Creation

It was made by Allah. Created by Allah. Allah willed it into existence with a single word. He says, "Be," and it is.

[The Qur'an provides little detail as regards creation.]

The Quran and Cosmology

AT the time the Holy Quran was revealed, the human understanding of the nature of the cosmos and the movement or the stillness of the heavenly bodies was extremely primitive and obscure. This is no longer the case, as our knowledge of the universe has considerably advanced and expanded by the present age.

Some of the theories relating to the creation of the universe have been verified as facts, whereas some others are still being explored. The concept of the expanding universe belongs to the former category, and has been universally accepted by the scientific community as 'fact'. This discovery was first made by Edwin Hubble in the 1920s. Yet some thirteen centuries before this, it was clearly mentioned in the Quran:

And the heaven We built with Our own powers (aydin) and indeed We go on expanding it (musi'un).1

It should be remembered that the concept of the continuous expansion of the universe is exclusive to the Quran. No other Divine scriptures even remotely hint at it. The discovery that the universe is constantly expanding is of prime significance to scientists, because it helps create a better understanding of how the universe was initially created. It clearly explains the stage by stage process of creation, in a manner which perfectly falls into step with the theory of the Big Bang. The Quran goes further and describes the entire cycle of the beginning, the end and the return again to a similar beginning. The first step of creation as related in the Quran accurately describes the event of the Big Bang in the following words:

Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were a closed-up mass (ratqan), then We clove them asunder (fataqna)? And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?2

It is significant that this verse is specifically addressed to non-believers, implying perhaps, that the unveiling of the secret mentioned in this verse would be made by the non-believers, a sign for them of the truth of the Quran.

In this verse the words ratqan (closed-up mass), and fataqna (We clove them asunder), carry the basic message of the whole verse. Authentic Arabic lexicons3 give two meanings of ratqan, that have great relevance to the topic under discussion. One meaning is 'the coming together of something and the consequent infusion into a single entity' and the second meaning is 'total darkness'. Both these meanings are significantly applicable. Taken together, they offer an apt description of the singularity of a black hole.

BLACK HOLE is a gravitationally collapsed mass of colossal size. It begins with the collapse of such massive stars as are 15 or more times the size of the sun. The immensity of their inward gravitational pull causes the stars to collapse into a much smaller size. The gravitational pull is further concentrated and results in the further collapse of the entire mass into a supernova. At this stage the basic bricks of matter such as molecules, atoms etc. begin to be crushed into a nondescript mass of energy. Thus that moment in space-time is created which is called event horizon. The inward gravitational pull of that something becomes so powerful that all forms of radiation are pulled back so that even light cannot escape. A resultant total darkness ensues which earns it the name black hole, reminding one of the word ratqan used by the Quran indicating total darkness. This is called singularity which lies beyond the event horizon.

A black hole once created grows rapidly because even distant stars begin to be pulled in with the progressive concentration of gravitational energy. It is estimated that the mass of a black hole could grow as large as a hundred million times the mass of the sun. As its gravitational field widens, more material from space is drawn in at a speed close to that of light. In 1997 there was observational evidence suggesting that in our galaxy a black hole of 2,000,000 solar masses existed. But other calculations show that in our universe there could be many black holes as big as 3,000,000,000 solar masses.4 At that concentration of gravitational pull even distant stars would stagger and lose their mooring to be devoured by a glutton of such magnitude. Thus the process of ratqan is completed resulting into that singularity which is both completely closed as well as comprising total darkness. In answer to the question as to how the universe was initially created, the two most recent theories are both Big Bang theories. They claim that it was initiated from a singularity which suddenly erupted releasing the trapped mass leading yet again into the creation of a new universe through the event horizon. This dawn of light sprouting from the event horizon is called the white hole5,6. One of the two theories relating to the expansion predicts that the universe thus created will carry on expanding forever. The other claims that the expansion of the universe will, at some time, be reversed because the inward gravitational pull will ultimately prevail. Eventually, all matter will be pulled back again to form perhaps another gigantic black hole. This latter view appears to be supported by the Quran.

Whilst speaking of the first creation of the universe, the Quran clearly describes its ending into yet another black hole, connecting the end to the beginning, thus completing the full circle of the story of cosmos. The Quran declares:

Remember the day when We shall roll up the heavens like the rolling up of written scrolls ...7

Plate 1: The Ultimate Black Hole

(click to enlarge)

The clear message of this verse is that the universe is not eternal. It speaks of a future when the heavens will be rolled up, in a manner similar to the rolling up of a scroll. Scientific descriptions illustrating the making of a black hole, very closely resemble what the Quran describes in the above verse. (See plate 1).

