Lecture 33 (Second day of the Creation)
Bible passage: Genesis 1:6-8
“[6] Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." [7] God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. [8] God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. ”
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
This is the 33rd Lecture on Genesis. On the second day of the Creation, God created an expanse between waters. Due to this creation, many new things took place both in the fleshly world and in the spiritual world. In the fleshly (physical) world, the atmosphere was created. In the Second Heaven, which belongs to the spiritual realm, both the domain of light and the domain of darkness were created. In the fleshly world, the waters below the expanse became ocean on the third day of the Creation, and the waters above the expanse remained as water vapors in the atmosphere. On the 4th day of creation as the sun and the moon were created, circulations began in the waters.
The waters of the seas evaporated to become water vapor that formed clouds, and these clouds travelled with the wind that blew and brought rain around the globe. Thanks to these circulations of the waters, all the creatures can be provided with water that sustains their lives. God gives waters not only in the form of rain but also in the forms of snow or dew. All these forms of precipitation from the sky actually symbolize the "blessings of God." For the benefit of all the creatures including human beings, God the Father provides water in various forms.
And thus, Deuteronomy 11:14 says, "... He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil." Psalm 65:10 also says, "[LORD God] You water its furrows abundantly, You settle its ridges, You soften it with showers, You bless its growth." When God created this earth, all the things of the earth circulated according to Justice. As human beings destroyed the natural environment for their own benefit, the (natural) order in nature gradually began to crumble. As a result, the rain and snows became not only means of God's blessing, but they also became the means of calamity. Originally, it rained and snowed equally in a well balanced manner according to the natural order God created. As human beings destroyed this order of nature, however, imbalance occurred. Some places had too much rain or snow, but there were other places where rain or snow was rare. Heavy rainfall, heavy snowfall, droughts, and floods; such things began to take place as natural disasters. By the way, no matter how appallingly man destroys the order of nature, God keeps hold of the fundamental justice of this earth so that it will not sway. For example, there was a report that the axis of rotation had changed little bit due to the last earthquake in Chile. However, it was very minute.
No matter how terrible the natural disasters become, during the period of human cultivation, God takes hold of the earth so that it can last. Moreover, as the natural disasters become worse and worse, chances are increasing that the power of God will be needed even more. Just as Jesus ruled over the winds and waves, the fiery power of the Holy Spirit can also control earthquakes, floods, and even volcanic eruptions. Through these works, God the Father will be greatly glorified, as He will concludes human cultivation. Dear brothers and sisters. I said that, on the second day of the Creation, two domains were created in the Second Heaven of the spiritual realm. The two domains of the second heaven refer to the domain of light and the domain of darkness. There is a Bible verse that reveals that the Garden of Eden in the domain of light and the domain of darkness touch each other.
The fact that they touch each other means that, with the boundary line in the center, one part is the domain of darkness and the other part is the Garden of Eden in the domain of the light. And thus, God caused the boundary line between then to be guarded. Genesis 3:24 says, "So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life." "Guarding the way" shows that there are beings that could make their way into the Garden. The Bible clearly says that God caused the east of the Garden of Eden to be guarded. In greater detail, God made the way to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden to be guarded. This indicates that there was someone that may have sought after the tree of life. In Genesis 3:22, God says, "and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever." In this verse, "he" refers to Adam who committed sin.
Adam committed the sin of disobeying the order of God. According to the law of spiritual realm, that dictates "the wages of sin is death," he couldn't live an eternal life any longer. However, if he ate the fruit from the tree of life, he could live eternally. Since Adam lived in the Garden for a long period of time, he knew this fact, and he might have tried to eat the fruit. That's why God drove Adam out from the Garden of Eden to this earth. After He drove Adam out of the Garden, God placed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. This is to prevent the evil spirits from eating the fruit of the tree of life. In addition to the Garden of Eden, there are also evil spirits in the Second Heaven. It was possible that the evil spirits could have invaded the Garden of Eden where Adam remained no longer.
For this reason, God placed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. From these facts, we can find that both the domain of light and the domain of darkness in the Second Heaven touch each other. When God created the expanse on the 2nd day of the Creation, the Garden of Eden was created in the domain of light and the dwelling places for the evil spirits was created in the domain of darkness. There was another space created in addition to these places in the Second Heaven. There is a special area which acts like a buffer zone or a neutral area for the 1st Heaven which is the fleshly (physical) space, and the spiritual realm. This special area was created on the second day of Creation.
