The Secret History of Earth and the Universe

“And the earth was (‘hayah’) without form (‘tohu’) and void (‘bohu’).” 

Gen 1:2

“…God Himself that formed the earth and made it… He created it not in vain (‘tohu’—same word as Gen 1:2)” Isa. 45:18

     A few notes before we begin our study:  the “without form” of Genesis 1:2 and the “in vain” of Isaiah 45:18 are translations of the same Hebrew word, “tohu.”  According to Strongs’ Concordance, “tohu” means to be in a state of “waste” or “desolation.”  Similarly, the Hebrew word “bohu,” translated “void” in Genesis 1:2, means to be “ruined” or totally “empty.”  Finally, the verb “was” in Genesis 1:2, as in the earth “was” without form, is the Hebrew word “hayah.”  The word “hayah” may be translated as “was,” “became,” or “came to pass.”  The translators must decide by context whether “was,” “became,” or “came to pass” is the correct rendering (“hayah” translated as “became” in Gen 2:7, 4:3, 9:15, 19:26, Exod. 32:1, Deut 27:9, etc; “hayah” translated “came to pass” in Gen 4:14, 22:1, 23:1, 27:1, Josh 4:1, 5:1, 1 Kings 13:32, etc.).

     Hebrew does not conjugate the verb “to be.”  Old KJV Bibles render words such as “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “shall be,” etc. in italics to inform the reader that the text does not appear in the original scriptures.  The Revised Version stopped this practice and renders all such words in common type.  But the lesson here is that the Hebrew word “hayah” does not specifically denote verb tense and the lack of a Hebrew word for “to be” leaves it open to interpretation whether “hayah” should be rendered “was,” “became,” or “came to pass” as illustrated in the above examples.

     A better rendering of Genesis 1:2 would have been “became”:  “and the earth became ‘tohu’ (waste)”; We know this because Isaiah 45:18 explicitly declares that God did not create the earth “tohu” (KJV renders “tohu” as “in vain” in Isa 45:18).  Therefore, if God did not create the earth “tohu,” then it must have become “tohu.”

     So what happened?  Before we explore this, a recap of our scriptures with their enhanced renderings:

Tohu= “waste”

Bohu= “desolate” or “ruined”

Hayah= “was” or “became” or “came to pass” depending on context

Isa 45:18—“…He created it not ‘tohu’”

Gen 1:2—“and the earth was/became ‘tohu’ (waste) and ‘bohu’ (desolate)”

Conclusion—Earth not created “tohu” therefore it must have become “tohu” in Gen 1:2—which is exactly what the original Hebrew states—the “was” of Gen 1:2 should be rendered “became.”

     In eternity past, prior to the creation of man, God’s most beautiful and intelligent creature—the anointed cherub Lucifer (Ezek. 28:14)—conspired with one third of the angelic host (Rev 12:4) to usurp the throne of heaven and mutiny against God.  God put down the revolt and sentenced the traitors to eternal torment.  For their insolence and iniquity, they would be eternally damned, cast into the lake of fire, never to see the glorious face of the Creator again (Rev. 20:10).

     Lucifer appealed the sentence.  In his fallen state, he impugned the character of God, arguing that a Loving Creator could not possibly condemn His creatures.  He basically called God a liar by insisting the verdict was unjust and unfair.  This is evidenced in Lucifer’s new name.  After he fell, Lucifer the “Light-bearer” became Satan the “Accuser” or “Adversary.”

     God granted Satan and his cronies an appeal trial.  Execution of sentence is stayed and currently held in abeyance pending the outcome of the trial.  The only way that Satan can win his appeal is if he can prove God a liar, which is both impossible and futile.  God’s Word will be vindicated as true.  And, God will eventually annihilate the entire cosmic system and re-create a new heaven and earth at the conclusion of the trial (2 Pet 3:7, 10; Rev 21:1).

     So if we recap the secret history of earth and the universe, our planet was originally the abode of angels.  Lucifer the “Light-bearer” was God’s most powerful created being.  He had access to heaven and roamed through Eden, the garden of God (Ezek. 28:13).  The angelic revolt resulted in a cataclysm of epic proportion (Gen 1:2).  We do not know when judgment came, but we can conclude that the Bible says that earth became a desolate waste.

