EARTH’S EARLIEST TIMES
A Brief History of the Gap Theory of Creation
Edited by Robert R. Handley
In the circle of Christian beliefs, concerning the creation of the earth and the universe,
there are several different teachings. All agree God created the earth, but beliefs of
how and when differ considerably. There are three primary views concerning the
age of the earth. Most believe it is a very young planet, and that God created it
mature (old) as he created man (Adam) mature. This group has the earth varying
in age from 6000 to perhaps 12000 years. Then there is a group that believes a very
long indefinite period of time passed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:3, varying from
millions to billions of years, and that the creation account following Genesis 1:2 is a
re-creation, or reshaping , of what was made void and without form by Satan’s fall in
Genesis 1:2. The third group believes in theistic evolution, saying God created things
over a long period of time, with the Hebrew word “yom” for “day” being used to
denote long epochs of time during the six days of Genesis creation.” (Ref. Tom
McElmurry)
Satan is called “the prince of this world” by Christ (See John 12:31) and “the god of
this world” by the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 4:4). Where did Satan’s claim come
from? In Luke 4:5-6, Satan told Christ that all the kingdoms of the world had been
given him (“for that is delivered unto me”). Christ did not deny his claim, but rather
answered …”for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only
shalt thou serve.” (Luke 4:7-8). When did Satan become the ruler of the earth and
have dominion over it? When Satan showed up in the Garden of Eden, before the
fall of man, he is already the serpent, and in opposition to the Lord God. The
question is: If Satan had dominion over the world along with angels, when did this
take place? In Isaiah 14:12-15, is where Satan’s original rebellion against God is
recorded, Satan desired to exalt his throne above the stars of God (Isaiah 14:13). In
order to exalt his throne, he had to have a throne. A throne indicates a place of rule
and dominion as well as a kingdom to rule over.
This kingdom of Lucifer was ruled by him before his fall which was below the stars
of God and below the heights of the clouds. He ruled over the entire earth.
Lucifer’s throne was on the earth before he rebelled against God. This is how he
claimed to have dominion over the earth. Yet, we do not know how many years ago
this took place. After Genesis 1:1 and before 1:2, was Lucifer’s domain until he fell.
During the age of Lucifer’s dominion over the earth, he and his angels covered the
entire earth. No doubt there was great cities where angels resided. Forests, animals
and wonderful flowers no doubt existed among many other beautiful things.
Everything on earth was created perfect. Most likely Lucifer and the angels lived in
a multi-dimensional world where travel to God’s heavenly throne was possible
including other interstellar travel. There is no way of calculating how many years
Lucifer had dominion over the earth before his fall, but certainly it could have been
millions of years if not more. When Lucifer fell and became Satan (the Devil), God
judged him and the angels who sided with him, and the earth became without form
and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, And the Spirit of God moved
upon the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2). This was the first flood to envelope the
earth. The destruction that took place must have been horrendous and so severe,
that today there is no known trace of Satan’s civilization, yet we know it existed. The
earth had to be untold years old in order to accommodate Lucifer’s civilization and
the angels he ruled over. At this point, it is unbelievable that Young Earth
Creationists (YEC) can maintain that the earth is only 6000-10,000 years old. What
time frame can they place Lucifer when he had dominion over the earth? We know
he had fallen well before he entered the Garden of Eden as he took on the appearance
of a serpent when he approached Eve and tempted her.
Satan was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44) and he sinneth from the
beginning (I John 3:8). This most likely would have to have occurred to the
beginning of the six-day creation.
If there was no gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2,
and the devil was created on the
first day of creation, he must have been created as a sinner and a murderer. Of
course this is impossible for two primary reasons:
. First, this interpretation would make God the author of sin.
. Second, the Bible clearly states that the devil was perfect from his
creation, and that iniquity was not found in him until a later date (Refer
to Ezekiel 28:15).
