The New Creation!
By Pastor F. M. Riley
April 10, 2021
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Rev. 21:1.
“And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” Rev. 21:5.
INTRODUCTION
As John received his vision, while on the isle of Patmos many centuries ago, the Lord not only showed him, what was going to happen before these present “end times” are concluded, but the Lord explicitly told John that an entire new creation is to follow this present creation.
Almost completely overlooked, or ignored, by most who study Bible prophecy, is how the first creation foreshadows (typifies) the new creation which is to come after these end-times are completed. Due to the space needed to adequately cover the subject, this study will be posted in two parts; this first one, and another to follow. I am moved to give our readers at least a glimpse of why world events are presently happening like they are, and what the future holds for mankind.
IN THE BEGINNING
“The beginning” is set forth in the creation week in Genesis 1. A careful STUDY of this week will reveal how it foreshadowed human history (Colossians 2:16-17), but also the new creation yet to come.
THE SEVEN DAYS
Before going into detail, I want our readers to notice the events which occurred on each of the seven days……..
Day One…..The Lord is the Designer, Creator, and Origin of all Creation.
Day Two…..The Lord Dividing the Waters
Day Three…The Lord Bringing Forth Every Living Creature by Kind
Day Four……The Lord Placing Lights in the Heavens Above the Earth.
Day Five…….The Lord Creating Living Creatures in the Waters and
Flying Creatures in the Air
Day Six……..The Lord Creating Mankind in His Own Image and Likeness, and Giving Them Dominion Over the Earth.
Day Seven…The Lord and All His Creation Rest From Their Labors.
Now let’s begin carefully examining these days…….
DAY ONE.....Genesis 1:1-5.
Sunday, the first day of the week
The heavens and the earth were created; literally spoken into existence by the Word of the Lord, John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:1-2. The earth as originally created, was perfectly ready for habitation by mankind and other living creatures, Isaiah 45:18.
The earth was then brought into the state of waste and desolation (tohu waw bohu) described in Genesis 1:2. The earth “became” a cold, dead, lifeless, planet in space, completely covered by frozen water, just as we see some of the planets in the solar system today.
In the Hebrew text, the word “was” in 1:2 is an incorrect translation. The Hebrew word is a verb, and should have been translated as “became.” Readers, check this out for yourselves in a Hebrew lexicon.
So how and why was the beautiful earth, as originally created by God, brought into such a state of desolation, and by whom? The Lord Himself clearly stated in John 10:10 that it is the “thief” (Satan) who comes to “steal, and kill, and destroy.” Satan is the destroyer and killer. God is the builder and life giver. After his creation in eternity past, the “anointed cherub” described in Ezekiel 28:11-19 rebelled against God, and became the one we know today as Satan. He hates God, and does everything he can to destroy the works of God. Need I say more?
But even as Satan was destroying, the Spirit of God was moving (brooding) upon the face of the waters, 1:2. This Hebrew word is similar in meaning to a hen “brooding” upon her eggs in order to bring forth new life. Remember, the Lord is greater than Satan. “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world,” 1 John 4:4. Rejoice and praise God!
Now what would the Lord do with this frozen, cold, dead, desolate, planet? What would the Lord do? He set about restoring it by bringing LIGHT to shine upon the whole chaotic scene, Genesis 1:3-4.
The introduction of LIGHT not only dispels darkness, but light produces HEAT. How much heat? The Scriptures do not say, but the entire frozen planet was thawed out on that same first day. Then the Lord God established day and night on the earth by dividing the light from the darkness, 1:4. And the Lord Himself called the light, “Day,” and the darkness He called “Night,” 1:5.
Notice that the Lord Himself began each new day at evening (sundown), extending a day through the 12 hours of darkness, followed by the 12 hours of daylight. This is the Scriptural definition of a 24 hour day. To my knowledge, I think it is only the Jewish people that still reckon the days of the week in this manner. God had a reason for establishing a day in this manner, which we will get to later.
Each of these days were 24 hour days, just like we still observe today. I am well aware that some who expound on the Scriptures, claim that each of these days was a period of one thousand years, This DUMB THEORY is based on the statement of Peter in 2 Peter 3:8. Some ought to read Peter’s inspired statement a little more carefully, then use Peter’s statement for the purpose which God intended it to be used.
Now tell me….. The Lord divided each of these days into periods of light and darkness, 1:3. Now, does this then mean, according to the DUMB THEORY of some, that there was 500 years of darkness, when the Sun never shined, followed by 500 years of light, when the Sun never set? Well…?? Ridiculous! Some who imagine themselves to be “scholars” ought to study more, and run their mouths less. 2 Timothy 2:15 is still in the Bible. There is a big difference between what these 24 hour days foreshadow, and the future time when the shadow is literally fulfilled. I rest my case!
