THE GAP THEORY - Conjectures such as the Gap Theory are provocative and challenge us to search "the whole counsel of God" for consistency and integrity with known, established doctrines. As the "prince of this world," Satan's offer to Jesus Christ in the famed temptations was valid, or else it wouldn't have been a temptation. By God's allowing the cosmic drama to play itself out, Satan will inadvertently glorify God by demonstrating that there can be only one will in the universe and all other paths lead to chaos and destruction. God will use the weakness of man, and his redemption through faith in His Son, to redeem not only fallen man, but "a new heavens and a new earth." The so-called "Gap Theory" is a conjecture about a possible interval between the first two verses in Genesis 1. Among other things, it attempts to deal with the creation of the angels, the fall of Lucifer, and related topics. The angels apparently witnessed the creation of the earth; but when were they created? Satan's rebellion is also portrayed in Scripture; but when did he fall? The third word, Elohim, the name of God, seems to be a grammatical "error": it is a plural noun, used as a singular. It is recognized by many scholars as the first hint of the Trinity. It is the second verse that raises some questions. “And the earth was 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. The conjecture is that between the first two verses of the Bible, after the original creation which included the angels and Lucifer, there was a rebellion and a judgment of his principal domain, the Earth.

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The

Gap 

Theory

What is the Gap Theory and is it valid?

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Conjectures such as the Gap Theory are provocative and challenge us to search "the whole counsel of God" for consistency and integrity with known, established doctrines. As the "prince of this world," Satan's offer to Jesus Christ in the famed temptations was valid, or else it wouldn't have been a temptation. By God's allowing the cosmic drama to play itself out, Satan will inadvertently glorify God by demonstrating that there can be only one will in the universe and all other paths lead to chaos and destruction. God will use the weakness of man, and his redemption through faith in His Son, to redeem not only fallen man, but "a new heavens and a new earth."

Q & A with Chuck Missler

The so-called "Gap Theory" is a conjecture about a possible interval between the first two verses in Genesis 1.

Among other things, it attempts to deal with the creation of the angels, the fall of Lucifer, and related topics.

The angels apparently witnessed the creation of the earth; but when were they created?

Satan's rebellion is also portrayed in Scripture; but when did he fall?

Genesis 1:1

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” - Genesis 1:1

Beresheet Bara Elohim et ha-Shamayim et ha-Eretz.

Seven Hebrew words; 4 x 7 letters.

Volumes have been written on this verse alone. This opening declaration in verse 1 stands alone; it says it all.

If you understand this verse you will have no trouble with any other verse in the Bible.

The first word is Beresheeth, "In Beginning," which yields the name of the book of Genesis in Hebrew.

The second word is bara, to create out of nothing.

This is in contrast to similar words in the Hebrew: Asa, to make, fashion, or fabricate; and Yatsa, to form or shape. (Isaiah 43:7 uses all three.)

Most of what we see in the remainder of Genesis 1 are forms of "made."

The third word, Elohim, the name of God, seems to be a grammatical "error": it is a plural noun, used as a singular.

It is recognized by many scholars as the first hint of the Trinity.

Genesis 1:2

It is the second verse that raises some questions.

“And the earth was 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

The words, "without form and void, tohu w'bohu, seem to be contradicted by a passage in Isaiah:

“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 [Whto tohu], he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” - Isaiah 45:18

And also in Jeremiah:

“I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void [tohu w'bohu]; 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.” - Jeremiah 4:23-27

When were "all the cities thereof broken down"?

Furthermore, the verb hayah, "was" in Genesis 1:2, is a transitive verb; it is the same word used when "Lot's wife became a pillar of salt."

It implies an active transition.

Also, the waw, "and," in Genesis 1:2 usually implies a time delay.

Here it can be construed as an adversative conjunction, implying a reversal as well as a delay.

(In the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate it is rendered as "but.")

Putting all this together, some scholars suggest that it should be rendered:

"But the earth became without form and void ("ruined and uninhabitable"); and darkness was on the face of the deep (LXX: abousso). And the Spirit of God hovered (Talmud: like a dove?) over the face of the waters."

