Genesis creation narrative

Genesis 1 is notable for its elaborate internal structure. In particular, there is a chiasmus in the text (i.e. A-B-A'), which Theologian James B. Jordan, director of Biblical Horizons Ministries in Niceville Florida describes as "a beautiful 'polyphonic' symphony of melodies that harmonize with one another perfectly." The main chiasmus clearly discernible in the narrative is a "pattern...of royal word, work and seal" and is outlined as follows:

A Let there be light (quantum strangeness, molecules, apparent paradox)

B Let there be an expansion... (Space unfilled - no covenantal ‘seal’ of goodness mentioned)

C Let the waters under the expansion be gathered... (Three earth-spheres, hydro- litho- and atmo-)

D Let the earth vegetate with vegetation... (Two 0D-dynamic kinds - seed bearing and fruit bearing)

E Let there be light-bearers in the expansion... (Space complete, luminaries established)

D1 Let the waters swarm forth swarms (Two 3D-dynamic kinds systematized - swimming and flying)

C1 Let the earth swarm forth swarms (Three 2D-dynamic kinds systematized - beasts, 'behema' and creeping things)

B1 Let us make Man in our image (Man, no works mandate - no covenantal ‘seal’ of goodness mentioned)

A1 Observe, I have given you (Covenantal works mandate given, apparent paradox)

The central 'pivot' of the narrative which is 'E' contains a chiasmus within a chiasmus as so:

A to separate

B to be signs

C to give light on the earth

D to govern

C1 to give light on the earth

B1 to govern

A1 to separate

This is significant because the structure of the narrative as a whole points towards the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the God of the Covenant, in its form. A symmetric nested structure can also be found in fractal geometry and the mathematical self-similarity which occurs throughout the created world. As such, the whole creation may be understood as a pale (and now corrupted) mirror image of God Himself (c.f. Romans 1:20)