Biblical Cosmology

{What the Bible says about the Genesis One Gap, Lucifer and the Sons of God, and the original creation.}






The Beginning




Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.



What is the beginning referred to here in Genesis 1:1?



Psalms 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.



Isaiah 40:21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?



Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,



Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.



Mark 13:19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.



Hebrews 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:



2 Peter 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.



1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.



John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.



Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;



From three of the verses above (Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6; 13:19), some people get the idea that the beginning in Genesis 1:1 must be the seven day creation since they refer to Adam and Eve at ‘the beginning of the creation’. This, however, is a very narrow minded view. It actually shows me that a person has no interest in spending time and effort to study the scripture. All this person wants to do is skim the surface of God’s word. He knows that there was a seven day creation in Genesis 1-2 and that there was a flood in Noah’s day and that is good enough for him. He thinks there is a bad motive and/or a problem understanding the doctrine or he might have to actually think while studying the scripture. As we look at the various objections I have seen to the ‘gap theory’, you will see that the people who make these objections don’t think about what they are saying. They have tunnel vision that clouds their thinking.



In this case, these verses refer to the beginning of the creation of mankind (humans) which was during the seven day creation. These verses do not necessarily refer to the beginning of the original creation. If you insist that they do, you would be saying that the first things created by God (the beginning of the creation) were Adam and Eve.



Now let’s start at the beginning by stating the three possibilities for Genesis 1:1-2.



First, there is the idea that Genesis 1:1 is just a general statement and the rest of the chapter is a description of that verse. Second, there is the idea that Genesis 1:1-2 is part of the first day. And third, there is the possibility that Genesis 1:1 refers to the original creation, verse 2 refers to the condition of the earth after God’s judgment, and the rest of the chapter is the renewal of the face of the earth which is mentioned in Psalm 104:30.



Here in Genesis 1:1, heaven is singular in contrast to "the heavens" of Genesis 2:1, proving that verses 1:2-31 are not a description of 1:1. In the first verse, there is only one heaven, but after the renewal of the face of the earth (verses 2 to 31), there are three heavens. The first heaven, where fowl fly above the earth, is in verse 20. The second heaven, where the sun, moon, and stars are (verses 14-18) is between two great bodies of water (verses 6-8). The third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2) is in verse 1.



On each of the six days, the day is started with “And God said” – see verses 3, 6, 9, 14, 20, and 24. Even on the sixth day where “And God said” is used twice in regard to a creative act shows that if Genesis 1:2 was part of the first day, there would have been “And God said” ‘let there be an unformed earth’ etc. (or something like that). If Genesis 1:1 were part of the first day, the verse would say, “In the beginning God said let there be a heaven and an earth” or “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, saying, Let there be a heaven and an earth” etc. Genesis 1:1-2 is definitely a separate context from the rest of the chapter.



Psalms 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.



The context of this verse is the creation of man and animals. God created man and animals in Genesis 1 during the renewing of the face of the earth, not during the original creation.



2 Peter 3:4-6 will be discussed later.



From John 8:44 and 1 John 3:8, we can see that the devil “sinneth from the beginning”. This should be a problem for those who put Lucifer’s fall in the garden of Eden. Is Genesis 3 the beginning? Is Genesis 2 the beginning? Is Genesis 1 and 2 the beginning? How long was the time between the Creation of Adam (and Eve) and Genesis 3? Just what is the beginning according to scripture?



Hebrews 1:10 and Isaiah 40:21 defines ‘the beginning’ as the time when God laid the foundation of the earth. Obviously, this puts Lucifer’s fall much earlier than the garden of Eden. The latest it could be is the third day if that is when God laid the foundations of the earth. Our next step is to study what the scriptures say about the foundation of the earth.



The Foundation of the Earth



Job 38:2-11 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?



When God laid the foundations of the earth, he laid the measures of it and stretched a line upon it. The foundations of the earth were fastened upon the corner stone of the earth when it was laid. There were morning stars and sons of God singing and shouting for joy. The ‘morning stars’ and ‘sons of God’ are two names for angels. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus Christ calls himself “the morning star”. As there is ‘the angel of the LORD” (Jesus Christ) and angels and there is ‘the Son of God’ (Jesus Christ) and sons of God (angels in the old testament), there is also ‘the morning star’ (Jesus Christ) and morning stars who are angels. So, in the beginning when God laid the foundation of the earth, the angels were already created and they were singing and shouting for joy at God’s creation.



Psalms 24:1-2 The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.



Psalm 24:1 defines the ‘world’ as the earth. However, we will have to search the scriptures to see if there is another definition for the world. Verse two says that God founded the earth upon a body of water. This helps explain that the earth was “standing out of the water and in the water” (2 Peter 3:5).



