The inevitable question of when were the heaven and the earth created always stirs a variety of argument. A primary theological argument is that the earth is only six thousand years old because that is the approximate number of years that can be Biblically documented to the creation of Adam in Genesis chapter one & two. Something that is missed in this argument is that Genesis 1:3-31 documents the recreation or renovation of the earth. That Heaven and Earth existed prior to Genesis 1:3, when God said "Let there be light", is evident by their mention in verses 1&2. The fact that is misunderstood is that there could be a tremendous amount of time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. There is also proof that life existed on earth prior to the time that the earth was void and without form. We will look at this scripturally, using the principle contained in 2Corinthians 13:1 (let every word be established by two or three witnesses) as our basis of proof.

Genesis 1:1 tells us that in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Verse 2 tells us that the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Initially, let us look at the word "was" used in verse 2. The Hebrew word used there is hayah, which is translated became, come to pass, or some variation of these words over 600 times in the Old Testament. For instance, Lot’s wife became (hayah) a pillar of salt (Gen.19:26). So if we insert "became" in place of "was" in verse 2, the meaning of the verse changes somewhat: "And the earth became without form and void. Next let us look at the phrase "without form and void". This phrase in Hebrew is tohu va bohu which literally means waste and empty. So the earth became waste and empty.

When God created the Earth, he created it in perfection. Isaiah 45:18 tells us when God formed the earth and made it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited. In Hebrew, the phrase "in vain" is the word tohu, which we saw earlier in Gen.1:2 translated as "without form" and which means waste. So God did not create the earth as waste, it became waste. God created the earth to be inhabited. It was fully capable of sustaining life when he created it. So that means that between Gen.1:1 and 1:2 something significant happened that caused the earth to pass from a state of life to a state of waste and emptiness.

In Genesis 1:2, after the earth became waste and empty, darkness was on the face of the deep. Darkness in the Bible comes as a result of sin. The probable event causing the earth to fall into a state of waste and emptiness was the rebellion of Lucifer, God’s anointed cherub. Isaiah 14:12-17 gives us a graphic description of this event. It tells us that Lucifer weakened the nations, that he caused the earth to tremble, he shook kingdoms, made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities of the world. When we read this we see that there were cities, kingdoms, and nations; so there must have been a people to inhabit them (Keep in mind that this is before Adam). That these people are on earth is evident by the fact that Lucifer said he would ascend into heaven. We can see that Lucifer had a throne, so he must have had authority and responsibility over those who dwelt in the earth. Those who were under Lucifer’s authority must have followed in totality because there is no record of any who escaped the judgment that occurred.

Jeremiah also gives us a description of these events in Jer.4:23-26. "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger." His description of events is perfectly aligned with Genesis and Isaiah. There were cities destroyed, the fruitful place was now a wilderness, and the earth was without form and void. All this was a result of the Lord’s fierce anger. Judgment had fallen upon the earth as a result of Lucifer’s sin.

The judgment befalling the earth was that it was engulfed with water and darkness. All that dwelt on the face of the earth perished. Peter speaks of this judgment in 2Pe.3:5-7, the earth standing out of the water (Gen.1:1) and in the water (Gen.1:2): the world that then was being overflowed with water perished. That he is speaking of the pre-Adamite judgment is apparent because in Noah’s flood the whole world did not perish. The fishes and flora survived in addition to all the animals that were in the Ark with Noah and his family.

That there was a people who populated the earth prior to Adam is evidenced by the scriptures we’ve seen so far. Whether they resembled man as he is today is unknown and to speculate would be unfruitful. Where did these people go when they perished? According to scripture, Hell (Hades) was created as a holding place for man after the fall of Adam. Tartarus is a holding place for angels that sinned to such a degree that they are waiting there in chains unto the day of judgment (2Pe.2:4). Gehenna or the Lake of Fire was created for Satan, the fallen angels, and all who follow him. It is presently empty and will not be populated until the end of the age and the white throne judgment (Rev. 19:20, 20:10-15). Then all of the ungodly will be there. So then, the question is what happened to the people who sinned by following Lucifer and perished in the flood of that time? The answer would appear to be that they still roam the earth as disembodied spirits or demons awaiting the day of judgment. While this is not directly referenced in the Bible, there is some evidence that this is so. For instance, demons are always looking for a body to inhabit, which explains demonic possession. The bodies that these demonic spirits once had perished in the judgment of that time. It would also explain Revelations 20:13 when it speaks of the sea giving up the dead which were in it. This cannot refer to man after Adam because man either goes to Paradise or Hell (Hades)(Lk.16:19-26). Therefore it must refer to the pre-Adamite people who perished in the sea of the first flood.

The fact that there was life in existence on the earth prior to the restoration of the earth and the creation of Adam outlined in Genesis 1:3-31 is evidenced by the scripture. When God sent Adam into the earth he commanded him to replenish or repopulate the earth. That infers that there was a population at some point in time before hand. The fact that there was life before Genesis 1:3 does not affect God’s plan of salvation or the restoration of all creation. It just documents that creation fell into a state of decay even before Adam made his appearance on earth. Man’s fall into a sinful state came about by partaking of the sin that began with Lucifer. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is embodied in Satan, for he is the one who began to decide what is good and what is evil without consulting God. That is the fullness of Lucifer’s rebellion, in that he challenged God’s authority and right to rule over his creation.

The question of how old is the earth or the universe is one that dominates the ungodly, for they are trying to explain creation without acknowledging the creator. As born again Christians, we do not have to dwell upon a question that will not be answered until we are in the presence of the Lord. Nobody but the Lord knows how much time passed until Lucifer’s sin brought forth judgment upon the earth or how long the period of darkness was upon the face of the earth. Although it is Man’s nature to explore and investigate, we should not be encumbered with questions we cannot answer without God. These are questions that gender strife and the Apostle Paul said we should have no part in them (2Tim.2:23). Romans 1:19-20 tells us that creation is a witness to us of God’s existence. 2Thessalonians 2:10-12 tells us that those who reject the truth will believe a lie and will consequently be judged. Our efforts as Christians should focus on preaching salvation and righteousness through the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Those who acknowledge Jesus will find that their questions concerning the origin of man and the universe will be answered. They will also find that the geological and fossil record are in synch with the Bible.
 

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