God's Blueprint of the Ages: A Chronological Chart of Biblical History

By Jim Foster

“God’s Blueprint of the Ages” developed as lesson plans through several years of Bible study and sermon preparation. To show a visual presentation of Biblical Chronology a graphic chart was drawn, step-by-step, that showed how God worked with His created earth from eternity past to eternity future. Various time periods, called “ages” or “dispensations” is shown graphically as a timeline. How Satan tried unsuccessfully to thwart God’s plan throughout history is also presented. Old Testament prophecy and New Testament Grace is expanded within the chapters that reference and explain the symbols on the chart. Many references to the Word of God are noted within each chapter to verify each explanation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664208216

Jim Foster

Jim Foster is a humour columnist for the Orillia Packet and Times, the Owen Sound Sun Times, the Midland Free Press and the Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin. He is a contributing writer for Dave Broadfoot's Comedy Crusade and TV Specials. He is a gag writer for Playboy magazine, a reader at the Stephen Leacock Museum and a popular public speaker in Central Ontario.

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1. INTRODUCTION TO GOD’S

BLUEPRINT OF THE AGES

Key Passage

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you gentiles – if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, (Ephesians 3:1-6)

Description

God’s Blueprint of the Ages is an eschatological dispensational time line designed to present the Word of God; horizontally in chronological order from the beginning of creation to the new heavens and new earth, and vertically from heaven through the material world into the underworld. The purpose of the chart is to aid believers in their study of the Word of God, and to understand the intricate sequences of events that are presented in the scriptures. These events are spoken of throughout God’s Word, but are not specifically ordered by their occurrences, making a chronological study quite difficult. The chart is designed to present certain theological issues that are accepted unreservedly by the author, and no attempt will be made to present opposing viewpoints except in cases where it is deemed necessary. Some of these issues are the premillennial, pretribulation rapture truths, and the presentation of the so-called gap theory in our study of the beginnings (see chapter 2).

The issues presented by the chart may not necessarily conform to what may be considered the best of scientific evidence nor will the general viewpoints of humankind be sought after. Instead, any issue presented by the chart will be based on the best scriptural evidence (1 Corinthians 2:13). It has been the experience of the author, and many believers who have been involved in honest and deliberate research into the Word of God, that science, both in general and through archaeology, have worked in remarkable agreement with the exact disclosures of the scriptures, and have consistently demonstrated their truth. The greatest enemy of the Truth has always been unbelieving intellectualism, which seeks inexorably to undermine the connection between God and the scriptures and to reduce the Truth to natural phenomena. The studies presented by God’s Blueprint of the Ages are designed to demonstrate the omnipotence of God in all matters and to correlate the teachings of His Word with them.

It is understood that opinions and the spiritualizing of scriptural interpretation often interfere with a proper understanding of God’s Word. Any time these issues violate what is written in the original languages and depart from the ordinary use of the language of the Bible, there is legitimate doubt as to the interpretation’s validity. Our most important guideline in this study will be the words we find here: Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

A blueprint is a chart that depicts, in detail, the technical aspects of a construction project. It outlines all of the systems that are to be employed in the proper functioning of a building or an entire complex, including the intricate network of systems underground. Blueprints plan for the inclusion of these systems during construction, e.g., layout of rooms, the electrical circuitry, plumbing, sewerage, drainage, etc. We might consider the words under construction in regard to God’s plan for His creation, as the entire project has not yet been completed. In His infinite foreknowledge, however, God knows the end from the beginning in His ultimate will (Revelation 21:6) and has shown us His completed plan through His Word, which is the theological study of eschatology. The blueprint, therefore, for the completion of earth’s history is contained throughout the Word of God, and it is the responsibility of God’s people of the dispensation of grace to know His plan. Since this information is scattered throughout God’s Word, it becomes important for the information regarding His ultimate plan of the ages to be documented in an understandable way so that God’s people may learn His plan in logical sequence. God’s Blueprint of the Ages presents His plan based on the literal interpretation of scripture, which considers the plain teaching of God’s Word from the normal interpretation of what has been written. No attempt will be made to apply a spiritual meaning to a passage unless the context demands it.

Scope of the Chart

The chart is designed to take the student from the beginning, where God’s Word says, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), to the end of earth’s present tenure, where God’s Word describes a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1). The scope of the chart also includes, vertically, the heavens, wherein is God’s throne, the earth and its timeline, and the underworld, containing its various sections. The attempt has been made over the years, with several revisions of the chart, to insert the important aspects of God’s plan through history, as these aspects affect all of His creation and help us understand both history and eschatology as they apply to God’s plan for the ages.

God

God is first represented on the chart at the top left by His throne. The throne is symbolic of God’s infinite identity (see chapter 3). Notice the eye above the throne. This represents the eye of God, Who, in His infinite foreknowledge and control, knows time’s future. The eye of God is shown as seeing into the distant future to the dispensation of grace (that Paul declared a mystery in Ephesians 3:1–5) which illustrates His foreknowledge. No one in the Old Testament had even a foregleam of its future existence (Matthew 13:15–17). This aspect of study will be given in detail in chapter 30.

Satan

At the beginning of the chart you will notice a figure with wings with the name Lucifer written across his chest. Satan was created by God along with all the other angels in eternity past. He held the position of the highest and most beautiful of them all and had the absolute authority as commander-in-chief of the angelic realm. His fall from his lofty position as the great leader of all the angelic host is recorded in the passages of scripture that accompany the figure on the chart. Notice the jagged line, which ascends from the earth shown in chaos and travels over the timeline and into the area entitled tribulation. This jagged line represents the active satanic influence that is prevalent over earth as demons (fallen angles) fill our atmosphere (see chapter 7). You will notice vertical jagged lines at the end of each bubble. These represent the failure of each age, or dispensation. God will deal with the satanic influence on the human race (see chapter 8).