Therefore, the devil had to fall in sin somewhere between the time of his creation and
the beginning of the world as found in the first chapter of Genesis. Only the gap
provides a time frame for this, as there is no other option. (Reference primarily
given credit to Dr. David F. Reagan)
George H. Pember says of the old earth: “Sin was the cause of the pre-adamite
destruction. We see, then, that God created the heavens and the earth perfect and
beautiful in their beginning, and that at some subsequent period, how remote we
cannot tell, the earth had passed into a state of utter desolation, and was void of all
life. Not merely had its
fruitful places become a wilderness, and all its cities been
broken down; but the very light of its sun had been withdrawn; all the moisture of its
atmosphere had sunk upon its surface; and the vast deep, to which God has set bounds
that are never transgressed save when wrath has gone forth from Him, had burst
those limits; so that the ruined planet, covered above its very mountain tops with the
black floods of destruction, was rolling through space in a horror of great darkness.”
“The fossil remains indicate pre-adamite ages of sin: For they may be proved to be
the relics, not the Six Days, but of far earlier creations.”
“For, as the fossil remains clearly show, not only were disease and death—-
inseparable companions of sin—then prevalent among the living creatures of the
earth, but even ferocity and slaughter. And the fact proves that these remains have
nothing to do with our world; since the Bible declares that all things made by God
during the Six Days were very good, and that no evil was in them till Adam sinned.
“Now there are, perhaps, two sources from which we may extract some information
respecting the former condition of the earth. First, from any passage which seems
to refer directly to it; and secondly, from the account given to us of ‘the times of
restitution of all things,’ (Acts 3:21) the very name of which suggests that God’s
original purpose will not be frustrated by sin, but that everything will be restored
even as it was before the earliest rebellion of the fallen angels.” (Ref. George H.
Pember)
“It is of the greatest importance to understand that the condition in which the earth
(not the heavens) is described in the second verse is not how God created it in the
beginning. Scripture itself tells us this. Read Isaiah 45:18. The Hebrew word for
‘without form’ is TOHU, which means ‘waste.’ ‘The earth was waste and void.’
But in the passage of Isaiah 45:18 we read, ‘He created it not a waste.’ The original
earth passed through a great upheaval, a judgment swept over it, which in all
probability must have occurred on account of the fall of that mighty one Lucifer, who
fell by pride and became the Devil. The original earth, no doubt, was his habitation,
and he had authority over it, which he still claims as the “prince of this world.” Luke
4: 5-6 shows us this. The earth had become waste and void; chaos and darkness
reigned. What that original earth was like we do not know, but we know that animal
and vegetable life were in existence long before God began to restore the earth. The
immense fossil beds prove this. But they likewise prove that man was not then on
the earth. Between the first and second verses of the Bible there is that unknown
time of millions of years which geology gets a glimpse of in studying the crust of the
Earth.” (Reference Arno C. Gaebelein, 1861-1945)
Into this time of apparent contradiction with the long conceived idea of a young, God-
created earth, stepped a brilliant Christian man of that day, the scientist, Georges
Cuvier. Morris and Whitcomb, in their publication of “The Genesis Flood,” give the
following statement concerning Cuvier: (Ref. Tom McElmurry)
“The man to whom we refer was Georges Cuvier (1769-1832), professor of
comparative anatomy in the museum of natural history at Paris, and the founder of
modern vertebrate paleontology – a man of immense learning and reputation.
Cuvier’s opposition to flood geology was subtle, because he insisted the earth had been
laid down by the flood. He also taught that the major fossil strata of the earth had
been laid down by a series of great floods, separated by immense periods of time, and
long before the creation of man.” (Ref. Morris & Whitcomb)
As in most theories, there were certain portions of Cuvier’s hypothesis that needed,
over a period of time, to be modified to agree with later discoveries of climate and
geological shifts of both life forms and the earth’s crust. Kruten, his book, “The Age
of the Dinosaurs,” as it pertains to the discovery of dinosaur remains in the Paris
Basin, says of Cuvier:
“Georges Cuvier, working out the sequence in the Paris Basin, taught that the
successive periods in the history of the world were invariably caused by a great
catastrophe, wiping out most of the living beings when it occurred, whereupon new
forms of life were created or migrated from
other regions
. The antithesis of
catastrophism is the principle of actualism or uniformitarianism.” (Ref. Kruten)
ARGUMENTS FOR AN OLD EARTH AND HEAVENS
(The Genesis Gap – Genesis 1:1 and 1:2)
- Many young earth creationists believe that God created the earth with the
appearance of age. He placed fossils in the ground and fashioned geological
formations to appear ancient. Obviously, this explanation carries with it an
unsavory flavor of deception, as if God were trying to “fool” men into
believing that the earth is indeed millions of years old. This idea of a
deceiving God clearly contradicts Scripture. - The Apostle Paul states that:
The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,
even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without
excuse. (Romans 1:20).
We can thus understand the “invisible things” of God by seeing the “things that
are made.” God would not have designed the earth with a deceptive appearance,
unless it were in God’s character to deceive. But we know from Titus that “God
cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). Therefore, we know that God could not have created the
earth to appear older than it is. 1
1 Finis Dake (based on his writings) – Edited by Mark Allison and David Patton. Another
Time Another Place Another Man. Dake Publishing – 1997, Lawrenceville, Georgia, page
- 2 Ibid – page 11.
3 Ibid – page 11.
4 Ibid – page 17
5 Ibid – pages 18-20
Scientific Problems
- Why do we see light from stars that are millions of light-years away? If the
universe was created 6,000 years ago, light from distant stars would not reach our
planet for millions of years. 2 - Young earth creationists believe that the speed of light has not always been a
constant, and claim Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to be flawed – and that dating
systems are attacked on the grounds that levels of decay have fluctuated, or that
radioactive isotopes formed as a by-product of the decay processes were present to
begin with in the original material. 3 - Critics argue that the gap theory lacks a firm place in church tradition. They
maintain that the biblical writers never speak plainly about what would be a
significant event in earth’s history. Many claim that the gap theory (so-called
because of the apparent “gap” between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2) is simply a reaction to
the evolutionist’s demand for an earth billions of years old. 4 - Noted Hebrew scholar Arthur Custance notes that the earliest Aramaic
translation of the Old Testament, the Targum of Onkelos, gives the following
interpretation for Genesis 1:2: “and the earth was laid waste.” This rendering
clearly indicates that the Jewish scholars compiling one of the first translations of the
Scriptures believed something happened between the first two verses of Genesis 1
which resulted in the destruction of the original creation. 5
Ambiguity of the Traditional View
- Young creationists argue that God created Adam old (mature); therefore, He also
created the earth to appear old. This argument at the very best is an extremely poor
analogy. Adam’s body composition certainly did not show an evolutionary stage of
development. However, the earth and the heavens certainly, without any doubt,
show evolutionary changes from the time of their creation to the present time (Refer
to Argument No. 1 above). Modern day geology and archaeology prove that the
earth went through horrific changes from its creation.
Other Arguments
- In Genesis 1:2, for the earth is there described as being “without form, and void.”
But if verse one is not an actual description of the creation of the heavens and the
earth, but rather merely a summary of the whole seven days that follow, then how are
we to explain the fact that there is no re-statement of its actual creation in the detailed
account? Where did this formless “earth” come from? Are we to suppose that it
did somehow exist before original creation? 6
6 The Satanic Rebellion: Background to the Tribulation, Part 2 – The Genesis
Gap, by Dr. Robert D. Luginbill.
- The earth was created to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18). “For thus saith the Lord
that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath
established it, he created it NOT IN VAIN, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the
Lord; and there is none else. (Emphasis mine). - We have, in the Hebrew, a disjunctive construction at the beginning of verse two.
The combination of the connective waw and a nominal form (as opposed to a finite
verb) indicates strong contrast in the Hebrew. That is to say, what we have
beginning verse two is a “but,” not an “and.” Grammatically speaking then, we are
on much firmer ground in translating “but the earth…,” rather than “and the
earth…” (KJV). This rendering to which the actual language of the verse points so
insistently (despite all speculation to the contrary) has produced mere head-
scratching for those who hold to the summary interpretation. But for those who are
willing to follow where the Word of God actually leads, it is an unmistakable sign
post, one which points inescapably to a definite gap between the Bible’s two initial
verses, a hiatus in the action which demands attention and invites investigation. Clearly, something dramatic must have transpired to account for this stark
contrast between verses one and two. The Genesis Gap, therefore, is unmistakably
present in the original Hebrew, representing a clear interruption in the narrative
between God’s original, perfect creation of the world, and His subsequent re-creation
of a world ruined by Satan’s revolt:
Before all else, God created the heavens and the earth. But the earth
came to be ruined and despoiled……Genesis 1:1-2a 7
7 Ibid – Part 2
8 Ibid – Part 22 Peter 3:6-7
Peter spoke of two worlds: the “then was” and the “are now.” The “then was world”
“perished”; this is the Greek word apollumi, which means “destroyed.” There was
no life left after this flood (cf. Jeremiah 4:23-26), which was not the case after
Noah’s flood. This had to have been when Lucifer rebelled (he was already a fallen
creature when he entered the Garden of Eden). He had been the “anointed cherub,”
who had been placed in charge of the material universe and its social order (cf.
