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.

Is There a Mother in Heaven? Part 10 of 10—What’s Forever For?

Here is an important question to consider: Why not forever marriage in heaven? Why does it seem so offensive to many?

Think about it. We make close, intimate ties on earth with our spouses—okay, some of us do. Nevertheless, does it make sense that God would take two loving, intimate spouses, then tear them apart to live singly for eternity just because they died? That would be akin to some kind of hell, I would think—a hell in heaven!

Michael Martin Murphy put it this way, “And if love never lasts forever, tell me what’s forever for?” Or to put it another way, “And if marriage doesn’t lasts forever, what’s marriage for?”

Is There a Mother in Heaven? Part 9 of 10—No Marriage in Heaven?

This idea of forever marriage speaks deeply of the importance of marriage in eternity. This would suggest that marriage is apparently more than a mere temporary arrangement—in other words, not “Till death do you part,” which is a temporary arrangement.

The question can then be asked: If God would have his children be married—i.e., not just married, but married forever!—then what about God himself? Would it be of any less importance to him? Modern thinking would have us believe so.

What purpose would it serve God, if all his children had forever spouses and he did not? His children would then be in possession of something that he himself did not possess! Pretty unthinkable, I would imagine.

Is There a Mother in Heaven? Part 8 of 10—Is Marriage Forever?

Remember what Jesus said? God did the joining. Let no man put it asunder. Man cannot break what God has joined together. That sounds pretty forever to me!

Yet, how easy we break those marriage vows here on earth. Divorce is rampant, even among professed Christians. I, myself, have been divorced three times! Not that I’m proud of the fact; I’m not.

Originally there was no divorce, but as Jesus said:

“Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.” ( Matthew 19:8.)

This means that God originally, and still does, intend marriage to last forever. And here’s something else to remember:

Is There a Mother in Heaven? Part 7 of 10—Is There Marriage in Heaven?

If there were no Mother in heaven, then God, the Father, would be forever single. Of course, this is how 99.999 percent of all Christianity view him anyway (guesstimate mine).

But if God were forever single, then why would he care if his children were married or not? What purpose could it possibly serve?

If man were modeled after God, and the scriptures tell us he was, then why would he require his children to do something he himself was unwilling to do—i.e., be married?

Remember, in the Lord’s Prayer Jesus addressed the Father:

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10.)

Is There a Mother in Heaven? Part 6 of 10—God Does Not Play Dice

Finally, I cannot believe that God, the Father, could be both male and female, that both could be created in his own male likeness and image. To me, this goes beyond all good sense and reason. And remember, God does use the pronoun “us” in his proclamation of intended and actual creation. (See Genesis 1:26-27.)

In short, I believe in a God of order who works by natural laws—eternal laws! Look around you. His creations speak—no, shout!—of order. And to create a female out of a male does not speak to me of order or of any natural law.

Even cloning, as abhorrent as I think it is, duplicates the DNA. Thus, a clone will have the same sex as its source.

Also, if you look at the fact that man and woman are inherently different in form and in nature, you should be able to see they both could not be modeled after the same personage. All you have to do is compare yourself with your spouse or significant other . . . whatever that is.

Is There a Mother in Heaven? Part 5 of 10—Are We a Reflection of God’s Nature?

If the man Adam looked like God in form, and if man was modeled after God’s own being, to be a shadow of himself, then surely the reverse is also true: God, in form, looks like the man he created after his own image. Stephen’s pre-death experience would certainly lend credence to this idea (see Acts 7:55-56).

The same idea may be implied in the relationship between our asserted Mother in heaven and the woman.

In regards to the man, the same language used in Genesis 1:26-27 was used later when Adam was compared with his son Seth:

Is There a Mother in Heaven? Part 4 of 10—Modeling Man and Woman

I think of the earth and all its inhabitants as a sort of microcosm of heaven—that is, the heaven where I believe we all came from. Of course, heaven is on a much higher plane than earth, yet who’s to say what the earth was patterned after? It might as well be patterned after heaven as any other place.

What we do know is the pattern after which man and woman were created.

“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.)

Wherever we came from, it would seem that the patterns for creating earthly man and woman resided in heaven, for that is where God resides.

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.

Did John Ever Taste of Death?

According to Biblical tradition, it is suggested that John the beloved apostle (i.e., Revelator) never died but that he was to remain on earth until the Savior was to come again. The Lord spoke of this to his chosen disciples (i.e., apostles):

“But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27).

