Last week we took a deeper look into the structure of the creation account paying attention to the order and sequence that repetitive elements are repeated in.
If you missed the previous posts in this series I have linked them at the bottom of this post.
Below is the structure laid out graphically with some emphasis on the connected elements.
Such intricate structure is clearly intentional and cannot be seen as coincidental.
In fact the use of triads or three's in a series is extremely common in both the old and new testament as is the use of the third day for emphasis.
Below I quote from a detailed web page giving many examples where three and the third day are used.
This interested by this will find great benefit in reading that as well.
The Third Day as a Literary Motif
As with the use of the number three in a series, which conveys implications and expectations beyond the normal conventional meaning, so the third day often carries with it an additional sense or nuance. It seems apparent from the scriptural record that the third day was selected for a given activity or matter at hand for some distinct purpose and attendant emphasis, which those who were involved in the situation understood. Likewise those who later heard or read of the incident would be familiar with the various possible emphases in the choice. The abundant use of the third day argues for viewing the third day as a literary motif that could be employed for several reasons.
https://bible.org/seriespage/3-use-three-bible
The use of the three part literary devices still exists today because it’s a good way to structure an idea or concept.
There is a beginning, a middle and an end or as we are taught when first learning to write:
- Introduction
- Body
- Conclusion
It is then highly likely that the days here are used not only as a three sequence parallel but also as a third day emphasis.
Then there is a seventh day.
Seven is also another heavily utilized number and sequence in the bible precisely because it consists of 2 groups of three and then a final element, which is also specially emphasized to convey implications and expectations beyond the normal conventional meaning.
In this case, the emphasis, implication and special meaning is heavily weighted around the contrasting lack of creative activity so prevalent on the previous days.
The creation account brings special emphasis to the seventh day as a day of rest, a Sabbath, later THE Sabbath, one of the most defining covenants of the relationship between the Lord and the house of Israel.
In fact, often when the commandment is given and repeated thereafter, the creation account and days are brought up to illustrate the matter. Basically what scriptural writers are stipulating is that if its good for the Lord, its good for us, and the creation account is written in such a way that the Lord originally set the example to be followed.
The teaching and emphasis by Moses in his writings of this defining covenant is so strong that it still survives today among followers of the Mosaic law when nations and empires have come and gone and the nations concerned have been scattered across the globe.
Next week I will look at expanding on the seventh day and also other examples of these types of structures in some of Moses's other books.
As a teaser take a look at the account of the plagues of Egypt and see if you can discover a similar structure. Don't be lazy and google it, try to find it for yourself, there is a lot to be discovered in the process.
Previous parts of this Series
Were the seven days of creation in Genesis seven twenty four hour periods? - Delving a little deeper
Were the seven days of creation in Genesis seven twenty four hour periods? - Into the detail
Yes, they were 24 hour periods. I don't believe in numerology. I believe the bible. No disrespect intended.
The discussion of a non-literal interpretation of Genesis 1 doesn't need to bring in numbers. What we have to realize is who the audience was for this text and what they might have understood it to mean. Genesis 1 is not primarily about science or some evolution debate. Genesis 1 is about God.
Genesis 1 is a proclamation to the pagan nations. It is an apologetic text combating the competing creation myths. Instead of the world forming out of chaos and accident, it is formed by God's definite plan. Instead of the sun and the moon being gods themselves, they are creations of the ultimate God.
Genesis 1 is about two things, glorifying God and establishing the Sabbath. Trying to read our modern scientific debates into it isn't its purpose.
It is about the Word.
God said, ... God said... God said...
It is about the Logos, and the Logos, when He speaks, creates Order from the Chaos.
This is why John 1:1 is another creation account, which brings us back to Genesis. PRE-Genesis, in fact.
I second that, The Almighty God is a the most Accurate one, the 3s and 7s might or may not mean anything significant to the Most high.
But grouping concepts into groups of three, seven etc. is very significant to the Hebrew writer and reader, God was not the intended reading audience, the children of Israel were.
