OLAADEGBU: The Meaning of "Day"
June 23, 2013

"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:5).

Many people today, professing to believe the Bible, have compromised with the evolutionary philosophy which dominates our society by accepting its framework of geological ages. This system interpretes the rocks and fossils in terms of a supposed 4.6 billion-year history of the earth and life culminating in the evolution of early humans perhaps a million years ago. In order to justify this compromise, they usually say that the "days" of creation really correspond to the geological ages, arguing that the Hebrew word for "day" (yom) does not have to mean a literal solar day.

Oh, yes, it does—at least in Genesis chapter one! God, knowing that the pagan philosophers of antiquity would soon try to distort His record of creation into long ages of pantheistic evolution (as in the Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, and other such ancient cosmogonies), was careful to define His terms! "God called the light Day," and that was the first day with its evening and morning. All subsequent days have followed the same pattern—a period of darkness (night), then a period of light (day).

One may quibble about the exact length of the day if he insists (e.g., equatorial days versus polar days), but there is no way this definition can accommodate a geological age. This is the very first reference to "day" (or yom) in the Bible, and this is given as an actual statement of the meaning of the word.

This ought to settle the question for anyone who really believes the Bible. One may decide to believe the evolutionary geologists if he wishes, instead of God, but he should at least let God speak for Himself. God says the days of creation were literal days, not ages. "In six days the LORD made heaven and earth" (Exodus 31:17). HMM

For more . . . .

Bidam:

The truth is, man is limited in his perception of God

From_Guiriga:

Brother, this is interesting....What do you think about the day never ending. In terms of what we call daytime in one country is night time in another country. According to scholars or scientist or at least what they teach in schools is that we experience night when the earth is on the other side of the sun or the moon something along those lines. But if you take a closer look, there is really no night as the sun never stops shining.
I have more questions but one thing at a time as I'm slow in learning.

What is you take on this reasoning?

Give thanks.

From_Guiriga:

Brother, this is interesting....What do you think about the day never ending. In terms of what we call daytime in one country is night time in another country. According to scholars or scientist or at least what they teach in schools is that we experience night when the earth is on the other side of the sun or the moon something along those lines. But if you take a closer look, there is really no night as the sun never stops shining.
I have more questions but one thing at a time as I'm slow in learning.

What is you take on this reasoning?

Give thanks.

striktlymi:

Hello peeps,

Surely we can't conclude that creation took place in just 6 consecutive days...it's possible that the 'day' used in Sacred scriptures is the literal 'day' as we know it but again this can be 6 days spaced over several thousand years i.e one day after each several thousand years but in all they amount to 6 days.

striktlymi:

There is also the possibility that when God said 'day', he is actually defining it the way he sees it and not necessarily as man sees it. We know too well that a day for God is like a thousand years for man...so it is possible that when God said 'the first day', he actually meant the first 100,000 days or more as man would see it.

OLAADEGBU:

While you are still assuming, presuming and guessing, the Bible is certain on when the universe was created, how it was created, why it was created and how long it took to be created. God did not leave it for our deliberation.



The bible is written for us to understand. If a day means 100,000 years how long would be the day of rest if I may ask?

Emusan:
@strik
Please let's hold on to God's word. God cannot lie! We should know if account of creations in Genesis is wrong then the whole Bible is wrong-Note that

Emusan:
In the Bible the word 'Hour' occurs more than 50times but anywhere is being used it simply means 'instantly'. If Hour means 'instantly' then 'Day' I believe is just like few hours then.

Emusan:
Again by saying literal Day can be 100,000years it means we limited God's omnipotent, what make Him God if He cannot command and action takes place?

Emusan:
I have seen on this thread when one atheist said in the creation of Plants there was a day, night and photosythesis that means Bible is wrong. To my surprise no christian give accurate answer because we're still looking at the works of God through evolutionary perspective. Photosythesis is just a method by which plants make their food to enable them to grow and produce seed. Which is a process that God has placed up all plants to survive.

If Jesus can command a fig tree to dry instantly can God also not command a mature trees to come out instantly?

Remember the first statement in creations account is 'Let there be........ Not let the light begins to appear, let plants begin to grow......but Let there be' which is a command statement from omnipotent God and any statement that follow must obey the command.

Thanks.

striktlymi: Morning Emusan,

Now can you show us where I said or implied the following:
1) God lied!
2) The creation account in Genesis is wrong.

Now, if you can believe that the day talked about in Genesis is just a few hours, what then is wrong with me saying that it might just be 100,000 years? Note that I didn't even state what I believe like you did!

Well Emusan, the bold are your words not mine....when one says that the 'day' talked about in Genesis could mean a thousand years, this is not the same as the individual saying that God cannot create the Universe in an istant.

You agree that God finished the work of creation in 6 consecutive days...does this mean that God cannot finish the same task in just one day or one second?...do we now say that because God decided to do it this way then he is not omnipotent?

The point you are missing here is this: Saying that God decided to do something in a particular way is different from saying that God cannot do it.