The original earth was created with a cornerstone at the top of it and a body of water under it as it sat in the body of water like a boat, “standing out of the water and in the water”.



Actually the corner stone was “a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone” which God laid in Zion (Isaiah 28:16), the city of the great King. This city, “the city of our God”, is shaped like a pyramid “in the mountain of his holiness” (Psalm 48:1). The city of our God was situated beautifully on the sides of the north and was the joy of the whole earth (Psalm 48:2). The sides of the north is where Lucifer wanted to ascend to when he rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:12-14). We can see now that this corner stone of the original earth was a head corner stone (Zechariah 4:7) “on the sides of the north” as Jesus Christ is the head corner stone of the household of God (Luke 20:17; 1 Peter 2:6-8; Ephesians 2:19-22), and was a city shaped like a pyramid. The earth was a precious jewel made of gold, silver, and precious stones with Zion, the city of God comparing to new Jerusalem which is to come and the body of Christ, the household of God of which Jesus is the head corner stone (Proverbs 20:15; 1 Corinthians 3:12; 1 Peter 2:4-5; Revelation 21:10-21). This is a good explanation of why Lucifer was covered with every precious stone (Ezekiel 28:13). Just as “the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground”, Lucifer’s physical composition was made up of the same type of material as the original earth which he lived on.



Mount Zion, the city of God, was the foundations of the earth (Psalm 125:1; 104:5). Lucifer was in this city, he was upon the holy mountain of God, and he walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire (Ezekiel 28:14). These stones of fire were in this mountain city (Ezekiel 28:16). Lucifer was cast out of the holy mountain of God. The "holy mountain of God" is "the city of God" in the sides of the north. That great city, the holy Jerusalem, is "in the sides of the north". The north - the farthest north, the third heaven is obviously where the holy city of God is (Galatians 4:25-26). The city, called a mountain, is shaped like a mountain or pyramid. New Jerusalem is God's replacement for the original earth and will be the home of born again Christians from the church age that are replacements for the angels who have fallen and those who will fall and follow Satan. Sons of God (angels) were the inhabitants of the original earth and sons of God will be the inhabitants of New Jerusalem.



Psalms 82

God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.



This passage mentions that “the foundations of the earth are out of course”. At what time do you suppose that the foundations of the earth were out of course? During the flood of Noah? Perhaps, but probably not. Another thing that goes unnoticed by anti-gap theorists is that since Genesis 1:6-8, the earth hangeth upon nothing (Job 26:7). There are no foundations of the earth that the earth is fastened upon like in the original creation.



The original earth was created with a cornerstone at the top of it and a body of water under it as it sat in the body of water like a boat, “standing out of the water and in the water”. Then, after that, the foundations of the earth which were fastened to the cornerstone above it were knocked out of course. Sometime later God “stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing”. From that time the congregation of the mighty – the children of the most High have walked on in darkness. These are the principalities, the powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, the spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12).



Job 22:2-3 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?



Compare “thou makest thy ways perfect” in verse 3 to “Thou wast perfect in thy ways” in Ezekiel 28:15. Was Lucifer’s wisdom profitable to God? Was God pleased with Satan’s pride in his own righteousness or perfection?



4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?



Was the Almighty afraid of Lucifer’s will (Isaiah 14:13-14), violence, or beauty (Ezekiel 28:16-17)?



5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?



Satan’s wickedness is very great. Are his iniquities infinite?



10 – 11 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee; Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.



Darkness is a result of the wrath of God (Isaiah 9:19; Zephaniah 1:15). Darkness was one of the plagues of Moses in the land of Egypt as a result of God’s wrath (Exodus 10:21-22). Darkness is for the separation between the people of God and the people of the devil (Exodus 14:20). Darkness also separates between God himself and sinners (Exodus 20:21; Deuteronomy 4:11; 5:22-23). Darkness is synonymous with evil (Isaiah 45:7; Jeremiah 23:12). The darkness upon the face of the deep in Genesis 1:1 was a result of the wrath of God.



Abundance of waters covered the earth and Lucifer and all the angels that rebelled with him. Since that time they have walked on in darkness (Psalm 82:5).


12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!



“Is not God in the height of heaven?” (verse 12) Yes, God is in the height of heaven even though Lucifer said in his heart, “I will ascend into heaven in the sides of the north: like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:13-14)



“And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!” although Lucifer said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:” (Isaiah 14:13)



13 – 14 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.



Notice that someone walks in the circuit of heaven.



15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?



The old way which wicked men have trodden in the circuit of heaven?



16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:



What is “out of time”? Out of time is obviously outside of time. This event took place before time.



“whose foundation was overflown with a flood:”


The foundation of wicked men who walked in the circuit of heaven was overthrown with a flood being cut down out of time.