Great point. And the court of King James also.
I agree 100% in God's word.
Job 38:4 Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
Isaiah 55:
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
If what you found in this post was numerology then perhaps you need to read it again and read the provided link.
https://bible.org/seriespage/3-use-three-bible
24 of God's hours or 24 human hours?
24 human hours!
This is when the can of worms begins to open.
When man and science can fill in the missing gaps I might be persuaded to believe otherwise - but the scales tip significantly towards a literal meaning based on the research that I have done.
Why are you so emphatic about that? Does it really matter?
Check out my links elsewhere in this post to the Jordan Peterson Bible Lecture Series. He uses evolutionary biology to bring atheists out of their intellectual morass. They CAN find meaning in the bible, and the DON'T have to abandon evolution. They can start to see biological evolution as a creative instrument, instead of as what they always thought it was - an unbridgeable chasm between science and religion.
It does matter - if not for us then certainly for future generations. They will have to live through the reign of the antichrist while we will most likely be dead. Most christians are setting their kids up for a future fall.
I will go back and look at your other comments but I am busy for a little bit and the comments are flowing thick and fast (which is good) - but now is not the right time for me to carefully consider and reply to your comments.
I'll be back a little later.
Good stuff, bro! See you after I've mowed my lawn :)
Take some time on Sunday to listen to Dr. David Jeremiah. He knows exactly what the Bible says.
You do not understand the meaning of the Bible. I suggest you read it over and over and over until you get it. You are "all over the map" as they say and it is taking you nowhere fast.
Finding "meaning" in the Bible means NOTHING unless you understand it and LIVE it.
You sure are able to read a lot into what I know and don't know about the Bible. What is your Bible tradition? Everyone has one. Tradition is not a bad thing. It is the democracy of the dead. I respect those who came before me, and I am under no illusion that I can just pick up an ENGLISH translation of the bible and interpret everything for myself. It is not a magic book.
It is a book (collection of books) which has been preserved and lovingly handed down to us by the Church. Why should I not care what others in the tradition of the Church have said about the books?
Like I said, you are "all over the map."
It's called discernment.
What is the main point of the Bible?
2 Peter 3:8 - But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
It doesn't make any difference. It isn't important.
Believing the bible includes some numerology. Different numbers mean different things throughout the bible texts. Specific numbers occur in nature/creation over and over again across species so it does come into play to some degree.
They we're not 24 hour periods.... it is numerology just how Adam and Eve is a story of desire and how noah's ark is a story of evolution. I hope you don't idolize Jesus as the son when the trinity is a work and Jesus came out of a 40 day fast and destroyed a church because they were idolizing. The very first thing he did! and then you cult religious people disgrace him by worshipping him as a god.
I do think that the Bible indeed uses much numerology and symbolisms. Also I find it interesting that the days are name after heavenly bodies or gods.
1st day = Sunday = Domingo = Day of Sun
2nd day = Monday = Lunes = Day of Moon
3rd day = Tuesday = Marte = Day of Mars
4th day = Wednesday = Miércoles = Day of Mercury
5th day = Thursday = Jueves = Day of Jupiter
6th day = Friday = Viernes = Day of Venus
7th day = Saturday = Sábado= Day of Saturn
Month = Moon cycle.
Months are out of order in my opinion.
September = Septiembre = Siete = Seven = 7
October = Octubre = Ocho = Eight = 8
November = Noviembre = Nueve = Nine = 9
December = Diciembre = Decimal = Diez = Ten = 10
The names we have these days came to us via the Romans, July comes to us thanks to Julius Caesar and August thanks to Augustus Cesar. There was the Julian calendar etc. and a semblance of standardization only set in with the Gregorian calendar.
Since days, weeks, months etc. are measurements of time it is only natural for them to be named after the heavenly bodies and cycles by which we measure time.