The time flow stops in this special area; there is no movement at all. This is why the spiritual beings can come to the fleshly world instantly through this space. Please be aware that a special place like this also exists in the "expanse." It follows then that there are three spiritual spaces that God created in the expanse on the second day of the Creation. They are the domain of light, the domain of darkness, and this neutral area where the time flow stops. Now, Genesis 1:6 says, "Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."" There is a spiritual reason that God created the expanse in the midst of the waters. "Water" refers to the word of God in the spiritual sense. Therefore, the fact that God created the expanse in the midst of the waters shows that everything is indeed under the authority of God.
The spaces that were created as God created the expanse: the atmosphere in the 1st heaven, the 2 domains in the 2nd heaven, and the neutral area; all of them belong to God. Dear brothers and sisters. To which space did the "waters above the expanse" go in the spiritual realm? They became the foundation for the rivers in the Garden of Eden in the 2nd heaven. In Genesis 2:11-14, four rivers in the Garden of Eden are mentioned. But then, Genesis 2:10 says, "Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers." It tells us that there is one source for the 4 rivers. The waters that became the source of the 4 rivers are the "waters above the expanse" mentioned in tonight's scripture. The rivers in the Garden of Eden cannot be compared to the rivers of this earth. They are much wider than the rivers of this earth, and they are much longer. Therefore, the volume of the rivers is much greater.
The waters in the Garden of Eden - the waters above the expanse - were actually the waters that covered the early earth. As the expanse was created in the midst of the waters, the waters were divided into two, and the waters above the expanse became the source of the 4 rivers of the Garden of Eden. And the waters below the expanse formed oceans on the earth. Therefore, the waters in the Garden of Eden and the waters of this earth share the origin. It is the River of Life that God caused to flow from Heaven. However, since a very long time has passed, the waters of the earth have become polluted.
As Adam was cursed and driven to this earth, the earth and all things together in it were also cursed. From that moment on, all the things in the earth began to change. In addition, as a result of thoughtless and reckless developments by human beings they increasingly polluted the environment and severely damaged and destroyed the natural order. As the result of these disruptions of the natural order, abnormal changes in the weather occurred and natural disasters became frequent. God originally created this earth to be beautiful and pleasant, but human beings have polluted the earth out of their greed and evil. Unlike this earth, the Garden of Eden is maintaining the original appearance that God had created.
It is clean and clear, and the rich natural environment is well maintained just the way it was created in the beginning. The rivers in the Garden of Eden have been well maintained; they are clean and clear, and shine crisply. But there was an occasion in the providence of God when these waters of the Garden of Eden fell down to this earth. It was Noah's Flood. I will explain it in great detail as we get to Chapter 7; During the Flood of Noah, it rained for 40 days so that even the highest mountain became submerged under water. By the way, with all the waters in this earth, even if all the glacial ice in the poles area melted down, the highest mountain could not be submerged under water. In other words, the earth cannot be entirely covered only with the waters of the earth.
Now, Genesis 7:11-12, which describes a scene of Noah's Flood, says, "all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights." Here, "all the fountains of the great deep" refers to the source of the 4 rivers in the Garden of Eden. And "the floodgates of the sky" refer to the gates that connect to the 2nd Heaven. During the Judgment of the Flood, God made "all the fountains of the great deep" in the Garden of Eden burst open. And He made the waters fall down to this earth through the opened floodgates in the second Heaven. I said earlier that the volume of the rivers in the Garden of Eden is far greater when compared to that of the rivers of this earth.
If the waters of the Garden of Eden flow down to this earth, therefore, it is possible that the entire earth can be covered with the waters. Moreover, God even made all the fountains of the deep, which is the source of the rivers in the Garden, burst open. And He opened the gates that connect the 1st Heaven to the 2nd Heaven, and let the waters pour out onto the earth like rainfall. By the way, the scripture uses the plural form of "the floodgates of the sky." It means that not only the sky of a certain area was opened on the given time. All the gates that are connected to the earth were opened. The waters of the Second Heaven poured down not only on the area where Noah lived, but on the entire earth all at once. That's why it was possible for even the highest mountain to be submerged under the water.