Dispensations

The different dispensations of God’s influence in the human race are shown by the bubbles that sit on the timeline (see chapter 27). The word dispensation comes from a Greek word that means stewardship, and signifies the responsibilities of the people who live during each dispensation–responsibilities that God gives the human race to honor Him in government and moral obligations, etc. God has entrusted all believers with the responsibilities He has given for their particular dispensation (as in our present dispensation of grace see 1 Corinthians 4:1–2; 1 Peter 4:10–11). The faithful believer, then, takes the stewardship with which he or she has been entrusted and learns how to represent God as His ambassador during that dispensation (2 Corinthians 5:17–20; Hebrews 3:6).

Timeline Levels

There are two levels for the timeline, captioned at the beginning of the chart as God’s Perfect Will and God’s Permissive Will. God has His perfect will for everything in His creation. It is when we, as humans, violate His perfect will for our lives, we go into His permissive will. He permits us to stray if that is what we do as a result of our human sin nature. The fall into sin of the first two humans placed mankind into God’s permissive will, where the timeline of earth remains throughout human history. As we consider the struggle of creation (Romans 8:18–25), we realize that, apart from the great failures of Lucifer and the first two humans, there would be no need for the world to be subject to God’s permissive will. Please refer now to the end of the chart, where you will see that from permissive will, the timeline again rises into God’s perfect will in the new heavens and the new earth. Also, to help you understand the will of God for your personal life, you are not bound to permissive will just because we live in God’s permissive will for the world. God deals with us as individuals and each believer can have a life of God’s perfect will (Ephesians 2:10) if we would simply seek it through fellowship with Him in prayer and the continuing pursuit of the knowledge of His Word (Ephesians 4:11–16) (see chapter 4).

The Underworld

Under the timeline please notice the horizontal section which begins, simply as Hell, the place God created to accommodate the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). Please note: God did not originally intend hell for the human race. At the fall of the human race, the underworld adopted two additional sections, then a third was added at the end of the dispensation of conscience. These additions were separate from hell’s original enlargement (Isaiah 5:13–14, shown at the beginning of this section under the caption Hell). The complete study of each of these sections of the underworld and their significance will be provided as you review the study titled The Underworld (chapter 9).

Eschatology

The theological study of eschatology is one of the main purposes of the chart. It is designed to provide the historic background for the many prophecies from God that have been fulfilled, and the many events to occur on earth that are yet future. Eschatology is the study of things to come, including events that indicate the end times, and is a fascinating field for those believers who are interested in God and His Word. The chart attempts to place much of God’s Word into a chronological perspective to aid the student in the study of the most important book on earth – the Word of God, our Bible.

Highlights of the Chart

This introduction to God’s Blueprint of the Ages (our present study) is designed to give you an overview to the layout of the entire chart. The specific studies associated with it follow.

How to get the Most from the Chart

The study of the dispensation chart is an in-depth research program for the believer who wishes to understand more of the Word of God. You will find that it is loaded with verses and passages of scripture that will display the text from God’s Word in support of the issues presented by the chart. Unless you know what is presented in a specific passage it is recommended that you set aside time for the study of each increment and accompany this time with the Bible, note paper, and writing instrument. The study will take some serious time to research all that is contained in a lesson and will produce very valuable results for your growth toward maturity in the Word of God. You will find, with diligent study, that God the Holy Spirit, will move you into vast realms of personal study as you delve into any phase prompted by the chart. This will develop within you an increasing desire for further study and progressive maturity as more and more doctrines are included within your soul’s ever-increasing quest for the knowledge of His precious Word (Psalms 42:1). God bless you in your study of His Word (2 Timothy 2:15).

2. THE BEGINNINGS

Key Passages

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2

Description

Our consideration of the beginnings must go beyond the limits of the physical universe and search into the realm of eternity. The true beginning of all, takes us into the heart of what the Word of God says of that beginning. Contrary to what the liberal world would have us believe, there is absolutely no place to be granted to Darwinian solutions to the beginning of life. All evidence points to the creator, and to promote otherwise would be to endorse the gradual evolution of life from primordial beginnings. This would mean that we must leap over the hurdle of biochemistry and what it has discovered in the intricate irreducibly complex structure of the microscopic existence of the cell (see the book by Michael J. Behe: Darwin’s Black Box). The argument is taken to its limit with this quote:

Finally, Hoyle and Wickramasinghe (Sir Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasingh-two of the most brilliant scientists of the present) were both atheists. Consequently, they had some odd ideas about the origin of life - but they knew enough about science to know Darwin’s theory of evolution for the creation of life was preposterous. (Ann Coulter: The Church of Liberalism-Godless, Random House, 2006, p.211).

It is safe to say that anyone who has taken the time to search into the matter of the beginnings with an open mind could not deduce any other position than that the universe and all life is the product of an infinite creator. The Word of God has the absolute last word in it all. None of human reason (pseudo-reason) could possibly present true evidence that effectively disputes the existence of God, as He has not given us that option. There is no way that the myriad of irreducibly complex systems throughout life on earth could have gradually evolved into what they are today (or any other day, for that matter) without an infinite intelligence and an omnipotent being behind the beginning.

