the casting down of the world

Originally posted on August 03, 2009 – by Andre Piet

From a visitor of this site I received the following email, which also contained a question.

Hi Andre Piet

today I greatly enjoyed the clear exposition about Genesis, only it again raises new questions, especially about the calendar of God, the eons and the casting down. I will patiently wait until I also receive an answer and clarity about that. In the course of time the pieces of the puzzle in God’s Word naturally fall into place, in my experience. Thank you for this fine study. It moves me that the Lord gave Adam a piece of revealing instruction every day during those six very special days. And on the seventh day Adam was allowed to rest and reflect on everything once more. In this way He also teaches us in all kinds of ways, and that is surely proof that the Lord holds us, His people, in very high regard, and wishes to deal with us in such a confidential way. Once again thank you. I always enjoy your preachings and studies on my laptop.

A warm greeting,
united in Christ,
x

As for the questions that the study about Genesis 1 has raised: it is true that “the casting down of the world” and with that also the previously used eon-scheme changes. Previously “the casting down of the world” was placed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, after which God then restored heaven and earth in six days. But it should be clear that if the six days are not days of restoration but days of revelation, this idea of ‘restitution’ no longer holds.

Gen.1:1 is the heading above Genesis 1.
Verse 2 describes the formless beginning (“wild waste”) of the world. No judgment or drama takes place, only the original state that precedes God’s creative action is briefly described.
The remainder of Genesis 1 describes how God both ordered this wild waste world (revealed on day 1 through 3) as well as filled it (revealed on day 4 through 6).

Not Genesis 1:2 but Genesis 3 describes the “casting down of the world”. Then “through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death” (Romans 5:12). On this occasion the ground was also cursed because of the man (Genesis 3:17). That may rightly be called a “casting down”.

The first eon that begins in Genesis 1:1 thus continues until “the casting down” in Genesis 3. After the expulsion from the garden the second eon begins, which ends in the flood in Noah’s days.

Delen: