Notes on Genesis Chapter One

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Genesis 1:1 Beginning of Creation

“Beginning” – sometime in eternity past (unknown)

“God” – Author of all creation

“Created” – Out of nothing made He something

“The Heaven” – Not a Heaven, but the Heaven (cf. the Earth).

This is the 3^rd Heaven, or an abode. The word “heaven” in Hebrew can be either singular or plural. In the Old KJV the word is preserved singular. In all other corrupt versions the word is plural.

Three Heavens in Scripture 

1^st Heaven – atmosphere around earth

2^nd Heaven – space that contains planets and stars

3^rd Heaven – Abode of God (created by God)

“The Earth” – this planet specifically. There are no other earths. We do not know anything about the topographical setting, but apparently there was much water. The earth was not haphazardly thrown together, but supernaturally weighed, measured and balanced – not without form, cf. Isaiah 40:12. (Thus God creates a place for Himself, the Creator, and a place for His creations.)

Did God create the earth in some incomplete or nebulous form or fashion and then had to rework or modify it for it to be a “formed” earth? In everything God created, He did not use any kind of process whether short or long. God created the trees, plants, fish, fowl, animals, and man in what we may term “apparent age.” In other words, everything was created not only full-size and shape but perfect in design.

The words “without form” and “void” do not follow the creative continuity of size, shape and perfection, if we assume God followed a consistent pattern of creation (which I believe He did). However, to believe in a pre-Adamic earth whereby a watery Judgment was pronounced would be a more reasonable approach, as continuity in creation would then be consistent. By this, we would assume in Genesis 1:1 that the earth in the beginning was created in perfect form and size.

Job 38:4-7 indicates angelic beings before the foundation of the Earth or before men (no speculation of any animal life can be made concerning this Pre-Adamic earth – the closest is Jeremiah 4:25). Hence, fossils are not from this era but rather are from the animals created during the six 24-hour days.

Purpose of Original Earth (Ezekiel 28:14-17) (Isaiah 14:12-17)

Lucifer sins – loses position in Heaven and is cast out

Causes chaos on Earth (desires to run the show – good and bad angel battle?)

Gen. 1:2 Judgment for Sin (Jer. 4:23, 26-28)

Water Prison for Angels 

It appears that for some reason God chose water to imprison and judge angels. Consider the following verses:

(1)   Genesis 1:2 – Darkness upon the face of the deep (chaotic, watery grave of the Pre-Adamic earth)

(2)   Matthew 8:26-27 – Jesus rebukes the sea (as He did the devils)

(3)   Matthew 8:32 – Swine with fallen angels perish in sea – why did they head in that direction? The Lord tricked them and imprisoned the devils or fallen angels.

(4)   2Peter 2:4 – chains of darkness

(5)   Jude 6 – chains under darkness

(6)   Revelation 9:14 – Angels bound in Euphrates (watery prison)

(7)   Revelation 20:13 – Sea gave up its dead (this is different from the resurrected dead)

(8)   Revelation 21:1 – No more sea (Lucifer and his crowd are now in the Lake of Fire – no more need for a watery prison)

Note: The terms “without form and void” cannot be taken as a process of creation without destroying the continuity of the following 24-hour days. When God created, He spoke the Word and it was done. To inject any form of progressive creation fuels the fire for theistic evolutionists. Besides, when did Isaiah 14:17 occur? When did the Devil make the world a wilderness and destroy its cities? If not Pre-Adamic earth, then when?

God makes a partial end to earth (which blocks angelic warfare). Heaven black – Earth void (a watery blob). Cities destroyed – (no pointless word studies of “was” will be presented).

Genesis 1:3 – Re-creation Begins (or Creation continues)

A restructuring for a new life (everything to be designed for planet earth)

Light made to dominate darkness (the potential) – through light energy

Darkness of Judgment still present

Genesis 1:4 – Natural Law established

Light separated from darkness (the action)

No diffusion (made functional for future man)

(No sun, moon, stars yet)

Genesis 1:5 – First Day (of six 24-hour creative days)

Earth set on axis

Rotation established

Time begins (no sun yet to rule the day…)

(The earth still at this point is a watery grave)

Evening and morning denote a rotational time period even without the sun

Genesis 1:6 – Beginning of surface normalization

“Let” – God directs this happening

“Firmament” – a space (or spanse) to remove some of the waters of Judgment from Earth

Half of the water is divided from itself

Genesis 1:7 – “Made” – God now makes this space which separates the

water into two vast bodies

“Under,” “Above” – Direction of the division given is one body of water above the other. The one body of water on the earth still covering the land – the other body hurled or dissipated above the earth (cf. Psalm 148:4).

