PART ONE
As It Was In the
 Beginning
Even So Shall it be again
at the
New Beginning
                                                                                        By Pastor F. M.  Riley
                                                                                        July 20, 2019
     "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,"  Revelation 21:5.  
Introduction
     After seriously studying God's Word for the past 65 years, I have come to believe that the Lord God originally created the earth for Himself.  The earth was to serve as His own special dwelling place [residence], from which He would rule over the entire Universe [everything and everyone which He had created] for ever and ever.  However, due to rebellion and evil entering into His Kingdom, the Lord God left the earth,, and "prepared" Himself a throne in the heavens, Psalm 103;19.  When our readers see the overall picture, the Lord's leaving the earth was only a "temporary" thing, if from our human point of view, we can call being gone for 8,000 years "temporary."
     However, the prophetic Scriptures clearly reveal that at some point in the future the Lord God will return to the earth, Revelation 21:1-5.  
     I lived during the Second World War, and have lots of memories of it.  One of those memories was of General Douglas MacArthur, who was forced to flee from the Philippine Islands  early in the war, due to the invading Japanese forces.  We didn't have television back in those days, nevertheless the news photographers took his picture as he was leaving the islands, and recorded him saying, "I will return!"  And he kept His Word.  I was blessed with, again through the news media back then, seeing General Douglas MacArthur return to the Philippines Islands and the Philippine people for whom he had a great love.  
     Dear readers, as our Lord said of Himself, "A greater than MacArthur is here."  Compare Matthew 12:41.  Our God will return to the earth again, just as it was in "the beginning."     
      God knew from "the beginning" [Isaiah 46:10] what was going to happen to the original creation, and therefore, from the very beginning, has been  directing events, both human and angelic, to bring to pass what His desire was for the earth and for mankind right from the beginning.
     Yes!  Being Almighty God, He could have intervened right at the beginning, and forcibly destroyed Satan and all the angels who joined him in his rebellion against God.  God could have made Adam and Eve to love and serve Him, and all their descendants.  But our readers need to remember that God wasn't making sensless robots when He created the angelic hosts, or when He created mankind.  Rather, God wanted mankind to be like Himself, with a free will, and therefore free to make their own choicess to love and serve Him, Genesis 1:26-27.  Glory to God!   
     Now our readers know what this study is about.  Those readers who enjoy studying "the deeper truths" of God's Word should continue reading.  Others who satisfy themselves with only a shallow knowledge of God's Word, might as well lay aside this study right now.  I am proposing  to write about things our readers will never hear from the average pulpit.  
How the Earth Once Was
     The first Scripture in the Bible says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," Genesis 1:1.  
     The inspired Word explicitly states, "He [God] hath made every thing beautiful in His time:....."  Ecclesiastes 3:11.  God is not the one who creates that which is ugly, deformed, ruined, and chaotic.  Such is the work of Satan, the arch-enemy of God.  
     Therefore, when we read in Genesis 1:2, that the earth "was without form and void," [waste and desolation...Hebrew]  and in Genesis 1:6-8 that it was totally covered by water, we can be assured that God was not the author of such a mess.  
     There are at least two proof Scriptures in God's Word which clearly tell the serious Bible student that the earth was not created by God in a state of being "without form and void," as  it is described in Genesis 1:2.  Here are the Scriptures.......
     [1]   Genesis 1:2 itself sets forth proof that the earth was not created the way it is described in this Scripture.  Genesis 1:2, in the English Bible reads, "And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."  
      The word "was" in this Scripture is a total mistranslation.  The word in the Hebrew text is "massa."  This Hebrew word is a verb, and is translated as a verb over and over again throughout the Old Testament.  See Strong's No. 4531.  "Was" is not a verb.  Any reader who knows anything about English grammar knows this.  The correct translation of this Hebrew word, should have been "became."  In other words, the Scripture should have read, "And the earth became without form and void....."  
