The Book of Genesis begins with the story of the heavens and earth’s Creation. Many Bible readers find this story intriguing and such a huge miracle. To learn all that was created in seven days, according to the Bible, people still try to understand what did God create on the fourth day?
According to Genesis 1:14-19, the scripture implies that God created the sun, moon, and stars. The Bible says, ‘God made two great lights; the greater light to govern the day and the greater light to govern the night.’
Where did the light come from before the fourth day of Creation? How did vegetation exist before the Creation of the sun? Was the sun created entirely on day four, or is there biblical evidence that suggests it was created earlier and then completed on the fourth day? This article will use biblical evidence to answer these questions and so much more.
Where did the light come from before the fourth day?
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. (Genesis 1:1-5)
The Book of Genesis implies that on the first day, God created light and separated it from the darkness. The Bible further suggests that on Day 4, God again created light in the form of the sun, moon, and stars. These two incidences have confused many bible readers who wonder if this was a mistake made by the author of Genesis or if there is something more to it.
Bible scholars argue that there could be different possible ways to explain how there was light before the fourth day.
Created Light on Day 1 but Did Not Finish Until Day 4
Biblical evidence suggests that God could have created the sun, moon, and stars on Day 1 but set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light to the earth on day 4. Proverbs 8:27-29 supports this theory as it says, I was there when he set the heavens in place; when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep; when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep; when he gave the sea its boundary, so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
This scripture aligns with what happened on creation week’s first, second, and third days. The scripture gives a parallel account from the viewpoint of Wisdom personified. It implies that on day one, God marked out the horizon on the face of the deep. Other versions talk of God drawing a circle on the face of the deep. Which makes one question what this circle was.
The book of Job 26:10 further explains what this mark was. It says, ‘He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.’ In other words, he drew a line between light and darkness.
The scripture from Proverbs suggests how ‘even before light shone on the water, God prepared the heavens.’ Theologists argue that there is a high likelihood that ‘heavens’ could mean ‘atmosphere.’ So why would the Book of Genesis not mention this? Genesis 1:2 says, ‘Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.’ Bible scholars suggest that, from the mentioned scripture, Genesis was written from the perspective of the earth’s surface. Another piece of evidence is because of the constant use of ‘And there was evening, and there was morning,’ implying that these are time markers only used on earth.
However, Proverbs 8 gives a vaster perspective, showing Christian readers what also occurred in the heavens. Hence, theologists imply that the two books harmonize to explain how God prepared the atmosphere on day 1 to allow light to pass. Remember, both scriptures show that light illuminated half of the planet; hence the patterns seem consistent with light from the sun.
Supernatural Altering of the Atmosphere
Other Christian studies suggest that God possibly altered the atmosphere by providing it with supernatural light on day one and then creating the sun, moon, and stars on day four. Ezekiel 32:7-8 reads, When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you; I will bring darkness over your land, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ This scripture implies that God can give light and remove the light from the heavens as he pleases. What if this is what happened in the beginning? Other bible verses suggest this. (Revelation 8:12, Matthew 24:29, Joel 3:15, Amos 5:8, Isaiah 13:10)
No Need for the Sun in the Beginning, as Will be in the Future
Another possibility is that there was no need for the sun in the beginning, as the Bible implies there will be no need for it in the future. Revelation 21:23-25 suggests, ‘ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.’
The context of this scripture is that when, according to the Bible, a new heaven and a new earth will be created, the old will have passed away, and nothing impure will be allowed into this new city. Additionally, there will be no need for a sun or moon since the glory of the Lord will forever shine on it. This scripture has made some Christian scholars imply that even in the beginning, the light created on day one was special.
What kind of light did God create on the fourth day?
According to the Bible, God created the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day. Scholars suggest that the two greater lights created on day four were meant to divide day and night on the earth.
‘And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light to the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.’ (Genesis 1:14-19).
How did vegetation exist without the lights created on the fourth day?
Atheists have often used this question to point out that the scripture is false and unbelievable. This is because we all know that there is no way plants can grow without sunlight. However, the book of Revelation 21:23-25 suggests otherwise. According to Christian scholars, the creation story is one used to show God’s power. Theologists argue it is a story that should not be looked at literally.
This is why the existence of light before the sun, moon, stars, or vegetation before the sun looks pretty confusing. According to believers, however, it is an understanding of God that plants do not grow because of the sun but rather because God wills them to.
Still, other biblical scholars argue that the temporal light created on day one helped grow the vegetation created on day three. Either way, it is essential to understand that Christian studies suggest that the creation week was a time of miraculous happenings. It is possible that not everything has a scientific explanation behind it. The Bible implies that these performances proved that nothing is impossible with God.
References
- What did God create on the fourth day of Creation?
- How could there have been light before the sun?
- Did God Really Create Plants Before the Sun?
- If the Sun Is Created on Day 4, What Is the Light on Day 1?
- Why isn’t the sun mentioned until the fourth day of creation week, especially since God said, “Let there be light” on the first day? Is this a contradiction?
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