These waters of the Garden of Eden that poured down during the Judgment of Flood were withdrawn back into the Garden after the Judgment. I will explain in great detail how God withdraw such great amount water back to the Garden of Eden as we get to Chapter 7 of Genesis. What you should remember here is that, on the 2nd Day of the Creation, the waters above the expanse gathered at the source of the rivers of the Garden of Eden, and that the 4 rivers arose from the source. And this fact can be proven by "the waters that fell down to this earth through the floodgates of the sky" during the Flood of Noah. Dear brothers and sisters. We have another evidence of the existence of the 2nd Heaven. It is Manna that the Israelites ate in the wilderness after they escaped from Egypt.
A botanist of 19th century said that Manna was the dried sap that is extracted from a certain plants that grow in Sinai when it is bitten by plant lice. In the area of Sinai or in a Middle East area, people collected marble shaped-fruit from a certain tree, and sold it in the name of "heavenly food." However, manna is not fruit of a certain plant on this earth. The Bible clearly states that manna rained from the sky. Exodus 16:4 says, "Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction." Here, "heaven" refers to the Second Heaven. Psalm 78:23-24 says, "Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven; He rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them food from heaven." "The clouds above" also refer to the Second Heaven. Like this, the bible says that manna came down from the Second Heaven.
God opened the door of the 2nd Heaven, and rained down manna as morning dews came down in the wilderness. After the sun rose, and the dew dried, there was manna which was a fine flake-like substance, fine as the frost. This manna had a pearl-like appearance and tasted like wafers with honey. The Israelites gathered manna, ground it between two millstones or beat it in a mortar, and then ate it. Exodus 16:35 says, "The sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan." God Himself provided bread for the Israelites for 40 years. Joshua 5:12 says, "The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year." Even from this verse, you can find that manna was sent by God.
As the Israelites entered the land of Canaan and ate the fruit from the land, from the very next day, manna didn't come down from Heaven. And so, they couldn't get manna again. Now, if you come across something called "manna" while travelling in the Middle East area, please be aware that it is not true manna. God rained manna from the 2nd Heaven, and it was given for the period of only 40 years as the Israelites lived in the wilderness. The Garden of Eden in the 2nd Heaven belongs to the spiritual realm, but it is not completely a spiritual space. If a fleshly man desires he can see and touch in Eden though it is spiritual space. This is why fleshly men could eat manna even though it was the food from the 2nd Heaven.
Dear brothers and sisters. When Jesus was born, the star that led the 3 Magi was also a star of the 2nd Heaven. Matthew 2:9 says, "After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was." The star of the sky repeated going and stopping as it kept the pace with them, and it stopped as they arrived at the destination. If this star had been the star in the 1st Heaven, its movement would have broken the order of the universe and enormous problems would have taken place. The stars in the 1st Heaven move along the preset tract according to the natural order. Therefore, you can find that the star that led the three was not a star from the 1st Heaven. God moved the star in the 2nd Heaven so that it couldn't affect anything in the 1st heaven.
And He opened the space of the 2nd Heaven where the star moved so that the 3 Magi could see the star. God has shown this movement of stars to us so many times. We have seen three stars moving in a group, a star zigzagging, stars running on a course toward each other, and so on; God showed various movements of stars that are impossible in the 1st Heaven. Those stars that moved were the stars in the 2nd Heaven. God opened the space of the 2nd Heaven for the moment so that we could see them. In order to help you feel the spiritual space, God showed other various signs and wonders other than this. For example, you saw the scene that very clean and clear clouds appeared at a high altitude in the sky and then disappeared back into the sky. As you see it happen you feel like someone on the other side of the sky blew white smoke into the sky and then breathed it back it in again.
You can find in many parts of the Bible that clouds appeared as something or someone moved through the spiritual space. First is when Jesus went up on the Mountain of the Transfiguration. Matthew 17:5 says, "While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"" As the Lord ascended after His resurrection, Acts 1:9 says, "He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight." Mark 13:26 also says, "Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory." In the Old Testament, as God Himself came down to this earth, clouds always appeared as written in Exodus 19:9.
As you can see, clouds appear as the door to the spiritual realm opens. God showed us not the clouds of this fleshly world, but the clouds of the spiritual realm. And God helped us realize that the world you can see with your eyes is not the whole world, but that the spiritual realm truly exists. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. For 5 of the 6 days of the Creation, the Bible says, "God saw that it was good." But this expression cannot be found only on the 2nd day of the Creation. What is the reason? The reason is that a domain of darkness where the evil spirits dwell was created in the expanse on the 2nd day. For fairness in the process of human cultivation, God prepared the dwelling pace for Lucifer and the evil spirits in the domain of darkness of the 2nd Heaven. Since the domain of darkness couldn't look good to the eyes of God, however, there was no expression, "God saw that it was good." Now, did any of you think something like this: "On the 1st day of the Creation, God released the evil spirits, and created the darkness which is against the light, but then why the Bible says "it was good"?" If you read the 1st day of the Creation carefully, you can find the answer.