     This makes it quite clear that the earth experienced a change at some point in time AFTER God had created it in beauty, order, arrangement, and ready for habitation.  Now who do our readers think could have, or would have, brought the earth into the ruined chaotic mess it is described as being, in Genesis 1:2?   
     [2]   Isaiah 45:18 explicitly states that God did not create the earth in  the condition it is described as being in Genesis 1:2.  Take careful notice of what this inspired Scripture says.....
     "For this saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain [VOID...bohu...Hebrew], He formed it to be inhabited: [a habitable place...Hebrew text] I am the Lord; and there is none else."  
     This inspired Scripture just explicitly states that God did not create the earth in a state of "bohu;" VOID."  Rather, He created it a beautiful place ready for habitation.  Then what happened to it, to bring it into the ruined condition described in Genesis 1:2?  Let's see.......  
     The Anointed Cherub
        Carefully STUDY Ezekiel 28, especially noticing 28:11-19.  In these inspired Scriptures, the Lord God gives to His people just a brief glimpse into eternity past, BEFORE the creation account set forth in Genesis, chapters 1 and  2.  Yes, God was God BEFORE the creation we see in existence today.    
     It is highly likely that every reader, at one time or another, has ask themselves the question, "But where did God come from?"  I don't know, nor do I ever expect to know.  Neither does any other reader know.   God came from eternity past! Psalm 90:2; 93:2.    No reader will ever know the answer to this question, so stop troubling yourself and others with it.  One of the so-called "friends" of the old Patriarch Job, stated long ago, "Canst thou by searching find out God?  Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?"  Job 11:7.  The obvious answer is "No!"   See also Romans 11:33.  
     As we seriously study God's Word, it becomes glaringly obvious that many, if not all, of the angels were created to serve the Lord, even BEFORE the earth was created, as recorded in Genesis 1:1.   
     Dear readers, a careful study of Bible Chronology will reveal that mankind has now been on the earth 6,000 years.  This IS NOT the age of the earth.  No where in the Scriptures is the age of the earth ever stated nor revealed.  So we really don't know if the earth itself is 6,000 years old, or 60,000 years old, or  600.000 years old.  .  Read Deuteronomy 29:29.  
     Most certainly, "the anointed cherub" of Ezekiel 28 was created before God created the earth.  The "anointed cherub" was created as the most beautiful angelic being God Himself was capable of creating, Ezekiel 28:12.  God created him for the specific purpose of serving as the Guardian of God's own throne, Ezekiel 28:14; 28:16.    But due to his own beauty and PRIDE, and likely because of the adoration and worship the angels were giving to God, he became extremely jealous and desired the throne of God for himself, Ezekiel 28:17.  Thus evil was introduced into God's Kingom, Ezekiel 28:15-16; 28:17; Isaiah 14:12-14.
     "Lucifer," the name or title assigned to him by God, then raised an insurrection among the angelic hosts, persuading one-third of the angels to join him in his rebellion and attempt to overthrown God.  The result was that there was war in God's Kingdom, and Satan and his angels were cast out, exactly as God warned him he would be, Ezekiel 28:16-17.  
     Our readers might notice in this passage, that Satan was first cast out of "the mountain of God" in Heaven, 28:16.   But God prophesied that Satan would yet be cast to the ground, 28:17.  His casting to the ground has not yet been fulfilled, but it will be during the coming Tribulation, as set forth in Revelation 12:7-9.   Then finally he will be cast into Hell, as prophesied in Isaiah 14:15 and Rev. 20:10.  
     The rebellion of "the anointed cherub" against God obviously took place in eternity past, before the creation of the earth.  Why do I say this?  Because he hated God so much that when God created the beautiful earth, as stated in Genesis 1:1, Satan and his angels destroyed it.  They attacked the handiwork of God, rather than trying to attack God Himself, as they may have previously done.   
