The concept of waters above the firmament originates from the Bible. According to the Book of Genesis, God separated the waters above the firmament from those below on the second day of creation and named the firmament “heaven.” Evolutionary theorists argue that the absence of waters above the Earth’s atmosphere contradicts the biblical account of creation. Nevertheless, such assumptions might be made hastily.
Waters Above the Firmament in the Bible
The Bible mentions the waters above the firmament in the following verses:
‘Then God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’ Thus 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. And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day’ (Gen 1:6-8, NKJV).
This account tells us that when God created the heavens, He divided the waters into two parts: those beneath the firmament and those above it. Subsequent verses explain that the waters under the firmament were gathered into one place, forming seas, and the dry land was called Earth (verses 9-10).
However, unlike the waters below (seas), the Bible does not specify what God did with the waters above the firmament. It is commonly assumed that these waters are related to water vapor in the atmosphere, such as clouds. Nevertheless, this clarification faces numerous notable obstacles.
Creationist researchers still find the idea of the waters above the firmament to be a complicated topic. No liquid water has been found in the vast expanse of outer space surrounding Earth, beyond the atmosphere. Evolutionary theorists claim that the biblical account must be inaccurate as a result of this. However, it is important to analyze the evolution of creationist views on this topic before making any firm judgments.
The Previous Creationist Model: Waters Above the Atmosphere
In the beginning, scientists who believe in creationism suggested that a water canopy existed in the upper atmosphere of Earth before the Flood. This canopy was thought to be the origin of the floodwaters in a world that had never encountered rainfall previously.1 In addition, the theory aimed to clarify the reason why a canopy like that is no longer visible nowadays.
Researchers, however, struggled to develop a viable theory for how this water canopy could have functioned. An enormous amount of water would have been needed to maintain a flood that lasted for 40 days. If huge amounts of water were present in the upper atmosphere, the heat released when it condensed would have made the atmosphere too hot, possibly even causing it to boil. Additional issues emerged concerning the thickness of the canopy, the visibility of stars and planets, and the difficulty of regulating Earth’s temperatures and atmospheric pressure.2
Not only were there scientific challenges, but biblical concerns also emerged. The Bible mentions that God placed the sun, moon, and stars in the firmament of the sky, not above it.3 Therefore, it is believed that all heavenly bodies are included in the firmament. The waters above the firmament must be located beyond the sun, moon, and stars. This understanding is supported by examining the Hebrew term rakia, commonly translated as “firmament,” but it can also be interpreted as “expanse”.4 Hence, the waters above cannot merely indicate atmospheric water vapor.
Most creationists have given up on the water canopy model due to the combined criticisms from the scientific community and biblical sources. The current creationist model5 indicates the existence of a water layer surrounding not only Earth, but the entire visible universe. Evolutionary theorists, on the other hand, dispute this idea, claiming that no water has been found outside the visible universe. Still, is it really possible to see this idea as unlikely?
The Discovery of Water at the Edges of the Visible Universe
On November 3, 2021, astronomers revealed the presence of water vapor (H₂O) in two far-off galaxies known as SPT0311-58.6 These galaxies are situated at a distance of 12.9 billion light-years from Earth, positioning them close to the outer limit of the observable universe, which has a diameter of 13.8 billion light-years.7 This finding represents the farthest observation of water to date, with the potential for even more distant traces to be discovered later on.
Scientists are not shocked to find water vapor far from Earth, as it could potentially be present everywhere in the universe. Nonetheless, this discovery highlights the vast amount that is still unclear regarding the distribution and existence of water in the universe.
The water found in these distant galaxies is probably different from the “waters above the firmament” mentioned in the Bible. Astronomers have detected water in a gaseous state, but in Genesis 1:6-8, the Hebrew term mayim usually refers to water as a liquid.8 Dr. Faulkner suggests that liquid water could potentially be present in a region beyond all galaxies, even further than the observable universe, and might play a role in the cosmic background radiation.9
Where Are the “Waters Above the Firmament”?
Even though the exact whereabouts of this water are unknown, it is probable that it can be found. Regrettably, we are unable to definitively ascertain God’s intentions for its existence. A portion of it may have been deposited on faraway planets in the expansive sky, while the remaining part might be found outside the visible universe. Dr. Faulkner’s theory proposes that the universe has a globally flat yet finite spacetime structure.10 Outside of this limited realm of time and space, there could be a boundary made up of fluid H2O.
It might also exist in another spatial dimension outside of our universe’s four-dimensional spacetime structure. While many scientists, including both believers in evolution and creation, do not believe in extra dimensions, some research indicates there may be one more spatial dimension.11 This would require a different, curved shape (geometry) of the universe.12 At this point, it remains speculative, and we must wait for further discoveries.
The revelation of water’s existence at the outskirts of the observable universe highlights the limited understanding we have of the cosmos. It also demonstrates the importance of treating the Bible with seriousness.
By the way, we recommend reading the articles:
- Exploring the Origins of Religion
- Eugenics and Its Consequences
- Scientists and Philosophers Who Found Faith in God
- What is the Higgs Boson?
- Does the Bible Imply that the Earth is Flat?
Footnotes
- The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Genesis 2:4-6.
- Hodge, B., 2009. The collapse of the canopy model. Answers in Genesis, 25 September. Available at: https://answersingenesis.org/environmental-science/the-collapse-of-the-canopy-model/.
- The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Genesis 1:14-17.
- Mortenson, T., 2020. Firmament: What did God create on Day 2? Answers Research Journal, 13, pp.113–133. Available at: https://answersresearchjournal.org/firmament-what-did-god-create-day-2/.
- Supported by researchers such as Russell Humphreys, Danny Faulkner, and Terry Mortenson; see ibid.
- https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/cosmology/water-found-near-edge-of-observable-universe/.
- According to astronomers, this is only an apparent distance due to the expansion of the universe. What looks as if it is 13.8 billion light years away from us is now supposed to be about 46 billion light years away.
- If the reference was to solid (ice) or gaseous (steam) water, the Scriptures would use the words kerah or nasi, respectively.
- Faulkner, D.R., 2016. Thoughts on the rāqîaʿ and a possible explanation of the cosmic microwave background. Answers Research Journal, 9, pp.57–65. Available at: https://answersresearchjournal.org/raqia-cosmic-microwave-background/ .
- Faulkner, D.R., 2021. What were the waters of Day Two? Answers in Genesis, 29 January. Available at: https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/cosmology/what-were-waters-day-two/.
- A few years ago, two independent centers in the United States and Switzerland conducted experiments showing the behavior of certain molecules. They suggest that there may be at least one additional spatial dimension in addition to the three spatial dimensions and one temporal dimension (space-time in general). P Perry, ‘Hints of the 4th Dimension Have Been Detected by Physicists’ (Big Think, 14 January 2018) https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/hints-of-the-4th-dimension-have-been-detected-by-physicists/.
- The current Big Bang cosmology assumes that the universe has a flat (infinite) geometry. However, some studies suggest that it may have a closed (finite) geometry. Therefore, scientists still do not know what shape our universe really has: “flat” or “circular.” L Crane, ‘Cosmological Crisis: We Don’t Know If the Universe Is Round or Flat’ (New Scientist, 4 November 2019) https://www.newscientist.com/article/2222159-cosmological-crisis-we-dont-know-if-the-universe-is-round-or-flat/amp/.
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