The lesson that follows, and all other lessons in the series of God’s Blueprint of the Ages, are based on one common denominator – faith. Any time we open the Bible for study with any basis other than faith we are fooling ourselves. A believer must accept God as to Who He is and understand that His Word does not depend on science, logic, reason, or any other of human intellect to present Truth. It is faith alone that responds to God’s grace, which is how the Word of God manifests itself. As we begin the study of God’s Blueprint of the Ages let’s keep this basic premise before us. I will present the points you find in the lessons from what is found in the Word of God, many times with reference to no sophisticated intellectual deduction, but according to ‘what does the scripture say?’ (Galatians 4:30). We, as God’s children, should need no further evidence.

The Beginning, from Our Key Passage, John 1:1

To begin, let’s look at Christ from the beginning. No scripture passage presents our Lord in as revealing a picture as does John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Here we see the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ as it is presented in no other passage of scripture. Let’s analyze the verse.

A Missing Article

Please bear with me as I attempt to introduce us to the text of the Bible as we find it written from the original languages. Anyone who has had training in English may find some strange episodes where the use of either Greek or Hebrew, or both, is altered for the purpose of highlighting a thought or emphasizing a phrase to draw attention to a different perspective. This is the case with the first two words we find as we read our two key passages, i.e., John 1:1 and Genesis 1:1. In both these phrases of the primordial beginnings of the universe, one may say that God made a mistake. In the beginning is properly translated as: In beginning. It is a strong tendency to stop the text right here and insert the definite article (the), making the Biblical text to read In the beginning. Here, the Greek says: ẻν ἀrcη [en arxe], or, In beginning (or, eternal existence) There is no definite article, and none should be supplied to maintain the purity of the text. This phrase represents eternity, or an eternal state. As in English, to introduce the definite article (the) limits the phrase to a certain occurrence, and makes it specify one of possibly many beginnings, whereas the true text, as established by the Holy Spirit, insists on no definite beginning, and places the phrase into the eternal state. And so In beginning specifies no certain event, and justifies our use of the descriptive words; which had no beginning introducing the reader to the true flavor of eternity (one of the attributes of God), and establishing the eternal truth behind the two introductory verses in our Bibles to the eternal natures, not just of God; but also of His creation of earth and the universe because the very exact description we have seen of the Greek presentation, above, applies also to the Hebrew construction of the words translated in our English. First, let’s look at the Hebrew of the words in beginning. בִּרֵאשִׁית

Before we can establish the identity of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must first know that we are dealing with a subject wherein we must leave all traditional thoughts behind. We must accept the fact that God is so far above our finite minds that there is no proper understanding of Him without our allowing Him to take the place in our lives He rightfully should occupy – in belief through faith.

In this verse of scripture John minces no words but plunges headlong into the true identity of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who has been forever. He has existed in the beginning which had no beginning. Here, ảrcη has the meaning of beginning, or origin in the absolute sense. It could be considered; in the very beginning, or the beginning from where God came, which was no beginning at all, as He has always existed. And herein is faith! No other point in existence requires of the believer a more pure faith. When we speak of the Triune God, then, we must understand the Lord Jesus Christ as having existed as the Word of God describes Him. His existence is described in the use of this phrase `ε̉ν ảrcη [en arxe], which identifies Him with God, the Trinity, Who had no beginning, but has always existed throughout eternity.

This quote should help us in our understanding the message conveyed by ẻν ảrcη:

Consequently, even in the time of Theophylact it was argued that this clause only asserts that the Logos was older than Adam. But this is to overlook the eν. The Logos did not then begin to be, but at that point at which all else began to be, He already was. In the beginning, place it where you may, the Word already existed. In other words, the Logos is before time, Eternal. (W. Robertson Nicoll: The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Hendrickson Publishers, January 2002), Vol. I. p.683).

But wait! Something’s missing! Did you notice? Let’s go back to the beginning of our study of the beginnings. Turn to the beginning of this chapter and find the key passages. There it is! There are two passages cited as our main references; John 1:1 and Genesis 1:1. Without some knowledge of the original languages (ie. Greek and Hebrew), we are at a disadvantage in the study of God’s Word. Hence, we have certain people who are led by God to search the scriptures and go to great lengths in its understanding. For instance, both the Greek of the New Testament and the Hebrew of the Old Testament appears without the definite article.

In the same sense, the Greek aỉwν [aion] describes the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:20; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Peter 5:10; 1 John 5:20). This word is translated as: eternal, or eternity, and means existence without beginning or end; endless duration. It includes: the endlessness following death (Deuteronomy 33:27; Isaiah 57:15; Romans 1:19–20; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 5:10). And, apart from the use of the word for eternity, the Word makes other obvious statements of His eternal existence (see Hebrews 13:8; John 8:24, 58; Exodus 3:14). There can be no doubt in the thinking person that the one we consider as the second person of the Trinity is none other than God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with the same existence from eternity past as the Trinity itself (see chapters 5 & 6).

Was the Word

The Greek: h̉ν ὁ logoς [ayn ho logos] tells us that He is the Word. The Greek word for word (logoς) means far more than mere speech. This word from the Greek encompasses the expression of thought as it totally embodies the very being of the originator. This word, then, endorses the totality of Who and what God is, from His eternal being, e.g., His perfection, holiness, foreknowledge, love, mercy, grace, and every thought He considers for the good of those of His created beings, throughout the entirety of eternal life in His grace. The Word balances everything in the mind of God toward His eternal purpose for the entire universe. Nothing in the ultimate plan of God, down to the flight of the sparrow or the number of the hairs on our heads, escapes the all-encompassing attention of our infinite God and all that issues from His infinite mind, to be expressed by His Word, our Lord Jesus Christ.

