Concerning the first three chapters of Genesis, the official teaching of the Church is that there is figurative and symbolic language being used. These figures all have a literal meaning, for the Church teaches that the figures have a literal meaning. I believe that I know a few of them. I am not certain, but hope and believe that I know a few. In other words, I hope that I know a few literal meanings of the figures or symbols being used in the first three chapters of Genesis.
In the Beginning is God created the Heavens and earth. Jesus is the Beginning. He, the Second Person of the Trinity created the Heavens and the earth.
I like to use the other parts of the Bible to help me understand what is being said. I have taken my ideas from St. Augustine or others like him.
The heaven are the angels and then at a later time, the saints and angels. Revelation seems to help with this symbol. The stars are angels. So too, I think, St. Matthew’s use of a star and St. Luke using an angel.
The deep is God’s wisdom, I think the early Church taught this based on Wisdom literature in the Holy Bible.
All was created at once. This too is based on Wisdom literature of the Holy Bible. This is taugh also by the early Church.
The Day is One, but is broken down into parts for our understanding. The parts are seen as cardinal numbers and not ordinal numbers. All was created at one time, like our soul and body.
The firmament is God’s loving power. Is there anything more powerful than God’s love?
The Tree of knowledge is one tree. It can be good or evil. It is our knowledge and will. The Tree of Life is God’s love and will. When our tree of knowledge accepts, believes and does God’s will, then our tree of knowledge is good.
The snake is told to us to be the devil in other parts of the Holy Bible.
I think that we would be better to actually translate the four rivers into English. The four rivers flow into our inner person. When they gather in us, as in an ocean, we begin to gain God’s deep or His wisdom.
When God says it is good. This is telling us it is good, but not that God discovered that it is good.
Concerning the Day, our experiential knowledge of God moves from darkness to light. This is true of the angels too. When we follow the Tree of Life–LIGHT!
Concerning the Light in the first chapter of Genesis, Jeus clearly teaches that He is the light of the world.
The angels that guard the way to the Tree of Life are there to push us towards the Tree of Life, like guard rails on an interstate road. The angels use a sword. This is used to guard the way to the Tree of life. The sword is the Word of the Lord. St. Paul tells us that.
The first creation of humans is the interior man. St. Paul tells us that there is an interior person. The second creation of man is the exterior man. Origen helped me see this.
The thorns are worldly concerns. Jesus tells us this from the parable of the Sower of the Seed.
When Adam and Eve were forced out of the Garden of Pleasure. God’s beauty and love could not be accepted by Adam and Eve. Their guilt was so great that they had to turn away. God’s goodness, love and beauty was too great for them. They, like Pharaoh, did not want to accpet love: that is, love is patient and kind (I Cor. 13: 4-7). God did not kick them out like I kick a soccer ball. I am driven away by the guilt of my sinssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.
Well, I only think I know a few. I am not a scholar but a student of the Holy Bible.
If I am wrong about the above, I apologize in advance.
