Old earth vs. young earth—what are the core issues in the debate? What are the differences between old earth creation and young earth creation science?

In my humble opinion, methinks the similarity between both merits consideration viz; both are oppositions of science falsely so-called that are mere distractions with the purpose of making us omit the weightier matters of the law/Gospel thus beguiling us of our inheritance and sifting us as wheat! Both are efforts that makes Christians (or so-called) to disobey the injunction that admonishes avoidance of foolish and ignorant questions. While we split hairs in trying to impress the wilfully blind, we forget the myriads of Ethiopian eunuchs with open, teachable hearts but honest ignorance.

Scholar8200:


In my humble opinion, methinks the similarity between both merits consideration viz; both are oppositions of science falsely so-called that are mere distractions with the purpose of making us omit the weightier matters of the law/Gospel thus beguiling us of our inheritance and sifting us as wheat! Both are efforts that makes Christians (or so-called) to disobey the injunction that admonishes avoidance of foolish and ignorant questions. While we split hairs in trying to impress the wilfully blind, we forget the myriads of Ethiopian eunuchs with open, teachable hearts but honest ignorance.

In what way do they do what you are accusing them of?

OLAADEGBU:


Old earth vs. young earth—what are the core issues in the debate? What are the differences between old earth creation and young earth creation science?

Watch a scientist's explanation of the age of the earth:

https://answersingenesis.org/age-of-the-earth/

And problems with other interpretations:

https://answersingenesis.org/creationism/old-earth/problems-with-other-interpretations/

OLAADEGBU:


Old earth vs. young earth—what are the core issues in the debate? What are the differences between old earth creation and young earth creation science?

Suggested answers:

https://www.gotquestions.org/old-earth-vs-young-earth.html

Old earth(Gen1/1) and the new earth begins at(Gen1:3)
There core difference is Man!!

ichuka:


Old earth(Gen1/1) and the new earth begins at(Gen1:3)
There core difference is Man!!

When Jesus said that Adam and Eve were created in the beginning of creation, was the beginning billions, millions or thousands of years ago?

OLAADEGBU:


When Jesus said that Adam and Eve were created in the beginning of creation, was the beginning billions, millions or thousands of year ago?

Matt:198Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Here our Lord was talking about the begining of union in marriage and not creation itself.

ichuka:


Matt:198Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Here our Lord was talking about the begining of union in marriage and not creation itself.

God created Adam on the 6th day. How long from then did God create the marriage institution?

OLAADEGBU:


God created Adam on the 6th day. How long from then did God create the marriage institution?

Same day He created Adam,
And He created them Man and Woman and He said to them be Fruitful

ichuka:


Same day He created Adam,
And He created them Man and Woman and He said to them be Fruitful

"But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female" (Mark 10:6).

Can you see the Genesis record Jesus quoted from when He referred to "the beginning of the creation"? This proves my point that God made Adam and Eve at the very beginning and not some 4.5 billion years after the beginning (Genesis 1:26-27).

OLAADEGBU:


"But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female" (Mark 10:6).

Can you see the Genesis record Jesus quoted from when He referred to "the beginning of the creation"? This proves my point that God made Adam and Eve at the very beginning and not some 4.5 billion years after the beginning (Genesis 1:26-27).

Still not getting my point.
When God created the Heavens and Earth in Genesis1:1.theres was no mention of humans.
Genesis1:2 says that the earth created in the begining was "NOW" Formless and Filled with Darkness!!!
My bro,God can never create something that's formless/shapeless and filled with Darkness.
Something has already happened to the earth created by God in Gen1:1 to be formless and filled with Darkness.
Gen1:3 was "THE BEGINING OF THE RECREATION OF THE EARTH"
So Adam and Eve were created in the begining of God recreation of the earth.
Isaiah45:18,says
For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a "WASTE"that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.
The earth was created in the begging to be inhabited(Gen1:1) but it became a wasteland(Gen1:2)
Before God started recreation in(Gen1:3).

