The World Lost Before Adam
Most of us believe that the Bible begins with a simple narrative – that God created the world, formed man and placed him in Eden and everything proceeded from there. However, if we look closely, right after Genesis 1:1, something strange happens.
The Bible text says that God created the heavens and the earth and then it states that the earth was formless and empty. Does this seem natural? Why would a divine creation begin like this with disorder and darkness? Was the earth in that state from the very beginning or did something occur between one verse and the next? There is a silence between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 which the Bible does not explain, and which may hide the greatest of all mysteries.
The phrase, the earth was formless and empty may seem simple, but it carries a much deeper meaning in the original Hebrew. The words used there are ‘tohu vav bohu’ which indicates something chaotic and desolate. In other words, we are not talking about raw matter being shaped but about something that had already been ruined. The idea that God would create something in a state of chaos seems to defy the logic of divine perfection. This has led many readers to conclude that this was not the beginning of creation but was the result of previous destruction. Something happened that left the Earth unrecognizable – this is often called “the Gap Theory” – a period not described in the scriptures but suggested by them.
Thus, in this interval before Adam and Eve, the planet already existed – perhaps inhabited by spiritual beings or some other type of life. What occurred might have been some form of rebellion or a judgment or a cosmic event of great magnitude and this creation was devastating. In this context, the creation described in the Bible would be a new phase and not the absolute beginning of everything.
The Bible itself gives us hints that something grand occurred before the creation of man. In Job 38 God questions Job saying where wast thou when I laid the foundations for the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner stone thereof? When the morning stars sang together, all the sons of God shouted for joy? This suggests that a heavenly order already existed accompanying the formation of the physical world. The sons of God mentioned in Job are often interpreted as angels or celestial beings.
What were they doing there at that time and what was their purpose? To try to understand this we must consider what the Bible says about the fall of Lucifer. In Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 we find descriptions of exalted celestial beings full of wisdom and splendor who rebelled against God out of pride. Lucifer is called the Morning Star and he proclaims that he will ascend to heaven and I will raise his throne above the stars of God and he will be like the most high. This rebellion is treated as something that happened in a time before the creation of man. This reinforces the idea that there was an active spiritual reality before Eden and that this rebellion had profound consequences on the cosmos including the Earth. This indicates that there is much more happening behind the scenes that we know. God was actually putting order into what had been corrupted.
This idea seems consistent with the nature of God to redeem and transform what has been damaged. It is interesting to note that the sun, moon and stars are only mentioned on the fourth day. So, what was that light in verse 3? Many think it was the light of the divine presence over this destroyed world indicating that God was working on its rebirth.
There is evidence outside the Bible that seems to support this theory also. For example, in archaeology there are megalithic structures and fossils of creatures that do not fit the post Adamic narrative which speak to a pre-human era unknown and mysterious. This world was judged. This idea tends to clarify why the enemy was fully active right in the first chapters of Genesis. In Genesis 3 we see the serpent deceiving Eve in the garden. But, where did it come from? Why is it already there operating with such cunning? In actuality the serpent was already an ancient enemy, experienced and its plan was already underway long before humanity existed.
It is also noteworthy that, in Genesis 1:2 the term ‘darkness’ is translated in Hebrew is choshech which does not just mean the absence of light but deep, dense spiritual darkness and a separation from the glory of God. The land was spiritually contaminated. However, throughout scriptures it might be said that God always acts in a restorative manner – when Israel fell, He sends prophets – when the temple is destroyed He announces its rebuilding – when humanity strays He offers redemption. This implies that God’s nature is to restore where there has been ruin. Genesis 1:3 can be read from this perspective where God said “Let there be light” as a decree of restoration. This is the announcement of the divine plan coming into action following a primordial fall.
Here is the most intriguing part of it. If there was a previous creation, who was part of it? Who inhabited the earth before man? Some suggest that they were just spiritual beings, but others think there was a pre-Adamic race perhaps linked to the sons of God mentioned in other passages. Some believe that the famous giants of Genesis 6:4 called the Nephilim are descendants of beings from that earlier era. The conclusion I come to is that there are more mysteries in the heavens and on earth than our theologians ever admit (we don’t know much). I myself have always wondered about the meaning of Genesis 1:28 where God tells people to ‘replenish’ the earth which strongly suggests that it was previously inhabited. I have also wondered about the asteroid belt that exists between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. This is estimated to contain between 1.1 and 1.9 million asteroids and broken rock more than on kilometre in diameter. This speaks loudly of chaos and destruction from an earlier time.
God’s plan is greater than we can comprehend! But we know that evil does not disappear with the creation of man, but it manifests again in the garden through the serpent. This shows that the enemy was not eliminated in the previous judgment but now has a limited influence. Thus, Genesis is a story of spiritual redemption. We are here in a place that was once corrupted, and we have a redemptive purpose which explains the intense spiritual opposition we have faced since Eden.
Adam and Eve were created to reign over an earth that had already been a stage for rebellion and that unsettles those who once had dominion. In this context there is something even deeper. When God created man, He did not simply form him from dust, He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. This act set man apart from any being created before. Man came to carry within him something directly connected to the creator. This had never happened before, not even with celestial beings. That breath represented an intimate and unique connection with God. How incredibly special are we?
We have a divine identity. God knew the potential for a fall and yet decided to create man with free will because love is not imposed – it is offered and by giving man the power to choose, thus, to overcome the fall with love and obedience.
There is so much mystery related to the period between Genesis 1 and 2. Proverbs 25:2 says, “ It is the glory of God to conceal a thing but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” Thus, there is houour in seeking truth. We should take heart that we have an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit who guides us to all truth.
It is clear from the above that, when God decides to act, nothing remains the same. This world will be corrected. There is no doubt.