And the Word was with God

Here, our Lord Jesus Christ is described, throughout eternity past, as being with God in the most intimate union of joy, fellowship, and family that could only be experienced in an eternal sense. Never before in the history of the universe had the great Godhead been separated until Christ volunteered to leave it (Hebrews 10:1–10), coming to earth in His unique being, and doing a work that only He could do (Philippians 2:5–8). His bone-chilling loneliness as He hung on the cross, rejected by His Father and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 27:46) and by all of the human race (Isaiah 53:1–9), remains throughout history as the greatest contrast to the absolute fellowship that He, the Father, and the Holy Spirit enjoyed throughout eternity past. The human mind cannot fathom the intensity of the suffering and loneliness our Lord endured from and the Word was with God (John 1:1) to and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).

And the Word was God

No more explicit phrase may be found anywhere than this statement of exactly Who the Lord Jesus Christ is. But lest we take it upon ourselves to interpret the scriptures for our own ends and change its precise meaning, let’s look at this phrase in the Greek: kaι qeoς ἠν ὁ logoς [kai theos ayn ho logos]. These words are exactly as they appear in the original language of the New Testament and are properly translated and the Word was God. Literally, as the words appear in this text, they read: and God was the word. The reason it is necessary to examine this extremely important phrase from its original language is because there are those who, because they do not believe in the deity of Christ, but that He is simply a created angel, or a great teacher, have chosen to pollute what the scripture pointedly says about Him. The New World Bible, has made this phrase to read; and the word was a god. This cult has inserted the indefinite article (a) into the text of scripture, when the absence of the article, as with qeoς, is to be understood in Greek as with English. In this case the definite article is used with word which makes it impossible to associate the indefinite article within the phrase. It is the definite article (the) that is inferred. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are suggesting that Christ is one of many angels or deities, or they have adopted the current New Age thinking that exalts the human race to the place of our becoming gods by a process of evolution. At any rate, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have attempted, in their false translation of the scriptures, to strip Christ of His Deity.

Let us notice now our translation from the wording we find in the Greek. This phrase kaι qeoς ἠν ὁ logoς says, literally, and God was the Word (capital letters used for translation). It cannot be missed that this Logos / Word we have been considering is God. It is not a god, and it cannot be any other than the one whom John is introducing, namely our Lord Jesus Christ himself (John 1:14). There is no way, if we are to be honest with the text of scripture as we study it, that we can miss the identity of Christ in John’s presentation of Him throughout John 1:1–20, even though he does not specifically use the Lord’s name. Nor can we miss the fact that the apostle John is presenting Him in His full and rightful deity in this passage. There can be no doubt about it – the Lord Jesus Christ is God, the second person of the Trinity, and shares every infinite attribute with God the Trinity as the Word of God describes. (John 1:1, 1:14, 10:30, 18:1–9, 20:26, 8: 24, 58; Exodus 3:14; Matthew 1:23; Acts 9:20; Philippians 2:6; Titus 2:13; James 2:1; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6–7)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Here are the wonderful words from John that ties his thoughts together. It is these words which bring to us of the human race that close harmony between our faith and the matchless grace of God. It is this one, from John 1:1, Who was in the eternal beginning, Who was with God, Who was the Word, and Who was God, Who has come from infinite existence with the Godhead (Colossians 2:9) to this earth to become one with the human race (Philippians 2:5–8; 1 Timothy 3:16). It is this one Who, having no beginning, has created the entire universe (John 1:2–3; Colossians 1:15–17), and has chosen to leave all this behind to come to earth (Hebrews 10:1–10). Why? Because we needed Him! We couldn’t do it ourselves, and would have been eternally lost, condemned, had He not made the decision He did. And here we see His grace of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

Key of the Only Begotten

How can we know that this correlation is of our Lord Jesus Christ? John uses a key phrase which can be used to identify Christ alone – the Only Begotten. The normal person may assign this phrase to our Lord’s birth as the only begotten of the Father (John 1:14, 18, 3:16, 18). The phrase is used of our Lord, however, in a much different way. Any time we see the words only begotten used of Christ, the reference is to His resurrection! Let’s analyze this statement. God makes an unmistakable reference to His Son, pointing to His resurrection from the dead (Acts 13:33). Then He compares His resurrected Son to the words of the Psalmist: You are My Son, Today I have begotten You (Psalm 2:7). This statement in the Psalms orients us to the one Who is begotten by God (Psalm 2:7) to the one He has raised from the dead (Acts 13:33). The phrase: the only begotten, then refers only to our resurrected Lord and no one else.

All for Us

He came to this earth to provide the salvation that would redeem the world of humans, giving all who believe in Him as Savior, everlasting life. All that is given by God’s grace is provided through the Word, which is Christ.

1. Unqualified, unlimited salvation is provided in Christ (John 3:16–18, 36; Romans 8:1).

2. Christ has come as the light of the human race (John 1:4–5, 12:46).

3. His entire ministry for us is through His Word (John 5:24, 12:47–48; James 1:18, 21).

4. He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25–26, 14:6).

5. There is no other way to everlasting life (Acts 4:12; Hebrews 10:18, 26).

6. Our salvation is through faith only, no works involved (John 3:16–18; Romans 4:3–5; Acts 16:31; Galatians 3:26–29; Ephesians 2:5, 7–9; Titus 3:5).

7. All are invited (1 Timothy 2:3–4; 2 Peter 3:9).

8. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in His human form, is the only one of the universe capable of providing salvation for the entire human race (1 Timothy 1:15; Hebrews 7:25–27).