From the 3rd day till the 6th day, at the end of the work of creation of each day, there is an expression, "God saw that it was good." On the other hand, on the 1st day, it says, "God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. God saw that the light was good." And then, God separated the light from the darkness. In other words, God saw that only the light was good on the 1st day. Likewise, the word of God is precise, and nothing was written without reason. By examining the works of the 1st day and the 2nd day of the Creation, you can find how much God loves the light, but hates the darkness. James 1:17 calls God "the Father of lights," and says, "with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."
You are the children of God who is light Himself. Therefore, please cultivate your heart so that there is no darkness at all, but only the light fills it. May there be no work of the forces of the darkness in your life, and may you give glory to God the Father with the fruit of light, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray! [Amen]
Mafundisho ya 33 (Siku ya Pili ya Uumbaji)
Kifungu cha Biblia: Mwanzo 1:6–8
“6 Mungu akasema, ‘Na liwe anga katikati ya maji, likayatenganishe maji na maji.’ 7 Mungu akalifanya anga, akayatenganisha maji yaliyo chini ya anga na maji yaliyo juu ya anga; ikawa hivyo. 8 Mungu akaliita anga Mbingu. Ikawa jioni, ikawa asubuhi, siku ya pili.”
Ndugu wapendwa katika Kristo.
Haya ni mafundisho ya 33 katika mfululizo wa Mwanzo. Siku ya pili ya Uumbaji Mungu aliumba anga katikati ya maji. Uumbaji huo ulileta mambo mapya katika ulimwengu wa kimwili na wa kiroho. Katika ulimwengu wa kimwili angahewa liliumbwa. Katika mbingu ya pili ya ulimwengu wa kiroho ziliumbwa sehemu ya nuru na sehemu ya giza. Katika ulimwengu wa kimwili, maji ya chini ya anga yakawa bahari siku ya tatu, na maji ya juu yakabaki kama mvuke wa maji katika angahewa. Siku ya nne, jua na mwezi vilipoumbwa, mzunguko wa maji ukaanza.
Maji ya bahari huvukiza na kuwa mvuke, ambao hutengeneza mawingu. Upepo huyasafirisha mawingu na kuleta mvua kote duniani. Mzunguko huo huwapa viumbe maji yanayohitajika kuendeleza uhai. Mungu hutoa maji si kwa mvua tu, bali pia kwa theluji na umande. Aina hizi zote za maji yanayotoka angani ni ishara ya baraka za Mungu. Kwa manufaa ya viumbe vyote, pamoja na wanadamu, Mungu Baba hutoa maji kwa namna mbalimbali.
Ndiyo maana Kumbukumbu la Torati 11:14 husema Mungu atatoa mvua kwa nchi yenu kwa majira yake, mvua ya kwanza na ya mwisho, ili mkusanye nafaka, divai mpya na mafuta. Zaburi 65:10 nayo husema, “Unaimwagilia mifereji yake maji tele, unasawazisha matuta yake, unailowesha kwa manyunyu, unabariki mazao yake.” Mungu alipoumba dunia, vitu vyote vilifanya kazi kwa kufuata haki na mpangilio. Wanadamu walipoharibu mazingira kwa manufaa yao, mpangilio wa asili ukaanza kuvurugika. Kwa hiyo mvua na theluji zikawa si njia za baraka pekee, bali pia zikawa chanzo cha majanga. Hapo awali zilianguka kwa uwiano mzuri kulingana na mpango wa Mungu; lakini uharibifu wa wanadamu ulileta kutokuwiana. Baadhi ya maeneo yakapata mvua au theluji nyingi mno, mengine yakakosa. Mvua kubwa, theluji nyingi, ukame na mafuriko yakawa majanga ya asili. Hata hivyo, haidhuru mwanadamu aharibu kiasi gani, Mungu hushikilia mpangilio wa msingi wa dunia ili usiyumbe. Kwa mfano, iliripotiwa kwamba mhimili wa dunia ulisogea kidogo baada ya tetemeko la Chile, lakini mabadiliko hayo yalikuwa madogo sana.
Hata majanga ya asili yanapokuwa makubwa, katika kipindi cha kilimo cha wanadamu Mungu huilinda dunia ili iendelee kuwapo. Kadiri majanga yanavyozidi, ndivyo nguvu za Mungu zinavyoweza kuhitajika zaidi. Kama Yesu alivyotawala upepo na mawimbi, nguvu ya moto ya Roho Mtakatifu inaweza kutawala matetemeko, mafuriko na hata milipuko ya volkeno. Kupitia kazi hizo Mungu Baba atatukuzwa sana anapokamilisha kilimo cha wanadamu. Ndugu wapendwa, nilisema siku ya pili sehemu mbili ziliumbwa katika mbingu ya pili ya ulimwengu wa kiroho: sehemu ya nuru na sehemu ya giza. Kuna kifungu cha Biblia kinachoonyesha kwamba bustani ya Edeni katika sehemu ya nuru inapakana na sehemu ya giza.
Sehemu hizo zinapopakana, mpaka huwa katikati: upande mmoja ni sehemu ya giza na upande mwingine ni bustani ya Edeni katika sehemu ya nuru. Kwa hiyo Mungu aliamuru mpaka huo ulindwe. Mwanzo 3:24 husema, “Akamfukuza huyo mtu; akaweka makerubi upande wa mashariki wa bustani ya Edeni, na upanga wa moto uliogeuka huko na huko, kuilinda njia ya mti wa uzima.” Kulinda njia kunaonyesha kwamba kulikuwa na viumbe ambao wangeweza kuingia bustanini. Biblia husema wazi kwamba Mungu aliweka ulinzi upande wa mashariki wa Edeni, hasa kwenye njia ya mti wa uzima. Hilo linaonyesha kwamba mtu fulani angeweza kuutafuta. Katika Mwanzo 3:22 Mungu alisema huenda mtu akanyoosha mkono, akatwaa matunda ya mti wa uzima na kuishi milele. “Mtu” huyo ni Adamu aliyefanya dhambi.
Adamu alitenda dhambi kwa kutotii agizo la Mungu. Kulingana na sheria ya ulimwengu wa kiroho kwamba mshahara wa dhambi ni mauti, hangeweza tena kuishi milele. Lakini kama angekula tunda la mti wa uzima, angeishi milele. Kwa kuwa aliishi Edeni kwa muda mrefu alijua jambo hilo na huenda angejaribu kula tunda. Ndiyo maana Mungu alimfukuza Adamu kutoka Edeni na kumpeleka duniani. Baada ya kumfukuza, aliweka makerubi na upanga wa moto unaogeuka kila upande kulinda njia ya mti wa uzima. Hii pia ilizuia roho waovu wasile tunda hilo. Mbali na Edeni, roho waovu wapo katika mbingu ya pili pia; wangeweza kuvamia Edeni ambamo Adamu hakuishi tena.
Kwa sababu hiyo Mungu aliweka makerubi na upanga wa moto kulinda njia ya mti wa uzima. Hili linaonyesha kwamba sehemu ya nuru na sehemu ya giza katika mbingu ya pili zinapakana. Siku ya pili Mungu alipoumba anga, bustani ya Edeni iliwekwa katika sehemu ya nuru, na makao ya roho waovu katika sehemu ya giza. Nafasi nyingine pia iliundwa katika mbingu ya pili: eneo maalumu la mpito au la katikati kati ya mbingu ya kwanza, nafasi ya kimwili, na ulimwengu wa kiroho. Eneo hilo liliumbwa siku ya pili.
Katika eneo hili maalumu mtiririko wa wakati husimama na hakuna mwendo. Ndiyo maana viumbe wa kiroho wanaweza kupita mara moja kupitia eneo hilo na kufika katika ulimwengu wa kimwili. Eneo hilo maalumu pia lipo ndani ya “anga.” Kwa hiyo, siku ya pili Mungu aliumba nafasi tatu za kiroho ndani ya anga: sehemu ya nuru, sehemu ya giza, na eneo la katikati ambamo wakati husimama. Mwanzo 1:6 husema Mungu aliumba anga katikati ya maji na kuyatenganisha maji na maji. Kuna sababu ya kiroho ya kuumba anga katikati ya maji: maji huwakilisha Neno la Mungu. Kwa hiyo, kuumba anga katikati ya maji kunaonyesha kwamba kila kitu kiko chini ya mamlaka ya Mungu.
