"O thou Eternal One, our Lord, what majesty is thine o'er all the world! High in heaven thou hast set thy splendour."-Psalm 8:1, 2 (Moffatt Translation)

The Bible story of creation was written 3,500 years ago in the Hebrew language (Hebrews were also called Israelites or Jews). Our English Bible (King James) was printed in the year 1611. The scholars who translated the Hebrew words into English tried to help the readers understand what was meant by the writers, but sometimes they made mistakes.

For instance: the English translators wrote in Genesis 1:16: "And God made two great lights … he made the stars also." The Hebrew word translated "made" does not mean "to create," but one of its meanings is "to appoint" or "cause to shine."

We can now understand that the work of God on Day Four was causing the sun, moon, and stars to shine upon the earth. They had been in the heavens long before that, but their light could not get through the heavy fog and the carbon-laden air. But another ring of water and minerals had broken and fallen to the earth so that the earth's atmosphere was clearer than ever before. Now the sunlight, moonlight, and the light of the stars could break through.

The rays of the sun and the moon began to prepare the earth for higher forms of plant and animal life. God was now going to use these great lights to rule (have an influence upon) the earth. The sun would some day mark time for man and beast. It would also begin to oxygenate the air to prepare it for breathing animals. The moon would influence the tides and be ready to mark time in the night for man. Long before there were calendars people regulated their ceremonies and seasons by the moon (Psalm 104:19).

The increased influence of the sun and moon brought many advances. Plant life progressed and many more varieties came into being. There were also insects, snails, crabs, fish, etc., abounding. The creative days show the wonderful design and planning of our great God of the universe!

The sun, moon, and stars, created earlier, finally shone upon the earth!

The sun not only marks time, but prepares the air for animals to breathe!

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