     This truth is further confirmed by the account of the creation of Adam in Genesis 2:7-24.   When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, He told Adam to "dress" the Garden and "keep it," 2:15. The Hebrew word translated as "keep" in this Scripture literally means, "to guard or protect."  Then there must have already been an enemy [Satan] whom God knew might attempt to destroy the Garden, as he had destroyed the original earth.  Sadly, Adam failed to protect the Garden, by allowing Satan to come into it.  Satan then deceived Eve, and Eve encouraged Adam to disobey God and eat of the forbidden fruit.  This brought sin and death upon all of Adam's descendants, Genesis 2:16-17; Romans 5:12.
     It was then AFTER  God created the earth as recorded in Genesis 1:1, that the earth was brought into a state of waste and desolation; "without form and void" [tohu waw bohu], as the Scripture states in Genesis 1:2.   
     I am well aware that some believers reject this truth as only a theory. But those who reject this truth, are the ones who are in error, because they refuse to seriously study this subject,, and refuse to take God's Word at face value for what it actually and literally says.  Proof?  Gladly!  
     Isaiah 45:18 explicitly states, "For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain [VOID.....bohu...Hebrew text], He  formed it to be inhabited: [Hebrew text...a habitable place]: I am the Lord, and there is none else."
     Folks, the inspired Scriptures DO NOT contradict one another.  God's Word is in perfect harmony from Genesis right on through Revelation.  When men come up with their supposed "contradictions," all they are doing is revealing their own Scriptural ignorance.  
     Genesis 1:1 tells true believers that "God created the heaven and the earth."  Then Isaiah 45:18 reveals what condition the earth was in after having been created by God.  Beautiful and habitable!  
      Then , Genesis 1:2 clearly states that the earth "became" [verb tense in the Hebrew....."was" is not verb tense] "without form and void [tohu waw bohu...waste and desolation].  Further, Genesis 1:6-8 makes it quite clear that the entire earth was covered with water.  Since it was all covered with water and was waste and desolation, how could it possibly have been a habitable place, as Isaiah 45:18 explicitly states that it was?  
     So for those readers who take the Scriptures at face value for what they actually and literally say, the question arises, "How did the earth become without form and void" as described in Genesis 1:2?  The answer to this question is that the earth as originally created by God, was brought into waste and VOID by "the anointed cherub" and his followers; the one we know today as Satan or the Devil.  
But What Then?
DAY ONE  
     God was not intimidated or discouraged by what Satan had done to His beautiful earth.  Rather, the Lord God, in Genesis 1:3,  just began to put everything back in order again.  
     Don't fail to notice that in 1:2, "darkness was upon the face of the deep" [the abyss].  But that was not the way the Lord God wanted it.
       "This then is the message  which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all," 1 John 1:5,  
     Also notice the latter statement in Genesis 1:2, "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."  The Hebrew word translated as "moved" in this Scripture, literally means "brooded," similar to the Lord's statement in Matthew 23:37 about a hen gathering her chicks under her wings. The hen covers and protects her eggs and new born chicks with her wings to bring forth new life.   The Lord God was not satisfied with the earth having been brought into such a state of destruction, and His Spirit "brooded" over the face of the waters, obviously to bring forth new life out of the chaotic destruction.  Glory to God!   
       In order to restore His creation, and bring forth new life, the first thing the Lord God did on the very first day of restoration was to introduce "light," as stated in Genesis 1:3-5, thereby also bringing warmth and heat to bear upon the scene..  If the waters covering the face of the earth were frozen, the light and heat would warm the waters and begin the melting process.
     I  would also point out that this "light" was not coming from the Sun.  For the Sun was not even made and set in the heaven until the 4th day of the creation week.  Therefore this "light" must have been coming forth from the glory of God Himself.  
DAY TWO
      There was far too much water covering the surface of the whole earth.  So the Lord God made a "firmament" [a space], and placed vast amounts of water  high in the heaven above the earth, while leaving only the amount of water upon the earth which would be needed.  The waters placed above "the firmament" likely were frozen in place as ice rings around the earth, even as we see around some planets in the solar system today.  Or the waters above the earth could have possibly been a canopy of frozen water surrounding the whole earth.  Either one, rings or canopy, would have reflected light and heat, giving the whole earth a mild semi-tropiical climate, which would be needed for the rapid growth  of vegetation, living creatures,  and man.  God knew exactly what to do to make the earth habitable again, and He did it!  Praise the Lord!   
