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In the Beginning...
...God
created the heaven and the earth. 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. (Genesis 1:1-2).KJV
Earth
(planet), one of nine planets in the solar system, the only planet known
to harbor life, and the “home” of human beings. From space Earth resembles a big
blue marble with swirling white clouds floating above blue oceans. About 71
percent of Earth’s surface is covered by water, which is essential to life. The
rest is land, mostly in the form of continents that rise above the oceans.
"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let
it divide the waters from the waters." (Genesis 1: 6)KJV
Earth’s surface is surrounded by a layer of gases known as the atmosphere,
which extends upward from the surface, slowly thinning out into space. Below
the surface is a hot interior of rocky material and two core layers composed
of the metals nickel and iron in solid and liquid form.
"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." (Genesis 1:7)KJV
"And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering of the waters he called
Seas; and God saw that it was good." (Genesis 1:10)KJV
 Unlike the other planets, Earth has a
unique set of characteristics ideally suited to supporting life as we know it.
It is neither too hot, like Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, nor too
cold, like distant Mars and the even more distant outer planets—Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and tiny Pluto. Earth’s atmosphere includes just the
right amount of gases that trap heat from the Sun, resulting in a moderate
climate suitable for water to exist in liquid form. The atmosphere also helps
block radiation from the Sun that would be harmful to life. Earth’s atmosphere
distinguishes it from the planet Venus, which is otherwise much like Earth.
"And God said, Let us
make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over
all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So
God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and
female created he them. "(Genesis 1:26-27)KJV
"And on the seventh
day, God rested his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day
from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and
sanctified it, because that in it, he had rested from all his work which God
created and made. "(Genesis 2:2-3)KJV
Picture owned by NASA & provided by Visible Earth
(www.visibleearth.nasa.gov)
Scientific description provided by Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. |
