GOD’S TIMETABLE FOR CREATION

[Buff Scott Jr.]

GOD’S TIMETABLE FOR CREATION ​

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array” (Genesis 2:1). Did God create everything in six solar days or over a period of billions of years?

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Heb. 11:3). Did God take billions of years to create our solar system? Did He develop the features of His crowning creation, man, over a period of millions of years, as some conjecture?

It may surprise some of you, and even disappoint a few, to learn that “yom,” the Hebrew word for “day,” is defined as a common solar day, beginning with verse five of chapter one in Genesis. It is used in the same sense at least 358 times elsewhere in the Old Testament scriptures. There is no logical reason why the first chapter of Genesis would be the exception. When we contemplate God’s awesome power, there’s hardly any question but that He could have created everything instantaneously. “In the beginning” of time, however, He chose to complete His creation in six solar days. “For in six days the Lord made the heavens [universe and our solar system] and the Earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11).

Many of our common versions say He “rested” on the seventh day. If the first six days consisted of billions of years, so did the seventh day. Does this mean God “rested” for billions of years? [The correct translation, of course, is that God “ceased” creating after the sixth day.]

But another problem with the conception that God utilized billions of years to create everything is that He instructed the Jewish people to rest on the seventh day and keep it holy. If each day consisted of millions of years, were His people to rest millions of years on each seventh “day”? “Day” is employed in the same vein in referring to the seventh as it is used in referring to the other six. Thus whatever we attribute to the first six days, 24-hours or millions of years, we must also attribute to the seventh day. And if each of the six days comprised millions of years, the Jewish people, who were told to rest on the seventh, should have rested for millions of years. Sorry, but this logic is unacceptable.

If we must understand the days of creation figuratively, what is wrong with understanding figuratively the days Jesus’ body was in the tomb—three solar days or millions of years? True, “day” is sometimes used symbolically in the scriptures, but not in relation to creation and the time Jesus’ body was in the tomb.

Could the material from which the Earth and universe were made have existed billions of years? I understand verses one through five of the first chapter of Genesis as the first 24-hour day of creation. It was on this first day God created the substance from which He formed the universe, created the light, and separated the light from darkness. “And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day” (v. 5). God took a chaotic mass of material He had made and fashioned our immaculate universe! Oh, the power of our Creator!

Is it true the Hebrew “yom” may also be translated “era” or “epoch,” in addition to “day”? Some Hebrew scholars say yom may be thus translated. There are numerous complexities with this claim, however, when applied to the six days of creation. For if yom is translated “era” or “epoch” and applied to the six days of creation, sea creatures and the birds of the air lived to be millions of years for they were created before land animals and man. Sea creatures and birds were created on the fifth day; land animals and man were created on the sixth day.

Am I saying there was no death of sea, air, and land animals prior to the Fall of Adam? That’s precisely what I’m saying! Adam’s fall resulted in both physical and spiritual death. It appears that death among sea, air, and land creatures was non-existent prior to the Fall. In regards to death before the Fall, we might ponder the words of the great apostle Paul. He wrote, “For since death came through a man [Adam], the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man” (I Cor. 15:21). In the very next passage, Paul announces, “For in Adam all die.”

But isn’t Paul alluding to humankind only in the scriptures quoted? Paul spoke of death without distinguishing between man and animals, although man was the thrust of his point. The Garden of Eden was designed to be a faultless, immaculate Paradise—no pain, no sorrow, no diseases, and no death. It seems to me that if animals experienced cessation of life before the Fall, the Garden was less than a faultless Paradise. Death became a curse because of Adam’s sin. This curse applied to both man and animal, but not before the Fall.

​

 

[EarlyActs]

GOD’S TIMETABLE FOR CREATION ​

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array” (Genesis 2:1). Did God create everything in six solar days or over a period of billions of years?

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Heb. 11:3). Did God take billions of years to create our solar system? Did He develop the features of His crowning creation, man, over a period of millions of years, as some conjecture?

