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“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Now is the time to be bold brothers and sisters. Stand up! Be the action arm of the Body Of Christ. Give, Love, feed and clothe the poor. Do great acts of kindness, pray for and forgive our enemies. Stand up Christian!!! Be the person you were called to be. You were MADE for This time. Praise God!!!

So grateful for the ALL teachings Dr. Heiser provides.

I don’t get the controversy, but I’m willing to be convinced. I’ve always thought of the creation event from a set-theory point-of-view: 1) God already existed, and eternally and fully occupies whatever it is we refer to as the supernatural - that’s our word which is useful and ok. 2) God created a subset of reality with specific limitations (time, space, matter, laws, …). He created an “empty set” within the set of everything else, names things, fills it, enters it, etc. He created a void within reality - composed of literally nothing, and 3) then put new stuff in it. Supernatural is the “real” reality.

Thanks Dr H, these little snippets are great and really make me think. I wish that I had the time (and intellect lol) to study under you tutelage. They always give me pause to think about how Awesome the Lord is. This particular one makes a lot of sense to me. I hope that your health is improving!

Still praying for his health. May our God, a good good father, bless Mike's health as he lifts up and leads Christianity into a new era.

I'm finally getting around to reading Unseen. Love it. Explains things that I suspected and things that I never knew beyond Bible College and Seminary (funny how you said those words as I was typing them) that don't get much farther than the creation story being a polemic.

thank you for your faithfulness, may God miraculously heal you, we need you for these end times !!!!

I've been reading Unseen Realm for the first time and I can sincerely say it's one of the best books I've ever read.

The concept “from nothing” in the context of Genesis 1:1 is “in the beginning,” a beginning in which God already was. While there could have been remaking and recreation as in the gap theory, at some point in the past, at the beginning, only God already was.

Wow, I didn't even realize that it was there! Thank you Dr Heiser, you're awesome!

Hey Dr. Heiser, I hope you're feeling well and getting better. I will keep you in my prayers.

I feel like we need the longer form of this video. Dr. Heiser seems to be saying that a particular apologetics strategy (claiming Bara automatically means Ex-Nihlio) is bad, but with just this segment of the talk it sounds like he’s saying that God didn’t create Ex-Nihlio at all which I’m pretty sure Dr. Heiser doesn’t believe.

Awesome video..I hope you're doing well Dr. Heiser.

First was the Word God spoke all into existence. Then the Word became flesh to save us.

I hope you are feeling strong and well, Dr. Heiser. Continued prayers for your healing and recovery.

Creation was not out of nothing but out of the power of God’s words. The words of God have creative power. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:10-11‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

I can watch this/his teaching all day, & never be bored. My mind would be full of meanings & understanding. Thank you Michael

I’d love to see the whole lecture series these snippets come from.

The rest of creation was made by his word. He said “let there be light” and there was light. The visible were made out of things that were invisible. When God made man, there was detail of how God out of the ground formed man. Dr.Heiser has a point, but it needs a longer video because it suggests an incomplete view in such a short video. God creating using his word alone is what makes him GOD. That is why when he says anything is possible for him, it has a weight in it because of how great he is in creation.

It took me awhile to realize that there was never a moment when there was nothing. There was and is and will Always be Farther So nothing can not will not have an existence. We can speculate what things are made of and the how and the why,but we do know it can not come nothing because nothing has no existence. Always farther his savior and spirit

Thank you Dr. Heiser for pointing out a text that is often misread. My understanding is that God physically created man and everything else on earth from matter that already existed. The earth was nill and void and by speaking light into existence is an indicator that incomplete earth was created out of nothing, but he created man and everything else on earth from matter that was created by Him, from nothing before chaotic earth. That process is not being spelled out. We as believers can sometimes be over zealous and do more damage than good because we don't read the Bible attentively. May God restore your health completely and bless you and your loved ones.

Would you say the point of bara and asah as forming and not necessarily ex nihilo is Genesis 1-2 & Psalm 33 would be fully compatible if we found components of the universe pre-existed the Big Bang? ie, oscillating, quantum fluctuations, etc?

