To truly grasp the magnitude of the Lord’s Return, we must first understand the Creator’s power over the physical cosmos. The first book of the Bible establishes this power through the subject word “firmament,” detailing the structure of the heavens and Earth as ordained by God.
This term is key to understanding the sheer scale of the power that will be demonstrated when Christ returns.
The Firmament: A Clear Definition
The firmament is introduced in Genesis as the expansive, solid structure that God established to physically separate the “waters above” (likely referencing celestial reservoirs or vapor) from the “waters below” (the Earth’s surface waters).
In ancient, biblical cosmology, the firmament was viewed as a vast, observable vault or dome set over the Earth. The Hebrew root word (raqia’) means “expanse” or “something hammered out.” Therefore, the firmament is the visible structure of the sky and the space holding the celestial bodies, viewed as a physical, tangible entity established by God.
The KJV explicitly states:
“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.” (Genesis 1:6-7, KJV)
The Firmament and Divine Power
The existence and order of the firmament serve as a constant testament to God’s absolute power as the Master Architect:
- A Witness to Glory: The psalmist confirms that this celestial structure constantly broadcasts God’s handiwork: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (Psalm 19:1, KJV).
- The Prophetic Destiny: Understanding the firmament gives context to prophetic events that will shake the foundations of the cosmos. For instance, the prophet Daniel uses the analogy of the firmament to describe the glorious destiny of the righteous in the end times: “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3, KJV).
The immutability of the firmament stands as a guarantee that the God who established the stars and divided the waters is fully capable of executing the powerful events leading up to the Lord’s Return.