Contradiction with Genesis 2:5
Genesis 2:5 describes the earth before any plant had grown, which may suggest a different view or order of creation events compared to the firmament created on the second day.
Genesis 2:5: And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and [there was] not a man to till the ground.
Contradiction with Genesis 2:4
This verse introduces a different account of creation without explicitly mentioning the creation of the firmament or the designation of Heaven on the second day, which can seem inconsistent with Genesis 1:8's sequence.
Genesis 2:4: These [are] the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
Contradiction with Psalm 19:1
This verse speaks of the heavens declaring the glory of God, possibly implying a different conceptual understanding of "Heaven" compared to the firmament described in Genesis 1:8.
Psalm 19:1: [To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Contradiction with 2 Peter 3:5
This verse speaks about the creation of heavens by God's word, which can be seen as a different process or emphasis compared to the structured days of creation in Genesis 1.
2 Peter 3:5: For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: [standing: Gr. consisting]
Contradiction with Revelation 21:1
Describes a new heaven and a new earth, which might suggest that the original firmament created in Genesis 1:8 is not permanent, contrasting the idea of an established firmament as Heaven.
Revelation 21:1: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Contradiction with Isaiah 40:22
This verse portrays God as sitting above the circle of the earth, with implications for a different view of cosmology that might not align with the Genesis 1 firmament.
Isaiah 40:22: [It is] he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof [are] as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: [It is...: or, Him that]
Paradox #1
Some people discuss the concept of the "waters above" and "waters below" in this verse. There is a contradiction or inconsistency when compared to modern scientific understanding of the atmosphere and space. The verse describes the sky as a firmament separating waters, which doesn't align with the current scientific view of the sky and space as vast and largely empty areas with water existing in different forms, like water vapor in clouds rather than a physical separation by a solid expanse.
Paradox #2
The potential contradiction in Genesis 1:8 could be related to the idea of the "firmament" or "expanse" separating waters above and below, which doesn't align with our understanding of the atmosphere and outer space. In modern science, there's no physical structure holding back waters above the sky.