ichuka:


Still not getting my point.
When God created the Heavens and Earth in Genesis1:1.theres was no mention of humans.
Genesis1:2 says that the earth created in the begining was "NOW" Formless and Filled with Darkness!!!
My bro,God can never create something that's formless/shapeless and filled with Darkness.
Something has already happened to the earth created by God in Gen1:1 to be formless and filled with Darkness.
Gen1:3 was "THE BEGINING OF THE RECREATION OF THE EARTH"
So Adam and Eve were created in the begining of God recreation of the earth.
Isaiah45:18,says
For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a "WASTE"that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.
The earth was created in the begging to be inhabited(Gen1:1) but it became a wasteland(Gen1:2)
Before God started recreation in(Gen1:3).

Who should we now believe? Jesus who said "from the beginning of creation" or you who says "from the beginning of recreation"? I have chosen to believe the report of the Lord.

OLAADEGBU:


Who should we now believe? Jesus who said "from the beginning of creation" or you who says "from the beginning of recreation"? I have chosen to believe the report of the Lord.

Which of the creation?
Was Adam and Eve created in Gen1:1?
Was Gen1:1 and Gen1:2 included in the 7days recreation?
Or should we include Gen1:1 and Gen1:2 to the first day of recreation which started in Gen1:3?

Eze28:11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.
14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.
16 “By the abundance of your trading
You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing
Out of the mountain of God;
And I destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the fiery stones.
17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;
I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.
18 “You defiled your sanctuaries
By the multitude of your iniquities,
By the iniquity of your trading;
Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you.
The above verses was talking about Lucifer in the garden of Eden!!
And this has to do with Gen1:1 not the Eden of Adam in the 7days recreation.

ichuka:


Which of the creation?
Was Adam and Eve created in Gen1:1?
Was Gen1:1 and Gen1:2 included in the 7days recreation?
Or should we include Gen1:1 and Gen1:2 to the first day of recreation which started in Gen1:3?

Let's just stay with the Scriptures and not put words into it to suit the words of men. Our Lord Jesus Christ who created the world said that Adam and Eve was created from the beginning of creation. They were created just 5 days from the beginning of God's creation and that is a historical fact.

ichuka:


Eze28:11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond,
Beryl, onyx, and jasper,
Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.
The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created.
14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers;
I established you;
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.
16 “By the abundance of your trading
You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing
Out of the mountain of God;
And I destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the fiery stones.
17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;
I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.
18 “You defiled your sanctuaries
By the multitude of your iniquities,
By the iniquity of your trading;
Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you.
The above verses was talking about Lucifer in the garden of Eden!!
And this has to do with Gen1:1 not the Eden of Adam in the 7days recreation.

The lamentation was about the king of Tyre which could also be allured to Lucifer who was also a creation of God. Satan could have fallen between day 6 after Adam was created and shortly before Adam's fall. There is nothing suggesting that Lucifer's fall was before God's creation, we don't have to compromise the word of God because we want to please the words of men (Gap theory).

OLAADEGBU:


Let's just stay with the Scriptures and not put words into it to suit the words of men. Our Lord Jesus Christ who created the world said that Adam and Eve was created from the beginning of creation. They were created just 5 days from the beginning of God's creation and that is a historical fact.

You said they were created in the begining right?
My question is which of the begining?
Were they created in Gen1:1 when God created the heavens and the earth.because in Gen1:1 God have already created the heavens and earth,were they included in that creation?

ichuka:


You said they were created in the begining right?
My question is which of the begining?
Were they created in Gen1:1 when God created the heavens and the earth.because in Gen1:1 God have already created the heavens and earth,were they included in that creation?

There is no gap in Genesis 1:1 and 2. In the beginning God started with the raw materials He had created and went on to describe how He created from day 1. Adam was created on day 6. Let's not look for gaps where there are none.