Isaiah 14:12-14, Ezekiel 28:11-17). So, that first world (“that then was”) was not
annihilated even though all life was, but it was restored (Genesis 1:9-10). This
restored heaven and earth is what Peter refers to as “the heavens and earth which
are now.”
Jeremiah 4:23-26 “I beheld the earth, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and
the heavens, and they [had] no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled,
and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, [there was] no man, and all the
birds of the heavens were fled. 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” (bracketed words not in original text).
That this was describing a Pre-Adamic Earth can be determined in several ways:
- The use of the word “And” in Genesis 1:2 (used 102 times in Genesis chapters one
and two to separate the different acts of God). Therefore, the work of God in verse
one (creation) is separate from the work of verse two (judgment). - The only time the earth has been “without form and void” (desolate and empty)
was before the six days of the regeneration described in Genesis 1:3—2:3. It had to
be regenerated because God’s “fierce anger” destroyed all life, and caused the earth - Verse one (of Genesis) describes in simple, straight-forward terms God’s Creation
of the world out of nothing, while what follows, beginning with the disjunctive clause
of verse two, describes the state of affairs resulting from Satan’s revolt. This is
followed in turn by God’s reconstruction of the world to make it once again habitable
for an entirely new species of moral creature through
whom it will be God’s good
pleasure to repudiate the devil’s revolt beyond any shadow of a doubt, a species
created “a little lower than the angels”
(Psalms 8:5)
but destined to rise above them:.
8
to become (the word “was” in Genesis 1:2) “without form, and void.” The word
“was” is translated “became” in Genesis 19:26. The word “was” is from the verb “to
become” (this indicates a previous existence: see hayah, #3 below), not “to be.” That
the earth was not created desolate is because God has set certain boundaries for
Himself, and one is that He cannot create anything except in a perfect condition:
Isaiah 45:18, “He created it not in vain” (the same word tohuw as in Genesis 1:2,
“desolate; without form”). In addition, the word “not” in the Hebrew language
means “nothing.” God created nothing in a desolate state! - Throughout Scripture, whenever darkness was upon the earth, and whenever
God will bring it upon the earth in the future, it is always because of judgment. Can
we say that the darkness in Genesis is any different? Can we say that there was no
light on the Pre-Adamite earth? No, when God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis
1:3), the word “be” tells us differently. The word is hayah, which indicates a
previous existence. When God declared, “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14), the
words “I AM” are also translated from hayah, so if God existed before, is it not
likely that so did light? Furthermore, when we are told that “God made two great
lights” (Genesis 1:16), the word “made” is ‘asah, which means, “to refine, form
something that already existed.” - Jeremiah stated that he beheld after this judgment, “no man…birds” nor “fruitful
place” (places where vegetation could only grow because of sunlight). Since God
created the earth to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18), and Jeremiah tells of “the cities
thereof”; and Isaiah, when speaking of this same time of Lucifer’s judgment spoke of
“nations” (Isaiah 14:12-14); therefore, all this (habitation, cities and nations) would
certainly include a social system which was overseen by Lucifer. How then can we
resist the knowledge of a Pre-Adamite earth, which had light and was populated by
plants, animals and even mankind? - Certainly, Lucifer’s judgment flood does not compare to Noah’s judgment flood:
- Lucifer’s earth was made waste (Genesis 1:2, Jeremiah 4:23).
- Noah’s was not (Genesis 8:11-12, 22).