DAY THREE
     On this third day God moved all the waters left on the earth into "one place" [one sea or ocean], thus allowing the surface of the earth to appear above the waters left on the earth, as "dry land," 1:9.  This means that the entire surface of the earth, with the exception of where the water or sea was located, was one massive piece of land.  There were no "continents" divided by seas such  as we see today.   
     God then called "the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas," 1:10.  Notice that the word, "Seas" is plural, indicating that, even though the waters had been gathered into "one place," the Lord God obviously intended that the earth should ultimately have more than one sea at some point in the future.  And so, several hundred years later, it did!  Genesis 10:25.  
     Then having moved the waters left on the earth into "one place,"  causing the "dry land" to appear, the Lord God then caused the earth to "bring forth"  grass, herbs, and trees, 1:11-12. Here is more evidence that the earth had formerly been a habitable place, before it was brought into waste and desolation by Satan and his angels.  There is nothing said here about the Lord God creating the grass, herbs, or trees.  Rather, He commanbded the earth to bring them forth.  The roots and seeds of this vegetation must have already been in the earth from a prior time, and simply began to sprout up and grow again on the surface of the earth.  Glory to God!  
DAY FOUR
     The Lord God, who created all things, knew that the vegetation He had commanded to resume growing on the third day, would need regular periods of light, heat, and rest, in order to grow and produce abundantly for the animals, birds, and mankind, which He already had in mind to create.   So on this fourth day, the Lord God set "lights" in the heaven above the earth.  
     Notice that in the Hebrew Text, the word "heaven" in Genesis 1:1 is singular.   But here on this 4th day is where the Lord God filled the "heaven" with the Sun, Moon, and stars, creating the "heavens" [plural...galaxies] as a dwelling place for all of these "heavenly bodies."   He set the Sun and the Moon in place to regulate the days and nights on the earth.  But He also made the stars and galaxies throughout the Universe.  What a great and awesome God we believers love and serve.  Praise the Lord!  
DAY FIVE
     It was on this fifth day that God created "living creatures"  to dwell in the waters left upon the earth, but also "fowl" to fly in the heaven above the earth.  And as God created these "living creatures" He decreed that every one of them should multiply [reproduce] "after his kind" [species].  There was to be no interbreeding among these "living creatures" [water dwellers and birds]  which might produce another species of creature.  The Lord God knew what species of creatures He wanted on the earth, and therefore placed barriers in their bodies, preventing interbreeding between species.    
     Sadly, it is fallen, wicked, mankind who has ignored this prohibition, and has repeatedly tried to produce new creatures by interbreeding some species.  Some wicked men are still attempting to do this today as I write.   Such wickedness cannot be excused as "scientific progress."  There is nothing "progressive" about it.  Rather, it is direct rebellion against Almighty God.    Take heed!
DAY SIX
     Then, on the sixth day the Lord God created the "living creatures" who were to live on the surface of the land, and also just under the surface of the land;  "cattle, and creeping things, and beast of the earth, 1:24-25.  In other words, all species of land animals. and the small  creatures who burrow into the ground beneath the surface, such as earthworms, moles, prarie dogs, ground squirrels, ground hogs, snakes,  various "kinds" of lizards, etc.  The Lord God knew that all of these creatures,  would in some way, be of benefit to mankind.  
     Finally, on this same sixth day, God brought forth His crowning work of creation; a creature like or similar to Himself.  After God had prepared in advance, everything that He knew mankind would need, then God said,  ".....Let us make man in our image,  after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
     So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them."   
     Carefully notice that mankind was not created as  just another species of  animal.  Rather, mankind was created in the very image and likeness of God, and then given dominion or rule over all of the other "living creatures" which God had created.  
     After creating mankind on the earth as male and female, God then told them, "...Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth," 1:28.  