Nafasi zilizotokea Mungu alipoumba anga—angahewa ya mbingu ya kwanza, sehemu mbili za mbingu ya pili na eneo la katikati—zote ni za Mungu. Ndugu wapendwa, maji yaliyo juu ya anga yalienda wapi katika ulimwengu wa kiroho? Yakawa chanzo cha mito ya Edeni katika mbingu ya pili. Mwanzo 2:11–14 hutaja mito minne ya Edeni, lakini Mwanzo 2:10 husema mto ulitoka Edeni na kuumwagilia bustani, kisha ukagawanyika na kuwa mito minne. Kwa hiyo mito hiyo ina chanzo kimoja. Maji yaliyokuwa chanzo chake ndiyo “maji yaliyo juu ya anga” yanayotajwa katika kifungu cha leo. Mito ya Edeni haiwezi kulinganishwa na mito ya duniani: ni mipana na mirefu zaidi, na kwa hiyo ina maji mengi zaidi.
Maji ya Edeni, yaani maji yaliyo juu ya anga, yalikuwa maji yaliyofunika dunia ya awali. Anga lilipoumbwa katikati ya maji, maji yaligawanyika; yale ya juu yakawa chanzo cha mito minne ya Edeni, na yale ya chini yakaunda bahari duniani. Kwa hiyo maji ya Edeni na maji ya dunia yana asili moja: Mto wa Uzima ambao Mungu alifanya utiririke kutoka mbinguni. Hata hivyo, muda mrefu umepita na maji ya dunia yamechafuliwa.
Adamu alipolaaniwa na kufukuzwa duniani, dunia na vitu vyote vilivyomo vililaaniwa pia. Tangu wakati huo kila kitu duniani kilianza kubadilika. Zaidi ya hayo, maendeleo ya kibinadamu yasiyo na busara na yasiyodhibitiwa yalichafua mazingira na kuharibu sana mpangilio wa asili. Mabadiliko yasiyo ya kawaida ya hali ya hewa na majanga ya asili yakawa ya mara kwa mara. Mungu aliumba dunia iwe nzuri na ya kupendeza, lakini wanadamu wameichafua kwa tamaa na uovu wao. Tofauti na dunia hii, bustani ya Edeni imehifadhi hali yake ya awali kama Mungu alivyoumba.
Edeni ni safi na angavu, na mazingira yake tajiri yamehifadhiwa kama yalivyokuwa mwanzoni. Mito yake ni safi, angavu na yenye kung’aa. Hata hivyo, katika mpango wa Mungu, maji hayo yalifika duniani wakati wa Gharika ya Nuhu. Nitaeleza zaidi tutakapofika Mwanzo 7. Wakati wa gharika mvua ilinyesha siku 40 na hata milima mirefu zaidi ikafunikwa na maji. Lakini maji yote yaliyopo duniani, hata barafu yote ya ncha za dunia ikiyeyuka, hayawezi kufunika mlima mrefu zaidi. Hii inaonyesha kwamba dunia haiwezi kufunikwa yote kwa maji yake yenyewe pekee.
Mwanzo 7:11–12, inayoeleza Gharika ya Nuhu, husema chemchemi zote za vilindi vikuu zilipasuka na madirisha ya mbingu yakafunguka; mvua ikanyesha duniani siku 40 mchana na usiku. “Chemchemi zote za vilindi vikuu” ni chanzo cha mito minne ya Edeni, na “madirisha ya mbingu” ni milango inayounganisha na mbingu ya pili. Katika hukumu ya gharika, Mungu alifanya chemchemi hizo za Edeni zipasuke.
Maji ya Edeni yalipomiminika duniani, iliwezekana dunia nzima kufunikwa. Mungu alifanya chemchemi zote za vilindi, chanzo cha mito ya bustani, zipasuke na akafungua milango inayounganisha mbingu ya kwanza na ya pili ili maji yamwagike duniani kama mvua. Maandiko hutumia wingi, “madirisha ya mbingu,” kumaanisha kwamba si anga la eneo moja tu lililofunguliwa. Milango yote iliyounganishwa na dunia ilifunguliwa. Maji ya mbingu ya pili hayakumiminika tu mahali Nuhu alipokuwa bali duniani kote kwa wakati mmoja. Ndiyo maana hata milima mirefu zaidi iliweza kufunikwa.
