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What has promoted the recent attempts to locate large periods of time in the Bible? What danger can you see in the motives behind these attempts? |
- 6. Combining the Genesis One creation account with the evolutionary theory is not possible; numerous differences in order confront those who attempt it. For instance, the biblical account speaks of the following sequences: the earth created before the sun, moon, and stars; plants one day before the sun; whales before land animals; birds before insects; fruit trees before fish; and birds before reptiles. All of these are presented in reverse order in evolutionary time tables, sometimes with millions or billions of years of reversed distance.
For these six reasons, Scripture rejects the idea of theistic evolution.
Another attempt to place millions or billions of years into biblical history is the "Gap Theory." This theory is based on the idea that a large gap of time can be found between Genesis 1: 1 and 1:3.
The gap theorists interpret Genesis 1:1-3 in the following manner:
| The Genesis 1:1-3 "Gap Theory" | |
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Genesis 1 |
"Gap Theory" Explanation |
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Verse 1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. |
This was God's first creation. The earth supported many forms of life that are extinct today. |
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Verse 2a: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. |
"Was" should be translated as "became." During this time Satan and his host fell and God destroyed His first creation. It "became" formless, void, and full of darkness. |
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Verse 2b-3: And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. |
God re-created a second creation on the earth which exists yet today. Millions or billions of years passed between the first and second creation. |