I have "Unseen Realm", and I want to read it as soon as possible! I really like to watch Dr Heiser, especially when he throws in an X-Files reference!

Don't forget to attend today's WEBINAR, March 21, at 8:00 p.m. (ET) on this KZfaq Channel THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL LOGOS DISCOUNT FOR WEBINAR ATTENDEES - BEST PRICE OF THE YEAR. Simulcast: Facebook: facebook.com/DRMSHPhD Don't forget to join the DIVINE COUNCIL WORLDVIEW - Bible Discussion Group facebook.com/groups/393777644878175

This is good! What software or app does Michael Heiser use this word study… Nara, asa, etc? Can someone please direct me to the software? 🙏

This video seems to be part of a longer one. if so were can I find it. I'd like to see the rest.

"Psalm 33-6 "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." Michael is right again. God didn't make anything from nothing.

I would love to know what programs in Logos he is using here

The greatest expositor of the word I've ever heard.

Praying for Dr. Heiser. Can anyone tell me how he is doing?

I would like to ask is the creation in genesis 1 for human is the same or different of creating adam and eve in genesis 2 .

Let me ask you a question... Where does the Equator come from?

Hebrews 11:3, and remember, God's word will not return void, ever. Thank you

I’d love to hear a podcast discussion with Dr. Heiser and Mauro Biglino.

If one believes that God is God as he reveals himself in Scripture, then one has 0 problems whatsoever believing that He created everything that is out of nothing. It is really that simple. I don't know the full context of this video, but I really hope this man is not suggesting otherwise.

Since the heavens and the earth wasn't created out of nothing, what were they created out of? I believe God had a conversation with Job along these same lines.

The way I've read it, bara seems to be the the general word for creation as a whole, undifferentiated pure creation, versus the specified act of shaping some empirical form or another in a certain way. That is, the contrast of Man being formed in His image (a spiritual creation, the act of being given an animating consciousness formed after His own), and the act of the fleshly body being formed from dirt. To me the "ex nihilo" is implicit in the conception of metaphysical creation and is still at the back of any word connected to idea of creation no matter how specific or empiric (the body of a man, or any other animal, may be made of all the same minerals as the dirt around him, but it is the breath of life from the Divine Mind giving it such a radically different arrangement and continually cycling form, where previously none existed, which makes it an unique unified active agent rather than a passive collection of atomic elements). Ex nihilo creation in Genesis is not at conflict with the Psalmist either, mostly because in both places the ultimate point being made is a spiritual one, and neither does it seem to be of theological contention that God has explicitly, from all reasonable investigation of truth, both spoke everything into existence from seemingly nothing and formed innumerable incredible novel wonders from all the base material that has so long existed.

Actually, I don't think we necessarily have a problem with Psalms 33:6 and heaven being asah. The "substance" or "material" used to asah is here identified as "the word of the Lord." That would agree with an ex nihilo creation in the beginning. Just food for thought.

Awesome

John 1:In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Genesis 1 is the story of a potter at his wheel, shaping something out of existing materials.

Do you think this undermines the Kalam Cosmological arguement?

The problem with looking at the usage of “create” verbs to determine whether Genesis 1 and other initial creation accounts were creation ex nihilo is that creation from nothing would be the ONLY example of that- Ie, nothing else is created from nothing so far as we know, do you shouldn’t expect to see “asa” or “bara “ used in that way Conceptually, God is the only self existent Being and everything else is by definition created from nothing- matter came into being

I always heard that the Bara in Genesis 1:27 was about creating the soul. The essence of man. It wasn't the physical form because God had no body for us to be the image of, which is what the rest of the verse is talking about

The world lost a true hero today. Rob Skiba was a teacher, a mentor, and a true man of faith. If you didn't know him, or of him, you missed out. He is with Yahweh now, and he will be greatly missed. He has changed our lives for the better and we will continue on, with his teachings, knowing we will see him again

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. *All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.* ~ John 1:1-3 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are *all things* and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are *all things* and through whom we exist. ~ 1 Corinthians 8:6 For by him *all things were created,* *in heaven and on earth,* *visible and invisible,* whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- *all things were created through him and for him.* ~ Colossians 1:16

Dr Michael, I hope you are feeling fine and on the mend. I wait with bated breath for your next clip of video where you unravel the mysteries of the bible. יוי

Whats the alternative? God went to lowes for parts. Its certainly implied. He created all things.