While this is not specific to John, Mark also reported this saying but added more substance to what Luke reported:

“And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1).

What Was the Date of the Book of Revelation?

Where the authorship of The Revelation is under some dispute, at least among modern-day scholars, the approximate date it was received is far less in doubt. Following is another sampling of twentieth century Biblical scholars:

“As regards to the church’s tradition in the matter, the following facts are known: (a) A diversity of dates was suggested for the book by late writers, including the reigns of Claudius (41-54), Nero (54-68), and Trajan (98-117). Certainly it does not commend these dates that they were proposed only by late writers like Epiphanius, Jerome, and others of the fourth and later centuries and on inconclusive evidence or none. . . . (b) The earlier church writers converged on a date in the reign of Domitian (81-96); such appears to be the united testimony of Melito of Sardis, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Victorinus, and Eusebius—church fathers ranging from the second to the fourth century. Jerome, too, knew of this tradition.

“A number of modern scholars, rejecting both sets of early tradition, have attempted to establish a date in the reign of Vespasian (69-79) . . .” (The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, p. 60.)

Who Was the Author of the Book of Revelation?

Who was this John, the writer of the Book of Revelation, who was exiled on a small penal colony on the Isle of Patmos for his testimony of Jesus Christ? Was he John, the beloved apostle, or John Mark, or some other John, known or unknown to modern Christendom?

While modern-day Biblical scholars, so-called, have quibbled over who the writer of The Revelation was, it is generally accepted by most Christians that he was the apostle whom Jesus loved. However, modern Bible scholars choose to believe otherwise.

Following is a representative sampling of what scholars of the twentieth century have said of John:

Whence Cometh Satan? (Part 3 of 3)

Here is something else to consider: What do you do if one is found to be possessed with one of these evil spirits? And how do you know if one is possessed by an evil spirit?

Of course, Hollywood has given us the stereotypical view of how one behaves when possessed by a devil, or demon, as they often call it. Shown are all sorts of histrionics, aberrant and abhorrent behavior from the one possessed. You might hear guttural, evil-sounding voices emanating from the possessed one’s mouth, even a male’s voice coming from a female.

While all these effects may or may not be observed, I think they represent at best a very small portion of those actually possessed. It must also be remembered that Satan and his ministers can be very deceptive.

“And no marvel [i.e, marvel not]; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).

Whence Cometh Satan? (Part 2 of 3)

So, what exactly was this war in heaven fought over? Of course, we have no way of really knowing, save the heavens become open to us. Nevertheless, perhaps we can paint a picture of what might possibly have occurred, relying heavily upon conjecture. But that’s what we’re all about here: expressing opinions.

Let us look back and try to imagine the scene that took place.

We know this war took place in heaven, a place where one wouldn’t ordinarily think of as having conflict of any kind, let alone a war. I believe this war took place before Adam and Eve were placed on earth in their physical forms. I also believe this war occurred before “the morning stars [i.e., daughters of God] sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7).

Of course, there’s no way to know for sure, except there does seem to be a logical pattern of progression here. First, a war fought in heaven. Second, the conclusion of the war. Third, God’s announcement of the physical creation of the earth and the laying of its cornerstone.

Whence Cometh Satan? (Part 1 of 3)

A lot of sermons have been preached about Satan. However, I wonder how many people, preachers included, actually know who Satan is and where he came from. Do we know why he is so determined to fight against God and all those who seek to do good in Christ’s name? Do we know why he is so hateful and downright evil?

To answer these questions, we have to go back before the physical creation of the earth, for that is where we first meet the one we call Satan, otherwise known as Lucifer, or the Devil.

There’s a curious verse in the epistle of Jude (KJV) that refers to the “first estate.” Nothing further is mentioned, nor is there any other reference to it in the entire Bible. Even so, I think we can make some assumptions regarding this verse.

“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” (Jude 6).

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

The question may then be asked: Why were the sons and daughters of God so excited about the laying of the earth’s foundations and cornerstone​, whatever the latter may have consisted?

Could it not be anticipation for something they had been looking forward to for a very long time? Could it be they understood God was creating a new home for them in a new setting? New opportunities for growth and development?

With a new setting came different types of bodies to deal with, consisting of grosser material, but fashioned after the manner of their spirit bodies, which were created in the image and likeness of God. Trials and suffering would be part of their learning experiences, although they had no way of knowing or understanding the lengths, widths and depths of that sorrow and suffering. These would be the refiner’s fire spoken of in “Who Are We? (Part 2)”.

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?