The Beginning From Our Key Passage - Genesis 1:1

The Bible tells us that: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and that all of the universe was framed (created) by the Word of God (Hebrews 11:3). The chart begins on just this note, with the clear circle representing the perfect earth. Verse one states that God created the heavens and the earth. Immediately following this statement, however, are the words that indicate it was formless and void. The Hebrew: [tohu vabohu], or, a chaotic dump; a total shambles in complete disarray, empty as a vacuum and lifeless, with no ability to support life. It is a matter of evidence, however, that God did not create the earth in disorder, contrary to the way many believers read and interpret Genesis 1:1–2. In verse 2, the rendering of our English word was is the Hebrew word: [hayah]. This Hebrew word is found in the Old Testament about 3,540 times, about half appearing as was and half as became. The primary meaning of this word is given as become (William Gesinius: A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Oxford, p.217). If we read verse two now, as saying that the earth became formless, and void, we begin to see that something happened in eternity past to cause a cataclysmic destruction of the earth after it was originally created by God. This study will approach the creation account from this premise. When, in eternity past, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), He created everything perfect, with His earth a pristine, perfect paradise capable of sustaining life (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Isaiah 45:18). The account that is supported by science is that something happened in the timeless past that brought forth a cataclysmic destruction of earth. This, then, is in accord with what the Bible implies from the wording of this account. The question may be asked; Then what was it like before? Good question! The earth was not, from the beginning, formless and void. It was not a place of emptiness and darkness, without life, in a chaotic state, and locked in the grip of a covering of ice. It was perfect, and the reflection of the infinite perfection of the one Who created it. Not only did it have a perfect atmosphere, perfect temperature, perfect life support in vegetation; it was also teaming with life and blossoming with beauty beyond imagination. More of this information may be gathered from chapter 10.

The Creator

Before we go farther in our study of creation, let’s examine what God’s Word says about the creator. Exactly how were the heavens and the earth created, and by Whom? Most would agree that it was God, as our key passage discloses, the Hebrew word [Elohim] representing the one responsible for this wonderful event. As we look further into the subject, we find that it was the second person of the Trinity Who did the actual work of the creation of the universe (Colossians 1:15–17; Hebrew 1:2–3). We find no discrepancy, however, as we notice the ending [eem], or the word’s plural, which includes all three-in-one. Let’s look at our subject material from the beginning and be introduced to our Lord Jesus Christ from the perspective of exactly who He is.

God’s Original Creation

Let’s look first at what God’s Word says concerning His original creation of earth. Notice the circle on the chart representing the created earth. In the center is the title; Perfect Earth. The description of exactly how God created the earth follows in the verses listed underneath. Let’s look at them.

Job 38:4-7: Here we see the picture of meticulous planning, as God describes His use of measurements, line, foundations, etc. This is the picture of a carefully planned, methodically executed, step-by-step construction project, the same as would describe a contractor who builds a beautiful building. Terms such as these would not be used to describe a dump, or shambles.

Isaiah 45:18: This passage is special. It takes the statement of Genesis 1:2 and totally contradicts the notion that the earth was originally created without form, and void, and explains exactly what we have been discussing. God created the earth as a place of pristine beauty, able to be inhabited, and perfect in all its glory.

What Happened?

If this is the description of God’s original creation, then what could have caused all of it to become without form, and void? Certainly, something of stupendous magnitude. As we begin to study what the Word of God reveals concerning the beginnings of the earth, we must realize that there are just about as many theories with any phase of this study as there are theorists, including those who appear among our revered scientists. As we embark on this course of study, let’s realize, first and foremost, that we are examining what the Word of God says about it, with a view to harmonizing it with science, if possible.

Beginning of Earth

To properly understand what all believers in Christ should know as the Word of God presents the beginnings of all things, we must first realize that since God is the creator, then His acts of creation must be studied weighing both scientific and Biblical Truths. Let’s look at the conclusion to the first chapter of John C. Whitcomb’s book: The World that Perished, as he studies out the Great Flood:

"If the basic supernaturalism of the flood, as set forth in these various passages of scripture, is to be taken seriously by the Evangelical Christian, he must to that extent part company with the standard approach of historical geologists of this world-wide catastrophe, and seek to explain the earth’s geologic and paleontologic features in terms of the uniformist principle" (See: 2 Peter 3:3-6).

There is no way we can examine such subjects as the great flood or the events that occurred in earth’s beginnings without giving fair evaluation to what the Word of God says, along with the abandonment of the Darwinian supposition of Uniformitarianism, or straight-through evolutionary process.

Another first premise we must be aware of is that God does not create frivolously. When He brings something into being by His infinite wisdom, power, and purpose, He does not create it without form and void. What He creates can be caused to become in this condition, but He does not originally create it as such, as we have explained earlier in this study (Isaiah 45:18).

The Beginnings from the Evidence of God’s Word

As we now regard our study and examine the evidence we have accumulated, let’s look at a picture of what we may glean from God’s Word to understand a logical progression of earth’s beginnings:

1. God created, in perfect unity and harmony, a wondrous universe of beauty and balance, with all He placed on earth, that would support and maintain life (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 45:18).

2. The creation account is given the specific word in Hebrew which cites true creation, or the act of causing matter to appear from nothing. The word [bara] means to create from nothing (Genesis 1:27). This word is opposed to [asah], to make or form something from existing materials (Genesis 1:26).