It may surprise some of you, and even disappoint a few, to learn that “yom,” the Hebrew word for “day,” is defined as a common solar day, beginning with verse five of chapter one in Genesis. It is used in the same sense at least 358 times elsewhere in the Old Testament scriptures. There is no logical reason why the first chapter of Genesis would be the exception. When we contemplate God’s awesome power, there’s hardly any question but that He could have created everything instantaneously. “In the beginning” of time, however, He chose to complete His creation in six solar days. “For in six days the Lord made the heavens [universe and our solar system] and the Earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11).

Many of our common versions say He “rested” on the seventh day. If the first six days consisted of billions of years, so did the seventh day. Does this mean God “rested” for billions of years? [The correct translation, of course, is that God “ceased” creating after the sixth day.]

But another problem with the conception that God utilized billions of years to create everything is that He instructed the Jewish people to rest on the seventh day and keep it holy. If each day consisted of millions of years, were His people to rest millions of years on each seventh “day”? “Day” is employed in the same vein in referring to the seventh as it is used in referring to the other six. Thus whatever we attribute to the first six days, 24-hours or millions of years, we must also attribute to the seventh day. And if each of the six days comprised millions of years, the Jewish people, who were told to rest on the seventh, should have rested for millions of years. Sorry, but this logic is unacceptable.

If we must understand the days of creation figuratively, what is wrong with understanding figuratively the days Jesus’ body was in the tomb—three solar days or millions of years? True, “day” is sometimes used symbolically in the scriptures, but not in relation to creation and the time Jesus’ body was in the tomb.

Could the material from which the Earth and universe were made have existed billions of years? I understand verses one through five of the first chapter of Genesis as the first 24-hour day of creation. It was on this first day God created the substance from which He formed the universe, created the light, and separated the light from darkness. “And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day” (v. 5). God took a chaotic mass of material He had made and fashioned our immaculate universe! Oh, the power of our Creator!

Is it true the Hebrew “yom” may also be translated “era” or “epoch,” in addition to “day”? Some Hebrew scholars say yom may be thus translated. There are numerous complexities with this claim, however, when applied to the six days of creation. For if yom is translated “era” or “epoch” and applied to the six days of creation, sea creatures and the birds of the air lived to be millions of years for they were created before land animals and man. Sea creatures and birds were created on the fifth day; land animals and man were created on the sixth day.

Am I saying there was no death of sea, air, and land animals prior to the Fall of Adam? That’s precisely what I’m saying! Adam’s fall resulted in both physical and spiritual death. It appears that death among sea, air, and land creatures was non-existent prior to the Fall. In regards to death before the Fall, we might ponder the words of the great apostle Paul. He wrote, “For since death came through a man [Adam], the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man” (I Cor. 15:21). In the very next passage, Paul announces, “For in Adam all die.”

But isn’t Paul alluding to humankind only in the scriptures quoted? Paul spoke of death without distinguishing between man and animals, although man was the thrust of his point. The Garden of Eden was designed to be a faultless, immaculate Paradise—no pain, no sorrow, no diseases, and no death. It seems to me that if animals experienced cessation of life before the Fall, the Garden was less than a faultless Paradise. Death became a curse because of Adam’s sin. This curse applied to both man and animal, but not before the Fall.

​

Note: whenever posting, check the list they provide of related posts. This subject is already ongoing in several.

 

[Buff Scott Jr.]

EarlyActs:

Thank you. I'll need to be more attentive.

 

[CrowCross]

GOD’S TIMETABLE FOR CREATION ​

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array” (Genesis 2:1). Did God create everything in six solar days or over a period of billions of years?

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Heb. 11:3). Did God take billions of years to create our solar system? Did He develop the features of His crowning creation, man, over a period of millions of years, as some conjecture?

