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Were there people before Adam?

by Stephen Davey

Anthony asked: I believe people existed before Adam and Eve, but my pastor tells me I’m wrong. Can you please elaborate on this?

Hi Anthony,

I agree with your pastor that there were no human beings on earth before God created Adam and Eve. Adam was the first man and Eve was the first woman. All of the human race came from that first couple. 

And Anthony, this is very significant theologically. The Bible refers to Jesus Christ as the second or last Adam. From him comes a new race. Paul describes this for us in Romans. The first Adam sinned and fell. He represented us all, and we are all fallen because of Adam’s sin. Jesus, the second Adam was perfect. He is God the Son who secured our salvation. And by faith, He represents us before the Father. If Adam was not the father of the human race, much of what the Bible teaches loses it's meaning. 

The days of creation were six, literal, 24-hour days. In Genesis 1:1 through Genesis 2:3, you have the description of creation, which includes the creation of Adam and Eve. But chapter two is where you might have gotten confused. When you get to chapter two, it isn't sequential. Chapter two gives us more details about what God did after the creation of human beings.

So, keep this in mind Anthony. Genesis 1 is the beginning of the universe and the account of God creating it. Genesis 2 is not another creation. It's more of the details regarding what happened in chapter one. 

I hope that helps you, 

Stephen

Go Deeper:

Were There People on Earth Before Adam? A Conservative Biblical Perspective

Introduction

The topic of pre-Adamic humans—were there people on earth before Adam—has been a subject of discussion, debate, and controversy among theologians, scientists, and laypeople alike. Some people entertain this concept as a way of reconciling the biblical account of creation with scientific evidence of human life that predates the traditionally believed timeline of Adam and Eve. This article will explore this question from a conservative biblical perspective, staying close to the biblical narrative as traditionally understood by conservative Christian theologians.

The Genesis Account

The narrative found in the Book of Genesis, chapters 1 and 2, forms the foundation for understanding the creation of humankind from a biblical perspective. Genesis 1:26-27 tells us, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Following this, in Genesis 2:7, we find the detailed account of the creation of Adam, "then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature."

According to these passages, Adam was the first human being, directly created by God, and Eve was the first woman, formed from Adam's rib (Genesis 2:21-22). All subsequent humans are descendants of this original couple, as suggested by Genesis 3:20, where Adam names his wife Eve "because she was the mother of all living."

The theological significance of Adam and Eve

The theological implications of viewing Adam and Eve as the first human couple are significant within the framework of Christian doctrine. The Apostle Paul, in his letters to the Romans and Corinthians, contrasts Adam and Christ, presenting Adam as the progenitor of humanity who brought sin and death into the world and Christ as the second Adam who offers salvation and life to those who believe in him (Romans 5:12-21, 1 Corinthians 15:22,45).

This "federal headship" of Adam—that is, his representative role for all humanity—forms the basis of the doctrine of original sin and also highlights the salvific work of Christ. If there were humans before Adam, it would undermine this foundational Christian doctrine, which requires that Adam be the first human and the representative head of the human race.

Conclusion

From a conservative biblical standpoint, the evidence in Scripture points to Adam and Eve as the first humans, directly created by God. This belief is crucial for maintaining core Christian doctrines such as original sin and the atoning work of Christ. While questions about the timeline of human history according to scientific discoveries persist, it's vital for Christians to remember that science does not account for the miraculous. In the Christian worldview, God is omnipotent and performs wonderful miracles. Creation is one of those miracles.