A mass of accretion from space falling into a black hole, as described above, would be pressed into a sheet under the enormous pressure created by the gravitational and electromagnetic forces. As the centre of the black hole is constantly revolving around itself, this sheet-as it approaches-will begin to be wrapped around it, before disappearing into the realm of the unknown at last.

The verse continues:

... As We began the first creation, so shall We repeat it; a promise binding on Us; that We shall certainly fulfil.7

Plate 2: The Emergent Universe

(click to enlarge)

Following the eventual collapse of the universe into a black hole, here we have the promise of a new beginning. God will recreate the universe, as He had done before. The collapsed universe will re-emerge from its darkness and the whole process of creation will start yet again (see plate 2). This wrapping up and unfolding of the universe appears to be an ongoing phenomenon, according to the Holy Quran.

This Quranic concept of the beginning and the end of the creation is undoubtedly extraordinary. It would not have been less amazing if it had been revealed to a highly educated person of our contemporary age, but one is wonder-struck by the fact that this most advanced knowledge, regarding the perpetually repeating phenomenon of creation, was revealed more than fourteen hundred years ago to an unlettered dweller of the Arabian desert.

he Quran and the Heavenly Bodies

Now we turn to another aspect of the description of the cosmos which relates to the motion of the heavenly bodies. The most striking feature of this description relates to the way the motion of the earth is described without glaringly contradicting the popular view prevailing in that age. All the scholars and sages of that time were unanimous in their belief that the earth is stationary while other heavenly bodies like the sun and the moon are constantly revolving around it. In view of this, the motion of the earth as described by the Quran may not be apparent to the casual reader, but to a careful student the message is loud and clear. If the Quran had described the earth as stationary and the heavenly bodies as revolving around it, then although the people of that time might have been satisfied with this description, the people of the later ages would have treated that statement as a proof of the ignorance of the Quran's author. Such a statement, they would emphasize, could not have been made by an All-Knowing, Supreme Being.

Rather than literally comparing the motion of the earth to that of other heavenly bodies, the Quran makes the following statement:

The mountains that you see, you think they are stationary while they are constantly floating like the floating of clouds. Such is the work of Allah Who made everything firm and strong...8

If the mountains are declared to be in constant motion, then the only logical inference to be drawn from this would be that the earth is also rotating along with them. But thanks to the masterly language of the Quran this observation went unnoticed. They had the impression, shared with the rest of mankind, that the earth was stationary and it was this false impression that was not obtrusively challenged. If they had read with care the end of the same verse they would have been left with no room for any misunderstanding. It ends with a lasting tribute to the creative faculty of God, Who has created all things with such firmness that they cannot be dislodged. Anything which cannot be dislodged can never be catapulted out of the earth, to fly alone, leaving the earth behind.

Again, in many other verses the Quran refers to the mountains as ravasiya which means 'firmly rooted in the earth':

He has created the heavens without any pillars that you can see, and He has placed in the earth firm mountains that it may not quake with you, and He has scattered therein all kinds of creatures; and We have sent down water from the clouds, and caused to grow therein every noble species.9

Also:

And We have made in the earth firm mountains, that they may provide them the living food, and We have made therein wide pathways that they may be rightly guided.10

and,

And He has placed in the earth firm mountains that they may provide you food, and rivers and routes that you may be guided.11

Thus, the Holy Quran exquisitely succeeds in making this revelation in a manner that the prevalent knowledge of that time is not too loudly challenged. It is likely that the people may have believed verse 89 of Surah Al-Naml, referred to a future event associated with Doomsday. But as has been demonstrated, this misinterpretation would be absolutely unacceptable for the following reasons:

1. The verse clearly speaks in the present tense and not in the future tense. The letter ( ) vaow used here can literally be translated as 'while' instead of 'and', so the meaning could be, 'you think the mountains are stationary, while they are moving'. To refer this part of the statement to the future is impermissible.
2. If they, the mountains, were to fly in the future then how could man, even if he were perched at a safe distance on another planet, believe them to be stationary despite watching them flying in space? Hence such a translation is out of the question. Also, to translate this verse to indicate that though humans today consider the mountains to be stationary, they are not so because in future they will fly, would be evidently wrong. If the mountains are stationary today the humans would certainly see them to be stationary. It is not a question of their thinking them to be stationary. The Quran would have said 'You know them to be stationary and so they are but in future they will no longer be so'. This is not what the Quran says at all.
3. At the end of the same verse, a tribute to the firmness of God's creation is the last clinching proof that the mountains, despite flying, are firmly entrenched.

It is noteworthy that the early commentaries maintain silence on the true meaning of this verse which suggests that it was too difficult for them to interpret.

