Well, let's take a look at the creation of the earth first.
Gene 1:1 (NKJV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Ok, so pay close attention to what we have here in verses 1 and 2. In verse 1, we see that God created the heavens and the earth but then in verse 2 he goes on to describe how he created it. You can look at verse 1 as a preface to the rest of the Bible really. I've heard that some use this to indicate there were two creations, but God is just simply stating that he did this and this is how he did it.
In verse 2 we start to learn how God created the earth and heavens. So first, the earth was without form, but God was hovering over the faces of the deep water. So we know there was water on this void earth. So imagine a a dark plane, because there is no indication that the earth is round yet, full of water.
3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that [it] [was] good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
Now God introduces light onto the earth, however you may want to note here that God did not create the stars and the "greater light" until Gen 1:16.
6 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from
the waters."
7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament; and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.
Now in the verses above, God created Heaven (firmament) and then used it to divide the waters. Let's define firmament.
BDB/Thayers # 7549
07549 raqiya` {raw-kee'-ah}
from 07554; TWOT - 2217a; n m
AV - firmament 17; 17
1) extended surface (solid), expanse, firmament
1a) expanse (flat as base, support)
1b) firmament (of vault of heaven supporting waters above)
1b1) considered by Hebrews as solid and supporting 'waters' above
So now look at verse 6 above, God “divide the waters from the waters”. Now at verse 7, God created the firmament, flat expanse between the two layers of water: [God] “divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament; and it was so.” So when God divided the waters, he did so vertically with a layer above the firmament and a layer below the firmament. So if you can imagine, we have a layer of water at the top, follow by a flat expanse that supports the layer of water above it, then followed by another layer of water on the bottom.
9 Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry [land] appear"; and it was so.
So here, God gathers the water under the heavens into one place so that dry land could appear.
10 And God called the dry [land] Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that [it] [was] good.
Here we have God creating dry land, called Earth. This is important, because it doesn't say that he created a globe and called the globe earth, but he created some dry land in a sea and called it earth.
11 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb [that] yields seed, [and] the fruit tree [that] yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed [is] in itself, on the earth"; and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb [that] yields seed according to its kind, and the tree [that] yields fruit, whose seed [is] in itself according to its kind. And God saw that [it] [was] good.
13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.
14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;
15 "and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.
16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. [He] [made] the stars also.
So we see here in verse 16, God created the “greater light” to rule the day. So one can ask, where did the light come from before?
Let's look at Psalms for a potential answer.
Psalms 104:1 (NKJV) Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 Who cover [Yourself] with light as [with] a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
Again in Matthew.
Matthew 28:3 (NKJV) His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
So could have the light of God be the light before the sun?
Now back to the creation, let's look at Proverbs for a moment.
Prov 8:27 (NKJV) When He prepared the heavens, I [was] there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
This verse gives a little more insight into the creation. From verse 27, we see that God drew a circle on the face of the deep. So we now know that the dry land, called Earth, was in the form of a circle. Our land masses now are not circles, are they? Also notice, the fountains of the deep here, again ocean currents?
Let's now look at Job 38:4-10. Particularly verse 8.
Job 38:4 (NKJV) "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell [Me], if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 "Or [who] shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth [and] issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10 When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
We see here that God shut in the sea with doors? So we know that the earth at the time of it's creation was a “circle on the face of the deep”, we know that there were doors that held back the sea, and that it was dry land that was called Earth. We also know that there was a layer of water above the earth that was seperating the Earth and Heaven.
Now, let's look at the flood. So we know that in Genesis, God flooded the earth with water for forty days and forty nights. The story of Noah and the Ark starts out about Genesis 6:13 ending around Genesis 9:1.
There are some very interesting verses here. Let's take a look.
Gene 7:11 (NKJV) In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Notice here that is says “the windows of the heaven were opened”. Remember from before, that there was a layer of water above the earth. God opened the windows of heaven and let that layer of water fall onto the Earth. Also notice, fountains of the great deep here. Ocean currents? Look back at Proverbs 8:28 for a reference on fountains of the deep. Next, we can see that the mountains of earth was covered by the flood water.
Gene 7:20 (NKJV) The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.
Now ask yourself, how much was a cubit? In ancient Isreal, during the time of the First Temple, a cubit was about 428.1 mm which is roughly 1.4 feet. Today we say that a cubit is around 1.5 feet. We will go with 1.5 for this example. So, in verse 20 we see that the water were raised up 15 cubits. How much is that if we say 1 cubit = 1.5 feet. 15 cubits = 22.5 feet. So the mountains of Earth were covered by 22.5 feet of water. For comparision, Mt. Everest (the tallest mountain to day) is roughly 29,000 feet above sea level. This would indicate a very different Earth than we know today.
Gene 8:2 (NKJV) The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.
We now see that the fountains and the windows of heaven were stopped and the rain ceased. Fountains of the deep is here again. Now, put all of those verses together and you can see that the earth was very different than what it is today. Or at least what they called earth before what we know as earth. Now let's look at 2 Peter again.
2Pet 3:3 (NKJV) knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,
4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they] [were] from the beginning of creation."
5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
6 by which the world [that] then existed perished, being flooded with water.
7 But the heavens and the earth [which] are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Can you see that the earth was standing in and out of water at the creation? Can you see that the heavens of old are different than they are now? I'm sure you can agree that the Earth that was then, perished being flooded with water. This verse in 2 Peter lets you see who the scoffers are that will come in the last days. Those who claim the Earth is now, as it was from the beginning.