TSW ~ Eric W. King "The Shepherds Way": The First Earth

The First Earth

By Eric William King

Many Christians today have been taught that planet Earth is only some 6000 plus years old. They also go on to state that this is what the Bible teaches. Wrong! The Bible does not give the exact time or any time when this planet was created.

The first verse of the Bible states;

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

“In the beginning”, millions of years ago. Only God knows when that happened. So when God created “the heavens and the earth” it was instantaneous and perfect. Isaiah the prophet tells us of this;

“For this is what the Lord says – he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty (Hebrew: “without form and void”), but formed it to be inhabited.” (Isaiah 45:18)

So the original “planet Earth” was made complete and inhabitable. The very second verse of the Bible properly reads in the Hebrew; “Now the earth BECAME formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) So the original translation tells us that something happened in-between verses one and two of Genesis….something that brought desolation to planet Earth.

We go on to read about the angels that “shouted for joy” when God made this first perfect earth (Job 38:4-7). So what happened to it that made it become “void” and “chaotic” [without form]?

If you read the rest of the Bible you can begin to understand what happened in between these two verses. What happened was a spiritual war. When we read the account of Adam and Eve we note that sin already existed, before man was created. God never creates anything “void” and “without form”. It is sin which brought destruction. Remember, when God first created the planet … he did not create it to be empty (Hebrew: “without form and void”), but formed it to be inhabited.” (Isaiah 45:18)

There was a Pre-Adamite Earth (earth before Adam & Eve). Lucifer (Satan) and his angels were in charge of the planet long ago. Satan rebelled and brought destruction on the first world. The geographical earth-plates shifted during this first great rebellion. The earth literally became “without form & void”. We have Scripture which confirms that Lucifer once walked in the Garden of Eden and he was still without sin, he was here before this great destruction.

We have an exact account about Lucifer before he sinned;

“You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. YOU WERE IN EDEN, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you; ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.” (Ezekiel 28:13-15)

So we know that Lucifer was in the Garden of Eden before sin…still “blameless”…this would be on the first earth, before his rebellion. He was in charge of the earth. Even in his fallen state (as Satan) he is still called “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). As the “god of this world” Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of this fallen world (Matthew 4:8-11). Jesus of course turned him down.

This is why Jesus Christ bought and paid for the legitimate title deed of this planet (depicted as “the Seven Sealed Scroll” – Revelation 5:5; Jeremiah 32:8-15). The Bible says that as Christians we were “bought with a price” and that we are “sealed with a deposit” which “guarantees our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Corinthians 6:20).

Seven Day Recreation

So after the second verse of Genesis we begin the account of the “reconstruction” of a planet gone wrong. We note that on the “first day” of the recreation God “brought forth light” - it does not say in the Hebrew that He then “created” the light (Genesis 1:3). Remember, after the destruction of the first earth the atmosphere was covered with “darkness” (Genesis 1:2). It was on the first day that God allowed some light back, not all. Some of this light was also no doubt produced by electrical storms.

In the “second day” we have an atmosphere reforming (Genesis 1:1-7). The second day’s work was the beginning of the readjustment of earth’s atmosphere. Then we come to the “third day” where land begins to appear and vegetation is restored. On the “fourth day” total sunlight is restored to earth’s surface – completely clean atmosphere, no more darkness.

Only when we get to the “fifth day”, “sixth day” and “eighth day” do we get to the actual Hebrew word “bara” – which means ‘created’ or ‘create’. On these last days of the Creation Week God did actually create (bara) brand new animal species and on the “sixth day” all the human races.

The Pre-Adamic Earth

We can imagine many earth ages before Adam and Eve. Some say that our last ice age was about 10,000 years ago. If the ice melted the first 4000 years and after that the “new creation” or “recreation” of earth’s surface occurred that would put Adam and Eve at about 6000 plus years ago. This is extremely accurate theological anthropology.

We do not know how long the first human races lived on earth without sin (or proper knowledge of sin) before Adam and Eve but it could have been for awhile. All the human races were of course created on the sixth day. Adam and Eve were created after the Seventh Day and for reference we say the “eighth day” (Genesis 2:7).

Edenic Glory

During the time of Adam and Eve most of the planet had been restored to its Primeval Glory. The freshest air to breathe, the bluest skies and clean white puffy clouds – what a glorious Paradise. Fresh water and friendly animals.

Adam and Eve were placed in a perfect atmosphere for sinless people. A beautiful garden, perhaps with angelic visitors. Even God walked in this garden to visit His children. Yet it was here in the beautiful Paradise that Adam and Eve made the wrong choices.

God allowed all of this to happen for His marvelous plan of salvation that His true children must and will experience. Through Jesus Christ and His mission we have been restored in all areas. You are invited, you and your family to experience the New Birth through the Divine Person of Jesus Christ. God is calling His true children home…back to paradise.

Please continue your Bible studies with us here and thank you for visiting.

Eric William King (May 26th 2020)