The Real Creation Story, part 2: Creation of Mankind

The Creation of Mankind

Now we shall consider the creation sequence that exists in Genesis chapter 2. It isn’t as extensive as in chapter 1 and only covers the physical creation or formation of the earth’s fauna and flora.

However, before we begin, let us take a closer look at Genesis 1:26-28:

"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.
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth . . ."

The Real Creation Story, part 1: It's All Wrong

It’s All Wrong

This may come as a shock to you, and perhaps you won’t believe it, but a good deal of what we’ve been taught in Sunday School about the creation of the earth is wrong.

However, before you get your knickers up, to quote an old expression, allow me to explain.

If you read Genesis chapters one and two carefully, you should come across a bit of a conundrum: Why are there two creation accounts instead of just one?

Be honest: Have you ever noticed that before? If you did, what did you think about it? That it’s just repetition?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but haven’t we been taught since we were toddlers, and for thousands of years before that, that Genesis chapter one chronicles the physical creation of the earth and all that dwells on it?

If that’s so, why, then, are there two separate creation accounts, or at least one whole and one partial account? And the second one in reverse order from the first?

Was Adam Created from Clay? (What About Eve?), part 2 of 2

The design that went into the human body is a miracle beyond miracles when you consider how everything is integrated together, yet each organ and system working its own individual miracles. And the deeper one gets into the body’s functioning (via microscope), the more miraculous it becomes.

I must admit that given the complexity of the human body, I have a hard time with the one-puff-of-air theory of creation from a sculpture of dirt or clay. The only choice I have is to consider that this one sentence verse is symbolic in nature.

I will briefly discuss the creation of Eve. It is different and equally mystifying.

“And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. . . . And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man” (Genesis 2:18,21-22).

Was Adam Created from Clay, part 1 of 2

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).

We live in an orderly universe.

I believe God to be a God of order.

I believe God works by universal laws and principles.

Whether or not God created those laws and principles is irrelevant to me.

What is relevant to me is—if God broke those laws, he would cease to be God.

What Is Revelation?

According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Greek#602), the word “revelation” comes from apŏkalupsis, meaning “disclosure.” apŏkalupsis has been translated variously in the King James Version of the Bible as “appearing, coming, lighten, manifestation, be revealed,” as well as “revelation.” (ibid.)

From this, we can see that the Greek word apŏkalupsis has been transliterated rather than translated into the word “apocalypse,” which is one of the names the Book of Revelation commonly goes by: The Apocalypse. But it could also be known as The Disclosure, The Appearing, The Coming, The Enlightening, The Manifestation or The Revealing.

In any event, the apŏkalupsis is a revealing of some pretty nasty events that are to occur during the last days, which are now upon us. It also reveals some other important items and events as well.

What of So-Called Past Lives? (Part 1 of 2)

There’s a lot of talk in the alternative press and publishing industry these days about past lives some claim they have experienced. Oddly, most of these supposed past lives seems to have taken place in ancient Egypt or the supposed Atlantis, two centerpieces of a lot of modern cultism. Coincidence? Perhaps, but I don’t believe in coincidences.

What typically happens is someone goes to a hypnotist. Under hypnosis, the subject is regressed to his birth and then just continues backward . . . all the way to ancient Egypt or Atlantis! The subject is then able to relate, often quite accurately, events of some person who lived during that time period—usually someone who can be checked on.

Not only have most of these hypnotized people lived in ancient Egypt or Atlantis, a large preponderance of them seem to have inhabited the bodies of various royal households. Another coincidence?

Did Adam And Eve Need to Fall?

Many Christians believe that if Adam and Eve had not partaken of the forbidden fruit, we would be living joyful lives in the Garden of Eden with them, even to this day. If not in the garden itself, then certainly somewhere else on the paradisaical earth that was their pre-fall home.

Think about it. There would be no death, no sickness, nothing but happiness and joy! Doesn’t that sound wonderful indeed?

But is it realistic?

No sickness would be nice, but no death?

It’s been estimated some 20-30 billion people have lived on earth since the beginning of human habitation on this planet. I personally think it’s closer to the 30 billion mark. Add to that our current 6+ billion people and you have quite a handful.

Overpopulation, anyone?

Who Are We? (Part 2 of 3)

If we are truly sons and daughters of God as the scriptures tell us (see Who Are We? (Part 1 of 3), then what about all the scriptures that tell us we may become sons and daughters of God? This certainly presents a spiritual conundrum. But there is an answer.

Adam and Eve were created in a paradisaical state. Yet, God introduced the idea of death to them, even though they likely had no conception of what that meant. How could they? Nothing had ever died before! Still, God warned them not to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil or they would die.

We do not know what the tree of knowledge of good and evil was, nor what sort of fruit it bore. What we do know is that by eating it, Adam and Eve would die. The only thing we can assume is whenever they partook of this forbidden fruit, some sort of change came over their bodies that made dying possible. We don’t know what that change was; we may never know. But something happened, and as a result of their disobedience, they became subject to death and were ushered out of their paradisaical glory.

Whatever changes took place in Adam and Eve’s bodies must also have taken place in the bodies of all the animals, for they became wild and ferocious, or at least wild. So, we know the change wasn’t necessarily in the fruit itself because the animals didn’t eat the fruit, but yet they, too, were subject to death.

Who Are We? (Part 1 of 3)

“Who are we?” is certainly one of the most important and widely discussed religious and philosophical questions known to mankind. Yet, when all the arguments have been laid on the table, there is still no consensus among the various parties.

The wise philosophers (in their own eyes) depend on their innate reasoning powers to reach their conclusions. Yet, those conclusions vary widely. There are as many opinions as there are philosophers.

The great religions of the world—Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc.—do not fair any better. They cannot even agree on a single God, let alone the answer to this important question. Sadly, Christianity, with its multitude of factions, is not united on the issue, either.

Nevertheless, being of the Christian faith, I must ask: Who does the Bible say we are?

Is There One Creation Story or Two? (Part 3 of 3)

Day 6 opens with the creation of “the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so” (Genesis 1:24). You’ll again note that each living thing was to reproduce after its kind, not evolve from one living thing into something else. Christian Darwinians take note.

Then came the creation of the male and female, formed in the image and likeness of God himself. Many feel this was the creation of Adam and Eve. But was it?

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . . So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26-27).

Interestingly, the Hebrew word for man is ’adam (small a), while the word for Adam is ’Adam (large A—both minus the diacritical marks). ’adam (small a) means “ruddy, i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)” (James Strong, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Abingdon Press, 1973.)