Without Form and Void

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And 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, KJV)

"In [the] beginning created [by the] Elohim were the heavens and the earth. And the earth became a chaos and vacant, and darkness was on [the] surface of [the] abyss. And the spirit of Elohim is vibrating over the surface of the water." (Genesis 1:1-2, A literal concordant translation based on the Hebrew Scripture)

The term "without form and void" is usually taken, particularly as rendered in the King James Version and other kindred versions, as meaning the initial state of creation in its early stage. It was like a carpenter who is going to build a big house, and has brought the woods, steels, nails, and other construction materials to the building site, yet the house is still "without form and void" at its initial stage. The carpenter has barely started the work and would still need days, or perhaps months, to put every thing to order, assemble, and build up according to plan. So, according to this view, "without form and void" refers to this commencing moment of God's creative work.

Is this view a proper understanding of the above verses according to God's word? Does the term rendered "without form and void" in the King James Version refer to creation in its initial stage, or does it point to something else?

Let's begin investigating these verses in the light of God's revelation.

THE LIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL SCRIPTURES

Before proceeding further, please be reminded that the Scriptures we are dealing with are not man-made fiction invented by man's wild imagination. The apostle Peter tells us: "For we [referring to himself and his associate apostles] have not followed cunningly devised fables [literally, myths], when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty....Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:16, 20, 21)

 Note that the apostolic testimonies are not based on cunningly devised myths. The word "myth" refers to any fictitious story that came through tradition, and has as its source the fertile imagination of mankind as bolstered by satanic deception. Along this line comes the Babylonian mythology of Marduk who slew Tiamat, and out of the latter's corpse sprang the universe! The Greek and Roman Mythologies also follow suit with their gods and goddesses and demigods.

 Christendom with its entire system - hatched by fusion of Pagan Mythology, Greek philosophy &amp during the Dark Ages; christened Judaism - was also an enhanced form of these mythologies. It was this great city of Christianized paganism, which reigns over the kings of the earth, that the apostle John speaks about when he wrote:

"...and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered in great admiration....And the woman which thou sawest is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth." (Revelation 17:3-6, 18)

Myths. Myths. Myths. All of these are webs of myths from Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.

But by contrast the apostle Peter is telling us: We have not followed cunningly devised myths, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What were the basis of the apostles' testimonies - for Peter junked myths as worthless - on what are they founded then? Well, their testimonies were based on actual, empirical, objective observations, for they were EYEWITNESSES of Christ's majesty (His Person) and of all the things the He taught and did (His works). Cf. Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-4; John 20:24-31; 1 John 1:1-4.

When some serious case is to be settled by a court of justice, does one summon people with cunningly devised fictional stories to tell, or EYEWITNESSES that actually heard and saw what actually happened? The answer is obvious, isn't it? You must realize then how momentously important that what we have in the Scripture records are not fabricated stories but EYEWITNESSES ACCOUNTS of what actually took place in history as they happened in our time-space universe!

The apostle of the nations, Paul, himself a former enemy of Christ's disciples, wrote of the Scriptures to Timothy in this manner: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16, 17)

The word translated "given by inspiration of God" literally means God-breathed or God-spirited in Greek. All Scripture is God-breathed (see 2 Timothy 3:16 in New International Version, English Standard Version, Young's Literal Translation, and Amplified Bible; or right click here to open another tab to view the Versions of this verse). Three basic truths are indicated in this verse.

First is the fact that ALL of the Scriptures - not only the thoughts but also the very words that convey the thoughts - were all recorded under God's direct supervision. This means that every word of every verse of every chapter of every book, in totality, came from God as His inspired record. Please understand that when the apostle Paul spoke of the all scripture in his letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 3:16) he was referring only to the original autographs of the Hebrew scriptures that God gave to His people Israel - for "unto them were committed the oracles of God" (Romans 3:1-2).