The Holy Quran also pronounces that all heavenly bodies are in a constant state of motion; none of them is stationary:

... everything is gliding along smoothly in itsorbit.12

This all-embracing statement covers the entire universe, our solar system being no exception. In addition to this, there are many other verses which mention the elliptical movement of all the heavenly bodies. But they also speak of their movement towards their destined time of death. Following are some of the verses which cover both subjects:

Allah is He Who raised up the heavens without any pillars that you can see. Then He settled Himself on the Throne. And He pressed the sun and the moon into service. All pursue their course until an appointed time. He regulates it all. He clearly explains the Signs, that you may have a firm belief in the meeting with your Lord.13

Hast thou not seen that Allah makes the night pass into the day, and makes the day pass into the night, and He has pressed the sun and the moon into service; all pursuing their course till an appointed term, and Allah is well aware of what you do?14

He merges the night into the day, and He merges the day into the night. And He has pressed into service the sun and the moon; each one runs its course to an appointed term. Such is Allah, your Lord; His is the kingdom, and those whom you call upon beside Allah own not even a whit.15

He created the heavens and earth in accordance with the requirements of wisdom. He makes the night to cover the day, and He makes the day to cover the night; and He has pressed the sun and the moon into service; each pursues its course until an appointed time. Hearken, it is He alone Who is the Mighty, the Great Forgiver.16

OW we turn to another amazing revelation of the Quran regarding a specific motion of the sun which is mentioned nowhere else. This verse 36:39, pronounces,

And the sun is constantly moving in the direction of its ultimate abode of rest. This is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.17

It clearly speaks of a point in space to be the sun's final resting place. Despite the fact that it is only the sun which is mentioned, the verses which immediately follow bind the entire universe to the movement of the sun in the same specific direction:

And the sun is constantly moving in the direction of its ultimate abode of rest. This is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

And for the moon We have regulated stages until it looks like a thin branch of an old palm tree.

Nor does it behove for the sun to overtake the moon nor for the night to overtake the day ...18

If it were only the sun which was moving in a fixed direction, the verse which follows this statement would not have proclaimed that the sun and the moon strictly maintain their mutual distance; they will never be able to gain or move away from each other, an unchangeable destiny till their appointed time. This clearly shows that in whatever direction the sun is moving, the moon is also moving.

But it is not only the question of the sun and the moon. All the heavenly bodies are described in the Quran as soundlessly floating. Again there are numerous verses in the Quran which describe the heavenly bodies bound together with invisible links. Hence if one of them moves in a direction other than its orbital and elliptical motion, all the other heavenly bodies must also move along to maintain their mutual balance.

And He it is Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon; everything gliding along in orbit.19

It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day. All float in an orbit.20

This is a unique style of the Quran also employed for indicating the movement of the earth upon its axis. The people of the time of both these revelations could not clearly grasp the underlying idea. If the mountains are moving the earth must also move along, but this is not what the people of that age inferred. Nor could they grasp the idea that if the sun is moving in the direction of a specific space, the entire universe must also be moving along with it to the same destination. This vision of the entire universe drifting away in space is an idea which perhaps has not as yet been conceived by contemporary scientists. Yet it can be implied from an in-depth study of the Quran that the entire cosmos is moving towards some point in space. If that implication is true then one is left with no choice but to visualize all 180 billion or more galaxies, of which our planetary system is but a tiny dot, to be moving along with the sun in a set direction.

LSEWHERE IN THE CHAPTER we have suggested the possibility of an all-consuming gigantic black hole which may pull back the entire universal mass into its singularity.

As such, we have concluded that according to the Quran the case of the universe is an open and shut case. At the moment of the Big Bang it began to expand almost at the speed of light. At the end it will once again be drawn back into the abyss which we refer to as a black hole.

As far as the concept of a single universal black hole is concerned, it is based on the Big Bang theory which is fully supported by the Quran. Some scientists however, propose the case of an open universe. They believe that the universe will continue to expand forever and ever until the spacial matter becomes too thin and sparse, and extends beyond the gravitational pull of the centre of the universe. This scenario leaves no room for the universe to be reassembled and recreated. The Quran categorically rejects this open concept. It is loud, clear and specific that from a singularity the universe erupted, and back into another singularity it will sink again. The Unity of God and its creative outburst and the return of the creation again to the Unity of God could not have been better expressed than:

... to God we belong and to Him shall we return.21

1. Translation of 51:48 by the author.
2. Translation of 21:31 by the author.
3. LANE, E.W. (1984) Arabic-English Lexicon. Islamic Text Society, William & Norgate, Cambridge.
4. Space Telescope Science Institute. (1997) Press release no. STScI-PR97-01, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
5. RONAN, C. A. (1991) The Natural History of the Universe. Transworld Publishers Ltd., London.
6. Reader's Digest Universal Dictionary. (1987) The Reader's Digest Association Limited. London.
7. Translation of 21:105 by the author.
8. Translation of 27:89 by the author.
9. Translation of 31:11 by Maulawi Sher Ali.
10. Translation of 21:32 by the author.
11. Translation of 16:16 by the author.
12. Translation of 21:34 by the author.
13. Translation of 13:3 by the author.
14. Translation of 31:30 by Maulawi Sher Ali.
15. Translation of 35:14 by Maulawi Sher Ali.
16. Translation of 39:6 by Maulawi Sher Ali.
17. Translation of 36:39 by the author.
18. Translation of 36:39-41 by the author.
19. Translation of 21:34 by the author.
20. Translation of 36:41 by the author.
21. Translation of 2:157 by the author.

