Page 115 - Gods Plan of the Ages

the earth, or a portion of it, brought about by a judgmentof God, we can reasonably
conclude that a judgment of God precipitated the condition of the earth found in Genesis
1:2. The Bible provides more evidence in support of this understanding. Isaiah tells us the
following:

Isaiah 45:18
For thus says Yahweh, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and
made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be
inhabited)...

Yahweh did not create the earth as a waste place, yet in Genesis 1:2 we find that it has
become one. Let us look once more at the correct rendering of the first 2 verses of Genesis.

Genesis 1:1-2
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. But the earth became formless,
and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

At the very beginning of the creation God made the heavens and the earth. He did not
create them a waste. He created them perfect. Yet something occurred to mar their
perfection. By looking at the language of verse two, and comparing it to the rest of scripture,
we understand that it was due to a judgment of God that the earth was made formless, void
and covered in darkness. The remainder of Genesis chapter one speaks of the re-creation
of the earth, not its original creation.
What occurred on this original earth that caused Yahweh to judge it so completely?
We are only given one event that could have caused such a judgment to be rendered. This
event occurred prior to the creation of Adam. It was the rebellion of Satan.

Ezekiel 28:12-18
Thus says Yahweh God, "You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in
beauty. "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering:
the ruby, the topaz and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx and the jasper; the lapis lazuli,
the turquoise and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and
sockets, was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were the
anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of
God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from
the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you. By the abundance of
your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast
you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub,
from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you
corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you
before kings, that they may see you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the
unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought
fire from the midst of you; it has consumed you, and I have turned you to ashes on the
earth in the eyes of all who see you."

Where did the judgment of Satan take place? We are told that God cast Satan "to the
ground." Yahweh turned Satan to ashes "on the earth." The judgment of Satan took place
on the earth, and the earth suffered judgment in his fall.