Genesis and the Waters Above

Genesis 1:6-8 has caused controversy for a mighty long time, and God is under no obligation to give us a full explanation for everything he says. We try to figure out things with science and theology. Sometimes we are successful, and other times debates continue.

Let me say again that models and hypotheses come and go, but biblical creationists hold to the Word of God above all else — as it should be. People often have to delve into the original languages and the contexts of biblical passages. Some sections are very difficult to translate correctly, such as in this subject.

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Creation scientists, like secular scientists, debate models and such. F'rinstance, the water vapor canopy over the earth was popular for a few years but was mostly abandoned because of both scientific and theological considerations. It doesn't help that some people believe that Genesis teaches Earth has a solid dome overhead, an idea that has been refuted. (I posted the link to the left that dispenses with the solid dome idea, and an atheopath said that yes, we do believe it. He refused to even look at the material while telling us what we believe.) It doesn't help matters that some Bible translations use firmament, vault, expanse, and even dome in Genesis 1:6.

There are people who present a cosmic shell model of the waters above — are they beyond the furthest galaxies? Keaton Halley points out some flaws in biblical exegesis and consistency in the models of a few big-name creationists. It is hoped that they will consider and learn from his critique. This child won't be offended if y'all decide to skip the following article, but it is rather interesting.

Many creationists believe that the waters God placed “above the expanse” on the second day of Creation Week depict waters surrounding the entire universe. But this ‘cosmic shell’ view faces several exegetical difficulties. Three problems are outlined, leading to a recommendation that the cosmic shell view be reconsidered.

Among Bible interpreters, there is a notable lack of consensus regarding the identity of “the waters that were above the expanse”, which God separated from “the waters that were under the expanse” on Day 2 of Creation Week (Genesis 1:7). In the Genesis account, the waters below are later given the name “Seas” (Genesis 1:10), but God does not name the waters above. To what do they refer? Many views have been offered, but most Bible readers subscribe to one of four positions which can be summarized using the following shorthand names: (1) a pre-Flood canopy, (2) a vaulted sea, (3) clouds, and (4) a cosmic shell.

To keep going, see "The ‘waters above’ do not surround all galaxies: a critique of the ‘cosmic shell’ interpretation of Genesis 1:6–8."