Land Before Time

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2 KJV)

Before I start, I would like to openly admit that my thoughts in this article may involve a great deal of sheer speculation. However, I think by the end of this short article the reader will agree that something very true is still perceived. Also, some of this material may have been covered in my previously published article “Voice in the Wilderness”. Notwithstanding, here we go…

I have often pondered and had a very real problem with the idea of the Earth being pictured as void at the start of scripture. That is not to say that the environmental groups and political groups do not even at present warn us that the Earth is likely to become a void planet if we do not correct our pollution driven ways. Yet, beyond such green Earth hoaxes, we understand clearly that God made everything (see John 1:3) and God makes good things. So, why in the world would we get our first glimpse of Earth as something void? Not something that had not yet been created, but actually in existence and void. Even more curious, apparently outside of time similar to a swimmer that has not yet entered the pool, yet there in existence, void, and the Spirit of God moving upon it’s waters.

Some have put together very convincing gap theories of an enormous time span between this verse and the next. If there is such an expanse, logic would place this on the other side of this verse between it and the previous verse. The underlying mystery is what happened to this planet such that it is now in a void state? A quick flashback… “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.” (Genesis 9:11 KJV) “…any more…” (KJV, ASV, YLT) “…never again…” (ESV, NIV) We know this was the last time a flood was to occur over the entire Earth. Had there been a previous one? The task for day two of creation was separating the waters that currently covered the surface of the Earth. These were also the same waters that the Spirit of God was moving upon. Again, the big question surfaces… What happened on Earth such that it is in a void state?

This is were the imagination can run unchecked. Rather than run completely unhinged, let us consider a few particulars. I have no doubt that whatever was was made by God (see again John 1:3). It would clearly be outside of time. Thus when attempting to measure possibilities by measurements which have a time factor dating system, such as the methods science uses today, the numbers would be unrealistically large because they would have no correlation to our current time continuum. Time measured as we know it with planetary orbits and solar orbits and other celestial bodies would be irrelevant as none of these had yet been created. Even atomic half lives would be grossly inaccurate if time itself had either not yet begun or at least began without a measurable cycle that we can relate to at present. So, what is the big secret? What happened that was completely wiped out (or self destructed) that God would begin His first measurable day with a command to “…Let there be light.” (verse 3)? Notice that He did not create light with this command, but commanded an allowance for it in an otherwise void place.

Now some of you may begin to see the huge correlation here. How many of us found ourselves as nothing more than a void world when we turned our lives over to Christ? If confessing our sins is a prerequisite, then the answer should be all of us (see 1 John 1:9). The story we receive in scripture about our Earth has a very similar starting point to each of our individual worlds. Jesus literally is the beginning (see Revelation 22:13). Each of our lives may have had a very long dark ugly history or they may have had a wild carefree history, but until we are reborn into His kingdom it is irrelevant history. There is nothing we have done before Christ that really matters. There is nothing we can do outside of Christ that will ever produce eternal fruit. We are an example of that world that He found void. We confess as such and then submit to the recreation process that God provides. Once God beings in our lives, we experience a growing and developing in Him one day and one layer at a time. Each layer with additional complexities. Each layer with more possibilities. Yet completely and immediately changed forever truly born again (see also John 3:3).

Not only was there a literal seven day creation (the seventh being a day of rest), but God modeled with this very Earth what He is doing with the creatures that He created from that Earth. Would this also give us a glimpse of the new Earth? Even a really small one? And you thought this was going to be entirely speculation. 🙂

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” (Psalms 98:4 KJV)

2 Responses to Land Before Time

  1. mark beneze says:

    good thoughts. those first few verses in the Bible are fascinating to me. opens up the thinking process to how great God is.
    Always has a plan.

  2. Henry Lamb says:

    Hi Jeff thanks for the information

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