Flood:



Isaiah 28:1-3 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine! Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:



Genesis 9:11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.



2 Peter 3:5-6 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:



Revelation 21:1 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.



17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?



What can the Almighty do for the angels that sinned?



“Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?” (Job 21:14-15)



Psalms 102:25-27 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.



Hebrews 1:10-12 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.



Job 38:4-14 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed? Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it? It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.



Proverbs 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?



Psalms 104:1-9 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away. They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.



In verse 6, the earth is flooded by being pushed down into the deep. Verse 7 corresponds to Genesis 1:6-8 where the firmament was made. The firmament divided a body of water (the deep) and made it two bodies of water.



The wrath of God and his actions because of his judgment on Lucifer and the fallen angels is described in 2 Samuel 22, Psalm 18, and Isaiah 24.



2 Samuel 22:8-22 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind. And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled. The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice. And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters; He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.



Psalms 18:7-21 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.


There are some scriptures about the beginning that seem to contradict:

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Hebrews 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Ezekiel 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

If Lucifer was perfect in his ways from the day he was created and In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, how is it then that the devil sinneth from the beginning and He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth?

I believe that THE BEGINNING is a period of 'time' [for lack of a better term] that began when God began to create (Genesis 1:1) and ended when Adam and Eve ate the grapes from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This definition of 'the beginning' reconciles the verses above with other verses that seem to also contradict.

Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

TIME started when Adam and Eve died; the day that they ate the fruit.

Before TIME was THE BEGINNING.

Before THE BEGINNING was ETERNITY.

As for the Question How long was the gap? I have no idea. Lucifer is not an eternal being so we know that he did not exist in ETERNITY. He was created IN THE BEGINNING. IN THE BEGINNING there was some measurement of something like time ("the day that thou wast created" - Ezekiel 28:15). Lucifer was created on or in something called a day. This is, of course, not the same as any day that we know of except possibly in THE BEGINNING a day was a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 90:4). We know that the day Lucifer was created was not a 24 hour day because the first 24 hour day was Genesis 1:3-5. "And the evening and the morning were the first day." I said earlier that TIME started when Adam and Eve ate the fruit. But the 24 hour days had been going since before they were created. And until they ate the fruit did time pass in the same way that it did afterward? According to Genesis 5:5, Adam lived for 930 years. Does that include the 'time' that he lived before Genesis 3?

I know there are more questions than answers concerning time and the passage of time in what I have said. But I can only go on what I see in the scripture. Beyond any doubt the Gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 is a true Biblical Doctrine. The evidence is in my Cosmology study. I don't have all the answers. Just like I don't have all the answers concerning dispensational salvation. Nobody else does either. And the people who don't believe in the Gap can not reconcile scriptures that contradict like I have shown you above and they also twist and contradict scriptures themselves [and take verses out of context] to prove their NO GAP Heresy.


There are some scriptures about the beginning that seem to contradict:

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Hebrews 1:10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Ezekiel 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

If Lucifer was perfect in his ways from the day he was created and In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, how is it then that the devil sinneth from the beginning and He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth?

I believe that THE BEGINNING is a period of 'time' [for lack of a better term] that began when God began to create (Genesis 1:1) and ended when Adam and Eve ate the grapes from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This definition of 'the beginning' reconciles the verses above with other verses that seem to also contradict.

Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

TIME started when Adam and Eve died; the day that they ate the fruit.

Before TIME was THE BEGINNING.

Before THE BEGINNING was ETERNITY.

As for the Question How long was the gap? I have no idea. Lucifer is not an eternal being so we know that he did not exist in ETERNITY. He was created IN THE BEGINNING. IN THE BEGINNING there was some measurement of something like time ("the day that thou wast created" - Ezekiel 28:15). Lucifer was created on or in something called a day. This is, of course, not the same as any day that we know of except possibly in THE BEGINNING a day was a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 90:4). We know that the day Lucifer was created was not a 24 hour day because the first 24 hour day was Genesis 1:3-5. "And the evening and the morning were the first day." I said earlier that TIME started when Adam and Eve ate the fruit. But the 24 hour days had been going since before they were created. And until they ate the fruit did time pass in the same way that it did afterward? According to Genesis 5:5, Adam lived for 930 years. Does that include the 'time' that he lived before Genesis 3?

I know there are more questions than answers concerning time and the passage of time in what I have said. But I can only go on what I see in the scripture. Beyond any doubt the Gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 is a true Biblical Doctrine. The evidence is in my Cosmology study. I don't have all the answers. Just like I don't have all the answers concerning dispensational salvation. Nobody else does either. And the people who don't believe in the Gap can not reconcile scriptures that contradict like I have shown you above and they also twist and contradict scriptures themselves [and take verses out of context] to prove their NO GAP Heresy.