Then God began to restore the heavens and caused the sun, the moon, and the stars to appear (vv. 14-19). It is hard to say whether this was creation or restoration because verse 16 says, “And God made the two great light-bearers, the greater light-bearer to rule the day and the lesser light-bearer to rule the night.” Moreover, God created the fish, that is, the living creatures in the water. At the same time He also created the birds, that is, the living creatures in the air (vv. 20-23). Furthermore, He created the living creatures on the dry land, which consisted mainly of three categories—cattle, beasts, and creeping things (vv. 24-25). In this way living creatures were generated in the seas, on the land, and in the air. These records show that the re-creation which began from Genesis 1:2 includes both restoration and creation.

The most prominent thing in God’s re-creation is that He created man on the sixth day. Concerning the creation of man, the Bible uses three different terms—created, made, and formed. Verse 26 says, “And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” Here the word make is the same word used in the past tense in verses 7 and 16. Verse 27 says, “And God created man in His own image.” The word created here is also used in verse 21. Verse 7 of chapter 2 says, “Jehovah God formed man from the dust of the ground.” The word used here is formed. The Hebrew word for created [337] is bara. To create means to produce something out of nothing. The Hebrew word for made is asah. To make means to work upon an existing substance in order to produce something out of it. The Hebrew word for formed is yatsar. To form means to give shape to something in the same way that a potter molds clay into a form.

Man was not only created but also made and formed by God. This is because God used the dust of the ground (v. 7; 3:19), which already existed there, as material to make man a physical body. Therefore, God used an existing substance to make the final product—man’s physical body, and He also formed man in the same way that a potter molds a vessel. God used the dust to form man’s shape and then breathed into him the breath of life. This breath of life, which came out from God, became the spirit in man. Thus, man was enlivened and became a living soul with a spirit. Hence, man was made and formed by God. However, the spirit of man was created by God because it came from the breath of life, which came out of God.

Hence, God’s original creation (1:1), particularly the creation of the heavens and the earth, was in the age long before Adam. We have no way to count the number of years of this age. However, if we count from Adam until the millennial kingdom, it should be a little over, if not exactly, seven thousand years.

The Seventy Weeks

Another set of years in the Bible that deserves our study is the seventy weeks in Daniel 9. These seventy weeks are divided into seven weeks, sixty-two weeks, and one week, which is the last week (vv. 24-27). The first part, composed of seven weeks, is forty-nine years, beginning with the issuing of the decree to rebuild the holy city by King Artaxerxes. In this period the rebuilding of the holy city Jerusalem, with street and trench, was completed (v. 25). Then the second part, composed of sixty-two weeks, is four hundred thirty-four years following the first seven weeks and ending with the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus—the year when the anointed One, Messiah, was cut off (v. 26a). This means that four hundred years after the first seven weeks, the Lord Jesus was born. Thirty-three and a half years later, after the Lord’s human living and crucifixion, was exactly the very last year of the second part, the sixty-two weeks. The two parts added together (seven weeks plus sixty-two weeks) is a total of four hundred eighty-three years. This is very meaningful. [338]

The third part, the last part of the seventy weeks, is the last week, the “one week” (v. 27). This one week is the last seven years of this age, which will be divided into two halves. At the beginning of this one week, the seventh Caesar of the restored Roman Empire (Rev. 17:10) will make a firm covenant with Israel. In the middle of the week, this ruler, who is the Antichrist, will break this covenant. This will be the beginning of the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21, 15; Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12:6; 13:5), which will end with the Lord’s second coming (Matt. 24:15-30; Dan. 9:27b). However, in between this last week and the preceding sixty-nine weeks, a period of mystery is inserted. The Lord Jesus said that the day of His coming back was not made known even to Him as the One who was God become man. He said, “No one knows, not even…the Son, but the Father only” (Matt. 24:36). For this reason, whether this period of mysteries will be two thousand years or more than two thousand years, no one knows.

The Type and Fulfillment 
of the Great Human Image in Daniel 2

Now we will go on to Daniel 2 to see the great human image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in his dream (vv. 1, 31-35). The head of the image was of fine gold, the breast and the arms were of silver, the abdomen and the thighs were of bronze, the legs were of iron, and the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay. Daniel said that the head of gold referred to Nebuchadnezzar (v. 38b). History proves that the Babylonian Empire with Nebuchadnezzar as king was indeed that head of gold. After the passing away of Babylon, a political situation emerged that was of two parts (7:5), typified by the silver breasts and arms. Its fulfillment in history was Medo-Persia—Medo (Media) being one nation, and Persia being another nation. These two nations shared equal power (cf. 5:31; 6:1) like the two shoulders of a person. After Medo-Persia ended, there were the abdomen and the thighs of bronze, signifying the Macedonian-Grecian Empire founded by Alexander. Daniel said that this kingdom would “rule over all the earth” (2:39). History tells us that Alexander won all the battles he fought. After crossing the Aegean Sea, he conquered Asia Minor and went on to attack the land of Palestine. At that time the Jews were a little indifferent toward him and did not supply him with provisions, so he was angry in his heart. However, as he was [339] entering into Jerusalem after arriving in the land of Judea, the Jewish priests acted wisely. They all came out and lined up to welcome him and thus allayed his anger. They also led him to the temple and read to him the book of Daniel. Understanding the words in the book concerning himself, he was exceedingly happy and dealt with the Jews favorably.

However, history tells us that Alexander died at the early age of thirty-three and that his kingdom was divided into four sections, which were ruled by his four generals (11:3-4). Once the abdomen and the thighs ended, the Roman Empire, typified by the iron legs, came. Later the Roman Empire was divided into two parts, the eastern part and the western part, signified by the two iron legs. The Roman Empire lasted for a long time until a few years after A.D. 470, when the western Roman Empire was terminated and only the eastern Roman Empire remained. History points out that after the passing away of the Roman Empire, democracy began to gain ground in the European countries. Thus, the monarchs gradually became symbolic leaders, and the real authority was turned over to the people. This is signified by the feet of half-iron and half-clay, because clay symbolizes the people.