The Cosmic Interval

The conjecture is that between the first two verses of the Bible, after the original creation which included the angels and Lucifer, there was a rebellion and a judgment of his principal domain, the Earth.

We thus find Satan already fallen in Genesis 3.

According to this view, the record following is simply a reconstruction and the subsequent unfolding of God's plan of redemption.

These ideas were published by Thomas Chalmers in 1814; George Pember, in 1907; Arthur C. Custance in 1970, and Donald Gray Barnhouse, among others, in more recent years.

This is all, of course, highly speculative, and there are those who have published refutations against this view.

In any case, attempting to employ the "Gap Theory" in an attempt to reconcile the Genesis record with geologic or paleanthological theories is inappropriate and futile.

Fossils are dead: they occurred after Adam.

Clearly, the Biblical record attributes plants and animals to the post-Adamic world, and its subsequent "bondage of decay" to the fall in Genesis 3.

The ambiguities of language, and its subsequent translations, often leave room for creative speculations.

Conjectures such as the Gap Theory are provocative and challenge us to search "the whole counsel of God" for consistency and integrity with known, established doctrines.

Speculations such as these can stimulate fruitful discussions but should, of course, be maintained with a light touch at best.

Yet, the possibility of such an interval would seem to reconcile many of the passages regarding Satan and his background.

His aspirations to "ascend into heaven," and the suggestive portrayal in what appears to be a pre-Adamic Eden, with the earth as his principal domain, would seem to harmonize with this view.

As the "prince of this world," Satan's offer to Jesus Christ in the famed temptations was valid, or else it wouldn't have been a temptation.

By God's allowing the cosmic drama to play itself out, Satan will inadvertently glorify God by demonstrating that there can be only one will in the universe and all other paths lead to chaos and destruction.

God will use the weakness of man, and his redemption through faith in His Son, to redeem not only fallen man, but "a new heavens and a new earth."

Koinonia… is a New Testament word which is most often translated to mean “communication”, “fellowship”, or “communion”. Koinonia House, or K-House as we are affectionately called, is dedicated to the development and distribution of materials for encouraging and facilitating serious study of the Bible as the inerrant Word of God. We are a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization.

K-House was founded by Chuck and Nancy Missler. Chuck, a Naval Academy graduate and former Branch Chief of the Dept. of Guided Missiles, had a remarkable 30-year executive career. He served on the Board of Directors of 12 public companies and was CEO of 6 of them. For twenty years Chuck balanced his high-profile corporate career with his teaching commitment to a weekly Bible study at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in Southern California. Nancy, while raising their four children, has touched the lives of thousands through her in-depth teaching of Biblical discoveries in her “Way of Agape” and “Be Ye Transformed” books and tape series.

After a devastating earthquake in 1992 demolished their home in Big Bear, California, Chuck and Nan moved Koinonia House to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and K-House now reaches tens of thousands through its monthly newsletter, radio shows, podcast, Bible study materials, and conferences. More than eight million Bible study resources have been distributed in the U.S. and in over 35 countries around the world. Thanks for visiting us. Please join us in this Grand Adventure, and let’s see what the Lord will do!

http://www.khouse.org/articles/2000/262/

JESUS AND THE GREAT FLOOD - The Lord Jesus Christ not only believed in the special, recent creation of all things by God, but also in the worldwide Flood of Noah’s day, including the special preservation of life on the Ark. The Flood in which He believed was obviously not a “local flood,” for He compared it to the worldwide future impact of His Second Coming. It is clear that He was referring to - and that He believed - the Genesis record of the great Flood! “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” The Flood in which the Lord Jesus Christ believed was obviously not a “local flood,” for He compared it to the worldwide future impact of His Second Coming. Neither was it a “tranquil flood,” nor a “selective flood,” for Jesus said, “The flood came, and destroyed them all” Jesus was referring to - and that He believed - the Genesis record of the great Flood - and therefore, those who are truly His disciples must also believe this. The destructive effects of the Flood can still be seen today not only in the biblical record, but also in the abundant evidences of cataclysmic destruction in the rocks and fossil graveyards all over the world.

