Additional note on Chapter 1

The opening verse of Gen. 1 has been the subject of much discussion in theological circles throughout the Christian Era. Some have held that the verse refers to a creation of this physical world and all life upon it at a moment of time long before the seven days of creation week.

This view is known as the ruin and restoration theory. It has been held for centuries by speculative theologians who have read into the Hebrew expression tohu wabohu, “without form, and void” (v. 2), the idea that a time interval—one of great duration, in fact—separates v. 1 from v. 2. Tohu wabohu has been made to read, “the earth was caused to be without form and void.” Upon this reading of the text they rest the view that the world was created perfect at some moment in the remote past (v. 1), but that an appalling cataclysm obliterated every trace of life upon it and reduced its surface to a state that might be described as “without form, and void.” Many who hold to this view believe that there were repeated creations, each followed by a worldwide cataclysm. Finally, after untold aeons, God proceeded once more to bring order out of the chaos and to fill the earth with life, as recorded in vs. 2–31.

More than a century ago various Protestant divines took strong hold of this view, thinking they found in it a means of harmonizing the Mosaic account of creation with the idea then being advanced by certain scientific men, that the earth had passed through long ages of geological change. This view is popular among certain Fundamentalists. According to the view, the stratified layers of rock that compose much of the earth’s surface were deposited during the course of the supposed cataclysms, and the fossils buried in them are presumed to be the remains of life that existed on this earth prior to that time.

Others find in the theory an argument to support the idea that when God did His creative work recorded in vs. 2–31, He was indebted to pre-existing matter. Thus they would limit His power by minimizing, if not denying, the fact that He brought matter into existence, and “that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb. 11:3). Various aspects of the theory have been reflected in a number of modern Bible translations.

The “restitution” view must be rejected in its entirety because: (1) The Hebrew words tohu wabohu do not carry the idea of being laid waste, but describe rather an unorganized and lifeless state of matter. The interpretation given to these words is therefore wholly unwarranted. (2) The Scriptures plainly teach that God’s work of creation was “finished from the foundation of the world” (Heb. 4:3). (3) The view implies the blasphemous doctrine that God’s previous attempts at creation, very particularly of man, were imperfect and unsuccessful, because of the operation of forces over which He had only limited control. (4) Followed through to its logical conclusion, the view really denies the inspiration and authority of the Scriptures as a whole, by limiting the Creator to the use of pre-existing matter in the work of creation week and subjecting Him to the laws of nature. (5) The idea of successive creations and catastrophes prior to the events of creation week has in its support not one shred of valid evidence, either from science or from the Inspired Word. It is unadulterated speculation. (6) Incidentally, it might be added that the origin and development of this view are tainted with the pagan philosophical speculations of various heretical sects and tinctured with the rationalistic concepts of naturalism and evolution.

Ellen G. White comments

1-25PP 45-51

1 DA 769

1-3GC 455; PK 180; PP 47, 336; 9T 212

2 GC 453; ML 140

2, 3 EW 217; GC 52; MM 215; PP 111; SR 145; 8T 197

3 DA 281; MB 99; 4T 147, 247

4 PP 112

6 PP 96; SR 66

7 MH 415; PP 56; 2T 300; 8T 264

8 AH 27; ML 136; PP 46; SR 58; 3T 77, 153

8, 9 Ed 20

8-17MYP 364

9 AH 27; Ed 23; PP 47, 48, 84; 6T 368; 8T 288

15 AH 27; CD 396; CT 147; Ed 21; FE 314, 327, 419, 512; LS 355;MH 261; ML 112; PP 47, 50; SR 24; 1T 568; 3T 77, 153; 4T 410

16 3T 50

16, 17 CH 108; Ed 23; 3T 72; 4T 11

17 CS 65; CT 12; EW 125, 147; GC 532; MH 449; PP 48, 53, 60; SR 24; 2T 561; 5T 365; 6T 386

18 AH 25; PP 56

18-20PP 46

19, 20 PP 51

21-23PP 56

22 AH 99; 3T 484

23 MB 99

23-25COL 310; FE 141

24 AH 25, 341; MB 99; PP 46

25 PP 445; SR 38