The Gap Therory

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Christina

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The most common "gap theory" assumes that a chronological gap occurs between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, during which vast spans of geologic time are presumed to have elapsed. It is thus postulated that the Earth was initially created in the distant past, and that all geologic events pointing to an old Earth (and perhaps even evolution) transpired before some event that reduced the Earth to a state of formlessness or chaos as described in Genesis 1:2. This interpretation requires Genesis 1:1-2 to be translated thus:"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. --gap occurs here-- Now the earth became formless and void (or waste and ruin)..." One suggested explanation for the event that throws the Earth into chaos is the fall of Lucifer (Satan). Revelation 12:7-12, Isaiah 14:12, Ezekiel 28, Luke 10:18Those who hold this viewpoint on when the gap occurred point out that the "clock" on the "six days of Genesis" could not have started "ticking" until the (re)emergence of light in Genesis 1:3 as that verse indicates that this was the evening and morning that make the first day of Genesis, and light had to be present to initiate an evening.Some Gap Creationists postulate that a gap occurs between the seventh day, the one of rest, and the account of the Fall of Adam and Eve and hence that of Mankind through the agency of the temptation of Satan in the form of a snake. According to this theory, this amount of time would be sufficient for all of the geologic events which have happened to make the appearance of the Earth to be quite old.However, not all adherents of the Gap Theory accept that the scientific geological record refers to the gap between initial creation and regeneration, preferring instead to rely on the Biblical flood as a sufficient explanation for the mass extinction of many groups and classifications of creatures, including the dinosaurs, and geologic upheaval resulting in what could be misinterpreted as an old earth.This revised theory proposes that time in its current measurable form didn't exist prior to the Fall of Adam and Eve. God and all spiritual beings exist outside of time, therefore time is irrelevant. In this environment, the matter of whether the universe was created in one second or over several billions of years is immaterial; also, the principles of physics were optimal - for example, the speed of light was infinite. Some adherents to this revision also believe that the universe was created considerably smaller and subsequently grew after an immense conflict between Satan and Michael (archangel), which resulted in the signs of a universal cataclysm, which the non-theistic scientific community interprets as evidence for a Big Bang. The Earth may have pre-existed this event or may have arisen from it, but in both cases was left empty and desolated, and was selected for recreation. In this revised theory, mankind is created by God to take the role of spiritual partnership that was formerly occupied by Lucifer, and intended to re-establish God's intended order throughout the regenerated universe as part of an ongoing creative process. Only in such a capacity, can the general state of decay beyond the earth, and throughout the cosmos, be attributed to the Fall of Adam and Eve.In contradistinction with other Old Earth creationists, Gap creationisms generally agree with the account of six literal 24-hour days as given in Genesis, and that everything done during this six day period was "very good". However, there are a number of scriptures which adherents contend support the Ruin/Reconstruction theory of an earth existing prior to this six day event.God is light and cannot create anything in a less than perfect state, so a newly created earth from the hand of God shouldn't have been without form and void, and shrouded in darkness. Deuteronomy 32:4, Isaiah 45:18 1 John 1:5 The Holy Spirit was "renewing" the face of the earth as he hovered over the face of the waters. Psalms 104:30 Angels already existed when God "laid the foundations of the Earth", so there had been at least one creative act of God before this. Job 38:4-7 Satan had fallen from grace "in the beginning". A state of sin in the universe, but not yet in mankind, is demonstrated by the serpent's temptation of Adam and Eve to sin before they were actually corrupted by sin. Ezekiel 28:11-19, John 8:44 The death that "came to all men" through Adam was spiritual death, not physical death. At least two men in the past (Enoch and Elijah) did not die physically. Furthermore, Jesus is said to bring life to all men, and yet physical death still occurs. In fact, Jesus personally dealt with this very same confusion between physical and spiritual death among the Pharisees. Genesis 5:23-24, 2 Kings 2:11, John 8:51-53, Hebrews 11:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Related to all of this is the fact that space, time, water, and the rock and metal which constitutes the main body of the earth existed in Genesis 1:2 before the period of six days began. In fact, the Bible doesn't discuss details on the creation of the body of the earth at all; beginning in verse 3, Genesis 1 only discusses the surface of the planet. These scriptures are cited by supporters of the gap theory without an appeal to scientific or secular investigations. Gap creationists do not necessarily agree with theories given by science, including the Big Bang and Evolution and others. In fact, a gap creationist may believe that the earth is only 6,000-10,000 years old; ie. that the "gap" was of a very short duration. The contention is simply that Scripture records the Genesis account to be a reconstruction of an existing earth.
 