3. An event occurred in eternity past that caused the earth to lose its prior beauty and which plunged it into a total cataclysmic ruin, where it lost all its ability to support life, being encased in a death grip of ice and darkness (Genesis 1:2).

4. This event of eternity past may be understood from the account of the destruction caused by the chart’s winged figure representing the greatest angel ever created by God, given the name Lucifer, and cited by four scripture references (Ezekiel 28:12–19; Isaiah 14:12–20; Luke 10:18; and Revelation 12:4). This event is covered in more detail in chapter 7.

5. Following this great destruction, God began to restore earth by giving it back its ability to support life (Genesis 1:2). The movement of the Holy Spirit upon the waters (or ice, when He first began His work) means that the life-giver slowly began to restore the earth’s ability to support life by introducing prehistoric, supernatural heat and light – sun and moon yet future (Genesis 1:3–19).

6. The work of God following the Holy Spirit’s movement over the waters is given in Genesis 1:3–2:6, considered as His re-creation of earth, where He meticulously nurtured this newly rejuvenated planet to again bring forth life in His re-creation account.

7. The account of re-creation in Genesis 1:3–2:6 gives us a fascinating look at the days as the increments of God’s work in this passage are described. The word day is translated from the Hebrew word [yom], which is used for day, but has a much wider meaning. It can, and often is, used to represent much longer periods of time than a 24-hour day. The word essentially means: a period of time with a beginning and an ending. It can represent a minute or a vast period such as an aeon, and could span a million or billion years. The word represents what our English would call an age. There are numerous instances in scripture where day does not represent a 24-hour period, as in Day of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:2, et al).

8. The six days of re-creation, then, may represent six time spans, or ages, where God, through natural processes, brought forth His intended design for the replenishment of earth, in ages that began and ended in His natural way, which would not violate any of science’s theories.

9. As a sign of the re-creation of God having taken six time periods, it is said that He rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1–2). This Rest of God was not because He was tired, but He ended His work which He had done, which means that His rest was the cessation of His creation, and the establishment of the first law of thermodynamics. He is presently still at rest from His creation (He is no longer creating.)

10. These days of creation, however, are not to limit God in any way. If He had intended it, there is no reason we may not ascribe to His creation six 24-hour days, as He is perfectly capable to have done what He did on earth in just that length of time (2 Peter 3:8).

11. With the plunge of Lucifer, who became Satan the Devil, nothing but animosity existed between him and the two created humans. He retaliated by seducing Eve and causing the fall so that he could regain control of earth, becoming quite successful (2 Corinthians 11:3, 4:4; Ephesians 2:2).

12. The fall moved the earth from God’s perfect will into His permissive will, as represented by the timeline on the chart. Notice that earth was created in God’s perfect will, was destroyed and plunged into His permissive will, was re-created into perfect will, then again plunged into permissive will at the fall. The remaining timeline, then, is represented as being in His permissive will. This does not mean that we, as believers, are restricted to His permissive will, as each individual believer can fit into God’s perfect will for our lives as we allow Him to work in us (Ephesians 2:10).

13. The ultimate plan of God does not leave His creation in permissive will, however, as we may see by observing the end of the chart. When all is completed, the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21:1) will elevate His creation to His perfect will again for eternity, culminating in His ultimate will, the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1).

The Appearance of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Re-Creation

As creation becomes a reality in the distant past, we notice that it is God Who is the true author of the entire plan. The first issue we must face is how God addresses Himself during all that transpired (Genesis 1–2). We have seen that the word used in Hebrew for God is Elohim, the ending designating a plurality, which tells us that the one God in three persons (the Trinity) is the initiator of all of creation. As we consider this, then, we see that all three, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are involved in the creation of the heavens and the earth. An interesting change takes place, however, when we begin reading at Genesis 2:4. The name of God becomes LORD God. Added to Elohim here is [YHWH] (pronounced Yahweh, as nearly as scholars can determine). This new word is unique and has special significance (see chapter 6). This change in the way that God represents Himself significantly takes place as He begins to deal with the newly created human race in Adam and Eve. The significance is brought home to us as we understand that the term Yahweh is equivalent to our LORD Jesus Christ, and every time we see the word LORD spelled with all caps in the Old Testament, as here, it is referring to Christ. This is God’s way of relating (in His foreknowledge) His ultimate work of redemption for the human race (Genesis 3:15).

Creation Specifics of the Human Race

Let’s now look at our text, as God creates the first human. Genesis 2:7 says: And the LORD God formed man of the dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being. When we come to the phrase the breath of life, we must look at the words differently than what appears in our English translation. The word life is the Hebrew [khay], meaning: life, something alive. But the way the word appears in the text is [khay’im], the [im (eem)] at the end of the word representing plurality, just as we add an s to pluralize an English word. We can more correctly, then, read this verse as saying that God breathed into Adam’s nostrils, the breath of lives. In other words, the original creation of the human race incorporated two lives within Adam: that of soul life, which is our inner being, or life itself (as the word is often translated), and that of spirit life. What this means is that God created in the first humans both soul and spirit life, which means that Adam and Eve were created in fellowship, or in direct communication with God. This is exactly the position that we, as believers of the dispensation of grace, arrive at when we claim 1 John 1:9 and move from carnality into fellowship with God.

The thought of this plurality of the word ‘life’ is further amplified by the text as we consider another verse, e.g., Genesis 2:17. Instead of reading: for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die, the Hebrew words for surely die are [mooth ta’mooth], or dying to die. We would amplify on the translation by reading dying, you shall surely die, which points back to our consideration in verse 7 of more than one life. Adam and Eve possessed spiritual life along with their physical, or soul life. In order to die physically, the first humans had to first die spiritually. This truth comes to us from the New Testament (Romans 6:23), where it describes physical death as the result of sin.

There are two additional passages of scripture we must look at in relation to this subject.

The Plurality of the Godhead

In Genesis 1:26–27 we are presented a combination of ideas in such a way that only the Holy Spirit could present them. God is one. He is, however, in three persons, referred to as the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit). The plurality we have been discussing as being created in Adam and Eve is seen as we see, in verse 26, that God made man in our image. The Image of God is Spirit (John 4:23-24), and spiritual life created in Adam and Eve means that they were created in His Spiritual Image. The inner life of God is spiritual life, and the inner life of humans is soul life, or consciousness of our surroundings and environment. To be created in God’s image means that the first humans were created with active spiritual life, (sinless), which gave them the ability to have fellowship with God and openly communicate with Him, as He communicated with them.

Now, the plurality that God ascribes to Himself in verse 26 is abandoned in verse 27, where He refers to Himself in the singular. Not only does God not contradict Himself in these two verses, He teaches us the profound truth that He is The One in Three. What a marvelous description of God and His plurality as He identifies Himself with our plurality of lives.

The Plurality of Christ’s Death

One other Reference in scripture carries this same thought. In Isaiah 53:9, death is a pluralized Hebrew word, representing the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ, in His death on the cross, died twice. Because He was sinlessly perfect, His first death was as Adam and Eve – Spiritual (Isaiah 53:9); however, God does not let us miss the fact that He did not die for His own sins (Isaiah 53:9, 12), but for ours (Isaiah 53:4–6, 11–12). He died for the sins of the world in His spiritual death, not in His physical death, although this was definitely part of it. He had not yet died physically (John 19:30) when He said the words: It is finished but died physically afterwards, where the narrative reads: And He bowed His Head and gave up His Spirit. The deaths of our Lord were unique, as He is the only one Who died while in the sinless state (1 Peter 2:21–22), then died physically due to His having released His soul and spirit into the care of His Father (John 19:30). He did not die by the hand of men (John 10:18), but when it was time, e.g., when He had finished His work on the cross for our sins, He voluntarily turned his life over to God the Father (John 19:30). These, then, are the two deaths of Christ on the cross, as referenced by Isaiah.

Formation of the First Humans

One other issue we must examine while we are in the study of God’s creation of the human race. Please read again our two verses of scripture that describe man’s beginning (Genesis 1:26–27). Recall that we discussed these two verses above. The two words in Hebrew, create (barah) and make (asah) were explained, and we found that the word for making something from existing materials (asah) was used (Genesis 1:26), and to create from nothing was also used (Genesis 1:27). Both concepts were part of God’s original establishment of the human race. God’s forming the first human from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7 - asah) is the account of His having used the elements of earth to form the human body. The account of the uniquely created human as he was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) – barah, is equivalent to our doctrine of fellowship (1 John 1:9). The first humans were created in the spiritual image of God and capable of perfect communication with Him and He with them.

Application

The fact, then, that the first humans were created with both spiritual and soul life having been breathed into their nostrils by God is demonstrated by the construction of the original language in the plurality of the words for life and death. As we consider such truth for our lives of the present, as believers in the dispensation of the grace of God, we should be able to find a more secure basis for our understanding of our own spirituality. The fact that we can lose our fellowship with God through sin and be restored to fellowship by claiming 1 John 1:9 identifies with how real our spirituality is, and how decisive our positions before God can be as we live before Him. This study should also awaken us to the positive act performed when a person believes in Christ, as the Holy Spirit, through regeneration, gives us new birth, at which instant our human spirit is given life. Praise our great God for His care for us!

Prehistoric Beginnings

Now that we have discussed God’s creation of the first two humans, let us pursue the issue of seemingly irrefutable evidence we observe in the recent discoveries of science. There is no doubt that human-like creatures could have roamed the earth for as many millions of years as science is wont to propose. As to true humans, however, we must refer to the book of Genesis. No prehistoric human-like creature ever had the trichotomic structure we find in true humans, as God created them in the Genesis account. As a side note: Some years ago I noticed a small article in the Rocky Mountain News, which to this day, I regret that I did not cut out and retain. The article cited a DNA study of the Neanderthal Man. It mentioned that this study revealed the prehistoric skull to have no human identity. Any prehistoric human-like creature would then be classified with the animal kingdom, not human.

Contemporary Note

The study of what the Word of God says about beginnings, considers all things as created by God. There is, however, a concept of beginnings that continues throughout history, and becomes the ever-continuing process of change, where conquest and movement of armies causes irreversible change in history.

The Divine Decrees of God

In the 1960’s, during the heyday of the hippies, the main cry from university campuses over this entire nation was: Down with the establishment. The main issue with students at that time was a rebellion against the older generation: Trust no one over 30. Their main concern was with the governments of the world, and the governmental controls over their lives. They felt that everything and everyone who was older was against them, and they attempted to break out of the systems and establishments to seek their own brand of freedom. They lived in communes, did what felt good, tripped out on drugs (significantly LSD) promoted sex outside of marriage, did not recognize law in any form, and generally became a degenerative, disillusioned, and diseased generation, both physically and mentally. Their legacy was a Godless, broken society of derelicts, except in the instances where God became a part of the lives of some of them. This lesson concerning God’s establishments is designed to explain that God, Himself, is the author of the four basic establishments that govern all of human life on earth, namely, Volition, Marriage, Family, and Nationalism. The chart shows the four divine establishments under the dispensation of conscience. Our understanding of these four established bases, for everything that gives us freedom, is vital to our abilities to live our lives for God. The establishments of God are basic, also, for our complete understanding of certain concepts of scripture, and can help us to live our lives for Him even when the systems around us seem to be falling apart, when we see lawlessness descending around us, and when our government becomes corrupt from the President on down. The establishments of God are our true path to freedom. The four establishments of God are considered below:

Volition

Volition is defined as: The act or faculty of willing, exercise of the will, the termination of reasoning or uncertainty by a decision. The concept, as stated by Paul in Romans 7:18 in his use of the word for will qelω [thelo], for to will is present with me leaves no doubt that we are beings of choice, and God has placed within us, one of His greatest gifts – the right to choose, or volition. From our very birth, God has placed in every human being this aspect of our being, and that which makes us independently thinking beings, with the right to choose, in any matter, as we desire. qelω means: to exercise the will, be willing, to choose. This great gift of God provides each of us the opportunity to analyze a matter and to decide which way we wish to go, whether to say yes or no in all matters, even those having to do with Him.

Volition began with the angels. Through our study of God’s Word, we find that angels in eternity past, had the right to choose (Hebrews 2:2). They made their greatest choice in regard to whether to continue with God or to follow Lucifer in eternity past (Ezekiel 28:16; Revelation 12:4). It is obvious that a decision was made that resulted in one-third of the angels of God being cast out of heaven with Lucifer when he became the Devil/Satan (Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:4).

We also see that volition played the vital role with the two first humans when their wills were challenged between God and the serpent (Genesis 3:1–6). These examples, and those of human beings since then, have shown us that God does not interfere in our decisions. His method is the most wonderful security we have, as He has provided each of us with that attribute of our souls called intelligence. He has given us all the information we need to make proper decisions, and in our own time we have more information than ever before concerning His Word and the multitudes of discoveries from the sciences and from archaeology that should convince us of Him. Certainly, there can be no excuse for unbelief when we have the Holy Spirit, Who makes the way very clear (John 16:7–15; Romans 1:18–20).

This method of God is not seen simply with humans and their volition. He has created everything and set His creation under established physical laws, with which He does not interfere (Genesis 2:1–3).

Marriage

The commitment of marriage in human life was originally ordained of God and remains the most sacred and binding union on earth. In the beginning of the human race, God, in His infinite wisdom, brought the first two humans of His creation together in this union, establishing His second divine decree (Genesis 2:24). The establishment of marriage is so much a part of His perfect will for humans, that He has never changed anything about it. It is repeated in Matthew 19:5, and then the words of verse 6 are added, which demonstrate His determination that marriage never be dissolved. He makes this permanent aspect of marriage quite clear as He states His mind in the Old Testament (Malachi 2:14–16).

The interesting aspect of God’s formation of marriage is His uniting of two people into ‘one’. He has intended, throughout the lives of two individuals, that in their marriage of youth (Proverbs 5:18; Ecclesiastes 9:9), they become one flesh (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5). To divide the marriage means to split something apart that God has seen in eternity past as ‘one whole’. Each person of the union may be considered to be one-half complete, or half the person He intended. Regardless of the reasoning behind dissolution of a marriage commitment, it destroys the picture He has created in this sacred union.

The true picture God has formed in the physical marriage union, is a spiritual reality that portrays His spiritual teaching in the doctrine of salvation. When God led us to His Son (John 6:44) and we believed, a bond was formed between Him and us, that cannot be broken. We were born into His family and became His children (John 1:12). Nothing can dissolve this spiritual union, just as nothing should dissolve the physical union of marriage. This Truth is amplified in the teaching of the entire passage of (Ephesians 5:22–33), where Paul presents the subject of the sacred marriage union and summarizes this physical commitment with the words: This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32). In these words, He draws a parallel between marriage and salvation. Just as we cannot lose our salvation, we must not dissolve our marriage.

Family

What is formed of the marriage between two people making them ‘one’ in God’s sight? It is the family that He creates out of this one flesh. Those children born of this sacred union are the reflection of both parents, their individual natures being the combination of both, who have become ‘one’ in God’s sight. The progeny God has produced can never be considered as that of just one of the parents, but are from both, and here we have the reflection of that sacred union of one.

Nothing in God’s Word considers the consequences formed in the minds of children who are the victims of divorce, because it is so unheard of to God’s purpose, that it should never have become as prevalent as it has in today’s world. There is no consideration for single parent families in the Word of God. This does not mean that He has abandoned anyone who is thrust into single parenthood, possibly through circumstances not controllable. God is still faithful to His Word and available through belief to all. The answer to any dilemma is, of course, for the believer to gain the knowledge of the Word of God and to move on from there in obedience to His will for the life and the family.

Nationalism

The fourth Divine Decree, directed by God, is that of nationalism. God has established the separation of nations as the only means for the stability of the world’s population. The efforts of the original Babylonian kingdom to draw all the earth’s inhabitants together and to form one kingdom, was thwarted by God (Genesis 11:1–9). It was never His intention that all the earth’s population be one, and this will never change. The tribulation, which will be governed by Satan and his minions, the antichrist and false prophet, will be distinctive due to the joining of all nations into ‘one power.’ The one-world religion, one-world economic system, and one-world government will be the product, not of God, but of the very forces of evil that seek to destroy Him and the creation He has established.

Note: (This following discussion is added to this Lesson by Joni Foster after the passing of her husband Jim.) The Bible mentions these one-world positions, as Jim mentioned above, in Revelation 13; however, they often seem to be overlooked for the most part