Adam to Zion
Lesson 7
The Sixth Day or Epoch
"And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good."-Genesis 1:31
At last the earth was ready for man. As more and more carbon was used up, the air became pure enough for man to breathe. Vegetation became more normal. Animals changed. The heavy-boned monsters died and in their place came the animals we know today. Toward the close of the sixth creative day God created man.
And God said to the Logos, "Let us make man in our image" (Genesis 1:26). So man was made from the elements of the earth and given the breath of life-a wonderful, perfect being.
Because man was made in the "likeness" of God, he had the power to rule over the beasts of the field just as God has rulership over all of his creation. He was given the gift of speech and the ability to think and figure things out. He was given a conscience so he could know what was right and what was wrong. He could enjoy listening to music and could make music, too. Man was given a desire to worship and please the Creator. He was clever and kind, generous and inventive.
The prophet David said of himself that he was "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). The more we learn about the human body the more we realize what a true statement that was.
Adam and Eve were the only humans who were directly created and not born as babies like the rest of mankind.
As we begin our study of the history of man, we will also begin a study of the Chart of the Ages. It is a helpful way to learn and remember God's plan for mankind. We can use this chart all our lives in our study of the Bible. It will help us place scriptures exactly where they belong (Habakkuk 2:2; Ephesians 3:11 Diaglott).
We can look at the chart and say, "This is when Adam and Eve lived in the garden of Eden." "This is where Noah was saved from the great flood." "Here is where Jesus died." "There is the kingdom for which we pray." Putting the scriptures in the right place (or time period) is called "rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).
Man was created toward the close of the sixth day!
The history of man is illustrated in the Chart of the Ages!