OEC and YEC groups suffer from the same hermeneutical issue of scientific concordism. They believe that the Bible ought to express modern scientific ideas. For example, in science, we know that earth is roughly 4.56 billion years old. Hugh Ross, an OEC, might argue that Genesis describes an earth that is billions of years old, or that the Bible describes evolution when it talks about different animals being made each day.
YEC of course comes with its own issues. It suffers from countless contradictions in its YEC science and believers the Bible says strange things about dinosaurs being vegetarian, or about vapor canopies exploding during the flood.
But the Bible and science do not align with either position. OECs will never be able to find millions of years hidden in Genesis. And YECs will never find evidence of their vapor canopies or flood geology.
The simple solution is that scientific concordism is incorrect, ie, the Bible is not a science textbook. Genesis was written thousands of years before the age of the earth and evolution were ever discovered. So we shouldn't expect the Bible to describe these concepts. There are not millions of years in Genesis because millions of years hadn't been discovered. There are no dinosaurs in the Bible either, leviathan is a multi-headed fire breathing chaos sea god:
On that day the Lord with his cruel and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea.
Isaiah 27:1 NRSV
By his power he stilled the Sea; by his understanding he struck down Rahab. By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
Job 26:12-13 NRSV
Any hope of capturing it will be disappointed; were not even the gods overwhelmed at the sight of it? From its mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap out. Its breath kindles coals, and a flame comes out of its mouth. When it raises itself up the gods are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves.
Job 41:9, 19, 21, 25 NRSV
You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. You cut openings for springs and torrents; you dried up ever-flowing streams. Yours is the day, yours also the night; you established the luminaries and the sun. You have fixed all the bounds of the earth; you made summer and winter.
Psalms 74:14-17 NRSV
You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
Psalms 89:9-10 NRSV
There was never any vapor canopy exploding during the flood. In fact, after the flood the psalmist talks about the heavenly waters above as if they are sustained forever and ever.
Praise him, highest heavens, and waters above the heavens. Let them praise the name of Yahweh, because he commanded and they were created. And he put them in place forever and ever, by a decree he gave that will not pass away.
Psalms 148:4-6
And ultimately, what we see in Genesis is something known as ancient near east cosmology. A common view held by ancient people's of the region around ancient Isreal, Egypt, Babylon, mesopotamia etc.
And the 7 days of Genesis was a common poetic means of describing a cosmic temple Inauguration.
Evidence for the cosmic temple understanding of Genesis:
And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you.
Leviticus 8:33
temple priest ordination in 7 days.
And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts, and according to all its specifications. He was seven years in building it.
1 Kings 6:38
The Temple constructed in 7 years.
And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
1 Kings 8:2
Inauguration feast on the 7th month.
So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days.
1 Kings 8:65 ESV
Temple inauguration feast on the 7th day.
temple dedicated to God on the 7th day of the 7th month, after 7 years, and what does God do?
And I will dwell among the Israelites, and I will not forsake my people Israel.”
1 Kings 6:13 LEB
God rests/dwells.
genesis 1 split into 7 days to recognize the action of God taking presence in his temple. Kind of like a ceremony on which God prepares creation for His rulership.
- In the first month of the second year, on the first of the month, the tabernacle was set up.
1. And Moses raised the tabernacle, and he placed its bases, and he set up its frames, and he placed its bars, and he raised its pillars. And he spread the tent over the tabernacle; he placed the covering of the tent over it, above it, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
2. And he took and he put the testimony into the ark, and he placed the poles on the ark, and he put the atonement cover on the ark, above it. And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and he set up the curtain of the screening, and he shielded the ark of the testimony, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
3. And he put the table in the tent of assembly on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain. And he arranged on it an arrangement of bread before Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
4. And he placed the lampstand in the tent of assembly opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle. And he set up the lamps before Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
5. And he placed the gold altar in the tent of assembly before the curtain. And he turned fragrant incense into smoke on it, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
6. And he set up the entrance screen for the tabernacle. And the altar of burnt offering he placed at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of assembly, and he offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
7. And he placed the basin between the tent of assembly and the altar, and he put there water for washing. And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet from it. At their going into the tent of assembly and at their approaching the altar, they washed, as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
-. And he set up the courtyard all around the tabernacle and the altar, and he put up the screen of the gate of the courtyard, and Moses completed the work.
Exodus 40:17-33 LEB
Let us go to his dwelling places; Let us worship at his footstool. Arise, O Yahweh, to your resting place, you and your mighty ark. For Yahweh has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation. “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
Psalms 132:7-8, 13-14
God rests/dwells^
and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.
Genesis 2:12
This is the offering that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze,
Exodus 25:3
onyx stones and gems to be set in the ephod and for the breastpiece.
Exodus 25:7
He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 3:24
You shall make two cherubim of gold; you shall make them of hammered work, at the two ends of the mercy seat.
Exodus 25:18
So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
Genesis 2:3
You shall keep the sabbath, because it is holy for you; everyone who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it shall be cut off from among the people.
Exodus 31:14
*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.” *God saw* everything that he had made and, *behold*, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.
Genesis 1:31 LEB
And *Moses saw* all the work, and *behold*, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so had they done it. Then *Moses blessed them*.
Exodus 39:43 ESV
Ancient Near east examples of temple texts:
He adorns Her with the covering of Her flesh.
She tears Her clothing.
On the second day
He adorns Her in the two rivers.
She sets a pot on the fire
A vessel on top of the coals.
Behold a day and a second,
The fire eats into the house,
The flame into the palace.
A fifth, a sixth day,
The fire eats into the house,
The flame in the midst of the palace.
Behold, on the seventh day,
The fire departs from the house,
The flame from the palace.
Silver turns from blocks,
Gold is turned from bricks.
baal cycle 7-day temple
House of the anuna gods possessing great power, which gives wisdom to the people, house, reposeful dwelling of the great gods! House, which was planned together with a plans of heaven and Earth. House which underpins the Land and supports the shrines! -Sumerian Temple Hymn of Kes.
Also see, the gudea cylinders with a 7 day cosmic temple text dated 2100BC.
Here are a few John Walton Lectures for more details:
Dr. Miche Heisers popular unseen realm documentary:
Ben Stanhopes leviathan video: