Tsynod

“The Hebrew term raquia consistently refers to a physical surface that has been stretched out, like fabric stretched over a frame or like “hammered out gold leaf” (Ex 39:3; cf. Num 16:38). The Genesis text says God “made” or “fashioned” (asah) the raquia in the heavens, indicating that something material was “stretched out” by him (Ps 104:2). Paul Seely explains, Standard Hebrew lexica… have defined the raquia (firmament) of Gen 1:6-8 as a solid dome over the earth… Only by taking Genesis 1 out of its historical context could one say that raquia means merely ‘an atmospheric expanse’ or, as more sophisticated conservatives say, “just phenomenal language.” In the ancient world the sky was not just phenomenal. The ancients did not just refer to the appearance of the sky as being solid. They concluded from the appearance that the sky really was solid… the raquia was for them literal physical part of the universe, just as solid as the earth itself. Some scholars have tried to show that raquia, at least as used in the creation account, does not refer to a physical dome. However, within the Bible itself there is confirmation the day two raquia should be read as a physical vault. Psalm 104:2 reflects on creation day two with the words, “stretch[ed] out the heavens like a tent.” And the author of Job, reflecting on creation day two, wrote, “Can you, like him, spread out [raquia] the skies, hard as a cast metal mirror?” (Job 37:18). This perception is pervasive in the Bible. Exodus describes an encounter with God on Mount Sinai as a climb high enough to reach the dome of heaven and see through it to the feet of God: “There was under [God’s] feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness” (Ex 24:10). In that instance, God revealed “his feet” within the cultural expectations that his throne rested on the dome one the earth. Ezekiel saw a similar vision of God’s throne on top of a crystalline dome: Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of an expanse [raquia], shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out above their heads. And under the expanse [raquia] their wings were stretched out… And there came a voice from above the expanse [raqia] over their heads… And above the expanse [raquia] over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was… the likeness of the glory of the LORD. (Ezek 1:22-28; cf. Ezek 10:1; Ps 104:1-3, 13) The day two narrative envisions a physical vault fashioned by God, inserted into the midst of the waters, and then elevated to heft half of hotel waters into a suspended position over the earth. The description is like a knife slicing into a dinner roll, and then lifting the upper half of the roll from over the lower half. The firmament installed on day two is the backdrop for events on other creation days also. The heavenly lights were thought to be suspended from the heavenly dome, traveling their courses across its surface. Thus on day four God states, “Let there be lights in the firmament [raquia] of the heavens” (Gen 1:14), and on day five the birds were said to fly “across the face of the firmament of the heavens” (Gen 1:20). Modern scientific tools have enabled humans to examine the skies — and even to visit them! We now know that there is no physical vault in the heavens. If, therefore, we were to judge the accuracy of the Bible by the degree to which the Spirit gave the prophets advanced scientific insight, then Gen 1:6-8 needs to be added to a long list of problem texts. But here, as throughout the Bible, the Scripture reveals heaven’s truths within the language and conventions of the original audience.” Michael Lefebvre, The Liturgy of Creation (2019), pp. 154-155. H/T Tim Martin