It may surprise some of you, and even disappoint a few, to learn that “yom,” the Hebrew word for “day,” is defined as a common solar day, beginning with verse five of chapter one in Genesis. It is used in the same sense at least 358 times elsewhere in the Old Testament scriptures. There is no logical reason why the first chapter of Genesis would be the exception. When we contemplate God’s awesome power, there’s hardly any question but that He could have created everything instantaneously. “In the beginning” of time, however, He chose to complete His creation in six solar days. “For in six days the Lord made the heavens [universe and our solar system] and the Earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Exodus 20:11).

Many of our common versions say He “rested” on the seventh day. If the first six days consisted of billions of years, so did the seventh day. Does this mean God “rested” for billions of years? [The correct translation, of course, is that God “ceased” creating after the sixth day.]

But another problem with the conception that God utilized billions of years to create everything is that He instructed the Jewish people to rest on the seventh day and keep it holy. If each day consisted of millions of years, were His people to rest millions of years on each seventh “day”? “Day” is employed in the same vein in referring to the seventh as it is used in referring to the other six. Thus whatever we attribute to the first six days, 24-hours or millions of years, we must also attribute to the seventh day. And if each of the six days comprised millions of years, the Jewish people, who were told to rest on the seventh, should have rested for millions of years. Sorry, but this logic is unacceptable.

If we must understand the days of creation figuratively, what is wrong with understanding figuratively the days Jesus’ body was in the tomb—three solar days or millions of years? True, “day” is sometimes used symbolically in the scriptures, but not in relation to creation and the time Jesus’ body was in the tomb.

Could the material from which the Earth and universe were made have existed billions of years? I understand verses one through five of the first chapter of Genesis as the first 24-hour day of creation. It was on this first day God created the substance from which He formed the universe, created the light, and separated the light from darkness. “And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day” (v. 5). God took a chaotic mass of material He had made and fashioned our immaculate universe! Oh, the power of our Creator!

Is it true the Hebrew “yom” may also be translated “era” or “epoch,” in addition to “day”? Some Hebrew scholars say yom may be thus translated. There are numerous complexities with this claim, however, when applied to the six days of creation. For if yom is translated “era” or “epoch” and applied to the six days of creation, sea creatures and the birds of the air lived to be millions of years for they were created before land animals and man. Sea creatures and birds were created on the fifth day; land animals and man were created on the sixth day.

Am I saying there was no death of sea, air, and land animals prior to the Fall of Adam? That’s precisely what I’m saying! Adam’s fall resulted in both physical and spiritual death. It appears that death among sea, air, and land creatures was non-existent prior to the Fall. In regards to death before the Fall, we might ponder the words of the great apostle Paul. He wrote, “For since death came through a man [Adam], the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man” (I Cor. 15:21). In the very next passage, Paul announces, “For in Adam all die.”

But isn’t Paul alluding to humankind only in the scriptures quoted? Paul spoke of death without distinguishing between man and animals, although man was the thrust of his point. The Garden of Eden was designed to be a faultless, immaculate Paradise—no pain, no sorrow, no diseases, and no death. It seems to me that if animals experienced cessation of life before the Fall, the Garden was less than a faultless Paradise. Death became a curse because of Adam’s sin. This curse applied to both man and animal, but not before the Fall.

​

Many people translate day into "eons" to force the bible to conform to evolutionism.

 

[Buff Scott Jr.]

CrowCross:

Yes, my brother, I'm aware of that. This is why I added in my post above...

"For if yom is translated “era” or “epoch” and applied to the six days of creation, sea creatures and the birds of the air lived to be millions of years for they were created before land animals and man."

Thanks.​

​

 

[atpollard]

I know that it is popular to argue over Genesis 1 EXCLUSIVELY in the context of “Literal vs Figurative” and “6 days vs millions of years” and “Faith vs Science” with everyone choosing one of three views:

• Pro-bible literalism
• Anti-bible scientific data
• ”Here is my reconciliation of the apparent contradiction”

As much “FUN” as those discussions are [that was sarcasm, they are the opposite of fun] … I was always attracted to something else. The fancy term is “POLEMIC”, but let’s toss that aside and just talk about Genesis 1 from a completely different point of view.

