PART I, A-C

A. TIME PERIOD, CREATION (FOUNDATIONS)

  1. GOD'S Activities of Creation (Gen 1:1-31; 2:3-25) Before the 6 days of creation: In the beginning GOD created the heavens [plural, but no dry sky until the 2nd day-- just gradients of moisture & gravity (no stars until the 4th day)] & the water-covered earth [the water not called sea until the 3rd day; all planets also?]. In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with GOD, & the Word was GOD. He [not it] was with GOD (John 1:1-2). And GOD said, in these time periods (days-- each ending with evening & the morning) Let there be these creations, on:

• Day 1- distinct-but-diffuse, singular (see Note 1 below) light. This was prob. the type of light referred to in GOD is Light (1stJoh 1:5)-- compare with Day 4 below. HE separated the light (called 'day') from the darkness (called 'night');
• Day 2- a dry expanse (called 'sky') to separate water from water-- the water from below the expanse from the water above it in the moist clouds. This expanse & above clouds compose the atmosphere;
• Day 3- Let: {a} the water under the sky be gathered to 1 place & let dry ground (called 'land') appear among the gathered waters (called 'seas'); {b} the land produce vegetation: plants bearing seed & trees bearing fruit with seed in it. See below, Note 2;
• Day 4- {a} lights to: separate the day from the night [diffuse light already existing-- see Day 1 above]; serve as signs to mark times of seasons, days & years. The greater light is to govern the day [the sun is 1st mentioned in Gen 15:12], the lesser light is to govern the night [the moon is 1st mentioned in Gen 37:9]; {b} He also made the stars-- note the stars were not for marking times; the stars are next mentioned in Gen 15:5];
• Day 5- {a} varieties of living creatures in the water; {b} varieties of birds to fly across the sky;
• Day 6- {a} varieties of living creatures-- livestock, creatures that move along the ground [crawl & slither], & wild animals; {b} man in OUR Image/Likeness-- male & female.
  1. Note 1- The sun, moon & stars did not exist until Day 4.
  2. Note 2- There was no rain, medium-rooted plants nor cultivation before Adam existed (Gen 2:5)-- the land was not yet worked (tilled) & only misted (no rain); the plants were not yet field (cultivated)-- only shallow rooted or deeply rooted grass, herbs & trees.
  3. Note 3- some say that there were additional special creations: for birds, animals & Adam (after all creations-from-nothing, after the sabbatical rest), because it is specified that after the 7 days God created Adam from the dust of the ground & breathed the breath of life into his nostrils (Gen 2:7)-- Gen 2:19 says that GOD brought those birds & animals formed from the ground to Adam to see what He'd name them. However, likely Gen 2 simply goes back before the rest & focuses on Day 6-- detailing what took place. I.e., at some point (perh. after Day 1, perh. after Day 4, God formed (created) from pre-existing matter.

   2. GOD’S Rest-- The 7th day (Gen 2:1-2): GOD had finished the work HE had been doing; so on the 7th day He rested.

   3. The Fall of Mankind (Gen 3:1,23): Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD GOD had made. So the LORD GOD banished Him [Adam] from the Garden of Eden-- the Holy Spirit that attended the breath having departed. God's nature-in-man became compromised-- mankind had been created in God's image, replete with incorruptibility & free choice, but he was now corruptible & to-this-day by nature chooses to do evil. God's plan is foundations, with themes like repentance & faith. Note the simple comparisons below, in 4.a.&.b.

  4. Before vs. Since Creation; God's Foundations vs. Mankind's Foundations

    a. Before vs. Since the creation

      i. Before (in place or time) the creation-- from a specific Greek word

• YOU loved Me before the creation (John 17:24);
• HE chose [selected] Us [everybody, to believe] before the creation (Ephe 1:4);
• He was chosen [known by the Father] before the creation (1stPet 1:20).

      ii. Before (in sight of) the creation-- from a different Greek word

• Christ suffered before the creation (Hebr 9:26).

      iii. Since (or from) the creation-- this was added (not from any Greek word)

• things hidden since the creation (Matt 13:35);
• kingdom prepared for You since the creation (Matt 25:34);
• blood of the prophets shed since the creation (Luke 11:50);
• HIS Work finished since the creation (Hebr 4:3);
• lamb slain that was slain from the creation (Reve 13:8);
• names not written in the book of life since the creation (Reve 17:8).

    b. God's Foundation (what the Apostles & Prophets laid) vs. man's foundations:

• building a house, laid the foundation on rock; without a foundation (Luke 6:48-49);
• building a tower, lays a foundation and is not able to finish it (Luke 14:28-29);
• the foundations of the prison were shaken (Acts 16:26);
• so that I [Paul] would not be building on someone else's foundation (Roma 15:20);
• I [Paul] laid a foundation; no one can lay any foundation than is already laid; if any man builds on this foundation (1stCor 3:10-12);
• Members of GOD'S Household, built on the foundation of the apostles & prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone (Ephe 2:19-20);
• rich in good deeds, a firm foundation for the coming age (1stTim 6:18-19);
• GOD'S Solid Foundation stands firm, sealed with these inscriptions (2ndTim 2:19);
• O LORD, YOU laid the foundations of the earth (Hebr 1:10);
• not laying again the foundation of repentance & of faith (Hebr 6:1);
• He [Abraham] was looking forward to the city with foundations (Hebr 11:10);
• the wall of the city had 12 foundations; the foundations were decorated (Reve 21:14,19).