So called 'scriptures' that originated from Gentile nations are excluded. Such as the Vedas, Koran, the Book of Mormon, etc. These are counterfeit 'scriptures' that are not approved by the Lord Jesus Christ. "He (God)
shows His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 147:19-20)


Secondly, the word -breath- in the term God-breathed implies speech, because whenever we speak words, in normal vocal communication, we at the same time breathe out through our vocal chords - from our lungs to and through the throat, tongue and mouth - to produce verbal sounds. Paul's revelation that all Scripture is God-breathed is therefore equal to saying that all of its words are from the very mouth of God! They are God's very words!

But you may ask, how about the utterances of Satan and other wicked personalities such as Cain and others also found in the Bible? Are they also words of God?

Let us examine this point, in greater detail, as God's spirit gives us heavenly wisdom, for this is a question that must be settled once for all. The answer to the above question is both Yes and No.


No. Such statements as found in Genesis 3:1, 4-5; 4:9b, 13-14; Matthew 4:3, 5-6, 8-9 (and others like them spoken by Satan, Cain, Herod , etc.) are not words of God in the sense that they are not His direct utterances. These statements - with the lies, deceit and wickedness that they contain - came directly from the evil hearts of the persons that spoke them. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man" (Mark 7:21-23). "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not (literally, has not stood) in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of (literally, out of) his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)

Satan, Cain, Herod and others were therefore, each to his own, responsible and accountable to God for the words that they have spoken (see Matt.12:33-37; Jude 14-15).

But yes, there is a sense that even the wicked words of Satan and evil men that are recorded in the Scriptures are also inspired words of God. In what way?

To explain, let me first illustrate. We're sure that most of you are familiar with Mark Twain's story book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Now in that book authored by Mark Twain comes such characters as Tom Sawyer (the star of the story), Injun Joe (the wicked villain), Becky Thatcher (Tom's sweetheart), Huck Finn (Tom's friend), etc. All the characters were created by Mark Twain, including all the recorded utterances of the characters in the book.

Now let's ask - are the utterances of naughty boy Tom (later turned into a hero in the story) and of bad Injun Joe words of Mark Twain? Of course the answer is both yes and no. No, because in the world of Tom Sawyer (fictional though it is from our perspective), there is a sense that each character plays their own part and each speaks their own words, and also suffers the consequences...

But yes, there is a sense that all the characters' utterances - both the good and the bad - are Mark Twain's. This is because Mark Twain is the author of the book and all the characters in it were his creation. In the final analysis, ultimately, both the utterances of Tom and Injun Joe (and all the other characters) found their way in the book, because Mark Twain - the author - had decided to include those utterances (and also the actions of the characters) for them to have their contribution in the total impact that the author intended to effect in his readers' mind and heart.

Mark Twain is therefore in total control of the story - and every detail in it - from start to finish, and this includes not only who the characters would be and what would be their actions, but also the very words that each character would utter. Mark Twain - the author - has all the right to do what he wanted with his book, characters, and story. They were all his creation! He, as the author, is the sole predeterminer, arbiter, and disposer!

Now if that's true of a mortal, like Mark Twain, with respect to his book; how much more then with regards to the eternal God and His creations as He revealed them in the Book of books.

We therefore acknowledge with holy fear and humility, realizing our own lacks and failures, that the utterances of Satan, Cain, and all the sinful hordes were theirs, and they alone are accountable for them. And here we are dealing with something different from Tom Sawyer's fictional world, for what we have here were real persons that lived in a real world. The consequences of their speech and action will also be real according to their heart motives. The same is also true of us. We must therefore be careful in what we think and say. "But I say unto you," says Christ, "That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)

But yes, we glorify God by also acknowledging - in humble worship, adoration and holy awe - that even the wicked utterances of rebels and sinners - as He chose them to be recorded in the Scriptures of truth - are God's very words and testimonies! "To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue." (Proverbs 16:1, NIV)

"I am the LORD, and there is none else, and there is no God beside Me: I girded thee [spoken by God concerning Cyrus the pagan king of Persia], though thou hast not known Me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." (Isaiah 45:5-7)

Dualism is clearly wrong. There are no two gods - one of good and one of evil - that ceaselessly fight a cosmic chess battle that always end up in a boring stalemate. The God of good is also the God of evil, because He is the One maker of peace and Creator of evil. There is therefore only one, supreme, absolute God that controls all. He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3) "Who is [also] operating all in accord with the counsel of His will, that we should be for the laud of His glory" (1:11).

