The Bible covers four ages between eternity past and eternity future: the age before the law, the age of the law, the age of grace, and the age of the kingdom. The age of grace covers the entire New Testament age, from Matthew 1 through Revelation 19. The last age, the kingdom age of one thousand years, recorded in Revelation 20, will consummate in the new heaven and new earth. It will be the introduction to the new heaven and new earth mentioned in Revelation 21—22.
The period of time from the creation of Adam to Christ's first coming was about four thousand years. The first part of this period, from Genesis 1 through Exodus 19, is called the age before the law.
The first thing recorded in this period is God's creation of man (Gen. 1:26; 2:7). Although the creation of many other things is recorded in Genesis 1 and 2, the most important thing according to the life-study of the Bible is the creation of man.
Genesis 1:1 is the only verse in the first two chapters that deals directly with the creation of the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1-2 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth became waste and empty; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was brooding upon the face of the waters" (lit.). The heavens and the earth were created, and the earth became waste and empty. This became the background for the creation of life. When the earth became waste and empty, God came as the Spirit to brood over the face of the waters. This indicates the matter of life. The brooding of the Spirit in verse 2 is like the brooding of a hen over her eggs to warm them so that life can come forth.