I think that Allah creating the universe is like a farmer planting a seed, the farmer doesn't glue each leaf to the tree but it doesn't mean that he wasn't the one who started it all. (only Allah created the seed too). One more point, some parts of evolution are still a theory according to many scientist Its true that species evolve proving but species evolve into other species is still a theory, so don't treat it like a fact. My own theory (I'm no scientist Laughing out Loud!! but i still have an opinion) is that there were more than one kind of cells when the universe was created, one for plants, birds, mammals, fish, reptiles then each have evolved. Again, the last part is my opinion and its not based on anything!!

This is an interesting, and, since we're not told directly we can only guess. It says the following in:

19And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.Thus it appears God wanted Adam as a delegated head over creation to exercise his authority and name the animals. God wanted to 'see what he (Adam) would call them.

The Bible does not say exactly when Man was created. Various dates of Creation have been calculated, ranging from 4004BC (Bishop Usshur) to 5760BC (Barry Setterfield). Adding 2008 years makes it from 6012 to 7768 years that man has been on earth.

"Ussher's proposed date of 4004 BC differed little from other Biblically-based estimates, such as those of Bede (3952 BC), Ussher's near-contemporary, Scaliger (3949 BC), Johannes Kepler (3992 BC) or Sir Isaac Newton (c. 4000 BC)."

see link "Ussher Chronology"

I'm not sure the bible is attempting to identify the duration of man's presence on earth. Scripture tells us that one day is as a thousand years to the Lord, and vice versa, so it is difficult if not impossible to determine a formula for such a calculation. In which instances does God intend to be taken literally, and in which ones not so literally.

The bible has lists or chronologies, timelines, including who followed who and so forth. But in these chronologies not everyone in the line is included. Quite often those listed are there to make a point rather than to show precision in years. Women are almost never mentioned in the chronologies, which might have made a difference.

My personal opinion is that the bible cannot be used to determine how old man is.

The Bible itself makes it clear when figurative language is being used such as 'a thousand years are as one day', the word 'as' being the determinative factor here. Also if the day is literally a thousand years then each sabbath, also a day must be a 1000 years. Clearly a difficulty.

The chronologies worked out by Usher and others are the best efforts of men to arrive at a date given the information provided. It is quite clear that the information on which they rely is literal ordinary days, months and years and not figurative as the data is contained within historical and genealogical narratives which are clearly literal.

Thus, as it stands at the present day around 6012 years is the close approximation, if one uses Usher's date.

I guess he wanted some company! Just as parents have the desire to have children, I guess God had the desire to create also. The Bible says:

He "did not create [the earth] simply for nothing" but "formed it even to be inhabited." (Isaiah 45:18)

There is currently no evidence to suggest that any of these four propositions are correct (that God exists, that Heaven exists, that Earth was created, that God created heaven and earth). Hence, any reasons given are only hypothetical possibilities.

They include:

• out of boredom;
• because he/she/it can;
• to provide a place for life

and other indirect reasons.
To move the plot forward.

Adam and Eve are an allegorical story from the Christian Bible. They are not actual people who existed. So all humans are not physically descended from two people, that would be impossible.

In the story, Eve is the originator of sinful thought and is the one who caves to temptation, which corresponds to the way of people. Eve represents humanity in the story.

According to the Bible in Genesis, God created Adam and Eve. They were the first souls on Earth. Western Science has another concept of how people came to be here on Earth; evolution.

Well, since Adam and Eve really did exist, then all people are indeed descended from both Adam and Eve. Because it takes male and female to have offspring. There is no way we could be descended from just Eve. It is objectively wrong to say we are not descended from both Adam and Eve.

"God made man in His image..." means God made us to look like Him with the same physical characteristics. A head, torso, arms and legs. "..in the image of God made He him", is a reiteration of the first part. In the 'image of Himself' He made man.

(Genesis 1:26-28) Surely this is a spiritual not a physical question...

God made man different from the animals, some of which also have arms, legs, head, torso etc. such as other primates, some of whom share as much as 99% of our DNA. Man being made in his image refers to man being more than just animal, but having a spirit or soul as well.

