How many billion years went by while the atoms and molecules which became our solar system were being cooked in the first hydrogen stars? And at last there was a planet God refers to directly, and this planet must have been shrouded in miles-thick cloud cover since the surface was covered with water and darkness was upon the face of the deep, literally the surface of the waters!
During the time our solar system atoms were being cooked and distributed, who can say what other hallmarks of God's creative process were brought into existence? Could angels and the realm of angels have been created during the inflationary period, when time and space were stretched in ways we have yet to imagine since the universe expnaded at greater than the speed of light, from our perspective?
Meant to ping you two ...
That's my impression also.
Just as when Paul (in Rom 5:12) said...
[A]s by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned...he (Paul) was speaking of the Earth, not the universe.
ALL CREATION
means. Perhaps some Greek scholars will chime in.
Of course, it means, all that is seen and unseen, to me.
I don't think God uses a daffynitionary.
21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
21That nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God's children.
22We know that the whole creation [of irrational creatures] has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now.(A)
23And not only the creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit [a foretaste of the blissful things to come] groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies [from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal] our adoption (our manifestation as God's sons).
18-21That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.
22-25All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.
18-21That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.
22-25All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.
21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children,[a] including the new bodies he has promised us.
21that also the creation itself shall be set free from the servitude of the corruption to the liberty of the glory of the children of God;
22for we have known that all the creation doth groan together, and doth travail in pain together till now.
23And not only [so], but also we ourselves, having the first-fruit of the Spirit, we also ourselves in ourselves do groan, adoption expecting -- the redemption of our body;
21that the creature itself also shall be set free from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
22For we know that the whole creation groans together and travails in pain together until now.
23And not only [that], but even *we* ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, we also ourselves groan in ourselves, awaiting adoption, [that is] the redemption of our body
DOES ALL CREATION that we have any information on and perception of suffer death and decay? Doesn't Scripture teach that death came by sin?