Genesis one stipulates they were provided to mankind not only for light but also for "signs and for seasons"
its obviously an allegory. if god is all powerful and omnipotent it wouldnt take 1 second of time. think about it. "on the 7th day he rested." why would god need rest? was the creation of all this such a task to something so allegedly powerful that he had to take a break after working for 6 days? none of it makes sense because none of it is truth in a literal sense. Also, to add to that, the concept of a full week with 7 days came waaaaaay after. We went by moon cycles up until babylon when they added the 7 day week plan. babylon is post the genesis story.
Exactly, its a simple narrative in a simple way that non scientific peoples would identify with, the details are fuzzy because its not intended to be a scientific paper on the matter but is intended to convey a far more important and deeper message. At least one of those is that of the Sabbath day.
Yup, some cultures had 4 day week other 5 etc. the Babylonians likely picked up the 7 day week, if they took it seriously, via Daniel which would put that at around 600BC. They had the eclipse or Saros cycle figured out before that.
Your interpretation of the creation is interesting espacially as today is the seventh day and we are suppose to rest from steemith, but the kick and fun in steeming will never allow us to have a day rest even if we are on holiday: Great post as usual from you and keep steeming...powering up too. Upvoted. Glad that am following you and thus sending in my support to your posts..keep it up
Yup, steemit is crazy stuff, but actually today is the first day of the week, the seventh is Saturday and begins Friday at sundown according to Hebrew reckoning.
Ok, according to the Hebrew however I am Catholic haha and today is the seventh day in my Christian Doctrine..Ie Sunday, day of rest in the new testament. However your post is based on the old testament ie the story of creation and you are correct according to it. Will stay in touch with you buddy in order to read more...very interesting.
Actually even to Catholics and other Christians, Sunday is the first day of the week. Christians switched the Sabbath from Saturday, the seventh day, to Sunday the first day, to commemorate the resurrection of Christ.
You are correct...however currently we practice our Sabbath on Sunday instead of Saturday hence why most christians dont work on sunday and monday is termed first day of the week. Depends on where you look at it
"On this day the first of days..."
The biggest joke here is the argument of switching the sabath day which in no way latters as everything is relative, even time! The thing, is non of this is constant meurement and could hve changed throught history. Saturday? Sunday? Does it matter at all.
Really interesting interpretation indeed. Great read for a lazy Sunday! :)
Despite the fact that I do not have a view on the specific issue, I consider the analysis to be very thorough and interesting.
Thanks.
Just came across this post so will have to go back and read previous posts. But since you're examining the creation topic, maybe you could examine why, if the earth really rotates around the sun, why the sun wasn't crated until the 4th day.
What was the earth doing those 4 days, or does the sun actually rotate around the earth?
Good point, that is covered in this one
https://steemit.com/religion/@gavvet/were-the-seven-days-of-creation-in-genesis-seven-twenty-four-hour-periods-delving-a-little-deeper
thx I'll take a look :)
Excellent analysis @gavvet, I've often pondered this myself. In addition to the significance of the numbers, it seems that explaining creation broken down into days would have been the best way to convey it to a society that did not have an understanding of some of the more complex concepts that a deeper explanation would have involved. In the same way, I don't think that creation excludes the possibility of evolution (within certain boundaries) and the world being millions (rather than thousands) of years old.
exactly
good to see you're still producing good stuff, hope the family's doing well!
Jack Bauer could have created the world in one 24 hour period.
Jack Bauer can create a world for breakfast, before he is briefed for the day.
lol
Father, Son & Holy Spirit...
Past, Present & Future...
The Son bears witness of the Father, and the Holy Spirit shall make all things clear...
The Present bears witness of the Past, and the Future shall make all things clear...
@pocketechange
Some more groupings of three's
I guess my reply wasn't worthy of an upvote...
@pocketechange
nope just absent minded ;)
its an interesting way to look at it. The real question is what it means to you?
What it means to me is covered here.
https://steemit.com/religion/@gavvet/were-the-seven-days-of-creation-in-genesis-seven-twenty-four-hour-periods-into-the-detail
From his series, the few ones i have followed he is shedding more light on the accounts of creation rather than just reading as fairy tales, so what does it mean to you? Feel free to answer this Outrightly!
