And the Evening and the Morning Were the Second Day

Division of the Firmament and Water

Artist: Stanley Galli

And the Gods also said: Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and it shall divide the waters from the waters.

 

And the Gods ordered the expanse, so that it divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so, even as they ordered.

 

And the Gods called the expanse, Heaven. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning that they called night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that they called day; and] this was the second time that they called night and day. (Abraham 4:6-8)

The word firmament is translated to mean the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected or The celestial regions as seen from the earth. [1]  It is the part of heaven in which heavenly and earthly worlds connect. 

As I read this, I thought of a class I taught about the atmosphere of the Earth.  I used this picture to illustrate the layers within the Earth's atmosphere.  I like this particular representation because the little icons within the picture show what types of activities can go on in each representative layers.  I will not even attempt to identify which specific layer (i.e., the ozone) that divides earthly water from heavenly water.  It would be naïve to even attempt it.  I would just like to point out that the famous Northern Lights that can be seen in the most northern countries of the world actually emanate from the thermosphere.  To me, that means God's outreach services can come to us at His will and time from anywhere in the Universe.

The great prophet, Moses, who was a descendant of Abraham, wrote this about the second day of creation: 

And again, I, God, said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and it was so, even as I spake; and I said: Let it divide the waters from the waters; and it was done;

 

And I, God, made the firmament and divided the waters, yea, the great waters under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so even as I spake.

 

And I, God, called the firmament Heaven; and the evening and the morning were the second day. (Moses 2:6-8)

 

The above picture is someone's conception of the division of the waters.  I suspect it is pure conjecture on the part of the artist who drew it.  These verses, along with the account in Genesis 1:6-8, illustrate the orderly fashion by which the Gods worked to create heaven and earth.  I like Moses' version in the Pearl of Great Price in particular, because it underlies that fact that God spoke and the elements obeyed Him.  Like the concept of pronoia, I like to remember when things seem chaotic without order, that the God of order is in charge.

 

[1] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/firmament

 

 © Gebara Education, 2016