In the Beginning was a Gospel Message
The Sapphire Review Vol. 2 | No. 31 • June 13, 2025
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 1:1, KJV
TERMS MUST BE DEFINED
The first verse of the Bible has recently become a topic of much debate. Particularly, problems develop when we deviate from allowing the Bible to serve as its own source for defining its own terms. By not standing on the word of God alone, and looking to theologians to strengthen one’s position, terms are left undefined or defined improperly.
In the first verse of the Bible we see four such terms that must be properly defined in order to properly understand the meaning of this verse within the context of the creation account found in Genesis chapter 1.
Heaven - the name given to the “firmament” in Genesis 1:8.
Earth - the name given to the “dry-land” in Genesis 1:10.
The Beginning - the focus of our study today
The heaven and the earth - as a phrase, touched upon in our study today
THE BEGINNING - TRADITION
The traditional interpretation holds that “the beginning” of Genesis 1:1 is simply the beginning of the first day of creation. Thus, it is believed that the statement of “God creat[ing] the heaven and the earth” must have happened on day 1, before light was brought forth.
This interpretation requires that these first works of creation (of heaven and earth) were performed in darkness.
Tradition says:
The Beginning = Day 1 of Creation
This traditional interpretation is necessary in order to uphold a heliocentric view of the universe, for in this view of science it is impossible to have water existing before the creation of the earth.
Many theologians uphold this view, but this should not come as a surprise as these theologians all subscribe to the “scientific” model of heliocentrism. What other interpretation of Genesis 1:1 should we expect for them to describe? They can only provide commentary that is in alignment with some form of the traditional view, otherwise they would be forced to question their “scientific” beliefs.
If one has heard the statements of theologians or messages by respected leaders, they will be tempted to approach Genesis 1:1 with preconceived ideas in mind. It is then reasonable and expected that one will read into this text that which they expect to see by the traditional interpretation. However, they must then also ignore the inconsistencies that develop when it comes to defining all the terms of this verse.
THE BEGINNING - BY THE BIBLE
In order to understand how the Bible defines “the beginning” within the context of creation, we must look to other verses, not scholars, and see what they have to say on the matter.
With this writing, I will endeavor to let the Bible show that it defines “the beginning” as the beginning OF creation, or the whole of the week of creation, or the entirety of the six days in which all things were made.
WEEK OF CREATION - IMPLIED
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” (Genesis 2:1, KJV)
“These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD [JEHOVAH] God made the earth and the heavens,” (Genesis 2:4, KJV)
Following the day by day details of the six days of creation, we are led to the above two verses. Both of these verses serve as a bookend to the creation details and form a summary of what was just read.
Although “six days” is not mentioned in either of these verses, it is implied as a result of the text it is summarizing having taken six days to complete.
It is true that “the beginning” is not stated in these verses. However, the language employed in these verses, as summary statements, is similar to the language used in Genesis 1:1. Genesis 1:1 can be understood and interpreted as being an opening introductory/summary statement followed by the details of creation and then closing with the verses mentioned above.
VERSES WITH CREATION CONTEXT
The Beginning - The foundations of the earth.
Dry-land called earth was brought forth on day 3.1
The Beginning - The created and completed world.
When there would have been men to see or hear.
Man was brought forth on day 6.2
The Beginning - Implied as the week of creation.
When male and female were made.
Man was brought forth on day 6.3
The Beginning - Specifically stated as the week of creation.
When male and female were made.
Man was brought forth on day 6.4
The Beginning - Specifically stated as the week of creation.
Time of creation started on day 1 and time of creation ended on day 6, for on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made.5
The Beginning - Period of time when all things were made by Christ.
The creation of this world - the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all the host of them - took place over six days.6
The Beginning - The created and completed world.
Period of time when all things were made by Christ.
The creation of this world - the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all the host of them - took place over six days.7
The Beginning - The whole of the creation, including the heavens and the earth standing in and out of the water.
Firmament called heaven was brought forth on day 2.10
Dry-land called earth was brought forth on day 3, having part as standing in the water (not seen) and part as standing out of the water (seen).11
The Beginning - Christ as the head of creation.