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Comments

Dwight Osborne says:
Many otherwise sound Bible teachers including J. Vernon McGee and Warren Wiersbe wrongly teach a pre-existent earth and people before Adam and Eve due to Genesis 1:2. They read into this verse an event that supposedly happened between verse 1 and 2, namely that satan was cast out of heaven due to his rebellion. The controversy comes from the use of the Hebrew word "hayetah" (a form of the verb HAYAH). This word occurs 1320 times in the OT and 24 times it means "to be" and in this instance they claim it must be rendered became rather than "was". However, according to Biblical facts this view just isn't tenable. Genesis 1:1 says on day 1 He created the heavens and the earth. Exodus 20:11 indicates that everything associated with the "heavens" (includes all the different levels of the heavens) was created in 6 days. Andaccording to what we glean from Job 38:4-7 this includes the "morning stars" which according to Isaiah 14:12 are the angels. The angels then were created after the heavens but before the earth. The Bible teaches creation ex nihilo with the exception of man who was created out of the dust of the earth. Hence, those who teach a prior earth age are proven wrong from the New Testament passages of Romans 4:17, 1 Corinthians 1:28 and Hebrews 11:3. They now know they were wrong, the most of them being deceased
Lavern Jones says:
Im so confuse. science have predated human 5 million years ago. Perhaps they had some human similarities, and not quiet the essence of Adam & Eve or in likeness of God. But bones were discovered. Also animals dated 230 million years ago i.e dinosaurs. There was life before Adam & Eve …certainly, perhaps not humankind & perhaps soul-less life. How do you explain this? I also… do not take Genesis 1, literally. I feel that God created the heaven & the earth millions of years ago in human time, he later, decided okay… there are no longer life, let me clean up the earth & bring new life to it. This is after the extinction of dinosaurs etc. then birth the creation store explained in Genesis. But you cannot say.., nothing exist before Adam & Eve because it is absolutely not true. Dunno, I just read & the understanding comes.
Mikey says:
Jeremiah verse 4:23-28 speaks of a judgement in the past before Adam and Eve.
Tammy R Everidge says:
In chapter 1, God told them to go and replenish the earth and chapter 2, God placed them in the garden which limited them. I have questions
Susie fisher says:
If Adam and Eve were the first humans. Who did Cain marry.
chris chapankwani says:
Also Genesis 4:14-17 may be more confusing, Cain was warned by God that who ever finds him, will be killed giving a picture of others who lived before him also note that CAIN left his family and got married. This proofs that human beings existed before Adam. Pastor kindly Elaborate more on this sir.
Anita says:
just so I'm clear in genesis 1 God created man in his own image both male and female. Chapter two God formed the garden of Eden formed Adam out of dust breath life into him. Made Eve from Adam's ribs. Now when Adam and eve sinned he banish them from His garden. Eve had Cane and abel cane kills abel. God banish cane, question 1. Who did God form in his image, 2. Who did cane marry and have children with? Most say his mother eve, but that would be incest or a relative?
Dwight Osborne says:
No, Mikey, Jeremiah 4:23-28 doesn't speak of judgment before Adam and Eve; rather, God was looking at Judah and Ephraim and describing the ravages of the invasions of the Assyrians against Ephraim and the Babylonians of Judah. There simply was no preexisting earth otherwise the New Testament is wrong in teaching creation ex nihilo, creation out of nothing referenced in Romans 4:17, 1 Corinthians 1:28 and Hebrews 11:3.
micheal says:
ha-adam and chawah did not start procreating until after their fall so they were bound by the laws of biology that yhwh himself installed .. which is yhwh made one of ha-adams "sides" into what we now no as "female". which biology dictates they had the exact same skin color, hair texture down to the same blood type and could have only procreated offspring that looked exactly like themselves . chawah's name does not mean "mother of all living" it merely means "life".
Judy Ferguson says:
If Adam & Eve WERE the 1st created beings, who were those out of the garden, of who Cain was afraid when he was thrown out for killing his brother?
Von says:
Your pastor is wrong, when Cain was told to leave who was he talking about when he said they will kill him. Who will kill him if there were nobody else??. Lilith was before Eve and I don't know why people don't tell the truth. Lilith is who God created at the same time as Adam in the beginning and the second creation is when he put Adam to sleep and made Eve. Why don't pastors tell the truth for once??? Look it up, don't take my word for it.
Farley says:
St. Luke tells us Adam was/is GOD’s Son !!!
Dwight Osborne says:
Here's where many people fall prey to the evolutionary claim that the earth is billions of years old and that science has proven evolution to be true. And nothing is further from the truth. Evolutionists don't and can't practice true science otherwise known as empirical science which is testable, observable and repeatable. Obviously, as no evolutionist was there all they can do is make assumptions and every time one of their assumptions is proven wrong, even by one o their own, they come up with others. But they can no more prove evolution than a creation scientist can prove the existence of God nor special creation since none of them were there and their conclusions can't be tested, observed or repeated. But in every instance, the creation model offers equal or better explanations than the evolutionary model. Solid theologians such as Hodge and Warfield held to the authority of the word of God UNTIL they were confronted with the evolutionary concept of billions of years at which point they succumbed to the evolutionists thereby compromising God's word. Both worldviews require faith, blind faith for evolutionists but reasonable faith in Biblical creation. While we weren't there we know the One who was there, the Sovereign Creator and we are able to trust the eyewitness testimony He has given us. And in fact, Genesis 1 was written by His own hand just as He wrote on the two tablets of stone in Exodus. His word plainly teaches the universe to be just over 6,000 years old (or young) , that the first 2 humans were Adam and Eve and that He created ex nihilo in 6 24-hour days. We either believe that as truth or we're forced to admit Christ was a liar which would disqualify Him as Messiah and God.
Frans Mathole says:
If we say Adam and Eve were the fist to know god I will agree. Because the 2 gave birth to 2 sons and killed the other and we remain with 3 people and how did they breed now. Cain ran away to the nearest village which gives us another race of people. I might also disagree with the point of snake talking to them and I believe snake never talked as is not talking even today.
Frans Mathole says:
Civiliasasion has been changing over and over and God remain the same Christianity is growing because those who wrote bible just mixed all religions to fit their needs. In bible the characters got English names so the whole Idea is from english people who used christ to win lot of people. but they missed some points where they took paganism and its vestives like december 25 as birth of christ knowing it was birth of Nimrod the man who was satanic. I get it when Anthony levey decided to lead satanism because of mix up stories in christian bible. It looks like we people will be fighting to who is wright and who is wrong but God and Satan they understand each other.
Garrett says:
If Noah and his people are the only ones to survive the flood, and Noah is a direct descendant from Adam. Then couldn’t the Flood God sent upon the earth be a way to rid the planet of “People” who were on the earth who weren’t descendants of Adam? If we are all Descendants of Noah, then saying that Adam & Eve were the first couple from which we are all descendant, would still be true if there were other, let’s say “primitive” humans on Earth outside of the Garden of Eden. Let’s think about why God made the Garden of Eden in the first place and Had the knowledge of Good and Evil in it. Some scholars say that in due time we could have eaten that fruit that God had made if God decided it. Which makes sense, otherwise.. Why make the fruit? Just to test our loyalty? Then why make the fruit of knowledge? Perhaps God had a plan to use Adam and Eve to bring about a positive change upon the world, (or something to that effect) but as we all know, Adam and Eve did not do this. And since they didn’t do it, God had to cleanse the world with a flood as an “alternative” to the original plan which he had made for humankind. This is just something I had been contemplating and in no way, other than any other christian, am I considered an expert. Alot has changed and may more questions have come to be since the time of our Lord and Savior walking the Earth in his “human” form. May Peace be with you and Love for the Lord be paramount in your existence. Amen.
SDA Goddess Hellen White says:
Jesus Christ Crucifixion, the Bible, you and your Salvation were destined even before the creation of the Earth (before Adam and Eve's fall into sin) and Yes - even Judah too! ( KJV: And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was **determined**: but woe unto that man (Judah) by whom he is betrayed!)

