sixth. The one day where the word is not recorded is the second, the day when "God

made the firmament" which He called "heaven". The question arises immediately as to

why the Lord did not say that this was good.

The reader will observe that while the first verse tells us of the creation of both the

heavens and the earth, verse 2 goes on to speak of only one section of that creation,

namely, the earth. It is the earth that becomes without form and void, and it is upon the

face of the waters that the Spirit of God moves. The heavens are not mentioned here.

We are not told that the heavens became involved in chaos, nor, if they were, that they

were brought through into light again. When we come to the second day we read that

God makes a firmament, and this firmament He "called heaven".  This means the

heavens that are now are not the heavens of Gen. 1: 1. There has come in a temporary

"heaven", which is to last only for the course of the ages. Its first name is "a firmament",

this name is descriptive of its nature, and in the A.V. margin is given "Heb. expansion".

The Hebrew word is rakia, and comes from raka--"To stretch forth". Job 37: 18

uses this word, "Hast thou with Him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten

looking glass?" Exodus 39: 3 keeps close to the meaning of the word in the passage

from Job, "And they did beat the gold into thin plates." So again in Isa. 40: 19, "the

goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold." Rakia occurs 17 times in the O.T., being always

rendered "firmament". Gen. 1: contains nine of these occurrences.

Let us endeavour to find out all that is written concerning this firmament, the heavens

of the present, which were not seen to be "good" in the eyes of the Creator. Gen. 1: 6

makes the primary purpose of the firmament plain. (1) It was to be "in the midst of the

waters", and (2) it was to "divide the waters from the waters". Verse 7 shows that this

purpose was put into operation, "and God made the firmament, and divided the waters

which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it

was so." "It was so." When we look out over the "expanse" (rakia) away to the blue

sky, however far the extent of that expanse may be, we know that above it are waters, and

that it was made to divide the waters. Further, verse 8 tells us that God called the

firmament heaven. It appears, therefore, that while the creation of the six days is in view,

"the heavens" always refer to this firmament. The next reference to the firmament, by

the use of the "Genitive of Apposition", draws our attention to this "the firmament of the

heavens" of verse 14, meaning the firmament which is the heavens. In this firmament

God placed two great lights, for signs and for seasons, and for days, and years, to give

light upon the earth. Verse 20 concludes the references to the firmament by telling of the

fowls that fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

The next time we meet the word the limitation of the term is prominent. "The heavens

declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork" (Psa. 19: 1). The

sun, placed in the firmament according to Gen. 1:, is here seen running his appointed

course "from the end of the heavens, and his circuit unto the ends of it" (verse 6). Psa. 150:

Calls for praise to God (1) in His sanctuary and (2) in the firmament of His power.

Ezekiel and Daniel alone of the Prophets refer to the firmament. A careful study of

Ezek. 1: 22-26, a highly complex passage, will, we believe, reveal that the firmament of