WHAT IF …
God appeared to you and wanted to talk to you about this potential Bible that He was going to inspire someone to write. People were going to have questions about the origin of everything (CREATION) and God could only afford to dedicate a limited number of words to His explanation. What God provided would be 100% accurate in its details, but limited in scope by the need for brevity. [Let’s face it, there is just a LOT of important information that God needed for Moses to convey and could not spend several books describing creation leading up to the first man and woman.]. So here is God’s question to you:

• Would you rather have a limited but accurate account that reveals information about HOW everything was created, or would you rather have a limited but accurate account that reveals information about WHO created everything?
• Which do you think was more important to God to reveal to His people, HOW or WHO?
• So does it change anything in our thinking if Genesis 1 was written to reveal important information about WHO HE IS … this God that created everything … rather than HOW everything was created?

Genesis 1: WHO GOD IS
An observation from Genesis 1:1 … God always existed. There is no “creation of God”. It is important to our understanding of God to know that He always was and always will be. That makes God “NOT LIKE US” -Holy, set apart, other is the fancy religious description if you get into specific Hebrew words. For me, ETERNAL and UNCHANGING covers enough ground to set the stage for understanding that God is not like Zeus (or any other pagan god).

For the first three days, God DIVIDES things.

• Day 1: God divides LIGHT from DARKNESS
• Day 2: God divides ABOVE from BELOW
• Day 3: God divides LAND from WATER

God is a God who creates by first DIVIDING. That is part of who He is and how He works … God’s modus operandi.
[SPOILER ALERT: What if anything does this tell us about what will come later in the story? Think about it.]

For the next three days, God creates by MULTIPLYING and filling what was divided in the first three days.

• Day 4: God created lights … sun and moon and stars … to fill the ABOVE
• Day 5: God created creature … fish and birds … to fill the air (dividing above from below) and the WATER.
• Day 6: God created animals and man … to fill the LAND.

Thus God is a God who creates by first DIVIDING and then MULTIPLYING to fill the void created by the division. Division creates room for new creation. This is also part of who God is and how He works … God’s modus operandi.
[SPOILER ALERT: What if anything does this tell us about what will come later in the story? Think about it.]

Finally, on Day 7, God rests from His labor and BLESSES. This is also part of who God is and how He works … God’s modus operandi.
[SPOILER ALERT: What if anything does this tell us about what will come later in the story? Think about it.]

I don’t want to spoil too much of the fun for you, so I will leave you all to ponder for yourselves IF and HOW these lessons from Genesis 1 might apply to the work of the New Covenant. I will offer this observation instead:


GENESIS 1: LOOKING AT ABRAM
Abram was a ‘city boy’ living with his extended family in the ‘Fertile Crescent‘ (Mesopotamia, the birthplace of agriculture) when the God of Genesis 1 called Abram to leave his home, family and way of life behind to follow God. STEP 1: God DIVIDES Abram from his old land and life and people.

God leads Abram and Lot and all their servants (because people NEVER quite obey God without hedging their bet). STEP 2: God MULTIPLIES Abram’s household and herds and wealth.

God causes Isaac to be born in a miraculous conception, calls for the sacrifice of Isaac and then offers a ram in his place. STEP 3: God BLESSES Abram, renaming him Abraham, and provides blessings upon blessings for His chosen. Faithfulness is rewarded as “the Father of all who have faith” … through whom “all the nations of the Earth shall be blessed”.


GENESIS 1: LOOKING AT MOSES
Naw, I’m not going to do it … but you can look at it for yourself if you want. DIVIDE - MULTIPLY - BLESS Can you find the pattern?

As for me, I will just point out that God revealed this pattern of WHO GOD IS and HOW GOD DOES THINGS in Genesis 1 … which I found a LOT more useful than a divine textbook on “evolutionary biology” or “planetology”.