- Lucifer’s earth was made empty (Genesis 1:2, Jeremiah 4:23).
Noah’s was not (Genesis 6:17-22, 8:16). - Lucifer’s earth became dark (Genesis 1:2, Jeremiah 4:23).
Noah’s was not (Genesis 8:6-22). - Lucifer’s had all vegetation destroyed; it had to be brought forth again (Genesis
1:11-12). Noah’s had vegetation left (Genesis 8:11-12, 22). - Lucifer’s floodwaters were removed in one day (Genesis 1:9). This was a
supernatural work; God rebuked the waters (Psalms 104:5-7). - Noah’s waters were removed in months (Genesis 8:1-14). This was a natural
work. - Lucifer’s post-flood world had no fish left in the seas. There was no sun to sustain
life anywhere. - Noah’s post-flood world had fish left. There was sunlight to sustain life.
So, if we rightly divide the Word of Truth (the Jeremiah, 2 Peter, and other passages),
we must come to realize there was a Pre-Adamic world with light,mountains, hills,
men, birds, fruitful places and cities that were ruled by Lucifer, the “anointed
cherub.” Lucifer, because of his pride, tainted all that he had charge of and rebelled
against his Creator. Therefore, God in His anger used darkness and a flood to destroy
that social system along with all the things of that system which He
created “In the beginning.” That brought God to restore the earth and create
Adam and new creatures.
When “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis1:2) that was
the beginning of the “first day” (verse 5). It was also the beginning of recorded time.
No knowledge is given to us of how long the Pre-Adamic world existed. Since God
does not change, as Malachi 3:6 says and other Scriptures prove, this not changing
includes His laws for dealing with His creation. Even if His methods in dealing with
His creation did change, would it not seem reasonable to believe that the Pre-Adamic
world also lasted 7,000 years? This flood of Lucifer’s could well have been when the
lives of the dinosaurs ended.
HISTORY OF THE EARLY AGES HERE ON THE EARTH
- God’s creation of the Heaven and the Earth (Genesis 1:1)
- God created Lucifer and Angels. (Isaiah 14:12-17)
- Lucifer was created perfect in all his ways, but iniquity was found
in him. (Ezekiel 28:15). - The devil was certainly created before the creation of the world. Job 38:4-7 tells us that when the foundation of the earth was laid, “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” These were the heavenly beings and the devil had certainly already been created.
- Ezekiel 28:15: Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou was created, till iniquity was found in thee. Lucifer was perfect at the time of his own creation. Therefore, the devil to fall in sin somewhere between the time of his creation and the creation of the world as found in the first chapter of Genesis. Only the gap provides a time for this. There is no other option. (Ref. Dr. David F. Reagan)
One of the most common beginnings in scripture and probably the one
referred to in John 8:44 is the beginning of this present world. That is, it
refers to the six-day creation of Genesis, chapter one. However, there is
good reason to believe that Satan was created before the beginning of our
present world and that he fell into sin before that time.
Therefore, the devil was created perfect but fell because of sin and was a
liar and a murderer from the beginning of creation as we know it. Yet, he
was not a murderer and a liar from the time of his own creation. That would
make God the source of iniquity. The absolute holiness of God would not
allow this to be the case. (Ref. Dr. David F. Reagan)
This is one of the main reasons that I believe in a gap of time between the
original creation and the six-day creation. It was during this gap that
Satan/Lucifer rebelled against God. If there was no original creation and
destruction, then the devil could predate man by no more than five days.
This means that the following events must have occurred between the first
day of the six-day creation and the fall of Adam and Eve:
. Lucifer’s service to God as “the anointed cherub that covereth”
(Ezekiel 28:11-15).
. The fall of Lucifer because of his pride (Isaiah 14:12-15).
. The fall of the angels who followed Satan (Matthew 25:41).
Satan is called “the prince of this world” by Christ (John 12:31) and
“the god of this world” by Paul (2Corinthians 4:4). What gives him
a claim on this world and when did he get this claim? (Reference Dr.