"O, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How inscrutable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways! For, who knew the mind of the Lord? or, who became His adviser? or, who gives to Him first, and it will be repaid him? seeing that out of Him and through Him and for Him is all: to Him be the glory for the eons! Amen!" (Romans 11:33-36)

THE ESSENTIAL IMPORTANCE OF WORD USAGE

Going back to our first question about the true meaning of the term translated "without form and void" in the King James Version. First it is necessary to emphasize the fact that the only safe and sure means to determine the exact meaning of any word or term in the Bible is to discover its usage in the Scripture itself by examining all its occurrence(s) in the original Hebrew and Greek.

What great damage is done when any words of the Bible were given definitions that were foreign to their actual meanings that could be discovered only by patiently examining the words' usage in their original occurrence(s) in the Scriptures. The actual sense of Bible terms, such as, for example, "soul," "spirit," "sheol/hades", "sin," "redemption," "forgiveness," "justification," "sanctification," "gehenna" (often translated "hell"), to name only a few, can't be exactly determined except by prayerful study of the terms themselves in all their occurrence(s) with careful consideration of every context in which they appear in the Scriptures.

The term translated "without form and void" is a good example of this usage principle. The actual words in Hebrew behind the term are tohu va-bohu. The term va is represented in the English translation by the conjunction "and," while tohu and bohu were rendered "without form" and "void," respectively.

Now each of these two has this number of occurrences: Tohu (19 times) and bohu (3 times). All the three appearances of bohu were all coupled with tohu. Note the two more occurrences of them together.

Isaiah 34:11. "But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion (tohu), and the stone of emptiness (bohu)."

Jeremiah 4:23. "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form (tohu), and void (bohu); and the heavens, and they had no light."

The reader must realized that these last two quoted verses used the same term - translated without form and void in Genesis 1:2. The three together are the only occurrences of the term tohu and bohu (without form and void) in the entire Hebrew Scriptures. It is a Bible principle that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." (Deut.19:15; 2 Cor.13:1)

These three passages from Moses (Gen.1:1), Isaiah (Is.34:11), and Jeremiah (Jer.4:23) provide the believers of God's word with a threefold cord that cannot be quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

Let's examine these passages carefully.

ISAIAH 34

A careful examination of the immediate contexts of Isaiah 34:11 and Jeremiah 4:23 will show that they both speak of divine judgment (Is.34:5; Jer.4:2).

 Isaiah 34 had to do with God's judgment on Idumea (vss.5, 6) and upon all nations (vss.1, 2). It speaks of destruction for the nations and their armies (vss.3, 4) and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea (vss.6, 7). These all take place "for it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences (repayments) for the controversy of Zion." (v.8)

It also speaks of the indignation of the LORD (v.2) and of His sword (vss.5, 6) that's instrumental for carrying out of the prophesied destruction. The Lord's sword often refers to wicked men or forces (Psalm17:13, 14) that He uses as His agents of judgment and chastisement.

Both the morally decent, figured by the lambs, goats, and rams, Isaiah 34:6 (all clean sacrificial animals); and the blatantly wicked, figured by the unicorns, bullocks with the bulls (v.7 cf. Psalm 22:12, 13, 16, 20, 21), all go to judgment and slaughter (vss.5-8).

"And the streams thereof (i.e. of Idumea) shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever (literally, for the eon): from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever (literally, for permanence)." (vss.9-10)

The land that will have been reduced to confusion and emptiness (tohu and bohu, chaos and vacancy) will then become the habitation of dragons, wild beasts, satyr, as well as by cormorant, bittern, owl, raven and vultures. These creatures are figures of satanic and demonic spirits in the Bible (cf. Matthew 13:4, 19, 31-32; Revelation 18:2).

In other words, Isaiah 34 speaks of God's judgment of the nations (in general) and of Idumea (in particular). The land of Idumea will be reduced to ruins to the point that its land will become burning pitch (v.9) and all its nobles and princes will nowhere to be found (v.12). Its people, figured by the sacrificial animals, will be destroyed, that it will indeed become tohu and bohu (chaos and vacant) to be occupied in turn by demonic forces and spirits!