I will let all of you decide for yourselves.

 

[Frank Robert]

Christians have different interpretations of Genesis. The main differences boil down to God being the proximate cause or the ultimate cause of creation. Christians also believe we are saved by faith. Some denominations add "good deeds." It's obvious not all Christians can be correct.

My question: how does having an incorrect belief about creation affect salvation?

 

[CrowCross]

CrowCross:

Yes, my brother, I'm aware of that. This is why I added in my post above...

"For if yom is translated “era” or “epoch” and applied to the six days of creation, sea creatures and the birds of the air lived to be millions of years for they were created before land animals and man."

Thanks.​

​ ​

I have no reason to believe a day was anything other than a 24 hour long period of time.

Christians try to force the creation and other portions of Genesis to conform to their belief in mans interpretation of "science".....Funny thing is they believe a dead man rose from the grave on day 3 which is something "science" says is impossible...yet can't trust the bible when it comes to creation and the flood.

 

[CrowCross]

Christians have different interpretations of Genesis. The main differences boil down to God being the proximate cause or the ultimate cause of creation. Christians also believe we are saved by faith. Some denominations add "good deeds." It's obvious not all Christians can be correct.

My question: how does having an incorrect belief about creation affect salvation?

I would say for the most part the incorrect belief about creation (theo-evoism) opens up the rest of the bible to errors.

 

[Buff Scott Jr.]

atpollard:

In your Post #6 and all the little/big details, you noted at the end, “As for me, I will just point out that God revealed this pattern of WHO GOD IS and HOW GOD DOES THINGS in Genesis 1 … which I found a LOT more useful than a divine textbook on ‘evolutionary biology’ or ‘planetology.’ ”

That one statement pretty well covers the core contents of your Post. Well expressed, my brother. Genesis 2:1, says it all. “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.” And Hebrews 11:3 confirms what God, through Moses, declared. “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

If I might add an additional thought or two. Heaven’s testimony seems to teach that dinosaurs and man walked the Earth together. Dinosaurs probably became extinct shortly after the Flood, due to drastic climatical changes. But regardless of when they became extinct, the truth remains they and man existed in the same time span.

According to the humanist theory, dinosaurs became extinct 60 to 70 million years before man walked the Earth. However, some years ago, near Glen Rose, Texas, in the Paluxy River bed, human footprints and dinosaur tracks were discovered side-by-side in the same layer of rock (stratum). Evolutionary scientists admit the dinosaur prints are real, but they’re now claiming the human prints are bogus—and all because of evolutionary bias.

Dr. Ronald T. Bird, a paleontologist, remarked, “Yes, they apparently were real enough—real as rock could be...the strangest things of their kind I had ever seen. On the surface of each was sprayed the near-likeness of a human foot, perfect in every detail” (Journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Nov/Dec., 1979, pages 87-88).

But notice the outlandish turn of events. When Dr. Bird discovered there were also dinosaur tracks nearby, made in the same time span, he dismissed the human prints as “skillful carvings” because “no man had ever existed in the Age of Reptiles” (Natural History, May, 1939, pages 255-257). Is this not the history of many, perhaps even most, evolutionists? They invent a deduction, and then fit everything into that deduction—regardless of the evidence.

Dinosaur carvings have been found on the cliff walls of the Hava Supai Canyon of Arizona. Not too far from this site, dinosaur tracks were discovered. The external, non-biblical evidence is clear-cut and testifies that dinosaurs and man existed in the same time span.​

 

[Frank Robert]

I would say for the most part the incorrect belief about creation (theo-evoism) opens up the rest of the bible to errors.

My question was not about other parts of the bible. It was specific to salvation.

 

[JIM]

Christians try to force the creation and other portions of Genesis to conform to their belief in mans interpretation of "science".....Funny thing is they believe a dead man rose from the grave on day 3 which is something "science" says is impossible...yet can't trust the bible when it comes to creation and the flood.

No, science does not say it is impossible for a dead man rose from the grave on day 3.

