He even dared to ask God how he could know that the promise of a male heir would be fulfilled. In response, God directed him to prepare animals for sacrifice. Abraham did so and then waited for God to act (Gen. 15:8–11). He waited until God materialized fire “out of thin air.” God acted from surrounding space, the atmosphere—that is, from the “first heaven” of the Bible. This was the answer to Abraham’s question.
