The Seven Days of Man - Page 3

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=168 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="129a11c3.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome to the Heart4God Website!"><U><B><IMG SRC="4b55a500.png" border=0 width="90" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin"><U><B>Writings by Date</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id212.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin Organized "><U><B>Writings by Topic</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm"><U><B>Audio Files</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id690.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Videos"><U><B>Videos</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id323.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writings of Others"><U><B>Other Authors</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id324.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id339.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Questions and Answers"><U><B>Q&A</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id328.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Heart4God Email List"><U><B>Heart4God E-mail List</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com"><U><B>Parables Blog</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id306.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="File Downloads"><U><B><IMG SRC="2b264140.png" border=0 width="100" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <B>The Seven Days of Man - Page 3</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="c2827160.png" border=0 width="807" height="22" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Let us now look at the Genesis account of the creation of the Earth and explore the dark sayings and hidden things that as kings it is our glory to search out.</div> <div>      </div> <div> As the book of Genesis opens we find that the earth has already fallen into ruin. It has experienced a judgment that has resulted in chaos and formlessness and darkness. So quickly does the transition come that many miss it.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Genesis 1:1-2</B></div> <div> <B>1 In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth.2 And the earth </B><I><B><U>was</U></B></I><B> without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.</B></div> <div> <B>KJV</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Genesis 1:1-2</B></div> <div> <B>In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth </B><I><B><U>became</U></B></I><B> formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep...</B></div> <bR> <div> I want to show you the tremendous confusion that can result from rendering one single word incorrectly. The word rendered “was” in the KJV Bible is translated wrong, and it has led to many false teachings and wrong understandings. Because of this one word the faith of many has been overturned, and many more have been disturbed. I will demonstrate clearly that this word should have been rendered as “became,” and in seeing this truth you will find many other Scriptures falling into place and bringing forth a consistent testimony. </div> <bR> <div> Because this word has been rendered as “was,” many Christians have falsely concluded that these two verses are declaring that God originally created the Earth a formless waste covered in darkness and then over the course of six days He molded it into what it now is. This is not what is declared, however. What it really states is that in the beginning of the creation God created the heavens and the earth. This earth existed for a period of time that is not specified, until the earth “became” formless and void. How long it lay in a state of being formless and void and sealed in darkness is not specified, either. A day came, however, when Yahweh began to re-create the earth and this is the subject of the six days of creation beginning in Genesis 1:2.</div> <bR> <div> We see then that there are three distinct periods of time mentioned in the opening  verses of Genesis. There is the original creation of the earth before it was judged and made formless and void. There is the earth under judgment. Then there is the earth being re-created by God. The length of the first two periods is unknown, not being revealed to us in Scripture. It could have been many long ages. Only the last period, beginning with the removal of the curse of darkness in Genesis 1:3, is revealed to us, for this is the period relating to man. The first two periods were prior to man’s creation.</div> <bR> <div> This is not some unsubstantiated opinion that I have come up with. Such an understanding is the result of rightly dividing the word of God, and correctly rendering the original language into English.</div> <bR> <div> Strong’s Concordance of the Bible reveals that the Hebrew word in question here is “hayah.”</div> <bR> <div> This same word was translated as “become” by the KJV Bible in chapter 2nd of Genesis.</div> <bR> <div> OT:1961</div> <div> hayah (haw-yaw); a primitive root;  to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass...</div> <bR> <div> Genesis 2:7</div> <div> And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man <I><B><U>became</U></B></I> a living soul.</div> <div> KJV</div> <bR> <div> We see then that the KJV translators knew the Hebrew word “hayah” meant “became.” However, they chose to translate it according to the tradition of the day, rather than according to its actual meaning.</div> <bR> <div> King James of England exercised his authority to produce a new Bible translation that was first printed in 1611. For this reason we call it <U>“the authorized </U>King James Version.” Because it was produced under his authority, he laid down the guiding principles that the translators were to follow. A number of renowned English theologians refused to participate in this project when they learned of these guidelines. These guidelines can still be found in the front section of some KJV Bibles. Among these guidelines was the following rule of translation:</div> <bR> <div> <I>When a Word hath divers Significations, that to be kept which hath been most commonly used by the most of the Ancient Fathers, being agreeable to the Propriety of the Place, and the Analogy of the Faith. </I></div> <bR> <div> To phrase this in modern English, it could be rendered, “When a word has different meanings, the traditions of the church are to be followed.”</div> <bR> <div> Hugh Broughton, foremost Hebrew scholar of England at that time said he would rather "be rent to pieces by wild horses than have had any part in the urging of such a wretched version of the Bible on the poor people."