The earth was without form and void because it had been judged and flooded between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, not because God created it that way.
Les Feldick teaches that Genesis 1:1 records God's perfect creation out of nothing, and the condition in verse 2 is the result of a judgment flood on an angelic kingdom. God then restored the earth for human habitation. This is why he calls it the gap theory and the first flood.
Genesis 1:1 — Shows that the earth originally came from a direct creation by God, before the condition described in verse 2.
Genesis 1:2 — This is the verse that describes the earth as without form and void — the exact condition the question asks about.
The Bible records in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." The next verse says, "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." The text does not state why the earth was in this condition. It simply presents the earth as formless, empty, dark, and covered with water. The following verses describe God beginning to restore order from that water-covered state.
Les Feldick opens this teaching by saying, "I'm a proponent of what they call the gap theory, that there is a gap in time between verse 1 and verse 2." He then points out that in Genesis 1:1, God, the triune God, spoke the word and out of nothing created the heavens and the earth. The condition in verse 2 is therefore not the original creation. Les teaches that the earth had been flooded from "a previous judgment, not on man but on what we think is an angelic kingdom." That flood left the earth covered with water, and God was getting it ready for human habitation. He calls that water the first flood. In the restoration, God divided the waters, put half into a vapor belt above the atmosphere, and later that vapor belt came down at Noah's flood.
No. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Les emphasizes that God spoke the word and out of nothing created everything. The words "without form and void" appear in verse 2, after this original creative act. Les reads the passage with a gap in time between verse 1 and verse 2, so the condition in verse 2 is not what God originally made.
Les says the earth was covered with water from a previous judgment, "not on man but on what we think is an angelic kingdom." He calls the water in Genesis 1:2 the first flood. It was not the condition of the original creation but the result of that earlier judgment, and God was now restoring the earth before placing man on it.
No. Les explains that the earth in Genesis 1 was originally covered with water. God removed a portion of that water, put it in the atmosphere, and made seas of the rest. Later, that same water came back down and covered the planet in Noah's day. He therefore distinguishes the first flood in Genesis 1:2 from Noah's flood, which he treats as the later event.
Les says, "I'm a proponent of what they call the gap theory, that there is a gap in time between verse 1 and verse 2." That gap allows space for the judgment and restoration to happen before the earth becomes habitable for man. The length of the gap is not the focus of his teaching.
Gap Theory Stated
Les tells readers he believes there is a gap in time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, setting the framework for why verse 2 shows a different condition.
Water Cycle and Noah's Flood
Les explains that the earth was originally covered with water, God removed a portion to the atmosphere, and that water later came back down in Noah's flood.
Previous Judgment on an Angelic Kingdom
Les says the present earth had been flooded from a previous judgment—not on man, but on an angelic kingdom—and that God was now preparing it for human inhabitation.
Why God Established Capital Punishment | Genesis 9 Explained
Now, I think most people realize I don't like that word, but sometimes we have to use it for lack of a better one. But as a result, then, of no civil law per se, no government to maintain law and order, and no system of worship to really maintain a relationship with God, we find that by the time you get to Genesis chapter 6, the earth is filled with violence. It's corrupt. It's rotten to the core.
Noah’s Flood Was Not Just Rain: The Fountains of the Great Deep Explained
And so if you can picture in your mind, and I'm going to get you to expand your imagination here as far as I can, that all around this planet there was volcanic eruption everywhere. And along with the volcanic eruptions, tremendous earthquake. This whole planet went into convulsions. There was no time to go knock on Noah's door. There was no time to find a high place and crawl up in a tree.
Original Creation Out of Nothing
Les teaches that God as the triune God spoke the Word and out of nothing created the heavens and the earth, indicating verse 1 was a completed, perfect creation.
First Flood and Division of Waters
Les calls the water covering the planet the first flood and says God divided those waters, lifting half into a vapor belt above the atmosphere, leaving the rest as seas.
Restoration and the Vapor Belt
Les describes the restoration of the flooded planet: God raised half of the floodwater into a vapor belt, producing a spring-like climate and no rain until Noah's flood.
Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Establishes that the initial creation was a divine act; the condition in verse 2 follows this creative act.
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.
The verse in question that describes the earth's condition before God's restorative work in Genesis 1:3ff.
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.
Les points to this verse to show God beginning to divide the floodwaters during the restoration.
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.
Shows God dividing the waters and placing a portion above the atmosphere, which Les connects to the later Noah's flood.
No. Genesis 1:1 says God created the heaven and the earth, and Les explains that God spoke everything into existence out of nothing. The "without form and void" description appears in verse 2, after that original creation, and he connects it to a judgment flood.
Not according to Les. He calls the water in Genesis 1:2 the first flood, caused by a previous judgment on an angelic kingdom. Noah's flood is the later event when the vapor belt that God lifted above the earth came back down.
Les says, "I'm a proponent of what they call the gap theory, that there is a gap in time between verse 1 and verse 2." The gap is his explanation for how the earth got into the judged, water-covered condition described in verse 2 before God restored it for man.
Watch the Teaching: What Happened Between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2? (The Genesis Gap Explained)