Some subscribe to the theory that your conscience is evidence of this. Animals do not have the ability to differentiate between good & bad. Pets at home can certainly learn household rules, but this in no way constitutes any form of judgment above and beyond the fear of the consequences or punishment that may ensue if they contravene them.

Man has insight and judgment, which enables him to consider what consequences his actions may have far beyond his own and his family's self interest, and armed with this knowledge may still choose to do the right thing for the greater good, even if it costs him.

No animal would ever do this, as all animals act in their own individual or genetic self interest.

ANSWER

Here I take it is coming from Genesis chapter 1 verse 27 and it says, created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him; yet I suppose it depends which Bible version you are using. However, One needs to know which Gods or God is saying this, as with Genesis1 is repeated meaning that there are two parts of the creation and the first man being made was made by the power of Light and under the direction of the Spirit God of Light being Jehovah. Yet we are dealing with the spirit creation being the first creation of Genesis chapter 1, as all things need to have power and the Spirit was what moved upon the deep and made all things BE. In chapter two you will note it reads he was "formed from the dust". We often create blue prints and draw up plans before making somethings, so is the case with the creation and the making of REALITY. Dressing and installing the various things that are made, and after Adam was formed from the dust and by spiritual power the breath of life was breathed into that which had been formed. If you had access to the Book of Abraham you would read this to be the case. The Spirit of the man also being added before the breath of life and man became a living soul. That which designed and planned all even the intelligence and that was the Ghost being the Invisible God in whose image Paul said Jesus was created. As man grows his ghost is developed in him being given by the power of the Spirit from our original place of creation which place is that God who Jesus said, "I am in the father and the father is in me" he was in the father who holds all the seeds of creation and that is EXISTENCE where all things have come from. And it is also written that Jesus grew in grace meaning that his intelligence was added to him. And at the resurrection at the tomb where Mary wanted to touch him he said, "...that he had yet to go unto his father and your father and to his god and your god", meaning the one and the same from where we all originated.

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Different denominations will answer this differently but I assert that if we could look upon God we would see an infinitely glorious version of a human. We look like him except that he is glorified, omniscient, omnipotent, immortal, eternal, and perfect - and made us in his "image" but mundane, of limited knowledge, limited power, mortal, temporary, and (physically because we are mortal and morally because we sin) imperfect.

Firstly, it needs to be understood that there are not two creation accounts but two 'parts' to the one account. The reason for this assertion will be explained below.

The common ancient practice, as evidenced in other ancient literature, was to write one main account and then to write a second part or section which expanded on the first or some aspect of it. This is precisely what we have in the creation account which spans Genesis 1 and 2.

Secondly, it needs to be understood clearly that the Documentary Hypothesis or JEDP Theory from the 19th Century has been repeatedly and thoroughly refuted in terms of the main presuppositions on which it is based. It thus has no basis as a factual theory. In particular, this theory totally ignores the findings of archaeology which refute its false presuppositions. It is archaeology, with its growing evidence of ancient literature which has furnished examples which highlight this ancient literary device.

Thirdly, in relation to the two parts of the one account the divisions are these. The first part of the account is generally chronological in that it gives a summary of the total creation over the period of the six days into the seventh day of rest. This account proceeds from Genesis 1:1 to 2:4a.

The second part of the one account begins at 2:4a and deals specifically with the creation of man. It is non-chronological, which is why some people see a non-existent contradiction between the two parts. Understanding the different emphasis removes this misunderstanding.

Summary:

The simple reason there appears to be two creation accounts is that this is an ancient literary usage. This usage takes a general overview and then later takes a particular part and expands upon it. There are thus not two accounts but different parts of the one account.

Answer

Re-thinking the single creation theory

First, one has to keep in mind that these ancient writings are from a Hebratic people, and only they can make known their spiritual beliefs and practices.

In my research on this very subject, I have found information that has changed my understanding of the creation story that I learned from childhood through Sunday School.

Christ in John 4:22, is speaking to a Samaritan woman concerning whom they worship, "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews."

To lean the truth, we need to look to the Jewish teachings, and not the translations by modern man or their interpretations.

And this I have done.

Numbers are very significate to Jewish faith.

Let's look at the numbers 7 and 8.

In kabbalistic teachings, the number seven symbolizes perfection -

perfection that is achievable via natural means - while eight symbolizes that

which is beyond nature and its (inherently limited) perfection.

Some examples:

a) God created the world and its natural order in seven days.

b) Between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot there are seven weeks. During these weeks the Jews work on perfecting their seven emotions (love, fear, compassion, ambition, humility, bonding and receptiveness)-one emotion per week. At the conclusion of these seven weeks they have sufficiently perfected themselves to be worthy of receiving the Torah on Shavuot. A completed person has control over all seven emotions.

c) The Holy Temple's menorah, which served to illuminate the natural world with the holy glow of spirituality, had seven branches.

e) There are seven colors of the rainbow and seven musical notes. When something has seven parts, it symbolizes that it has reached its state of completion: the seven notes of the diatonic scale make one complete octave, etc.

