Encyclopedia of the Holy BibleOld Testament

When did light come into existence: on the first day or on the fourth day?

Question: It is said in the Book of Genesis that God created light on the first day (Gen. 1:3),

while it is said that He created the sun, the moon, and the stars on the fourth day (Gen. 1:14–18). What is the difference between the two?

And when did light come into existence: on the first day or on the fourth day?

Answer: On the first day, God created the substance of light. On the fourth day,

He made from this substance the sun, the moon, and the stars,

and established the laws and systems of astronomy and the fixed relationships between these heavenly bodies.

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An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, published in El-Keraza Magazine, Year Five, Issue Four, October 26, 1974.

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