The Heavens and the Earth

A look at Genesis 1

By Gerry Watts

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 In the Beginning: Elohim created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

   In this first verse of God's revelation to us, we are not being told of the absolute beginning of creation, nor necessarily the creation of the universe as a whole. It is possible that the term 'heavens' could be referring to the outer regions of stellar space, but in the context, it is more likely referring to the layers of the 'heavens' that form the atmosphere of the earth (the sky).[1]

   It is clear from what follows in this passage, and throughout Scripture, that God created ALL things through His Son (hence the plural title 'Elohim'). But the primary focus of Genesis 1 is the earth and its heavens. The existence of the universe is already included in the above statement. Nowhere in this passage, or throughout Scripture, does it state that the universe came out of nothing. (In Romans 11:36, it states that ALL is out of God, and therefore not out of nothing!)[2] We are being told simply that God exists and that He created the heavens and the earth for a purpose. In the following verses we are given the details of what actually occurred in a simple, yet profound, way. And true science will not conflict with the following details.[3]

As for the earth, it came to be a chaos and vacant, and darkness was over the surface of the submerged chaos (or abyss).

And the Spirit of Elohim was vibrating over the surface of the waters. (Genesis 1:2)

   Here we are told that the earth became a place of complete disorder and emptiness, engulfed in water and darkness, which implies that it wasn't originally in this state (Compare Isaiah 45:18). This would indicate a major disruption of some kind. (For further information on the Disruption, see the article entitled 'God's Plan of the Ages').[4] The submerged chaos or abyss is referring to the depths of the waters, which later includes the oceans and the subterranean waters.

   Then we are told of the presence of God's Spirit preparing to effect a great change to the earth by vibrating or hovering over the waters engulfing the earth.[5] The first effect of God, Who is Light, vibrating over the waters of the earth, is light.[6] With the entrance of light, there is colour.

The First Day

And Elohim said: Let light come to be! And it became light. Elohim saw the light that it was good. Then Elohim separated the light from the darkness. And Elohim called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.

And it became evening, and it became morning: day one. (Genesis 1:3-5)

   God now commands that light should appear on the earth - and it does. It is necessary and God calls it good. We are not told of the source of this light. Many believe it was the light of God's glorious presence (compare Revelation 21:23) as He began His work. But it also may have been the beginning of solar light, as the sun burst into life by the power of God. The fact that the light is separated from the darkness so that day and night begins, and evenings and mornings follow on, and the subsequent days are counted, seems to strongly suggest that actual, 24-hour days are intended. It is possible that this could be taken figuratively, but highly unlikely.

   But whatever the source of this light, God caused it![7] Without light, there is only darkness.

The Second Day

And Elohim said: Let an atmosphere come to be in the midst of the waters, that it may be separating waters from waters. And it came to be so. Elohim made the atmosphere and separated the waters under the atmosphere from the waters above the atmosphere. And Elohim called the atmosphere Heaven. And it became evening, and it became morning: the second day. (Genesis 1:6-8)

    Before anything else could be done on the earth, there needed to be an atmosphere filled with life-giving gases. So we are told that God commands that an atmosphere be formed in the midst of the waters! This required that the waters be separated, forming waters above and waters below, with the atmosphere in-between. The water above would have taken the form of vapour (but not necessarily the 'clouds') and the water below remained liquid or solid (ice). The Hebrew word translated 'atmosphere' means 'stamped' i.e. the air is stamped down onto the earth as a covering. God calls the atmosphere 'Heaven' i.e. the sky; the expanse above, and surrounding, the earth. When God speaks, things happen!

The Third Day

And Elohim said: Let the waters under the heavens flow together into one place, that the dry ground may appear. And it came to be so. And Elohim called the dry ground Land (or earth), and the flowing together of the waters He called Seas. And Elohim saw that it was good. And Elohim said: Let the land become verdant with vegetation: with herbage yielding seed on the land and the fruit tree bearing fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in it. And it came to be so. The land brought forth vegetation: herbage yielding seed according to its kind, and the fruit tree bearing fruit, whose seed is in it, according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good. And it became evening, and it became morning: the third day. (Genesis 1:9-13)

