If Theistic Evolution, how long did day 7 last?

thomas_t said:

Hi everyone,
(since I can't answer posts in the section where non-believers are allowed to post)...
a little challenge to everyone believing in the so-called theistic evolution, which I believe is untrue.
Ok?
So if day 1 to day 6 is said to have lasted many millions of years each, how long is day 7 - which is God's rest - following this line of thought?

On one occasion, I've heard a reply in the sense that it simply lasted shorter than the other days... is this how you think?
So why would God's word the Bible choose "day" for a long time span at the beginning of chapter and just a few verses later, "day" describes a rather short period of time? And who is supposed to understand God jumping from one meaning to another in the same chapter?

Someone else said he believed that God still is resting as of today. However, he's worked hard in the mean time initiating the flood, for instance.

I'm curious to learn what you think on this one.

Regards,
Thomas

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Hi Thomas, you hit on one of the key elements in support of a literal interpretation of Genesis and the creation account. I'll clarify that a literal interpretation of any text is the natural / assumed / default when reading... unless there are contextual cues suggesting the text is to be taken in another manner. I just wanted to clarify that when I say "literal interpretation", I'm not suggesting this is an unusual interpretation in any way; in fact, this is the standard / normal approach.

The original Hebrew text has been studied by hebraists, lexicographers and many theologians, who most have the understanding that the creation account and Genesis in general (as a whole) is written in typical Hebrew narrative form--that is, it is written as if giving an account of actual events and real people. Like our English language "day" (yom) can mean different things depending upon the context in which it is used: "Back in the day before I was married..." indicates a period of time, whereas in two days I'll be going into the weekend means two 24-hr days.

In the context in which yom is used in Genesis, the context is given with evening and morning, as well as sequenced days. This tells me these are to be understood as what we conventionally think of as a 24-hr day (and yes, these days can exist without the need for a physical sun at the center of our solar system... light already existed without the sun on day 1 of creation) and that there are no 'gaps' between the days.

Further supporting this view, the 4th commandment as written in Exodus 20:8-11 tells us to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth and rested on the seventh day.

To your point... if a 'day' is an age or some indeterminate period of time, when is the age ("day") of the Sabbath? How could God have set humans up for failure to keep a commandment so poorly articulated--does this sound like the nature of God? I ask rhetorically.

All of the OT and NT authors, and Jesus himself all make references to Genesis as if it is historical and authoritative. It's difficult, in my mind, to say Christ corrected the error of pharisees and scribes on multiple documented occasions and even spoke of future events by referencing people that never existed and events that never happened--it's like saying he taught truths based upon lies... I cannot bring myself to accept such an idea, especially if Jesus is who He claimed to be (and I believe He is).

So, this doesn't answer any of your questions to the theistic evolutionists, but just wanted to support and encourage your faith. I am always encouraged when I see others who, in the face of the conventionally held view within scientific circles, still believe by faith in the truth of God's word. God bless -

I think everything is very simple and we (humans) make it complicated . IMHO, I think the 7 days lasted much, much longer than we can understand right now...say 100,000s to millions if years...it kinda reminds me of the parable about how long is a day in eternity? ...there is a story about a sparrow who wipes his beek on a mountain built of granite once every 10,000 years...when the mountain is reduced to anpebble, thats been one day in eternity

Gen two refers to the days of creation as generations.

thomas_t said:

Provide the proof for your assertion, please. I would take 'day' as being a day, otherwise.
In general, Jesus is not going to fool his readers. When he says day... he means day.
The more complicated your interpretation gets the more difficult it is to understand. Jesus wants to be understood.
Thomas

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Genesis 2:4, KJV:
"These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,"

As St. Augustine pointed out, the "yom" of Genesis were not intended to mean literal periods of time, but represent different categories of creation.

I suppose most Christians who acknowledge the fact of evolution, have that understanding.

"This was when Pangaea was destroyed and continental drifting began.". -Joshua 1 9

"Tectonic drift predates pangea.
Rodinia - Wikipedia" - me

"At the time there was only one land mass. Noah's flood was a shadow and a type of the flood that took place at Pangaea when the whole world was involved. This is why the Bible begins" - Joshua 1 9


Ok, so there was plate tectonics and in the case of rodinia, one land mass before pangea existed. Continental drift existed before pangea. Continental drift did not begin with the rifting of pangea.

So your statement at the beginning is incorrect.

@joshua 1 9

KomatiiteBIF said:

Continental drift did not begin with the rifting of pangea.

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There has actually been 6 extinctions in the history of the planet. The most recent was around 12,990 years ago when the ice age at that time ended and 90% of the species went extinct. This was when the saber tooth tiger and wholly mammoth went extinct.

