Falling Leaves III, Part One

Editor's note: This week we are continuing the Falling Leaves story. If you missed Part One, you can find four weekly installments beginning here:http://www.gospelcom.net/gci/dw/2001/08/10/, and Part Two in eight daily installments here:http://www.DailyWisdom.com/2001/11/12/.The ballroom is decorated in lavender and sea aqua. Crystal chandeliers reflect their design on silver colored walls. An ice sculpture adorns the massive tableagainst the wall, its blue - white chill in shapes of seashells and dolphins, drip on the huge shrimp tucked in scalloped dishes. Delicacies prepared in skillful design present their promise to tantalize even the most difficult to please, in every possible mélange.

Alec, Thomas, James, the Baron and others are sitting around in a group at the party upstairs."Alright, I'll play Devil's advocate. If God did make Adam and Eve, how do you explain the dinosaurs? Weren't they here for 500 million years without man?" Alec pops an hors d'oeuvre in his mouth. "The Bible says God made man and the animals in a week, a few days apart. What's wrong with this picture?"

"I guess it is possible our dating system is off." James motions to the waiter. "Originally they thought it took two and a half million years to make coal. Now I hear someone's made it in two and a half hours."

"Has that been proven?" Thomas gives his brother a doubting look.

"So they say. Probably the Dinosaurs did not live that long but even if they did, it would have nothing to do with the six days of creation the Bible speaks of. There have been many floods, ice ages and catastrophes. I've been listening to your daughter and she's making some sense, Thomas. She's saying that the word in Hebrew for the word translated in English to 'made' actually can mean 'restored.' In Genesis 1, the word 'created' is different from the word 'made' in Genesis 1:7. The Hebrew word for 'created' means 'made from nothing,' or just 'began.' The Hebrew word used in the 'made' position from Genesis 1:7 can actually mean 'restored' or 'have had a prior history.' That's why in Genesis, it goes back and forth from 'created' to 'made,' while explaining the things God did, the translators knew it was different words but, they used words that went with their understanding."

"Well, people will argue with you there," the Baroness chimes in."Why would they want to? Why is it easier for them to accept that somehow God created this billions-of-years-old universe in six days and we are misinterpreting the evidence, than it is to see the possibility that some are misinterpreting the Bible? This seems so odd to me and I'm sure a powerful force is behind its deception."

"I know between Genesis 1 and 2, some people are saying something happened." Alec shrugs and shakes his head. "Something God didn't go into great detail about. He said mysteries and secrets would be revealed in the end times. Maybe now, if we are going to have mysteries revealed, then He would have had to keep some things secret?"

"'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.' Then it says 'darkness was upon the face of the deep.' God made it in the Dark? Doesn't light come first? When you go into a room, don't you turn on the light?" Thomas rests his chin in the palm of his hands. "Why would God make all those unnecessary steps for himself? If He called the earth into existence in the dark, then spoke light and put the sun, moon and stars in place, He did it backwards. Wouldn't God create something perfect, from the beginning? Wouldn't He call it into perfect form, everything in place?"

"If He did start out with a big formless void, it would be bright and hot." James folds his arms. "Sounds like it had been covered in water after it was made for some reason, not made in the beginning with water covering it."

"Well, He didn't make it with water covering it." Ray walks up. "It was hot when being made."

"If that's the case then where's the description of the hot molten stage? Everything in space is full of gases and heat. Where's the part that says God cooled the Earth? The Earth, the planets, stars all matter was once on fire, water came later, not in the beginning There's some water and ice but, not from the beginning," Thomas points out. "As a matter of fact, some of our nearest planetary neighbors look like they have water erosion, though they have no signs of water now. Mars has watermarks all over it, so does Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. All the scientists are always wondering what happened to the water that was once on and around the planets we've studied."

Alec shakes his head. "He divided the waters that were above the firmament, meaning in the sky, from the waters below the firmament, meaning on the surface. Everything was flooded, in Genesis 1:2 the entire Universe. Nothing was hot."

