Were the six days of creation literal days of twenty-four hours each

The word "day" as used in the Scriptures, signifies a fixed period of time. We read of a forty year day; "the day of temptation in the wilderness." (`Heb. 3:8,9`.) Again, we have the Scriptural statement that "One day with the Lord is as a thousand years." (`2 Pet. 3:8`.) A year is frequently spoken of as a day; as, "I have appointed thee each a day for a year." (`Eze. 4:6`.) Furthermore the entire Gospel Age is called "The day of salvation." –`2 Cor. 6:2`. When considering the statements of Genesis respecting the six creative Days or periods, or epochs, we should not limit our thoughts to a twenty-four hour day, but examine the subject and see what period of time is signified. 

Please explain how God rested on the 7th creative day.

Jehovah God rested his work of creation, ceased to prosecute it, because in his wisdom he foresaw that his designs could best be executed by another means. God saw best to permit his creature Adam to exercise his free will and fall under temptation into sin and its legitimate penalty, death–including a long period, 6,000 years of dying and battling, as a convict, with evil environment. God saw best to permit him thus as a convict to do a part of the subduing of the earth; that to bring it as a whole toward its foretold Paradisaic condition would be profitable to man under the circumstances; that it would be expedient that man realize the principles underlying divine righteousness and the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and be thus prepared for the grace to be brought to the world in due time.

What does it mean to be “fearfully made?” – Psalm 139:14

In the King James Version (KJV) Bible the whole scripture Psalm 139:14 reads:  "I will praise thee:  for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:  marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

The Old Testament scriptures were originally written in Hebrew, later translated into English and other languages.  The word translated "fearfully" in this scripture comes from the Hebrew word yârê.  That is #3372 in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.  Sometimes yârê is translated "reverence," such as in Leviticus 19:30 – "Ye shall keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary:  I am the LORD."  To be reverent means, according to Webster, "to regard with profound respect and honor."    The meaning of Psalm 139:14 seems to be that we are so amazingly made that we should have a reverent fear of the Lord who created us.

Our Heavenly Father does not want us to have a timid or cowardly fear of Him or anyone else.  The Apostle Paul states in II Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  New International Version Bible (NIV) 

We also know that "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom"  Palm 111:10 (NIV)  Another place in the Bible where yârê is used is in Psalms 66:5, 6.  The King James rendering is:  "Come and see the works of God:  he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.  He turned the sea into dry land:  they went through the flood on foot:  there did we rejoice in him."  At first that sounds a little frightening, but the scripture shows that the "terrible" demonstration of God's power resulted in the Israelites being rescued and that they were joyous.  The NIV translates verse 5 as:  "Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf."  One of Webster's definitions of "awe" is:  "reverent wonder tinged with fear inspired by the sublime."

When we see God's creation on earth and in the whole universe, we are filled with great wonder at His mighty power, majesty, and wisdom.  We see that He loves us and has provided all these things for us to enjoy, even though the earth is in an imperfect state at this time.  We recognize our own smallness and imperfection, and we fear to displease such a great God.  But this fear should bring us closer to God, instead of driving us away from Him.  It makes us want to have Him as our Father, and we want to praise and honor and serve Him.

Who made God?

We, as thinking intelligent creatures, believe that everything has a beginning and has an end. The scriptures speak of beginnings, and the most popular is the first verse of the first book of the Bible, Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”.  Whatever mechanism God used, this is the creation of everything in our known universe.

But God has no beginning and has no end. This is a difficult concept indeed. It may be easy to understand that God doesn’t have an end, but how can God have no beginning?

One possible understanding may be again from Genesis 1:1. Prior to the creation of the physical universe, there was no time (as we perceive it). Time, itself, was created when the universe was created. Look up the definition of time in any dictionary and you will find something similar to, “..an interval between any two successive events”. So, before Genesis 1:1, there were no events, therefore there was no such thing as time.

Our understanding of the nature of God comes from the scriptures like Isaiah 55:9 which says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Just as humans are on a higher life nature than the microscopic amoeba, we have to understand that God is on a much higher life nature than humans. We cannot fully comprehend what his Divine Nature is like. But looking at our universe which he created, that alone shows the power and glory of his nature.

Moses asked God to show himself, but God said “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” Exodus 33:20. God’s Divine Nature is of such immense glory, that it outshines any light, and therefore cannot be viewed by humans. Similarly, humans cannot even comprehend the dimensions of the Divine Nature. God in His Divine Nature existed before the beginning of time.

Who Made God? The answer is “no one”. God always was, is, and will be. Both Christian believers and non-believers have to agree that “Something” has always been around. Non-believers have to believe that something always existed to cause the formation of the universe. Christian believers have to believe that God always existed. He created the universe.

I think it’s easier to believe that God has always existed.

Does God exist?

This question may be on the minds of a lot of people these days. Looking at the trouble that is happening around the world makes people ask “if God exists, why would he let this happen? If God exists, why is he so quiet?” After all, it has been over 2000 years since the last physical miracle of God…or has it?

A strong current miracle is prophesied in our Lord’s Great Prophecy. The Apostles (who knew that their Lord was to leave their midst) asked Jesus for the “signs of his returning”.

Christ’s response included: Matthew 24: 32  “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:” Christians in general recognize the Fig Tree is referencing Israel. The miracle that  happened occurred in 1948, when Israel was granted the right to be a nation again. Soon after the crucification of Christ, the Israelites were thrust out of their land, scattered around the world. The miracle is that they came back as a nation 1845 years later.

This modern miracle is a strong proof that not only God Exists, but that he is still in control.

If God exists, then why isn’t He healing this sin-sick world?

We have all prayed, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When Christ establishes God’s kingdom on earth, tremendous miracles of joy and gladness will fill the earth. All will be resurrected (John 5:28, 29), all will be receive perfect health (Isa. 35), all will know God (Jer. 31: 33, 34). “I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts,; and will be their God…and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me…” All mankind will then KNOW God exists!

God is the Creator of Everything!!! So why did he create Lucifer? Even though Lucifer was created to worship God. Did not God know that Lucifer would turn against him

Rev. 19:6, "…Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!" Yes, our Father is omnipotent, all powerful, all seeing.

But, He is a Father, not a robot-builder. His creation was given the power of choice, along with all other powers and privileges attached to their level of being. Not only was man given the freedom to choose right and wrong,(Deuteronomy 30:19, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.")but so were the angelic beings.

Ezekiel 28:15 tells us why Lucifer made his choice. "You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you." Vs. 17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of you splendor."  Isa. 14 elaborates on Lucifer's pride, verses 12-21, but I will only cite 12-14, "How you are fallen from Heaven O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High:"

We see the motivation, so why did God create him in the first place? Because Lucifer could have decided NOT made that choice. Lucifer was a beautiful and beloved child of the Father. When we have children, sometimes we can see ahead that they will make bad choices. As free moral agents, we cannot stop them, although we can make efforts to educated them along the way. Not until they have crossed an ultimate line, do we become estranged from them.  

God could have created us all without the ability to choose our course. But then what would love mean? He wanted a universal family of loving, righteous beings and has provided a plan for its accomplishment.

Had Lucifer not sinned, there is no way to conclude that someone in the human or angelic races may not have made such a choice at some time.

We hope this is of some help to you.

Was Adam the first man?

Yes, Adam was the first man. Genesis 2:7,8, "And the LORD God formed man (the Hebrew word is Adam) of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." 

Adam was a special creation because he was created in God's image. Genesis 1:26, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Adam did not look like God. He was like His wonderful Creator in that he could reason, be just, love, and exercise benevolent authority. God made man in His character likeness and put him in charge of managing the earth.

Who are those beings that the God Father talked to when He created humans?

In Genesis 1:27, God said “Let us make man in our image…” God was talking to the Logos (Jesus’ name before he became a human) and the angelic family. God is the great architect of His plan and He used the Logos and the angels to help carry out the work of the natural creation. “…there is but one God, the Father, of whom (as the architect) are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom (as the instrumentality of creation) are all things, and we by him.” 1 Corinthians 8:6 (KJV). 

The Gospel of John also supports that the Word (Logos in Greek) directed the creation of all things. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God; the Word also was a god. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.” John 1:1-3 (RVIC)  

The angels were created before the natural universe and they helped the Logos with the creative work. When God spoke with Job, we receive more insight into the angels’ status and their great joy in the creative process. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.

