building, creation, creature, ordinance
Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:
(make, made). To produce out of nothing by Almighty fiat (Gen. 1-2). The universe.
“Creation” From Concise Bible Dictionary:
This word is principally applied to the act of bringing things into existence that did not exist before. This is expressed in Hebrews 11:33Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3): “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” It is also applied to making new things out of material already in existence, thus, though man was “made” of the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:77And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)), he is also said to have been created, the same Hebrew word, bara, being used in Genesis 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) for the creation of the world, that is used in Genesis 5:1-21This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; 2Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. (Genesis 5:1‑2), for the creation of man. The passage in Hebrews 11 is important, because as men have no idea how anything can be brought into existence from nothing, they have talked of “the eternity of matter”; the passage says it is “by faith we understand” that the worlds were made by the word of God, so that seen things were not made of what is apparent.
The discoveries made by geologists of the various strata of the earth, the fossils found therein, together with the time that would necessarily be required for the formation of those strata, raised a cry that scripture must be incorrect in saying all was done in seven days. This led Christians to compare these works of God in creation with His words in scripture; and the principal question resolved itself into this: where in scripture could be found the many thousands of years which were apparently needed under ordinary circumstances for the formation of the strata? Putting aside the theories of the geologists, the facts are undeniable. There are the various beds of different substances in layers, which any one can see for themselves.
There are two ways in which Christians who have studied the subject hold that all difficulties are overcome. 1. That a long gap, of as many thousands of years as were necessary for the formation of the earth’s crust, may be placed between verses 1 and 2 of Genesis 1. That Genesis 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) refers to the original creation of the heaven and earth out of nothing; that the different beds were formed with the varying objects that are found therein as fossils, occupying a very long period. Then in Genesis 1:22And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2) another condition is found: the earth by some means had become without form and void. It was then ordered in view of the creation of man; and the various things were arranged and formed in the six days as detailed in Genesis 1, as they are now found in and on the earth.
The principal objection to this is, that though there had been upheavals, depressions, earthquakes, sudden deaths, as evidenced by the contortions of fishes, in some of the early strata, there is no appearance after the various beds had been formed of what would answer to Genesis 1:22And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2), which says “the earth was without form and void.”
2. The other theory is that Genesis 1:1-21In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1‑2) refer to the formation of the earth as matter, or that verse 1 refers to the creation of the earth, and that verse 2 refers to its being disordered by some means, as in the above theory, but that the various beds were formed with the fossils found therein during the six days recorded in Genesis 1; and that the days were of any needed indefinite length. It has been shown that the first things named as on the earth were grass and herbs, and these are always found in the lowest beds; and the other things created are found exactly in the same order upwards from the lowest, until man appears. These, in short, form three divisions: plants in the lowest beds; reptiles in the middle; mammals in the highest, with man the most recent. It is also asserted that no break has been discovered, as would be the case if after the beds had been formed destruction had come in, and an entirely new work of creation had begun again in what is recorded in Genesis 1. Many of the existing species are contemporaneous with those that we know have ceased to exist. It is maintained that the term “day” is often used for indefinite periods of time in scripture, and therefore may be so in Genesis 1; that they refer to God’s days, and not to natural days, seeing that “the evening and the morning” are spoken of before the sun, which naturally causes the evening and morning. Also that it is not consistent to hold that God’s rest on the seventh day only alluded to 24 hours. It is true that the introduction of sin marred God’s rest; but this is not there contemplated.
To this theory it is objected that the words “the evening and the morning” are too definite a description of the meaning of the word “day” to allow the idea of indefinite periods. It is also held that Isaiah 45:1818For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:18) (translating the passage “He created it not without form, he formed it to be inhabited “) proves that God did not create the world in the first instance “without form and void.” The word “created” here is the same as in Genesis 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1); and the words “in vain” in the A. V. are the same as “without form” in Genesis 1:22And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2). As to the correspondence in the order of created things it may be admitted that if the long periods come in between Genesis 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) and 2, the after order in the six days’ creation is exactly the same—God working, in the same order on the large scale (ages), and on the smaller (six days’ work).
Either of these theories sufficiently meets the supposed difficulty, and shows that God in His works does not clash with God in His word, though His word was never intended to teach science.
In the creation we read that of every living thing each was made “after his kind”; man was entirely separated from all others by God forming him in His own image and likeness, and breathing into his nostrils the breath of life, thus leaving no room for the modern theory of evolution. God, who knew perfectly everything which He had created, declared it to be as it left His hands very good; and the more His works are examined the more perfection is discovered in every minute detail both as to plan and purpose, suiting everything for the place which each and every one is intended to fill. Sin has come in and spoiled God’s fair creation, but man, who has been the occasion of it, dares to ignore God, or to blame Him for the pains and penalties attached to fallen humanity. Man everywhere endorses Adam’s sin by his own individual sins.
“Living Creatures” From Concise Bible Dictionary:
These in Ezekiel point symbolically to the attributes of God in connection with His throne, and His acting upon earth in His judicial government and providence. There were wheels on earth, and there was a wheel within a wheel. These wheels acted in concert with the living creatures; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. The faces of these living creatures correspond with the faces of the “four beasts” (which should be translated “living creatures,” the word being ζῶον, and not θηρίον, which occurs for the “beasts” of Ezekiel 13) in Revelation 4, etc. Each living creature had four faces: the first was the face of a man, which speaks of “intelligence”; the second the face of a lion, which symbolizes “strength”; the third the face of an ox, representing “patient endurance”; and the fourth the face of an eagle, which implies “swiftness of execution.” All show perfect organization for carrying out the government of God according to His righteous judgment (Ezek. 1:5-255Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. 6And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. 7And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. 8And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. 9Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. 10As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. 11Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. 12And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. 13As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. 15Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 16The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 18As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. 19And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 21When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 22And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. 23And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. 24And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. 25And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings. (Ezekiel 1:5‑25); Ezek. 3:1313I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing. (Ezekiel 3:13); Ezek. 10:15-2215And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar. 16And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them. 17When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also: for the spirit of the living creature was in them. 18Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. 19And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. 20This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims. 21Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings; and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings. 22And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves: they went every one straight forward. (Ezekiel 10:15‑22)). See CHERUBIM.
Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:
Meaning:
from 2936; original formation (properly, the act; by implication, the thing, literally or figuratively)
KJV Usage:
building, creation, creature, ordinance