If God choose to create the world in 6 days, evenly spread over 5 million years, then that's his choice... Sacred scriptures made us understand that the way God looks at a day is very different from the way humans look at it...

2 Peter 3:8
King James Version (KJV)
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.


Psalm 90:4
King James Version (KJV)
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

This is one major reason why people get confused when Jesus said he will come soon...we expect the soon to be as man defines it but God's ways are not the ways of man.

So Emusan, I do not see any conflict between my OP and sacred scriptures...if there is any, do point it out.

I don't think you are referring to this thread because no Atheist posted before you and no one has talked about photosynthesis.

Emusan:
Same!!!

No! I didn't say so pls.

What I mean is the view of the OP 'Day is Day' which is just 24hrs and the Genesis made it clear that it happened instantly. If event happened in a day it doesn't mean it spand from 12:00am-11:59pm but we still term it a day.


Ok!



I have change it I meant a thread.

striktlymi:


Never mind!

OLAADEGBU:

That's a good observation. It is true that day and night happens simultaneously depending on the location. It is the evidence of a revolving earth. In Luke 17:34-36 we see that the 2nd Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will happen while some are asleep at night and others are busy working during the day.

"I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Luke 17:34-36).

The world revolves around the sun just as our world revolves around the Son.

From_Guiriga:

Help me out here, "God called the light day" What is this light?
The darkness he called night. Where or what is it?

As what we call night is simply the blocking of the sun by the moon. At least that is what I was taught in school.

I ask because it sound, at least to me as if God is creating these this things but they are simply an effect of his creation. Did God not know this?

Thanks in advance.

OLAADEGBU: The Meaning of "Day"
June 23, 2013

"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:5).

Many people today, professing to believe the Bible, have compromised with the evolutionary philosophy which dominates our society by accepting its framework of geological ages. This system interpretes the rocks and fossils in terms of a supposed 4.6 billion-year history of the earth and life culminating in the evolution of early humans perhaps a million years ago. In order to justify this compromise, they usually say that the "days" of creation really correspond to the geological ages, arguing that the Hebrew word for "day" (yom) does not have to mean a literal solar day.

Oh, yes, it does—at least in Genesis chapter one! God, knowing that the pagan philosophers of antiquity would soon try to distort His record of creation into long ages of pantheistic evolution (as in the Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, and other such ancient cosmogonies), was careful to define His terms! "God called the light Day," and that was the first day with its evening and morning. All subsequent days have followed the same pattern—a period of darkness (night), then a period of light (day).

One may quibble about the exact length of the day if he insists (e.g., equatorial days versus polar days), but there is no way this definition can accommodate a geological age. This is the very first reference to "day" (or yom) in the Bible, and this is given as an actual statement of the meaning of the word.

This ought to settle the question for anyone who really believes the Bible. One may decide to believe the evolutionary geologists if he wishes, instead of God, but he should at least let God speak for Himself. God says the days of creation were literal days, not ages. "In six days the LORD made heaven and earth" (Exodus 31:17). HMM

For more . . . .

Freksy:

Genesis 1:3-31 is not discussing the original creation of matter or of the heavenly bodies. It describes the preparation of the already existing earth for human habitation.

The first part of Genesis indicates that the earth could have existed for years before the first Genesis "day," though it does not say for how long. However, it does describe what earth's condition was just before that first "day" began:

"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" —Gen 1:2

Nobody knows for how long the earth had being in that condition before the first creative day.



In Gen 1:4&5 God is said to divide day into a smaller period of time, calling just the light portion "day".
"And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day , and the darkness he called Night . And the evening and the morning were the first day" Gen 1:4,5

In Gen.2:4 all the creative periods are refered to as one "day":
"These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day (all the creative periods) that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens," - Gen 2:4
Does the word "day" as used in Gen 1:4; Gen 1:5 and Gen 2:4 convey the same meaning and length of time?



Here you are the one speaking for God. He never said the bolded. The Hebrew word yohm, translated "day," can mean different lengths of time.

A part (just the light portion) of the first creative day was also refered to as "day". Gen 1:5

All the creative days were also refered to as one "day". Gen 2:4

"Day" as used in the Bible can also include summer and winter, the passing of seasons..... (involves many days) Zechariah 14:8

"The day of harvest" involves many days. Compare Prov 25:13 YLT and Gen 30:14.

A thousand years are likened to a day. Psalm 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8, 10

"Judgment Day" covers many years. Matt 10:15; Rev 20:4,11 -13

Therefore, it would seem reasonable that the "days" of Genesis could likewise have embraced long periods of time — millenniums.

striktlymi:


Very reasonable, even from the perspective of Sacred scriptures!!!

OLAADEGBU:

What was the first thing God created and when was the sun created?

striktlymi:

Hello Gui,

Interesting thought and quite frankly, you are spot on...but considering that at the time of creation there was nothing like various continents at the time and the Earth was inhabited, I would say the ish of a constant day wouldn't arise then because even after the creation of the first man, what really mattered was the location of this man.

