Genesis 1

Foreword

Jesus and John the Baptist began their ministry preaching repentance and proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven was at hand:

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:1, 2)

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

When Jesus later sent out the twelve apostles, He told them to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven was at hand:

These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying “… And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Matthew 10:5–7)

The kingdom of heaven was so prominent in Christ’s message that the term is mentioned more than thirty times in Matthew’s gospel. Jesus, either directly or indirectly through others, was introducing the kingdom of heaven to earth. He, along with His followers, were preaching the gospel—glad tidings of the kingdom.

Now Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom… (Matthew 4:23)

The gospel of the kingdom addresses activity within the body of Christ following Jesus’ death on the cross. When we repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we enter the body of Christ.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body… and have all been made to drink into one Spirit… Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. (1 Corinthians 12:13, 27)

Jesus often spoke in parables concerning the kingdom of heaven. The parables tell us in a figurative sense how we are to live while dwelling in the body of Christ. The kingdom of heaven is the body of Christ of which Jesus is the head. This entity is also referred to as the Church—a place where Christians grow and establish within themselves the mind of Christ.

At the end of this age, the kingdom will be handed to the Father.

Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. (1 Corinthians 15:24)

Jesus claimed to be the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. The Omega involves handing the kingdom to the Father at the end, which coincides with the end of all rule, authority and power. The New Testament covers the introduction, implementation, and the conclusion of the kingdom of heaven, but the design and plan for the kingdom of heaven seems to be unaddressed. So where is the Alpha, the Beginning?

The beginning is mentioned in the first chapter of John:

He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:2, 3)

These verses reference Jesus, showing how He was quite involved in the creation process.

Following this train of thought, this statement draws us to the creation narrative in Genesis 1. If one were to look at the seven days of creation in a figurative or allegorical sense, perhaps the hidden message would show the outline for the kingdom of heaven. After all, it sets the foundation for all of Scripture, and given that the kingdom of heaven is the first major topic of our Lord’s teaching in the New Testament, it could very well be the Alpha, or the beginning of His kingdom.

Scripture is no stranger to figurative prose. Just as Jesus spoke in parables during His ministry, similar symbolic language is applied elsewhere. When appearing in the book of Revelation, He speaks in symbols and types. With the appearance of Jesus in the creation process, it wouldn’t be unusual for Him to speak in a figurative sense as well. Upon reading Genesis 1, there’s a distinct possibility that the author is speaking figuratively, and there could be a hidden allegorical meaning behind the seven days of creation.

Treating the creation narrative as an allegory and interpreting the symbols and types can be quite challenging. This investigative process involves biblical hermeneutics, the art and science of interpreting the communication of God to man. The first step of studying Scripture is to overcome one’s resistance to presuming that beneath the surface of Scripture lies another meaning at a higher level. Scripture is often multi-layered, and beyond first glance, the interpretation simply requires an open mind.

Taking this into account, this does not dispel the fact that God created the heavens and the earth. However, while the creationists are battling against the evolutionists, they are ignoring the possibility of an allegorical interpretation of the creation narrative as well. Be that as it may, another hat is tossed into the ring.

This book, based on exegetical theology, intends to present a unique, theologically sound interpretation of each of the seven days of creation, which will in turn lead to a much greater in-depth understanding of the holy Scriptures—an understanding that will provide a refreshing wind to the churches. The book will engage readers in a spiritual archaeological digging, showing how the first five days of creation relate to the design and plan for the kingdom of heaven, how the sixth day refers to the implementation of the kingdom, and how the seventh day reveals the handing of the kingdom to the Father.