     But God regenerated the planet in seven literal days.  He created humans within those seven days, approximately 6,000 years ago.  Man was created in response to the angelic conflict.  We have been endowed with free will to choose either for God or the devil.  We fell just like the angels, but are offered redemption through a Savior, an opportunity to one day be born into a new heaven and earth.  God promises us a way back to Him through faith: “the just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17).

     The Bible also alludes to the possibility of angelic redemption (compare Col 1:16 with 1:20).  The sacrifice of Christ is sufficient to reconcile all things to Himself, both the things in heaven and on earth.  The apparent offer of angelic salvation, if there was one, probably took place in eternity past and is no longer a valid or relevant issue.  The relevant issue now is that man has been created to mirror the exact conditions under which the angels sinned.

     Humans have the unique opportunity to become living testimonies in the appeal trial of the fallen angels.  By Grace, through trusting God, we are promised a position one day that is even more exalted than the angels.  We shall be coheirs and co-rulers in the Kingdom to come, born into the family of God with the likeness of Christ.  For those who receive and respond to this calling upon their hearts, the Kingdom of Heaven is already born within.  One day it shall be made manifest as a physical reality at His glorious appearance in the sky. Amen.

     Fundamentalists cite Exodus 20:11 as proof that God created the heaven and earth during the seven days of Genesis: “…for in six days the Lord made (asah) heaven and earth… and rested on the seventh” (Exod 20:11).  However, the word “made” in this passage is the Hebrew word “asah,” which means to form, decorate, assemble, or put together—exactly what God did after the judgment of Genesis 1:2.  It does not imply original creation.

     Genesis 1:1 uses a different word: “In the beginning God created (bara) the heaven and the earth” (Gen 1:1).  Here, the “created” is the Hebrew word “bara,” which means to create something out of nothing.

     Science does not disagree with scripture as much as we might think.  The earth and universe are of ancient antiquity.  Fossil remains are indeed millions of years old, remnants of a time prior to the great cataclysm of Genesis 1:2.  This cataclysm came as a result of war in heaven, the angelic conflict, and God pronouncing judgment.  Humans were created in response to Satan impugning the character of God, to demonstrate that God is both Loving and Just.  We are given the opportunity to become witnesses at the appeal trial of Satan.  Every time we overcome temptation, every time we walk the life of faith we testify for God and become recipients of His Grace.  Every word that God has spoken will be vindicated as faithful and true, proving that it is Satan, and not God, who is the liar.

     Finally, I am not the first one to come up with this notion about earth and the universe being of ancient antiquity.  What I have argued herein is commonly known as “Gap theory,” and it is supported by many prominent theologians such as J. Vernon McGee, R. B. Thieme, and the Scoffield, Bullinger, and Dake’s Study Bibles.  It is known as “Gap theory” because of the “gap” of unknown time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.

     When I first heard about this theory, I thought it nothing more than speculation, an attempt by man to reconcile science with scripture.  However, upon researching the scriptures involved and studying the original Hebrew text, I am now convinced that this is more than mere “theory.”  It is an irrefutable fact expressly declared in scripture.  There is no other way to reconcile Isaiah 45:18 with Genesis 1:2 without rendering “was” (‘hayah’) as “became.” I invite anyone interested to research this matter and judge for themselves.  May the Holy Spirit be your guide, and may the Lord of Glory reveal to you the light of Truth.  Amen.

Larry Word

Stairway to Heaven, Highway to Hell

No Interpretation Written.  Share your own?

Naked with Backs Turned

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Affectionately Affianced

Affectionately Affianced is the antithesis of modern Christianity’s reduction of God to a mere theoretical framework, something best ascertained through scriptural knowledge and moral dogma.  On the contrary, God is more than an abstract ideal or the inference of His creation.  He constitutes reality itself and pulsates communal Love-energy through the universe, found in the quietude of each moment.  Most professing believers file God away in the back of their minds and refer to Him for perhaps a couple hours a week.  But the Bible declares that God can be experienced.  He can be heard, felt, and touched: “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps 34:8).  The sheep hear the sound of His voice (Jn 10:3,27).  God can be sensed through the spiritual faculties.  Those who grope for God in their minds have no concept of the company of His presence in their hearts, what it means to be affectionately affianced.

