Creation or Restoration – How Did the Earth Begin?

Much confusion has arisen because the Bible account has not been correctly understood.

There are tremendous differences and confusion between people on the origins of the Earth. The creation/evolution arguments have divided Christians let alone people who claim to have no belief in God. How can the Bible’s six days be correct in the face of geological evidence? What about the dinosaurs?

The Origin of the Universe

There are only ten words at the start of the Bible about the origin of the Universe and the Earth. (Genesis 1:1)¹ 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth. We are not told how He did this or when He did it. Create means to bring out of nothing.

We do not know, from the Bible account, the nature of this original Earth. There is nothing in this statement that could disqualify the various geological ages or the existence of dinosaurs. We do not know how long this existed or the nature of the Earths inhabitants.

The Universe’s Ruin

Next, we are told that the Earth was without form and void: and darkness was upon the face of the deep (Genesis 1:2)² 2 The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.. This creation was laid waste and became desolate. Figuratively it is described as a desert, a worthless thing, and a confusion.

God did not create chaos. The idea that God brought the Earth out of chaos is a pagan thought and has no Biblical support. Isaiah states that God did not create the Earth in vain, a waste or desolation (Isaiah 45:18)³ 18 For Yahweh who created the heavens, the God who formed the earth and made it, who established it and didn’t create it a waste, who formed it to be inhabited says: “I am Yahweh. There is no other.. The morning stars that sang together and the sons of God (Job 38:6, 7)⁴ 6 What were its foundations fastened on? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? were not singing about a dark, chaotic mess.

Everything God does is perfect. There is no darkness in Him.

How Did Creation Become a Ruin?

The answer lies with Satan and his rebellion against God. We know that originally Satan was Lucifer, a beautiful cherub (Ezekiel 28:14)⁵ 14 You were the anointed cherub who covers. Then I set you up on the holy mountain of God. You have walked up and down in the middle of the stones of fire.. A cherub is not a cute baby like character that is often depicted. A cherub is a very powerful being connected with God’s government of the Earth.

Lucifer, in his pride, thought to ascend to Heaven and occupy God’s throne. There was a war in the heavens with one-third of the angels siding with Lucifer (Revelation 12:4)⁶ 4 His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth.. Satan lost and was cast down to Earth (Isaiah 14:12-17)⁷ 12 How you have fallen from heaven, shining one, son of the dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far 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, to the depths of the pit. 16 Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, “Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms, 17 who made the world like a wilderness, and overthrew its cities, who didn’t release his prisoners to their home?”. This war and Satan’s downfall made the world a wilderness and wrecked creation. Jesus states that He witnessed Satan’s fall to Earth (Luke 10:18) ⁸18 He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven..

What About Six Days?

The rest of Genesis 1 talks about God making the Earth in six days. The word make means to fashion out of what already exists. In other words, the so-called six days of creation are the six days of restoration. There are two acts of creation within this restoration process where God brings into existence somethings that were not part of the old creation. These are the inhabitants of the waters and the fowls of Heaven (Genesis 1:21)⁹ 21 God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good. and humanity (Genesis 1:27)¹⁰ 27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them..

These days of restoration were literal days, not periods of time. Adam was 930 years old when he died (Genesis 5:5)¹¹ 5 All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, then he died. but Adam was created on the sixth day. Since God rested on the seventh, they had to be literal days. If the days were extended periods of time, then Adam would have been much older because he lived through the seventh day. The problem is not how God did it so quickly, but why it took Him so long. God, who made time likes to take His time. Even in a natural sense, people want to take time doing things that are important to them.

Satan Repeats Himself

Having ruined the created Earth, Satan again set out to destroy the restored Earth. He did this by tempting Eve, and after Adam had sinned, once again, things were spoilt. We are now living in the time where God is restoring His work for a second time. After the first ruin, God spoke the word and over six days made and created something very good.

For thousands of years, God has been working to redeem and restore His work after the second act of Satanic vandalism. In this instance, Jesus, the living Word, has come (John 1:1)¹² 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.. By His death and resurrection, Satan had been defeated. We are now living in the time when people are invited to find forgiveness. There will be a day when Satan will be utterly thrown down into the Lake of Fire. There will also be a new creation in which God’s restored people will live forever.

God could have so quickly given up on His creation, but He has not. Only He could take the ruining of His work and transform it into something that will demonstrate His greatness and glory forever.

Questions

1. God operates within time. How does the timing of God affect your everyday life?
2. What is God currently restoring in your life?
3. How does the hope of a perfectly restored creation help you to live day by day?