Gap Theory, the Old Earth Model, and False Interpretations
by Owen Omid Borville
October 24, 2018
For more than two centuries the secular scientific establishment has embraced the idea of an old earth millions and billions of years in age. Christians have also attempted to comply with the mainstream science doctrine by trying to fit this immense time scale into the Biblical scriptures. Many Christians would rather comply with secular science than to face ridicule defending the 6,000-year timescale that the scriptures describe. Gap theory says that there is a large gap of millions of years between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 when the earth was void and without form. A related theory, called "Day-age theory," postulates that the days of creation week are not 24-hour days and could have contained millions or billions of years of time. However, if there had been millions or billions of years of history, wouldn't God's word have mentioned this somewhere in the Bible? The Book of Genesis describes each day of creation week in detail and ends each day stating "and there was evening, and there was morning." Therefore the scripture specifically describes an evening and morning to eliminate any doubt that these "days" were 24-hour days and no longer. In addition, the Book of Exodus 20:11 says:
"For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."
Today, man continues to use the Biblical creation week as a basis or model for the typical workweek around most of the world, even in countries that do not have a Christian heritage. Perhaps the greatest theological argument against the Gap theory is that it would require millions and billions of years of death and dying of living things before the first sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden regarding the forbidden fruit. Man has tried to find a scriptural or theological case for the possibility of millions and billions of years in order to comply with mainstream science and popular culture. Genealogical studies of the lifespans of Biblical Patriarchs from Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus Christ from scriptural records also confirm the Biblical time scale of 6,000 years. Secular science does not accept the Gap theory because it doesn't comply with uniform, natural processes and because it implies religion. There is no need for the Christian world to comply with the secular world and accept the old-earth doctrine. In addition to the theological and scriptural evidence for the 6,000 year old earth, there is also much evidence in the natural world for the young earth, while the evolutionists have falsely interpreted their evidence for long ages. Many large sedimentary rock layers deposited by the Genesis Flood filled with preserved fossils help confirm the young earth described in the Bible. Therefore, a sincere study of the scripture confirms the creationist time frame of approximately 6,000 years since the creation week until today.
by Owen Omid Borville
October 24, 2018
For more than two centuries the secular scientific establishment has embraced the idea of an old earth millions and billions of years in age. Christians have also attempted to comply with the mainstream science doctrine by trying to fit this immense time scale into the Biblical scriptures. Many Christians would rather comply with secular science than to face ridicule defending the 6,000-year timescale that the scriptures describe. Gap theory says that there is a large gap of millions of years between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 when the earth was void and without form. A related theory, called "Day-age theory," postulates that the days of creation week are not 24-hour days and could have contained millions or billions of years of time. However, if there had been millions or billions of years of history, wouldn't God's word have mentioned this somewhere in the Bible? The Book of Genesis describes each day of creation week in detail and ends each day stating "and there was evening, and there was morning." Therefore the scripture specifically describes an evening and morning to eliminate any doubt that these "days" were 24-hour days and no longer. In addition, the Book of Exodus 20:11 says:
"For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."
Today, man continues to use the Biblical creation week as a basis or model for the typical workweek around most of the world, even in countries that do not have a Christian heritage. Perhaps the greatest theological argument against the Gap theory is that it would require millions and billions of years of death and dying of living things before the first sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden regarding the forbidden fruit. Man has tried to find a scriptural or theological case for the possibility of millions and billions of years in order to comply with mainstream science and popular culture. Genealogical studies of the lifespans of Biblical Patriarchs from Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus Christ from scriptural records also confirm the Biblical time scale of 6,000 years. Secular science does not accept the Gap theory because it doesn't comply with uniform, natural processes and because it implies religion. There is no need for the Christian world to comply with the secular world and accept the old-earth doctrine. In addition to the theological and scriptural evidence for the 6,000 year old earth, there is also much evidence in the natural world for the young earth, while the evolutionists have falsely interpreted their evidence for long ages. Many large sedimentary rock layers deposited by the Genesis Flood filled with preserved fossils help confirm the young earth described in the Bible. Therefore, a sincere study of the scripture confirms the creationist time frame of approximately 6,000 years since the creation week until today.
