In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth........?

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   xanzacowposted 11 years ago

   In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth........?
   
   This first scripture confuses me a bit. We are told that God lives in Heaven, and that he has always existed. No beginning, no end. So, where did he reside before he created the heavens?

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   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   God does not need a place to reside. He is omnipresent. It is hard to wrap the human mind around because we have not "seen" anything to compare it to.

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      xanzacowposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, very difficult indeed. Thank you for your answer.

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   Benjimesterposted 11 years ago

   The word there for "Heavens" is the first and second heaven I believe, which is the sky and outer space.  That's why Paul says in 2 Corinthians that he was caught up into the "Third Heaven" because that's the place referred to as actual heaven where God resides.  I could be wrong, but that's how I interpret it.

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      xanzacowposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hmmm, interesting. I did not know there was more than one heaven referenced. Thank you for your answer.

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      sheilamyersposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That's how I've always heard it explained.

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   wheatbaybayposted 11 years ago

   I must agree God is omnipresent and we as humans will never completely understand Him and his wisdom. We have to also understand that the Bible was written by man and as humans we can and do make mistakes. But there are a lot of things that we simply can't not example and God and how and why he does what he does. I feel that maybe somethings in Bible aren't quite the way they were orginally meant to be written. The Bible has been edited and revised and man ultimately decided what books to included in our Christian canon. So I think its simply a matter of faith; rather you believe was written or not.

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      Ericdierkerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think that saying "it is simply a matter of faith" is kind of bunk. I do not worry one spittle due to my faith, I am given what I can handle due to my faith. But I do not and will not stop thinking because of my faith, as Christ did not.

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   Deborah Sextonposted 11 years ago

   It doesn't say He lives in Heaven. God is omnipresent and omnipotent
   
   In your thinking you are really limiting God and God is without limits, that's what being divine really means
   
   Psalms 90
   2  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God
   
   Revelations 19
   6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

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      xanzacowposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I did not say that the Bible says that God lives in Heaven. I said this is what we are told. When someone dies they are said to be in Heaven with God. So this implies that He is in Heaven: that heaven is an actual place. I am not limiting God at all.

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      Deborah Sextonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Sorry you didn't say who told us just that we are told
      Quote
      "We are told that God lives in Heaven"
      Who do you say tells us that when we die we are in Heaven?

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      xanzacowposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That is what I was taught in Sunday School, and a lot of people do say it. " He / She has gone to be with the Lord" and other such sayings....

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   Borsiaposted 11 years ago

   gods exist in the minds of believers, details like where did it come from, where did it go, etc. don't have answers. Believers don't need answers to such questions.

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      xanzacowposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't ask where God came from, but thanks for answering.

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      Borsiaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Play it through; gods exist in the minds of man so prior to man inventing them they never existed, hence they neither had a place nor needed one.

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   krisaclarkposted 11 years ago

   It's another one of those contradictions that nobody has an answer for

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   Larry Wallposted 11 years ago

   It seems like everyone thinks of God and those who die as corporeal beings residing in a place that may resemble a nice neighborhood. However, we do not know if we are going to exist in a spiritual state, as corporeal beings or in a form that we cannot imagine. People have images of God. Some see him as an old man, with all the wisdom of eternity and others see him in other forms. I know there is a God and I know there is a heaven and I hope to make it to heaven and to meet God so I can ask forgiveness for all the mistakes I have made. I do not know the what the form or structure we will be. Someone will quote that Jesus said in my Father's house are many mansions..." I do not doubt that, but as the master architect, I am not expecting three bedrooms and a wide screen television.

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      Ericdierkerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Some of us claim to have seen or have intimate knowledge of that locale, which I am very fond of calling heaven. I have been in such states that the ballistics of a human body are irrelevant.  xanzacow brings us head on with a definition.  ?????

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   connorjposted 11 years ago

   
   
   Where does an author live in relation to his story, play or film? He lives without not within.

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      Ericdierkerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      then he did not live his story inside of him. And he cannot know us characters.
      An author -- as here in hub pages who does not live her writing is and advertising hack. I can smell it. Like with this comment. Not sincere. Words on paper but no more.

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      connorjposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Eric I am puzzled by your reply, it seems suspect. The author knows his characters because He created them... When I perused Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis many moons ago I believe this is somewhat how he described God and it always made sense to me

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      Ericdierkerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Have you written a creative piece and been apart from the characters? Have you authored a writing and not been part of it? Could God have created mankind and not been part of him? Are you not the owner of what you create?

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      connorjposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with your last statement completely. I never said otherwise...

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      Ericdierkerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      thank you, now I understand in what way it was meant. Being so cryptic is a little bit like saying "i'll just throw this out there without commitment". Good for you.

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    taburkettposted 11 years ago

    The simple answer to your question is -
    anywhere he wished -
    because he is the Lord -
    Creator of all, Prefactor to all, Benefactor to all.

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    Thesourceposted 11 years ago

    You are confused because you are limited by scriptures. You have been told to look into scriptures for God. That is probably why you are doing it. Theologians have never found God.
    
    To seek God, you must dare to go beyond scriptures. You can only know God through your soul and not through you mind with is tied to scriptures. You can never know God using your mind and analyzing scriptures. Those who  want you to do that are blind about God. The blind leading the blind.
    Despite the fact there are some truths in scriptures and it not perfect like God.
    
    Go into deep into yourself where God resides and you will find him. A child often feels God within and child acts because the chlld trust the God within. No scriptures are necessary. When a person naturally loves another that person hears God.
    God prefer not to use words. Look at the bird and animals God tells them where and when to look for food and shelter. They hear God better than us.
    
    For God there is no such thing as time. If he does not like something it would not have existed or exists or will exist. God only has NOW, the present. From this powerful moment he control the past, present and future. Therefore, what God sees, that is the absolute truth.  What we know about time is therefore an illusion. This is why some gifted psychics can see through this illusion and know the past, present and future. When God sees you he see your past, present and future all happening NOW. And He similes at you.
    
    When you find God he will be pleased and you will rejoice.
    
    For more on this read my HUB
    
    http://thesource.hubpages.com/hub/AboutGod

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       wheatbaybayposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I do agree God does reside in us and everything that he has created we all possess "spark of the divine" which he instills in us from the moment we conceived in the womb. So therefore, we can look inside ourselves to find him.

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       Thesourceposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       You are right the presence in each of us has been called "spark of the divine". Your body was conceived in the womb, but God created you long before that. Your soul remembers everything, but you mind cannot remember your loving presence with God.

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    stanwshuraposted 11 years ago

    To ponder this and other seeming or actual catch-22s wrt life/creation, et c., I highly recommend the (audio)book The Grand Design, by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow.

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    Savio Dawsonposted 11 years ago

    Hi xanzacow,
    
    The creation of heavens could also mean the skyline, which would be the milky way itself, our parent galaxy... Isn't that the heavens we see? The scriptures made it simple so that we can understand... Can you imagine our great forefathers of 10th or 13th century A.D. reading the scripture stating that God made the Milky Way and the Earth.. How confusing would that be? So, I think the scripture was constructed taking into consideration the ability of people to follow,  through the ages...
    
    So, his residence (so called), the heavens was always there but honestly, he cannot be considered to be living at any one place in isolation.. He is in heaven and at the same time with me, while I am typing this point.... And with you, while you are reading it..
    
    God Bless!

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    LoisRyan13903posted 11 years ago

    The heavens means the sky, the solar system, planets, stars, the whole universe

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    Ericdierkerposted 11 years ago

    I think this is a great question. Really makes you stop and think. Great Teachers like  Christ normally taught that way. Do not get me wrong, I love my home and am basically happy residing there. But I sure hope I do not have to "reside" anywhere when I die. I hope that I am free of a need for any residence, especially one with an address.
    God lives everywhere. He is omnipresent. So before and after creation of our earthly and "heavenly" bodies he lived the same place he does now,,, everywhere. So for sure He is in heaven and at 1010 East Elm st.

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    kessposted 11 years ago

    The question becomes relevant only when God is assigned a particular form.
    Then to assign him to a particular locality, becomes logical  and expected.
    
    This is because Human can only perceive something/anything exactly as they perceive themselves and we do have form and locale.
    
    The reality of God/Heaven, it is a state a being, without form thus without locality.
    It is achieved, when we begin to see everything as perfect, because it is indeed so, otherwise existence wouldn't exist.

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    xanzacowposted 11 years ago

    Lots of great thought inspiring answers! Thank you all. It is still a mystery to me.

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    Mitch Alanposted 11 years ago

    When the Bible refers to the created physical heavens and earth, it is speaking of just that. God created the physical universe that we live in. When it speaks of Heaven as the dwelling place of God, it is speaking of a spiritual, but no less real, place that is where God resides that is "outside" of our physical world. On way, although not a perfect explanation, is to consider a computer programmer. He lives in the highest level of existence, our real world, while the computer generated world that he creates is separate from his world, but still connect and "real". It's not a perfect analogy, but it does give a general understanding.

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       Borsiaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Wow god is digital,,, cool

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       Mitch Alanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Haha...No, in this analogy God is the reality and we are digital...

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