The Startling Truth
To understand this fascinating truth we must go back to the beginning! In Genesis 1:1 we read, "In the beginning GOD created the heaven AND the earth."
Yes, God CREATED! The earth did not evolve by chance. The earth and the heavens are NOT an accident. They were created by a LIVING GOD to fulfill His purpose.
The Hebrew word "created" in verse one is BARA, meaning created in perfection and ORDER.
God — A God of Order
God's Word reveals what God is like! In I Corinthians 14:33, God's Word states: ". . . God is NOT the author of confusion, but of peace." God is orderly, systematic. He rules and governs His creation by LAW.
Now, prepare yourself for a startling SHOCK!
Genesis ONE, VERSE TWO contains a fantastic truth MISSED by most theologians.
"And the earth was without form and void," is the common rendering.
The Hebrew words for "without form and void" are TOHU and BOHU and mean actually — CHAOTIC and CONFUSED.
Yet, verse one revealed that God originally created the heavens and the earth in order and perfection!
What happened?
The answer is the fantastic "open sesame" to understanding why the planet Mars is a chaotic ruin and a wasteland.
You NEED TO UNDERSTAND!
The word "was" in Genesis 1:2 should be translated "BECAME"! God's original creation was beautiful and perfect. Isaiah 45:18 tells us: "For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it NOT IN VAIN." The word "vain" is exactly the same word as in Genesis 1:2, BOHU — meaning a chaotic ruin.
No, God did not originally create the earth in chaos and confusion. It was perfect, but BECAME TOHU AND BOHU — a chaotic RUIN.
In Genesis 19:26, the same Hebrew word which was translated was in Genesis 1:2 is translated BECAME. Genesis 1:2 should read: "And the earth became without form and void."
How Chaos?
How did the earth become a wreck and a ruin? The amazing story is all there in God's Word.
Long before the dawn of human history, even before God created the heavens and the earth in their original beauty and perfection, God also created a great angelic host of hundreds of millions of angels. He created them to be "ministering spirits" to help and work with God's coming creation — man (see Hebrews 1:14).
When God created the original earth the angelic host rejoiced and sang for joy to see the very dwelling place created for themselves and MAN (Job 38:4-7).
God had placed great Archangels over the other angels. One of them, Lucifer, whose very name means LIGHT BRINGER, God made a "Covering Cherub" in one of the very highest posts of Angelic authority in the GOVERNMENT of God. After training, the angels were put over the earth to rule it under God's government.
Notice now what happened . . .
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O LUCIFER, son of the morning [light bringer]! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
"For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt MY THRONE above the stars [angels] of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I WILL BE LIKE THE MOST HIGH" (Isa. 14:12-14).
Lucifer REBELLED AGAINST GOD!
In Ezekiel 28, verses 12 through 14, Lucifer is again described. His perfection and beauty were startling. He was on the "INSIDE" of God's plan and government. He knew God was going to create MAN and ultimately offer to man SONSHIP in the family of God.
Lucifer knew that in the government of God, the RULER, or under-ruler, is actually the SERVANT of those he rules. And he who is in authority, must also be under the authority of his superiors.
Lucifer, created eternally to be a ministering spirit, was not content to always be a servant. He neither wanted to serve those he ruled, nor to be ruled by GOD. HE WANTED TO BE GOD. He rebelled against God!
"Thou wast perfect in thy ways until iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of your merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, AND THOU HAST SINNED" (verses 15 and 16).
So Lucifer (light bringer) became SATAN (the adversary).
He led ONE-THIRD of all the angels with him in his rebellion (Rev. 12:4). In II Peter 2:4 God's Word states: "For if God spared not the ANGELS THAT SINNED . . ."
YES, ANGELS SINNED AND REBELLED AGAINST GOD!
Now, notice the book of Jude to see what Satan and his now — FALLEN ANGELS did.
"AND THE ANGELS WHICH KEPT NOT THEIR FIRST ESTATE, but left their own habitation . . ." (Jude 6).
Satan and his demons left their dwelling place on earth. Satan wanted God's dominion! He wanted the throne of God. He argued about it, sought to justify his way of getting, and attempted to seize control of the reins of government. But he WAS DEFEATED.
God pronounced in Ezekiel 28: ". . . therefore, I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain [government] of God; and I will destroy [expel] thee, O COVERING CHERUB . . ." (verse 16).
Space War
This battle between Satan and his angels and Almighty God for the control of space was WAR on a scope beyond human comprehension.
The objectives at stake in that war were our own solar system and the UNIVERSE AROUND US.
Planets may well have been thrown from their orbits! Space debris and great clouds of gas were formed.
In our solar system scientists have observed graphic evidence that a planet HAS EXPLODED!
Giant comets were created, tracing gaseous trails in their space-wandering orbits. Huge chunks and masses of smashed planets became flaming meteorites, crashing into the twisted wreckage of other planets. Great gaseous comets blazing mute testimony of their ancient origin; broken asteroids; pieces of planets; meteors and space debris still falling nightly — after so long a time — all tell the story.