Eight, on the other hand, is symbolic of an entity that is one step above the natural order, higher than nature and its limitations. That's why Chanukah is eight days long-

The greatly outnumbered Maccabees' resolve to battle the Greeks wasn't logical or natural. They drew on reservoirs of faith and courage that are not part of normative human nature. They therefore merited a miracle higher than nature - a miracle that lasted eight days - and to commemorate this, the Jews light on Chanukah an eight-branched menorah.

It was a command by God that all Jewish baby boys were to be circumcised on the eight day after their birth to consecrate them to god. In Judaism, circumcision is considered a symbol of the covenant between God and the Jewish people. In fact, brisliterally means "covenant." The bris is on the eighth day so that the newborn baby will by necessity live through a complete week which must include a Sabbath. Once the baby has experienced the "holiness" of the Shabbos, he may enter into the covenant of the Jewish people.

Now let's go to the scriptues.

TWO CREATIONS OF MAN

Creation 1) THE GENTILES (People of Different Nations)

Creation 2) MESSIANNIC LINE (Adam - Noah - David - Christ)

DAY 6 "Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind,"

(A spoken command by the creator (the Word) and it was done. They were not "formed" by the hands of the creator, it was a command and the earth delivered.)

1st. he created - Cattle

2nd. he created - The things that creep/crawls upon the earth

3rd he created - The beasts of the earth. And "It was so."

4th God is taking inventory and God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after his kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind : and God saw that it was good."

5th - Let us make man in our image, after our likeness : and let them [plural, as in nations, races] have dominion over ALL living creatures, of those in the sea, in the air and of 'the beasts' and of 'the creeping things.' [God gave dominion over the earth to these human beings that He just created.]

Vs 27 - "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Vs 28 And now God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish [replenish as in repopulate?! ]

Vs 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was VERY good. Not just "good", as was exclaimed in verses 1:10, 12, 18, 21, and 25, but VERY good. He was well satisfied. Chapter 2:1-3 God says, Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and ALL THE HOST OF THEM. (the "hosts" of heaven, the angels and the hosts of the earth, mankind, and creatures, both male and female)

Genesis Chapter 2 - The Sabbath

2&3 And He rested on the 7thday and He blessed and sanctified it. Now this part of the creation phase is complete. And He says, 4 these are THE GENERATIONS of the heavens and of the earth, in the day, that the LORD God made the earth and heavens,

for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. 6 There went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 7 And the Lord God formed man from the moistened earth, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. (Through Adam, a Savior would be born, an "eternal" living soul) Adam was the beginning of a "special" race of people, a "saving" race.

Next, pay close attention to the order in which things are created here, starting with the creation of Adam. The steps in which each item was created, is different from the 6th day creation where "man" was created last and animals and creeping things were created first.

1st Adam is formed. Genesis 5b - 7.

2nd "God planted a garden

3rd Now we have a river flowing out of Eden, watering the garden, parting and forming 4 rivers.

4th Genesis 2:15 Heavenly Father put Adam in the garden.

5th Genesis 2:18 LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet."

6th Genesis 2:19-20 "Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field , every fowl of the air, {Notice this time the "earth did not bring forth every creature after his kind" as is told on the 6th day of creation, these creations were "formed" by the creator. Another noticeable missing created item of the 6th day creation are the creeping things! They were not created in this creation day and there is a reason that I will explain later.}

[These are the "clean" creations, the animals to be

sacrificed to God in the temple.

The Sacrifices - Leviticus 1:2 - cattle, 1:10 - sheep & goats,

1:14 - fowl.]

7th Genesis 2:21-25 God formed Eve.

Adam was created FIRST in this creation where as the creation of "mankind, male and female" created on the 6th day were created last, a different creation, a different people. (The people of Nod, East of Eden, were of the 6th day race of people, one of many nations. Adam was created 2 days later, on the 8th day. The Eight Day creations, as I've written, is symbolic of an entity that is one step above the natural order, higher than nature and its limitations.)

The 6th day creations were all "unclean or blemished" heathen and un-Godly humans and animals with blimishes and the 8th day creations are "clean, Godly humans and the animals were without blemish".

Genesis 6:19 "And of every living thing of ALL FLESH, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female."

Genesis 7 1-9Noah was ordered to take aboard the ark, seven of every clean beast and fowl, the male and his female, and of the beast that are not clean, by two, the male and his female. Noah and his family were righteous and without blemish, and through Noah, Christ would be born.