   Now God begins to fashion the earth as a habitable place for various kinds of creatures, particularly soul life i.e. essentially, creatures with blood. Due to the fact that the earth is engulfed in water, the first thing that He does is to cause the outer layers of the earth to shift so that the surface of the earth produces dry land (i.e. the continents and islands), and the majority of the water flows together into the lower parts forming the oceans or seas. The Hebrew word translated 'seas' can also refer to lakes and other bodies of fresh or salt water, and does not refer solely to the salt-water oceans. But in this passage, the distinction is between the main bulk of dry land and the greater body of the oceans. Water is essential for life and even the salty seas have their place on this present earth. God saw that it was good.[8]

   Then God commands that the land bring forth predominantly green vegetation, including herbage that produces seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit according to its kind, with its own seed within the fruit. This is one of the marvels of nature, that each seed contains the whole plant or tree and its unique fruit, producing further seeds and so on! God creates and nature generates. Yet from this passage, it would appear that the vegetation was already contained in the soil and God brought it all forth in a short span of time. This was the necessary provision of food for the creatures that God was about to create. God saw that it was good.[9]

The Fourth Day

And Elohim said: Let luminaries come to be in the atmosphere of the heavens to separate day from night, that they may be for signs, for appointed seasons, for days and years. Let them be for luminaries in the atmosphere of the heavens to give light on the earth. And it came to be so. Elohim made two great luminaries, the greater luminary for dominating the day and the smaller luminary for dominating the night, and also the stars. Elohim placed them in the atmosphere of the heavens to give light on the earth, to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good. And it became evening, and it became morning: the fourth day. (Genesis 1:14-19)

    Now God proceeds to cause light to appear through the atmosphere of the heavens, so that the greater luminary, the sun, would give its wonderful heat and light during the day, giving us sunrise and sunset; and the smaller luminary, the moon, could reflect the sun's light during the night. The stars are also included as lights in the night sky. Another important reason for these luminaries is given, that of being used to keep time, through appointed seasons, days and years, and also as signs. Scripture and history give us numerous examples of how these luminaries have been fulfilling their function, and much is yet to come, especially concerning signs.

   We are not told here that these luminaries were created at this point, but only the fact that God made or fashioned them for their particular use, and somehow adjusted the earth's atmosphere so that these luminaries could be viewed as we see them today (see footnotes no.4 & 7). The sun especially, and also the moon, are a necessary part of nature and are also great symbols of spiritual truth. ALL revolves around the sun (Son). God saw that it was good.

The Fifth Day

And Elohim said: Let the waters swarm with swarming things, living souls, and let flyers fly above the earth on the face of the atmosphere of the heavens. And it came to be so. Elohim created the great sea monsters and all the moving living souls with which the waters swarm according to their kind, and every winged flyer according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good. Elohim blessed them, saying: Be fruitful and increase; fill the waters in the seas, and let the flyers increase on earth. And it became evening, and it became morning: the fifth day. (Genesis 1:20-23)

   Now God creates all marine life to fill the waters, from the smallest fish and other organisms, to the largest whales; and all of the birds to fly in the air, in fact everything with wings. These were the first creatures to be created. They were the first of the living, moving souls that were created. All living organisms have spirit, which is that which gives life to all things. But living souls differ from plant life in that they can sense their surroundings and can move about, swarming in the waters, flying in the atmosphere and roaming the earth. God blesses them and commands that they generate offspring to fill the seas and to increase on the earth.

   All of these creatures were created according to their kind. The original pair of each 'species' contained all the genetic information necessary to generate all the various offspring of that particular 'species', with all their numerous physical characteristics, and their ability to adapt to different conditions.[10] God saw that it was good.

   Later, when death entered creation, a fundamental change or disruption took place which altered the whole of the earth and all of its creatures. [11] A result of this event was genetic mutations, corruption of the flesh and many other fundamental defects.( The later deluge of Noah's time probably brought further changes to the climate and weather patterns, which would account for the decreasing life-span of humanity). Yet even with these changes and the introduction of death and the 'food chain', the wisdom and power of God in creation can still be appreciated by the spiritually discerning. And one day it will all change for the better! To the fleshly mind, this cycle is meaningless - but to the spiritual mind, all has purpose and is only eonian. [12]

The Sixth Day

And Elohim said: Let the earth bring forth living souls, each according to its kind: domestic beasts, creepers and land animals, each according to its kind. And so it came to be. Elohim made the land animal according to its kind, the domestic beast according to its kind, and every creeper of the ground according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good. 

