Local Creationism and The Statement of Fact View

The word translated “earth” in Genesis 1:1 is the same Hebrew word (ehretz), translated “land” in “the land of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:23), “the land of Israel” (II Chronicles 34;7), and “the land of Shinar” (Genesis 11:2). So for reasons I will elaborate on, I’d translate 1:1 “In the beginning The Trinity revealed the heavens and an area of land.” In this “Statement of Fact View” (SFV), there are only two things mentioned as having been revealed in this beginning: “the heavens and an area of land.” I think “the beginning,” refers to the “Six Days.” So revealing the heavens and an area of land, of course, aren’t the only things God did in this Six-Day-Beginning. In this scenario, unlike in Young Earth Creationism (YEC) and the Day/Age, Progressive Creationism (PC), “the heavens” include the sun, moon and stars. Did Moses think of “the heavens” without the sun, moon and stars as they believe, or does the “Statement of Fact View,” which includes them make more sense?
I go with “Statement of Fact,” instead of “Summary Statement,” because, the revealing of the heavens and the area of land do not summarize all that happens during the Six Days, just two aspects of what happened.
That being said, I follow the scholarship of Bruce K. Waltke, who pointed out that the Hebrew in 1:2 is stated in such a way that it describes the scene at the time of 1:1. Therefore, the area of land was already there, covered with water and darkness (God’s judgment), in the beginning when God revealed the heavens and that area of land. Modern versions reflect this scholarship.
These other creationists think that when Paul said, “what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3), he referred to the heavens (some YECs also think the earth), in Genesis 1:1. But Paul doesn’t call these invisible things “heavens.” Whereas conventional science believes the Earth is made out of star dust, YECs think the stars are made out of earth dust. (see AIG and CMI).
There’s no action in 1:1, which explains why I believe it’s simply a “Statement of Fact.” God does not speak there, nor are there any details concerning how the heavens and the area of land were made to be seen. God speaks at the start of the other five creation days, which tells us 1:1 cannot be the beginning of Day One. It has to start with 1:3 so God speaks at the beginning of all Six Days.
A literal rendering of Genesis 1:9-10a would be: “Then The trinity said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place and let the dry soil appear;” and it was so. God called the dry soil (yabbahshah), an area of land (ehretz).” Unlike “ehretz,” “yabbahshah” doesn’t refer to an area of land. It only emphasizes the dryness of the soil and is used when Israel crossed the Jordan (Exodus 14:22) and when Jonah was vomited onto dry soil (Jonah 2:10).
Why so many versions have the Spirit of The Trinity (well they say “God”), but it’s plural (Eloheem), “moving” (rahgraph), over the waters in the darkness in 1:2, is beyond me! I translate it, “fluttering-in-place.” Rahgraph is only used two other times–In NASB, Jeremiah said, “All my bones ‘tremble’” (Jer. 23:9), and Moses himself said, “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest. That ‘hovers’ over its young.” (Deut. 32:11a). The KJV goes with “fluttereth.” The point I’m getting to; is that the Spirit of Eloheem is not moving over the waters of the world. He is “fluttering in place.” This again speaks of a local area. I think He fluttered over the Holy of Holies on the Temple Mount, deep under water at the time.
The water being gathered into one place, speaks of a local area. This is a runoff similar to that after Noah’s Flood. No matter how Moses described it, all of his readers, including us today, understood that no matter what, the water was already “in one place” in some sense. If the entire globe was covered with water, then where could the water run off to?
The Genesis creation days each consisted of an “evening” and a “morning.” I think this is another sign that a local area is in view. If it was talking about the entire planet: there would always be both morning and evening.
I think Local Creationism best explains how Adam could’ve named all of the animals. He only had to name the animals in a local area.
Of course I know this has been rather brief and simplistic, but it’s enough to get the conversation going!

So I am assuming that you advocate the idea of a “Special Creation” of Adam and Eve while the rest of humanity evolved or did humanity emerge out of Adam and Eve within this Local Creation? Also, what was made within this Local Creation? Was there other life before this special creation took place or was the land barren as alluded in Gen. 2:4-9?
For me from my understanding. Gen. 2. goes over a more historical local event (Gen. 1-2:1-3 are a more symbolic story of creation as told in the manner of the Ancient Near Eastern environment) with some minor symbolism that talks about God placing (not creating) two individuals who would later be remembered as Adam and Eve. God placed them in the Garden which was probably an oasis that hosted the Tree of Life and Tree of Good and Evil. Later either the Satan/Devil or one of the fallen entities that would be personified as a chaos creature serpent tricks the couple to commit sin against God and try to control nature/cosmos outside of God and also become divine rulers themselves in the Garden which also functioned as a proto-temple according to the Ancient Near Eastern environment.

Interesting, but where “deep under water” is this location?

I can see that logic if one tries to keep the idea of Gen. 1 as some type of literal event (of which I see it as a symbolic story that basically states that Yahweh is far Superior then the other gods of the ancient world as God is able to make everything and anything by His own Will and Power without the need of other gods nor having to battle gods for control of the universe. But, i do believe that is confesses a basic truth that God alone is Creator of the universe and earth) But if in the case of a Local Creation of some type then it would make sense the for the passages of the morning and evening motifs being used.

When we have a book about events and the way things are in a place unlike where we live our lives, then we put that book in the fantasy section of the book stores and public library. To be sure you can believe that Middle Earth, Hogwarts, and Santa Claus’ North Pole workshop really exists somewhere and thus these books in the fantasy section are true stories about these other places. I am cool with that.

The place where the Holy of Holies is on the Temple Mount, is in Jerusalem. I’ve been told it’s inside the Dome of the Rock and the Muslims know they cannot walk in that area and live.
My views are based on Genesis One being literal (when some things were “revealed,” they were literally revealed) and not a “symbolic story.”
I believe the human race emerged from Adam and Eve. Yes, there were many other special creations before Genesis One that included other human races. To evolve a different body plan is impossible, which explains why when the evolutionists at the famous Chicago conference of evolutionists were asked, “Is there anything anyone knows about evolution?,” they were silent until one man said, “It shouldn’t be taught in schools.” My own interaction with top entomologists, tells me the same thing. Nobody knows what any insect evolved directly from. There is no such thing as a known evolutionary fact.
I do not know exactly what animals were created in Genesis One, but I know not every kind of animal that ever lived, or is alive now, was created then. None ever could have evolved.
I don’t see anything in Genesis One, when understood correctly, that couldn’t literally be true.

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