TOPICAL NOTE 10: WHY GOD CREATED the UNIVERSE and INTELLIGENT LIFE

Genesis 1:1 stated “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth", but without explaining why.  So, why did God do this? 

By using various bible verses theologians composed the following story about why God created the physical universe with intelligent life- 

Before God created the universe heaven was filled with angels He had created and Lucifer* was God’s most powerful, talented, and highest-ranking angel. However, he desired to be worshipped like God by the other angles (Isaiah 14:12-14)* so he apparently offered them some policy changes if they left God to worship him instead. God, Who is all-knowing, knew Lucifer was enticing many angels to consider this rebellion but He didn’t stop it immediately apparently to not violate their free-wills that He had created them with (internet, Lucifer’s rebellion). Perhaps the absence of an immediate adverse response from God prompted Lucifer to assure the angels that He would let them all go without consequence.  However, after 1/3 of the angels (Revelation 12:4) decided to leave God to worship Lucifer, God cast them out of heaven and initially imprisoned them in the abyss, or “bottomless pit” (Revelation 9:1, 20:1;  internet, Lucifer’s rebellion).

*The KJV, and NKJV bibles used the Latinized name “Lucifer” that described his brightness and beauty. Other bibles translated his name as “Morning Star”, or similar.  Scriptures that are claimed by Christian theologians to refer to Lucifer are Isaiah 14:12-15 that directly referred to a king of ancient Babylon, and Ezekiel 28 that directly referred to a king of ancient Tyre. However, the spectacular imagery in these verses suggests they referred to someone beyond earthly kings so many Christian theologians believe they also described Lucifer’s fall which would make them “double prophecies”. 

Verses that seem to refer to Lucifer are rare, but many about Satan after his rebellion include Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7 (oldest recorded verses); and 1 Chronicles: 21:1 in the Hebrew scriptures.  And the following verses about Satan are from the New Testament: Matthew 4:10, John 8:44, 12:31, 2 Corinthians 11:14, Ephesians 2:2, Revelation 12:10, 20:1-3,7-10.

God created mankind to justly replace the fallen angels who rebelled with Lucifer:

After their rebellion, God planned to replace them with humans He would create (below).  To avoid future rebellions by humans who would necessarily also have free wills, He needed to pre-select them to be loyal to Him before He let them into heaven.  

God desires worship in heaven by those who choose to obey Him out of a heart desire- despite temptations not to (Genesis 3 commentary), but not out of fear of punishment. So, God created the physical universe with planet Earth as a proving ground to pre-select forever loyal, free-willed human souls to justly replace the fallen angles who knew God yet rebelled and were cast out of Heaven. Humans live in physical bodies in the realm of the physical universe so they can’t “see” the spiritual God and must accept his teachings indirectly through the witness of godly people and scriptures, by faith.  The fallen angels were simply given their positions in heaven yet they rebelled against God which makes faithful humans deserving to replace them.

When Lucifer and his fallen angels knew humans would replace them in heaven they were jealous. Those God apparently released from the Abyss onto the earth became wicked toward humans and tempted them to sin against God to trap them in hell and thwart His human redemption plan (below). Lucifer’s biblical name was changed to “Satan” that meant “accuser” because he accuses sinful humanity before God to pressure Him to condemn them to hell. Satan still has access to heaven to converse with God (Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7).  However, God is actually using Satan and his fallen angels today who tempt earthly humans to sin against Him during their lifetimes as part of God’s pre-selection process for their entry into Heaven.  Even after the Millennium, when Christ will righteously rule the earth for 1000 years, Satan will again be released for a short time (Revelation 20-7-9) to tempt humans to rebel against God. This will be God’s final preselection process apparently for humans who were born during this time to assure that only loyal humans will enter the eternal state with Him.   All of these spiritual battles are invisible to humans during their lifetimes (Ephesians 6:12). Eventually God will put Satan and his fallen angels in hell, a fiery place of everlasting torment (below) along with unsuitable humans (New Testament Matthew 25:31-34,41). So, faithful humans must take their trial lives on Earth very seriously! Revelation 12:7-12, and 20:1-3, 7-10 picture their future final war against God.    

The bible also described “evil spirits”, “demons”, or “unclean spirits” who have a different origin than the “fallen angels” who followed Lucifer (internet). The former group seeks to possess and control earthly humans and animals usually to their physical detriment (Matthew 8:28-32, Luke 8:2, Acts 19:15,16). Whereas “fallen angels” who were released from the Abyss onto the Earth by God instead harass humans and tempt them to disobey Him. God has them under control and He is actually using them as part of His selection process for humans (Ephesians 6:12). All of these spiritual enemies of humans have their final destinations in hell.

A summarized history of God’s plans that justified Him to use humans to replace Satan and his fallen angels in heaven follows:   

The details of His plan changed to accommodate human failures. 

Plan A: The first human couple on earth failed God’s loyalty test (with help from Satan and the serpent!).  It was simply to avoid eating fruit from one tree in His garden that He forbade them to eat. This was the subject of the Genesis 3 account.  Theologians called this the “Adamic Covenant”. God then withdrew His fellowship from humans and required burnt animal sacrifice to approach Him (Genesis 4:3-7). Early humans (and animals) greatly multiplied and disobeyed God to become carnivorous and violent, so He destroyed them all in the worldwide Flood except for one righteous man named Noah and his family who worshipped God exclusively and the animals they kept in the huge ark they built to protect them from the Flood (Topical note 4). After the Flood the people (Topical notes 3B, 4) and animals (Topical note 3C) migrated worldwide and repopulated the earth.