For it is “in the beginning,” through Christ, that all things were made that are made.12
Excluding Genesis 1:1, these are all the verses in scripture where “the beginning” is being referenced within the context of something pertaining to the creation of the world in which we live. In none of these cases, is the use of “the beginning” stated with a mention or a limitation that is confined specifically to day 1 of creation.
Rather, we see a more general use of the phrase that speaks to either a specific part of God’s creative works or the collective works as they were made across the six days in which all things were made to form and inhabit our world.
CONNECTING TO SIX DAYS
To close this section, we will now connect each of the summary statements - Genesis 1:1, 2:1, 2:4 - to the time period of six days.
Summary Verse:
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” (Genesis 2:1, KJV)
Connection to Six Days:
“For in six days the LORD [JEHOVAH] made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD [JEHOVAH] blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:11, KJV)
Summary Verses:
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1, KJV)
“These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD [JEHOVAH] God made the earth and the heavens,” (Genesis 2:4, KJV)
Connection to Six Days:
“It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD [JEHOVAH] made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” (Exodus 31:17, KJV)
The last example is the most clear in which we can see “the beginning” being synonymous with “six days” in the context of creation. Using these synonymous phrases, consider how the two passages would read with the defining terms swapped:
“In [six days] God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1, KJV)
“It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in [the beginning] the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” (Exodus 31:17, KJV)
A GOSPEL MESSAGE
Through Jehovah’s inspiring men to write and translate the first verse of the Bible in the way that it is, honor and glory is given to His Son, Jesus Christ.
A gospel message is found, pointing ALL creation to His Son, at whose name every knee should bow in heaven and in earth.
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10–11, KJV)
In the list of verses above, we have a finale at Revelation 3:14, where we consider that truly - in the beginning, through Christ (as “the beginning”)13 - God created all things.
“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;” (Revelation 3:14, KJV)
Viewing Genesis 1:1 through this lens, we get the following beautiful picture as an added layer to the first verse of the Bible and an introduction to the creation account:
“In [Jesus Christ] God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1, KJV 1900)
Jesus Christ, who is “the beginning,”14 who is the true Light that shineth in the darkness,15 who was with God at the start of the creation,16 and is the one through whom all the things of creation were made,17 is given praise, honor, and glory18 through a right interpretation of the first verse in the Bible.
The traditional interpretation of Genesis 1:1, which has God performing in darkness the first works of the creation of our world, cannot give glory to Jesus Christ as the Beginning and the Light of ALL the “work[s] which God created and made.”19
CONCLUSION
When considering these things, I hope that it has been made more clear, that one can only limit Genesis 1:1 to the first day of creation by having either a bias to do so, or ignorance as a result of not having studied scripture in order to find a Biblical definition for each of the terms within this verse.
We see that, in the context of creation, the Bible uses the phrase “the beginning” as a general time pertaining to the entire week of creation. More specifically, we see this phrase having a synonymous meaning with “six days.”20
In brief, we also see how the phrase “the heaven[s] and the earth” can be used to describe the entirety of the creation of this world and everything within it and not just simply the firmament and the dry-land. Though, we must let the context in scripture rightly define how it is to be understood in a passage.
Let us conclude now with filling in the blanks and giving a Biblical definition to ALL of the terms of Genesis 1:1:
Heaven - the name given to the “firmament” in Genesis 1:8.
Earth - the name given to the “dry-land” in Genesis 1:10.
The Beginning - Synonymous with the six days of creation as seen in Exodus 31:17. In type, Christ as “the beginning”21 of creation in Revelation 3:14, through whom all things were made as seen in John 1:1-3.
The Heaven[s] and the Earth - The entirety of creation, including the heaven, the earth, the seas, and all that is in them, as seen through Genesis 2:1, 2:4, Exodus 20:11, and Exodus 31:17.
PRAYER
May God help us all to study this topic out more fully, laying all our bias and preconceived ideas aside. May He help us to lean entirely upon Him, that we may gain eyes to see and ears to hear as we seek to be led by the spirit of truth.
God Bless,
Charles
