The six day creation in Genesis chapter 1 of the Bible is unimaginable on a human scale with 24 hours in a day, and a recent comment from a visitor to the Ultimate Riddles website confirms this difficulty of human perception. They, and others, reference a verse about time and eternity in the New Testament as evidence that the universe in Genesis 1 was created in 6000 years.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8 (KJV)

The word in 2 Peter for "day" in Greek is hemera (hay-MER-ah), and translates to the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole of 24 hours. In other words, this is the same as our 24 hour day, yet time for our eternal God is infinite which explains why 1000 years pass like the blink of an eye. This visitor has correctly understood the meaning of one day in that verse.

Next, consider the conclusion of each day of creation in Genesis that ends with the definition of day, as well. The Hebrew of the Old Testament properly translated without making assumptions about time is likewise speaking of days as 24 hours, not 1000 years or eons of time. God is omnipotent with the power to create by spoken word, and the six day creation was literally human 24 hour days. Here's the evidence.

And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. Genesis 1:5 (KJV)

The phrase "the evening and the morning were the first day" is repeated for each day replacing "first" with second, third, etc., including the sixth in the last verse of Genesis 1. The Hebrew word for day is yom (pronounced YOME), and means literal days from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next.

When Bible students encounter the word day with a cardinal or ordinal number, for example one or first, this is a literal day of 24 hours. Each day of creation in Genesis emphasizes this fact by including the phrase "the evening and the morning...", so there's no reason to imagine God created the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all things within them in any amount of time longer than six 24 hour days.

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Here's a movie review for people looking for spiritual purpose. The made for television movie "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" was broadcast on ABC in 2004, and adapted from the book of the same title, a NY Times bestseller, written in 2003 by Mitch Albom. The movie stars Jon Voight as an 80 year old man who leads what he considers a simple life without significant purpose, dies, and then meets five people from his past in heaven.

He knew each of the 5 directly, or indirectly, and not realizing the impact of our actions on other people's lives was the big lesson. One point I liked said in effect "We are all connected and some people are simply strangers we have not met". This is an inspiring movie and fun look at one possibility of how people might spend some of their time in heaven.

The DVD is available without commercials, not rated, and the run time is approximately 1 hour and 33 minutes. Personally, I would suggest previewing the movie before showing to children. If rated in my home it may have been PG-13 due to some graphic violence. For teenagers and adults, this movie takes an imaginary view of heaven not referenced in the Bible, yet the fiction could easily be a realistic view of some aspects.

In heaven we will recognize people we knew. The joy and experience is beyond imagination. Five People You Meet in Heaven is a warm and inspiring story, and recommended to anyone who feels trapped or distracted by everyday problems. No doubt our lives affect those around us, and this movie shows how average people living average lives actually influence others, including strangers, in ways we don't realize.

I viewed this movie twice in one week, and intend to watch it at least once a year as a reminder of spiritual purpose and what's really important in life. Do you need another reason to be kind to strangers? Read Hebrews 13:2.

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In a recent Bible study about Moses and the first nine plagues in Egypt, a point not made but worth noting in Exodus is about darkness so dark you can feel it. Imagine senses beyond ordinary sight that we use viewing dark or light, and this verse may provide a clue about heightened or new senses we will experience in heaven. Here's what I mean as referenced in the ninth plague documented in Exodus 10:

And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: Exodus 10:21-22 (KJV)

Darkness which may be felt lasted three days! This may support the promise made in the New Testament revealing unimaginable sensations beyond what we know.

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV)

Realizing our human life is temporal like the blink of an eye gives good reason to seek God and stay in His Word in preparation for eternal life in heaven. Things await us beyond human imagination.

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Another article on the main site was just released entitled Fifteen Bible Verses for Understanding Christ, and is intended for persons who have doubts about Christ as the Messiah, or who want to share their Christian faith with non-believers.

The article has headings followed by Scripture covering His purpose, sin and salvation, Jesus as God, Christ's return and judgment, and eternal destiny. After reading the article I invite readers to share this by bookmarking the page or emailing the link to people who may not understand the divine nature and purpose of Jesus Christ.

The sense of peace and joy knowing the truth as revealed in the Bible is something that God wants us all to learn.

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A new article on the main site of Ultimate Riddles explains your Spiritual Life History in the Three Earth Ages. The article provides an outline of eons of history taken from a Bible study perspective for a snapshot of your past, present, and future.

The Ultimate Riddles website is one person's spiritual journey of Bible study for others to follow as they draw their own conclusions. Is Hell a physical place where sinners are tormented eternally? I don't believe it as shown in event 16.a of the article outline. This, and other answers, will take years to document, so be patient.

Famous theologians disagree on the definition of some truths such as "Where are the dead?" as just one example.

As it is written, the spirit of those humans who have died, and those presently alive who die before the millenium, instantly returns to heaven as stated in Ecclesiastes 12:7 referring to death.

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:7 (KJV)

Heaven is divided by a space separating those saved from those who did not believe that it was necessary to establish a personal relationship with God. For the living, our purpose is having that relationship while we continue to grow spiritually through Bible study and understanding God's expectations.

This latest article about spiritual existence in the three earth ages provides a simple outline of eternal history for Christian believers and those interested in learning more about Jesus Christ and spirituality.

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Riddles can be fun, yet some of the most complex and difficult puzzles to solve remain a mystery. The ultimate riddle is the age old question of life after death, and we need to solve this while we are still alive. This blog introduces study topics documented on the main site that explore the King James Version of the Bible compared to the ancient and original manuscripts as translated by expert linguist EW Bullinger.

Some Christian teachers take a single verse out of context, and justify condemning a person based on the traditions of mankind instead of the truth. This Bible study site is for Christian believers and non-Christians interested or curious about discovering deeper meaning about spiritual and human existence. Fortunately, language scholar EW Bullinger provided an extraordinary guide more than 100 years ago with his Companion Bible.

Just as a word in any language is better understood by reading a full definition in a dictionary, some words in the Bible require a paragraph to precisely define some words or phrases. Unless you are able to understand the Bible in the original languages of Hebrew, Chaldee, and Aramaic for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament, the chance for error is inevitable.

Furthermore, truth becomes lost in the traditions of mankind, and applying human values complicates what God teaches in very simple terms. Until I understood that the Bible is not entirely literal, the metaphors, figures of speech, and types were overlooked. By studying the translation and going back to the original ancient languages, vague verses become crystal clear.

Join my spiritual journey as I document my conclusions, and then form your opinions towards understanding your spirit and personal spiritual growth. Jesus will return. Knowing what to expect and being prepared will be the best decision you ever make in this life. You may want to begin with the Introduction to the Earth Ages of Genesis or the Introduction and Overview of Spiritual Study.

Special Note: Each Bible study lesson on the main site is available for republication in print or online subject to keeping the author and links information intact according to the Creative Commons License at the bottom of each article page.

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