David F. Reagan)
In Luke 4:5-6, Satan told Christ that all the kingdoms of the world had been
delivered unto him (“for that is delivered unto me”). Christ did not deny his
claim but rather answered that only God Himself deserved worship (Luke 4:7-
8). The devil’s claim of having the kingdoms of the world delivered unto him
is allowed to stand. But when could this have been accomplished? When
Satan shows up in the Garden of Eden before the fall of man, he is already the
serpent and is in opposition to God. If Satan had some previous rule over the
world, when did he practice this rule? (Ref. Dr. David F. Reagan)
In Isaiah 14:12-15, where Satan’s original rebellion against God is
recorded, the devil desired to exalt his throne above the stars of God
(Isaiah 14:13). In order to exalt his throne, he had to have a throne. A
throne indicates a place A throne indicates a place of rule and dominion
as well as a kingdom to rule over. Yet, this kingdom which was ruled by
Satan before the fall was below the stars of God and below the heights of
the clouds. What is left? The earth is left. Satan had a throne on the
earth before he rebelled against God. This would explain how he got his
claim to earth. The earth before Genesis 1:2 was Lucifer’s original
domain. It was his original commission from God. Ref. Dr. David F.
Reagan)
Satan’s Character From the Beginning:
The devil was “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44) and he
“sinneth from the beginning” (I John 3:8). To what beginning does this
refer? It must refer to the beginning of the six-day creation. Nothing else
makes sense.
However, if there is no gap and the devil was created on the first day of
the six days of creation, he must have been created as a sinner and a
murderer – since he was these things from the beginning. But this is
impossible for two reasons:
. First, this interpretation would make God the author of sin.
. Second, the Bible clearly states that the devil was perfect from his creation
and that iniquity was not found in him until a later date (See Ezekiel 28:15).
He was perfect at the time of his own creation, but was a murderer and sinner at the
time of the beginning or creation as we experience it. Therefore, the devil had to fall
in sin somewhere between the time of his creation and the beginning of the world as
found in the first chapter of Genesis. Only the gap provides a time for this. There
is no other option.
People bring up some great questions. The problems they address are some of the
reasons that I believe there was a space of time between the original creation of God’s
heaven and earth and the six-day creation that makes up the bulk of Genesis chapter
one. The six days of creation do not mention the Creation of God’s heaven or the
creation of hell. Neither do they mention the creation of the angelic beings. Here is
my belief concerning the creation of these things.
First, God created His heaven. This is recorded in Genesis 1:1. The wisdom of the
King James Bible is seen in the fact that Genesis 1:1 states that God created the
“heaven” (singular) and the earth in the beginning. That heaven is the third heaven
mentioned by Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2. At this time, He also created the original
earth. This should not surprise us since there is going to be a new earth one of these
days.
Second, God created the heavenly beings. There was no need to create the angels
before there was a place for them to dwell. This creation would include the creation of
Lucifer before he sinned.
Third, in this initial world, God gave Lucifer rule but his fall led to the entire destruction of
that world. This doctrine is controversial, but it will explain the problems you are dealing
with and others as well. The pride and fall of Lucifer as described in Isaiah 14:12-15 is best
put in this time.
Fourth, God created hell for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41 states, “Then shall he
say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared
for the devil and his angels.” Two points: First, there was no point in creating this place of
punishment before the devil and his angels rebelled; and, second, it must have been created
before the fall of Adam or else it would have been created for him and his descendants too.
Fifth, after all of the above, we have the six-day creation that makes up the bulk of Genesis
chapter one (Ref. Dr. David F. Reagan).
MAJOR OBJECTIONS TO THE GAP THEORY
BY DAVID F. REAGAN
My first objective in this study is to establish the possibility of a gap between Genesis 1:1 and
1:2. In order to do his, I will answer the objections to the gap that I am familiar with. We
will look at these objections one at a time.
OBJECTION ONE: No Direct Biblical Statement Teaches the Gap.
I agree that no simple scriptural statement can be found that declares the gap—at least not
any that I have found. However, this is true of several doctrines. Where do you find the
single verse that teaches the age of accountability or the pre-tribulation rapture? God
teaches us to study the scripture by laying precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little
and there a little Isaiah 28:10). Many doctrines must be established by comparing spiritual
things with spiritual (2 Corinthians 2:13). This objection holds no water.