 

[JIM]

.....

If I might add an additional thought or two. Heaven’s testimony seems to teach that dinosaurs and man walked the Earth together. Dinosaurs probably became extinct shortly after the Flood, due to drastic climatical changes. But regardless of when they became extinct, the truth remains they and man existed in the same time span.

That is pure unadulterated poppycock. And so is the rest of that post.

 

[CrowCross]

No, science does not say it is impossible for a dead man rose from the grave on day 3.

How would that be possible...especially in the times of Jesus?

just curious.

 

[ChristB4us]

My question was not about other parts of the bible. It was specific to salvation.

Sowing doubts in God's words may not lead to sowing doubts about salvation in His words, but it can.

By giving the evolution theory the benefit of the doubt, it has caused many believers to doubt the rest of God's words and walk away from the Bible in being ashamed of it as well as God and Jesus Christ as God.

One fellow class mate that was Catholic had done this. Thankfully the Lord showed him the errors of that false science but went back to Catholicism even though he was upset that the Vatican did not see anything wrong with the evolution theory.

There was a young fellow co-worker that had testified that his father is a pastor and although he still preaches from the pulpit, he does not believe in God and the Bible any more because of the evolution theory. Left a Book "The Collapse of Evolution" by Scott Huse at his door anonymously since what the young man had shared with me was in confidence.

So no. Believers do not need to read in between the lines in Genesis nor make excuses for the evolution theory because it is a lie of the devil to hide the evidence of the fossil records that God has judged the world with the global flood and is coming to judge the earth again, by fire.

2 Peter 3rd Chapter.

Verses 3-15 testify to the global flood and the coming judgment of fire on the earth.

The false science, the evolution theory, explains why many Christians are not ready as found abiding in Him & His words nor being willing to go when the Bridegroom comes as they become ashamed for believing His words and walk away.

Matthew 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

 

[Frank Robert]

By giving the evolution theory the benefit of the doubt, it has caused many believers to doubt the rest of God's words and walk away from the Bible in being ashamed of it as well as God and Jesus Christ as God.

Your reasoning is flawed. Evolution does not have the benefit of the doubt, it has the benefit of evidence. Even so Christians are not obligated to affirm evolution. Most mainline denominations have no conflict, between the bible and evolution.

Re: doubting God's word.

Christians have a wide variety of beliefs and just about everyone (who chooses) is able to find biblical support for their views. The Bible itself has an enormous range of views. If you think otherwise you need to explain why there are thousands of Christian denominations.​

As a Christians, it is best to be respectful of other denominational beliefs (respect does not imply changing our own beliefs) and concentrate on what we have in common for salvation. Affirming evolution has no bearing on salvation what is important for salvation is what Paul tells us, "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved."

 

[JIM]

How would that be possible...especially in the times of Jesus?

just curious.

There is nothing in science that precludes God's interaction with His creation.

 

[JIM]

Sowing doubts in God's words may not lead to sowing doubts about salvation in His words, but it can.

I think that there is more doubt sowed in God's word by insisting that the Genesis account of creation is a literal description. The data that the universe is a whole lot older than about 6000 years is just too extensive to be ignored. The evidence of a 13+Billion year old universe is not a lie of Satan; rather it is the data put forth by God's own nature as He created it.

I had a young man ask me, "Do I have to believe in a 6000-year-old universe in order to be a Christian?" I was appalled then and I am appalled now that such a question would be answered with a "yes".

 

[CrowCross]

There is nothing in science that precludes God's interaction with His creation.

One thing we know is that God didn't use evo-ism to create mankind.

 

[JIM]

One thing we know is that God didn't use evo-ism to create mankind.

Genesis tells us God didn't create the flesh of mankind; rather He made it of the dust of the earth. It doesn't say how He did that; those details are not given. Clearly, the creation that Genesis speaks of concerning man in God's image was/is the spirit of man. So then it is the spirit of man not the flesh of man that God created.