 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7 (NKJV) The sons of God were all the angels. (They could not have been man because man had not been created.) 

The concept of “our image” does not refer to a body image. It refers to a character image. God is all loving, all just, all wise, and all powerful. Man was created with love and justice written in his heart. Romans 2:14, 15, “Gentiles…by nature do the things in the law…who show the work of the law written in their hearts…” Man was also given intelligence (developing into wisdom) and power or dominion over the animals and plants. He was given management of the earth.

Why is the God of the Bible the supreme God?

While some worship idols, images created by human hands, Paul declares, “…no idol is anything in the world…there is no God but one.”  (1Corinthians 8:4 ASV).  In 1 Corinthians 8:6, he continues by proclaiming that there is one God (chief, supreme being), the Father (not 2 or 3), and one Lord Jesus who made all things with God’s power.  God’s character and attributes are revealed in creation. Psalms 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Supreme wisdom and supreme power are manifested as who but an all powerful God could intelligently create the universe? Additionally, God’s love and justice may be recognized in the creation of man. When God created the living human race, justice would require that air, food, and water be provided for life. But God’s love made a huge variety of food which is delicious, colorful, aromatic, nutritious, and satisfying to eat. The fact that He designed and created the vast universe and all creatures informs us of His omniscience, omnipotence, absolute justice, and supreme love. The human mind cannot comprehend how God can give life, yet needs nothing to exist, and exists outside of time (which He created). 

Exodus 3:14 (NASB) states, “…I AM WHO I AM…” which is a translation of the Hebrew word “Jehovah.” Jehovah, reigns supreme because He is the self-existing one, on whom all our existence depends. In Exodus 6: 3 (KJV) God tells Moses, "And I appeared unto Abraham…by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known…" By this name, God was known to His people, the Israelites. Moses said to the people, "Hear, O Israel:  Jehovah our God is one Jehovah…thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart…” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ASV).  The King James Version states, “…The LORD our God is one LORD.” Usually, whenever the Hebrew word is Jehovah, the KJV translates it as LORD in all capital letters.

“LORD…before the mountains were brought forth, or…thou…formed the earth…from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalm 90:2 KJV). Our supreme heavenly Father, the embodiment of love, justice, wisdom and power, is the one, true God.  He assures us of His love in James 1:17 (Weymouth), “Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all Light.  In Him there is no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.” His ways and thoughts are necessarily higher than ours (see Isaiah 55:9).  Surely, only a righteous, benevolent, supreme God would lovingly assure his human family, “For I know the plans I have for you,” … “plans to prosper youand not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).      

“But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide forever; And thy memorial name unto all generations.” (Psalms 102:12 ASV). 

In reference to Genesis 2 verses 10-14, where are the Pishon, Gihon, Tigris and Euphrates today and which countries are Havilah, Cush and Assyria?

The scholarly community is divided as to where these ancient rivers and countries are located. The following answer presents one view:

There are more than one land of Havilah and of Cush respectively mentioned in the Bible, wherein lies the confusion.  However, the verses in Genesis cited above give us a clue as to which area is delineated.  The garden of Eden, it is generally accepted, was located in the Armenia/Azerbaijan region, located in the Republic of Georgia, i.e.,the Caucasus Mountains,  north eastern Turkey and north west Iran.  The word Cush means blackness.  The black races generally inhabit southern Iraq, south India and Africa.  But Nimrod was also black, being a Cushite, and he built the city of Babel, or the city of Cush, in what is today northern Iraq.  Hence the land of Cush, translated Ethiopia in verse 13, cannot refer to Ethiopia in north east Africa, also black, but to Northern Iraq in Asia, within what was later the Assyrian empire .  Furthermore, verse 11 mentions that there is “good gold” in the area of Havilah.  The second-largest gold deposits in the world are found near the delta of the southeast Caucasus Mountain range (the first being in South Africa, far from Eden).  We can then be assured that the Bible is speaking of this region in what is the general area of the Republic of Georgia.

