Watering the Garden
THREE EARTH AGES
This world is millions of years old. Christians have caused a lot of confusion and lost many souls, especially our youth, in our attempt to convince them that this world is only six thousand years old. It does not fit. Our young go off to college and often begin to believe that all that they have been taught concerning God is not true because they see evidence to the contrary concerning the age of this earth. Evidence does confirm that flesh man has been here for approximately six thousand years, but that this earth has been around for millions of years.
From the scriptures we discover that there are three periods of time, or ages, described. We are now in the second age. Finding ourselves in this age is a result of what took place in the first earth age and where we end up in the third earth age is determined by what we do in this period of time. There is evidence that animals were present in the flesh during the first earth age because of the fossils that are found. There are places in this country such as the Ashfall, Nebraska Park where fossils that are not normal to the US have been found. You can check this out at http://ashfall.unl.edu/. In Siberia and Alaska Wooly Mammoth have been discovered with buttercups still in their stomach showing that something happened quickly to cause their demise.
God spoke to Job concerning the first earth age. It must have been a pleasant time for man. “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7)(Note the word “stars”)
Something went terribly wrong which angered Our Father and the beautiful first earth age came to an end. Scriptures indicate that Satan was the culprit who rebelled and caused all of this to come about. Note again the word “stars” described in Isaiah which reads, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?” (Isaiah 14:12-16)
In documentaries on the History Chanel or on the Discovery Channel, scientists confirm that something catastrophic happen approximately twelve to fifteen thousand years ago. The book of Jeremiah speaks of this catastrophic event when everything was destroyed. This is not Noah’s flood because in this scripture there was no man or bird left. “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. (Jeremiah 4:23-26) Note that there were cities that had existed. Peter also spoke of this upheaval when he wrote, “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: (2nd Peter 3:5-6) That world age ended.
One small word in the first verse of the Bible clears up a lot of the confusion concerning this. The scripture reads, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2) What word is it? It is the word “was”. Many of the King James Bible’s have that word marked out to the side indicating that the word could also mean “became”. Check out some older King James Bibles and you will see this to be true.
Let’s take a look at that word in the Hebrew Strong Concordance. It is the word hayah, pronounced ha-ya. Here are the meanings described:
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
b) to come about, come to pass
2) to come into being, become
a) to arise, appear, come
b) to become
1) to become
2) to become like
3) to be instituted, be established
3) to be
a) to exist, be in existence
b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
d) to accompany, be with
b) (Niphal)
1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Now let’s take a look at the scripture with the word changed to “became” and see the difference it makes. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth became without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Scripture does not say when the beginning was, only God knows when and how, but he did not create the earth void and without form. It became void and without form after Satan’s rebellion.
The Bible teaches us that a thousand years is as a day to the Lord, “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. (Psalms 90:4) And, also in the book of Peter we find, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2nd Peter 3:8)
The book of Genesis teaches that the creation of this earth age took seven days. If this were to be considered one day as if a thousand years then creation or the first seven days would have actually been seven thousand years including the day that God rested. This helps make things fall into place a lot clearer. It is believed that man has been here approximately six thousand years and we tack on the seven thousand years of creation that would make this earth age approximately thirteen or fourteen thousand years old, which coincides with what scientists say that the great catastrophe which took place.
In no way is this indicating reincarnation only that we continue to exist. In the first earth age as a spirit soul, in the second earth age as a flesh soul and in the third earth age as a spirit soul once more. Also, since God said, “Let us make man in our image,” we continue to look the same. That is why the angels that appear off and on in the Bible look just like us only in their spiritual form. Consider also the many scriptures in the Old Testament, which, when speaking of death state that those who have died “returned to their fathers” or were “gathered to his people” or “join the fathers”.
The exciting part of our existence is the world age to come. There are many, many promises in the Bible concerning this. John writes in the book of Revelation. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” (Revelation 21:1-7)
In conclusion, “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Our Father appreciates the fact that you are trying. May God’s blessing be upon this
study of His word, Amen.
Susan