Plan B: Then God found favor with a righteous man named Abraham, a descendant of Noah’s eldest son Shem (See Topical note 4, Noah’s vineyard).  Abraham worshipped God exclusively despite His aloofness and was willing to offer his only son as a burnt sacrifice to Him as God commanded him, but God stopped him.  As a result of this test, God promised Abraham He would make his descendants (the Hebrews) to be His “chosen people” and become a great nation to promote His ways to the world. He commanded their males be circumcised as a sign of their commitment to obey God for His blessings.   Theologians called this the Abrahamic Covenant.

Later, God gave Abraham’s descendants, the Hebrews, a very extensive collection of moral, sacrificial, and dietary laws to live by and prophets and priests who provided direction. He required burnt animal sacrifice to atone for breaking His laws. Christian theologians (below) called this religious system the “Old Covenant”, and the corresponding Hebrew scriptures the “Old Testament”. However, the Hebrews didn’t keep all of His laws, they weren’t righteous like their ancestor Abraham, and many also worshipped pagan gods like the surrounding nations. Then God exiled them to a far-away land for many years.  After God arranged their return to the land He gave them (as prophesized) they never again worshipped pagan gods, but they still didn’t follow all of His laws.

Did God systematically reject everyone except native Hebrews from heaven under His Old Covenant?

Evidently not. God sent his prophet Jonah (who was swallowed en route by a great fish) to preach to the pagan Assyrian people of Nineveh (Jonah 4:11). And Peter, one of Christ’s closest disciples was sent to preach to the Roman Centurion, Cornelius (Acts 10). Other outsiders specifically mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures who came to faith in God were Rahab from Jericho, Ruth from Moab, and Tamar from Timnath. Rather, God invited his chosen among all people who He foreknew had faith to be led to salvation by His covenant people to believe on Him and adopt His ways. Although God had planned for ancient Israel to be an example to the world of how he wanted all humans to live most Hebrews weren’t good examples to follow.   

Plan C: Then God gave the Hebrews the Messiah who was prophesized in their scriptures (starting in Genesis 3:15) and was God Himself because only He was suitable. His sacrificial death and resurrection for their sins was included in His earthly ministry to them. His one sacrifice ultimately provided a forgiveness opportunity that replaced the endless animal sacrifices to atone for their sins.  

However, with pressure from their religious leaders most Hebrews, or Jews*, rejected believing on their Messiah (that was also prophesized in their scriptures). God then temporarily set aside the Jews as His “chosen” people until the end times (New Testament Romans 11) along with His previous “Old Covenant” with them, for the “New Covenant” with all people on earth who accept Him as their savior.  This Messiah, Christ atones for their occasional sins against God’s moral laws when they confess and repent. And the Father appointed Christ as judge of all humanity (New Testament Gospel of John 5:22). These faithful people under God’s New Covenant are called “Christians” and their scriptures are the writings in the New Testament. Christ referred to the New Covenant in the New Testament Gospel of Luke 22:20. (Ethnically Jewish Christians who accept Christ as their Messiah are also called “Messianic” Jews).

* Authorship of Hebrew Law, How the Hebrews and Israelites became known as “Jews” 

Importantly, God selects certain faithful humans worldwide who then can respond by faith to be saved, and He continues to work with them throughout their lives (Philippians 1:6, 2:13). Understanding that God evidently created the universe with intelligent life to refill heaven with loyal spirit beings can help to succeed in His selection process.

Beyond confessing personal offenses to God and not repeating them, “repentance” includes willingness to restore to others for their misdeeds, specifically stealing and false slander (compare Leviticus 6:2 and Matthew 5:17-18, Luke 19:1-10). Elect humans will replenish Satan’s outcast angels in Heaven who knew God yet rebelled with Lucifer (Satan) before mankind’s Fall (Jude 1:6).

Unrepentant, rebellious humans who are unfit for God’s heaven (above) choose to live lifestyles that promote ideals in the recent popular songs- “I did it my way” and “I gotta be me”.  Satan attracts a following by breeding on their discontent and God is still using Satan’s temptations today to screen out unfit humans from heaven during their lifetimes.  But Satan has no other option to try to save himself and his angels from eternal doom than to make God “pack hell to get a few into heaven” as some theologians note (Matthew 7:13, 22:14).  

Forcing people to outwardly obey and worship God while on Earth (or killing perceived "heretics", "infidels", or “evil” people) interferes with His purposeful pre-selection plans for human entry into heaven (Matthew 13:29-30). Yet this is incorrectly done by some who believe they are pleasing God.

Eternal destiny is a free-will choice for humans and God paid the price for human forgiveness.  This explains why God lets evil in this world run its course that critics complain “He lets happen”:  God will judge it later as reason to reject the unsaved. Although God’s punishment of people for their unrepented evil deeds in life in no way benefits those who were hurt by them. So, scripture suggests He will bless His people for keeping faith during their difficult lifetime trials in His “Bema judgment” of the faithful (2 Corinthians 5:10).

W. Cook

Independent researcher  November 2025

contact: genesismakessense@gmail.com