Frenchie, thanks. Not sure how I overlooked Dake's statements in this particular area. I have already taught all of the references he cites in my Bible study but still had trouble being able to prove dogmatically that there was a pre-adamite human race. For all we know, this could be talking about angels.frenchie wrote:Hi!
Jeremiah 4:23-26 (KJV)
23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.
3. The mountains and hills have been moved and will yet be moved by earthquakes, but there never has been a time since Adam to this day, nor will there ever be a time from our day into all eternity that the earth has been or will be without a man, bird, or fruitful place, as seen by Jeremiah, and referred to in Jer. 4:25. Therefore, we are required by facts to associate Jer. 4:23-26 with the same time as that of Gen. 1:2; and we are made to realize that there were men, birds, and fruitful places on the earth before Adam's time that were destroyed by the flood of Gen. 1:2; 2Pet. 3:5-7.
Dake's Annotated Reference Bible.
4. The earth was created to be inhabited (Isa. 45:18); and it was inhabited from the beginning by man who lived in cities (Jer. 4:25-26), by nations (Isa. 14:12-14), and a social system, the members of which were mortal and therefore capable of being drowned (2Pet. 3:5-7); they were beings Adam could replace, for he was commanded to replenish the earth (Gen. 1:27-28). It is clear that the earth became desolate and empty after its original habitation of Gen. 1:1. That is, it was cursed as in Gen. 1:2, and later restored to a second habitable state and replenished as in Gen. 1:3 -- Gen. 2:25. Therefore, it is only logical to associate Jer. 4:23-26 of this book with Gen. 1:2 and agree that it was the original earth referred to in both passages.
5. One thing is certain -- Jer. 4:23-26 could not apply to the time of Noah, for at that time the heavens had lights, and there were men, birds, and fruitful places left on the earth after the flood; whereas, in the case of the curse brought upon the original earth, none of these things remained.
Therefore, if we rightly divide the Word of Truth we should associate Jer. 4:23-26 with Gen. 1:2 and 2Pet. 3:5-6, recognizing that there had been light, fixed mountains and hills, men, birds, fruitful places, and cities on the earth before this curse, and before Adam and the six-day work of restoration to a second habitable state as in Gen. 1:3 -- Gen. 2:25.
Dake's Annotated Reference Bible.
Don't get me wrong, I lean strongly towards believing that there was one, but wish there was a more explicit statement rather than inferences being made from the passages that clearly prove the gap itself.