Genesis 1:8 – “Heaven” – which one? In Gen. 1:1 the 3^rd Heaven was made.

(As God always was, He made an abode for His throne and Heavenly tabernacle so as to relate to man – (future) – the infinite with the finite. Here is definitely the 2^nd Heaven where the planets and stars will be placed (cf. Genesis 1:14-17). This Heaven is not the atmosphere – though could include it. Thus the waters above do not produce any canopy effect on the earth, as the waters are beyond the second Heaven.

“Second Day” – evening and morning are terms of Time denoting a 24-hour day. We have Time without the sun or moon or planets.

Genesis 1:9 – “waters…gathered”

God spoke and, without the moon or tides, caused the waters over the earth to gather together unto one place (One sea – one land).

“Dry land” – One land mass now emerges from the watery grave (one huge island).

Genesis 1:10 – Identification and Distinction

“Dry land” – called earth (one land mass)

“waters” – called seas (one body water – many seas)

Genesis 1:11 – “Grass, Herbs,” “fruit tree”

Adam was created in “apparent age” (or full grown). Here we have a supernatural act of God that produced in one 24-hour day full-grown grass, herbs, and trees.

Genesis 1:12 – Results of 1:11

The herbs are already producing seeds.

The trees are already producing fruit (with seeds).

The vegetable kingdom is in full process – no sun yet, but full-grown vegetation can easily survive for 24 hours without sunlight; besides, God is in control.

Genesis 1:13 – “Third Day”

Evening and morning denote specific time period.

Note: Evening always mentioned before morning, as Hebrew day starts at 6:00 P.M. (Man comes out of darkness into light).

Genesis 1:14 – “lights”

Includes all the celestial hosts of space “in the firmament” – the dividing space of the waters (v. 7)

“of the heaven” – not a redundant term, but a firmament (or heaven – 2^nd) of the heaven (3^rd) cf. Psalm 19:1

“signs,” “seasons,” “days,” “years” – magnetic and gravitational forces enacted, tides, etc. Accurate orbiting established. Specific entities to index perpetual time. 

Note: Five elements necessary for creation are… (1) Time (2) Space (3) Matter (4) Force (5) Motion

Genesis 1:15 – “be for... the earth”

All heavenly bodies made for the earth – the earth is the center of all activities of space.

Genesis 1:16 – “God made”

Some think that this is not a creative act, but that the sun and moon pre-existed at some other time and were simply allowed to reappear. First, this would break the continuity of these creative days; and v. 25 and v. 26 vividly indicate that when God made something, He created it.

“greater light” – sun created (ruler of the day) – the Master light

“Lesser light” – moon created (ruler of the night) – reflects light from the Master light

No Power of light of its own

When Sun is not present (night), the moon rules.

(When Jesus [the true light] left for Heaven, we, the lesser lights, are supposed to reflect the greater light [Jesus].)

“stars” – all heavenly bodies now made (for the earth)

Genesis 1:17 – “set” – All heavenly bodies set in precision

Not accidental, not a process, they are deliberately set!

If sun and moon were in Pre-Adamic Earth, they would not have to be “set” – they would already be in position.

All are below the third heaven and above the first heaven.

“earth” – the earth is special, the center of attention of all other planets and stars. All planetary bodies are built around and for the earth.

Genesis 1:18 – “rule,” “divide”

All celestial bodies not only focus to the earth for the purpose of time, but also now manifest the division of darkness to light with respect to the earth. Also, these bodies perfectly complement the earth’s orbit and revolving of its axis – a perfect planetary timepiece!

Genesis 1:19 – “Fourth Day”

Another 24-hour period – God’s creative acts are being performed in relation to the earth and its time frame (the sun appeared on the 4^th day and the Son appeared on the 4^th millennial day).

Genesis 1:20 – “Let”

Great care must be taken in the use of the word “let.” The evolutionist or theistic evolutionist claims that this is an allowed process and that life originally came from the sea. The words “God said,” “abundantly,” indicate within the context of a 24-hour period that by God’s spoken Word, an abundance of certain creatures and birds were brought into existence (the word “let” simply denotes the creative Word of God spoken).

