Genesis 1:6 says "a" firmament, not "the one and only".
The "the" in v.8 refers back to 6 indicating which one is being spoken of, that's all.
The "the" in v.8 refers back to 6 indicating which one is being spoken of, that's all.
6 ¶And God said, Let there be a firmament [ רָקִ֖יעַ ] in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament [ הָרָקִיעַ֒ ], and divided the waters which were under the firmament [ לָרָקִ֔יעַ ] from the waters which were above the firmament [ לָרָקִ֑יעַ ]: and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven(s) [ לָֽרָקִ֖יעַ שָׁמָ֑יִם ]. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9 ¶And God said, Let the waters under the heaven(s) [ הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם֙ ] be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
. . .
14 ¶And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven(s) [ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם ] to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven(s) [ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם ] to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven(s) [ בִּרְקִ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם ] to give light upon the earth,
. . .
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of (the) heaven(s) [ רְקִ֥יעַ הַשָּׁמָֽיִם ].
Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of (the) heaven(s) [ הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם ] were opened.
Genesis 8:2
The fountains also of the deep and the windows of (the) heaven(s) [ הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם ] were stopped, and the rain from (the) heaven(s) [ מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם ] was restrained;
Verse 8 does refer to the same firmament as verse 6. So does every other reference to the firmament. So based upon your theory about "the firmament" and "the firmament of the heavens", birds evidently fly in "outer space" where the sun, moon, and stars are (see verse 20 above).
the point is that of you believe the firmament is a fishbowl at the end of the universe, and you think that's a Biblical view, then you should also believe the sun, planets, moon and stars are under the clouds - because the Bible says the clouds are the outer limit of the firmament.
i am under no impression that fishbowlism is a consistent model though, so it is moot if no one has made this claim.
however, some have indeed made it:
Flat Earthers Prove the Sun is Closer Than the Clouds
however, some have indeed made it:
Flat Earthers Prove the Sun is Closer Than the Clouds