And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made. Genesis 2:2
Historically, Genesis chapters 1 & 2 have been viewed by the Judeo-Christian world as a seamless and complete record of God’s creative acts over six literal days, with God resting on the 7th day. Genesis 1:1 describes the creation of endless space (the heavens), a fundamental necessity in which all parts of the creation were placed. It also declares that God created the essential part of everything – matter or atoms (the earth), the building blocks used by God as He fashioned the rest of His creation. Genesis 1:2 declares that the heavens and earth of verse one were empty and without form. The emptiness was to be filled later. The formlessness was to take shape over the next five days as the Master Craftsman shaped His creation. The third significant event of day one was the creation of the entire electromagnetic spectrum (light), which was later assigned to the sun and stars. The rest of Genesis chapter 1 records God’s creative work over days 2-6. Chapter 2 gives additional insight into the creation of humanity, only briefly addressed in chapter 1. Go To: The Creator’s Wisdom
This straightforward interpretation of Genesis 1 & 2 came under increased derision at approximately the start of the 19th century. It was challenged due to new theories postulated by James Hutton, Charles Lyell and others. In order to bridge the gap between the new theories of modern geology and the Genesis accounts of Creation and Noah’s Flood a “gap” of millions and/or billions of years was inserted between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. This “gap” allowed for a Creator while accomodating the new theories.
The New Authority of Science
An entry in Wikipedia under Gap Creationism summarizes this conflict as follows: “Gap creationism became increasingly attractive near the end of the 18th century and first half of the 19th century, because the newly established science of geology had determined that the Earth was far older than common interpretations of Genesis and the Bible-based Flood geology would allow. Gap creation allowed religious geologists (who composed the majority of the geological community at the time) to reconcile their faith in the Bible with the new authority of science.”
Accepting the Gap Theory requires the following:
1. The Genesis Flood must be downgraded to a local flood, rather than a world-wide event. If the Flood was world-wide then the earth’s scarred crust would date to this more recent catastrophic event, rather then to some other event prior to Genesis 1:2. Go To: Genesis Flood
2. Adam must become another human being, not the first human being.
3. Man’s rebellion against God, and its by-product death, came into existence at some point prior to the creation of Adam. Therefore death did not originate with Adam’s sin, but rather at some point in the distant past.
4. Although God stated on seven different occasions that His creation was “good,” this did not apply to all creation. This is because the record of death contained in the fossil record dates to an era prior to Genesis 1:2.
5. Lucifer, who became satan, rebelled against God at some point prior to Genesis 1:2, although the Scriptures state regarding him: “You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond … was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there … You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you.” (Ezekial 28:12-15)
6. God’s meticulous genealogical record of humanity from Adam to Jesus Christ must be made meaningless with regard to dating God’s creation.
Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking,
following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?
For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”
For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens
existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world
(Noah’s world – see 2 Peter 2:5) at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. (2 Peter 3:4-6)