LESSON SEVEN

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“To whom God willed to make known what the wealth of the glory of this MYSTERY among the GENTILES is, the MYSTERY that is CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27

Before we move into the end story of mankind, I wanted to show you the true “mystery of God” as it played out from the beginning. The mystery of God is the truth that Jesus Christ is the key to understanding God’s plan for salvation. The glory of this mystery "is Christ in you". Christ came to earth and now lives in those who believe. With Christ in you, as a saved believer, you have the "hope of glory." In other words, a believer can be confident of eternity with Christ in heaven when he or she knows Christ is already in them now.

Obviously, we are all aware of how and by whom the earth was created, but I bet it’s been a while since you read Genesis 1. The reason that I am adding this as a part of our end time study is because God informs us of when this mystery is finished in Revelation. If it is finished in the end then it must have had a beginning, right? So, humor me by just enjoying these next five lessons before we get started on the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Scripture to read: Genesis 1

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

The concept of God's Creation is foundational to the Christian faith, encapsulating the belief that God is the sovereign Creator of the universe and everything within it. This doctrine is primarily derived from the opening chapters of Genesis and is affirmed throughout the entirety of Scripture. God's creative work is seen as an expression of His power, wisdom, and goodness.

The creation account is structured over six days, with God speaking the universe into existence. 

Each day marks a specific act of creation:

1. Day One: Light is created, separating day from night.

“Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'day,' and the darkness He called 'night.' And there was evening and there was morning, one day.” Genesis 1:3-5

2. Day Two: The expanse (sky) is formed to divide the waters.

“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 that were below the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse 'heaven.' And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” Genesis 1:6-8

3. Day Three: Dry land and vegetation appear.

“Then God said, 'Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear'; and it was so. And God called the dry land 'earth,' and the gathering of the waters He called 'seas'; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, 'Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit according to their kind with seed in them'; and it was so. The earth produced vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, according to their kind; and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.” Genesis 1:9-13  

4. Day Four: The sun, moon, and stars are created to govern time and seasons.

“Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and they shall serve as signs and for seasons, and for days and years; and they shall serve as lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth'; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.” Genesis 1:14-19

5. Day Five: Marine life and birds are brought forth.

“Then God said, 'Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.' And God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.' And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.” Genesis 1:20-23

6. Day Six: Land animals and humanity are created, with humans made in the image of God.

“Then God said, 'Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kind: livestock and crawling things and animals of the earth according to their kind'; and it was so. God made the animals of the earth according to their kind, and the livestock according to their kind, and everything that crawls on the ground according to its kind; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, 'Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.' So, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.' Then God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every animal of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food'; and it was so. And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” Genesis 1:24-31

On the seventh day, God rests, sanctifying it as a day of rest.

“And so, the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their heavenly lights. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3

The structured account of creation reflects God's intentionality and order. The universe is not a product of random chance but of divine design and purpose. The New Testament reaffirms the doctrine of creation, linking it to the work of Christ. 

John 1:3 states, "Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made." 

Colossians 1:16 further emphasizes, "For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him." 

The doctrine of God's Creation is a profound testament to His majesty and love, inviting believers to worship the Creator and to live responsibly within His creation.

The first chapter of Genesis describes the most extraordinary event in the history of the universe: its creation. Given what this moment represents, and what we know of science and nature, this is often referred to as the greatest of all possible miracles. The opening verses of the book of Genesis are nothing less than an account of how God, with full purpose and intention, made everything that exists. 

Genesis chapter 1 insists that God created. In other words, no person who claims to believe the Bible is truth can also reject a belief in God as the Creator. If the Scriptures are God's Word—and they are—then God intends to be known as the Creator of all things. 

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. 

We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. God intends first to be known to all peoples as the Creator of all things—from sun, moon, and stars to human life itself. And as the Creator, He is owed worship by all He has made, including and especially human beings.