Genesis 1:2-3
[2] 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. [3] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Jeremiah 4:21-28
[21] How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? [22] For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. [23] I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. [24] I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. [25] I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. [26] I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord , and by his fierce anger. [27] For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. [28] For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it , I have purposed it , and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
Any input on Jeremiah 4:21-28?
Addressing the OP only.
the destruction of the earth error, better known as the gap theory. many believe that in the Genesis 1:2. that the destruction of the "earth took place and was repopulated". many take this stand using Jeremiah 4:23 as stated above. "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was
without form, and
void; and the heavens, and they had no light”, as their proof to this destruction. let’s see if this is true or not. This theory traditionally stands or fall on these 2 words found in verse 2 of chapter 1 in the book of Genesis. these two words are the Hebrew words, “tohuw“, meaning, “without form”, and the other word, “bohuw”, meaning void. I can go the long way in disproving this theory, but I’ll take the short and quick way to disprove the theory. 2 steps to reveal the truth.
my source for H776 ’eres earth, land, is VINE'S COMPLETE old Testament EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY. I suggest one read the definition first.
the key to solving this error is in the usage of the Hebrew word for “EARTH” or “LAND”, H776 ’eres as used in Genesis 1:2 and Jeremiah 4:23. there are two usage of H776 ’eres. first usage, “EARTH”. in the Old Testament It expresses a world view contrary to ancient myths, as well as many modern theories seeking to explain the origin of the universe and the forces which sustain it. ’Eres may be translated "earth," the temporal scene of human activity, experience, and history. The material world that had a beginning when God "made the earth by His power," "formed it," and "spread it out".
but usage #2, of this same word can be translated as "LAND", and does not only denote the entire terrestrial planet, but is also used of some of the earth's component parts. English words like land, country, ground, and soil, this
transfer its meaning into our language. example, "the LAND of Egypt," "the LAND of the Philistines," "the LAND of Israel," "the LAND of Benjamin," and so on.
So we can clearly see from the above definitions that Jeremiah was talking only about a certain LAND on the EARTH, and not the entire planet itself. As definition #2 states, “it refers to an area occupied by a nation or tribe”, in this case Judah. Because verse 23 states, “The whole LAND shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end”. The LAND was Judah, and not the entire planet. notice how I been capitalizing “LAND”. let’s put it in plain language. the Original Word: ’eres can mean LAND, like we say today
the LAND of Lincoln. do we mean the entire planet? no, we’re speaking of the Land of the state of Illinois,
not the entire planet. now, the bible example, and how it is used in correct context. Genesis 2:11 "The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the
whole land of Havilah, where there is gold”. the whole “LAND” (H776 אֶרֶץ 'erets), is this the whole “EARTH”? NO just as definition #2 states, some of the earth's component parts, like in ground, country, or “LAND”. this is how the devil deceive or beguiled people, if they don't research out word.
so in Genesis 1:2 it is speaking of the entire planet, and in Jeremiah only the “LAND” of Judah. do the research which leads us to step #2.
Step #2
the repopulating of the earth error, again we will take the quick and easy way to put an end, or to rest this error. the KJ version of the bible was written in old English. so we need an old English dictionary to use, because words change meaning over time. scripture, Genesis 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth”. here, the misunderstood word is “replenish”. let's get the correct definition. using an old English dictionary, Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary of American English, the word “replenish” means, 1. To fill; (STOP), we don’t have to go any further. there is where the error lay. most think replenish mean to "do it again". no, it mean to fill. definition #2. To finish; to complete. {Not in use}.
so in conclusion: the Earth was not destroyed at Genesis 1:2 and neither was it
RE-plenish, (do it again), but filled with PEOPLE from the command of God. I hope one can see the truth now.