@Dr.MichaelS.Heiser- i dont have neither the physics or hebrew background to fully study my hypothesis that Genesis 1:1 refers to a black hole. Not that the black hole is God but that this was from where God created all. The singularitu where physics breaks down and from where God separated light from dark with His word. I also think that time began with light and is not tied to gravity. Also, the work of the second day is the only evening without God calling it good. Is it because the work was not completed, hence the universe is still expanding? Just my initial thoughts. I have more but thought id start with these.

I get the impression that Dr Heiser is warning of using Genesis 1:1 ALONE as an apologetic arguement with a learned atheist for the notion that God created the heavens and the earth out of NOTHING. In other words we need to know the fullness of the scripture to argue apologetics with people who have made it their business to refute scripture. Someone mentioned the Awakened Theology class below... I think I will check that out, sounds interesting.

What is the software you are using here? This is so terribly more convenient than trying to read it out of a printed Interlinear.

How could you ever come to the idea of making something without pre existing material.

Creation "out of nothing" is a doctrine not a biblical text. It is philosophical theology, a ubset of "systematic theology". We can reasonably arrive at this doctrine as "biblical" without proof - texts. The Jewish rabbis essentially engaged in such a process long before the Latin phrase "ex nihilo".

Since Gen 1.1 lists the heavens before the earth, it makes sense that the earth was created out of the heavenly ‘substance’ which is described as water from which the earth emerged. Heavens (shamayim) in Hebrew contains the word for waters (mayim) plural, this is a big hint. And Ps 33.6 says the heavens were made by His Word which is breath/spirit, also seen in Gen 1.2 fluttering (dove?) over the waters. This is like birth out of the dark waters of the womb into the light and the new born takes his first breath (spirit) and cries out with a shout after a cycle of 40 (avg human gestation period is 40 weeks; themes seen in the Exodus and Christ’s baptism out of waters and 40 years/days of trial, or Noah’s flood, etc) - themes of Rosh Hashanah the Hebrew new year at the last trumpet at the end of time (of the year) when Yeshua came into the world the first time (Sept 11, 3 BCE with the star map shown in Rev 12) and comes back with a shout at the last trumpet when the dead are reborn from the earth to begin the new age of the 1000 year reign and overcome the waters of chaos (nations at war with the Lord). Praise the Lord of heavens and earth Yeshua Jesus.

I think Genesis 1:1 does imply the creation from nothing. But, there is nothing that states that billions of years and multiple recreations happened between Genesis 1:1 and genesis 1:2. God can change the earth like we change cloths. The Bible makes it clear that it's not a book about the universe. It's a book about the generations of Adam.

Thank you for showing that non-YEC interpretations of Genesis 1 can be exegetically supported. I've been told that scholarship ignores the "plain meaning" of the text by reinterpreting it with pagan sources.

Gen1:1- Created- Bara- Context the world was without form and void. Gen1:26- Make- Aseh-to make, He used Earth to make Gen2:7- Formed- Yiser- to form, He used Earth to form As you always say, use context. Genesis and Psalm are not comparable for the sense of the verb. Genesis is recount, almost like a documentary and Psalm is recounting in a song. Two different contextual uses. Just as you used Psalms to dismiss Genesis, one can also use Genesis to dismiss Psalm, especially when given the full context, difference with void and Earth. I would be interested to see full video.

