First off, this is clear this is not when God flooded the earth during the days of Noah:
Why?
The water receded and the earth still had form!!
So, when did God destroy the earth and it became Genesis 1:2 DESOLATE and VOID?
Jeremiah 4 gives us reason why Genesis 1:1 is a completed earth and then Genesis 1:2 is void and desolate.
23 I beheld the earth, and, lo,
it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they
had no light.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25 I beheld, and, lo,
there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place
was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD,
and by his fierce anger.
27 For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken
it, I have purposed
it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
Now, look at verse 25 carefully:
25 I beheld, and, lo,
there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
This definitely cannot be Noah because he survived the flood:
But this destruction of the earth was before Noah, and obviously before Adam (
since no man existed any more)!!
Something else very interesting:
FROM:
(http://www.plaintruth.com/the_plain_truth/the-earth-became-formless-and-void.html)
You will notice that this verse describes the Earth as it would have been at the time of Genesis 1:2;
1. The Earth is described as "formless and void" (or "in disarray and empty")
2. There was no man
3. There were no birds
What is interesting, though, is that it refers to cities, and what's more it seems these cities had received judgment from The Lord - "all the cities thereof were broken down (in disarray) at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger".
verse 26:
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place
was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD,
and by his fierce anger.
Clearly, Genesis 1:1 is full of humans on a completed/finished earth
then, Genesis 1:2 is the earth completely void, no form, no cities, no humans!!
Jeremiah is specific that there was cities in verse 26, and there was men verse 25 before God destroyed the earth from Genesis 1:1 to 1:2!!
Jeremiah is clear that humans did pre-date Adam!!