Before trying to understand the story of the Bible and especially before trying to discern Biblical theology, we must clarify the “field of play,” so to speak, that the Bible is set upon. We don’t want to set soccer players on a basketball course and yell, “score!” There must be a semi-proper understanding of how the scriptures present the heavens and the earth before trying to discern the two goal posts of creation in the beginning and the consummation at the end. We will begin by tearing down the worldview that western Christianity is/was large based upon.

I. GREEK PHILOSOPHY AND WORLDVIEW – ITS DEFINITION

“The Hellenistic worldview is a form of metaphysical dualism, which divides existence into two distinct realms. For Plato this dualism included the unchangeable, perfect and unseen “intelligible world,” and the corrupt, fallen “perceptual world,” which we see around us. The perceptual world consists of imperfect “copies” of the perfect and ideal intelligible “forms.” This basic split in reality is still the bedrock upon which the foundation of the Western worldview rests”.

Metaphysical Dualism

Intelligible World – immaterial/perfect/good/unseen “Form” (Heaven)

Perceptual World – material/imperfect/evil/fallen/seen “Copies” (earth)

GREEK PHILOSOPHY AND WORLDVIEW – ITS IMPLICATIONS

If the sum total of reality is a dualism that places all of reality into two distinct realms (Heaven/immaterial /unseen/good and the earth/material/seen/evil) what are the implications of this philosophy and worldview?

“The Greek mindset, derived from Plato and fully developed in the Gnosticism which flourished in those days, held that physical matter was itself corrupt. The Greek-pagan mindset of the afterlife was entirely bound up in the idea of escaping the earth and ascending to a supposed heavenly destiny. Salvation in the Greek mind involved escape from the material creation and ascending into the heavens in a purely “spiritual” state of eternal bliss. The Gnostic doctrines included…the denial of the resurrection [of the body] and inheritance on a restored earth, the Creator was not the supreme God (a natural result of their aversion to physical matter which the Creator had made therefore if matter was corrupt then the One who created it must in some way be corrupt), some went so far as to claim that the “Christ” was pure in spirit (not consisting of matter), and the man Jesus was a totally separate person (consisting of matter) – the two could not be the same person in Gnostic thinking because Jesus fleshly humanity would mean He was corrupt – so they invented a myth that the “Christ” Spirit descended on Jesus at His baptism, and left Him at the crucifixion – denying the body and blood of Jesus Christ atonement because the flesh would also be corrupt consisting of matter – thus salvation in Gnosticism was not atonement, but the gaining of philosophical knowledge which eventually allowed the Gnostic Christian to escape the bondage of the material body and this creation and to ascend through heavenly spheres into eventual union with the unseen God – this dichotomy between substance and spirit was pressed to extremes of heresy as Gnosticism became poison to pristine Christianity; it was the spirit of Antichrist”

2 Timothy 2:15–18 (NAS): Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.
The scriptures above shows that a “spiritual” resurrection was being talked about by Gnostics as early as Paul. Here we see a rejection of the ideas of a literal/physical resurrection of the body of believers.

There are so many facets of Judeo-Christianity that are greatly affected and corrupted by the heresies that are introduced and upheld within the Greek worldview of dualism. (Consider John 14:1-3 as an example)

The Judeo-Christian Scriptures (From Genesis to Revelation – instead of the Jewish main and plain literal interpretation of the Scriptures in their historical context – the Scriptures began to be interpreted through Greek philosophical lens – an allegorical/spiritualized interpretation)

Jesus Christ (Jesus humanity and divinity are reinterpreted through a dualism approach)

Cosmology (Creation of the Heavens and the earth as one whole “very good” reality is reinterpreted as a metaphysical dualism of two realms “the good – Forms” and “the evil – Copies”. Ultimately the corrupt earth must be annihilated rather than the Biblical restoration of all things – Acts 3:21, Rev 20-22)

Theology (God is now reduced from Creator of the Heavens and the earth to a lesser god…)

Soteriology (Salvation for humanity is understood as escaping this corrupt earth through levels of knowledge without the need for a Savior who has overcome sin & death thru the cross & resurrection)

Eschatology (The end of all things shifts from an earthly to a heavenly destiny denying the resurrection of the body, giving validity to a pretribulation rapture and spiritualizing/reinterpreting the land covenant to Abraham in Israel & the throne of David in Jerusalem implying the Kingdom is realized now)

Many scholars have come to understand the genesis account of creation as simply speaking into the cosmic framework that the ancient Israelites held. In other words, God was not intending to give them scientific information about the structure of the universe, but instead wanted to communicate to them theological truth by using the “scientific” understanding that they had at the time. If they believed that the earth was flat with a solid dome over top of it, God was not in the business of overturning this idea, but instead was going to speak to them within that framework.

While in some ways this should not, and indeed cannot be entirely rejected, it could be that we should think twice about these assumptions. While the Genesis one account may not overturn an ancient Israelites view of the universe, it also should not be assumed that Genesis one teaches the same cosmic structure of the universe held by other ancient neareastern civilizations. As seen bellow there are many simple problems with the assumption that the biblical testimony describes a flat earth with a solid dome attaching to its borders, waters above this dome, the sun moon and stars moving across the dome, and God’s temple above the dome and waters.

Discuss disorder to order.