</div> <bR> <div> I do not think the KJV Bible is a worse translation than any of the other popular Bibles of the day. It was simply the product of fallible men, produced for purposes other than a single minded love of the word of God. Other translations have been produced for no better reason than that Bibles are constantly best sellers, and bring in much revenue. Therefore, many of the Bible translators have felt a pressure to produce translations that would not be rejected by the majority of professing Christians. To this end they have at times compromised accuracy for the sake of tradition and orthodoxy.</div> <bR> <div> This is why the disciple of Christ must “study” to show himself approved as a workman of God, rightly dividing the word.</div> <bR> <div> The following slides will provide evidence to support the understanding that a great judgment fell between verse one and verse two of Genesis chapter 1 and that God then set out to re-create the earth in six days.</div> <bR> <div> The following passage from Jeremiah provides a real key for our understanding. As you read it, note clearly that everything about this passage is speaking of the judgment of God being manifested due to the presence of sin and rebellion.</div> <bR> <div> Jeremiah 4:16-28</div> <div> 16 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah. 17 As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith Yahweh. 18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart. 19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. 20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment. 21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? 22 For my people are foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. 23 <I><B>I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. </B></I>24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. 25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. 26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of Yahweh, and by his fierce anger. 27 <I><B>For thus hath Yahweh said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. 28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black</B></I>: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.</div> <div> KJV</div> <bR> <div> Note the similarities here between this judgment upon Jerusalem and God’s judgment of Satan. In verse 17 it states that her sin is rebellion, even as Satan rebelled against God. Verse twenty proclaims destruction against Jerusalem, even as Ezekiel 28 states that God has destroyed Satan. The judgment proclaimed includes a description of the earth being without form and void and the heavens having no light. It is very evident that these things described in the words “formless, void and darkness” are all the result of judgment. It is a judgment for the sin of rebellion.</div> <bR> <div> These are the three same descriptive words we find in Genesis 1:2, and these words only occur in this combination in these two passages, and one other. The third instance is in Isaiah 34 where the destruction of Babylon is prophesied.     </div> <bR> <div> Isaiah 34:11</div> <div> But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of <I><B>confusion</B></I>, and the stones of <I><B>emptiness</B></I>.</div> <div> KJV</div> <bR> <div> The words that were rendered as “formless” and “void” in the previous verses are rendered as “confusion” and “emptiness” in Isaiah. The words “confusion” and “formless” signify the same things, even as the words “void” and “empty” are synonyms. In the Hebrew the words are “tohu” and “bohu”. These are the only three instances where these words occur together in all of Scripture. Seeing that both Jeremiah and Isaiah used these words to describe the appearance of the earth, or a portion of it, brought about by a judgment of God, we can reasonably conclude that this is also what precipitated the condition of the earth found in Genesis 1:2. Yet we can find even more evidence to support this conclusion. </div> <bR> <div> Isaiah further tells us the following:     </div> <bR> <div> Isaiah 45:18</div> <div> For thus says Yahweh, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and <I><B>did not create it a waste place</B></I>, But formed it to be inhabited)...</div> <bR> <div> Isaiah tells us that Yahweh did not create the earth as a waste place, yet in Genesis 1:2 we find that it has become one. Isaiah doesn’t stop here, however, he gives us even more evidence by which we might properly interpret Genesis 1:2.</div> <bR> <div> Isaiah 24:1</div> <div> Behold, Yahweh lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants. </div> <bR> <div> Making the earth waste is always an act of judgment. So let us look one more time at the correct rendering of the first 2 verses of Genesis.</div> <bR> <div> Genesis 1:1-2</div> <div> In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. <I><B>But</B></I> the earth <I><B>became</B></I> formless, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. </div> <bR> <div> In order to understand both the literal meaning of Genesis, as well as the parable contained in its imagery, we must render this verse correctly. In reading this we can now see that at the very beginning of the creation that God made the heavens and the earth. He did not create them a waste. He created them perfect. Yet something occurred to mar their perfection, and by looking at the language of verse two and comparing it to the rest of scripture we understand that it was due to a judgment of God that the earth was made formless, void and covered in darkness. All of these conditions are symbolic of judgment. We can then further understand that the remainder of chapter one of Genesis speaks of the re-creation of the earth, and not its first creation.</div> <bR> <div> Now this is a very important point, and it is largely unseen by the church due to a wrong orthodoxy and poor Bible translations. We must ask, "What occurred on this original earth that caused Yahweh to judge it so completely?" We are only given one event that could have caused such a judgment to be rendered and this was something prior to the creation of Adam. It was the rebellion of Satan.     </div> <bR> <div> Ezekiel 28:12-18</div> <div> Thus says Yahweh GOD, "You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you. By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore <I><B>I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub</B></I>, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. <I><B>I cast you to the ground</B></I>; I put you before kings, that they may see you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries. <I><B>Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; it has consumed you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth </B></I>in the eyes of all who see you.”