OBJECTION TWO: Scripture Limits Creation to Six Days.
I count this as the strongest objection to the possibility of an original creation and destruction.
Two verses especially stand out:
. “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them
is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day,
and hallowed it.” – Exodus 20:11
. “It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the
LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was
refreshed.” – Exodus 31:17
I realize the strength of these verses. However, they often seem so strong to those who
oppose the gap because they assume certain things about those who believe in it. I, for one,
do not believe that the stars presently in the sky existed before the gap. For reasons I cannot
go into now, I believe the original universe was much smaller than the one we see today. I
also believe that the destruction to the original world was so great that everything had to be
entirely remade. The world as we know it today began with the six-day creation but that does
not preclude an earlier world.
Notice also the distinction between the words created and made. The above verses declare
that the heaven, the earth, the sea and all that is in them were made, not created, in six days.
However, in the beginning (Genesis 1:1) God created the heaven and the earth. A careful
study of scripture will show that these differences should not lightly be dismissed. The Bible
has three common words for making something: create, make and form. These words are
similar and their meanings often overlap. God created the world (Genesis 1:1); He made the
world (Genesis 2:2); He formed the world (Psalm 90:2). You might assume that this makes the
three words identical in meaning. However, this is not the case. They are distinct words
having distinct shades of meaning. Consider the following: Both create and make (made)
are used to describe the creation of man (Genesis 1:27; 2:7; 5:1). The common thought in all
three verses is to bring something to a finished or completed state of being. But there are
important distinctions between the words as well.
. To create means to bring into being; to cause to come into existence. This
word emphasizes origin and the originator (Creator). Its use is exemplified
in Genesis 1:1, 21, 27; Psalm 89:12; Isaiah 42:5; Ephesians 2:10; Revelation
4:11; Revelation 10:6.
. To make means to put together; to produce an end result by putting parts or
ingredients together. It emphasizes process. See Genesis 1:7, 16, 25, 31;
Genesis 2:2, 22; Genesis 3:1.
. To form means to give shape; to bring to its final form. This word emphasizes
finished product. See Genesis 2:7, 8, 19; Job 26:13; Psalm 90:2; Psalm 94:9;
Psalm 95:5.
Pay close attention to how these words are used in scripture. They can all be applied to the
same item but they emphasize different aspects of the act. In some cases, the difference is
may be minor. In other cases, the distinction is very important. A man can make a chair
because he can put the pieces together. However, he cannot create a tree. Always notice
what God is saying. Therefore, to say that God made the heaven and earth in six days does
not necessarily mean that He originally brought them into existence at that time.
It might help to look at the other end of time—when God destroys the present earth and
creates a new one. Consider the following verses:
. “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth
abideth forever.” — Ecclesiastes 1:4
. “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in
store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly
men.” — 2 Peter 3:7
. “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” – 2 Peter 3:13
As is clearly taught in Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:1-5, the heaven and earth today will be
utterly destroyed and a new heaven and earth will replace them. These new heavens and
earth are even said to be created. Yet, God must see a continuance in His creation of some
sort because He says in Ecclesiastes 1:4 that “the earth abideth forever.”
Although the old earth is destroyed and a new one is created, what He creates is still called
earth and the earth, as such, abides forever. Now that is a Bible-believing view of
Ecclesiastes 1:4. However, I challenge you to check with your favorite Bible teacher on this
verse. More than likely, he will tell you that “forever” in this verse simply means a long,
long time. If he is anti-gap, he probably believes that forever means 6,000 years. The
biblical use of forever does create some puzzles, but I am convinced that we are too quick to
minimize its meaning for our own purposes.
In conclusion, all the things mentioned in Exodus 20:11 and Exodus 31:17 as having been
made in six days could easily have been made during that time without denying a gap between
Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. The original world was destroyed almost to the extent that this
world will be destroyed. Even the word creation would fit it in most cases.
OBJECTION THREE: The Gap is an Accomodation to Godless Geology:
I admit that many of the early proponents of the gap compromised with modern science in
their beliefs and teachings. They used the gap to explain the geological ages, the fossil record
and the existence of dinosaur skeletons. Obviously, this was wrong.