I have a study I wrote that touched on this. Basically, Paul states the third heaven, so we can conclude that there are 3 heavens. What is heaven in this context? The first heaven, or our atmosphere and immediate "space". Second, the universe. Third, God's place where He is at. In the beginning the heavens and Earth were created. Some time passed before that period and the forming of and population of earth. There is biblical language as used in Revelation to describe the earth in turmoil compared to when Satan is left here alone for 1000 years. Also, recognize that the conflict between Satan and Christ started prior to man being created. There was time prior to the beginning of time as we know it. Technically, we are a pause or an insert to eternal life due to sin. There will be a time, soon, when sin will be no more and we will live in eternity. Anyway, the sin of Satan in the heaven of God happened. Then God created another heaven, or realm, and Earth in which we live in and this has a beginning. God vanished Satan here to this world. This is the beginning, I believe, Genesis might be referring to. Notice how God calls our atmosphere, the 1st heaven, in Genesis 1:8-9. Then v14-20 the space, or universe, heaven as well. It is at this time that God puts the sun, moon, stars, planets in space. So in the beginning, it is speaking of the beginning of our universe and not of God's place, the third heaven. This is why it can be said that the earth has so many billions of years, because who knows how long God took between the creation of a formless earth and the actual forming and populating of it. God created the heaven and earth to quarantine Satan and his angels and allow Satan the chance to show his government. Of course, this doesn't mean that God created us to be miserable. He gave us the same opportunity as He did the angels of heaven to choose good or evil. Unfortunately we chose evil. I hope it makes sense.

I'd have to see the whole lecture, for this doesn't necessarily prove it one way or the other, just that bara can mean something other than create out of nothing. Also, the fact that the heaven and the earth (at least separately) are also "made" or "formed" doesn't disprove it, for we also colloquially say that God "made" them. No one in church or seminar will "correct" you when you say that God "made" the heaven and the earth. Besides, I also think that you have to grapple with the context of 1) bereshit in the absolute state and 2) the expression "the heaven and the earth" as representing "everything".

Who's to say the word "Bara" was a mistake i.e. the wrong choice of word?

This is more about thinking we'll rather than God creating something from nothing..., God created ALL things, yes he created man from dust, but he also created the dust.

The New Testament also tells us about the creation event and clearly DOES affirm that the universe was created out of nothing. The Koine word for "made" in Jn 1:3 is "ginomai" (ἐγένετο). It's primary meaning is : "to become, i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being" (Strong's and Thayer's and Wigham's Lexicons all agree on this). While the word's secondary sense can imply something like "forming" instead of creating, the strong emphasis in John's repetition of his claim that the Word created ALL things makes this use of "ginomai" unlikely.

The bottom line: it starts with a supernatural God. If not, the entire universe arose from nothing for no particular reason with no particular plan other than random subsequent accident(s)/coincidences. Consider the staggering complexities and unknowns of our planet, solar system, galaxy and universe. Humans can't even effectively explain the origin of human consciousness or the realities of love. In our 'wisdom' we have become fools. I'll go with the Word of God.

I got given this Mormon translation bible it’s pretty interesting at least

The bible says that through the Word God made everything, period. 1 In the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 Through him all things were made, and apart from him nothing was made that has been made.

Doesn't matter that it may not mean from nothing.. The Gospel of John says everything that was made was made by the Word. Nothing exists that He didn't make. All concepts and parts of parts could have existed before being used but He still made it ALL of it.

If the word is used it should have had some sort of meaning before Moses wrote it right. How would you end up with such a word especially it being a single word

I always struggled with creation ex nihilo because I don't believe that God is a kind of magician presenting an object out of nothing. In my opinion we should focus on God being the supreme spirit. What we call matter, space and time could have his origin in the spirit of God. God is the source of everything we call "creation". His way of creating is making the invisible visible. And he is doing it by speaking it into existence. If he is saying for example "Let there be light" he already must have had a concept of what "light" is, before he did create it. So it has to "pre-exist" in him. Hope that makes sense.

Failed to mention that the heavens and the earth is a phrase used to mean, reality, existence or the universe, because they conceptualized it differently, so god created "reality" is the verse.