</div> <bR> <div> The first earth also had a Garden of Eden on it. It was an earth of paradise prior to the creation of man. Satan walked upon that first earth even as he walks upon the present one. Satan was originally created perfect, but he fell into sin. He began to look at the magnificence of his own being, and the lofty duties given to him and he became conceited. In his conceit he rebelled against God. The prophet Isaiah tells us more about Satan’s fall.</div> <bR> <div> Isaiah 14:12-17</div> <div> "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn!<I><B> You have been cut down to the earth</B></I>, you who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit. Those who see you will gaze at you, they will ponder over you, saying, 'Is this the one who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a wilderness and overthrew its cities, who did not allow his prisoners to go home?'”</div> <bR> <div> We have another account of Satan’s fall through the words of Christ recorded in Luke’s gospel.</div> <bR> <div> Luke 10:18</div> <div> And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”</div> <bR> <div> The Scriptures reveal that the angels existed prior to man, and among the angels was a most magnificent cherub called Lucifer. He was created perfect in beauty and in wisdom, and his role among the angels was very exalted. Yet this being took his eyes off of his Creator and began to look at his own magnificence and this led to pride and the corrupting of his wisdom. </div> <bR> <div> Paul refers to the transgression of Satan in the following verse where he is speaking to Timothy about the qualifications for an elder:</div> <bR> <div> I Timothy 3:6</div> <div> and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. </div> <bR> <div> Satan's fall began with the formation of conceit and pride within his heart. This pride led to rebellion, and ended in judgment. Ezekiel and Isaiah both wrote of the judgment of Satan as having occurred already, but in Revelation we read of it as a future event.</div> <bR> <div> Revelation 12:7-9</div> <div> And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. </div> <bR> <div> The Scriptures do not contradict each other here, for Satan has been cast down to the earth in the past, and he will be cast down again in the future. Satan will be judged by God a total of three times before his judgment is complete. The number three is an important number in Scripture, representing fulness. Thus we see Elohim being Father, Son and Spirit. We find man being body, soul and spirit, etc.. We also find that Satan’s judgment is only complete after the third judgment rendered to him by Yahweh. </div> <bR> <div> Isaiah, Ezekiel and Yahshua spoke of the first judgment where Satan was cast down. This is when the original earth was destroyed. Yet after a time the Spirit came and began to re-create the earth and at this time Satan was released from his first imprisonment. We then see him in Eden enticing Adam and Eve to sin, and the fall of man became the instrument of Satan’s elevation over this world once again. Yahweh did not make Satan “the god of this world,” “the prince of the power of the air.” Man gave him this authority when he joined in Satan’s rebellion. Yet we are told that, during the millennial reign of Christ, Satan will be bound again, this time for a thousand years. This is the second judgment of Satan. After the thousand years he will be released for a short time, and then his third and final judgment will come.</div> <bR> <div> Revelation 20:1-3</div> <div> Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. </div> <bR> <div> This is Satan’s second judgment.</div> <bR> <div> Revelation 20:7-10</div> <div> <I><B><U>When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison</U></B></I>, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.<I><B><U> And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone</U></B></I>, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.</div> <bR> <div> This is Satan’s third and final judgment. In the previous presentation titled “Parables” we saw that Yahweh places significance on different numbers. The number three is a number representing completion. Man was created as a two-part creature, being body and soul. Man is not completed until he becomes a three-part being, having body, soul and spirit. Man must be born again of the Spirit to attain to the desire of God. The number three is used in the same way in regard to judgment. Satan’s judgment will be complete only after his third and final judgment. We will see that this number three being used in reference to completion is also seen in relation to the earth.</div> <bR> <div> So now we can understand the meaning of the opening verses of Genesis.     </div> <bR> <div> Genesis 1:1-2</div> <div> In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth <I><B>became</B></I> formless, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. </div> <bR> <div> In the beginning of the creation, God made the heaven and the earth. Satan was upon this earth in his perfect state before his fall, for Isaiah tells us, “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering....” We never see Satan described this way after Adam and Eve are placed in the re-created Garden of Eden. Instead, we find him coming in the form of a serpent. We can therefore understand that this description of Satan in his perfection and glory in Eden pertains to the first creation of the earth.</div> <bR> <div> We are not told how long Satan remained blameless. His fall might have been after many long ages, or it might have come soon after he was created. Therefore, we also do not know how long the original earth existed before Satan rebelled. It could have been an immense period of time, long enough to account for the many signs of an ancient earth. At some point Satan did rebel and he was cast down to the earth. The earth was judged along with Satan and made waste and void and sealed in darkness. In this state of judgment the earth might have lain for many long years.</div> <bR> <div> There are many who teach today that the earth is only about 6,000 years old, and they cite many evidences for a young earth. Yet when the scriptures are correctly understood we find that the earth existed prior to Genesis 1:3 when God began to remake it. Many scientists are also pointing to signs of the earth being very ancient. In truth, both groups are correct. The original earth is quite ancient, yet the re-created earth is relatively young. We should anticipate that there would be evidences of both a young earth, and a very old earth. Sadly, these two groups often find themselves pitted against one another when the Scriptures reveal a harmony to this evidence.</div> <bR> <div> Continue to<A HREF="id609.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Seven Days of Man Page 4"><U> Next Page</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>