Grapevine       
Setting the Record Straight - Part 5
by Jack Northart

There are people who do not believe that the Bible is the Word of God.  Unfortunately, even among so-called Christians, this statement is true.  And in this country, under our system of government, they have a right to believe what they want to believe.  But the premise of The Grapevine is that the Bible is the Word of God and that God's Word contains all things that pertain to life and godliness. (2Peter 1:3). In other words, ALL OF THE ANSWERS ARE IN THERE!
  
In our last issue, we covered the final segment of the words FORMED, MADE AND CREATED, and BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT. We are now ready to take a look at the first, second and third heaven and earth.
  
If you recall from an earlier issue of The Grapevine, when Lucifer tried to usurp the throne of God sometime between Genesis 1:1 and verse 2, it was so devastating that a perfectly created earth became "…without form and void",(tohu bohu).  When Lucifer rebelled in heaven, the whole creation of Genesis1:1 that God created perfectly became affected.
 
   2Peter3:5,6
   For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by
   the word of God the heavens were of old, and
   the earth standing out of the water and in the
   water: Whereby the world that then was, being
   overflowed with water, perished.

This is referring to the original creation of Genesis1:1, not the time of the flood of Noah.  The first earth perished at the time of Lucifer's rebellion.  It was completely overflowed by water.

   Verse 7:
   But the heavens and the earth, which are now,
   by the same word are kept in store, reserved
   unto fire against the day of judgment and
   perdition of ungodly men.

"The heavens and the earth, which are now," refers to that which is spoken of in Genesis 1:2 and following. This is the second heaven and earth, which is what we are living in now.

   Verses 12,13
   Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the
   day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire
   shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt
   with fervent heat.  Nevertheless we, according
   to his promise, look for new heavens and a new
   earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

Putting all of these verses together illustrates what happened to the first heaven and earth, what is going to happen to the second heaven and earth, and then they tell us of a new heavens and a new earth, which are still in the future.

1st heaven and earth -(Genesis 1:1, 2Peter 3:5,6)
2nd heaven and earth-(Genesis 1:2, 2Peter 3:7)
3rd heaven and earth-(Rev 21:1, 2 Peter 3:13)

For further study,see these other verses:
Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 51:16, Isaiah 66:22, Isaiah 51:3, Ezekiel 28:13, Ezekiel 31:8,9, Rev 12:7-9.
  
One of the things to note about the overthrow that occurred between Genesis 1:1 and 2, is that the Word of God says that it was covered in water. (2Peter 3:5,6) This is why in Genesis 1, God had to do a major water reclamation act!

   Genesis 1:6-10
   And God said, Let there be a firmament in the        
  Midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters
  From the waters. And God made the
  Firmament, and divided the waters which were
  Under the firmament from the waters which
  Were above the firmament, and it was so.
  And God called the firmament Heaven. And the
  Evening and the morning were the second day.
  And God said, Let the waters under the heaven
  be gathered together unto one place, and let the
  dry land appear: and it was so.  And God called
  the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of
  the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it
  was good.

It is not surprising then to find geological evidence that what are now mountains were at one time covered by water.  According to these records in God's Word, water covered the entire planet until God separated the land from the water.

Although the Word of God does not tell us exactly how long, there is a very large expanse of time between Genesis 1:1 and 2.  It is possible that millions of years could have transpired and hundreds of different types of plant and life forms could have existed.  When we continue reading in chapter 1 of Genesis, we see what God did to again make the earth an inhabitable place after the disaster of Lucifer's mutiny.
 
The Word of God really does have the answers. So why so much cloudiness on these issues? I believe that answer is in 2Corinthians 4:4,
  
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Return to main page