For the first time I think I understand what the Genesis account of creation is about. It is a matter of visualising the universe as they visualised it, and thats the truth about it because it is then understandable, whereas if you visualise it with our modern knowledge, it doesnt make any sense. So for those who are interested, heres what I conclude:
The earth was without form and empty, but there was an ocean of water, which was like a disc or square of water. It was dark over the water, and Gods spirit was over the surface of the primordial ocean. Then Yahweh separated the disk of water, and half of it went up; the expanse or firmament (the sky) was set between two bodies of water; two disks. There was no land at first, just water. Then there was darkness and light, but that was before the creation of the sun, moon and stars. The dry land emerged up out of the disk, at the centre.
Then the sun, moon and stars were placed in the expanse, in the sky, under the disk of water above. Outside of these disks of water there was nothing, so you might fall off the end of the earth. It was all very platform- like. The ancients didnt have any concept of heaven or hell, that came later, but heaven was placed on an upper level, above the upper water. That continued into the time of Paul, who also understood these things as platforms, one above the other (and why wouldnt he as thats what it says in the bible).
Then now try and see if that works, looking at it from our understanding of what is really out there; with water above and below; sorry, not possible, there would have to be water around the earth not above it. These ancient people had no knowledge of galaxies, and they didnt know how big stars are, or what they are. They wouldnt have known that there is a vacuum out there in outer space. For them, there was a firmament, a dome with blue water above. It wasnt known that rain etc. comes from the clouds.
The earth was without form and empty, but there was an ocean of water, which was like a disc or square of water. It was dark over the water, and Gods spirit was over the surface of the primordial ocean. Then Yahweh separated the disk of water, and half of it went up; the expanse or firmament (the sky) was set between two bodies of water; two disks. There was no land at first, just water. Then there was darkness and light, but that was before the creation of the sun, moon and stars. The dry land emerged up out of the disk, at the centre.
Then the sun, moon and stars were placed in the expanse, in the sky, under the disk of water above. Outside of these disks of water there was nothing, so you might fall off the end of the earth. It was all very platform- like. The ancients didnt have any concept of heaven or hell, that came later, but heaven was placed on an upper level, above the upper water. That continued into the time of Paul, who also understood these things as platforms, one above the other (and why wouldnt he as thats what it says in the bible).
Then now try and see if that works, looking at it from our understanding of what is really out there; with water above and below; sorry, not possible, there would have to be water around the earth not above it. These ancient people had no knowledge of galaxies, and they didnt know how big stars are, or what they are. They wouldnt have known that there is a vacuum out there in outer space. For them, there was a firmament, a dome with blue water above. It wasnt known that rain etc. comes from the clouds.
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