Why the Gap Theory is unacceptable
- Thread starter Nehemiah6
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We are not told as to when the angels were created, but according to Job 38:7 they were observing creation and rejoicing. We are also not told as to when the evil angels rebelled and were cast out of Heaven, but it could have been shortly after the creation of the universe and before the Fall of Man. That is the impression one gets.
What it amazing is that God would have known about all these developments before He created anything, yet He allowed His creation to be marred. Thankfully that is not the end of the story.
What it amazing is that God would have known about all these developments before He created anything, yet He allowed His creation to be marred. Thankfully that is not the end of the story.
Brother N6,
The creation story is the creation of the 4 elements known to men 3000 yrs ago, air, water, earth, and fire. Light is not considered an element because it is not tangible or firm.
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Before the creation began there was only 2 places that you could be, where God was, and where God was not.
Looking down from the throne of God, the face of the deep was the boundary between these 2 places.
The deep, is what we call the great void of endless outer space. It goes on forever, it is eternal, and it was completely empty of the universe that we have now.
The Spirit of God (wind) moved on the face of the waters, stirring and mixing, the void and the presence of God into the place where the universe would be created. The place that was created had the blessings of God, but there were places where there was, less blessings. This would be the place where God's glory spiritual light shown, mixed with the void.
This mixing and separating theme, continues throughout the creation story and the rest of the Bible.
This movement by the Spirit of God and the void was the first act in the creation shown to us here.
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In this place between the darkness of the void and the glory of God, God creates material light.
The light creation source would be God, but the light is mixed with the darkness and in chaos, so God separates the light from the darkness. This is also a repeating theme in the creation story and the rest of the Bible.
God is bringing reason to chaos, and separating light and dark. But remember that these things are constantly in motion, mixing and separating at the same time, like air and water on a lake in waves driven by the wind.
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So the waters described in Gen 1:1-2, are not the H2O waters created later on, but are the boundary between God, His glory, and the endless void of outer space that you see when you go outside at night. (no gap)
The creation story is the creation of the 4 elements known to men 3000 yrs ago, air, water, earth, and fire. Light is not considered an element because it is not tangible or firm.
---
Before the creation began there was only 2 places that you could be, where God was, and where God was not.
Looking down from the throne of God, the face of the deep was the boundary between these 2 places.
The deep, is what we call the great void of endless outer space. It goes on forever, it is eternal, and it was completely empty of the universe that we have now.
The Spirit of God (wind) moved on the face of the waters, stirring and mixing, the void and the presence of God into the place where the universe would be created. The place that was created had the blessings of God, but there were places where there was, less blessings. This would be the place where God's glory spiritual light shown, mixed with the void.
This mixing and separating theme, continues throughout the creation story and the rest of the Bible.
This movement by the Spirit of God and the void was the first act in the creation shown to us here.
-----
In this place between the darkness of the void and the glory of God, God creates material light.
The light creation source would be God, but the light is mixed with the darkness and in chaos, so God separates the light from the darkness. This is also a repeating theme in the creation story and the rest of the Bible.
God is bringing reason to chaos, and separating light and dark. But remember that these things are constantly in motion, mixing and separating at the same time, like air and water on a lake in waves driven by the wind.
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So the waters described in Gen 1:1-2, are not the H2O waters created later on, but are the boundary between God, His glory, and the endless void of outer space that you see when you go outside at night. (no gap)
Your mention of air, water, earth, and fire could be a little simplistic, but light is a form of energy, and energy and matter are interconvertible. Photosynthesis is what allows plant life to flourish. But the water mentioned in Gen 1:1-2 was actual water (which was converted into vapor later on). There is much that is hidden from view.
This.
When I read Genesis I read consecutive days from when time was invented. Even if I miss something that relates to gap, I don't believe God is gonna say, "Well Brendan, you really ought to have seen and believed those large gaps in time in my creation."
As if it bears any relevance to our walk anyway.
What has any relevance is that we simply believe it says THE first day, THE second day etc.
When I read Genesis I read consecutive days from when time was invented. Even if I miss something that relates to gap, I don't believe God is gonna say, "Well Brendan, you really ought to have seen and believed those large gaps in time in my creation."
As if it bears any relevance to our walk anyway.
What has any relevance is that we simply believe it says THE first day, THE second day etc.
I was not probably clear.
I meant - why do you think that we should restrict verses about Adam naming animals to kinds? The term "kind" is not present in the text.
"And God formed yet farther out of the earth all the wild beasts of the field, and all the birds of the sky, and he brought them to Adam, to see what he would call them, and whatever Adam called any living creature, that was the name of it.
And Adam gave names to all the cattle and to all the birds of the sky, and to all the wild beasts of the field, but for Adam there was not found a help like to himself. "
I meant - why do you think that we should restrict verses about Adam naming animals to kinds? The term "kind" is not present in the text.
"And God formed yet farther out of the earth all the wild beasts of the field, and all the birds of the sky, and he brought them to Adam, to see what he would call them, and whatever Adam called any living creature, that was the name of it.
And Adam gave names to all the cattle and to all the birds of the sky, and to all the wild beasts of the field, but for Adam there was not found a help like to himself. "
Gen 1:21-25
21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
KJV
Gen 1:21-25
21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24 And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so.
25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
ESV
Gen 1:21-31
21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth."
23 And there was evening, and there was morning — the fifth day.
24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so.
25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
NIV
The Hebrew word nehem translated kinds and its singular nehoo can be translated as broadly as family or as narrowly as species. This is because nature has produced natural inter-generic hybrids but inter-familiar hybrids do not exist.
Genesis 1 and genesis 2 are NOT separate accounts. Genesis 2 is a focused look at day 6 of Genesis 1 and is more concerned with relationships than with process.
Gen 2:19-20
19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him
KJV
This is even more limited than all the animal families. we can eliminate aquatic life, and all invertebrates. We have left probably less than 1800 genera. However, we are told in Gen 1 that God created them by kind; so we are dealing with less than 200 families.
Gen 2:19-20
19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him
KJV
This is even more limited than all the animal families. we can eliminate aquatic life, and all invertebrates. We have left probably less than 1800 genera. However, we are told in Gen 1 that God created them by kind; so we are dealing with less than 200 families.