Mysteries of Creation

“This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”  (Eph. 5:32)

It is important that we understand the mysteries of creation as they concern Christ and the Church.  One of those mysteries is “that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.” (Eph. 1:10).  “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things on earth or things in heaven” (Col. 1:19).  From the beginning, God had a plan for mankind that would far surpass the original creation.  We tend to think of redemption as something God was ready to do in case man sinned, but the mystery is that the second state of man is better than the first.  In the beginning, man had fellowship with God, but through redemption, man became “members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.” (Eph. 5:30).  Man was first created as a living soul but in Christ, he becomes a living spirit (1Cor. 15:45).  Redeemed man becomes a new creation, not just a restored one. (2Cor. 5:17). 

In the first account of creation, we see the order of when the heavens and the earth were formed.  We are told that on the seventh day God rested because “the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.” (Gen. 2:1,2).  There is always more than one dimension to the Word of God.  When we look at the seven days of creation, we can view them in a framework of time and space, which would mean that there is an eight day and so on.  We can also view the account as covering all of creation, from the beginning of time to the end, which would mean that each day represents an era.  With this second view, the fall and redemption of man is included within the six days and God’s rest is for eternity.  I like to think that both views are acceptable and provide different perspectives of God’s work.

One of the mysteries to consider is of the earth itself.  How old is the earth?  We know that God created everything is six days, but how long was a day before the sun was formed?  Also, what was the earth when it was created?  God calls it all the dry land (Gen. 1:10).  From our perspective that would mean the planet Earth, but from God’s perspective, it could mean all the dry land in the universe.  Even limiting our interpretation to the physical universe may be wrong.  What if God’s perspective is multi-dimensional?  Maybe the earth that God is referring to is in another dimension and the physical universe is just an expression of it.  On the earth that God is referring to, vegetation came forth on the third day, but the sun and the stars were only created on the fourth day.  This means the original earth had light from a different source, just like the new heaven and the new earth will have (Rev. 21:23).

If the earth is multi-dimensional, then the garden of Eden, which was planted by God on the earth, is still here.  After the fall, man was driven out of the garden, but Scripture does not say that Eden was removed.  Rather, it says that “He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Gen. 3:24).  Since the garden of Eden is still on earth, in a different dimension, then we should be able to gain access to it in Christ.  We do not need to understand everything, but the more we do, the deeper can be our experience with God in His Kingdom.

The second account of creation is “a history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.” (Gen. 2:4).  This record helps us to gain an understanding of the mystery of mankind.  We know from Chapter One that man was created (or re-created) on the sixth day.  In Chapter Two, however, we find that Adam was formed “before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown.” (Gen. 2:5).  This would indicate that Adam was created on the third day, before even the physical universe, as we know it (sun, moon, stars), and before any of the fish, birds, and animals.  This time frame is confirmed in the next verses as God creates birds and animals to provide companionship for Adam.  The problem we have with understanding scripture is we always look at it from our current circumstances.  The earth as we know it today is in a fallen state, subject to death and decay.  This was not the case in the beginning, and it will not be after death is destroyed. (1Cor. 15:26; Rev. 20:14).   

It is not clear on which day Eve was created.  Following the linear timeline, it could be on the sixth day when God created man “male and female” (Gen. 1:27).  This would place the fall and redemption of man after the seventh day.  If we consider the view that the creation account is from eternity to eternity, then it could be before the creation of our present universe, on the fourth day.  With this view, marine life, animal life, and mankind would be re-created on the fifth and sixth day.  Redemption would then occur on day six, when we become new creations in Christ.

What about the angels?  The only reference to them is at the fall of man.  When Lucifer appears to tempt Eve, he is described as a serpent that “was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord had made.” (Gen. 3:1).  Could the original birds and living creatures be angels?  At least symbolically they are.  When Paul quotes from Genesis 2:24 in Ephesians Chapter 5, he compares the creation of Eve to the creation of the Bride of Christ.  Angelic beings would then have been created to provide companionship to the Son, but they were not sufficient.  “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.  All things were created through Him and for Him.” (Col. 1:16).  By putting Adam to sleep, God was foretelling the death of Christ.  It has always been God’s plan to create a Bride for His Son.  The ultimate purpose of man is to reign with Christ as His Bride.  Salvation is the pathway to this end purpose.  Let us pursue God with all our hearts so that His purpose will be fulfilled in us.