The Genesis Site - The Early Atmosphere

Genesis 1

A lot of things can be said about the days of creation. However, I only want to point at two days. The second day describes a strange kind of event: water is taken from earth and placed "at the other side" of the atmosphere!

"Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.

This kind of water (maybe like water vapour) above the atmosphere is unknown to us today. Apparently something has changed someday!
The "waters above the firmament" do explain a lot of things that are said in the first chapters of Genesis. One of the amazing facts of earth's first civilization was their high age. People grew to 900 years old! This can be explained by the "waters above the firmament".
Like the ozone layer the water vapour layer reflects shortwave radiation out of space. At the other hand longwave radiation is passing through. This longwave radiation however reflects on the earth's surface but, going back, it reflects on bottom side of the water vapour layer. This means less longwave radiation can reach the ozone layer from the earth's surface. The effect of this is a less degradation of the ozone layer! And, as we all know today, a thicker ozone layer means less shortwave radiation on earth.
The total effect of what I've described here is a much more healthy environment on earth as it is today. Firstly the temperature was kept equable. A subtropical climate was maintained all over the world. And that is exactly what earth layers are telling! From Siberia to Antarctica is found evidence that the earth's climate must have been much warmer and equable then today. Antarctica and Siberia both have their subtropical plants and trees, froozen today but once flourishing.

Secondly less shortwave radiation and less ozone particles in the lower part of the atmosphere meant longevity for mankind. For as scientific study shows today shortwave radiation is damaging mankinds genetic material. And it is influencing mankinds lifespan [1]. So the day the water vapour canopy would collapse life on earth should become more unhealthy and lifespan of men should decrease. And it did collapse! See The Flood pages.

Let's go now to the fourth day.

"Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth."
And it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also.
And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness.

The fourth day describes the making of the stars and planets. But did you notice there isn't spoken here about the sun and the moon? Genesis is only talking about a greater light and a lesser light. This could be important. We will meet this subject again on the Confusion pages!


[1] For more study:
W.J. Ouweneel, De ark in de branding (pages 112, 152-156),
J.C. Whitcomb and H.M. Morris, The Genesis Flood (pages 23-25, 399-405).

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