The Mars photos reveal the whole face of our solar system has been changed!
Our own moon has long borne mute testimony of WAR. The void, dismal surface defaced and pock-marked by thousands of impacts telling a graphic story.
When Ranger VI focused its six television cameras on the moon, an incredible close-up view of the pockmarked, ravaged surface of the moon was revealed. Thousands of impact craters and streaking scars gave the undeniable appearance of an ancient battlefield.
The very substrata of our OWN EARTH itself reveals the same twisted chaos and ancient violence.
And now, THE PLANET MARS bears testimony as well.
In an article in the Chicago Sun Times scientists stated that the battered face of Mars was a MAJOR SHOCK.
The Chicago Tribune also stated that Mars IS a world BRUTALLY pock-marked by huge craters that make it more like the moon than the Earth. "Mars," the article continued, "meaningfully named for the god of war — has a landscape resembling a BATTLEFIELD — the craters are believed caused by great meteors, or heavenly fireballs — DWARFING THE H-BOMB — hitting the planet in a bombardment."
Some of the photographs reveal craters estimated to be 13 THOUSAND FEET DEEP.
The Earth Unique —
The story continues in Genesis 1.
"And the earth became without form and void . . ." — we now know why! — ". . . and darkness was upon the face of the deep [abyss]. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
The once beautiful earth had become a ruin. It was covered with water. It was dark and vacant.
Then, God said: "LET THERE BE LIGHT — AND THERE WAS LIGHT" (verse 3). Genesis reveals the rest. God RESHAPED THE EARTH, forming dry land and seas, causing foliage and life to grow.
Then God created and placed MAN on the earth to fulfill His purpose.
God gave to man through the WORD OF GOD the story of how it all happened. God wanted man to read that story in the things he saw around him (Romans 1:20). God wanted man to see what rebellion against HIS authority caused. God let it all happen on purpose so that man would learn the lesson and seek God's way and obey Him.
Man Without God
But, man in his vanity has turned from God AND from His Word. Ignoring the graphic testimony and proof around him, man has INVENTED origins and reasons of his own.
Notice God's indictment in Romans 1: "Because that when they KNEW GOD, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became VAIN in their imaginations, and their foolish heart [understanding] was darkened. Professing themselves to be WISE, they became FOOLS, and CHANGED [or exchanged] the glory of the incorruptible God into an image [form] made like to corruptible man, and to BIRDS, and four-footed BEASTS, and CREEPING THINGS" (verses 21-23).
Yes, man turned from the truth of his origin and turned to EVOLUTION as his creator — even forgetting the ancient Satanic rebellion God had left to remind him of his destiny if he DISOBEYED.
Notice now man's state. "Wherefore, God also gave them up to [turned them over to] uncleanness through the LUSTS of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves."
Man turned to himself and exchanged the TRUTH for a LIE (verse 25) worshiping the creature (himself) instead of God who created him.
And, so man today cannot understand who he is or what he is. He believes he evolved. He believes the universe evolved.
Man has left GOD OUT OF HIS KNOWLEDGE and, therefore, cannot understand the truth of the things he sees about him.
Notice verse 28: "and even as they did not like to RETAIN GOD IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE, God gave them over to a REPROBATE MIND to do [and to believe] those things which are NOT CONVENIENT" — NOT TRUE.
The Conclusion
Is it any wonder then that the scientists and astronomers cannot understand the real significance of the startling pictures of Mars? Is it any wonder they continue their vain, hopeless search?
Yet, the sobering reality is beginning to unfold itself shockingly to man. He is realizing the Earth Is unique in our solar system. He is beginning to realize he IS ALONE.
Out of the vast wasteland and chaos of the solar system, God focused on the planet Earth alone. It was here He chose to recreate and refashion. On Earth and Earth alone God created life and His greatest creation — MAN.
God is working out a perfect plan here below. God created man to grow in GRACE and KNOWLEDGE; to come to understand his Creator, to obey Him and to one day qualify to enter into the very Kingdom and family of God.
This is the ultimate destiny of MAN. It is the wonderful and inspiring TRUTH revealed by the Creator God in His WORD.
Satan is the deceiver of the whole world (Revelation 12:9). Satan has never given up in his quest to overthrow God. He failed in his attempt to dethrone God. Yet, he has deceived mankind in general into seeking to conquer space WITHOUT GOD.
Blindly man rushed on in his blind quest — inspired by the blindness of his own "reprobate mind" and the urgings of the DECEIVER — Satan.
Yes, this is the story the Martian photos REALLY tell. Mankind, as far as physical life forms go, really is alone in the solar system! And yet MORE THAN ALONE . . . He is without God.
The simple TRUTH is revealed clearly in God's Word — the BIBLE. Man is really not alone! God is there! "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
You can know that truth if YOU are willing to diligently seek your Maker, if you are willing to put GOD back in YOUR knowledge.