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The Great Flood

Jesus and the Flood
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The Flood in which the Lord Jesus Christ believed was obviously not a “local flood,” 

for He compared it to the worldwide future impact of His Second Coming. Neither was it a “tranquil flood,” nor a “selective flood,” for Jesus said, “The flood came, and destroyed them all” Jesus was referring to - and that He believed - the Genesis record of the great Flood - and therefore, those who are truly His disciples must also believe this

BY HENRY M. MORRIS, PH.D.

 “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:38-39)

The Lord Jesus Christ not only believed in the special, recent creation of all things by God (note Mark 10:6-8), but also in the worldwide Flood of Noah’s day, including the special preservation of life on the Ark.

The Flood in which He believed was obviously not a “local flood,” for He compared it to the worldwide future impact of His Second Coming.

Neither was it a “tranquil flood,” nor a “selective flood,” for Jesus said, “The flood came, and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:27).

It is clear that He was referring to - and that He believed - the Genesis record of the great Flood!

There it says that the whole earth was “filled with violence” (Genesis 6:13), having first been filled with people, and that the resulting world-cleansing deluge was so cataclysmic that “every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth” (Genesis 7:23).

Indeed, “the flood came, and took [literally ‘lifted’] them all away.”

This is what Jesus said, and what He believed, and therefore, those who are truly His disciples must also believe this.

The destructive effects of the Flood can still be seen today not only in the biblical record, but also in the abundant evidences of cataclysmic destruction in the rocks and fossil graveyards all over the world.

To refuse this evidence, as do many modern intellectuals, can only be because they “willingly are ignorant,” as Peter said in referring to this testimony (2 Peter 3:5).

http://www.icr.org/article/10377 

THE LONGEST WEEK EVER - In the original Hebrew, Genesis 1:31 states that the final day of Creation Week was indeed the sixth day. If millions of years had passed, then Day Six could not have been the sixth day. Christians question the length of the days in Genesis but they do not question how long the days were when Joshua marched around Jericho or when Jonah was in the great fish. They are trying to find a way to make millions of years mesh with Scripture. Yet every attempt to harmonize the Bible with long ages will always fall short. The meaning of the days in Creation Week is perfectly clear. Each day was the same length as our modern days. The sixth day truly was the sixth day.

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The Longest Week

Creation: The Longest Week Ever?

by Tim Chaffey  

For more than 200 years, Christians have been trying to reinterpret the six days of Creation in Genesis 1 to make them align with millions of years. But every attempt has a fatal flaw.

“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31).

“The sixth day.” What does that phrase mean to you? 

More than 200 years ago, Christians began to question whether this day truly was the sixth day, instead of the six millionth or six billionth day.

They were responding to an idea, popularized in the late 1700’s, that our planet and universe are much older than Scripture indicates. 

They wondered where millions of years might harmonize with the Bible. 

So they scrutinized Genesis 1 and reinterpreted the days of Creation Week in a variety of ways.

But they didn’t recognize that each of these attempts to insert long ages into Scripture had fatal flaws (even beyond the alarming fact that they tried to change the original intent of the language). 

Most notably, they place death, suffering, and disease long before Adam and Eve sinned.

Yet you will still hear varieties of these views. What are we to make of them? 

Is there any justification for changing the meaning of the Bible’s first chapter?

Many of these views deny the historical reality of the Bible’s earliest chapters. 

This is unacceptable because it contradicts the way biblical writers and the Lord Jesus Christ understood and taught them. 

Luke stated that Jesus was a descendant of Adam (Luke 3:38). 

If Adam were not a real person, this statement would be absurd. 

Paul also wrote about Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22, 45). 

Peter wrote about Noah and the Flood (1 Peter 3:20). 