OLAADEGBU:


The lamentation was about the king of Tyre which could also be allured to Lucifer who was also a creation of God. Satan could have fallen between day 6 after Adam was created and shortly before Adam's fall. There is nothing suggesting that Lucifer's fall was before God's creation, we don't have to compromise the word of God because we want to please the words of men (Gap theory).

The king of tyre was never in Eden.we are talking of creation not someone "born" thousands of years later.he typifies lucifer.
The first part of Ezekiel 28:13 says,"Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God;every precious stone was thy covering"When we read Genesis 3,we indeed see Satan there. However,he was not being covered by"every precious stone";he was tempting Adam and Eve.Hence,the two gardens of Eden are not of the same time.In Adam's garden of Eden, Satan had fallen,whereas here,it clearly depicts the situation before his fall.Hence, the garden of Eden here must be earlier than the one at Adam's time.if so, then it must not have belonged to the present world but to the previous one.
2.This garden of Eden,like the coming New Jerusalem,had many precious stones,such as sardius, beryl, etc. The garden of Eden where Adam lived was not like this.The Bible focuses only on the trees and does not say anything concerning their being covered with precious stones. Hence, the garden of Eden here must be different from that of Adam and is much earlier.

ichuka:


The king of tyre was never in Eden.we are talking of creation not someone "born" thousands of years later.he typifies lucifer.
The first part of Ezekiel 28:13 says,"Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God;every precious stone was thy covering"When we read Genesis 3,we indeed see Satan there. However,he was not being covered by"every precious stone";he was tempting Adam and Eve.Hence,the two gardens of Eden are not of the same time.In Adam's garden of Eden, Satan had fallen,whereas here,it clearly depicts the situation before his fall.Hence, the garden of Eden here must be earlier than the one at Adam's time.if so, then it must not have belonged to the present world but to the previous one.

First of all, Ezekiel 28 was a prophecy concerning the king of Tyre who had allowed satan to use him just as the king of Babylon or Judas. The Garden of Eden referred to there was probably the heavenly Eden whose design was used to build the earthly Eden that Adam occupied. I hope you remember that God gave Moses a pattern of the heavenly tabernacle to build here on earth. Satan lost his beauty when his heart was lifted up and then cast down from his heavenly Eden to the earthly Eden when he tempted Adam to fall in the garden. There is nowhere in the Scriptures where God said He created a previous world, if there were Jesus would have referred to it.

ichuka:


2.This garden of Eden,like the coming New Jerusalem,had many precious stones,such as sardius, beryl, etc. The garden of Eden where Adam lived was not like this.The Bible focuses only on the trees and does not say anything concerning their being covered with precious stones. Hence, the garden of Eden here must be different from that of Adam and is much earlier.

I agree that they are different just as the New Jerusalem is different from the earthly one.

OLAADEGBU:


There is no gap in Genesis 1:1 and 2. In the beginning God started with the raw materials He had created and went on to describe how He created from day 1. Adam was created on day 6. Let's not look for gaps where there are none.

Job mentioned the failure of Satan's rebellion in order to show that it is foolish to dispute with God.
Job9:4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 He shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars tremble;
7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
He seals off the stars
Job 9:4-7).When did God do this?When did He shake the mountains and the earth,and alter the position of the celestial bodies due to man's stubbornness towards Him? Since the time of Adam, such an act of God in the world has not been seen.This passage must be a description of God's judgment on Satan and on the earth under his dominion when he rebelled. At that time God shook the earth and overturned the mountains. The calamity came so swiftly that the mountains were overturned unnoticed.In addition to the earth, the positions of the celestial bodies were also affected.Because of God's judgment,the sun disappeared completely and the stars did not shine.The world was plunged into darkness.There was no sun and no heat was produced. Consequently,this led to the glacial epoch on this earth.Then, after a long period of time, possibly due to internal heat at the earth's core (Rev. 9:2), the ice gradually melted.However, the sun had not yet appeared and the stars were still "sealed up."When the Spirit of God began to move, there was the deep, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.Gen1:2.

