What Does the Bible Say About . . . .

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD

INTRODUCTION

Creation! A mystery that is difficult for humans to understand. By the word of His mouth, God created all that we see. The sun, moon and stars, the animals and plants. Many hold the Creation account of Genesis to be a fable. Yet, as the open minded individual studies the wonders of nature, the unfolding of a flower, the pink glow of a newborn's hand, the planets in their precise order, one can not help, but have a greater appreciation of who God is and the miracles that He can perform.

Many see the Genesis account of Creation as the sole Biblical evidence of Creation. Yet, there are many other places in the Bible where the Creation of the world is referred to by God as well as His people. God truly is Lord and Creator.

Our computerized search of the Bible looked for the words listed below that are commonly associated with the subject of Creation. It is our hope that these texts will give you a better understanding of God, and therefore, yourself.

A rather lengthy commentary section discussing various aspects of Creation, the Flood, the Fall of Man is included at the end of the compilation.

LIST OF WORDS SEARCHED FOR

Parentheses ( ) enclose the various suffixes used.

creat(e, ed, es, ing, ion)
Creator
earth
foundation(s)
founded
form(ed, less, s)
heaven(s)
made (makes)
Maker
molded
sun, moon, stars
stretch(ed,es,ing)
work(s)

Only texts relevant to the subject of Creation were kept.

TEXTS FOUND

Godcreating.jpg (11650 bytes) The biblical creation account

Gen. 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Day 1, Light

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

Commentary: Since the beginning of time, a day was defined, considered or "reckoned" as extending from evening to evening. Only since the Gregorian calendar was instituted in 1582 and later adopted by the American Colonies in 1752 was the reckoning of a day changed. The day was then reckoned as extending from midnight to midnight.

Day 2, Separation of sky from sea

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

Day 3, Dry land & vegetation

     9And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. 11Then 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. 12The 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. 13And there was evening, and there was morning --the third day.

Day 4, Sun, moon & stars

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

Day 5, Birds & sea creatures

     20And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23And there was evening, and there was morning --the fifth day.

Day 6, Animals & man

     24And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." 29Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground --everything that has the breath of life in it --I give every green plant for food." And it was so. 31God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning --the sixth day.

Commentary: The original diet planned by God for mankind consisted only of plant life. Only after the flood did God authorize the eating of animal life (see Gen. 9:3, 4). While no direct limitations were stated as to which kinds of animals were permitted for flesh foods, it's reasonable to assume that it was limited to the clean animals as previously defined to Noah by God in Gen. 7:2.

Day 7, Sabbath a memorial of Creation

Gen. 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
     2By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Commentary: The Hebrew word for "day" as used in the Creation account is the commonly used word "Yom" which means a literal 24 hour day consisting of an evening and a morning. This word is used over a thousand times in the Bible and we recognize it as the "Yom" of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. There is no indication, as some feel, that a creation "day" was a long period of time, i.e. an age or eon. This erroneous teaching began in order to reconcile the Genesis Creation account with the theory of evolution and the radioactive dating techniques commonly used by the scientific community in support of macro evolution. Most scientific evidence points to a young universe. Furthermore, radioactive dating techniques are only relatively accurate for items dating some time after the Flood approximately 4,500 years ago. See Exodus 20:11 and the commentary on page 24. There is NO other source for the seven day week that we currently use except the seven day cycle of Creation. For additional scientific evidence pointing to Creation, get the book, In the Beginning, by Walter T. Brown, Jr. from the Center for Scientific Creation, 5612 N. 20th Place, Phoenix, AZ 85016 ($9.00 + $.90 shipping) or through your local Christian bookstore.

4This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
     When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-- 5and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground-- 7the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

The Garden of Eden

     8Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground --trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
     10A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12(The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) 13The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
     15The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
     18The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
     19Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
     But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
     23The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called `woman,' for she was taken out of man."
     24For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
     25The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

The Lord plans to destroy all He had created with a worldwide flood

Gen. 6:5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth --men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air --for I am grieved that I have made them." 8But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Gen. 7:2 Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made." 5And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.

Man was created in the image of God

Gen. 9:5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. 6"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. 7As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it."

Gen. 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself." 22But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, `I made Abram rich.' 24I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me --to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share."

Exod. 4:10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." 11The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

Sabbath, as a memorial of Creation, is reinforced in the Ten Commandments

Exod. 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exod. 31:15 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. 16The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.'" 18When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.

Commentary: The above two paragraphs, besides reinforcing the Sabbath as a memorial of Creation, provide textual evidence for the literal 7 day week of Creation. Why commemorate the seventh day if a "Creation day" had been an "eon"? For a more detailed look at what the Bible has to say about the Sabbath, see the compilation on The Sabbath and the Lord's Day.

Deut. 4:31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. 32Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? 33Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? 34Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? 35You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. 36From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire.

Deut. 32:5 They have acted corruptly toward him; to their shame they are no longer his children, but a warped and crooked generation. 6Is this the way you repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you? 7Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.

1Sam. 2:7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. 8He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world.

2Sam. 22:7 In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears. 8"The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry. 9Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. . . . 15He shot arrows and scattered [the enemies], bolts of lightning and routed them. 16The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from his nostrils. 17"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

2Kgs. 19:14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.

All other gods are idols, only one God is the Creator

1Chr. 16:24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 25For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 26For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 27Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.

2Chr. 2:11 Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon: "Because the LORD loves his people, he has made you their king." 12And Hiram added: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the LORD and a palace for himself.

Neh. 9:6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. 7"You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham.

Introduction: Many scholars suggest tht Job was the first book written of the books included in Scripture. Its references to Creation are significant.

As the book of Job records the discourse between Job, his three friends and young Elihu, the names of the speakers have been indicated to help the reader.

Job acknowledges God as the Creator.

Job 9:5 [Job] He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. 6He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. 7He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. 8He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. 9He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. 10He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.

We are molded like clay

Job 10:8 [Job] "Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? 9Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? 10Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, 11clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews?

Job 31:13 [Job] "If I have denied justice to my menservants and maidservants when they had a grievance against me, 14what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account? 15Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers? . . . 26If I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, 27so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, 28then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.

Job 32:20 [Then Elihu spoke] I must speak and find relief; I must open my lips and reply. 21I will show partiality to no one, nor will I flatter any man; 22for if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away. Job 33:1"But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say. 2I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue. 3My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. 4The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Job 35:9 [Elihu] "Men cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful. 10But no one says, `Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, 11who teaches more to us than to the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?' 12He does not answer when men cry out because of the arrogance of the wicked.

Job 36:2 [Elihu] "Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God's behalf. 3I get my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe justice to my Maker. 4Be assured that my words are not false; one perfect in knowledge is with you.

Job 37:5 [Elihu, seeing the approaching storm continues] God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. 6He says to the snow, `Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, `Be a mighty downpour.' 7So that all men he has made may know his work, he stops every man from his labor. 8The animals take cover; they remain in their dens.

Introduction: Job has longed for God to appear, so that Job might argue his case before Him. Now out of an approaching storm, God speaks. God questions Job, describing the work of His hands and His wonderful knowledge and challenges Job, "Can you do, or do you know any of these things?"

God declares His handiwork

Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: 2"Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? 3Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
     4"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-- 7while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
     8"Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, 9when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, 10when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, 11when I said, `This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'?
     12"Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, 13that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it? 14The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment. 15The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken.
     16"Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? 17Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? 18Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. 19"What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? 20Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings? 21Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years!
     22"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, 23which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? 24What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? 25Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, 26to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no one in it, 27to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass? 28Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? 29From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens 30when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?
     31"Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? 32Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? 33Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up [God's] dominion over the earth?
     34"Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? 35Do you send the lightning bolts on their way? Do they report to you, `Here we are'? 36Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind? 37Who has the wisdom to count the clouds? Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens 38when the dust becomes hard and the clods of earth stick together?
     39"Do you hunt the prey for the lioness and satisfy the hunger of the lions 40when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? 41Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?

Job 39:1 "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? 2Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? 3They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. 4Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return.
     5"Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied his ropes? 6I gave him the wasteland as his home, the salt flats as his habitat. 7He laughs at the commotion in the town; he does not hear a driver's shout. 8He ranges the hills for his pasture and searches for any green thing.
     9"Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? 10Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he till the valleys behind you? 11Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him? 12Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?
     13"The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork. 14She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, 15unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. 16She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, 17for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. 18Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.
     19"Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? 20Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? 21He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray. 22He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword. 23The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance. 24In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground; he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds. 25At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, `Aha!' He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.
     26"Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread his wings toward the south? 27Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high? 28He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is his stronghold. 29From there he seeks out his food; his eyes detect it from afar. 30His young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there is he."