     Marriage is an apt analogy that illustrates the intimacy of a communal relationship with Christ, where the twain become one body and all consciousness of separation dissolves.  At center appears Christ performing a wedding ceremony between Adam and Eve in the garden.  God said it was not good for the man to be alone, so He created a companion that was bone of Adam’s bone, flesh of Adam’s flesh, fashioned from the rib of his side.  This pictures the earthly marriage, a foreshadow of Christ marrying the believer in heaven (Rev 19:9, 21:2).  Like Eve, believers are (re)created in the likeness of the husband, Christ.  Similar to Adam’s rib, the church is born from the spear that pierced Christ’s side, the blood and water symbolizing atonement for sin and the Holy Spirit of eternal life.

     That dragon, the serpent, also known as the devil, looks on at the wedding ceremony in the garden.  When God said that eating of the tree of knowledge would result in death, Satan questioned Eve, “Did God say?” (Gen 3:1).  From the moment the first couple ate of the forbidden fruit, they lost communion with God.  Expelled from the garden of Eden, they were all too aware of the painful separation associated with sin, the sense of loss and forlorn abandonment.  Their decedents were born in their likeness, a fallen state marred by corruption.  The kingdom of earth originally bestowed to Adam passed over to Satan.

     But God promised redemption.  A Messiah would come, one who would crush the power of Satan underfoot.  He would depose the physical creation and perfect a spiritual universe free of sin and corruption.  His resurrection paved the way for spiritual union between God and man.  The believer mysteriously adopts the body and blood of Christ, the alchemical marriage wherein the twain become one essence.  Christ asks for your soul in marriage in exchange for His Spirit and a resurrected body in His likeness.  In the words of the late pop icon Biggie Smalls, “If you don’t know… now you know.”  You have been affectionately affianced, betrothed to the Master of the Universe.

     A bride-to-be is given an engagement ring as a token of promise toward a future wedding.  By this symbol, the groom reserves the woman as his own.  Similarly, Christ proposes marriage to humanity on earth, promising to accept people as they are, despite what they have done.  He wipes the slate clean from sin and offers every person a new beginning.  For those who accept His proposal, He stands at the door of the heart with an engagement ring, a token that represents His promise to return to earth and consummate the relationship into a single body, a Holy union.  The Holy Spirit is the seal of our betrothal, the engagement ring that guarantees our future redemption: “Now He who has prepared this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee” (2 Cor 5:5); “…having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance” (Eph 1:13-14).

     The artwork depicts several engagement rings hoped around a series of skyscrapers.  The skyscrapers resemble fingers of the earth, digits protruding from a hand.  Believers fly off the buildings, propellers mounted on their backs, and ascend up to meet Christ in the heavens.  They all pass through one of the engagement rings, signifying that they were sealed with the Holy Spirit.  Another believer flies off a ship at center right, carrying His engagement ring to Christ.  These scenes portray “The Rapture,” wherein Christ returns to earth for His fiancé.  Believers from the corners of the globe will simultaneously be summoned to the sky, dramatically vanishing out of the world to leave the unbelievers behind: “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left” (Mat 24:40-41); “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thes 4:17).

     A new believer trusts in Christ at center and is zapped by the Holy Spirit.  His arms are outstretched in the form of a crucifix and an engagement ring drops from the sky.  He becomes affectionately affianced, joining a larger collective body of believers worldwide who share a private and intimate relationship with Christ.  The skyscrapers, In-n-Out Burger, and Amoeba Music are various renditions of the world, consumerism, and materialistic pursuits.  Unlike the “lost” and wandering soul to his right, the new believer lives in the world but is no longer of the world.  He possesses a heavenly inheritance, a direct frequency channel of communication to God.  He enjoys “Peak Experiences” of divine awareness and Holy Communion, experiencing God.

     The same “zapped” squiggly lines repeat in the form of a bridge that connects the world with a lake of Living Waters, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  The bridge proceeds from a caption that speaks of the Promised Land: “Go Forth from your Land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the Land that I will show you” (Gen 12:1).  Believers understand that this Promised Land is the inheritance of those with the engagement ring, a heavenly city, a spiritual home of eternal bliss.  We are called to forsake our earthly heritage and renounce all Love for this world.  We exchange our kindred blood ties for our husband Christ and the stronger bonds of faith that connect believers as brothers and sisters in His Spirit, parts of one collective body.  The Promised Land of heaven shall have no tears or pain, no sun or moon.  The face of Christ, the Shekinah glory of God shall always be visible in the sky, and we shall be clothed in His righteousness (Rev 21:23; 22:1, 4).

     Not everybody will accept Christ’s marriage proposal.  Scripture states that although Light came into the world, many preferred the darkness because their deeds were evil (Jn 3:19).  They would rather maintain a love affair with sin than turn to Christ.  Like the parable, they declare, “We will not have this man rule over us” (Luke 19:14).  This spirit of disobedience is illustrated at bottom left, wherein two ranks of soldiers and a tank prepare to meet Christ on the battlefield.  The adjacent caption reads, “The Revelation… How will you deal with it?”  A machine-gun toting Christ states, “I Love you… and I know where you live.”  For those who refuse Love’s invitation; for those who pursue evil and eschew righteousness, God will slay them with the breath of His mouth (Rev 19:15).

     Children hang from closed windows in heaven, appearing in the upper corners of the artwork.  At the rapture, those without engagement rings, without the sealing of the Holy Spirit, will be left behind.  In contrast to believers who fly up to the Lord in the sky, these children of disobedience hang from the locked windows, unable to enter heaven.  Gravity seemingly pulls them downward away from the Lord, suggesting a bottomless pit.

     The Bible gives us a description of things to come.  God’s written Word was penned not by men but God Himself: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim 3:16).  This is suggested at bottom right.  Christ holds a pencil, scrawling in an open Bible.  He authored all sixty-six books of the Bible, moving His Spirit through men to communicate exactly what He intended.  He proposes marriage to humans, offering the engagement ring of His Holy Spirit, a down-payment on His promise to save us from this dying world.  In His Love, we are blessed, sanctified for His purpose, set apart and protected from evil.  We experience Him in communion, sense His presence in our hearts.  We are wonderfully made, spiritually regenerated in His likeness. We are affectionately affianced, awaiting His return to earth wherein He will consummate the marriage of our salvation in whole.   

Larry Word

Ouroboros

No Interpretation Given at this time.  Share your own?

When You are in Christ, Christ is in You

This title represents the paradox that when you are in Christ, Christ is in you.  We need not look to religion but inside our very hearts and pray.  The text “In You” appears overwhelmingly large in the left corner of the piece.  Directly underneath it, the question is posed, “You In?”  The text configuration can be read forwards, backwards, up, and down with the same result, thus emphasizing the paradox that if Christ is in you, then you are in Christ: “greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

     I blended Eastern and Western concepts of spirituality to convey that a relationship with Christ transcends religious systems.  It is not some abstract concept of morality but something that may be found right inside oneself, regardless of culture.  At center, a Hindu shrine is cut to the shape of a cross with Christ appearing inside an egg-shaped mirror.  The text, “Living from the Inside Out” appears above and “May the life within you be strong”  is pasted underneath.  The invitation to “Come inside,” is posted at the base of the cross.

     The geometry of an egg is significant in this piece.  The caption, “cosmic egg” reinforces this idea.  Not only does Christ appear inside an egg-shaped mirror at center, but He is also flanked by before-and-after photos of a woman inside an egg at the extremities of the collage.  The left-side portion represents a life before Christ, while the right side of the artwork portrays a life with Christ.

     The body is the living temple of God, the eggshell for the spiritual embryo regenerated to life in the heart by the Holy Spirit.  This is suggested by Christ in the mirror.  One need not look to heaven to find God but inside one’s very heart. 

     The woman inside the egg at left appears scattered and discombobulated.  At right, this same woman appears reconstituted, healthy, and vibrant.  As the text underneath her indicates, this pictures “Before” and “After” spiritual regeneration and faith in Christ.

     The new birth spoken of in Christianity is also intimated in Eastern religions.  Chakras are said to be the mystic energy pathways that pervade throughout the body.  Love and compassion are said to open the heart chakra and expand one’s consciousness to understand spiritual matters.  This new spiritual awareness is compared to the opening of a lotus flower.  At right, a blue Hindu figure holds a lotus flower above the regenerated egg.  He has four arms, suggesting the duality of spirit and soul consciously dwelling in harmony together in one body.