ichuka:


Job mentioned the failure of Satan's rebellion in order to show that it is foolish to dispute with God.
Job9:4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength.
Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
5 He removes the mountains, and they do not know
When He overturns them in His anger;
6 He shakes the earth out of its place,
And its pillars tremble;
7 He commands the sun, and it does not rise;
He seals off the stars
Job 9:4-7).When did God do this?When did He shake the mountains and the earth,and alter the position of the celestial bodies due to man's stubbornness towards Him? Since the time of Adam, such an act of God in the world has not been seen.This passage must be a description of God's judgment on Satan and on the earth under his dominion when he rebelled. At that time God shook the earth and overturned the mountains. The calamity came so swiftly that the mountains were overturned unnoticed.In addition to the earth, the positions of the celestial bodies were also affected.Because of God's judgment,the sun disappeared completely and the stars did not shine.The world was plunged into darkness.There was no sun and no heat was produced. Consequently,this led to the glacial epoch on this earth.Then, after a long period of time, possibly due to internal heat at the earth's core (Rev. 9:2), the ice gradually melted.However, the sun had not yet appeared and the stars were still "sealed up."When the Spirit of God began to move, there was the deep, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.Gen1:2.

The fact that you cannot see this happening after Noah's Flood amazes me. Job is here recounting the terrible effects of Noah's global Flood. The pre-flood hills were eroded away by the flood waters these were later uplifted to form the hills after the flood subsided thus in effect "overturning them."

I don't know if you are aware that some of the pre-flood waters that was above the firmament in Genesis 7:11, that was originally in the form of large blanket of transparent water vapour got condensed into thick clouds of liquid water and it was this that blotted out the light of the sun and stars for the first time in history after the flood. This continued for 5 months (See Genesis 7:24-8:3) until the waters had all poured down on the earth to produce the flood. This is a direct result of God's judgment on the earth as was told to Noah and not the so called judgment on satan in a previous world.

OLAADEGBU:


The fact that you cannot see this happening after Noah's Flood amazes me. Job is here recounting the terrible effects of Noah's global Flood. The pre-flood hills were eroded away by the flood waters these were later uplifted to form the hills after the flood subsided thus in effect "overturning them."

I don't know if you are aware that some of the pre-flood waters that was above the firmament in Genesis 7:11, that was originally in the form of large blanket of transparent water vapour got condensed into thick clouds of liquid water and it was this that blotted out the light of the sun and stars for the first time in history after the flood. This continued for 5 months (See Genesis 7:24-8:3) until the waters had all poured down on the earth to produce the flood. This is a direct result of God's judgment on the earth as was told to Noah and not the so called judgment on satan in a previous world.

Noah Flood??
How/Where does Job chapter 9 relate to the flood??
During the flood was the sun and stars shot out?
2.when were the constellation created,is it pre/after the flood?

OLAADEGBU:


First of all, Ezekiel 28 was a prophecy concerning the king of Tyre who had allowed satan to use him just as the king of Babylon or Judas. The Garden of Eden referred to there was probably the heavenly Eden whose design was used to build the earthly Eden that Adam occupied. I hope you remember that God gave Moses a pattern of the heavenly tabernacle to build here on earth. Satan lost his beauty when his heart was lifted up and then cast down from his heavenly Eden to the earthly Eden when he tempted Adam to fall in the garden. There is nowhere in the Scriptures where God said He created a previous world, if there were Jesus would have referred to it.



I agree that they are different just as the New Jerusalem is different from the earthly one.

Eze28:1-10
We can relate that to the king of tyre
But from 11-18 has nothing to do with the king of tyre.these was thousand of year ago before tyre came into existence.
Was satan ever in the new Jerusalem?No
Then how can he be in the heavenly Eden

ichuka:


Noah Flood??
How/Where does Job chapter 9 relate to the flood??
During the flood was the sun and stars shot out?
2.when were the constellation created,is it pre/after the flood?