Job 40:1 The LORD said to Job: 2"Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!"
     3Then Job answered the LORD: 4"I am unworthy --how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. 5I spoke once, but I have no answer-- twice, but I will say no more."
     6Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm: 7"Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
     8"Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? 9Do you have an arm like God's, and can your voice thunder like his? 10Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty. 11Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low, 12look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand. 13Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave. 14Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you.
     15"Look at the behemoth [perhaps a hippopotamus, elephant, or an herbivorous dinosaur], which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. 16What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! 17His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit. 18His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron. 19He ranks first among the works of God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword. 20The hills bring him their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby. 21Under the lotus plants he lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh. 22The lotuses conceal him in their shadow; the poplars by the stream surround him. 23When the river rages, he is not alarmed; he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth. 24Can anyone capture him by the eyes, or trap him and pierce his nose?

Leviathan described

Job 41:1 "Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope? 2Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? 3Will he keep begging you for mercy? Will he speak to you with gentle words? 4Will he make an agreement with you for you to take him as your slave for life? 5Can you make a pet of him like a bird or put him on a leash for your girls? 6Will traders barter for him? Will they divide him up among the merchants? 7Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? 8If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the struggle and never do it again! 9Any hope of subduing him is false; the mere sight of him is overpowering. 10No one is fierce enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me? 11Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.
     12"I will not fail to speak of his limbs, his strength and his graceful form. 13Who can strip off his outer coat? Who would approach him with a bridle? 14Who dares open the doors of his mouth, ringed about with his fearsome teeth? 15His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together; 16each is so close to the next that no air can pass between. 17They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted. 18His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of dawn. 19Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. 20Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. 21His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth.
     22"Strength resides in his neck; dismay goes before him. 23The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable. 24His chest is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone. 25When he rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before his thrashing. 26The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin. 27Iron he treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood. 28Arrows do not make him flee; slingstones are like chaff to him. 29A club seems to him but a piece of straw; he laughs at the rattling of the lance. 30His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. 31He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment. 32Behind him he leaves a glistening wake; one would think the deep had white hair. 33Nothing on earth is his equal-- a creature without fear. 34He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are proud."

Commentary: Leviathan is a rather intriguing creature. Psalms 74:13 and 14 describe Leviathan as having multiple heads. Combining that description with the one that God gave, Leviathan hardly seems like a crocodile as the footnote of the NIV proposes. It seems more like a dragon-like creature inhabiting the sea, but yet having the ability to move about on land (see Psalms 104:46). Carried down through history, Leviathan could have provided impetus to dragon folklore. Note the fire breathing, scaly skin, and fearless characteristics of the beast. Satan adopted and perverted this symbol of God's creative abilities. He has used the dragon symbol in many of his counterfeit religions throughout the world. A multi-headed dragon is synonymous with Satan in the book of Revelation 12:3. Isaiah 27:1 says that God will slay Leviathan (Satan) in the great Day of the Lord. The King James Version of the Bible says that God "shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. This interpretation using "dragon" is supported in the Revised Standard Version and the Modern Language translation as well as in The Living Bible.

Man created a little lower than the angels

Ps. 8:3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

Ps. 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

Ps. 24:1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made

Ps. 33:3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. 4For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. 5The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. 6By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. 7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. 8Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.

Ps. 65:5 You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, 6who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, 7who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.

Ps. 74:12 But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth. 13It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. 14It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. 15It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers. 16The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. 17It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.

Ps. 82:3 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. 4Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. 5"They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

Ps. 89:11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. 12You created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name. 13Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

Ps. 94:8 Take heed, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? 9Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? 10Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches man lack knowledge?

Ps. 95:3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 7for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Ps. 96:4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 5For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 6Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

Ps. 100:1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Ps. 102:24 [A prayer of an afflicted man] So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. 25In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.

Ps. 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- 18with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. . . .
     20Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

In praise of God's works

Ps. 104:1 Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. 2He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent 3and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. 4He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. 5He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.
     6You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; 8they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. 9You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.
     10He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains. 11They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. 13He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. 14He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate-- bringing forth food from the earth: 15wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. 16The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 17There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees. 18The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys.
     19The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. 20You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. 21The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. 22The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. 23Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.
     24How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
     25There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number-- living things both large and small. 26There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. 27These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. 28When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. 29When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. 30When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.
     31May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works- 32he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
     33I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 34May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD. 35But may sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Praise the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD.

Ps. 115:14 May the LORD make you increase, both you and your children. 15May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 16The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man.

Ps. 119:72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. 73Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. 74May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

My help comes from the Creator

Ps. 121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? 2My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; 4indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Ps. 124:7 We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. 8Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Ps. 134:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. 3May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.

Ps. 136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. 4to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. 5who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. 6who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. 7who made the great lights-- His love endures forever. 8the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. 9the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.

God knows us before we are born

Ps. 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Ps. 146:5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, 6the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- the LORD, who remains faithful forever. 7He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.

Ps. 147:6 The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. 7Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. 8He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. 9He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.