Baada ya hukumu ya gharika, maji ya Edeni yaliyomiminika duniani yalirudishwa Edeni. Nitaeleza kwa kina jinsi Mungu alivyorudisha maji mengi hivyo tutakapofika Mwanzo 7. Kumbukeni kwamba siku ya pili maji yaliyo juu ya anga yalikusanyika kwenye chanzo cha mito ya Edeni na mito minne ikatoka hapo. Ushahidi wa jambo hilo ni maji yaliyoshuka duniani kupitia madirisha ya mbingu wakati wa gharika. Ndugu wapendwa, tuna ushahidi mwingine wa kuwepo kwa mbingu ya pili: mana ambayo Waisraeli walikula jangwani baada ya kutoka Misri.
Katika karne ya 19 mtaalamu mmoja wa mimea alisema mana ilikuwa utomvu mkavu unaotokana na mmea fulani wa Sinai baada ya kuumwa na chawa wa mimea. Katika Sinai na Mashariki ya Kati watu walikusanya matunda madogo ya mti fulani na kuyauza kama “chakula cha mbinguni.” Lakini mana haikuwa tunda la mmea wa duniani. Biblia husema wazi kwamba mana ilinyesha kutoka mbinguni. Kutoka 16:4 husema BWANA alimwambia Musa, “Tazama, nitawanyeshea chakula kutoka mbinguni; watu watatoka na kukusanya posho ya kila siku, ili niwajaribu kama wataifuata sheria yangu.” Hapa “mbingu” ni mbingu ya pili. Zaburi 78:23–24 husema Mungu aliamuru mawingu ya juu, akafungua milango ya mbingu, akawanyeshea mana na kuwapa chakula cha mbinguni. Hivyo Biblia hufundisha kwamba mana ilitoka mbingu ya pili.
Mungu alifungua mlango wa mbingu ya pili na kunyesha mana jangwani kama umande wa asubuhi. Jua lilipochomoza na umande kukauka, mana ilionekana kama chembechembe ndogo nyembamba za barafu. Ilionekana kama lulu na ladha yake ilikuwa kama kaki zenye asali. Waisraeli waliisaga kati ya mawe ya kusagia au kuitwanga kwenye kinu, kisha wakaikula. Kutoka 16:35 husema Waisraeli walikula mana miaka 40 hadi walipofika kwenye nchi iliyokaliwa, mpaka mpakani mwa Kanaani. Mungu mwenyewe aliwapa chakula miaka 40. Yoshua 5:12 husema mana ilikoma siku iliyofuata baada ya kula mazao ya nchi; Waisraeli hawakupata tena mana, bali wakala mazao ya Kanaani mwaka huo. Hata mstari huu unaonyesha kwamba mana ilitoka kwa Mungu.
Waisraeli walipoingia Kanaani na kula mazao ya nchi, kuanzia siku iliyofuata mana haikushuka tena. Kwa hiyo, mkikutana na kitu kinachoitwa mana mnaposafiri Mashariki ya Kati, mjue si mana halisi. Mungu alishusha mana kutoka mbingu ya pili kwa miaka 40 tu, Waisraeli walipokuwa jangwani. Bustani ya Edeni katika mbingu ya pili ni ya ulimwengu wa kiroho, lakini si nafasi ya kiroho kabisa. Mwanadamu wa kimwili anaweza kuiona na kuigusa akitaka. Ndiyo maana wanadamu waliweza kula mana iliyotoka mbingu ya pili.
Ndugu wapendwa, nyota iliyowaongoza mamajusi watatu Yesu alipozaliwa nayo ilikuwa nyota ya mbingu ya pili. Mathayo 2:9 husema nyota waliyokuwa wameiona mashariki iliwatangulia mpaka ikasimama juu ya mahali alipokuwa mtoto. Nyota hiyo ilisonga na kusimama tena huku ikiendana na mwendo wao, kisha ilisimama walipofika. Kama ingekuwa nyota ya mbingu ya kwanza, mwendo wake ungevuruga mpangilio wa ulimwengu na kusababisha matatizo makubwa. Nyota za mbingu ya kwanza husogea kwenye njia zilizowekwa kulingana na mpangilio wa asili. Kwa hiyo nyota iliyowaongoza haikuwa ya mbingu ya kwanza. Mungu aliisogeza nyota ya mbingu ya pili bila kuathiri chochote katika mbingu ya kwanza.
