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How God Created the Heavens and Earth
by Noble Harber
Many theories have been proposed as to how the universe was formed. The Bible, God’s Word, is NOT theoretical. The Bible tells us plainly that God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). As to HOW God created the heavens and the earth, the Bible tells us that He brought about His creation by SPEAKING the various elements of creation into existence:
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (Genesis 1:3).
Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so (Genesis 1:6,7).
Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear,” and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas (Genesis 1:9,10).
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth,” and it was so (Genesis 1:11).
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,” and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also (Genesis 1:14-16).
Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind” (Genesis 1:20,21).
Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind,” and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind (Genesis 1:24,25).
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26,27).
Throughout the Bible, there are many manifestations of God’s miraculous power. At the beginning of time, God’s almighty power is demonstrated by Him SPEAKING the universe into existence.
Note that on the sixth day (Genesis 1:26), God spoke to someone when He said, “Let Us make man in Our image.” To whom was the Creator speaking? The following texts indicate that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was present and active in the creation of the heavens and the earth:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it…. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1-14).
For by Him [Jesus Christ] 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 (Colossians 1:16).
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds (Hebrews 1:1,2).
These references indicate the divine nature of both God the Father, and His Son, Jesus the Christ. Their omnipotence and everlasting nature is evident in the account of creation.
After each of the first five days of creation, God stated that His creation “was good” (Genesis 1:4,10,12,18, 21, 25). And finally, after the creation of man on the sixth day, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day (Genesis 1:31). These declarations indicate the completeness and perfection of God’s creation.
A question has been set forth by some regarding the duration of creation — Are the “days” of the creation account literal or figurative? When God gave the nation of Israel the ten commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), He stated the fourth commandment:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”
How would the Israelites have understood and obeyed the Sabbath Day commandment? Most certainly, they would have gone about their business and livelihood during the first six days of each week (i.e. six 24-hour periods) and then, on the seventh day of every week (another 24-hour period), they would have done “no work.” In setting forth an example of His meaning and their understanding, God illustrated the observance of the Sabbath day referring to the days of creation. If God was able to SPEAK the heavens and the earth into existence, it is not unreasonable to understand that He brought about creation in six days.
On the sixth day, God created man and woman. In the letter to the Christians at Ephesus, Paul wrote regarding God’s creation of mankind:
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10).
Truly, the creation of the heavens and the earth is a miraculous, awesome work of God! In order to give the Creator due honor and glory, we — His creation — ought to recognize our place in God’s eternal plan. Our role, as God’s workmanship, is to humbly submit to His Will.