The Water Vapor Canopy

Q. Thank you so much and God bless you for all the hard work you do with your site. It is an indispensable resource for me as a new believer. I’ve recently undertaken a “Bible in a Year” study program and I started in Genesis. I have some questions:

First, when in the creation story, the “waters above and waters below” are mentioned, what does this mean?

Also, how did the members of Adam’s line live so long, some over 900 years? Was this due to their physical proximity to God? Thanks in advance and I can’t wait for the return of our Lord!

A. When God separated the waters above from the waters below (Genesis 1:6-8) He was using vaporized water to create a canopy around the planet at the outer edge of our atmosphere to ward off harmful cosmic rays.  This is why the aging process was only about 1/10th of its current speed permitting the long life spans in Genesis.  During the flood He allowed the canopy to collapse bringing Earth its first rainfall and first bad weather. Reading the genealogies in Genesis shows that average lifespans got progressively shorter after the flood. For example Abraham lived only 175 years, whereas Noah who died at age 900 lived to see Abraham’s 50th birthday and Noah’s son Shem actually out lived Abraham even though he was born 10 generations earlier.

Today the Earth’s magnetic field performs a similar function, keeping lifespans relatively stable although far below the times before the flood.  In the Millennium lifespans will again increase, suggesting the re-appearance of the water vapor canopy.