That the account of creation as given in the first chapter of Genesis cannot be, as is generally conceived, the production or bringing into existence of that which never had before existed, is evident from the fact that the nature of God must be eternal, and whatever exists must have been known to Him from all eternity. On page 518 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says: "Nothing is new to Spirit. Nothing can be novel to eternal Mind, the author of all things, who from all eternity knoweth His own ideas."
It may then be asked, What is this process of creation which is so minutely described in the first chapter of the Bible? The crude conception that God set aside six days of twenty-four hours each in which to make or create some material expression of being, would necessitate a very limited, mortal, and confusing conception of the great "I am." The answer given in the Shorter Catechism, namely, "The work of creation is, God's making all things of nothing, by the word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good," is more concise than precise. It might almost seem like an attempt to bring the action of infinite Mind within the narrow range of the human vision, and confine the operation of almighty wisdom to the limits of finite comprehension. What is needed is that the human consciousness be spiritualized, educated, broadened, and elevated, so that it may have a wider outlook, a clearer perception, and thus be enabled to glimpse in some degree the possibilities of a mental and spiritual realm beyond itself.
In the study of this narrative of creation, then, a much clearer view will be gained if, instead of regarding it as an explanation of something sprung from nothing and of how matter took form, this account is understood as the appearing of the eternal universe to human consciousness in its varied stages of advancement. "Was not this a revelation instead of a creation?" Mrs. Eddy asks on page 504 of Science and Health.