“As seen in this diagram, the heavens are described as plural . The Hebrew word for heavens ( šāmayim ) is used over four hundred times in the Old Testament, and it is always in the plural form. Moreover, the plural is sometimes used in tandem ( šāmeh h’šāmayim ), “heavens of heavens” (Deut. 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chron. 2:6; 6:18; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 148:4), which is often translated “height of the heavens” or “highest heavens” ( NASB , NIV, NLT ), referring to the region(s) of God’s dwelling. The translation of šāmayim into the singular by various English translations is generally arbitrary. The biblical worldview clearly understands the heavens to be plural.”

The Expanse (heavens) amidst the Waters (cosmic waters)

[Gen 1:1-8 NASB] 1 In the beginning God created the heavens (Heb. shamayim) and the earth. 2 The earth was

formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep (cosmic waters), and the Spirit of God was

moving over the surface of the waters (cosmic waters). 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God 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, one day. 6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse (Heb. raqiya) in the midst of the waters (cosmic waters), and let it separate the waters from the waters (cosmic waters).” 7 God made the expanse, and separated the waters (cosmic waters) which were below the expanse from the waters (cosmic waters) which were above the expanse; and it was so. 8 God called the expanse (Heb. raqiya) heavens (Heb. shamayim). And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. (I add cosmic waters 1:1-8 to distinguish from earthly waters 1:9-10)

[Gen 1:9-13 NASB] 9 Then God said, “Let the waters (cosmic waters) below the heavens be gathered into one

place (earthly waters), and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 God called the dry land earth, and the

gathering of the waters (cosmic waters) He called seas (earthly waters); and God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. 13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

Problem with the solid dome reading:

“A view of the rāqîa ʿ / šāmayim as a stretched atmospheric expanse is the model that best corresponds to the Bible’s own description of birds flying across it (Gen. 1:20; Deut. 4:17), powers and principalities dwelling in it (Duet. 3:24; Isa. 24:21), people ascending and descending through it (John 3:13; Rev. 11:12), and the Lord sitting enthroned at the height of it (Ps. 2:4; 103:19) and executing his judgments in the midst of it (Isa. 11:4; 34:5; Joel 2:30). Ultimately, those who argue for a solid rāqîa ʿ avoid the obvious: Genesis 1:8 equates the expanse with the heavens.”

Important Cross References

[2Pe 3:5 NASB] 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water (cosmic waters) and by water

[Job 26:7-10 NASB] 7 “He stretches out the north over empty space And hangs the earth on nothing. 8 “He wraps up the waters in His clouds, And the cloud does not burst under them. 9 “He obscures the face of the full moon And spreads His cloud over it. 10 “He has inscribed a circle (Gen 1:6-8, Prov 8:27-29) on the surface of the waters (cosmic waters) at the boundary of light and darkness (Gen 1:2-4).

[Psa 148:1-6 NASB] 1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise

Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! 4

Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters (cosmic waters) that are above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. 6 He has also established them forever and ever; He has made a decree which will not pass away.

The stretched out expanse/heavens (Job 9:8; Is. 42:5, 44:24, 45:12; Jer. 10:12, 51:15; Zech. 12:1)

[Psa 104:1-3 NASB] 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with

splendor and majesty, 2 Covering Yourself with light as with a cloak, Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain. 3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks upon the

wings of the wind.

[Isa 40:12, 21-22 NASB] 12 Who has measured the waters (cosmic waters) in the hollow of His hand, And

marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the

mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales? … 21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not

been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

The biblical testemony proclaims something different than both the Greek worldview and the “assumed” aincient neareastern worldview: that God spoke creation into existence for Himself. Creation is God’s house and He is in the house. He dwells at the heights of the heavens as a king with complete soverenty, all else is bellow Him.

The Heavens are understood as three in number by Paul (1st 2nd 3rd– lower middle upper)

1. The observable first/upper Heavens – the first heavens are what we would understand to be the sky and the atmosphere – that which is visible to our eyes

Abode of Birds (Gen 1:20, 2:19, Dan 2:38 etc)
Abode of Rain, Snow, Thunder etc (Gen 8:2, Job 39:29, Isa 55:10 etc)

2. The powers of the second/middle Heavens – domain of angels & demonic powers, the place of their delegated authority where good & evil purposes for earth are contended for

Abode of Sun, Moon and Stars (Gen 1:14, Deut 4:19, Ps 8:3 etc)
Angels – Ministering spirits (Ps 103:20, 104:4; Heb 1:14) Patrolling earth (Zech 1:10, 6:7)
The gods (elohim) – (Ex 20:3-6; Deut 4:15-20, 6:4-5, 17:3, 29:26, 32:8-9; Ps 82, 89:5-6; Isa 24:21-24; Luke 21:25-26; John 10:34)
Principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Dan 10:12-14; Eph 1:20-21, 3:10, 6:12; Phil 2:10; Col 1:16)
The great dragon/serpent of old (Devil & Satan) and his angels (Rev 12:7-9)
God’s activity – this is the place not without evil the region where God on occasion takes His place in the midst of His angel rulers, hears their reports, and supervises their activities – a place where Satan at present has access. This is the place where God’s will/purposes are imposed, executed and enforced as it relates to the earth and its inhabitants. (I Kings 22:19-23, Job 1:6, 2:1; Ps 82:1; Dan 7:9-14; Rev 12:10)1

3. The Heaven of Heavens in the third/upper Heavens (Deut. 10:14; 1 Ki. 8:27; 2 Chr. 2:6;

6:18; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 148:4)

God abides on a throne, in a sanctuary, at the heights of the heavens ruling and reining over all things with complete control and total sovereignty.