     Take note of the word, "replenish."  This most definitely suggests that the earth had  previously been inhabited, but for whatever reason,
and by whom, the Scriptures do not say.  It's previous inhabitants were gone.  The Lord God wanted mankind, whom He had just created,  to multiply and refill the earth again.    
     Don't fail to notice that God, at that time, clearly stated that the source of food for both mankind and all of the "living creatures," was to be the herbs of the field, and the fruit of the trees, 1:29-30.  There was no killing of other living creatures for food.  Both man and all other living creatures ate the herbs of the field and the fruit from the trees for food.  
     This implies that mankind and all other living creatures lived in harmony with one another.  It may even mean that they could communicate with one another.  It was only after the flood in the days of Noah, that "the fear...and the dread" of mankind was placed upon the animals and birds, and even the fish in the sea, and man became a meat eater,  9:1-3.  Also, it was after the flood that God required the lives of mankind, by allowing the beasts of the earth to attack and kill them, 9:5.  
DAY SEVEN
     Finally, the week of God's activities in restoring and creating had been completed.  So on this 7th day God rested "...from all His work which God created and made," 2:1-3.  Notice that God "sanctified" the 7th day, making it a sabbath of rest for mankind, throoughout all of human history which was to follow.  
     Notice also that it was not just God who rested.  But everything He had created and made were at rest on that 7th day.  Does this give our readers a clue as to how it is going to be during the 7th millennium when the Kingdom of Christ is established on the earth? And even how it will be in the future "Eternal Age" when all sin has been vanquished from the earth, and from among mankind?    Glory to God!  
A Bible Explanation
     The inspired Word clearly states, These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
     And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew:  for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground,
     But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground," Genesis 2:4-6.    
     These Scriptures are commonly overlooked or ignored by many who study the Geneeis account of creation.  I have been ask by some in the past, if God created Adam and Eve on an eighth day? The answer is, No!
       These inspired Scriptures clearly reveal that the Lord God in this second chapter of Genesis, is going into detail about the things which occurred when the heavens and the earth "were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens."  Therefore what follows is an account of the creation of Adam and Eve on the sixth day just as is recorded in 1:26-29.  This second chapter is then be giving us more  details of the creation of Adam and Eve on the sixth day. of the creation week.  Now let's take a careful look at what is recorded in this chapter.......
TO BE CONTINUED.......
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     My personal contact information:
POSTAL.....Pastor F. M. Riley, 14275 Co. Rd. 8120, Rolla, MO 65401
EMAIL.......francismriley34@gmail.com
PHONE.....573-202-6493
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     Remember that God clearly stated in 1:26-27 that man was to be made in the likeness of God, and "in His own image."  So if any reader wants to know what God looks like, just look at the shape of  your fellow human being, or even look at yourself in your own mirror.  However, let me remind our readers that fallen mankind has corrupted the image in which man was created, so what you look at in your mirror, or in others, may not remind you of  God at all.
     GENESIS TWO
     As already noted, the first three Scriptures in this chapter deal with God hallowing the seventh day as a Sabbath and a day of rest.  
     Then in 2:4-6 the Lord God gives more intimate details of conditions on the earth at the time He created mankind.  It is just like our gracious God to first prepare a special dwelling place for the man He was about to create, and this is described in 2:8-14.   .  
      But in 2:7 God begins to describe His creation of man.  The Lord God first formed the body of man from "the dust of the ground" in His own image, 1:26-27; 2:7.  If we knew what Adam actually looked like, then we would know what God looks like, for Adam was created in the very image, and likeness, of God.  After forming the image God desired, the Lord God then imparted the spirit of life into that image, by breathing the breath of life into the nostrils of the image,  causing the image to become "a living soul."  
      Notice that man (Adam) was created as a trinity; a triune being like God Himself; body, spirit, and soul.  Glory to God!    
     Does this remind our readers of  Satan's evil desire to be like God?   Read  Isaiah 14:13-14 and  Revelation 13:14-15.