From the location of Adam, there was nothing like a constant day or night. It would be just night and day....Also, we have reasons to believe that there was just one supercontinent before the various continents slowly drifted away; and from that viewpoint, there might just be a unified night and day...just saying.

OLAADEGBU:

That's a good observation. It is true that day and night happens simultaneously depending on the location. It is the evidence of a revolving earth. In Luke 17:34-36 we see that the 2nd Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will happen while some are asleep at night and others are busy working during the day.

"I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Luke 17:34-36).

The world revolves around the sun just as our world revolves around the Son.

From_Guiriga:

I'm just trying to understand you know....
According to the writer of Genesis God call the light day and the darkness he called night.
Alright, then:
14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.

Here we have God creating lights again to divide day and night. On the fourth Day! But did not take care of this in the first day that was evening and morning?

Can anyone reconcile this for me.

Thanks in advance.

From_Guiriga:

I'm just trying to understand you know....

From_Guiriga:
According to the writer of Genesis God call the light day and the darkness he called night.
Alright, then:
14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.

Here we have God creating lights again to divide day and night. On the fourth Day! But did not take care of this in the first day that was evening and morning?

From_Guiriga:
Can anyone reconcile this for me.

Thanks in advance.

From_Guiriga:


According to Genesis it was the heavens and the earth.
According to somewhere in the new testament it was Jesus.

From_Guiriga:

Can you please address my questions as well.

Thanks.

OLAADEGBU:
For semi-creationists who claim that the "days" of Genesis 1 must have been long periods of time, a more serious problem arises.  Genesis plainly teaches that plants appeared on Day Three, and the sun on Day Four.  But plants need sunlight for photosynthesis and cannot wait in darkness for millions of years.  If the days were long epochs, as demanded by critics of a literal Creation Week, plants could not survive.

Freksy:

Genesis 1:3-31 is not discussing the original creation of matter or of the heavenly bodies. It describes the preparation of the already existing earth for human habitation.

The first part of Genesis indicates that the earth could have existed for years before the first Genesis "day," though it does not say for how long. However, it does describe what earth's condition was just before that first "day" began:

"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" —Gen 1:2

Nobody knows for how long the earth had being in that condition before the first creative day.



In Gen 1:4&5 God is said to divide day into a smaller period of time, calling just the light portion "day".
"And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day , and the darkness he called Night . And the evening and the morning were the first day" Gen 1:4,5

In Gen.2:4 all the creative periods are refered to as one "day":
"These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day (all the creative periods) that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens," - Gen 2:4
Does the word "day" as used in Gen 1:4; Gen 1:5 and Gen 2:4 convey the same meaning and length of time?

Here you are the one speaking for God. He never said the bolded. The Hebrew word yohm, translated "day," can mean different lengths of time.

A part (just the light portion) of the first creative day was also refered to as "day". Gen 1:5

All the creative days were also refered to as one "day". Gen 2:4

"Day" as used in the Bible can also include summer and winter, the passing of seasons..... (involves many days) Zechariah 14:8

"The day of harvest" involves many days. Compare Prov 25:13 YLT and Gen 30:14.

A thousand years are likened to a day. Psalm 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8, 10

"Judgment Day" covers many years. Matt 10:15; Rev 20:4,11 -13

Therefore, it would seem reasonable that the "days" of Genesis could likewise have embraced long periods of time — millenniums.

OLAADEGBU: The Meaning of "Day"
June 23, 2013

"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:5).

Many people today, professing to believe the Bible, have compromised with the evolutionary philosophy which dominates our society by accepting its framework of geological ages. This system interpretes the rocks and fossils in terms of a supposed 4.6 billion-year history of the earth and life culminating in the evolution of early humans perhaps a million years ago. In order to justify this compromise, they usually say that the "days" of creation really correspond to the geological ages, arguing that the Hebrew word for "day" (yom) does not have to mean a literal solar day.

Oh, yes, it does—at least in Genesis chapter one! God, knowing that the pagan philosophers of antiquity would soon try to distort His record of creation into long ages of pantheistic evolution (as in the Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, and other such ancient cosmogonies), was careful to define His terms! "God called the light Day," and that was the first day with its evening and morning. All subsequent days have followed the same pattern—a period of darkness (night), then a period of light (day).

One may quibble about the exact length of the day if he insists (e.g., equatorial days versus polar days), but there is no way this definition can accommodate a geological age. This is the very first reference to "day" (or yom) in the Bible, and this is given as an actual statement of the meaning of the word.

This ought to settle the question for anyone who really believes the Bible. One may decide to believe the evolutionary geologists if he wishes, instead of God, but he should at least let God speak for Himself. God says the days of creation were literal days, not ages. "In six days the LORD made heaven and earth" (Exodus 31:17). HMM

For more . . . .

striktlymi:
There is also the possibility that when God said 'day', he is actually defining it the way he sees it and not necessarily as man sees it. We know too well that a day for God is like a thousand years for man...so it is possible that when God said 'the first day', he actually meant the first 100,000 days or more as man would see it.

aletheia:
^
And the evening and the morning were the first day...not several thousands evenings and mornings.