SHORT ANSWERS TO TEN PERTINENT QUESTIONS ABOUT GENESIS, REVELATION AND
SAINT MARY
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How old is the world according to Genesis?God created the light on the first day (Gen 1:1), which precisely came into existence thanks to this light. However, the sun was only created on the fourth day (Gen 1:14-19). This is why the six days of creation are not identical with earth-days depending on our Sun but are undefined time periods. So since their length is not specified they do not oppose to a 15 billion years old universe. See Night and day
Why is the creation of the plants mentioned before that of the Sun?This apparent paradox of the second account of creation is linked to the fact that there is light before the Sun and that the six creation-days are not earth-days. This is why the supernatural Garden of Eden refers in the first place to celestial plants living of celestial light, our terrestrial plants only having a secondary meaning. These celestial plants do not need the light of the Sun and were created before our physical world. This is why the account mentions them before the Sun. See Celestial and terrestrial plants
Why is the creation of Adam mentioned before the plants and animals?This paradox is exactly of the same nature as the previous ones, that is it indicates a celestial creation, which always came into existence before terrestrial creations. As it is, with Adam is of course mentioned the creation of man, but this is again only a secondary meaning. The first chapters of Genesis are full of hierarchically layered references. In short, it can be showed that the creation of Adam in the first place implies the creation of the angels. A hidden allusion, among others, to this is precisely the fact that his creation is mentioned before that of the plants and animals, which does not correspond to the chronology of biological evolution. See Some apparent paradoxes of Genesis 2-3
What about the speaking snake?The speaking snake is probably the best example for the multisignificance of Genesis: On the one hand, it is evident that the devil is meant, an angel being able of speech. On the other hand, snakes are animals that do not speak. So Genesis mixes this two beings into a single surrealistic entity. To get it realistic again, one needs to separate clearly angels and animals. This multisignificance used for the speaking snake is also used for the other animals, that is the hierarchy of the animals and their characteristics refer to those among the angels, without distorting the fact that at the same time the animals literally just represent common animals in a secondary meaning. See Some apparent paradoxes of Genesis 2-3
Was Adam literally created from the dust of the ground?Definitely not! Why should Genesis suddenly become literally? Instead, this passage contains multiple references to at least
See The incarnation prefigured by Adam and The Theory of descent
What kind of fruit did Adam and Eve eat?Was it an apple or an orange? None of them of course because they did eat a symbolic fruit that already have eaten the angels, especially the devil who seduces Adam and Eve to eat it. In short, the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil means the desire to live according to one's own laws instead of those dictated by others, especially by higher powers like the society or God. It is the first crime, a crime committed in the head, where all crimes start at first. See The knowledge of good end evil and The life cycle of Adam and Eve
Where was the Paradise?One often says that the Paradise is there where one feels happy. This is in a certain sense also true for the biblical Paradise, for it refers to places where humanity succeeded and lived in relative peace. In the first place it means of course Heaven, the place of God and the angels. In connection with the theory of multireference and the cycles of salvation history, it also means the place of the first humans in Central Africa. At a later period, it is the plain of the Euphrates and Tigris where the Sumerian civilization began to settle and the Flood took place. See The glacial era
Was the Flood global or local?The Flood was definitely a local event limited to the plain of the Euphrates and Tigris in present Iraq. Archeologists can prove that there was an immense inundation in 4000 BC (this is exactly the date supplied by Genesis) provoked probably by a cyclone or tsunami. The planetary catastrophe has to be understood within the context of the whole Bible, especially with Revelation that announces the famous end of the world. There is evidence that the global character of the Flood does not refer to the past but to the future disaster of World War III, which is likely to be a deluge of nuclear fire.
What means the beast of Revelation?As with most prophetic objects also the beast of the book of Revelation has multiple significations varying from persons to Empires in the past and future. Nero and other Roman emperors did incarnate it of course but also the city of Rome and the Roman Empire as a whole. As Empire, the beast holds a longer period than when it is only incarnated by persons. This is why "the beast was, and is not, and is to ascend from the abyss..." (Rev 17:8) is not only valid for periods of human lives but also for centuries of European history, for the beast that "was" is the antique Roman Empire, "is not" means its fall and the disappearance of the Roman culture for the centuries until the Renaissance when Antiquity was rediscovered in Europe, so that the beast reappeared again "from the abyss". This re-emergence is very slow and long and starts harmless in the beginning to go towards its climax, which will end with the Antichrist, when the beast will be personified again. See THE CHURCH DURING THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Why are there apparitions of Saint Mary?Marian apparitions are due to the repetitive nature of the history of salvation, which has three eras with four cycles each one. The cycles are again composed of four phases (see Summary of Salvation History). In the spiritual era there is, in addition to the usual phases, a phase of apparition, which was realized the first time with the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary Jesus' birth at the beginning of his life cycle. This is only a short phase of course, but this is normal as the first cycle is limited to the life of Jesus on earth. The second phase of apparition is held by the apparitions of Jesus after his resurrection during forty days. This phase is part of the second cycle limited to the primitive Church of Jerusalem. The third and fourth phase belong respectively to the third and fourth cycle that are much longer periods. Consequently, also their phases of apparition last longer. And since they are long periods, they include not only a single apparition of Mary but innumerable ones at different dates and places in the world. See TWO NEW PHASES: APPARITION AND SPIRIT and THE DAUGHTER OF ZION |
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