On day two of creation, God continues with only heaven as he begins the creation of the firmament. Here, God explains the purpose of the firmament is to divide the waters from the waters. God then puts the firmament into action by actually dividing the waters under the firmament from the waters above the firmament which will be more apparent on day three. In essence, God is dividing the matter used to create heaven from matter used to create the earth and all the visible universe. On day two God has still not completed the creation of heaven or the earth because he has not seen them as good before the evening and the morning of the second day.
Genesis 1:6-8
6 And God said; Let there be a firmament in the midst of
the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 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.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the
evening and the morning were the second day.
But what exactly is the firmament? On day two God actually created the atmosphere of earth. We know this is specific for earth only because it is in the open firmament animals with the ability of flight, like birds, fly. It also explains separating the waters that are above from the waters that are below because the largest river on earth is actually in the sky above Amazon rain forest. This sky river stretches from the ocean to the Andes and moves more water than the Amazon river itself. The video on A River in the Sky can be found here: https://youtu.be/VGurBZ0b6nI?si=lLjU_2WIqcdEWIM-
I know it will be argued that earth is not the only planet with an atmosphere, and I would agree. I am saying that earth is the only planet with a firmament because the defining characteristics of earth’s firmament is that is supports life. In other words, I am saying that all planets can have atmospheres but not all atmospheres are firmaments.
From the completion of the firmament on day two of creation we see how special life in the universe is. This changes the narrative from people being insignificant because there are so many earth-like planets to life on earth is unique because earth was the only planet given a firmament – a life supporting atmosphere.
As we continue into day three of creation you will start to see the logic of this theory take shape as told more than 2,000 years ago in a parable because the people then did not have the technology of today to understand the logical scientific order of creation.