The Bible talks about a remnant, even we have remnant theology: "On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob" (Isaiah 10:20) "The remnant is a recurring theme throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bible. The Anchor Bible Dictionary describes it as "What is left of a community after it undergoes a catastrophe". The concept has stronger representation in the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament than in the Christian New Testament." Wiki We could have a 90% extinction between now and the beginning of the 1,000 year reign of Christ.

I will try to explain dispensationalism or even YEC. As far as OEC - I leave that up to Gerold Schroeder to explain. He has a PhD from MIT in Physics so he is better qualified then I am. Gerald Schroeder - Articles - Age of the Universe

The Barbarian said:

As St. Augustine pointed out, the "yom" of Genesis were not intended to mean literal periods of time

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According to Schroeder each day is half the length of the day before. This is based on the perspective of looking forward in time from the beginning. Rather than to look back on time.
Gerald Schroeder - Articles - Age of the Universe

thomas_t said:

Joshua 1 is about Joshua entering the Holy Land.

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Yes we need to enter into the promises of God. "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:9)

thomas_t said:

So if day 1 to day 6 is said to have lasted many millions of years each, how long is day 7 - which is God's rest - following this line of thought?

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125 million years.

thomas_t said:

"yom" means day - and day means a period of time. Even in the Bible.

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No, that's a common misconception.

Biblical Hebrew has a limited vocabulary, with fewer words compared to other languages, such as English (which has the largest).[2][a] This means words often have multiple meanings determined by context.[10] Strong's Lexicon yom is Hebrew #3117 יוֹם [11] The word Yom's root meaning is to be hot as the warm hours of a day.

Thus "yom", in its context, is sometimes translated as: "time" (Gen 4:3, Is. 30:8); "year" (I Kings 1:1, 2 Chronicles 21:19, Amos 4:4); "age" (Gen 18:11, 24:1 and 47:28; Joshua 23:1 and 23:2); "always" (Deuteronomy 5:29, 6:24 and 14:23, and in 2 Chronicles 18:7); "season" (Genesis 40:4, Joshua 24:7, 2 Chronicles 15:3); epoch or 24-hour day (Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31)
Yom - Wikipedia

When Jesus says:
John 10:7 Jesus therefore said to them again: Amen, amen I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

He does not literally mean that He's a door through which sheep go. He's using figurative language, as God so often does in scripture.

joshua 1 9 said:

There has actually been 6 extinctions in the history of the planet. The most recent was around 12,990 years ago when the ice age at that time ended and 90% of the species went extinct. This was when the saber tooth tiger and wholly mammoth went extinct.

The Bible talks about a remnant, even we have remnant theology: "On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob" (Isaiah 10:20) "The remnant is a recurring theme throughout the Hebrew and Christian Bible. The Anchor Bible Dictionary describes it as "What is left of a community after it undergoes a catastrophe". The concept has stronger representation in the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament than in the Christian New Testament." Wiki We could have a 90% extinction between now and the beginning of the 1,000 year reign of Christ.

I will try to explain dispensationalism or even YEC. As far as OEC - I leave that up to Gerold Schroeder to explain. He has a PhD from MIT in Physics so he is better qualified then I am. Gerald Schroeder - Articles - Age of the Universe

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Did you read what I said in my post? Continental drift did not begin with the rifting of pangea. This has nothing to do with topics of your response.

thomas_t said:

Thank you, Barbarian, for your interpretation. English has more words, that's for sure.
But I happen to disagree here.

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Really doesn't matter. It's just the way Hebrew works.

From Strong's Hebrew, the various meanings of "yom" in scripture:
afternoon* (1), age (8), age* (1), all (1), always* (14), amount* (2), battle (1), birthday* (1), Chronicles* (38), completely* (1), continually* (14), course* (1), daily (22), daily the days (1), day (1115), day of the days (1), day that the period (1), day's (6), day's every day (1), daylight* (1), days (635), days on the day (1), days to day (1), days you shall daily (1), days ago (1), days' (11), each (1), each day (4), entire (2), eternity (1), evening* (1), ever in your life* (1), every day (2), fate (1), first (5), forever* (11), forevermore* (1), full (5), full year (1), future* (1), holiday* (3), later* (2), length (1), life (12), life* (1), lifetime (2), lifetime* (1), live (1), long (2), long as i live (1), long* (11), midday* (1), now (5), older* (1), once (2), period (3), perpetually* (2), present (1), recently (1), reigns (1), ripe* (1), short-lived* (1), so long* (1), some time (1), survived* (2), time (45), time* (1), times* (2), today (172), today* (1), usual (1), very old* (1), when (10), when the days (1), whenever (1), while (3), whole (2), year (10), yearly (5), years (13), yesterday* (1)

thomas_t said:

I think my opinion does matter.

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All opinions matter, as opinions. However, when the Bible uses figurative language involving a word with that many different meanings, it's very problematic to pick one and declare it must be that. Reality is very opinion-resistant.