Two creations, one "unclean" created on the 6th day and the other "clean" and special created on the 8th day.

1Peter 3:20 "eight souls were "saved" by water." (We see the baptism of Noah's family by water)

The righteous/clean/saved people on the ark were:

Noah and his wife

Ham and his wife

Shem and his wife

Japheth and his wife, the 8 saved souls.

Genesis 2:5(b) - 25

Stong's and NAS Exhaustive Concordances of the Bible :

Strong's #120

Word - h�·'�·��m, �·��m

Defination: man, mankind

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Defination: man, mankind

NASB Translation

any man (2x), anyone (4x), anyone's (1x), being* (1x), common sort* (1), human (19), infantry (1), low degree* (1), low* (1), man (363), man's (20), man* (1), mankind (9), men (104), men of low degree* (1), men's (3), men* (4), mortal (1), one (3), people (1), person (5), person* (1), persons (3), population (1), someone (1).

Next compare both translations of "adam".

GENESIS 1:26

The creation of man/humans

Strong's # 120 / Transliteration - �·��m / Heb. word - �ָ�ָ��/ Eng. MAN

Gen. 2:5b

The creation of the man named Adam. A being or "entity that is one step above the natural order, higher than nature and its limitations".

Strong's # 120 / Transliteration - h�·'�·��m / Heb. word�ְ�ָ�ָ֣� / Eng. MAN

Notice the number of characters, strokes and dots under both Hebrew words above.

The word translated for the Hebrew words "adam and ha-adam" into the English translated word "man", should have been translated, in some instances, differently for a better understanding. To clarify the differance between two separate subjects or better yet, two creations.

For example: Genesis1:26 the creation of man

Hebrew text:

1) "way·y�·mer /2) ' �·l�·hîm, /3) na·'�·�eh /4) �·��m /5) b�·ṣal·mê·nū,"

English Transliteration

1) said /2) God, /3) make /4) 'man kind' /5) our image."

I have given you the information, draw your own conclusions.
Because before God created the earth and every living thing physically, he made them spiritually; therefore everything has a spirit, even the earth. Hence, two accounts.

Put simply, because there were two writers, at least, of Genesis. The 'priestly' writer tells of a God that is personal, and more human-like. He tells of him walking in the Garden with Adam, and having human traits. The second writer, the 'Jahwehist' writer tells of a God that is more aloof and spiritual, and less personal.

The evidence for this is overwhelming but easily missable in English translations of Genesis. In the original Hebrew the style of writing between the two writers of the Creation stories is obvious - as obvious as the difference between Tenessee Williams and Shakespeare, or Dickens and Harold Pinter.

Are the Creation stories made up then? No, but most Biblical scholars and many Christians who are not Creationists (in the sense that Genesis should be taken word-for-word literally), agree that the stories are far more profound than mere stories of two people in a garden. Many Christians look deeper than the superficial stories of Adam and Eve, and find a real truth of humanity's arrogance and determination to do its own thing rather than obey God's will.

The two accounts are sometimes seen by bible Scholars as representing God the Father (the Jahwehist, Spiritual God) and Jesus Christ, as God incarnate (The Priestly God).

Finally, if one is to interpret Genesis correctly there are many questions that must be asked, and false assumptions about Genesis dispersed. As one example, we read that God forbade Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. If, by knowing that eating of that tree would cause death and suffering, why did he put it there in the first place? To catch us out? That does not speak to me of a God of love, but a God out to trap us. Therefore, many scholars now agree that the Tree was part of God's plan - necessary in order that we have free will, and that the rescue package of Jesus Christ was already part of His plan even in the days of Genesis. A second example of incorrect assumptions is that most laymen would agree that the devil tempted Eve to eat of the fruit. However, nowhere in Genesis is the serpent (who actually did the tempting) equated with the devil. The devil, Satam, Beelzebub, Lucifer - however you wish to name him - is never mentioned in Genesis.

Therefore, we must put aside preconceptions when looking at this ancient and important text - and that means also putting aside preconceptions about the writer/writers, the style, the reasons for writing and the depth underneath the superficial story. for it is only when we really study God's word that we begin to understand the mind of God and begin to have the ability to do His will.

Christianity is an Abrahamic faith and Hinduism a has Dravidic origins. As a result the cultural memes present ar e different. Both are deity related (have a god system for instructing humanity) and believe the deity created thee Universe, belive that being "good" is essentially the better path, have religious texts and a priesthood. Common points of comparison are:

Hinduism

• Believes in reincarnation porwntiallly leacing to a paradise which is temporary
• Believes in a single god represented in several avatars
• Can't eat meat (So that they don't risk eating a reincarnated family member)

• Believes in heaven/hell in the afterlife which is an ultimate goal or condition
• Believes in one god represented (by many Christians) as 3 aspects
• Have no eating restrictions although many foods are not eaten by cultural edicts

The two accounts of creation were written down by different sources at different times and places.