And Elohim said: Let us make humanity in Our image and according to Our likeness. Let them hold sway over the fish of the sea and over the flyer of the heavens, over the domestic beast, over every land animal and over every creeper that is creeping on the earth.

So Elohim created humanity in His image, in the image of Elohim He created it: male and female He created them. Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said to them: Be fruitful and increase; fill the earth and subdue it. Hold sway over the fish of the sea and over the flyer of the heavens, over every domestic animal, over all the earth and over every animal that is moving on the earth.

And Elohim said: Since I have given you all seed-yielding herbage that is on the face of the entire earth, and every tree on which there is the fruit of a seed-yielding tree, it shall be yours for food. And to every animal of the earth, to every flyer of the heavens, and to every creeper on the land in which there is a living soul, I have given all green herbage for food. And so it came to be. And Elohim saw all that He had made; and behold it was very good.

And it became evening, and it became morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:24-31)

   Now on the sixth and final day, God creates and forms from the elements of the soil of the earth all the creatures that inhabit the earth or land.[13] First, He makes all the land animals, all the living souls, which are categorised as 'beasts, creepers and land animals'. Again, each are made according to their kind. These evidently include insects among the 'creepers', but it appears as though micro-organisms are not specifically mentioned, as these are invisible to the naked eye. The focus is on the creatures that can be seen by humans, particularly soul life i.e. creatures that can interact with humanity in some form or another, many of which can be domesticated, bringing great blessing to humanity. God saw that all this was good. (Originally, the animals were not meant to be for food. That change occurred after the Flood. See Genesis 9:1-4).[14]

   Then the pinnacle of God's creation was formed (contrary to what it appears like at present!) - humanity. This obviously includes both male and female, though the male, Adam, was created first. (A more detailed account of the creation of humanity is in Genesis 2:5-25. This is covered in another study.[15] See also the article 'Is There Really a Hell? A Study on Body, Soul and Spirit'). When God breathes, He gives life. God blessed the original pair, commanding them to have numerous offspring and to fill the earth, ruling the earth as subjectors under God.

   We were originally created in the image and likeness of the Father and the Son; the image is primarily referring to the form and spirit of the Son, Who later visited many amongst humanity in what appeared to be human form, as Yahweh Elohim Himself; and later still, He actually came as a human - the man Jesus the Messiah. The likeness primarily refers to the administrative rulership - the spiritual superiority of humanity over the lower creatures. At present the creatures of the earth are not under the sway of humanity due to the entrance of sin and death, causing great rebellion throughout creation. But one day, the Son, as the man Christ Jesus, will return and fulfill humanity's true function of rulership (Hebrews 2:6-10).

   As all living souls need food to survive, as well as to enjoy, God gives all vegetables, fruit and grain on the entire earth to humanity, and primarily gives all the green herbage to all the animals for food. This is the wonderful bounty and provision of the Creator and Father of ALL.[16] God saw all of this, AND BEHOLD IT WAS VERY GOOD!

The Seventh Day

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their host. On the sixth day Elohim finished His work that He had made; and He ceased on the seventh day from all His work that He had made. And Elohim blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, for in it He ceased from all His work that Elohim had created by making it. (Genesis 2:1-3)

   Here we have the basis of the Sabbath day, which was originally given to humanity, not as a form of religious ritual, but as a special day of blessing whereby we are to imitate our Father by ceasing from all usual work, to rest and be refreshed. Obviously, God didn't need to rest, like we do, but He ceased from all His work because He had finished it all in accordance with His purpose, and He completed it all by making the seventh day. In Scripture, seven is the number of completion.[17] What God starts, He finishes.

 

The above quotations from Genesis are taken from the Concordant Version of Genesis (revised). The light-face type corresponds to those words which are not in the original Hebrew, but are added for English idiom.

[1] The Hebrew word for heaven or heavens is shahmahyim. Throughout the OT, this word can refer to either the atmosphere of the earth (i.e. the sky or the First Heaven) or stellar space (i.e. the universe or the celestials; the Second Heaven). It is essentially describing that which we see when we look up. Of course, ‘looking up’ is a relative term because we are situated on a sphere hanging in space! It would be more literally accurate to say ‘looking out’ rather than ‘up.’ Nevertheless, from our position on earth, it is looking up. There are also many instances where the word heaven(s) is referring to the spirit realm where the dwelling place of God is situated (i.e. the Third Heaven), and where the spirit beings or ‘angels’ dwell. This is especially the case in the phrase ‘Kingdom of the heavens.’