Great post
Mr dear please vote on my page for your vote great honer to me
Upvoted!Can you vote my page also?
Did you guys actually read through or you just want upvotes?....This is a very sensitive topic we are discussing here.......
Thanks will vote
Congratulations @gavvet!
Your post was mentioned in my hit parade in the following category:
I believe Sitchin's book, The 12th Planet, covered this and how the gods were operating on a different metric of time. The Bible actually validates that theory too.
2 Peter 3:8
"8 But 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."
The Truth Shall Set You Free
The first account of Creation (Genesis 1:1-2:31) was composed at Jerusalem soon after the return from the Babylonian Exile (500 BC). God is here named "Elohim". The second account (Genesis 2:4-22) is also Judaean, possibly of Edomite origin, and pre-Exilic (600 BC). Here God was originally named "Yahweh", but the priestly editor has changed this to "Yahweh from Elohim" (usually translated as "the Lord God"), thus identifying the God of Genesis 1 with that of Genesis 2, and giving the versions an appearance of uniformity. He did not, however, eliminate certain contradictory details in the order of creation.
Out of these sources (Genesis through Numbers) they formed what is called the "Priestly History." The motive for the formation of this history was Israel's own situation. The community had been destroyed and the people scattered. How should they plan for the future? The priests turned to the past for their guidelines . . . i.e., they composed the "Books of Moses" (None written by Moses) from oral tradition and the myths of the other nations of the ancient near east. And so their Priestly History became the foundation document by which the exiles from Babylonian slavery sought to organize themselves.
The heart of this history is the story in Exodus 1-15 of the deliverance by God of Israel from Egypt. This key event, by which the exiled priests interpreted the meaning of history, was the central event to which Israel had looked for centuries . . . The narratives in the book of Genesis seem to have been added as a preface to the history of God's salvation described in Exodus through Numbers . . . the creation stories in the Bible do not give us a scientific description, but a symbolic one. They were trying to present the theological meaning of creation . . . The writers of the Old Testament, however, borrowed motifs and allusions from the myths of Mesopotamia and Canaan as means of describing the significance of God's acts in the world. They never borrowed the mythological materials unchanged, but always transformed them into ways of describing the actions of the one God of the world . . . So we do not read this creation story for accurate information about the process of creation.
It is very important to keep in mind that we are still reading picturesque literature. In answer to the question "Did it happen exactly this way?"' - We must answer "No!" This is parabolic literature, not historical literature.
Text Credit: http://davelivingston.com/creationstories.htm
Facts are Facts - Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own Facts
Faith is Faith - Believe Whatever you want, but Belief and Faith are Not Facts
That is one school of scholastic thought, there are others...
True, if they are evidence based, I'm all ears. If not.......
Beautiful analysis. Love your work. You have my upvote and resteem.
good post.
Hi, @gavvet,
FYI, I've recently published my second article inspired by this series of yours.
Here's the link:
Kind regards!
😄😇😄
done, enjoyed your first.
Thank you, friend. :D
Only Moses had the power to write such a simple yet deep single line.
And anyone filled with the spirit mate.
Indeed
Tell me you agreed just that simply😊
Yes 😊
Nice man
Really interesting. God Bless your work.
thanks
yes
The seven days of the week were invented most likely from people observing the moon phases. We can tell that much from almost all human cultures. Now the question I have is this one. Why a supreme being would choose our petty moon as the measure for his cosmic deeds (creation of trillions of planets with their respective moons)?
Can there be any other life like us out there? If so, do their creation myths also align with the arbitrary position of the sun in relation to their planet's moon? (if they have a moon that is).
Good questions, perhaps I will cover this type of topic in the not to distant future.
There were many different cultures with many different numbers of days of the week, and a many using their own calendars. It makes for a very interesting research topic if you are up to it.