Christina

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My veiw on this based on two things common sense and scriptureIt is only in recent times that space travel and science have been able to show how old our earth is.In the old days before our scientific advances this was easily dismissed Now you have to deny almost every branch of sciene to believe the earth is only 6000 years Old. Although science makes many mistakes all of them cannot all be wrong all the time this veiw defieys any common sense. Futhermore there is not any Biblical scripture that says the earth is just 6,000 years old this is a conclusion by man based on the six days of creation. God never said this is true. However there are several scriptures that hint at a much longer period of time. So it breaks none of Gods laws nor does it disagree with Gods word to believe in and much older World.The question then becomes what was happening on this old earth before 6,000 years ago? Was God just sleeping? We know the Word existed from the beginning. So what was Gods purpose for this older World?
 

jsarber

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The entire theory sounds reasonable at least but I'm afraid I just can't buy it. There are many "reasonable" theories but I always ask the question: Can I prove it with the Word of God? If I cannot prove it with the Bible then I disregard it for fear of assuming more than I should. I've actually heard a number of ideas about this. The most interesting of them is the thought that God created a "baby earth" and essentially set the gears of evolution into motion. It's a way for Christians to agree with the evolutionists, I think. I'm no science major but to my understanding, the science behind the older earth or even evolution has been disregarded by countless scientists.
 

Christina

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This has nothing do to with evolution we are talking the age of the Earth not the evolution of spiecies. Can you show one place God says the earth is only six thousand years old? In fact he says just the oppisite in 2nd Peter3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.What does this say one day with God is the same as a thousand years with manmaking the creation week alone 7,000 years long So how can the earth only be 6,000 years old??????there is other scripture hinting to this not to count ancient religiuos documents
 

Wakka

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I'm sorry, but the pre-adamite theory is false. Kriss, please reconsider. I don't want to see such a sweet person like you in trouble if this is actually false.Some things to talk about.Genesis 11 First God made heaven & earth 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.This is one day. God made this in ONE day.6 And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." 7 And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second dayThis is the SECOND day. It was right after the first and was without any gaps.9 And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 And God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth." And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.THIRD DAY, it's right after the second. There are NO gaps. Otherwise it would have been a whole new day!14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. Fourth day. It's the next day of the week. So far it's back to back with the other days.20 And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens." 21 So God created the great sea monsters 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, a fifth day.Okay, we're now on the fifth day. That would be Wednesday right? Well, there couldn't have been any distractions. God has a schedule.24 And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle 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 cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." 29 And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day. Finally we're at the sixth day. There weren't any distractions. And everything went smoothly.Now the 7th day of course, we rest with God
wink.gif
. And remember. It's 7 Days.
 

Wakka

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I'm sorry for posting this. It is not my article. And I have violated someone's copy right.
 

Christina

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What does the six days of creation have to do with the age of the earth? I agree that the week of creation was some thousands of years ago. Is this not the same as saying the world did not exist until you were born? But how does that disprove all scienceHow does this affect anyone's faith ?How do you know how long a time passed between Gen1:1 and 1:3?Why should we limit God ?We know he will create a new heaven and a New earthBut you say he could not have done it before?Yet he says there is nothing new under the sun what was before will happen again Yet you say it didnt happen before am I to believe men or God?What does the age of the earth have to do with what Adam did?
 

E Nomine

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What the hell? Wakka, did you just try to feed me a bowl of crap by saying that Satan planted fossils to make me believe that dinosuars once existed?
 

Christina

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Also when God creates the New Heavens and new earth he never says he makes the the earth disappear he says: 2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? But rather that he melts the all elements thus making the world become void and without form?Till he renews it. Why can he say he will do this in the future and we cant believe he did it in the past?
 

tim_from_pa

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I believe in the gap theory in Genesis, and Lucifer being here before Adam, etc. I also believe in a gap between Daniel's 69th week and 70th week.Many ask how long the Tribulation is. I believe that in the "short fulfillment" it is 7 years (the 70th week) a.k.a the "time of Jacob's trouble." In the long fulfillment it is 2520 years..... the time that the house of Israel went into captivity until the industrialization and colonization of Britain and the independence of the US.I believe this extends to Isaiah 61:1-2 where after the partial verse,To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.... Jesus then closes the book because the rest of it was not completed yet in His first coming.If Jesus separated scripture and made a gap, that is good enough for me to do the same to the other passages.I'm a math person (I have a minor in math) and I can clearly see when the Lord has given me these passages to prove these points, and nobody can convince me otherwise unless I deny straightforward mathematics.
 

HammerStone

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The so called "gap theory" takes a lot of flak. It's nothing new.Tim hit the head on Isaiah 61:1-2, and to elaborate on this point I will quote Jesus himself.Luke 4:18-21
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
See what part Jesus did not quote?Isaiah 61:2
...and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Welcome to the gap theory - it's just not a theory.
 