I don't think you took time to read my response otherwise you wouldn't be asking these questions. Let me break it down to you verse by verse:

Job 9:4-5 reads:

"He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who has hardened himself against him, and has prospered? Which removes the mountains, and they know not; which overturns them in his anger"

Job is here answering his friends by rehearsing some of the terrible effects of the catastrophic flood during the time of Noah. Note that he said "which removes the mountains." This means mountains that had been formed before the great flood of Noah was eroded away when Noah's flood came and this was deposited as sediments in the pre flood seas. These later were uplifted to form the post flood mountains and this explains why Job said God "overturned them." Scientists have found out that many of sediments that was deposited this way were still deformed before they could be hardened into solid rocks.

Job 9:6:

"Which shakes the earth out of her place, and pillars thereof tremble"

If you read Genesis 7:11 where it says "all the fountains of the great deep broken up" This was describing the event at the beginning of Noah's flood where great earth movements followed continuously throughout the year of the flood and continue even till today in recurrent earthquakes all over the earth.

Job 9:7

"Which commands the sun, and it rise not; and sealeth up the stars"

If you read Genesis 1:7 you will see that the pre-flood "waters which were above the firmament" explains the reason why sun and the stars were blotted out for the first time in history. The waters above the firmament had originally formed a vast blanket of transparent water vapour and small ice crystals which got condensed into thick clouds of liquid water, this is what explains the darkness that Job was referring to and this darkness continued for about 5 months (See Genesis 7:24-8:3 that I quoted earlier), until all the waters had poured down on the earth to produce the flood.

So you can see that it was not as a result of God's judgment of satan and the earth it was as a result of God's judgment on the sinfulness of man and the earth suffered for it.

ichuka:


Eze28:1-10
We can relate that to the king of tyre
But from 11-18 has nothing to do with the king of tyre.these was thousand of year ago before tyre came into existence.
Was satan ever in the new Jerusalem?No
Then how can he be in the heavenly Eden

If you remember how satan possessed the body of Judas to betray Our Lord Jesus Christ the same way satan possessed and controlled the willing body of the king of Tyrus just as folks are allowing him to do today.

Ezekiel began to prophecy about satan who was behind king Tyrus and then described the kind of Eden he had occupied before he got thrown out. This heavenly Eden was filled with precious stones which is a sharp contrast to the earthly Eden occupied by Adam and Eve which was full of trees and plants.

I said earlier that it was likely that the earthly Eden was fashioned on the pattern of the heavenly Eden that satan lost due to his rebellion. satan was cast to earth and began to deceive man twisting God's words and he is still doing it today, changing God's written word written for us deceiving us that we would be wiser if we do not take God at His words.

We continue in the evening.was very busy yesterday.

OLAADEGBU:


I don't think you took time to read my response otherwise you wouldn't be asking these questions. Let me break it down to you verse by verse:

Job 9:4-5 reads:

"He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who has hardened himself against him, and has prospered? Which removes the mountains, and they know not; which overturns them in his anger"

Job is here answering his friends by rehearsing some of the terrible effects of the catastrophic flood during the time of Noah. Note that he said "which removes the mountains." This means mountains that had been formed before the great flood of Noah was eroded away when Noah's flood came and this was deposited as sediments in the pre flood seas. These later were uplifted to form the post flood mountains and this explains why Job said God "overturned them." Scientists have found out that many of sediments that was deposited this way were still deformed before they could be hardened into solid rocks.

Job 9:6:

"Which shakes the earth out of her place, and pillars thereof tremble"

If you read Genesis 7:11 where it says "all the fountains of the great deep broken up" This was describing the event at the beginning of Noah's flood where great earth movements followed continuously throughout the year of the flood and continue even till today in recurrent earthquakes all over the earth.