Since the world experienced a devastating flood which destroyed a good part of the land geography, some scholars believe it is impossible now to determine exactly which today are the four rivers mentioned in Genesis, as their source has been obliterated.  Many agree the river Hiddekel is the Tigris river that empties into the Persian Gulf and the Euphrates has a similar starting point.  A discerning look at a map of the area will reveal that the Pishon is likely the Araxes or Araks river, that “compasseth the  land of Havilah,” the gold mines in the area of the Republic of Georgia, and empties into the Caspian Sea.  A closer look may suggest that the Gihon river which “compasseth the …land of Ethiopia [Cush],” Northern Iraq and Northwest Iran, may be the Safid-Rud river, which also empties into the Caspian Sea.  It may be noted that the history of Adam and the human race parallels that of the river that arose in Eden.

What was the original skin color of humans and how did it change?

A couple of years ago we received a similar question regarding the skin color of Adam.  At the time we did some research.  We will share that research with you as we did with our previous questioner.

There is only one skin color: a brown pigment called melanin.  All of humanity has basically the same skin color, just differing amounts of melanin.  People with very little melanin have “white” skin. Those with a lot of melanin have very dark brown or “black” skin. Brown skin comes from all variations between white and very dark brown. Oriental people appear to have yellow skin because their skin is slightly thicker which gives it a yellowish shade. Geneticists have found that four to six genes, each with multiple variations, control the amount and type of melanin produced. Because of this, many variations of skin shades exist.  In fact, it is quite easy for one couple to produce a wide range of skin shades in just one generation.

To illustrate the basic genetic principles involved in determining skin shade, we can use a simplified explanation, with just two genes controlling the production of melanin. Capital A and B versions of the skin color genes code for a lot of melanin, while the small a and b versions code for a small amount of melanin.

If the father's sperm carried the AB version and the mother's ovum carried the AB, the child would be AABB, with a lot of melanin, and thus have very dark skin. Should both parents carry the ab version, the child would be aabb, with very little melanin, and thus very light skin. If the father carries AB (very dark skin) and the mother carries ab (very light skin), the child will be AaBb, with a middle brown shade of skin. In fact, the majority of the world's population has a middle brown skin shade. A simple exercise will illustrate that if each parent has a middle brown shade of skin (AaBb), the combinations that they could produce result in a wide variety of skin shades in just one generation.

 We know from the Bible that Adam and Eve were the first two people.  Based on the skin colors seen today, we can infer that they most likely would have had a middle brown skin color. Their children, and children's children, could have ranged from very light to very dark. Their descendants filled the earth. However, the world's population was reduced to eight during the Flood of Noah. From these eight individuals have come all the tribes and nations. It is likely that the skin shade of Noah and his family was middle brown, thus enabling his sons and their wives to produce a variety of skin shades in just one generation.

In Genesis 11 we read of the rebellion at the Tower of Babel. God judged this rebellion by giving each family group a different language. This made it impossible for the groups to understand each other, and so they split apart, each extended family going its own way, and finding a different place to live. The result was that the people were scattered over the earth. Because of the new language and geographic barriers, the groups no longer freely mixed with other groups, and the result was a splitting of the gene pool. Different cultures formed, with certain features and skin color becoming predominant within each group. The characteristics of each became more and more prominent as new generations of children were born, creating the so-called “races” of people that we see in the world today.

Were there other people outside of the Garden of Eden while Adam and Eve were in the garden?

The Genesis 2:1-25 account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden omits any reference to other cavemen or species of humans.  The oneness of the human family is reaffirmed by the Apostle Paul when speaking in Athens; “And [God] hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;” (Acts 17:26).  As different in physical appearance the races of man may appear, the Bible affirms that we are all the children of one set of parents.  Recognizing this, undercuts the false, hurtful, and hateful rants of racists.

In 1987, a ground-breaking article by Rebecca Cann in the prestigious scientific journal “Nature” set forth the then controversial evidence that every woman on earth is the direct descendent of a common female ancestor (Mitochondrial DNA and human evolution — Nature, 1 Jan 1987.)  This ancestor was quickly named, “Eve.”

Following the announcement of “Eve” after almost a decade of study, two international teams found the genetic trail leading to “Adam,” the man whose “Y” chromosome, that is, the male sex chromosome, lives on in every living man and boy(reported in the journal  Science  31 Oct 1997: pp. 799).