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon was astounded at the wisdom of Daniel. We can only speculate what it was that he found so insightful. By this time the Babylonians had already figured out the Saros Cycle through sheer weight of observations. There are cycles hinted at in Daniels writing that make for far superior calendar calibration than was existent at that time. I'll put together something on this some time, but its really interesting to research ancient astronomy and astrology for oneself.
Daniel survived in a highly politicized court through three rulers of the ancient empire of Babylon, no mean feat and one can detect a little of his great stature in his writings.
Isaac Newton was fascinated by them for their complex and intricate nature.
To answer the question.
The Measurement of things via time, the moon and other things given "for signs and for seasons" is for human observation and from their perspective.
A father meets their child on their level otherwise its over their head and understanding.
well put. Indeed . You should put something together for this one
gavvet, are you familiar with the intellectual giant called Dr. Jordan Peterson?
He is a clinical psychologist from Toronto, and he is giving a weekly lecture series on the Bible... It is really groundbreaking. I've got steemit links to them in some of my previous posts.
Week 1 - Introduction to the Idea of God
Week 2 - Genesis 1: Order and Chaos
Week 3 - God and the Hierarchy of Authority
Week 4 - Adam and Eve: Self-Consciousness, Evil, and Death
Week 5 - Cain and Abel -The Hostile Brothers
They are long lectures, but I strongly encourage everyone to watch them. The guy is on the top of his game, and he has a huge following. He needs to come to steemit :)
Will have to check it out.
Great post i'm so glad i read it . i just followed kindly do the same .
In short, I believe the answer is no.
If anything they are eons or ages.
Great series of articles though.
Upvoted! Can you vote my page also?
I must first tell everyone that I am not a religious man. I do, however, believe in a higher power. It truly is funny that I stumbled across this post as I was thinking of starting a blog about this very topic.
I consider myself a very "open" person. I do have beliefs, but I'm always open for debate. That is the great thing about religion.... No one knows.
Now, I recently watched a video from @jeffberwick. I really like, Jeff, he actually turned me on to Steemit. I watch everything he puts out. Anyway, I watched a video yesterday that he put out. It was something about "taking the red pill". If you don't know who he is, I suggest you follow him. He is full of incites and alternative thinking. In this particular video, he addresses most of the known conspiracies. You know, the moon landing, the US involvement to enter WWII, and of course, 9/11 being an inside job.
What I found fascinating about this video was how he easily brushed off his supposed friends who happened to be "early Earthers". I'm not sure if that was the term he used. Basically, he was totally disavowing the possibility that the Earth might be less than 10,000 years old.
So, here I'm listening to a complete conspiracy believer telling me that everything I have been taught in my life is a lie. But, the "fact" that the Earth is approximately 7 billion years old is absolute truth. How does that happen? @jeffberwick was making fun of these people like he knows something.
No disrespect to @jeffberwick. I know he means well, and I have no idea why he would take this stance. The Earth being 7 billion years old is the greatest propaganda in our lifetime, if you ask me. It is taught in schools to absolutely everyone. And of everything, Jeff is singing its praises. I just don't get it.
There are three ways to look at the Bible. Imagine that, three. 1 is you can discount it completely. The second is you can take it literally. Third is you can take it metaphorically.
Here is where the problem lies. We were created by an all powerful, all knowing God. I say, why have it written if it weren't "literal". I also know that it was written by man whom is flawed.
Is Genesis History on Netflix. It truly is a great documentary and will make you think. This is a science show that will make you ponder about the age of the Earth. Please watch it and tell me what you think. Including you, @jeffberwick!
Thanks for sharing good content that's why i resteem it
Interesting read! Glad I found it! :)
Glad you liked it.
It's incredible , google & bible almost 100% of the time Leeds you to deception or the opinion of a Rabbi ! Both as trustworthy as the other !
The scripture was inspired by the Holyspirit and no level of disecting can reveal the actual prceedings of the events during creation. In theological settings, they might add bits of twist to it but in truth, only the spirit man can understand.
The object of this analysis is to study the methods used by the writer when writing the messages inspired and given by the Holy Spirit.