DAY TWO…..Genesis 1:6-8
Monday, the second day of the week
Now the Lord God began working with the waters which were covering the surface of the earth. He began by dividing the waters, placing some of the waters in the heavens above the earth, and leaving some on the surface of the earth, with a SPACE (firmament) between the two bodies of waters, 1:6-7. God then called that space Heaven, 1:8. Therefore “Heaven” is always UP, somewhere in space above the earth.
It is generally theorized that the waters placed in the heaven above the earth, were used to form ice rings around the earth, similar to what we see around some planets in the solar system even today. Or some think the waters lifted into the “heaven” above the earth may have formed a canopy over and around the entire earth. Either ice rings or a canopy could have caused a “green house” effect on the climate upon the earth’s surface, causing the vegetation on the earth to grow and flourish far beyond any growth we see on the earth today. This was the work of God on this second day of the creation week; dividing the waters from the waters. Glory to God!
DAY THREE…..Genesis 1:9-13
Tuesday, the third day of the week
God began this third day by placing all the water left on the earth in one place, 1:9-10. At that time there were no great oceans, like we see today. This allowed the surface of the earth to dry, so that the “dry land” would appear. The Lord God was preparing the surface of the earth for the vegetation which would be needed to support life on the earth. As the earth dried up, grass, trees, and various herbs began to grow prolifically all over the earth’s surface, 1:11-12. Notice that every plant, herb, an d tree produced seeds and fruits “after his kind.” There was no evolving of one species into another. NONE!
Even the growth of the grass, plants, herbs, and trees, makes it clear that the theory of evolution is nothing less than SATANIC HOGWASH!
Don’t fail to notice that God Himself saw that everything He had created and made “ was good.” Praise the Lord!
DAY FOUR…..Genesis 1:14-19
Wednesday, the fourth day of the week
The first thing the Lord did on this fourth day was to set “lights in the firmament of the heaven…” Genesis 1:14-15.
These “lights” are explicitly stated to be for the purpose of “dividing the day from the night: and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.”
Then “God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also.” 1:16-17.
Then it is specifically repeated that the purpose for the two great lights was to “rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness…” 1:18.
Notice also that God stamped His approval on this by labeling it as being “good.” This expression occurs seven times in this first chapter of Genesis, 1:4, 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:21, 1:25, and 1:31. “7” is the Bible number signifying “completion; to complete; fulfill; finish.” And Day Four was finished by God placing the lights in the heavens above the earth. Keep this in mind!
DAY FIVE…..Genesis 1:20-23
Thursday, the fifth day of the week
On this day the Lord made “moving creatures” in the sea, and fowl to fly above the earth, 1;20.
The next Scripture tells us that God created “great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind…” 1:21.
Then God pronounced a blessing upon them all, telling them to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth,” 1:22.
Again, God was making preparation for the needs of mankind whom He was yet going to create. Our gracious God cares for His people.
DAY SIX…..Genesis 1:24-31
Friday, the sixth day of the week
On this sixth day the “living creatures” were brought forth after his kind. Specifically mentioned are cattle, creeping things, and beast, all brought forth after his kind, 1:24-25. I continue to emphasize “after his kind” because one can be an evolutionist, or one can be a Christian believer, but one cannot be both. It is either God the Creator, or Darwin’s DUMB THEORY. Which will it be for our readers?
Now after a full week of creating everything needed for the survival of all living creatures, God then chose to create one like Himself, 1:26-27. It is explicitly stated that man was created in the image and likeness of God, 1:27. But God didn’t stop there with the similarity. Since God is a “ruler” over all of His creation, He chose to give man “dominion” over everything He had created upon the earth, 1:26-28.
Then after creating man, God explicitly told man what him and other living creatures should eat, in order to survive upon the earth, 1:29-30.
Originally, it was intended that the herbs of the field, and the fruit of the trees, should provide food for both mankind and all other living creatures. Killing and death were not in the plan God had for His creation. Glory!
Notice that God saw everything that He had made and pronounced it all as being “Good.” God is the Creator of all good things. Anything that is evil or worthless does not come from God. Remember this!
DAY SEVEN…..Genesis 2:1-3
Saturday, the seventh day of the week
On this 7th day God “ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.”
Further, He blessed and “sanctified” (set apart) the 7th day, making it a day of rest for all living things which He had created and made. For the Jewish people, and even for some other peoples, the 7th day has been a Sabbath Day throughout these six thousand years of human history. And God isn’t through with the 7th day yet!
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This concludes a brief glance at the seven days of the creation week. Readers, keep in mind that these seven days of the creation week foreshadow (typify) the seven thousand years of human history which followed the creation, Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 8:1-6; 10:1; 2 Peter 3:8. It is this truth I now want our readers to see in Part Two of this study, that the reader may marvel at the greatness and majesty of God, our gracious Creator and Heavenly Father, and give praise and glory to His Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
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