It's true that Adam and Eve's bodies were made from pre-existing material, but what about their spirits and souls? BTW I'm glad Dr Heiser is doing better.

One thing I really disliked about this video.... ...is that it was only 7 minutes long.

For those who are interested here is a full session video covering this snippet: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hMl-mN15udfTg6c.html

When people ask me, "Is God truly real"?? My reply is hardly of the standard "Garden Variety", but also very generic and often heard, as I myself ask in return, "Does a "bereshit" in the woods"??

Translators have demonstrated that "in the beginning" is not verse 1 but the name of the book.

Where did 'out of nothing' doctrine originate? I have heard it over and over, and always thought it is missing something. The end tells us about the beginning. Everything is made out of Time... whatever that is. It looks like the 'new' creation is made out of something timeless rather than time. Rev 10:6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

What if...."bara" was actually written as two separate words. IF this were the case, according to the "Acient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible" by Jeff Benner, we would have: Ba = to fill/enter a space (empty or otherwise), Ra = to see, perceive, or have a vision. Now, ...God entered a space with a vision [of] the Heaven and earth. This seems to support the next verse regarding the unformed earth that was void and dark.

Sooo…what does it actually mean?

The Catholic Church has become so full of talk of symbols. Bishop Barron recently told the world that Adam wasn't a person. Thank God for Protestants like you :)

It seems here that Dr Heiser is trying to advocate for a preexisting matter before Genesis 1:1. Yet, if it were the case, the Bible wouldn't begin with "In the begining" because it would be false, of course. So, this short and simple analysis of the text is incomplete, since the logical part of the interpretation has not being applied at all in respect of the hebrew word Bara'. That's why I wonder if the OEC have a case at all with these kind of poor attempts to justify their position.

If the Hebrew word Yom can have varied meanings based on the context of the passage, so can bara. Just because bara doesn’t mean creation ex nihilo in Gen. 1:26 doesn’t mean it doesn’t have that function in Gen. 1:1. I wish he would have expanded on this video a bit because just out right dismissing creation ex nihilo because the word bara seems to have different meanings isn’t a valid objection in my opinion.

Bara means brought fourth.

Ironic that the same people who say "something can't come from nothing, therefore God did it" simultaneously believe God made something come from nothing.

This is absolutely fascinating. I'm trying to see how this will fit with the doctrine of creation ex nihilo. Fascinating material👍

John chapter 1 says that Dr. Michael Heiser got this one wrong

You write a whole bible and don’t ask the expert of the language your translating into what he thinks

John 1 kinda bridges that and the psalm

When Yahweh got every last detail of Creation 🔥 in His mind , He said , Let what's on the inside of Me ,,, Be out there ,,,,, !

The universe was not created out of nothing, but created out of something invisible.

In the beginning. Not after a while.

Totally CONfused! LOL

Just over here sharing the physical properties of dust.

If he was saying there was something before Gen 1:1, then we have a dilema. We know before there was something, there had to be nothing. If YHVH did not create from nothing, then who did? And why do we not worship that elohim?

Gen 1:1 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, I reveal unto you concerning this heaven and this earth; write the words which I speak. Gen 1:2 I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God. By mine Only Begotten I created these things. Gen 1:3 Yea, in the beginning I created the heaven and the earth upon which thou standest. Gen 1:4 And the earth was without form and void; and I caused darkness to come up upon the face of the deep. Gen 1:5 And my Spirit moved upon the face of the waters, for I am God. ... There is so much more the Lord wants to show those who are searching!

I've never seen in the Bible the phrase creation out of nothing.

Who do us humans think we are that we can understand the Genesis account of creation. We will never understood creation from nothing. You either believe it or you don't.

Pardon me for bring in an idea from outside the Bible but Albert Einstein taught us "e = mc²." That means energy can become matter. God has infinite power. For God to create the whole universe from the energy of His Being is no big deal for Him. God did not create out of nothing. God spoke and it was so. e = mc².

Nothing doesn’t exist as it would put a frame in or around infinity - this would make infinity finite.

I do believe the word should be translated as Fattened(bara).