KJV: having the **Everlasting** Gospel (Bible) to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

KJV: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was **foreordained before the foundation of the world**, ... of the Lamb **slain from the foundation of the world.**

KJV: According as He (God) hath chosen us (Christians) in Him (Jesus) **before the foundation of the world,** that we should be holy ..

KJV: In hope of Eternal Life, which God, that cannot lie, **promised before the world began..** And I give unto them Eternal Life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand! Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared **for you from the foundation of the world!**

KJV: Who hath saved us, and called us with an Holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and Grace, which was given us in Christ **Jesus before the world began**, (Our eternal souls was existed too, before temp. earth was created )

KJV: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my Gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the **mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,**

!!! KJV: And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the **mystery, which from the beginning of the world** hath been hid in God, who **created all things by Jesus Christ**!!!

KJV: But we speak the wisdom of God in **a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world** unto our glory..

KJV: For by (Jesus) **Him were all things created,** that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by (Jesus) Him, and for Him, and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

KJV: And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be **All in All!** ..(and more)
Elizabeth Edwards says:
I believe there was a race of people here when God created Adam and Eve i believe they were Gods first people created in Gods image but where did the other race of people come from when God and Micheal threw Satan and his angels out of heaven could earth be where they landed , anyway there was a place called Nod where Cain Adam and Eve son met his wife and married her I’m still searching
Anthony says:
You can't make up things. Cain married who did he married if Adam and Eve where the first human beings. The bible does not talk about first and second Adam like you make it to be. I only see TRUTH not fabrication of the truth.

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