The term "without form and void" clearly speaks of judgment and destruction, not of any formative creation.

JEREMIAH 4

The same could also be said of Jeremiah 4. The entire context speaks of Israel and the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (vss.1, 3, 4, 5). He speaks of Israel's abominations (v.1) and of the evil of Judah's doings (v.4). He also mentions Jerusalem's wickedness, vain thoughts (v.14), and rebellion against the Lord (v.17).

This is how the Lord summarizes His people's state: "For My people is foolish, they have not known Me; for they are sottish (stupid) children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge." (4:22)

It is after describing this very sad state of both Israel and Judah that the prophet Jeremiah proceeded with the following vision: "I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void (tohu and bohu); and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by His fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end." (4:23-27)

The destruction is clearly caused by the Lord's fierce anger (cf. verse 8) as He manifests His presence in divine judgment. Again, the term "without form and void" doesn't refer to the initial stages of creation as used here in Jeremiah chapter 4 but is a result of God's coming in judgment because of sin.

ISAIAH 45:18

Together with the clear testimony of Isaiah 34:11 and Jeremiah 4:23 as to the usage of the term "without form and void", and its bearing on the proper understanding of Genesis 1:2, we also have the clear declaration of God in Isaiah 45:18:

"For 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 (tohu), He formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else."

"For thus says Yahweh, Creator of the heavens; He is the Elohim, and Former of the earth, and its Maker, and He, He established it. He did not create it a chaos. He formed it to be indwelt. I am Yahweh, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:18, Concordant Version of the Old Testament)

Note that God, the Creator Himself, said that He created the earth NOT A TOHU, that is to say, NOT A CHAOS, NOT A DESOLATION, NOT A WASTE.

What a great error then to assume that the state of chaos and emptiness (tohu va-bohu) spoken of in Genesis 1:2 was a description of how God created the earth originally! In the face of God's own explanation, in Isaiah 45:18, that He didn't create the earth a tohu, that traditional assumption should have no place in the viewpoint of those who take God at His word in true faith.

No other conclusion then remains for believers in God's words. A total consideration of all the scriptural data lead us to the conclusion that God didn't create the earth a tohu, but it became thus, as revealed in Genesis 1:2, only as a result of divine judgment. No wonder then that Satan came on the scene in Genesis chapter 3 as a serpent that lured our first parents - Adam and Eve - to sin. A fact that points to nothing else but to a previous disruption as hinted in Genesis 1:2.

THE DEITY OF GOD

The title Elohim, as used throughout the introductory section of the Book of Genesis (1:1-2:3), refers to God as the supreme Subjector, Disposer, and Arbiter. As applied to God here in Genesis chapter 1, Elohim is plural in form for intensification, conveying the idea of One Who has all powers, all wisdom, all knowledge, all attributes and qualities that are necessary for Him to become Who He is.

Predominant of these essential attributes is the idea of absolute Deity. That is, that God is God. That in everything that He intends and does - His will is solitarily supreme.

"Worthy art Thou, O Lord, our Lord and God, To get glory and honor and power; For Thou dost create all, and because of Thy will they were, and are created." (Revelation 4:11, CV)

"For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places." (Psalm 135:5-6) "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth's sake. Why should the nations say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatever He hath pleased." (135:1-3)

God is "the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will, that we should be for the laud of His glory" (Ephesians 1:11, CV)

"Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world." (Acts 15:18)

What a life transforming experience to realize that God is God. That nothing in the universe that He has created happens by chance. Not a blade of grass moves apart from His direction. Not a sparrow falls on the ground apart from His intention (Matthew 10:29). And that the very hairs of our head are all numbered (10:30). In Him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). That it is He Who kills, and makes alive: He brings down to the grave, and brings up (1 Samuel 2:6). He makes poor, and makes rich: He brings low, and lifts up (2:7). GOD IS GOD.

Blessed indeed is the man who takes refuge in Him (Psalm 34:8). And what a tragic lost indeed (Luke 15:4, 6) for one to fail to know Him Whose very name is Life, Light, Truth, and Love!