Jesus spoke about Noah and the Flood (Matthew 24:37–38), and He said the first man and woman were created “from the beginning” (Matthew 19:4). 

If Adam and Eve were created after billions of years of history, then Jesus was not perfect, He was mistaken (or a fraud).

What about the positions that do not deny the historical reality of the events and people but add vast amounts of time to Creation Week? These positions fail as well.

The Fourth of the Ten Commandments instructed Moses and the Israelites to work for six days and rest for one. 

God explained the rationale: “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11). 

If Creation Week lasted millions or billions of years, how could it possibly serve as the model for the work week described in the Ten Commandments?

Hebrew scholar Dr. Steven Boyd has conducted a statistical analysis of 522 Old Testament passages. 

He found that poetic and narrative passages could be categorized with a better than 99% accuracy based on the verb usage alone. 

Dr. Boyd’s analysis showed conclusively that Genesis 1 is narrative history, not poetry. 

This means the only way to interpret it properly is as history, looking for its straightforward, historical meaning.

The immediate context of each appearance of day in Genesis 1 conclusively establishes their length. 

Each day is marked by “evening and morning.”

A day lasting millions of years would have far more than one evening and morning. 

Throughout the remainder of the Old Testament, when evening and morning are used together, they refer to a normal-length day.

Each day is also linked with a number (“first day,” “second day”). 

This construction occurs more than 300 times in the Old Testament, and with only a couple of potential exceptions, it always signifies a normal-length day. 

Furthermore, in the original Hebrew, Genesis 1:31 states that the final day of Creation Week was indeed the sixth day. 

If millions of years had passed, then Day Six could not have been the sixth day.

Why do Christians question the length of the days in Genesis but nowhere else? 

They do not question how long the days were when Joshua marched around Jericho or when Jonah was in the great fish. 

The truth is that they are trying to find a way to make millions of years mesh with Scripture.

Yet every attempt to harmonize the Bible with long ages will always fall short. 

The meaning of the days in Creation Week is perfectly clear. 

Each day was the same length as our modern days. The sixth day truly was the sixth day.

A Turn for the Worse

Decades before Darwin, Christians started developing attempts to harmonize Genesis with millions of years. They all have serious flaws.

Gap Theory

The gap theory was invented to insert millions of years after the first verse of the Bible, proposing that God created a world full of creatures and then destroyed it with a flood prior to verse two (all before Adam’s sin). Following those verses, God recreated the world we now know in six days.

Historical Creation

A modified version of the gap theory, confusingly called historical creation, teaches that God created the heavens and earth over an indefinite period, but He then prepared the land for mankind in six days.

Day-Age Theory

Another idea, known as the day-age theory, suggests that each of the six days was a long period. To span the supposed 4.6 billion years of earth history, each “day” would need to be approximately 750 million years - and roughly three times that long to account for the supposed 13.8-billion-year age of the universe. If this view is taken seriously, we must wonder how plants (created on Day Three) survived without the sun (created on Day Four) for hundreds of millions of years.

Multiple Gap View

Some have offered an alternative view that essentially blends the gap and day-age theories. The multiple gap view states that the six days were normal-length days separated by gaps of long ages.

Framework Hypothesis

In the past century, several other new positions have reduced Genesis 1 to little more than poetry. They imply that it is okay to ignore most of the details as long as one acknowledges that God created this world and made man in his image. For example, an idea known as the framework hypothesis argues that Genesis 1 is semi-poetic, overstressing an artificial parallelism of the creation days and groping for other elements that would make room for a nonliteral interpretation of the text.

Theistic Evolution

Proponents of other positions, such as theistic evolution, ignore the text altogether. Essentially, they allegorize or spiritualize chapters 1–11 of Genesis and reject many details.

Tim Chaffey holds a master of divinity degree, specializing in apologetics and theology and a ThM in church history and theology from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He is content manager for Answers in Genesis’ Ark Encounter theme park and author of In Defense of Easter.

https://answersingenesis.org/days-of-creation/creation-longest-week-ever/