Ps. 148:3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. 4Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. 5Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created. 6He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away. 7Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, 11kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12young men and maidens, old men and children. 13Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Ps. 149:1 Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. 2Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. 3Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.

Prov. 3:19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; 20by his knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

Wisdom was with God at the Creation of the world

Prov. 8:1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? 2On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; 3beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud: 4"To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. . . . 22"The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; 23I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. 24When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water; 25before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, 26before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world. 27I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, 28when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, 29when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. 30Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, 31rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. 32"Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. 33Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. 34Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. 35For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. 36But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death."

Prov. 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. 31He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. 32When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge.

Prov. 17:4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue. 5He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. 6Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

Prov. 22:2 Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.

Eccl. 11:4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. 5As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. 6Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.

Eccl. 12:1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"-- 2before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain.

Isa. 17:6 Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs," declares the LORD, the God of Israel. 7In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. 8They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.

The earth to be destroyed again?

Isa. 24:17 Terror and pit and snare await you, O people of the earth. 18Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake. 19The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken. 20The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls --never to rise again. 21In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.

Isa. 27:10 The fortified city stands desolate, an abandoned settlement, forsaken like the desert; there the calves graze, there they lie down; they strip its branches bare. 11When its twigs are dry, they are broken off and women come and make fires with them. For this is a people without understanding; so their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor. 12In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one.

Who can hide from or question the One who made him?

Isa. 29:15 Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?" 16You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing"?

Isa. 34:4 All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

Isa. 37:15 And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: 16"O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 17Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.

Who is equal to God?

Isa. 40:21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? 22He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 25"To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. 26Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. 27Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"? 28Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Isa. 42:3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope." 5This is what God the LORD says-- he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6"I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. 8"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. 9See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."

No gods will be before or after God the Creator

Isa. 43:1 But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. . . .
     5Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. 6I will say to the north, `Give them up!' and to the south, `Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth-- 7everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."
     8Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. 9All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of them foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, "It is true."
     10"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. 11I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. . . .
     14This is what the LORD says-- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride. 15I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King."

Isa. 44:1 "But now listen, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen. 2This is what the LORD says-- he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. 3For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Isa. 44:21 "Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you. 22I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." 23Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel. 24"This is what the LORD says-- your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, 25who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense, 26who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, `It shall be inhabited,' of the towns of Judah, `They shall be built,' and of their ruins, `I will restore them.'

Commentary: In the following section of Isaiah, God prophesies that as the Lord Creator God, He will raise up a king, whom He calls by name as Cyrus, to set His people free and to rebuild Jerusalem (see vs. 1, 13). The book of Isaiah was written between 739-685 B.C., a century and a half before the birth of Cyrus and prior to Cyrus' decree releasing the Jews to return to their homeland around 538 B.C.

Isa. 45:1 "This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: 2I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. 3I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. 4For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. 5I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, 6so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. 7I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.
     8"You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it.
     9"Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, `What are you making?' Does your work say, `He has no hands'? 10Woe to him who says to his father, `What have you begotten?' or to his mother, `What have you brought to birth?'
     11"This is what the LORD says-- the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? 12It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. 13I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty."
     14This is what the LORD says: "The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and those tall Sabeans-- they will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge behind you, coming over to you in chains. They will bow down before you and plead with you, saying, `Surely God is with you, and there is no other; there is no other god.'"
     15Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God and Savior of Israel. 16All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced; they will go off into disgrace together. 17But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting. 18For this is what the LORD says-- he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited-- he says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other. 19I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob's descendants, `Seek me in vain.' I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.

Isa. 48:12 "Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last. 13My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.

Isa. 49:4 But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand, and my reward is with my God." 5And now the LORD says-- he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength-- 6he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

Man is mortal

Isa. 51:12 "I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, 13that you forget the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor? 14The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread. 15For I am the LORD your God, who churns up the sea so that its waves roar-- the LORD Almighty is his name. 16I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand-- I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, `You are my people.'"

Isa. 54:3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. 4"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 5For your Maker is your husband-- the LORD Almighty is his name-- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. 6The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit-- a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God.

New heavens and earth will be created

Isa. 65:16 Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth; he who takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes. 17"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. 18But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. 19I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. 20"Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. 21They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. 23They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. 24Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. 25The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD.

Heaven is God's throne and earth is his footstool

Isa. 66:1 This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? 2Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.

Sabbath is to be kept in the new heavens and earth.

Isa. 66:21 And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites," says the LORD. 22"As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure. 23From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD.

Jer. 1:4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." 6"Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."

