The firmament mentioned in Genesis 1:6 is the atmosphere — the air around the earth.
In the passage, God commands a firmament in the midst of the waters to divide the waters, and verse 7 says God made it and divided the waters under it from those above it. Les Feldick identifies it as "an atmosphere, what we call the air around us" and places it in God's work of preparing the earth for human habitation.
Genesis 1:6 — This is the verse where God commands the firmament to exist and says it divides waters from waters.
Genesis 1:7 — It records the firmament being made and explicitly describes the division of waters under and above it.
Genesis 1:6 records God's command: "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." Verse 7 says God made the firmament and divided the waters under it from the waters above it. Genesis 1:8 adds, "And God called the firmament Heaven." Before this, Genesis 1:2 describes the earth as "without form, and void," with darkness on the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moving on the face of the waters. The firmament is therefore a divinely created expanse separating water already present on the earth from water placed above it.
Les Feldick teaches that the firmament is "an atmosphere, what we call the air around us." He connects Genesis 1:6-7 to the condition of the earth at the beginning of the chapter: the present earth had been flooded by a previous judgment — not on man but, as he says, "on what we think is an angelic kingdom" — and was covered with water. Now God was getting it ready for human inhabitation. In making the firmament, God divided the waters under the firmament from the waters above it. Les also points out that in Genesis 1:6 through verse 23 there is not a single word that indicates creation; he sees these events as God restoring a flooded, void earth rather than creating it from nothing.
Genesis 1:2 says the earth was "without form, and void," with darkness upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moving on the face of the waters. Les Feldick describes the earth at that point as covered with water from a previous judgment, and he says God was now getting that present earth ready for human inhabitation when He spoke the firmament into place.
The firmament divides waters from waters. Genesis 1:7 says God made the firmament and divided "the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament." Les explains that the firmament is the atmosphere, "what we call the air around us," so this is an atmospheric boundary between water left below and water placed above.
Les sees Genesis 1:6-23 as a restoration section. He calls attention to the fact that in these verses there is not a single word that indicates creation. The earth had already been created and then submerged under water; in Les's teaching, God is now restoring it and preparing it for human habitation.
Restoration, Not Creation, in Genesis 1:6–23
Les points out that Genesis 1:6 through verse 23 contains no word indicating creation, showing that the firmament belongs to God's restoration of a flooded earth rather than to the original creation.
The Firmament as the Atmosphere
Les defines the firmament in Genesis 1:6 as "an atmosphere, what we call the air around us," and explains that God made it to divide the waters under the firmament from the waters above it.
Who Really Created the Universe? (Genesis 1:1 Explained)
But for here, as God, the triune God, spoke the Word, and out of nothing He created everything, the heavens as well as the earth. Now I think it's rather interesting that way back here in the very first verse of Genesis before the nation of Israel has even been hinted at, before we have any idea of the call of this one man, Abraham.
The Earth Under Water Before the Restoration
Les describes the earth before Genesis 1:6 as without form and void, under flood water from a previous judgment, which sets up why God would make the firmament to divide the waters.
8 Privileges God Gave Only to Israel — Romans 9:4 Explained
We'll have to go back I guess a page or two, and find the dust. Yeah, here it is. Back in chapter 13. Just about lost it. Genesis 13. Genesis 13 and drop down to verse 16. Genesis 13, verse 16. And again, verse 14. The Lord said unto Abraham, and so on and so forth. Verse 15. All the land which thou seest, to thee I will give it, to thy seed forever. And then verse 16.
Christ the Firstfruits: Resurrection Explained Verse by Verse
Now let�s move on down to verse 48, �For as is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy. And as the heavenly, so are they also that are heavenly.� Now those of you who have been with me all these years, you remember that when I taught Genesis 1.1, the first point I made, in the beginning God created heaven and earth. Everything in Scripture is going to be connected to those two entities.
What Happens After the Millennium? Revelation 21 Explained
When you try to think of the vastness of space, that something going the speed of light can just keep going, and keep going, and keep going, and never come to the end of it. And I remember I made mention of that in our very first lesson three and some years ago in Genesis 1. That as far as space goes, who is always beyond it? God is. Now, see, that's beyond our comprehension.
The Meaning of Adonai: Understanding God as Master
In the beginning God created heaven and earth. Now as we come in then to the role of Israel, always remember, and I'm going to put the God's heavenly people. And so we've got to keep those two concepts totally separated. Israel is God's earthly people. The church is God's heavenly people.
Genesis 1:2: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
This verse describes the flooded, formless condition of the earth before God made the firmament.
Genesis 1:6: And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
This is the foundational verse defining the firmament and its purpose of dividing waters.
Genesis 1:7: 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.
This verse records God making the firmament and the exact division it accomplished.
Genesis 1:8: And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
This verse reveals that the firmament was named Heaven by God.
The firmament is the atmosphere — the air around us. Genesis 1:6 says God commanded a firmament in the midst of the waters, and verse 7 says He made it to divide the waters under it from the waters above it.
God made it to divide waters from waters, placing some water below the atmosphere and some above it. Les Feldick explains this as part of God restoring the flooded earth and preparing it for human habitation.
According to Les, the events of Genesis 1:6-23 contain no word indicating creation. He teaches they describe God restoring an earth that was already there but covered with water from a previous judgment.
Watch the Teaching: Genesis 1:26 Explained: The Trinity & The Creation of Man