Wakka

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I kind of copy and pasted the last article. It sounded good and I was half falling asleep. I'll revise it.I can't tell whether or not the earth was there before God came and put us all on it. But I do know there there were not humans before the sixth day. That is what I believe in. Lucifer is an angel, he's different.
 

HammerStone

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He's also called a man - Scripturally documented on several occasions.Isaiah 14:12
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
...Isaiah 14:16
They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
II Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
 

Christina

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So what your saying Wakka is that even though God will again melt the elements of the earth making it without form till he renews it perfect.And left behind will be bones and traces of our civilization. That we couldnt have existed. So you dont believe that we have everlasting souls ? Is that right
 

Christina

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(tim_from_pa;17147)
I believe in the gap theory in Genesis, and Lucifer being here before Adam, etc. I also believe in a gap between Daniel's 69th week and 70th week.Many ask how long the Tribulation is. I believe that in the "short fulfillment" it is 7 years (the 70th week) a.k.a the "time of Jacob's trouble." In the long fulfillment it is 2520 years..... the time that the house of Israel went into captivity until the industrialization and colonization of Britain and the independence of the US.I believe this extends to Isaiah 61:1-2 where after the partial verse,To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.... Jesus then closes the book because the rest of it was not completed yet in His first coming.If Jesus separated scripture and made a gap, that is good enough for me to do the same to the other passages.I'm a math person (I have a minor in math) and I can clearly see when the Lord has given me these passages to prove these points, and nobody can convince me otherwise unless I deny straightforward mathematics.
I agree completly with you also Tim. It does my heart good to know others can understand what Gods word says to us
 

Jordan

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Yes I also agree that Lucifer was here before Adam & Eve. I agree there is a time gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, a time gap on what Yahshua said in the above verses. I'm sure there is more.Lovest thou in Christ Jesus (Yahshua) our Lord and Saviour.
 

Wakka

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I use Mark 10:6-7But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife.I take comfort in this because it sorts things out. That's the same creation described in both Genesis chapters 1 and 2. It speaks against the idea that there was a long and deep dark time before the appearance of man. "from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female" This is Jesus' statement that there was no man before the creation of Adam and Eve.One thing I like to do is compare current doctrines to 2,000 years of Christian gospel. Who is correct. This doctrine or 2,000 years of Christian gospel history. Which do you think is right? I think we should do what we are suppose to do. Preach Jesus on the Cross and not get tied down on what the Bible might have hinted. With all of this said. I do not find the Gap Theory nor the Pre-Adamic theory true. All you're doing is taking bible verses and stretching their meanings.
So what your saying Wakka is that even though God will again melt the elements of the earth making it without form till he renews it perfect.And left behind will be bones and traces of our civilization. That we couldnt have existed.So you dont believe that we have everlasting souls ? Is that right
No, I'm saying that there were no people before the sixth day. Adam and Eave were the first humans!
 

Jordan

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There is mankind before Adam & Eve.Genesis 1:26-27 - And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.Genesis 1:26-27 is plural.Genesis 2:7 - And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.Genesis 2:7 is a singular verse.Genesis 2:21-22 - And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.Genesis 2:21-22 is another singular.God created the races in Genesis 1:26-27. Adam & Eve is a special line for Christ to come through.Lovest thou in Christ Jesus (Yahshua) our Lord and Saviour.
 

Christina

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from Gen 1:3 on the Bible is about creation and mankind of this age no one is arguing with that wakka you are right. But before that and the few verses that say there was more is not us streching Gods word but you limiting God power.And there are many doc. in the 2000 years eluding to this they just are not part of scripture because God is concerned about his plan of salvation for us in this age now. Thats my point it has nothing to do with our faith now or go against Gods word in any way to believe that God made the world long before Gen 1:3 Nor does it effect his word to believe that first world was destroyed because of Satans rebellion. The fact is God renewed the world perfect without sin untill the serpent came into garden just as scripture says
 

HammerStone

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One thing I like to do is compare current doctrines to 2,000 years of Christian gospel. Who is correct. This doctrine or 2,000 years of Christian gospel history. Which do you think is right? I think we should do what we are suppose to do. Preach Jesus on the Cross and not get tied down on what the Bible might have hinted. With all of this said. I do not find the Gap Theory nor the Pre-Adamic theory true. All you're doing is taking bible verses and stretching their meanings.
Other religions of the world have been around for thousands of years. The Pharisees and other sects of the day had been around for hundreds. Most of the earth's population is not Christian. The majority - time included - is not always right. Jesus has given us that information on several occasions.Elijah stood against 450 prophets of Ba'al and 400 of Asherah (I Kings 18).