There is no reason to bow to modern science in any of these areas. Creation with apparent
age (meaning things looked mature at the time of creation just as Adam was created as a
mature adult and not as a baby) and Noah’s flood could easily explain the geological
structures as we have them. However, a weak argument in favor of a position is no reason
to reject it. The gap I am talking about is not a scientific accommodation but a biblical
doctrine.
OBJECTION FOUR: The Grammar of Genesis Rejects the Gap:
This argument takes various forms but usually centers on the opening of Genesis 1:2 – “And
the earth was without form, and void.” This argument states that the “And” which begins
the verse and the “was” that describes the earth immediately connects the statement in
Genesis 1:1 with the description in Genesis 1:2. In other words, the grammar of the verse
does away with any possibility of a gap. The earth is being described as without form and
void at the point of its creation by God.
The simplest answer to this objection is a comparison of the structure of this passage with
one found in Genesis 4:2, which states: “And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel
was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
In practically every way, the grammatical structure of Genesis 4:2 is the same as that of
Genesis 1:1-2. But consider this. If this wording requires the earth to be without form and
void at the very moment of creation, then it also requires Abel to be a keeper of the sheep at
the very moment of his birth. We naturally assume a period of time between Abel’s birth
and the taking up of his life occupation. Certainly, the grammar of Genesis 1:2 allows for a
period of time between the original creation of the earth and its description.
OBJECTION FIVE: Adam Must Be the First Man:
The objection states that Adam is clearly called the first man.
. I Corinthians 15:45 – “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living
soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.”
. I Corinthians 15:47 – “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the
Lord from heaven.”
The answer is simple. Obviously, the original inhabitants of the earth were not men.
Perhaps they were angels or some other God-created being. But they were definitely not
men.
OBJECTION SIX: The Origin of Death and Sin in the World:
Adam is responsible for bringing sin and death into the world: Romans 5:12 – “Wherefore,
as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
for that all have sinned:” – see also I Corinthians 15:21-22.
Therefore, the argument goes, there could have been no earlier destruction of the world since
this would require sin and death before Adam.
Clearly, Adam’s fall brought sin and death into this present evil world (Galatians 1:4).
However, Christ is declared to be the maker of the “worlds” (Hebrews 1:2). There must be
more than one world and the scripture bears this out. The following worlds are found in
scripture:
- The “world that then was” in 2 Peter 3:6 – “Whereby the world that then was, being
overflowed with water, perished.” - The “old world” in 2 Peter 2:5 – “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the
eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of
the ungodly;” - This “present evil world” in Galatians 1:4 – “Who gave himself for our sins, that he
might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our
Father:” - The “world to come” in Hebrews 2:5 – “For unto the angels hath he not put in
subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.” (also Hebrews 6:5)
No doubt the sin and death in this present world traces back to the sin of Adam in the garden.
However, this does not mean that Adam brought sin into existence. The serpent was already
in rebellion when he tempted Eve. Neither does it mean that there could not have been an
earlier world which had sin introduced into it and was totally destroyed.
We have looked at the major objections (by Young Earth Creationists) to an original world.
They all come short of disproving the possibility of this world when considered scripturally.
However, the original earth and its subsequent destruction have not been proven.
(Reference: Dr. David F. Reagan – Note that there are two David Reagans, the one quoted above, and
the other who is president of the Lamb and Lion Ministries, a Young Earth Creationist).
There is much more to come….both biblically and scientifically. This is only a small
portion. What one must keep in mind is that Scripture interprets Scripture, and of
course taken literally. Just a few comments before completing:
The Lord created everything perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4). The Young Earth
Creationists (YEC) believe that Genesis 1:2 was part of the original creation
(vs. 1). If that was true, why was the earth without form and void, and
darkness was upon the face of the deep? This certainly implies an earth
that was made up of waste…certainly, not perfect by any means.
Second, where did the asteroids that lie between Mars and Jupiter come
from? It certainly speaks of a huge catastrophe that must have taken place
many years ago. It would appear that a planet that existed at a very early
time exploded or how else can it be explained? It would appear, that when
Lucifer fell, there must have been a very huge destruction that took place.
No doubt it was the Lord’s judgment as a result of Lucifer’s sin.