With these words of Genesis the first movement toward the goal of the

ages is recorded.  That it indicates a regenerative, redemptive movement, is

made clear by the allegorical use that Paul makes of it when writing to the

`For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined

in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God

in the face of Jesus Christ'  (2 Cor. 4:6).

When we come to consider the place that Israel occupies in the

outworking of the purpose of the ages, we shall find that there will be

repeated in their case these allegorical fulfilments of Genesis 1:2,3.

`And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast

over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations' (Isa.

The `veil' plays a big part in the imagery of 2 Corinthians 3 and 4.

Like the rising of light in Genesis 1:3, Israel's light shall dispel the

gross darkness that has engulfed the nations (Isa. 60:1,2), and both in this

passage, in 2 Corinthians 4:6 and from such prophetic passages as Isaiah

11:9, `the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters

cover the sea', we perceive that `light' symbolizes `knowledge' and prepares

us to find in the midst of the garden not only the tree of life, but the tree

of the knowledge of good and evil.  These matters, however, are anticipatory

of future studies, and the parallel of Israel with the six days creation will

be better seen when we reach the Scriptures that speak of their call and

destiny.  At present we must confine ourselves to the consideration of the

fact that here, in the calling into existence of the creation of the six

days, we meet the first of a series of `fulnesses' that carry the purpose of

the ages on to their glorious goal.

When we traverse the gap formed by the entry of sin and death, and

reach the other extreme of this present creation, we find that instead of

natural light as in Genesis 1:3, `The Lamb is the light thereof', `The Lord

God giveth them light', and we read further that the city `had no need of the

sun neither of the moon'.  Instead of the stars which are spoken of in

Genesis 1:16, we have the Lord holding `the seven stars in His right hand',

and He Himself set forth as `the bright and morning star'.  These are

indications that `the former things' are about to pass away.  Perhaps the

most suggestive item in the six days' creation, apart from man who was made

in the Image of God, is the provision of the `Firmaments'.

`And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and

let it divide the waters from the waters ... and God called the

firmament Heaven' (Gen. 1:6 -8).

The first fact that emerges from this passage, whatever for the moment

the word `firmament' may prove to mean, is that this firmament which was

`called' heaven must be distinguished from that which was created `in the

beginning'.  Here is something peculiar to the present temporary creation,

and as we shall discover, destined to pass away at the time of the end.

The margin of the A.V. draws attention to the fact that the Hebrew word

raqia translated `firmament' means, literally, an `expansion', and so

indicates the Scriptural anticipation by many thousand years, of the modern

scientists' `expanding universe'.  Raqah the verb is used by Jeremiah to