Jer. 10:8 They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. 9Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple-- all made by skilled workers. 10But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. 11"Tell them this: `These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.'" 12But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. 13When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. 14Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. 15They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. 16He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance-- the LORD Almighty is his name.

Jer. 27:3 Then send word to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4Give them a message for their masters and say, `This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "Tell this to your masters: 5With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please.

Jer. 32:16 "After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD: 17"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

Jer. 33:1 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time: 2"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it --the LORD is his name: 3`Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

Jer. 51:15 "He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. 16When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. 17"Every man is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. 18They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. 19He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including the tribe of his inheritance-- the LORD Almighty is his name.

Satan is a created being

Ezek. 28:11 The word of the LORD came to me: 12"Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre [an embodiment of, possessed by, or symbolic of Satan] and say to him: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "`You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. 14You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings."

Hosea 8:13 They offer sacrifices given to me and they eat the meat, but the LORD is not pleased with them. Now he will remember their wickedness and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt. 14Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified many towns. But I will send fire upon their cities that will consume their fortresses."

Amos 4:12 "Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel." 13He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth-- the LORD God Almighty is his name.

Amos 9:5 The Lord, the LORD Almighty, he who touches the earth and it melts, and all who live in it mourn-- the whole land rises like the Nile, then sinks like the river of Egypt-- 6he who builds his lofty palace in the heavens and sets its foundation on the earth, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land-- the LORD is his name.

Jonah 1:8 So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?" 9He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."

Micah 6:1 Listen to what the LORD says: "Stand up, plead your case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. 2Hear, O mountains, the LORD's accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.

Hab. 2:17 The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed man's blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. 18"Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. 19Woe to him who says to wood, `Come to life!' Or to lifeless stone, `Wake up!' Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.

Zech. 12:1 This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: 2"I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling.

Jesus spoke about and believed in the Creation of the world

Matt. 13:34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world." 36Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

Matt. 19:3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" 4"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator `made them male and female,' 5and said, `For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh' ?

Matt. 25:33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34"Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 6I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Mark 10:5 "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. 6"But at the beginning of creation God `made them male and female.' 7`For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one.

Mark 16:14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. 15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

The world was created through Jesus

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 17:23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.

The disciples acknowledge God as the Creator

Acts 4:23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.

Acts 7:47 But it was Solomon who built the house for him. 48"However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says: 49"`Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? 50Has not my hand made all these things?'

Acts 14:14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15"Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. 16In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

Acts 17:23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28`For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, `We are his offspring.'

God is revealed through Creation - Men are without excuse

Rom. 1:17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." 18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities --his eternal power and divine nature --have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator --who is forever praised. Amen.

Rom. 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Rom. 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom. 9:19 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, `Why did you make me like this?'" 21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation

2Cor. 5:16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

Gal. 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. 16Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.

We were chosen before Creation

Eph. 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Jesus created all - All things hold together through him

Col. 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Col. 3:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

1Tim. 2:12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.

Jesus made the Universe, sustaining all things by his word

Hebr. 1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

Hebr. 1:8 But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." 10He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.

Hebr. 4:2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. 3Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
     "So I declared on oath in my anger, `They shall never enter my rest.'"
     And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work." . . .
     9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
     12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

The heavenly temple is not a part of this Creation

Hebr. 9:11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. . . . 25Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebr. 11:2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Christ was chosen before the Creation of the world

1Pet. 1:18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

1Pet. 4:18 And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" 19So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

New Testament writers believed in the Creation account.

2Pet. 3:3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4They will say, "Where is this `coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." 5But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

The old heavens and earth will disappear.  A new heaven and earth will be created

10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Rev. 3:14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!

Rev. 13:7 He 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. 9He who has an ear, let him hear.

Commentary: An alternative interpreta-tion of the Greek in the above verse, which is more consistent with other texts in the Bible, is as follows: "all whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world belonging to the Lamb that was slain." (see Rev. 17:8 below). In other words, the book of life was written before the creation of the world. The Lamb was not slain from the creation of the world, though the plan for His sacrifice in order to redeem man was determined prior to the creation of the world (see 1Peter 1:20).

Rev. 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth --to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

Rev. 17:7 Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 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.

God creates a new heaven and earth.

Rev. 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

End of the Verse Compilation

Creation Commentary

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED COMPILATIONS

Compilations in this series which will shed additional light on subjects touched on in this compilation include:

bulletBaptism by Water, Fire & Spirit
bulletHeaven & the Kingdom of God
bulletRepentance, Forgiveness & Salvation
bulletSabbath & the Lord's Day
bulletSatan and Evil Angels
bulletRevelation for the Wise