"Then He's not talking about the hot stage, He's not talking about the first parts. He's start out telling us about our history, the history of our people. When that started, the whole universe was full of water and probably ice.""Right He's not talking about some of the first parts. Words like 'waste' and 'darkness' are saying something." Alec adds.

"God was hovering, brooding over the earth, He was mulling it over, coming back to it, re-addressing it. Not just calling it into existence for the first time." James reads from his Bible. "'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.' It was upon something that already existed. Wouldn't He say rather the Earth was an uninhabited piece of new clay, a wilderness, not a wasteland? That it was bright shining in the light of God's glory and perfection or whatever?""Well, at least it's not unreasonable to assume that something may have happened, especially considering whether it took longer than six days to create the earth," Thomas seems to be warming up to the idea. "If we are to unquestioningly accept the fact that nothing happened between Genesis 1 and 2, then we are to unquestioningly accept the fact that He created the world in six days, when signs point to the idea that it wasn't. Everything in our experience proves that things age."

"Why would God create something like the Universe with a different code of aging laws?" Alec states. "Why would He purposely want to confuse us? He doesn't bring confusion, He gives us skills to discern age to help us."

"Besides, what's wrong with thinking something happened between 1 and 2? Why do people get so frustrated when we say there was a pre-Adamic race?" the Baroness looks at James. " It's not like we're saying God isn't God or implicating some kind of vile sacrilegious abomination."

"Some people think you are. They think it means some pretty bad things have happened, they happen now abominations. It makes them uncomfortable. They don't understand." Ray adjusts his topknot. "I don't know much about the Bible, but I am a treasure-seeker." Alec adds. "If we can get that proof in tangible form from finding old bones... Now that would be a treasure. Rebecca is saying that 'The Garden of Eden' is in Turkey."

"Yes, where the four riverheads meet. The first Pishon, the one flowing around the whole land Havilah, where there is Gold," James looks at a little Bible. "Second Gihon, third Tigris and forth Euphrates. She would have to be correct riverheads are where the rivers begin. They flow downward tow8 ard the 911sea. She's found where there is four rivers flowing out of Turkey in something like an X pattern. If you look at it as she suggests, from the north facing south and count the rivers clockwise at the 3 o' clock position, the Tigris and the Euphrates would be the third and forth river. That would suggest that the first two have been renamed. In modern times, there is no Pishon or Gihon River."

"James, I had no idea you were an advocate of the belief system of a mythical book," Thomas looks surprised."What makes you think it is a mythical book?" the Baron begins. "Actually this very castle is rumored to be the spot the Bible mentions in Revelation as the throne room of Satan, in Pergamum." Baron Von Daek surveys his domain in pride. "Pergamum was here in Turkey, right here at this spot."

"Oh I'm sure it is a mythical book." Baal walks up and gives the Baron a warning look. "How do we know God exists?"

"How do we know he doesn't? We exist," Alec nods to the new arrival.

"Have you ever seen him? Felt him?" Baal responds.

"Have you? There's lots of things in the universe I've never seen, doesn't mean they aren't there."

"Doesn't mean they are either."

"Have you seen or felt a God?" Alec continues.

Baal just stares at Alec.

"Seems like you have, and you're mad at him."

"And why would I be mad at him?"

"I'm sure I wouldn't know. I suppose if there was a God and he wanted us to know, he would have a way to do so. I'm sorry I'm not sure I've met you." Alex looks at Baal.

"I'm just a friend of the Baron's, Mr. Laab. Speaking of friends, Baron, our major associate is otherwise engaged at the moment, but I wonder if he would be pleased at your neglect? To protect his interests, and your own perhaps, you should consult him to avoid his displeasure."

"Consult who, darling," the Baroness looks puzzled."

The Baron nods to his friend. "I will not neglect my interests. Just a business associate dear."

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