     Above the lotus flower, a man flies into the sky.  He grew wings and hatched out of the egg.  This pictures the fulfillment of God’s promise of eternal life and a bodily resurrection—we shall one day fly like the angels.  Though we are physically born in these shells of flesh, through faith in Christ, believers will one day shine as the stars of the firmament.

     The left and right sides of the artwork juxtapose life with and without Christ.  At right, a man on one knee faces the cross with hands clasped, in prayer.  This represents that regenerated “new man,” the spiritual creation born anew within the heart when we receive Christ: “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation” (2 Cor 5:17)

     The antithesis of this regenerative, spiritual nature is the carnal man, also referred to as the “old man” or Adamic nature.  This is portrayed on the left of the cross.  Again, a man kneels.  But instead of his hands clasped in prayer, his fists are clenched and he is ready to fight.  This depicts the overt hostility the “old man,” carnal nature displays toward God.  The carnal nature can never be in communal relationship with Christ, nor is it capable of pleasing God (Rom 8:7-8); Hence, the necessity of God re-creating a new man: “Put off the old man with his deeds… and put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him” (Col 3:9-10); “For the carnal mind is enmity (hostile) against God” (Rom 8:6).

     The man who sits in the chair further exemplifies the left side representing a life without Christ.  His back turns away from the Savior.  He looks to the fat cat dressed in red, white, and blue.  This depicts man putting his faith in government and industry for solutions.  The gray tone image sharply contrasts with the colors in the rest of the artwork, alluding to the depression and loneliness endured in a life turned away from Christ.

     The man in the chair contrasts with the man with clinched fists.  These represent two types of unbelievers.  The man with clenched fists faces the cross but is openly hostile.  This portrays those who have heard the Gospel but rejected it.  The other man sits with his back turned to the cross.  A phone is placed upon his ear, but he appears oblivious.  The phone cord stretches back to Christ at center.  This portrays unbelievers who have not heard the Gospel, the lost still being called by God.  The cord passes through clasped hands, signifying the simplicity of prayer in responding to God’s call.

     At right a man’s forehead displays an open computer terminal.  A male adapter fits into the terminal and extends from Christ, passing through the center of an engagement ring.  This pictures the Holy Spirit, which is often compared to an engagement ring, for it is the “pledge of our inheritance” (Eph 1:14).  Just as a fiancé receives an engagement ring as a token of promise toward a future wedding, so too is the Holy Spirit a token of promise toward our salvation. 

     It is significant that the terminal appears on the man’s forehead, for that is where the “sealing” of the Holy Spirit occurs: “And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads” (Rev 9:4); “…Go through the midst of the city… and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof” (Ezek 9:4-6).

     A life without Christ depicted on the left side of the collage leads to depression, hostility, and poor health.  But the phone call to God is as easy as placing one’s hands together and praying.  In contrast, a life with Christ promises “happiness guaranteed.”  The pink flamingo with sunglasses symbolizes this guaranteed happiness enjoyed by believers.  The open terminal on the man’s forehead suggests that all we must do is receive from Him.  And, the sealing of the Holy Spirit is pictured by the engagement ring and the location of the terminal.

     God invites us into covenant relationship with Him.  This is alluded to by the crucified Savior upon the earth (appearing at the foot of the cross) and the lego Moses-man coming out of the darkness and holding the Ten Commandments.  These picture the Old and New Covenants.  While sinful man could not keep that first covenant of law, Christ fulfilled the law as the perfect God-man.  This allowed Him to create a new contract with man.  The New Covenant is simple: “Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with thy soul, and with all thy mind… Thou shalt Love thy neighbor as thyself.  Upon these two commandments hang all the law and prophets” (Mat 22:37-40); “For the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Gal 5:14).

     The New Covenant pertains to a supernatural kind of Love that must be received and experienced to be understood.  Christ abides in the believer’s heart, opening the “third-eye” to wisdom and germinating that spiritual embryo to life.  This provides divine viewpoint and a new frame of reference.  The New Covenant based on Love is mystically understood by the paradox: when you are in Christ, Christ is in you.  Are you in Him?  Is He in you?

Larry Word