  There are also two special phrases in Hebrew: a) Heavens of the heavens (Psalm 68:33); and b) Heaven of the heavens (2 Chronicles 2:6). The first primarily refers to the Second Heaven (i.e. stellar space, although it could also include the First Heaven, i.e. the sky. The stars and the sky are interconnected; hence the phrase probably includes both. The celestials or starry hosts often represent the spirit world and its inhabitants). This corresponds with the Hebrew (and Greek) phrases literally translated ‘holies of the holies’ and ‘eons of the eons.’ The second phrase b) above refers to the dwelling place of God (i.e. the spirit realm or the heavenly Temple of God). It is often translated as ‘the highest heaven.’ This corresponds with the Hebrew (and Greek) phrases literally translated ‘Holy of the holies’ and ‘Eon of the eons.’

  Be that as it may, it would appear that the phrase ‘heavens and the earth’ in Gen. 1:1 is inclusive of the whole universe.

 

 

[2] The Latin phrase ‘Omnia Ex Nihilo’ means ‘all out of nothing,’ whereas the Latin phrase ‘Omnia Ex Deo’ means ‘all out of God.’ Biblically speaking, in the absolute sense, ‘all is out of God’ for He is the Creator of all things, yet in relation to the material universe in particular, ‘all is out of nothing’ in the sense that there was no existing material beforehand. God brought all things into being that only previously existed in spirit within Himself.

 

 

[3] What is meant by ‘true science’ here is the bare scientific facts without the added theories and interpretations of scientists who wish to support their own evolutionary belief. Contrary to what many think, the Biblical details of creation presented here, as well as details on the Flood, are consistent with true scientific facts. The modern Evolutionary way of thinking (or interpreting) is blinding people to other possibilities or probabilities that are, in fact, nearer the truth. But of course, unless someone has some faith, they are not going to wish to view things from a Biblical perspective - they would rather have 'faith' in Darwin, etc.

 

 

[4] For many years I believed in the ‘Gap Theory’ and the ‘Pre-Adamite Earth’ theory, but in recent years, even months, I have come to see that there is another, more sound, way of interpreting the Scriptures in relation to this controversial subject. Some of my writings, though, still have remnants of these theories within them as a means of showing another 'possible' interpretation of ancient events, though I am now strongly persuaded that the Gap Theory is incorrect. This Theory, also known as the ‘Ruin-Reconstruction’ theory, is largely based on semantics and reading things into the Biblical text that just aren’t there. (For further information on this subject see An Appendage: The Disruption). 

   Firstly, many who hold to the Gap theory make a marked distinction between the Hebrew words bara (Create) and asah (Make) but on closer examination, this doesn’t hold up. For example, Isaiah 45:18 uses the words created, fashioned, made and formed to describe the original creation of the earth and its atmosphere (the heavens, including stellar space), when God purposed to fill the earth with creatures rather than leave it empty and uninhabited. These words are all describing the same thing – the original creation and formation of the earth and its heavens in the six days of Genesis 1.

   Nehemiah 9:6 is another case in point. It states that Yahweh made the heavens, the earth and all that is on it, the seas, and all living creatures - and also the highest heavens (Lit. ‘the heaven of heavens’; i.e. the spirit world, figured in the celestials or stellar space) and their starry host. No one would argue the point that this is describing the original creation of the universe - when God made all things. There are numerous cases in Scripture where God is called both Creator and Maker of all things. These words are two sides of the same coin.

   Secondly, the Hebrew word hayetah (root hayah) translated as ‘was’ or ‘became’ in Genesis 1:2 is describing the existence or ‘coming to be’ of the earth. When God first brought the earth into being it existed as a chaotic (formless) planet that was empty (Hebrew Tohu and Bohu) and void of life. It was in darkness and covered in water (i.e. the abyss). That is to say, when God first created the earth-mass, He then created water to cover or 'flood' the whole earth. This is the state that the earth is in when we are first introduced to the creative process in Genesis 1. The Apostle Peter confirms this in 2 Peter 3:5. Then God begins to fashion, make and create the earth to be habitable for man and animals in six earth-rotation days.