Job 9:7

"Which commands the sun, and it rise not; and sealeth up the stars"

If you read Genesis 1:7 you will see that the pre-flood "waters which were above the firmament" explains the reason why sun and the stars were blotted out for the first time in history. The waters above the firmament had originally formed a vast blanket of transparent water vapour and small ice crystals which got condensed into thick clouds of liquid water, this is what explains the darkness that Job was referring to and this darkness continued for about 5 months (See Genesis 7:24-8:3 that I quoted earlier), until all the waters had poured down on the earth to produce the flood.

So you can see that it was not as a result of God's judgment of satan and the earth it was as a result of God's judgment on the sinfulness of man and the earth suffered for it.

Hmmm,I have my own conviction,but let's look at Verses in Jobs word and also the 6days.
Gods work of restoration(not just the judgement I spoke earlier)mentioned by Job He says,"Which alone spreadeth out the heavens,and treadeth upon the high peaks of the sea; which maketh Arcturus,Orion,and Pleiades,and wonders without number"(Job 9:8-10)The phrase"spreadeth out the heavens"indicates God's work on the second day.God divided the waters with a firmament in their midst, and this firmament was called Heaven.So the "high peaks of the sea" probably indicates the waters above the firmament.The phrase "maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades" indicates God's work on the fourth day. The word "MAKETH" does not mean "CREATES" but "FASHIONS"God did not create stars at this time,but He fashioned anew the existing stars.In Job 9:7 it says,"Sealeth up the stars."This shows that the stars already existed.Genesis 1:16 says,"He made the stars also." This was a restoration to their condition before they were sealed.
Brief discussion on the "6Days"
1.In Genesis(1:3)God began His work of restoration.He called out for light because the face of the deep was dark,and this light divided the light from the darkness.There was light before, and now light came back.We now understands that besides the sun there are other sources of light.Light is an energy from an unknown source that produces vibrations of the ether around the universe.(Of course, the light that we now see relates to the burning of the sun as well as other sources of light.)
Concerning this point,they are fully in darkness; but faith knows."And God said, Let there be light: and there was light" (Gen. 1:3).It does not say that light was created or brought into being by God on the first day. Light has not existed for merely six thousand years.Before light came,darkness was confined to one place,the face of the deep (i.e., the whole earth).Darkness was confined to this one assigned place.When light appeared,it appeared in the same dark place,the whole earth. When God said, "Let there be light" (v. 3), the whole universe was not in darkness.God was merely commanding the light to appear on the surface of this earth.
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.And the evening and the morning were the first day"(v. 5). God did not create the light here because it had existed for a long time;He just called out the light. . "And the evening and the morning were the first day" (v. 5). "Morning" was the time when the light of the first day appeared.If there were no light before the first day,then the "evening" mentioned here does not make sense.The "evening" came first, and then "the morning."If the morning indicates the time when the daylight first appeared,and if there was no light before the first day,then the evening would indicate the darkness before the light,which would be the prolonged darkness mentioned in verse 2.If that were the case, would not the first evening have been too long?If the evening of the first day was the darkness in verse 2,then the first day would have started from the darkness of the formlessness and void in Gen1:2. But Genesis clearly does not consider the formlessness and void as the first day. Hence,before the "evening" of the first day,there was light already.However, this light was not shining on the earth.God called the darkness Night, but "the evening," being different from the night, "WAS A DARKNESS UNDER CONTROL OF THE LIGHT"For this reason,light existed before "the evening" of the first day; otherwise, how could we differentiate between the evening and the morning? Furthermore, the Bible does not say that God created light on the first day; He just commanded light to appear. Where was the light from?If it was not from the earth which was without form and void and in entire darkness, it must surely have been from the beginning when God created the heaven and the earth in Gen1:1.