The second account, Genesis 2:4b to 2:15, is actually the older account in the Judaic religion, and dates from around the eighth century BCE, or even earlier. It says that there was pre-existing dry land, but God had yet to make it rain for plants to grow. A spring arose and God took some moist clay and made Adam. The name he uses here for God is the Tetragrammaton - YHWH (Yahweh, which is often translated into English as 'Jehovah'), the name used consistently by this author.

The first account, in Genesis 1:1-2:4a, is attributed to the anonymous source now known as the Priestly Source, writing during the Babylonian Exile. It is very similar in some ways to the creation account of the Babylonians.

The Priestly Source clearly felt that the original creation story in Genesis was not theologically suitable. It did not explain where the sun, moon and stars came from, and presented God's powers as somewhat limited, in that he could not make living things out of nothing but had to make Adam and the animals out of clay. So, he wrote a creation account in which God's powers are supreme - he simply spoke things into existence. The name he uses here for God is El Shaddai - 'God Almighty' - consistent with this notion of an all-powerful God. The chronology also explained the importance of the Sabbath day, the day when God rested, although the somewhat older explanation in Deuteronomy 5:15 says the Sabbath day is a commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt.

This then raises the question of why the Priestly Source did not simply remove the older account and replace it by his own. There are several instances in which the Priestly Source felt unable to remove an earlier passage, perhaps because he felt that the Jews would resist the removal of favourite passages. Even more significant in this case is that the second creation story is too closely tied to subsequent passages about Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and their descendants.
For more information, please visit: http://christianity.answers.com/theology/the-story-of-creation

There are certainly three and possibly four creation stories in the Old Testament, however only the first two are complete.

The first creation story is in Genesis 1:1-2:4a (the first sentence of verse 2:4), and is creadited to an anonymous source now known as the Priestly Source. The second creation story is in Genesis 2:4b-20, and is credited to the Yahwist Source (J Source). Although very clearly two different stories, pious readers, believing that the text cannot contain contradictions, ignore the major disjunctions between the two creation stories and tend to treat the second story as the fuller, more detailed account of the creation of man that the first story simply reported. However, even a brief parallel reading shows that second creation story departs from the first in content, as well as tone, mood and orientation. The most immediately obvious difference is that in the first, man (both male and female) is created last of all, after all the other living creatures, whereas in the second story, Adam is created first, then all living creatures and finally Eve.

Some scholars believe that Genesis chapter 5 began a third creation story. It begins (Genesis 5:1-2) with what seems like a summary of the second creation story, except that he called both males and females 'Adam'. This apparent quirk can be explained by realising that the word 'Adam' simply means 'man' in Hebrew. God called them (male and female) 'man'. It continues, with no mention of either Cain or Abel, to tell us that Seth was the son of Adam, after which he begat sons and daughters. If in fact, this was a separate creation story, rather than simply a summary of the second creation story, then the coincidence of the name Seth means that it was not entirely independent of that story.

Fragments of another, more primitive creation story can be found in the Book of Job and the Book of Psalms. This includes mention of the battles that God had with the chaos monsters (Behemoth and Leviathan) at the time of creation, just as in other ancient Near Eastern creation stories.

For more information, please visit: http://christianity.answers.com/theology/the-story-of-creation

Genesis 2:18 (KJV) And the LORD God said, It isnot good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Genesis 2:19 (KJV) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

Genesis 2:20 (KJV) And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

Genesis 2:21 (KJV) And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

Genesis 2:22 (KJV) And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

Genesis 2:23 (KJV) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

It must be remembered that as part of the original creation DNA was created to enable plants and animals to reproduce 'after their kind'. Since this also included the ability to adapt to varying environments, no further creation was necessary.

On a completely different plane, the new birth, when a person becomes a 'new creature' in Christ - this is every single time the creation of new spiritual life, where previously there was spiritual darkness and death. Believers are thus said to be a 'new creation' in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). So, the last thing God created was the last new believer, only moments ago whenever this is read, and very many from the time this was first entered into the computer.

Answer

The last thing God created was woman. He has finished his creation (the act of making)but his creation isn't finished (it isn't the end result...yet). After he has proved to all of the angels that life can not exist without him as ruler then he will direct the final aspects of the universe which is perfection. The whole point of the bible is that a question was raised in heaven and now God needs to answer that question through proof. That question was made by Satan in front of all the angels which is why God couldn't ignore it. It is also why there is so much misery and suffering in the world at the moment. The question hasn't been proved yet! So what is the question? It is this: "Why should you (God) be the ruler?" It is a simple question but look at the effect it has had on man.