Mungu alifungua pia eneo la mbingu ya pili ambamo nyota hiyo ilisogea ili mamajusi watatu waweze kuiona. Mungu ametuonyesha mwendo wa nyota namna hii mara nyingi: tuliona nyota tatu zikisonga pamoja, nyota ikifuata njia ya zigizaga, na nyota zikikimbiliana. Hizi ni miondoko isiyowezekana katika mbingu ya kwanza. Nyota hizo zilikuwa za mbingu ya pili, na Mungu alifungua nafasi hiyo kwa muda ili tuzione. Ili kutusaidia kuhisi uwepo wa nafasi ya kiroho, Mungu alionyesha ishara na maajabu mengine pia. Kwa mfano, tuliona mawingu safi na angavu yakitokea juu angani kisha kurudi na kutoweka. Huonekana kana kwamba mtu upande mwingine wa anga anapuliza moshi mweupe juu, kisha anauvuta tena.
Sehemu nyingi za Biblia zinaonyesha mawingu yalipotokea mtu au kitu kiliposafiri katika nafasi ya kiroho. Yesu alipokwea Mlima wa Kubadilika Sura, Mathayo 17:5 husema wingu jeupe likawatia uvuli na sauti kutoka katika wingu ikasema, “Huyu ni Mwanangu, mpendwa wangu, ninayependezwa naye; msikieni yeye.” Bwana alipopaa baada ya kufufuka, Matendo 1:9 husema aliinuliwa na wingu likampokea machoni pao. Marko 13:26 husema watamwona Mwana wa Adamu akija mawinguni kwa nguvu na utukufu mwingi. Katika Agano la Kale pia, Mungu aliposhuka duniani mawingu yalitokea, kama inavyoandikwa katika Kutoka 19:9.
Mawingu hutokea mlango wa ulimwengu wa kiroho unapofunguliwa. Mungu hakutuonyesha mawingu ya ulimwengu huu wa kimwili, bali mawingu ya ulimwengu wa kiroho, ili tufahamu kwamba tunachokiona kwa macho si ulimwengu wote na kwamba ulimwengu wa kiroho upo kweli. Ndugu wapendwa katika Kristo, kwa siku tano kati ya siku sita za Uumbaji Biblia husema, “Mungu akaona ya kuwa ni vyema.” Kauli hiyo haipo kwa siku ya pili pekee. Kwa nini? Kwa sababu sehemu ya giza, makao ya roho waovu, iliundwa ndani ya anga siku hiyo. Kwa haki katika kilimo cha wanadamu, Mungu aliwatayarishia Lusifa na roho waovu makao katika sehemu ya giza ya mbingu ya pili. Sehemu ya giza haingeweza kuonekana kuwa njema machoni pa Mungu, ndiyo maana kauli hiyo haikuandikwa. Huenda mtu akauliza: siku ya kwanza Mungu aliachilia roho waovu na kuumba giza lililo kinyume na nuru; kwa nini basi Biblia husema ilikuwa njema? Ukisoma kwa makini utapata jibu.
Kuanzia siku ya tatu hadi ya sita, mwishoni mwa kazi ya kila siku Biblia husema, “Mungu akaona ya kuwa ni vyema.” Lakini siku ya kwanza husema, “Mungu akasema, Nuru na iwe; ikawa nuru. Mungu akaiona nuru, ya kuwa ni njema,” kisha akaitenga nuru na giza. Kwa hiyo siku ya kwanza Mungu aliona nuru pekee kuwa njema. Neno la Mungu ni sahihi; hakuna kilichoandikwa bila sababu. Tukichunguza kazi za siku ya kwanza na ya pili tunaona jinsi Mungu anavyoipenda nuru na kulichukia giza. Yakobo 1:17 humwita Mungu “Baba wa mianga,” ambaye hamna kwake kubadilika wala kivuli cha kugeuka.
Ninyi ni watoto wa Mungu aliye nuru. Kwa hiyo, jitakaseni ili mioyoni mwenu pasiwe na giza lolote, bali nuru pekee. Giza lisifanye kazi maishani mwenu; badala yake, toeni matunda ya nuru na kumletea Mungu Baba utukufu. Ninaomba haya katika jina la Bwana Yesu Kristo. [Amina!]
