
in several places in the King James Version.
I call your attention to this phrase "the
face of the waters". The word 'face' is simply the Hebrew
word 'paniym' meaning 'in the presence of' (Strong's 6440). God's
Spirit was before the presence of the waters. This is important, because
you'll find there is no mention of God creating earth matter past Genesis
1:1. These "waters" were outstreched over the whole earth,
covering all of it, and that's how God destroyed that time of old to end
Satan's rebellion. Even at this verse, the earth is under all those "waters".
Gen. 1:3 And God said, "Let there be
light:" and there was light.
Gen. 1:4 And God saw the light, that it
was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Gen. 1:5 And God called the light Day,
and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning
were the first day.
Many of you may not understand this, but, this 'light'
and 'darkness' here, is not the dividing of a 24 hour period that we all know in
this life. You'll notice that God didn't create the separation between earth 'day'
and 'night' yet, that is to say, the star called our 'sun' and the planet that orbits the
earth called the 'moon', until Gen.1:14. We're still here in Gen.1:5 on the first
'day' or God's period of time (to God, a 'day' is equal to...see 2 Peter 3:8).
Notice that 'Day' and 'Night' are in capitals. Here in verse 5, 'Day'
and 'Night' should be understood as separations between 'good' and 'evil', i.e.,
Christ and Satan, for Christ is that Light, and Satan is that 'darkness'. Well
how can this be, you may ask? Turn with me to Isaiah 60:19:
Isa 60:19 The sun shall be no more thy
light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD
shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
Isa 60:20 Thy sun shall no more go
down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine
everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
Hey, this hasn't happened yet friend! It's
too bad that many refuse to believe that there will be no 'sun' or 'moon' in the LORD's
eternity. I guess God's Word is just too 'far out' for them. This is mentioned again
in Rev.21 and 22. The eternity, or last earth age will be the 'putting back' of the
original state which God made His creation, therefore, in that first earth age, there was
no 'sun' or 'moon', because God was that 'Light'. There was no 'darkness',
literally! Try to imagine dividing 'time' when you don't have a sun or moon, no sunlight,
no moonlight, only 'Light'. You have to think with your spiritual mind to understand
this. You can go on a long philosophical trip to nowhere thinking about this with the
'flesh' mind. The flesh can't comprehend it. That's why our Father hid this message
about the three earth ages from those who don't care to work in our Father's
Word. Chances are, unless you dig for yourselves in The Word, checking me out, you
won't get It either. Nor will you get it just by asking someone else.
I'm going to stop here for now. Here's an assignment if your
interested: Read the following sections and verses to understand more about this 'Light'
talked about here in Genesis 1:3 through 1:5.
1 John 1:5; Job 38; Isaiah 45:1-12; John 1; John
3:17-21; II Cor.4:6; Ephesians 5:8.
Peace be with you,
Dave Ramey.
Footnotes:
