I included this chapter because so many gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender people have been so spiritually abused by the
Scriptures that they have decided that the only path for them to follow is one
that includes scientific facts, devoid of any spiritual dimension. I was saved at the age of 9 and continued to
be faithful until the age of 18 when I became disillusioned with much that
Christianity had to say about me being gay.
I considered myself an atheist and the Bible a myth until the age of 38
when things began to change.
Part of what helped me in this process was not just
about coming to a point where I saw how Scriptures allowed me to believe in God
and still be me, but also when I began to reconcile my faith in God’s creation
of the universe and what science had to say about it.
I include this chapter in The Bed Keeper in an effort to speak to the hearts and minds of
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender atheists, agnostics, and antitheists in
an effort to provide a new approach to discovering how creation and evolution
do not have to be antagonistic toward each other, but can actually be shown to
go hand in hand. In short, I believe God
used evolution to create.
In this chapter, I will share how I believe that
Scriptures have always said exactly what science is proving, but because of the
way we had understood the Scriptures, it appears that either science or the Creation
account must be incorrect. But I found
that isn’t necessarily the case. For
example, I do not believe in a literal six day creation. We’ll see that when God separated the light
from the darkness, that it was light
that He called Day, and not time. I don’t believe Adam and Eve were the
first humans to walk the earth, nor that Cain married his sister.
So for what it’s worth to anyone whom it helps
reconcile Creation and evolution, or their sexuality with their spirituality,
let us now examine how it is possible that not only did God use evolution to
create, but that God Himself created the laws of physics and created mankind with
a brain that has the ability to prove the truths shared within the pages of
Scripture through scientific means.
In Hebrews 11:1-3 we read:
Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the
title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not
see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is
not revealed to the senses].
For by [faith--trust and holy fervor born of faith]
the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.
By faith we understand that the worlds [during the
successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their
intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of
things which are visible.
Many times, Christians get into great discussions
that lead nowhere concerning the Creation account and often label those of us
who ascent to the theory of evolution as being unenlightened. But as we
discussed in the past few chapters of The
Bed Keeper, the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. Of course, for those Christians who love a
good argument, this may take some of the wind out of their sails, but let’s
take a look at a prevailing theory that explains how the earth could be created
in 6 days, and still align with scientific knowledge.
It’s known as the Gap Theory. It basically attempts to reconcile Creation
and evolution by suggesting that there is a dividing point in time between Genesis
1:1, (where the earth was created, the dinosaurs existed, and prehistoric man
lived), and Genesis 1:2. The Gap Theory
proffers that the remainder of the Creation account is more accurately
described as a “re-creation” of that which was originally created in Genesis
1:1, but was somehow destroyed during Satan's eviction from heaven. While this is indeed one way of reconciling
science and Creation by squeezing all scientific knowledge that doesn’t align
with the Creation account into some imaginary abyss of time that exists between
Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, it’s not the only way.
Let’s take a look at those 2 verses:
1 In the
beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the
earth.
2 The
earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of
the very great deep. The Spirit of God
was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.
Now, let us examine the supporting contextual
understanding that Gap theorists look to in order to support it, as well as a
rebuttal to various aspects of the points being made:
1. Gap
theorists suggest that the word bara (used in Genesis 1:1, 21, 27) must mean
“to create” (i.e.: ex nihilo creation), while the word asah cannot mean “to
create,” but rather means “to make.” Therefore,
the original creation was “created”; the creation of the six days was “made”
(i.e., “made over”).
2. Gap
theorists suggest that the Hebrew verb hayetha (translated “was” in Genesis
1:2) should be rendered “became” or “had become”—a translation required in
order to suggest a change of state from the original perfect creation to the
chaotic conditions implied in verse 2.
3. Gap
theorists believe that the phrase “without form and void” of Genesis 1:2 (tohu
wabohu) can refer only to something once in a state of repair, but now ruined. Pember accepted these words as expressing “an
outpouring of the wrath of God.”
4. Gap
theorists believe that Isaiah 45:18 (“God created the earth not in vain”—tohu;
same word translated “without form” in Genesis 1:2) indicates that the Earth
was not tohu at the initial creation. Therefore,
they suggest, Genesis 1:2 can refer only to a judgment brought upon the Earth
by God.
Here's why I would disagree on these four points:
"Without form and void" seems more like a description of "not
yet created” and not a state of disrepair. It also requires ignoring verse 2 until it
becomes a convenient segue into the remainder of the Creation account. Let’s look at both verses again:
1 In the
beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the
earth.
2 The
earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of
the very great deep. The Spirit of God
was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.
We see here the “Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.” To suggest that God had created the
heavens and earth in verse 1, and then began re-creating them in verse 2 would suggest that the “Spirit of God”
was not necessary to create the earth in verse 1, but was only necessary in
order to re-create it beginning in verse 2. That notion would contradict
Hebrews 11:3 which reads:
By faith we understand that the worlds [during the
successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their
intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made
out of things which are visible.
NOTE: While Hebrews uses the
phrase “by the word of God” and Genesis 1:2 uses the phrase “the Spirit of
God,” it is clear that these are saying the exact same thing. To suggest that somehow God created the
heavens and the earth in verse 1 without His Word or His Spirit truly shows a
serious gap in the Gap Theory itself.
The way I understand Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 is that
the earth was “created” by God and (in the beginning) “was without form and
void." We see this pattern of Creation
consistently throughout Scripture as it portrays God as a potter and mankind as
the clay. Just as a lump of clay
eventually becomes a man, so too it would seem that the earth started off in
verse 1 and 2 as nothing more than the elements necessary to create it, and not
the finished product we know of today.
Another way of explaining that understanding is to
compare it to a builder building a house.
Just as the house is without form and void when all that exists (in the
beginning) is the blueprint prior to the actual construction, I believe so too
was the earth “without form and void” (in the beginning). It had been "created" in verse 1
just as a house is "created" as soon as it becomes an idea or
blueprint. But the
"manifestation" doesn't happen until verse 2 (or more accurately)
doesn’t become what we recognize as the earth today until we later see in
Genesis 1:9, "and God said let the dry land appear, and He called the dry
land earth” on Day 3, not Day 1.
5. Gap theorists believe that a cataclysm occurred
between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 as a direct result of Satan’s rebellion against
God. The cataclysm, of course, is
absolutely essential to the Gap Theory. Isaiah
14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:11-17 are used as proof-texts to bolster the theory.
Let’s take a look at what they say:
12 How
have you fallen from heaven, O light-bringer and daystar, son of the morning! How you have been cut down to the ground, you
who weakened and laid low the nations [O blasphemous, satanic king of Babylon!]
13 And
you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God; I will sit upon the mount of assembly in the uttermost north.
14 I will
ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.
15 Yet
you shall be brought down to Sheol (Hades), to the innermost recesses of the
pit (the region of the dead). Isaiah 14:12-15
11
Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
12 Son of
man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, Thus says the
Lord God: You are the full measure and pattern of exactness [giving the
finishing touch to all that constitutes completeness], full of wisdom and
perfect in beauty.
13 You
were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, the
carnelian, topaz, jasper, chrysolite, beryl, onyx, sapphire, carbuncle, and
emerald; and your settings and your sockets and engravings were wrought in
gold. On the day that you were created
they were prepared.
14 You
were the anointed cherub that covers with overshadowing [wings], and I set you
so. You were upon the holy mountain of
God; you walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire [like the paved
work of gleaming sapphire stone upon which the God of Israel walked on Mount
Sinai].
15 You
were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until iniquity and
guilt were found in you.
16
Through the abundance of your commerce you were filled with lawlessness and
violence, and you sinned; therefore I cast you out as a profane thing from the
mountain of God and the guardian cherub drove you out from the midst of the
stones of fire.
17 Your
heart was proud and lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom
for the sake of your splendor. I cast
you to the ground; I lay you before kings, that they might gaze at you. Ezekiel
28:11-17
If indeed Satan is cast out of heaven in Genesis
1:1 and his eviction left the entire earth in a state of disrepair, (including
the destruction of the dinosaurs and any human beings that lived prior to 6,000
years ago), then would it be possible that the earth could still support life
in the form of small mammals even after the cataclysm the left the dinosaurs extinct? From the time the earth began supporting
life, there seems to be no point in the fossil record wherein the earth was completely
devoid of life, such as must be the case in order to support the notion that at
some point the earth was "without
form and void."
There is also no point after beginning to support
life forms at which the earth is left
in a "state of disrepair"
to the point that it became incapable of supporting any life. There appears to be no sign of earth’s total
annihilation once it began supporting life (even through the extinction of the
dinosaurs), or we would have a point in time wherein there was no life on earth, and that simply isn't
the case.
Another contention I have with the notion that
Satan’s eviction from heaven was responsible for the earth being destroyed is
that he is portrayed in Scriptures as "roaming
to and fro upon the earth," and sometimes even back into "the
presence of God Himself." We see this most clearly in the Book of Job:
1 Again
there was a day when the sons of God [the angels] came to present themselves
before the Lord, and Satan (the adversary and the accuser) came also among them
to present himself before the Lord.
2 And the
Lord said to Satan, From where do you come?
And Satan (the adversary and the accuser) answered the Lord, From going
to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it. Job 2:1-2
If Satan’s eviction from heaven was the cause of
the earth becoming “void and without form,” Satan could not have been “going to
and fro on the earth and walking up and down on it,” without destroying it,
right?
Further, we see Jesus saying: “…I saw Satan falling
like a lightning [flash] from
heaven…” Luke 10:18
This tells me that the “mode of transportation”
Satan used to get from heaven to earth is lightning, which is not enough to
destroy the entire earth.
Some Christian theologians reject the gap theory as
presented, and posit instead that there are two separate accounts in Genesis;
one in Genesis 1 (the whole chapter through Genesis 2:2), and another account
that begins in Genesis 2:3.
But what if there was no gap at all, and what if
there was only one Creation account being depicted throughout Genesis 1 and
Genesis 2? What would that timeline look
like, and how could it account for the age of our universe and the earth? Well, it’s interesting to explore it, but I
share my thoughts on it here in order to demonstrate what faith and the Holy
Spirit can do for a believer in terms of seeing God’s Word in a bit of a
different light than what the Church has sometimes taught on it, in hopes that
it will encourage our atheist, agnostic and antitheist gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender Brothers and Sisters to re-examine these Scriptures in a way
that makes logical sense.
If you’re like me, before I could believe in God, I
absolutely had to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Bible was indeed
true, infallible, and inerrant. Once I
was able to discern for myself that it proves itself so, then I was able to
begin accepting the truths it shares about God, Jesus, and everything else it
covers.
This chapter of The
Bed Keeper is not for the faint of heart, but it is indeed for anyone who
believes that the Scriptures reflect a supernatural understanding of natural
events, who hopes to understand them in a more logical way than traditional
Christian teachings often portray them in their over simplified formats
designed to fit within a 45 minute sermon.
I apologize in advance for the wordiness that will characterize this
chapter as a mere mortal attempts to incorporate a limited understanding of
both Scripture and Science and attempts to reconcile them, or at least provide
reasonable possibilities for accepting their harmonious co-existence. It’s another chapter of The Bed Keeper that is best read straight through and then taken a
break from for a day or two, and then read again and again until the concepts
discussed herein sink in.
I’m not as brilliant as this chapter may make me
appear to be, but I do think it’s an excellent illustration of how God gave us
a brain and expects us to use it in order to come to our own conclusions that
will lead us to an informed faith. I will
state up front once again that I don’t have all the answers, but I invite you
now into my mind so that you can better understand my point of view, in hopes
that it encourages you to become excited at the possibilities the Scriptures
hold for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, whether you currently
believe in God or Jesus or the Bible….or not.
To begin, let’s take another look at Genesis 1:1
and carry all the way through Genesis 2, and I think what we’ll find is one continuous
Creation account that has no gaps in it at all….and even includes a
science-based “time stamp,” as well as a record of the extinction of the
dinosaurs:
1 In the beginning God (prepared, formed,
fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form and an empty waste,
and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was
moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.
TIME STAMP: PRE-BIG BANG
(more
than 15 Billion Years Ago)
This is yet another point in the formation of the
earth Genesis 1:1-2 could be referring to by saying the earth was “without form.” Just as all the known elements of the universe
that would become stars (that would, in turn give birth to planets) were not all
manifested at the Big Bang Event Horizon itself, the earth itself had not yet
emerged as the final product we see it as today. This is also yet one more way to show how
Scriptures are speaking to how the earth was indeed already “created” (even
prior to the Big Bang), but was not yet "manifested." We’ll also soon see from the Creation account
that the planet earth would not become manifested until the third day.
One thing is for certain and that is that Genesis
1:1-2 must be describing what happened prior to the Big Bang Event Horizon,
because it isn’t until verse 3 where we read:
3 And God said, Let there be light; and there was
light.
TIME STAMP: BIG BANG EVENT HORIZON
(15
Billion Years Ago)
NOTE: Both logic and Scripture would now work together to
disprove any Gap Theory existing between Genesis 1:1 and
1:2, because even if it was true that the earth was being described here as
once being created, and then destroyed, and then re-created as Gap theorists posit, it all would have to transpire prior
to God creating light itself. This
punches yet another gaping hole in the Gap Theory, because it would also mean
that not only was the earth created in Genesis 1:1 without the Spirit or
Word of God, it would also have had to be created without light even being
present yet. That simply does not
compute, especially in light of Scripture that we have already examined stating
that the Spirit of God and the Word of God are what brought the worlds into
existence….and in light of another Scripture which reads:
And this
is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now
are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in
any way]. 1 John 1:5
I believe Science and Scripture are much more
harmonious when realizing that the events of Genesis 1:1-2 describe a point in Creation
prior
to the Big Bang, not afterward.
But let’s back up and take a look at something else
mentioned in Genesis 1:2:
2 The earth was without form and an empty waste,
and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering,
brooding) over the face of the waters.
While a surface reading
of this Scripture would seem to indicate the earth was formed and God was
hovering of the oceans at this point in Scripture, that isn’t necessarily the
case. Much science points to the
existence of crystallized water in meteors that impacted the earth, which would
mean that the waters of which the Spirit of God hovered was not necessarily a
reference to water present on the earth, but in space. Another point to make is that some scientists
theorize that the initial composition of the universe immediately following the
Big Bang was what they refer to as a quark-gluon
plasma, which is a reference that could indeed imply a “liquid”
substance, even if not necessarily a reference to the H2O that we consider
“water.”
By using the phrase, “over
the waters”--(plural)--it could
very well be that Genesis 1:2 isn’t even a reference to H2O, but rather a sort
of liquid plasma instead.
Even if so, again, it
would be a description of events prior to the Big Bang, not afterward. If the quark-gluon plasma theory turns out to
be correct, it would mean the composition of the universe immediately prior to
the Big Bang would be much as they were at a fraction of a nanosecond after the
Big Bang.
4 And God saw that the light was good (suitable,
pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness.
NOTE: I’m struck by the phrase,
“God separated the light from the darkness,” because at no time do we see in
Scripture where God actually created darkness.
What we see instead from Genesis 1:2 is the phrase, “and darkness was
upon the face of the very great deep.”
Darkness seems to have
already been present, or perhaps Genesis 1:1 means to share that “the heavens”
includes darkness as part of the results included in the phrase: ”In the beginning God (prepared, formed,
fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth.” One thing is for certain and that is
that darkness is a reality of a large portion of our universe even today. It either had to be created at some point or
God Himself is “the darkness.” The
latter notion would contradict Scripture declaring “God is Light and in Him there is no darkness” (1 John 1:5), so
I can only conclude that darkness was created as part of the heavens, and that
the word “heavens” includes everything in our universe.
As scientists most recently
are coming to terms with new discoveries in our universe known as “dark matter”
and “dark energy,” it would seem to correlate to this Scripture. This also tells us that prior to God saying
“Let there be light” that there was no light in the universe. Since Scripture does not explicitly tell us
that God created darkness, the darkness must then have been created as part of
“the heavens,” and was present prior to the creation of light (or the Big
Bang).
Further, much as we see explosions in space as a "burst
of light" that then dissipates and gradually we can see both light and
darkness, I think this is in essence what happened at this point in the Creation
account. God said, “Let there be light,”
the Big Bang happened at that point, and all that could be "seen" was
light, but then darkness eventually "appeared" as well, or God could
not have “separated light from the darkness.”
To get even more complicated, we see an interesting
verse of Scripture saying that light
and darkness are the same to God:
Even the darkness hides nothing from You, but
the night shines as the day; the darkness
and the light are both alike to
You. Psalm
139:12
This makes sense as well when we realize that from
a scientific vantage point, there's really no such thing as darkness, but rather only the
"absence or a great reduction of light," with one exception: a black
hole. This is important when we see the
phrase from Genesis 1:2, “and darkness was upon the face of the very great
deep.” Does this not sound like a
black hole? We’ve already established
the “great deep” could not be a location on the earth, because the planet
hasn’t been established yet; only the elements necessary for its manifestation
have been created at this point in the Creation account.
Another point to make note of is that the Creation
account is not yet referencing light and darkness on the earth. We won’t see that distinction until
Genesis 1:10, which we’ll explore a bit later.
Rather at this point, the Creation account is describing conditions
beyond the earth which indeed occur after
the “creation” of the elements that would become the earth, but long before the “manifestation” of the
planet we now live on. While this can
seem semantic, I think it will prove beneficial to make note of that observation
at this point in the Creation account, so we can recognize the distinction that
the account itself makes later in Genesis 1.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He
called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
NOTE: God here does not call the day a “24 hour period of time," but rather we see: “And God
called the light Day” and “the darkness He called Night,” which
again is not a measure of time, but another measure (or
absence) of light. Something else
very interesting to note is how Scripture seems to have morning and evening
appearing in reverse order, as it says, “And there was evening and there was
morning, one day.”
A really important
question to ask is if this was the first evening, what day was it the evening
of? The logical answer would not be the first
“day,“ but the current “day” of which the account is speaking,
which clearly occurs prior to
the first day. The first day would not
happen until the first morning, which we see comes after the first evening. This would appear to be the line of
demarcation between eternity (where God exists) and time (where we exist), but
as we just examined, God did not refer to Day and Night
in this passage as references to periods of time, but measures of
light.
Further, we’ll soon see
that the sun isn’t yet created, so there is not yet any instrument for humans
to measure time with. Time to us is
based on rotations of the earth. That
does not necessarily refer to “time” in the fabric of space and time
that is present prior to the creation of our sun (whether we view time
from a Scriptural or Scientific viewpoint).
At this point in the Creation account, time (as we base it upon
rotations of the earth) does not yet exist.
And again, this is a truism whether we view this fact from a Scriptural
or Scientific viewpoint. So why does
Scripture call this the “first day?”
In accordance with God’s definition of “Day” being a measure of light,
it must mean that this is all that occurs in the first measure of light,
not in the first day of earth’s existence.
Again, as we’ll see at this point in the Creation account, the
earth, sun, moon and stars do not yet exist.
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament [the
expanse of the sky] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters
[below] from the waters [above].
7 And God made the firmament [the expanse] and
separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were
above the expanse. And it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heavens. And there was evening and there was morning,
a second day.
It’s interesting to note
that just as Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth,” and goes on to describe the earth as being "without form and
void," we see God does not actually “create” the heavens until here in
verse 6. Just as we explored regarding
the earth, it’s clear in the Big Bang Theory that all the elements necessary to
eventually create the realities and structures of our universe were present
prior to the Big Bang and immediately afterward, and even the Scriptural
account here acknowledges that even the heavens were created at this
point, but not yet manifested.
We also see in verse 7 yet
another mention of the waters. This time it shows the heavens being separated
based on the “waters which were under the expanse” and “the waters which were
above the expanse.” Again, if scientists
are correct that the early universe was a quark-gluon plasma, we
would see Scripture’s reference to “waters” here is not talking about H2O, but
the liquid plasma that was the early universe.
Recall earlier as we explored the notion that “day”
means “light” and not “time,” and we’ll begin to see what appears to be an
impossible chain of events; the earth is created and is bringing forth
vegetation before the sun, moon and stars are even created. It is the only portion of the Creation
account I have been unable to reconcile with time, except to attribute it to
one or more different theories.
The first would be that since time does not yet
exist, the earth indeed could manifest within the Creation account prior to the
creation of the stars, sun and moon because time (as a 24 hour rotation of the
earth) does not yet exist. That is to
say that without the constraints and boundaries of time, the creation of the
earth could be created at any point before or after the creation of the sun,
moon or stars. This would give us the
latitude necessary to logically reconcile the apparent reverse order of the
timeline of Creation that we know from science; basically saying that if time
doesn’t exist at this point, it doesn’t matter what time sequence the creation
of the earth, sun, moon and stars appear in.
My conscience is not at all satisfied with that explanation, because
it's too much of a "Goddidit" response to what must have some logical
explanation....or at least a "more logical" one.
Such a theory would also weaken former observations
in this chapter of The Bed Keeper that
shows what appears to be a distinguishing chain of events; some of which occur
prior to the Big Bang, and some that occur afterward. Further, we’ll see that the only portions of
the Creation account that appear to be “out of order” are the creation of the
earth, sun, moon and stars. Everything
else appears exactly in the order in which science proves it does. I don’t outright reject this theory, but it
is not my favorite. That does not
however, preclude the possibility of its accuracy, albeit ever so
remote.
The second theory I have is that the revelation of
the Creation account is itself written
in six days. In other words, perhaps
what Scripture intends to convey is that Moses received the revelation of Genesis 1:1-5 on one day, received the
revelation of Genesis 1:6-8 on the next day, and so forth. This would mean that instead of the evening
and morning being a reference to “one day” within the Creation account itself,
the Creation account was revealed to Moses “one day at a time.” This is admittedly a stretch, and indeed
leaves my conscience even less satisfied than the previous theory I shared, but
again, I can’t rule it out as a possibility.
The theory I believe I cling to the most firmly is
that since time doesn’t yet exist at this point in the Creation account, the
manifestation of the earth, sun, moon and stars appear in reverse order of what
we know from science was the actual order; our galaxy (and its stars) came
first, then our sun, then the earth, then the moon. One reason I cling to this theory is because
although the Creation account shows the reverse order of what we know was the
actual chain of events, it does so in exactly the reverse order. In other words, it shows the creation of
earth, sun, moon and stars, instead of some random order such as sun, earth,
stars, and moon. This would also reconcile
why the creation of these instruments of time momentarily reverse the (now
natural) order of time once they are created, and for the first time, have a
somewhat traumatic effect on eternity by creating a new reality where time
suddenly assaults the created order of an eternity where time does not even
exist. (Say that ten times really fast!)
If time does not exist prior to the creation of
time measuring instruments such as the sun and earth, and suddenly time itself
is created within an envelope of eternity, perhaps there’s a brief exchange of
the (now natural) order in time at the line of demarcation between where God’s
reality in eternity becomes “reversed” as He becomes subject to time Himself--by
His Own Creation. We’ll see this
apparent reverse order in various passages throughout Scripture including when
the Lord reversed time itself:
10
Hezekiah answered, It is an easy matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps;
so let the shadow go back ten steps.
11 So
Isaiah the prophet cried to the Lord, and He brought the shadow the ten steps
backward by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz. 2
Kings 20: 10-11
Later in this chapter of The Bed Keeper, we’ll also see the Book of Revelation ties back to
the Book of Genesis through the presence of the Tree of Life being present in
both books; in heaven in Revelation, and in the Garden of Eden in Genesis. Most notably, we see that once we are in
heaven and partaking of the Tree of Life, time seems to exist in what is
supposed to be eternity:
Through
the middle of the broadway of the city; also, on either side of the river was
the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the
restoration of the nations. Revelation
22:2
Begging the question, “How can months exist within eternity?” It would seem that once time begins with the
creation of the earth, sun, moon, and stars, time (as we understand 24 hour
rotations of the earth), becomes part of eternity, and eternity can then be
measured for the first time. This would
say then that just as “darkness” is a measure of light (or the absence
thereof), eternity is a measure of time (or the absence thereof).
If that is a mind boggling concept to wrap your
mind around, rest assured that I struggle to do so myself even as I write this. It reminds me of a scene from Star Trek: First Contact, when Deanna
Troi says,
“This is no
time to talk about time! We don’t have
the time!”
It also reminds me of
Jesus' response to His disciples:
6 So when they were assembled they asked Him, Lord,
is this the time when You will reestablish the kingdom and restore it to
Israel?
7 He said to them, It is not for you to become
acquainted with and know what time brings [the things and events of time and
their definite periods] or fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in
time), which the Father has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice
and authority and personal power. Acts 1:6-7
This theory continues to be supported as we explore
the possibility in the next chapter of The
Bed Keeper that the entire universe sprang forth from a massive black hole
where light cannot escape…but perhaps time can exist. It’s a theory posited not only by science,
but also by the Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish religious work ascribed to the
prophet Enoch, the great grandfather of Noah.
It is not currently regarded as part of the Canon of Scripture used by
Jews, apart from the Beta Israel canon. It
is regarded as canon by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Eritrean Orthodox
Church, but no other Christian denominations.
It was part of the Old Testament and includes a fragment from the Book
of Noah as well as a vivid description of what seems like a scientific
rendering of a black hole, which Enoch affirms as the Lake of Fire spoken of in
Revelation. Enoch (the person) is
referred to in the canonized Books of Genesis and Hebrews, and the Book of
Enoch is referred to in the Book of Jude during a discussion involving a
revelation in regards to a race of human-like beings that walked the earth
prior to Adam and Eve.
Such a scientific theory positing that the universe
sprang forth from a massive black hole would then explain curious phrases
within the creation account such as “and darkness was upon the face of the
very great deep.”
Let us agree for the sake
of argument that the theory is correct regarding what we perceive to be the
reality of our universe being a mirror image of the actual reality of it, and
that the creation of the stars, moon, earth and sun are indeed listed in what
we consider a “reversed order” and is done so on purpose; to support the newest
scientific theory which posits that everything we can see, touch, or feel is
not a true reality, but simply a mirror image of it, and is
interpreted through our human senses through light.
It’s a fascinating theory
that basically says what we know of the entire universe (and even time itself)
is but a reflection of the real universe; much like the negative of a
photograph. If this scientific theory
proves true, it would explain how the following events in Creation appear in
the reverse of (natural time) order, as it gives us a “mirror image” of
reality, and not reality itself. It also
aligns with what Paul said:
For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred)
reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection
comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I
shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have
been fully and clearly known and understood [by God]. 1 Corinthians 13:12
Having said all that as a
basis to direct our thoughts and understanding in one direction for a moment,
let us now examine how the Creation account seems to relay this “mirror image
of reality” with the creation of the earth (and time itself), resuming our look
at Genesis 1 and picking up again at verse 9:
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be
collected into one place [of standing], and let the dry land appear. And it was so.
10 God called the dry land Earth, and the
accumulated waters He called Seas. And
God saw that this was good (fitting, admirable) and He approved it.
TIME STAMP: PROTO-EARTH
(4.5
Billion Years Ago)
NOTE: If scientific theories
regarding the early universe being in a state of quark-gluon plasma
is correct, verse 9 seems to be telling us that out of this liquid plasma (or waters under the heavens) the earth
was formed. We know from science that
the early earth was also a collection of molten material and that it was nearly
constantly being bombarded by meteors; some containing water (H2O) crystals. We also have geological evidence in the form
of detrital zircon crystals that show evidence of having undergone contact with
liquid water (H2O), suggesting that the planet at this time already had oceans
or seas at that time, and sure enough, in verse 10, we see God called the dry
land Earth and the accumulated waters He called Seas.
What is also interesting here
is that God no longer refers to the water “above the heavens” and “below the
heavens,” but instead now refers to the water on the earth as “Seas.” This would further support the notion that
the Creation account’s reference to “waters” prior to them being called “seas”
on the earth, were indeed not references to H2O, but something distinctively
different, perhaps the liquid quark-gluon plasma scientists
theorize made up the early universe following the Big Bang Event Horizon.
11 And God said, Let the earth put forth [tender]
vegetation: plants yielding seed and fruit trees yielding fruit whose seed is
in itself, each according to its kind, upon the earth. And it was so.
12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants
yielding seed according to their own kinds and trees bearing fruit in which was
their seed, each according to its kind. And
God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it.
13 And there was evening and there was morning, a
third day.
TIME STAMP: Hadean Eon
(3.5-4
Billion Years Ago)
NOTE: Here is the clearest
evidence in the Creation account that God didn’t wave some magic wand and
plants suddenly appeared on the earth, but instead employed an evolutionary
process whereby the earth itself caused the vegetation to grow, and the
plants then became self-replicating through their seeds. Also important to note is that plants appear
on the earth before animals, just as science has proven.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse
of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs and
tokens [of God's provident care], and [to mark] seasons, days, and years,
NOTE: As already mentioned, this is the first instance in
the Creation account that time (as we know it, based upon 24 hour rotations of
the earth) becomes part of the reality we call earth. For the first time we see specific references
to not only days, but seasons and years.
We also see God specifically created them as tokens to mark these
various measurements of time. Therefore,
again, the early Creation account reference did not refer to time, as God
called the day “light,” however we now see that days will begin to be marked by
the creation of the sun and moon, and even the earth itself.
15 And let them be lights in the expanse of the sky
to give light upon the earth. And it was so.
16 And God made the two great lights--the greater
light (the sun) to rule the day
TIME STAMP: Hadean Eon
(5 Billion Years Ago)
NOTE: As
already mentioned, this seems to be the exact reverse order of the creation of
the earth and sun as we know it from science, but science already theorizes
that what we know of reality may in fact be a mirror image of it. If so, the creation of the sun may have
indeed transpired before the creation of the earth, but the Creation account
lists them in reverse order on purpose: to
clue us in to the fact that the theory science is developing may indeed be
truth.
(verse 16 continued) and the lesser light (the
moon) to rule the night.
TIME STAMP: Hadean Eon
(4-4.5 Billion
Years Ago)
NOTE: As
already mentioned, we know that scientists hypothesize that after the formation
of an initial crust of the earth, the proto-Earth was impacted by a smaller
protoplanet, which ejected part of the mantle and crust of the earth into space
and later coalesced, creating our moon.
(verse 16 continued) He also made the stars.
NOTE: As already mentioned, we
know that the stars came before the sun, and the sun came before the earth and
the earth came before the moon: stars,
sun, earth, moon. What is also
interesting is that of all the created objects listed thus far, only the stars
continue to be created all over the universe, while the earth, moon and sun do
not.
It’s also important to
not overlook one other possibility that (at least pertaining to the sun, moon
and stars), their creations appear in the very same passage of Scripture. This would lead to the possibility that they
are listed “in no particular order.” Certainly
science has determined that the sun, moon and earth all formed between 4.5 and
5 billion years ago. In such close
proximity in time when comparing one to the other, the apparent conflict of the
earth being created before them becomes even less problematic, and would
support the theory (once again) that our perceived reality is a mirror
image of the true reality, and that the Creation account is ordered in
such a way as to clue us in to investigate this scientific theory even
further. It’s also interesting that as
the sun and moon are created in the same verse of Scripture, and yet we know
the sun is 5 billion years old while the moon is only 4.5 billion years old, we
have clear evidence that 500 million years of time is covered in one single
verse, rendering assumptions of the earth’s age at 6,000 years old “less than
absolute.”
What’s also interesting
to note is that science can construct the mathematical formulas that support
the theory. This is very promising
because as any scientist will tell you, the only actual, non-changing truths of
the universe will be most accurately explained in a mathematical formula, and
not in words.
One final theory to consider in regards to the
apparent reverse order of the creation of the earth vis-a-vis the sun, moon and
stars is that although it appears that they are created after the earth was
created, there is the possibility that the revelation of the Creation account
suddenly shifts from God’s perspective of creation to man’s perception of His Creation. As we see the text says "God made the
two great lights and He also made the stars," but that doesn't necessarily
mean He created them just at this point in the Creation account, but rather,
their light is just now visible "upon the earth." Remember that in just the last verse did the
earth "appear,” although it (and the heavens) had been "created"
in Genesis 1:1. When God said "let
the dry land (the earth) appear," it does NOT necessarily mean He was just
now "creating" the dry land at this point in the account. The land had already been "created"--it
just had not yet "appeared." Take
a look at those verses again, and I think you'll see that is yet another
possible (and most probable) explanation for the apparent reverse order of the
creation of the earth compared to the sun, moon and stars.
17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens
to give light upon the earth,
18 To rule over the day and over the night, and to
separate the light from the darkness. And
God saw that it was good (fitting, pleasant) and He approved it.
19 And there was evening and there was morning, a
fourth day.
NOTE: In verse 18 we see that
God created the sun and moon “to separate the light from the darkness.” But didn’t God already do that in verse 4: “And God saw that the light was good (suitable,
pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness.”
This gives us yet another
point to consider as a follow up to my last notes. In verses
14-18, it sounds like God is re-separating the light from
the darkness. But if we look closely at
verse 17, we see the key phrase "upon the earth.” So although
light had already been separated from darkness on the first day (in the
heavens), here we are now having the light and darkness "upon the
earth" being separated on the fourth day.
But we realize that the light “upon the earth” is not the light and
darkness in the expanse of the heavens.
To view it another way, the Big Bang happened, but
the Milky Way was not created at that point.
It came later, starting in verse 14, to be exact, even though millions
of other galaxies much further away from us had already been created. This explains how earth is only 4.5 billion
years old, while the universe is 14-15 billion years old. If this supposition is accurate, that means
from Genesis 1:1 through verse 9 covers a span of time of about 10 billion
earth years, but only 2 "days" worth of "light" in God's
time. I know it's a technicality, but I
think it's an important distinction to keep in mind when considering all the
possible ways to reconcile the order of the earth being created prior to the
sun, moon and stars in the Creation account, and yet still present no
contradictions to what we know, and have learned, and are theorizing from a
scientific framework.
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth
abundantly and swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth in
the open expanse of the heavens.
21 God created the great sea monsters and every
living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly,
according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God
saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it.
22 And God blessed them, saying, be fruitful,
multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the fowl multiply in the
earth.
23 And there was evening and there was morning, a
fifth day.
TIME STAMP: Proterozoic,
Phanerozoic, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic Eons
(2.5
Billion-245 Million Years Ago)
NOTE: Here is even more clear
evidence in the Creation account that God didn’t wave some magic wand and
animals suddenly appeared in the waters (H2O), and birds suddenly filled the
skies. Instead as we see the phrase, “which the waters brought forth
abundantly,” and notice that even the birds originated “in the waters.” Just as the evolutionary process caused the
earth itself to grow vegetation and the plants then became self-replicating
through their seeds, so too did the waters bring forth “the great sea
monsters and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought
forth abundantly, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind.”
AND BANG!
The event that caused widespread extinction upon
the earth occurs here. We’ll prove this
because in the very next verse, God is creating animals again. This time, there are no great sea monsters,
but there are livestock and domestic animals.
If one were to look for the KT Boundary in the Creation account, I
believe it is between Gen 1:23 and 24, which is between the fifth and sixth
days.
TIME STAMP: Cenozoic Eon
(65
Million Years Ago)
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth living
creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creeping things, and [wild]
beasts of the earth according to their kinds.
And it was so.
25 And God made the [wild] beasts of the earth
according to their kinds, and domestic animals according to their kinds, and
everything that creeps upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (fitting,
pleasant) and He approved it.
TIME STAMP: Cenozoic Eon
(2-65
Million Years Ago)
NOTE: Yet again, we see more clear evidence in the Creation account that God didn’t wave some
magic wand and the livestock, creeping things, and wild beasts sprang forth
upon the earth. It says, “let the earth
bring forth living creatures,” and science has proven that through
the evolutionary process, that is exactly what happened.
26 God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit]
make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete
authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts,
and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth.
NOTE: Out of everything God
created and gave man dominion over, notice He does not say, “Let man have
complete authority over the “great sea
monsters” that appeared in Genesis 21.
This gives us yet more evidence from the Creation account that they no
longer lived at the time of man’s creation.
Today we call them dinosaurs. For
those saying, “Well what about the T-Rex…that was not a sea monster, but a land
monster?” I would reply that while many
dinosaurs were indeed land dwellers, they too began life in the water, just as
all living creatures did, and eventually evolved to the point they walked on
land…just exactly as the Scriptures tell us they did.
27 So God created man in His own image, in the
image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 And God blessed them and said to them, Be
fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast
resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of
the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon
the earth.
29 And God said, See, I have given you every plant
yielding seed that is on the face of all the land and every tree with seed in
its fruit; you shall have them for food.
30 And to all the animals on the earth and to every
bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the ground--to everything in
which there is the breath of life--I have given every green plant for food. And it was so.
31 And God saw everything that He had made, and
behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely.
And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
Cenozoic Eon
(200,000-2
Million Years Ago)
And from the extinction of the dinosaurs (verse 24
through verse 30) is all considered "the sixth day," and that is what
we see today in terms of animal and human life, even through a scientific lens.
Genesis 2:
1 THUS THE heavens and the earth were finished, and
all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which
He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had
done.
3 And God blessed (spoke good of) the seventh day,
set it apart as His own, and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all His
work which He had created and done.
4 This is the history of the heavens and of the
earth when they were created. In the day that the Lord God made the earth and
the heavens—
5 When no plant of the field was yet in the earth
and no herb of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not [yet]
caused it to rain upon the earth and there was no man to till the ground,
6 But there went up a mist (fog, vapor) from the
land and watered the whole surface of the ground—
7 Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the
ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man
became a living being.
TIME STAMP:
(6,000
Years Ago)
8 And the Lord God planted a garden toward
the east, in Eden [delight]; and there He put the man whom He had formed
(framed, constituted).
NOTE: So while the Creation account shows mankind was
created on the 6th day we also know that human beings today didn’t always look
like we do. There were several species
of humanoids prior to homo sapien sapiens of which I believe Adam was the
first. We also see from the Creation
account that God rested on the 7th day, yet His work continues on after that
point. That means that Adam (having not
been created at this point in time) must have then been created on what the Creation
account would call the 8th Day (the day after the Sabbath), not the 6th Day.
Just as we resume our daily routines after we rest
on the Sabbath today, so too apparently did God. But He didn't just go into retirement. After the Sabbath, we see He planted the
Garden of Eden, created Adam, placed Adam in the Garden, planted the Tree of
Life and the Tree of Knowledge, walked with Adam in the cool of the day, came
and asked Cain what he had done with his brother, came and spoke to Abraham,
and (later) Moses, impregnated Mary with Jesus, (and Elizabeth with John the
Baptist), parted the heavens at Jesus' baptism to speak to Him, and many other
things…
Not only that, but right after the 7th day, we see
Genesis 2 says:
5 When no plant of the field was yet in the earth
and no herb of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not [yet]
caused it to rain upon the earth and
there was no man to till the ground,
6 But there went up a mist (fog, vapor) from the
land and watered the whole surface of the ground—
7 Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the
ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man
became a living being. Genesis 2:4-7
If God made Adam on the 6th day when He created
mankind, then why was there still "no man to till the ground" after
the 7th day? And why would God have made
Adam as a result of not having a man to till the ground?
Also, on what could have very well been the 9th
day, God created Eve:
20 And Adam gave names to all the livestock and to
the birds of the air and to every [wild] beast of the field; but for Adam there
was not found a helper meet (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall
upon Adam; and while he slept, He took one of his ribs or a part of his side
and closed up the [place with] flesh.
22 And the rib or part of his side which the Lord
God had taken from the man He built up and made into a woman, and He brought
her to the man. Genesis 2:20-22
So not only is there no man to till the ground by
day 7, there's also no helper meet (Eve) made for Adam. But how could that be if on the 6th Day, God created man, male AND female created He them? The events described on the 6th Day simply must have transpired at separate times from the creation of Adam and eve. this woudl again seamlessly align with our scientific knowledge and the wealth of fossilized remains of both dinosaurs and humans from long before 6,000 years agao when Adam and Eve existed (which we can discern fairly accurately from Biblical genealogies that trace their descendants).
One may say, “If there were human fossils that date
back prior to Adam, then that would mean that sin and death was around before
Adam, which would contradict Scripture”
I would reply that’s not what Paul said:
12
Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man, and death as the result
of sin, so death spread to all men, [no one being able to stop it or to escape
its power] because all men sinned.
13 [To be
sure] sin was in the world before ever the Law was given, but sin is not
charged to men's account where there is no law [to transgress].
14 Yet
death held sway from Adam to Moses [the Lawgiver], even over those who did not
themselves transgress [a positive command] as Adam did. Adam was a type
(prefigure) of the One Who was to come [in reverse, the former destructive, the
Latter saving]. Romans 5:12-14
Actually, it could be that the pre-Adamic race that
was here prior to Adam had no need of a savior, because as Paul said in verse
13 above,
“To be
sure sin was in the world before ever the Law was given, but sin is not charged
to men’s account where there is no law.”
If we examine another of Paul’s teachings, I think
it will be easier to see I present no contradictory view of Paul’s statement
that “sin held sway from Adam to Moses (prior to the Law of Moses being given):
45 Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a
living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving
Spirit [restoring the dead to life].
46 But it is not the spiritual life which came
first, but the physical and then the spiritual.
47 The first man [was] from out of earth, made of
dust (earthly-minded); the second Man [is] the Lord from out of heaven.
48 Now those who are made of the dust are like him
who was first made of the dust (earthly-minded); and as is [the Man] from
heaven, so also [are those] who are of heaven (heavenly-minded).
49 And just as we have borne the image [of the man]
of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven.
50 But I tell you this, brethren, flesh and blood
cannot [become partakers of eternal salvation and] inherit or share in the
kingdom of God; nor does the perishable (that which is decaying) inherit or
share in the imperishable (the immortal).
51 Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret
truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God). We shall not
all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed (transformed)
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
[sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in
Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall
be changed (transformed). 1 Corinthians 15:45-52
NOTE: I
believe Adam was the first man, but more specifically, he was the first man “with
the breath of life,” or as we may say, “Adam was the first man to
become aware of his spirit….his human spirit….breathed into Him by God
Himself….just as becomes the case with all who believe Jesus is the Son of God
by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.”
As we learned in Chapter 7 of The
Bed Keeper, nobody can even say Jesus is Lord but by the aid of the Holy
Spirit of God. I believe this is what
distinguishes Adam from the “mankind” God had created on the sixth day.
7 Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the
ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man
became a living being.
NOTE: Nowhere
on the 6th day when God creates mankind does it mention that He breathed
into their nostrils and they became living beings, nor does it say He
gave them the breath or spirit of life. In
fact, even Paul alludes to two separate events:
46 But it is not the spiritual life which came
first, but the physical and then the spiritual.
1
Corinthians 15:46
Just as I am saying, when God made mankind on the
6th Day, He created "physical" creatures (which we still have the
fossilized bones of). Then after the
Sabbath (on the 8th Day) God made the spiritually aware human
being known as Adam. Now look again at
Paul's overriding point in all this:
50 But I tell you this, brethren, flesh and blood
cannot [become partakers of eternal salvation and] inherit or share in the
kingdom of God; nor does the perishable (that which is decaying) inherit or
share in the imperishable (the immortal).
51 Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret
truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God). We shall not
all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed (transformed)
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
[sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in
Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall
be changed (transformed). 1 Corinthians 15:52
I see Paul saying here that the first mankind God
created on Day 6 was indeed physical, and not spiritual,
and that they indeed "fell asleep
in death," but the spiritual
man does not. Also He says flesh and
blood cannot [become partakers of eternal salvation and] inherit or share in
the Kingdom of God. This seems confirmed
in Ecclesiastes 12:7 which reads:
Then
shall the dust [out of which God made man's body] return to the earth as it
was, and the spirit shall return to God Who gave it.
So returning back to Genesis 2:1-6 we see that God
rested on the 7th day and:
7 Then
the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his
nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being.
8 And the Lord God planted a garden toward the
east, in Eden [delight]; and there He put the man whom He had formed (framed,
constituted).
9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to grow
every tree that is pleasant to the sight or to be desired--good (suitable,
pleasant) for food; the tree of life also in the center of the garden, and the
tree of the knowledge of [the difference between] good and evil and blessing
and calamity. Genesis 2:7-9
But didn’t He do that
already on Day 3? This is one reason so
many Christian theologians believe there are two Creation accounts presented in
Genesis 1 and 2, but let’s continue reading, skipping over verses 10-14 which
tell us where the Garden of Eden was located (basically present day Iraq):
15 And
the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard
and keep it.
NOTE: So
it would seem Adam was not created in the Garden of Eden itself, but we’ll soon
see that Eve was. This would show yet
another example of the difference between the creation of mankind (both male
and female) on Day 6, and this separate creation of Adam and Eve after the
Sabbath (Day 8).
16 And
the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may freely eat of every tree of the
garden;
17 But of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity you shall
not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
18 Now
the Lord God said, It is not good (sufficient, satisfactory) that the man
should be alone; I will make him a helper meet (suitable, adapted,
complementary) for him.
NOTE: Many
anti-gay Christians point to this verse to claim that God’s purpose for
marriage between one man and one woman is for the purposes of procreation, but
as we see here, the very basic, fundamental and foundational reason God gives
is companionship, saying “It is not good that the man should be alone.” It’s also interesting that the
Amplified Translation goes on to clarify the term “helper meet” is more fully
and accurately translated as “suitable, adapted and complementary”
for him. As a gay man, I can tell you
that if God were to create a helper meet for me, the only way they would be
“suitable, adapted and complementary to me” is for them to also be a gay man.
I’m certain even the most die-hard atheist gay man would “amen” that!
Further, it’s important (as we have already explored
in previous chapters of The Bed Keeper that God knew full well not all people would
have children, as we studied Isaiah 54 and Isaiah 56, where God tells the women
they would have more spiritual children than a married woman, and tells the men
(eunuchs) not to complain about being dry trees.
19 And
out of the ground the Lord God formed every [wild] beast and living creature of
the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he
would call them; and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was its
name.
But didn’t He already do that on Day 5 and on Day
6? This is one more reason so many
Christian theologians believe there are two Creation accounts presented in
Genesis 1 and 2, but if this were true, why does verse 19 here not include the
“great sea monsters” that were mentioned in the Creation account from Day 5?
20 And
Adam gave names to all the livestock and to the birds of the air and to every
[wild] beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper meet
(suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.
NOTE: Have you ever noticed Adam never named the fish and
insects, or any reptiles--including the dinosaurs? This would seem to provide yet another clue
that points toward one continuous Creation account instead of two separate ones,
or one with a gap in it.
21 And
the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and while he slept, He took
one of his ribs or a part of his side and closed up the [place with] flesh.
22 And
the rib or part of his side which the Lord God had taken from the man He built
up and made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
But didn’t He make man “male and female” on Day 6? Why
then was Eve not yet present and why was there no man to till the ground after
the Sabbath Day, unless Adam and Eve were created separate and apart from the
male and female humanoids God had created on Day 6?
23 Then
Adam said, This [creature] is now bone of my bones and flesh of my
flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of a man.
24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall become united
and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
NOTE: Too many Christians “assume” that it was God Who
said this, but as verse 23 clearly shows, it was actually Adam who ordained heterosexual marriage, and not God. Further, how does Adam know what a “father and
mother” are if they are the only humans ever created at this point in time?
We’ll recall that God “placed the man in the
Garden.” Seems to me that Adam was aware of the existence of fathers and mothers due to his interactions with members of the pre-Adamic race (outside the Garden), which consisted of both males and females (which God had created on the 6th Day). The point in the account then that God "placed the man in the Garden" represents an allegory of the point in time in the life of Adam when he beacme the first human to become aware if his spirit (himself being a natural born, descendant of the evolved/evolving pre-Adamic race). Just as God separated Moses from his family, and separated the Israelites from all other humanity, it seems God had first separated Adam from the rest of the human race that had been created on Day 6, which evolved into the homo sapien sapiens we recognize ourselves to be today.
Basically, I contend that God did not wave a magic
wand to create Adam any more than He did to create anything else. We see the Scripture clearly state that
"God made man from the dust of the earth" which is not very far away
from when God said, "let the earth bring forth vegetation" or
"let the waters bring forth every living creature." We know from a scientific viewpoint that
humanoids were the result of evolution and I believe that Adam was indeed
created from the dust of the earth, and was indeed a unique creation of God
since he was the first to become aware of his spirit. However, I also believe that many Christians
read the Creation account and assume that God picked up a handful of dust, blew
into it and voila!; a fully grown man stood in front of Him.
That would be entirely inconsistent with the rest
of God's creation. Evolution in this
case actually more closely follows the Creation account than does
the idea of a magically created man child that suddenly appears out of nowhere
as so many Christians believe. But what
of the creation of Eve?
Another question I’ve often asked is, “How could
God have formed the woman from the man if Adam was not transgender? Also, why did the woman not come from natural
birth, but as basically a “clone” of Adam?"
I think it is clear this portion of Scripture is meant to be an allegory representing the relationship between men and women in heterosexual marriage. We see the formation of the woman was for Adam’s companionship, and then we see the first conversation Adam having with Eve was his ordination of heterosexual marriage.
I think it is clear this portion of Scripture is meant to be an allegory representing the relationship between men and women in heterosexual marriage. We see the formation of the woman was for Adam’s companionship, and then we see the first conversation Adam having with Eve was his ordination of heterosexual marriage.
I believe it is a metaphor designed to reflect the
shed blood of Christ and the pierced side that gave birth to His Bride, the
Church. But I also believe Eve was also a
naturally born descendant of the pre-Adamic race. The point at which she is "created by
God" is basically another way of saying that God had prepared a Bride for
Adam....a Bride who sinned, and provided both the need (and the bloodline) for
the birth of Jesus Christ Himself. Without
sin, there would have never been a need for a Redeemer, Christ would have never
been born, and man would never have to use faith in order to attain eternal
life.
There are quite a few passages of Scripture that
seem to support this which we'll explore in the next chapter of The Bed
Keeper, as well as another tie-in to this account of Adam and Eve. We will also be taking a look at the partaking
of the Tree of Life would have made it possible for Adam to live forever (which
was the premise upon which God exiled him from the Garden). We'll see the same Tree of Life appears in
heaven, and we who are saved are rewarded with the right to approach and
partake of the Tree of Life, as the means for eternal life ourselves.
25 And
the man and his wife were both naked and were not embarrassed or ashamed in
each other's presence.
NOTE: Realizing
the Creation account shows all these things happening after God had rested on the 7th day makes it less difficult to
believe He created Adam on the 8th day, separate and apart from the human race
on Day 6. Interestingly enough, this
also explains why Jews (including Jesus) were circumcised at 8 days of age and
not 6, as the sign of the Covenant between God and man.
If you’ve managed to get through reading this
chapter of The Bed Keeper, I want to be the first to congratulate you on
a job well done! I realize this is a
mental challenge, and I believe my fellow intellectual types wouldn't have it
any other way. But I hope to have
explained it in simple enough terms that anyone can fully comprehend it after a
couple or three readings, and can further research many of the scientific
claims made herein to verify the accuracy of the claims made. As I stated at the outset, these concepts are
difficult to put into linear thought using only words. However, if you’re up to it, in the next Chapter
of The Bed Keeper, we’ll begin to now
do the same forensic examination of Genesis 3 and 4 as we did here, but moreso
from a spiritual perspective rather than
a scientific one. In doing so, we’ll
meet Lucifer, as well as some of Adam and Eve’s (and Cain’s) kinfolk.
***************************************************************
Part One:
UPDATE 10.27.12:
UPDATE 04.29.12:
Dear Valued Readers,
This blog is a work in progress. As events in the Church impact previously published posts, updates will be published at the end of each post in order to provide the utmost transparency and clarity to all concerned parties as this new move of God progresses. Readers may email thebedkeeper@gmail.com to discuss or comment on any posting. Please note that while all feedback is highly valued and appreciated, it may not be possible to reply to each email.
UPDATE 05.19.13: GREAT NEWS! Regarding the 04.29.12 UPDATE: After new considerations have come to light, I confidently continue my full personal endorsement of Lakewood Church as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship, and am pleased to encourage you to resume supporting this vibrant ministry financially. Details here.
UPDATE 03.05.13: GREAT NEWS! Regarding the 10.27.12 UPDATE: After new considerations have come to light, I confidently continue my full personal endorsement of Eagle Mountain International Church as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship, and am pleased to encourage you to resume supporting this vibrant ministry financially. Details here.
UPDATE 02.09.13: Listen in as Brian Anthony Bowen provides the NCK and Friends radio audience with valuable insights into Biblical support of Same Sex Marriage that the Church doesn't seem to want us to know!
UPDATE 05.19.13: GREAT NEWS! Regarding the 04.29.12 UPDATE: After new considerations have come to light, I confidently continue my full personal endorsement of Lakewood Church as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship, and am pleased to encourage you to resume supporting this vibrant ministry financially. Details here.
UPDATE 03.05.13: GREAT NEWS! Regarding the 10.27.12 UPDATE: After new considerations have come to light, I confidently continue my full personal endorsement of Eagle Mountain International Church as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship, and am pleased to encourage you to resume supporting this vibrant ministry financially. Details here.
UPDATE 02.09.13: Listen in as Brian Anthony Bowen provides the NCK and Friends radio audience with valuable insights into Biblical support of Same Sex Marriage that the Church doesn't seem to want us to know!
Part One:
Part Two:
UPDATE 10.27.12:
Eagle Mountain International Church took an official position on gay marriage in a sermon on 10.14.12. While not in support of gay marriage, Pastor George reminds his congregation that "those considered to be gay" are equally worthy of love and compassion. Pastor Terri continues to consider being gay as "being caught up in bondage." Several passages of Scripture were quoted to support their views, but no mention was made of any Scriptures that disprove their view, such as discussed in Chapter One: Born This Way and Chapter Two: God Sanctioned Gay Marriage. While I am not rescinding my endorsement of Eagle Mountain International Church as a safe space for LGBT people to worship, I am officially recommending we no longer support them financially. It is clear we have a long way to go in educating the Church, and I remain hopefully confident that after the 2012 elections are over, we will have more opportunities to walk further into the new revelations from God's Word shared throughout this blog. I encourage all LGBT people and our families to continue to hold Pastor George and Terri up in prayer, so that the eyes of their understanding may be flooded with light, and they come to more fully understand the prophetic role that LGBT people play in the spiritual life of the Christian Church, and the return of Jesus Christ.
UPDATE 04.29.12:
My previous endorsement of Lakewood Church is hereby retracted due to this interview: http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/04/29/473250/joel-osteen-gay-sin/?mobile=ncwherein Pastor Joel Osteen declares that "being gay" itself is a sin. That is NOT what the Bible says, and I cannot support it, nor ask anyone else to. I explained this in a previous letter to Pastor Joel in response to his interview with Piers Morgan, which can be reviewed here. I apologize for the mixed messages my own comments may tend to manifest themselves as in this case, but it is an unfortunate result of Pastor Joel's own mixed messages, and his decision to tailor his messages to the audience to whom he is speaking at the time. Should he publicly apologize for his unScriptural comments, and declare he has come to understand the difference between saying "being gay is a sin" and "homosexuality is a sin" (to reflect Scripture's own narrowly defined context of married men who engaged in adultery on their wives to be with men...which has nothing to do with LGBT people), I hope to renew my endorsement of Lakewood Church at some point in the future....but not until then.
UPDATE 01.15.12:
Lakewood Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 11.22.11:
Eagle Mountain International Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 12.16.11:
Please also review the response shared with a debate panel regarding the Bible's position on homosexuality, that reveals the unScriptural stance "ex-gay" theology manifests itself as here.
Lakewood Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 11.22.11:
Eagle Mountain International Church officially endorsed as a SAFE SPACE for LGBT people to worship! Details here.
UPDATE 12.16.11:
Please also review the response shared with a debate panel regarding the Bible's position on homosexuality, that reveals the unScriptural stance "ex-gay" theology manifests itself as here.
