The Allegory of Genesis 1

The folloing considerations arose from correspondence with some Russian sisters. Because of the heavy emphasis on science in that country during the past several generations, our Russian brothers and sisters are very interested in science and quite naturally wonder how science and the Bible can be reconciled in a number of areas. One comment was that there is a lot of information missing about how the creation was accomplished. In fact, the creation accounts in Genesis are not what we might expect: that is, they do not reveal how God made all things. Why? The following is a suggested answer.

In the Bible, God reveals only selective facts which directly affect our eternal life. The Bible is not a science book, nor is it a history book. For example, the details in Genesis 1 are very selective and very brief, and they are not primarily scientific, although everything revealed is in harmony with the physical sciences.

"In the beginning God created the heaven…" (Gen 1:1). That is, He made the generations of the heavens (as in Gen 2:4). At that time, God created the universe (some might call it the "Big Bang"); we can picture the universe bursting forth with indescribable energy so that the stars, planets, comets, interstellar space, etc. filled the universe with trillions of heavenly bodies of incredible variety.

The first verse of the Bible then says, "[In the beginning God created]… the earth"; that is, the generations of the earth (again, as in Gen 2:4). From that point forward, God no longer describes the generations of the heavens; this information is closed until it is reopened in the book of Revelation (19:11). In other words, there is a gap to be inferred in Genesis 1:1. From Genesis 1:2 and onwards, the Bible is specifically related to the "generations of the earth" and the main theme is the salvation of mankind.

God chose not to reveal to us how the heavens and the earth were created, probably because very few people would be able to understand the physical process. To this very day, astrophysicists debate the mechanics of the primordial creation — the "big bang", or however we might wish to describe it. Yet throughout Scripture there are thousands of references to the created world and the details revealed are beyond modern scientific reproach.

What God wants us to focus on, however, is the earth as our future inheritance. In the Bible He tells us how we can gain this inheritance. While there are many references to the physical creation, these are secondary to God’s primary message:

"But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD"

(Num 14:21). Don’t expect all the details of creation or science to be fleshed out in the Bible; references to creation are secondary to the primary message of Scripture, which is the offer of eternal life to all of God’s children.

More than just literal
As many have pointed out, there are some oddities in the record:

There is light (Gen 1:3), yet the sun does not appear until verse 14.
The sun and moon "rule" over day and night (vv 16, 18) as if they were active persons.
The earth and seas "bring forth" flora and fish, yet it was God who created

them. Why? I think it is because there is a message of the plan and purpose of God for humankind interwoven in the Genesis 1 record of creation.

Very briefly we will review each day:

The first day: division of light and darkness. The spiritual meaning: separation of sons of God from sons of men.
The second day: water predominates with separation of waters above from waters below. The spiritual meaning: separation of righteous from the wicked by means of a flood.
The third day: emphasis on oceans, seas, earth and herbs. The spiritual meaning: the earth (Israel) to bring forth fruit amidst a sea of unfruitful nations; note Genesis 1:9,10: God’s purpose is now centered in Israel (i.e., the "land", or "earth").
The fourth day: the atmosphere thins to reveal the universe. Note emphasis of "light" and "lights". The spiritual meaning: Jesus Christ appears to bring righteousness to light. As the heavenly lights now becomes clearly visible, so the Mosaic veil gives way to the full revelation of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Note that in this "fourth day" (i.e., the fourth millennium?) the greatest of all kings, Jesus Christ, appears — he is the One who will eventually "rule" the earth. The word "rule" appears three times for the events of this day.
The fifth day: first marine, then bird life. The spiritual meaning: the sea is often likened to humankind, which signifies that God is calling out of the Gentiles
a people for His name (Acts 15:14).
The sixth day: mammals and reptiles (terrestrial life culminating in man). The spiritual meaning: the sixth or final millennium will be characterized by Gentile dominion, but the saints, Jew and Gentile (mankind created in the image of God), prevail and are given immortality and receive power over the nations (cp Gen 1:26,27).

So Genesis 1 tells us that God created our earth, and also that He devised a plan whereby mankind might have the opportunity to respond to its Creator by developing the image and likeness of His holiness and glory. By the way, the word God is translated from the Hebrew word elohim (plural). In Psalm 8:6, elohim is translated "angels":

"Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels (elohim), and hast crowned him with glory and honor."

We believe that the angels assisted God in the creation process and that, at the direction of the Lord Jesus upon his ascension to heaven, the angels are actively administering the affairs of the world today, especially with respect to the believers. Read Hebrews 2:5 and also note Job 38:1-7: there God declares that He laid the foundation of the earth and, at this time, the "morning stars (the angels) sang together, and all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy."

A number of these points are available in our literature but, from time to time it is helpful to review this approach to Genesis 1 as it teaches not only about God’s power in creation, but it also demonstrates His plan for man’s salvation.

Ellen Styles (Ann Arbor, MI)

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