Conundrum: Heaven's or Earth?

ikoonman

Hi

I thought I read a verse somewhere in the NT that God created the spiritual realm first and then went on to create the physical realm.

Is this right? Can someone point me to any verses?

TIA

Medina

Hi,
I couldn't find verses in the New Testament so looked at what Genesis says:

Genesis 1 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society


Genesis 1
The Beginning
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

By spiritual realm do you mean Heaven(s)?

This is kind of difficult to decipher which came first, it says light and darkness were created first, this light may not be the sun's light, as I doubt Heaven uses the sun for light.Even though it refers to this separation as 'day' which we measure by the sun, its not necessarily a day of our time. Especially as 'day' here is actually created before the sun or moon which follow near the end of the quoted text.

ikoonman

Hi

Thanks for your reply. Yes, it is quiet difficult to assertain the order of creation. I think what I am trying to confirm is that whenever God does something on earth, He first finalises it in Heaven (ie. spiritual), and then has it done on earth. If i am not mistaking, the Bible tells us that God knew us (planned and designed) and written our names in the Book of Life way before the Earth was created. Does this not assist in confirming what I am trying to prove?

TIA

Medina

What do you mean by 'finalizes' it? God just says 'Be' and it 'Is'.

I know Islam believes the spiritual realm was created first and then the earth.

If you find verses I met understand more what you mean.

I found this..maybe this is what you're referring to?

Revelation 13 (New International Version)
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

Revelation 17:8 (New International Version)
8The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come