“And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered into one place [of standing, pooling together], and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.”
Genesis 1:9 (AMP)
“Christ is the Dry Land in the midst of the nations’ restless waters—He alone is the foundation of all divine purpose.”
The Divine Command #
The word “gathered” in Hebrew is “קָוָה” (qavah), meaning to bind together, collect, assemble into unity. This is not mere relocation—it represents divine intentionality, an order bringing purpose out of chaos.
In the spiritual sense, water throughout Scripture often represents people, multitudes, nations, and tongues:
“The waters which you saw… are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages.”
Revelation 17:15 (AMP)
Thus, this gathering points to God’s sovereign act of ordering the nations according to His plan. Yet, this foreshadows the mystery of the gathering of all things in Christ:
“He planned for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things in Christ [both things in heaven and things on the earth].”
Ephesians 1:10 (AMP)
This “gathering” is not only historical (in creation) but also eschatological (in Christ’s completion). The chaos of humanity’s rebellion will find harmony in the government of Christ, the true “Dry Land” of God’s purpose.
The Revelation of Firm Ground #
The word for “dry land” in Hebrew is “יַבָּשָׁה” (yabbashah), literally meaning “the parched or solid place”. Until now, all creation was covered in deep waters—unsettled, formless, without foundation. But now “solid ground” appears—the first stable, visible structure in the creation narrative.
Spiritually, the “dry land” represents Christ Himself—the Rock, the foundation upon which God’s creation (and especially His Church) is built:
“For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:11 (AMP)
Before this moment, there was nothing firm for man to stand upon. Christ is the first “appearance” of God’s stable, enduring purpose, even in creation type and shadow.
Additionally, the emergence of dry land allows for the appearance of life—grass, herbs, and fruit trees (verses 11-12)—all of which symbolise divine fruitfulness in Christ and His Body.
The Church and the New Man #
The gathering of waters and the revelation of dry land is a picture of the separation of the “old creation” (chaotic waters of the nations) from the “new creation” (the dry land—the place where life can flourish).
“Before fruitfulness comes divine order; before blessing, separation unto God.”
Paul speaks of this “new man” in Christ:
“…to create in Himself one new man from the two [Jews and Gentiles], resulting in peace.”
Ephesians 2:15 (AMP)
In other words, the land appears when the separating work of God finishes gathering the “waters” into limits. The appearance of dry land hints at the revelation of the sons of God—the manifestation of God’s elect as the visible corporate expression of Christ on the earth:
“For [even the whole] creation [all nature] waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed.”
Romans 8:19 (AMP)
In type, the “dry land” is the elect Body—the Church—emerging as a habitation for God’s purpose in Christ.
The Divine Order and Harmony #
Notice the divine pattern: before life can spring forth (vegetation in the next verses), there must first be order—gathering and appearing. God’s ways are progressive revelation:
| Stage | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The stage is set for fruit-bearing and growth | Restraining chaos; divine government over the nations |
| Appearance of dry land | Revelation of foundation—Christ and His Body |
| Preparation for life | The stage set for fruit-bearing and growth |
Many believers seek fruit before allowing God to gather and order their inner life. But without the gathering of the soul’s “waters” (thoughts, desires, emotions), the “land” (the new man) cannot fully appear for fruitfulness. All this is only when Christ is in you, you are moved by the Holy Spirit, you are dead to the world, dead to Adam and the flesh, but alive in Christ and the Spirit.
“The Church, as the corporate new man in Christ, is the ‘land’ where God will sow and reap eternal life.”
God’s Satisfaction: “And it was so” #
This short phrase marks heaven’s approval. The divine purpose was realised in creation, and this reflects God’s eternal satisfaction in His Son:
“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased and delighted!”
Matthew 3:17 (AMP)
The appearance of dry land foreshadows the appearance of the True Son, the Rock of the new creation, in whom the Father finds all pleasure.
In Christ,
Shaliach.
