GOD’S PLAN WAS FOR MAN TO INHABIT EARTH
...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 (Gen. 1:1-2).
In Gen. 1, we gained a glimpse of how strong God’s plan is for each individual’s life. Even though judgment had come upon the Earth after the Pre-Adamic world, when Satan and a third of his angels inhabited the Earth. (The Pre-Adamic Age belief states that between Gen. 1:1 and Gen. 1:2 a gap of time of untold years existed when Lucifer ruled the Earth, rebelled against God and because of his rebellion, God judged the Earth.) God, however, did not leave the Earth as a desolate place. He started all over again with His plan for the Earth to be a habitation for man. God is stronger than the devil. What Satan meant for evil, God turned it around for our good! God’s not a quitter!
AN INTERESTING REFLECTION
If the Pre-Adamic Age belief is correct, can you imagine what it must have been like for Satan and his fallen angels, who had been cast down to Earth and denied total access to the third Heaven, to suddenly have their space invaded by the most powerful light of God? They had been living in total darkness with great coldness for eons of time and then, all of a sudden, God’s light pierced through the darkness. How shocked and tormented they must have been when they learned that God had not given up on His plan for Earth and for man. What God had begun, He was going to finish.
How long was it, after Satan had fallen, that God sent judgment to the Earth? How long were Satan and his angels allowed to stay in their fallen state upon the Earth before God sent judgment? How long was the Earth in the condition of judgment as recorded in Gen. 1:2? The answer to those questions is that we simply do not know. What we do know, is that after Satan and his fallen angels were cast out of the third Heaven, judgment came and time passed. We also know that God sent forth His light which penetrated the darkness upon the Earth and all the Earth's surroundings.
The devil may have had full knowledge of God’s plan for man. After all, Satan was in the first Garden of Eden in his perfected state, before he rebelled and was cast out of Heaven, before God renewed the Earth (Eze. 28:12-15). Did he know that God had planned on placing man in that garden? Most likely, yes. Eventually God reconstructed the garden and it became the abode of His first man. Perhaps Satan thought he had thwarted the plan of God for man. Imagine the reaction of Satan and his fallen angels as they watched the light of God shine upon all things once again.
After ages had passed God’s light shone forth. Satan, no doubt, was greatly surprised when he realized God had not given up His plan for Earth, that is, it would be inhabited by man. Light came forth and the Holy Spirit came and moved upon the waters! The plan was still in affect for the Earth and all mankind, and that includes you! If you’ve messed up, don’t lose hope, for God’s plan for you is still in affect. He will do it again! He will start His plan for your life all over again. Be of good cheer, God's not finished with you.
Excerpt from Christ Exalted Seminary, Course 101-Genesis
www.ChristExaltedSeminary.org
Love these articles Carol!!!!