Firmament is the vault of the heavens. In biblical cosmology, it separates the waters above from the waters below. God created the firmament on the second day. He called it heaven. The firmament is a solid dome. It holds back the waters above. It contains the sun, moon, and stars. The birds fly across its face.

The Hebrew word is raqia. It means expanse or vault. The ancient Israelites pictured the sky as a solid dome. The dome held back a cosmic ocean. Rain came through windows in the dome. The sun and moon moved across it. The stars were fixed to it. It was a pre-scientific cosmology. It was not meant to be a physics textbook. It was a theological statement. It described God's sovereignty over creation.

Firmament in scripture

• Genesis 1:6-8: God made the firmament.
• Psalm 19:1: the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
• Psalm 150:1: praise him in the firmament of his power.
• Ezekiel 1:22: the likeness of a firmament over the living creatures.
• Daniel 12:3: those who turn many to righteousness shine as the stars in the firmament.

The firmament is a window into biblical cosmology. It shows how the ancients understood the world. It shows the gap between their science and ours. It also shows the enduring truth of the text. The firmament is not a scientific claim. It is a theological claim. It says God created the heavens. It says God ordered the cosmos. It says God is above the waters and the earth. The firmament is a symbol. It is a reminder of God's power. It is a reminder of God's order. It is a reminder of God's majesty. The ancients looked up and saw a dome. We look up and see galaxies. But the message is the same. The heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament proclaims his handiwork.