   Also, there isn't any clear Biblical evidence that tells us anything whatsoever about a Pre-Adamite earth. It is only a speculative theory that tries to harmonize the incorrect theories and interpretations of modern science, in relation to the supposed age of the earth and the universe, to accord with Scripture. Neither are we told how long the creative process of the universe took, apart from the ‘six days.’ It is evident from the miracles that Jesus did that God does not need any specific length of time to create or multiply matter. He could do it in a millisecond or less if He so wishes. He certainly did not need millions of years!

   It is also evident from Job 38:4-7 that the spirit beings (i.e. the angels; Heb. ‘sons of God’) were in existence before the earth was created, for they shouted for joy when God created the earth, but for how long before, we are not told. I believe that the First Age existed before the earth was created, but it was primarily a spiritual Age, that is, it involved the spirit world rather than the material world. According to Colossians 1:15-17, Paul is saying that the Beginning of creation began with the invisible things in heaven, as well as the earth. It would appear as though that is the only thing we can be certain about from the words of Scripture. In relation to the events of creation, we must remember, as Job said, that “God performs wonders that cannot be fathomed..” (Job 9:10). Praise God for His power and wonders and wisdom!

    On a scientific note, I'll say this one thing: As far as I'm aware, the Geologic Column and fossil record show creatures destroyed by a worldwide catastrophe (the Flood of Noah's day), and other smaller ones. Now although Scripture tells us that the earth was engulfed in water in Genesis 1:2 (see also 2 Peter 3:5) while in its original ‘clay mass’ before the Potter formed it, this ‘flood’ or ‘disruption’ evidently has nothing to do with the fossils themselves, for nowhere are we told that any living creatures existed on the earth before the Fifth Day of Creation. Also, the Apostle Paul makes it very clear in Romans 5:12-14 that Death began on this earth when Adam sinned, and not before. Therefore, this ‘catastrophe’ in the fossil record must be the Flood of Noah's day, and not the 'Flood' or 'disruption' mentioned at the beginning of creation.

 

 

[5] The descriptive words ‘hovering’ ‘vibrating’ ‘brooding’ are indicative of the fluttering of bird’s wings. The Holy Spirit of God was probably in the form of a dove (cp. Luke 3:22).

 

[6] Light and sound are essentially different vibrations and varying wavelengths. White light is composed of the pure colours of the spectrum (rainbow).

 

[7] Due to the fact that the whole of this account in Genesis 1 has to do with the creation of the material universe and our solar system, it is unlikely that this original light was supernatural. It is also highly unlikely that it was the sun itself, because the sun, moon and stars are not made until the fourth day. It is highly probable that this original creation of light was manifested as an electromagnetic force. This ‘light’ was then used to begin the earth-rotation days of day and night, evening and morning. Later, on the fourth day, the greater luminary of the sun replaced the original ‘light.’

  It is evident from a plain reading of the text that these days are to be understood as standard solar days. This is confirmed in Exodus 20:8-11 where the basis of the Sabbath day and the 7 day week is said to be the original Creation week. Of course, God does not need any specific length of time to create or multiply matter. He could do it in a millisecond or less if He so wishes, yet He chose to make the heavens and the earth, and all living things, in 6 days, and He used the 7^th day to cease from His work of creating to enjoy all He had made - the 7^th day, the Sabbath, symbolising rest, fellowship and peace.

 

 

[8] The wording in Genesis 1:9-10 states that the waters flowed together into one place, thereby surrounding the dry Land (singular). This indicates the possibility that the land was originally one Super-Continent surrounded by the waters. If this was the case, then it is highly probable that the continents that we know today were formed during the Great Flood.

 

 

[9] The production of fruit trees and green vegetation for food on Day Three does not contradict the details in Genesis 2:4-6. In that text we are being told that, before Adam was created on Day Six, God was the Gardener and He caused the shrubs and plants of the field, etc, to begin sprouting by watering the soil with high humidity ground mists, not rain from above. He also planted and prepared a large garden (i.e. a paradise) in the region of Eden containing all kinds of fruit trees, where He later placed Adam to take care of it.

 

 

 

[10] This would've included all of the marine creatures that are now believed to be extinct, which are classified as Dinosaurs.

The modern classification of species and various animal groups are not necessarily the same as the Biblical 'kinds.' The original 'from-kinds' were the root species, if you will, from which many branches of similar 'species' have been derived.