We should know that each of the six days is a twenty-four hour day.In the Bible a day is often used to represent a period of time,such as"the day of the Lord,"etc.But the six days are not six periods.No christain without preconceived opinions would consider these as periods of time.Whenever the Bible uses "day" to stand for a period,there is no numerical indication associated with it.If there is a number before the day,it must indicate the time of one revolution of the earth. Furthermore, it clearly states "the evening and the morning were the first day" (v. 5). Combining evening and morning as the first day is an indication of a twenty-four hour day. Moreover, God later established a Sabbath, according to His own rest on the seventh day.The Sabbath in Exodus 20 is a twenty-four hour day. If the seventh day is a twenty-four hour day,then the six preceding days must also be twenty-four hour days.Again, if we consider these six days as six geological periods, then what corresponds to the "evenings" of these geological periods, and what corresponds to the "mornings" of these periods? Furthermore, if these six days correspond to six geological periods,there would have been no grass or trees on the earth before the third period,and there would have been no animal fossils on the earth before the sixth period. But this is not the case, because there is no separation between animals and plants in the "GEOLOGICAL STRATA"below the surface of the earth. If the six days were six long periods,then Adam,who was created in the sixth period, would have had to live a long time in paradise before he could have committed sin.Moses, who wrote the book of Genesis,had no thought of using days to represent periods.We must not twist the Word of God to fit our own concept or to lessen people's attack.If we explain the Bible according to our own idea, we will be blamed by others and also put the Holy Scripture in jeopardy.With these proofs we must conclude that these six days were just six days and not six periods.Our God is almighty; one day is sufficient for Him to restore.There is no need for six periods.But since it pleased Him to restore the world in six days, we need to humbly observe God's work and praise His greatness.Why should we adapt ourselves to the opinion of unregenerated people? We know that if geology is correct,the period between verse 1 and verse 2 is long enough to produce all the geological formations of the earth.

On the second day God commanded again.God put air in the firmament to divide the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.God separated the waters on the earth from the moisture of the atmosphere.Again,the scientists ought to praise this beautiful record.This is just the phenomenon of the expansion of the air,separating the water in the atmosphere from the water below;and yet the boundary is not immovable.The atmosphere above us can be filled with moisture as recorded in the Bible.This atmosphere is not a solid reservoir to reserve water in the heaven, because verse 20 mentions "fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."This open firmament is a region or sphere in which fowl could fly around.
"And God called the firmament Heaven" (v. . This "heaven" is different from the "heaven" in verse 1. "Heaven" in verse 1 denotes the whole universe with all its contents.The "heaven" in verse 8 is the "heaven" of this earth.The "heaven" in verse 1 did not deteriorate; only our earth and its celestial position were changed from its original condition due to God's judgment.God saw His works and considered that they were good on five of the six days. After the second day,the words "and God saw that it was good" were not mentioned.Does the Word of God overlook this day? "NO"the words which God omits are just as meaningful as the words He speaks.Every word and every phrase of the Bible is inspired by God.This omission has something to do with Satan. He is the ruler of the authority of the air (Eph. 2:2).The demons under him are the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies" (Eph. 6:12). God probably saw the air as the dwelling place of Satan and his demons.That is why He did not say that "it was good". Since the air is the headquarters of the kingdom of darkness, most of Satan's work starts from the air.Therefore, when we come together to meet or pray,we should ask God to cleanse the atmosphere with the precious blood of the Lord,in order that we may not be oppressed by Satan.

On the third day, although the water was separated,there was still water covering the whole earth and there was no dry land. God commanded again, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear" (Gen. 1:9).What is spoken of here matches what we have already explained.God commanded, "Let the dry land appear," so there was land buried beneath the water for a long time which did not reappear until then.God did not say,"LET THE DRY LAND COME OUT OF NOTHING" He simply commanded the waters to withdraw, allowing the land which was originally created by Him to reappear.This further proves that the six-day work of God was one of restoration rather than creation..