“Open firmament” – this is the first mention of atmosphere or the first heaven. It is “open” for birds to fly in as opposed to the second heaven being closed for flying. The term “open” is not arbitrary, but distinctive.

“of heaven” – Again, “heaven” is not redundant with firmament, but refers to the second heaven, which oftimes include the first heaven (see v. 8). In other words, the birds can fly in the open air space (1^st heaven) of the second heaven.

Genesis 1:21 – “created”

All water life created (from guppy to 300,000 lb. whale)

All winged fowl created

“After their kind” – winged fowl didn’t evolve from sea life. Birds begat birds, fish begat fish.

Note: Birds are created only after land appears.

Note: Three Laws of the Universe (Unchangeable)

Law 1 – First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy can change forms but cannot be created or destroyed; hence, the sun total is constant.

Law 2 – Second Law of Thermodynamics (entropy)

Energy is transformed from one form to another; and some is turned into heat energy, which cannot be changed back into useful forms. Thus any particular system runs down or is in a state of deterioration.

Law 3 – Law of Biogenesis

Life produces similar life – cats produce cats and horses produce horses, etc. (cf. 1Corinthians 15:39).

These three laws scientifically refute evolution.

Genesis 1:22 – “Be fruitful”

Procreation initiated (reproduce its kind)

No further creative acts of fish or fowl

Genesis 1:23 – “Fifth Day” 

Another 24-hour day of creation

Fish have seas as their home

Fowl have land to build nests

Genesis 1:24 – “Let the earth”

This phrase is not a process set in motion over a period of time, but a creative act (cf. v. 25).

“living creature,” “beast”

All earth animals from lizards to rats to the monstrous dinosaurs – each allowed to reproduce within the boundaries of its kind.

Where did the dinosaurs come from? They were created by God. What happened that caused their extinction? Here’s a possibility: Certain animal life will continue to grow under special conditions and assuming their lifespan is extended. Before the flood, the lifespan of man and probably animals was much greater than that after the flood. These great creatures over hundreds of years grew to enormous size and were free to roam the earth. The flood destroyed many, and after the flood their lifespan and size were “shrunk.” Being smaller in size, it is probable that they were more easily susceptible to their enemies – both animals and man. Of course, if man is allowed to “do his thing,” many more species of animal life would be extinct.

Then again, depending on how one would establish the time frame of Isaiah 27:1, God, Himself (for the sake of man), chose to destroy Leviathan (and perhaps its species). Anyway, it is interesting to speculate on certain non-doctrinal issues.

Genesis 1:25 – “made”

Definite creative act

Keep in mind that all the land animals, including the dinosaurs, ate vegetation. There were no flesh-eaters before the fall. This state will return during the millennial period (cf. Isa. 11:6) when Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation period.

Genesis 1:26 – “God said”

Each creative day begins with “God said” – God spoke the Word, and it was so!

“us” – Manifestation of the Trinity – there is only one God; hence this pronoun reveals the other personages of the Godhead. In Genesis 1:2 the Holy Spirit is involved with creation. In Colossians 1:16 the Son is involved with creation.

“make man” – Man is a specific creation, not a product of secular or theistic evolution.         

Note on Evolution: Consider man’s futile attempts to produce evidence for support of the evolutionary theory – each fossil discovery hoped to be the “missing link”…

Neanderthal Man – Neander Valley – near Dusseldorf, Germany. Johann C. Fuhlrott – 1856. One skull – several bones – thought to be semi-erect and sub-human. Later found to be remains of people suffering from rickets, which causes malformation.

Cro-Magnon Man – Cro-Magnon, France -- Louis Lartet – 1868 – Fragments of four skeletons (all finds prove to be human or animal, never ½ and ½)

Java Man – (erect Ape man) – Trinil, Java -- Eugene Dubois – 1891. One single skull cap – one year later one thighbone and two molar teeth found 50 feet from cap. Claim was that all belonged to same Ape-man 500,000 years before. Prior to Dubois’ death – admitted Java man was remains of large gibbon.

Heidelberg Man -- Heidelberg, Germany -- Otto Schoetensack – 1907 One lower jaw

Piltdown Man (Dawn man) -- Piltdown, England -- Charles Dawson – 1912 -- A skull part – a few teeth – claimed to be over 500,000 years old – praised by American Museum of Natural History as genuine link in evolution – 1950, bones examined by fluoride tests – skull of recent ape stained with iron salts and teeth filed to give old appearance – a hoax!

Peking Man -- Peking, China -- Davidson Black – 1921, 1937 -- Parts of 30 skulls – 147 teeth -- Find disappeared in 1941

Nebraska Man -- Western Nebraska, U.S.A. -- Harold Cook – 1922 --One tooth (claimed by authorities to be missing link) -- In 1927 tooth discovered to be that of a pig

Rama Pithecus -- N.W. Indiana -- G.E. Lewis – 1932 -- Parts of jaws – few teeth -- Later concluded was an extinct ape

East Africa Man -- Olduvia, Tanzania -- Louis S.B. Leakey – 1959 -- One skullcap – few bones (dated 2 – 4 million years old – oldest link between Ape and Man) -- Son Richard Leakey indicated find was variety of Ape

Illustration of Evolution (by the late B.R. Lakin)

Not reasonable at all that a way back yonder sometime, somewhere, somehow, nobody knows when, how, where, or why…nothing got in nothing, the nothing formed in something, got in the water, the water developed into a tadpole; the tadpole swam too near the bank one day and got stuck in the mud there, wriggling around in the mud, he formed warts on his belly and later they became legs, and after he developed legs, he became a land animal and climbing through the trees one day his foot slipped and as he fell he wrapped his tail around the limb, the jolt broke off his tail, and as he hit the ground, he stood up on his hind feet, walked across the street, bought him a suit of clothes, went to teach in the university and said, “Thank God, I’m a man at last!”
 

                Basic Contrasts

     Bible                         Evolution

Salvation from Christ             Transformation from Man

Perfection to Corruption           Corruption to Perfection

Nature – running down            Nature – going up

Man born sinner                 Man born blank tablet

Man deserves damnation          Man deserves God-status

Man made instant living soul        Man progressed from brute state

Man from dust                  Man from protozoa in H2o

Faith in Word                  Faith in man’s mind/ability

Look forward to Heaven           Look forward to grave

Look up for inspiration            Look in for inspiration

Faith in salvation eternal          Temporal survival thru fitness

Continuing Genesis 1:26

“have dominion”

Man is a unique creation of God – next to God man is in charge of earthly domination – we need to remember this is God-given

Genesis 1:27 – “image of God”

Not a God, but an image – something that represents God – a reflection of the creator.

Since God is a Trinity, then so is man – body, soul, and spirit (1Thessalonians 5:23)

“male and female” – a phrase of summation – a general statement

The Bible gives creative details of both genders in the next chapter – no mention of male and females in any animal creations – it is assumed because of the command to reproduce after their kind.

Genesis 1:28 – “God said”

Man is a creation with whom God can communicate

No other earthly creature did He directly talk to

“multiply” – command to reproduce (after his kind)

“replenish” – a word to denote “to do again” – inferring there was a Pre-Adamic earth. Some attempt to refute this by suggesting the word is simply saying to fill the earth for the first time. However, during the fifth day, God’s instruction was to fill the earth – why wouldn’t the Lord use the same term if that were what He meant? There are no idle words in Scripture. Besides, most adherents to dissecting the word “replenish” are also users of various corrupt Bible versions, attempting to minimize the validity of our preserved English Bible – the old KJV.

God gives man technical and intellectual abilities.

No animal can control his environment with cities, inventions, medicine, etc. as man.

Genesis 1:29 – “I have given”

Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord provides – all of man’s needs provided by God

“herb,” “fruit” – “for meat”

Before the fall man ate no meat from animals.

Genesis 1:30 – “beast,” “fowl,” “every herb”

All animals ate vegetation and fed together – even the natural enemies, as we know them today. During the millennium, animals will return to this – Isaiah 65:25 (imagine a wolf and lamb dining together).

Genesis 1:31 – “very good”

All of creation in perfect order and harmony. Not thrown together by accident – not simply a chance happening, but an orderly creation whereby upon God’s inspection He deemed it – very good.

Sixth Day 

Last 24-hour day of creation finalized

No creation going on today

Material by Wayne Barkett, P. O. Box 155, Pinetta, FL 32350