How old is the earth? Biblical Calculation

We know from biblical chronology that Adam was created approximately 6,000 years ago. Therefore, the earth would have to be older than 6,000 years. In fact, we believe that the earth is very old. Scientists used to think the earth was about 100 million years old. They now theorize that it is about 4.5 billion years old. We quote from Wikipedia:

“The moon, as another extraterrestrial body that has not undergone plate tectonics and that has no atmosphere, provides quite precise age dates from the samples returned from the Apollo missions. Rocks returned from the moon have been dated at a maximum of around 4.4 and 4.5 billion years old. Martian meteorites that have landed upon Earth have also been dated to around 4.5 billion years old by lead-lead dating.

“Altogether, the concordance of age dates of both the earliest terrestrial lead reservoirs and all other reservoirs within the solar system found to date are used to support the hypothesis that Earth and the rest of the solar system formed at around 4.53 to 4.58 billion years ago.”

We also know that dinosaurs that roamed the earth for thousands and thousands of years were long gone when God created Adam.  Scientists theorize that dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago, millions of years before many of the mammals that we are familiar with today came into existence.

The above having been said, we do not know how old the earth actually is. Genesis, chapter 1 gives us God’s account of its creation in “six days.”  These “days” were obviously very long periods of time and could have been of varying lengths as well (billions, millions or thousands of years).

Is the earth only a little older than 4,000 years?  No it is much older, since Bible chronology tells us that human kind has been on the earth for 6,000 years and there is scientific evidence that animals have been here much, much longer.

Please explain Psalm 8:5. Has God created us only a little lower than Himself or the angels?

This is a scripture that needs thoughtful consideration.  The translators of the various Bible versions seem to disagree somewhat as to exactly what the scripture says. 

The King James reads:  "For thou hast made [man] a little lower than the angels…" 

The Jerusalem Bible reads:  "Yet you have made him little less than a god…" with a footnote that says:  "The author is thinking of man in comparison with the mysterious beings that constitute the court of Yahweh [God]… the 'angels.' "

The New International Version says:  "a little lower than the heavenly beings," with a footnote:  Or "than God."

The differences in these Bibles is due to the Hebrew word elohim, which has been translated in the KJV  as "angels,"  "God (or gods)"  or "judges," depending on the context.

We know from looking around at God's wonderful creation that He is far greater than we are.  From contemplating the infinite number of stars in the universe to exploring the secrets of the microscopic realm, we realize that we cannot compare ourselves to God's almighty wisdom and power.

The scriptures confirm this.  God asked Job, "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?  Tell me, if you understand."  (Job 38:4)  And throughout chapter 38 God reminds Job how small he is.  Psalm 104 praises the power and majesty of God, and Isaiah 55:9 emphasizes the superiority of God:  "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  

So, it seems that this scripture tells us that God made us "a little lower than the angels," not Himself.  The angels themselves are mighty messengers and helpers of God, spirit beings that have greater powers than we have.  But they all obey, worship, and serve our God. If our Heavenly Father has created man only a little less than angels, how much greater must God be than allbeings.  And yet He cares for us.  "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;"  Psalm 103:11

Yet, in some ways God has made us also like Himself.  He has given man language, which lets him reason at a level much higher than the other creatures on earth. Man can also speak, read, and write, which lets him communicate information and feelings.   Man has a sense of social justice and love, even though these are imperfect since Adam's sin.  And God originally gave man dominion over His creation.

After Adam's fall, man's dominion over God's creation became corrupted by sin and selfishness.  Man has thrown off the balance of nature, shown cruelty to other humans, as well as to animals, and caused species to become endangered or even extinct.  "The earth mourns and withers….  The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes…  Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt…"  (Isaiah 24:4-6, RSV)

But Jesus came to die for and to ransom Adam and the whole human race.  God has promised a "new heavens and a new earth."  (Isaiah 65:17, Rev. 21:1)  When mankind comes back in the resurrection, and God's judgments are in the earth (Psalm 96:13; Isaiah 26:9), they will learn righteousness.  If they then obey God, the Lord will bring them up to perfection and restore the dominion as it was under Adam.