 

 

 

[11] For further details on this Disruption, see An Appendage: The Disruption

 

 

 

[12] Eonian is the English transliteration of the Greek word aeonian, which is commonly translated as eternal. Eonian means age-abiding or age-during, that is, something that is related to the ages of time. It essentially refers to indefinite time, but it does not inherently mean 'never-ending' in and of itself. There are many things in Scripture that are referred to as eonian which clearly do not last forever. For example, the hills and mountains of this present earth are called 'Eonian' (e.g. Genesis 49:26; Deuteronomy 33:15) yet we are told that they will pass away, to be replaced by a New Earth (Revelation 21:1).

 

 

[13] Many evolutionists mock at the notion that animals and man were created from dirt or dust, even though the majority of them believe that 'nature' created itself and that we all magically came from single-celled amebas! Nevertheless, it is a biological fact that, at death, all creatures decay and return to the elements of the soil - from whence we came (cp. Genesis 3:19). Hence all living souls were miraculously created from the elements of the soil.

 

 

[14] This would’ve included all those creatures that are now termed Dinosaurs. The fossil remains prove that they existed and that the majority of these creatures were killed by some sort of cataclysm (the Flood?) but we don’t know what they really looked like as not many whole skeletons have been discovered; and they weren't all the size of T. Rex either (in fact, the majority of 'dinosaurs' are said to be quite small). Evidently, even those that survived the Flood through being on the Ark gradually became extinct during the subsequent centuries. Some animals and plants are continuing to become extinct.

   It is interesting to note that, in Genesis 1:21, where most translations read either 'great whales' or 'great creatures' or 'great sea monsters,' the Hebrew word is tanniyn. This stems from the root word tan which means 'that which is stretched or elongated.' This same Hebrew word (also tanniym) is used a number of times throughout the OT. It is commonly translated as either 'dragons' or 'jackals' or 'whales.' All of these renderings seem a little inconsistent to me. I would suggest the following: the only English word that seems to fit most occurrences of this word is - reptile(s). Exodus 7 gives us a big clue. In verses 9, 10 and 12 the Hebrew tanniyn is used, yet in verse 15 we are clearly told that Aaron's rod turned into a serpent or snake (Hebrew nachash). Of course, snakes are reptilian creatures that are 'elongated,' and snake(s) would fit most occurrences of the word tanniyn(m) - even 'great sea snakes.' 

   Be that as it may, Micah 1:8 talks of 'wailing like tanniym.'  Now as far as I'm aware at present, snakes don't wail nor do reptiles in general! So it seems to me that we should not limit this word to just snake(s) - yet the word reptile(s) appears to fit quite well. The Komodo Dragon of Indonesia is a good example of a large reptile, but whether it could be said to 'wail' I don't know. Anyhow, many extinct reptiles (dinosaurs?) probably wailed. Nevertheless, there is another text that poses a problem with this view. Lamentations 4:3 refers to tanniyn suckling their babies, which refers to mammals, not reptiles. So even reptiles may not be the right word to encompass every description of tanniyn.

   Of course, the really interesting thing is that the word 'dinosaur' means 'terrible lizard' - or reptile! Also the mythical dragon appears to have some basis in fact, going by all of the dragon fables throughout the world, and Scripture refers figuratively to Satan as the Dragon, who is also the Serpent! So there is a clear connection between the Hebrew word tanniyn, and dragons, snakes - and reptiles in general. Nevertheless, I think it would be safe to say that tanniyn(m) are ferocious, dangerous creatures that are often very large (monsters), and they can include reptiles or mammals, whether on land or in water. It can therefore include Dinosaurs and other extinct creatures.

   

 

 

[15] See The Birth of Humanity: A Look at Genesis 2.

 

 

[16] All living souls, including man, were originally created to be vegetarian (herbivores). Only later, after the Flood, was meat officially given to humans. Yet it is evident that as soon as sin and death entered creation at the Disruption, certain animals began to attack and eat each other, thereby becoming carnivorous.

 

 

[17] This was the basis for the seven-day week. The Sabbath day became a part of the Law of Moses, being included in the Ten Commandments, but under the New Covenant, the Sabbath can be kept any day (Romans 14:5-6). The Law was a type and shadow of Christ and the New Covenant of Grace (Colossians 2:16-17). The ultimate rest or ceasing from our works is to inherit the kingdom of God, the true Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:1-11).

 

 

Copyright © G. Watts 2001, 2006

 

 

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