First Sermon)
All Biblical texts are taken from the King James Bible
Genesis
For the longest time I considered the book of Genesis to be a figurative account of creation. That the 6 days were time gaps in history or meant symbolically to represent the 6 days of work and the Sabbath. Indeed, many books of the Bible are not meant to be literal like the forgiveness of a fellow neighbor 7*70 times. The book of Revelation is also interpreted many different ways. However recently I have come to believe that the 6 day theory is true but not in the way you would suspect.
1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth
Some Bibles have “heavens” instead of “heaven” which is not necessarily important as long as you believe that God created heaven and the heavens which would be the universe. It is uncertain as to the time difference between the formation of heaven and earth, but we can assume that God created both. Verse 1 also informs us that the earth was created before verse 2 implying that the formless earth was still the earth. Perhaps the earth was in ruins.
1:2
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.
The earth was without form but it must be noted that it must have existed. The Earth itself was not “void” it was without form and void. The darkness could refer to the battle between God’s angels and Satan in which Satan was expelled from heaven causing a spiritual darkness that destroyed everything. The second half of the verse implies water existed on the earth but it doesn’t necessarily say so. It also says that the Earth “was” without form implying that at one time it did. For the text doesn’t say “had become” without form.
2 Peter 3:5
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
The waters referred to in this verse does not refer to Noah’s flood. The heavens meaning the universe were not effected by Noah’s flood. However the creation of the earth had a great significance to the heavens. In this verse it declares that the Earth was standing out of the water and in the water contradicting the global flood. However, what if the earth was floating in a sea of water during the ice age. The diminishing of stars would create larger quantities of H2O in space.
I am also willing to suggest the idea that there was a significant time gap between the first verse and the second verse since the Bible does not give a specific time in which the earth was being formed. I want to also suggest that the water mentioned in verse 2 could also be the ice during the ice age. During the ice age the earth lacked light and heat needed to provide all the creatures mentioned in the Bible. Creatures like the dinosaurs would have existed between verse 1 and verse 2.
1:3
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
If we can establish that the universe and the earth were created in verse 1, we can also establish that the laws of physics were also in play. We can assume that light existed before verse 3. The light provided in verse 3 could be the extra heat and sun light needed to melt the ice and provide the “regeneration” of Genesis. Verse 3 is the regeneration of heat in the universe and in our Sun.
1:4
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
We can assume from this the normal day and night of the new age were formed here. Following 6 literal days of creation in which God regenerated the creatures of the Earth. Creatures of the past “world” died out before Genesis thus providing the elusive missing link between humans and primitive ape like creatures of the past “world.” There are also missing links between birds and reptiles. Thus evolution is hindered by this new regeneration. So although evolution may have occurred it would have had to occur before Genesis thus eliminating conflict. Even so Evolution should not be given a free pass as it is still a theory. So how can we prove that there were past worlds, ages, eons, times?
Several Bible verses outside Genesis provide for the possible theory.
Christ Himself provides the regeneration that will occur in the next world to come. Thus implying the possibility that something happened similarly before Genesis.
Matthew 19:28
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
2 Peter 3:13
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness
Isaiah 65:17
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
The earth also has generations as written in several Old Testament texts.
Genesis 2:4
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
If the Earth had been created only once generations should have been singular.
Genesis 5:1
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
Genesis 6:9
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
Curiously there is also debate in the Bible study on one Hebrew word: malae. This word is typically translated as “fill” but it could also be translated to mean “replenish” If this is the case it would dramatically change the texts.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
(Genesis 1:28 KJV)
"¶ And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."
(Genesis 9:1 KJV)
In these two case the translators used malae to mean replenish so why should Genesis 1:22 be any different.
Genesis 1:22
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and (fill) the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
The word malae is used to translate “fill” in this case but the same word was used for “replenish” in other verses. This is not to say that the word should be “replenish” but it could mean that “fill” and “replenish” were synonyms of the same idea.
’In conclusion This theory is a refinement of the so called "Gap Theory", and proposes that God created the universe in the ancient past, that it was tainted with Death by the rebellion of Lucifer early in it’s history, and was eventually ruined. God then regenerated the heavens and earth in six literal 24 hour days, about 6000 years ago. The theory meets the requirements for both an old Earth (according to Geology) and a literal 7 day creative event including literal Adam.’ (web site)
So why is all this important. It is important because I greatly fear ignorance that would lead to another Galileo incident. The failure of the Catholic church and to be fair Protestant churches to recognize the truth caused many to disrespect and leave the church favoring a more humanist approach to science. There is also needless bickering between scientists and theologians in instances where both are wrong. When I was growing up in the Christian faith I accepted Genesis for what it was. But for un-believers it is important to teach and preach that science cannot contradict religion. Granted God has the ability to go beyond the laws of physics, laws made and developed by Him, but on the other hand we can also assume that Genesis is true and literal. The 6 days were the first 6 days of the regeneration.
For more information: http://www.kjvbible.org/
