Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” This ‘beginning’ speaks of the beginning of God’s creation of the world as we know it…the heavens and the earth. After creating light on the first day, verses 6-8 speak of the second day of creation. That says, “Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 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. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” (NASB)

Of course, it was after the original creation that the Lord moved to separate these waters. Before the second day, it seems the earth was surrounded by a thick layer of water. At the Lord’s word, the waters separated themselves, some filled the oceans, rivers, and streams. Others were formed into clouds to dwell in this expanse called heaven, or the breathable atmosphere of our planet. The ‘heaven’ referred to in verse 8 is not the dwelling place of God, rather it is our atmosphere. Genesis 1:20 says, “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and FOWL THAT MAY FLY ABOVE THE EARTH IN THE OPEN FIRMAMENT OF HEAVEN.”

It appears that when the Lord originally created the ‘heavens and the earth’, He also filled the earth and sky with water. As part of His creative process, the Lord used His second day of creation to separate these waters so that the land might appear and tremendous clouds would remain in the air. The act of creation is described in Colossians 1:16-17, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” God, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, created earth and sky. He created it in an orderly fashion, ending His creation on the second day with the waters being separated from one another. It was on the third day of creation, that the Lord gathered the waters that remained on the earth. We read in Genesis 1:10, “And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.” (286.10)