Before all things there was God. "When all things began, the Word already was" (John 1:1 NEB). This self existent, all powerful, all knowing, sentient being was composed of three personalities, administrative, creative, and organizational. The triune entity established the laws of nature according to their divine nature, exhibiting order amid complexity. Their will, as expressed by the "Word", embodied infinite power and energy. In the beginning of creation that "Word" converted pure energy into primordial matter, and brought into existence the building blocks from which the whole material world consists. First appeared subatomic particles, then atoms, then plasma, then molecular gases, then nebulous clouds of gas, then a coalescence into stars, then the formation of large groups of stars such as clusters and spiral nebulae.
As God continued His creative endeavors over billions of years, new stars were formed and old stars died, some stars exploded and became novae, other stars collapsed and became white dwarfs, other stars expanded and became red giants, and still others contracted into extremely dense neutron stars and even black holes. Much of the primordial gas still remains diffuse as gaseous nebulae and dark matter still awaiting the Creator's voice.
As God in His foreknowledge foresaw a rebellion against His government, He chose an obscure planet in an isolated solar system on which to resolve the problem which threatened the peace and security of Heaven. And so Earth became the stage for the playing out of the Great Controversy between God and the rebel, Satan, and his followers. Onto this stage God placed man, created in His own image after His own likeness. As the rebellion reached its climax, "The Father consulted His Son in regard to at once carrying out their purpose to make man to inhabit the earth" (Story of Redemption, p 19).
And so God proceeded to form a planet with an environment compatible with the well being of this "human" being. According to the Genesis record, day 1- He ignited the nuclear furnace of the sun to create light; day 2- He formed the atmosphere to separate the water canopy from the earth's surface; day 3- He brought dry land up out of the primordial waters to form continents and seas; He created vegetation including seed bearing plants; day 4- He made the sun and moon to appear to rule the day and night (He had made the stars also); day 5- He created the birds in the air and the plants and animals in the sea; day 6- He created the land animals and finally, as the crowning act of creation, He created man. Then God rested on the seventh day from all His labor and admired His handiwork, and it was very good. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished.