To discover what was the true intent of the writer in their context instead of applying our own interpretations and contextualization
We do not think, read and write like the ancients and when we base our interpretations of ancient scripture solely on our current way of thinking we have a large potential for getting it wrong
I agree to some extent, i was trying to recall John's view about Heaven and the last days when he was marooned on an island. He wasnt giving accounts in the book Of Revelation in Human timing and thinking, The Angel told him to take note.
So am thinking if that is what happened to the writers of the creation account, they might not be using todays Philosophical approach to give the accurate accounts.
exactly
informative post.
thank you for good posting~
Thank you
Thanks for this informative post. I appreciate you hitting on various aspects - the text itself, formatting of the text, and use of the text - to make your point. As a believer of seven 24 hours periods of creation, I appreciate how easy it is to follow your thought patterns.
Try the challenge on finding the literary structure in the plagues of Egypt.
interesting post
Thanks.
There are a lot of parts in the bible who contradict each other.
After reading the bible I am not in control of the church anymore
When taken out of context perhaps, but when studied indepth with knowledge of ancient writing styles, cultural practices and biases a lot less contradiction is found.
And you then develop the ability to accept something, even if you can't understand it.
It is all MYSTERIOUS. There is no reason to beat yourself up if you don't fully grasp a mystery. But keep trying! :)
Maybe you are right, I didn't study indepth
Give us your feedback on steemit in this discussion:
https://steemit.com/steemit/@ouba2/my-opinion-on-steemit-so-far-and-how-to-improve-it
great post : )) tnx
Good post @gavvet
Number 7, or G ;) is the overall 'magic number' which we find in everything. from our body to the cosmos. It is definitely a very special number. And so is 3.
Ever studied the golden ratio?
Of course.
It is essential for photo and film compositions, however in art it's not calculated but achieved by the feeling. If you carefully look at my photographs on my blog, you'll see that almost all are composed according to that geometrical principle. It applies to everything in the world. Like as if the world was created by an arhitect, right?
Not to mention Fibonacci...
Yup
Good one and I find it interesting... I will follow and wanted to know more of ur posts.. God is Good all the time! Just like what i read in the bible and will never forget that LOVE above all is the one will remain out of all the commandments.
Thanks
Hi @gavvet, thank you for the detailed explanation of the use of 3 and 7 in the bible, it is an interesting perspective.
Thanks
I find your interpretation of the creation interesting and will see if I can find what you want in the ten plagues. Looking forward to your next post.
Have fun!
Hello my brother @gavvet
A happy day for you and the family I am from Egypt and I care about the history of Egypt and the successive ages by the Pharaohs and also by the Romans and this in the old age and also know the story of Our master Moses is the Messenger of Allah when he was born in Egypt .... I am following you in these articles
thanks my brother @gavvet
مرحبا اخى يوم سعيد لك
Love the subject, I always want to know about the planet. Thanks for sharing.
I find your posts extremely interesting! Definitely looking forward to the next one. Do you keep the Sabbath every week? Because recently I've come to think that the Bible is actually for the Sabbath, not against keeping it.
Sabbath observance has always been part of my life, how well I do in that department varies ;)
Haha I understand man, keep up the good work
What an interesting point of view on the Bible and the creation of the world! Hmm=)))
Ah ,The Holy Grail of Steeming. Loved it! Resteemed and upvoted!
I once watched the comparison of Hebrew and English bible, and got a confirmation that the translation was false on very particular points - especially concerning creating and relation to women, but the translation into English actually supported the submission of women through quite some centuries. And, considering the people who translated it we can't expect anything better. The Hebrew bible gave the impression the women were equal to men, and certainly not made out of a Adam's rib.
But does the creation you mention - putting the letter and the number together - mean that when internet was created for the mainstream public (the number and the letter together) - it was some sort of a new world creation?
Yeah grate post on numerology !!!!
If it were a 24 hour days or not for me what is important is that God made all these and it didn't just appear like a bubble.
It is because a day in the Lord is like a thousand years for people and vice-versa.