Adam AND an Old Earth

[JGiddings]

Ok Adam was the first man. Eve the first woman.
The earth can still be old.

Here is v1 of Genesis:

Genesis 1:1-10
New Living Translation (NLT)
The Account of Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[a] 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

What exactly are the "waters" that verse references?
Was the earth there or not? (I believe it was) What does formless and empty mean? A physical object can be formless and then be made into something beautiful. Ever make a vase?
How can something be formless AND empty w/ waters. God hovered over said waters. I know I know people will say I am not "getting it." Whatever.
Adam was the first man. He and Eve populated the earth correct? Lot's of incest going on if you do the math. Was there really all that incest? No of course not!!!

I believe it's all figurative language for the purpose of teaching a greater meaning.

*opens up a can of worms and runs for the hills*

 

[BryanW92]

Ok Adam was the first man. Eve the first woman.
The earth can still be old.

Here is v1 of Genesis:

Genesis 1:1-10
New Living Translation (NLT)
The Account of Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[a] 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

What exactly are the "waters" that verse references?
Was the earth there or not? (I believe it was) What does formless and empty mean? A physical object can be formless and then be made into something beautiful. Ever make a vase?
How can something be formless AND empty w/ waters. God hovered over said waters. I know I know people will say I am not "getting it." Whatever.
Adam was the first man. He and Eve populated the earth correct? Lot's of incest going on if you do the math. Was there really all that incest? No of course not!!!

I believe it's all figurative language for the purpose of teaching a greater meaning.

*opens up a can of worms and runs for the hills*

Yep, its a can of worms.

Some points to ponder:

1) If God made Creation in 6 days, then he did not use natural processes that we think we understand. So, a formless earth could actually be the lump of clay that you mentioned.

2) "Empty" could mean devoid of features or inhabitants. A water covering on the clay lump fits your vase analogy.

3) The reason for our cultural avoidance of incest is due to the increased risk of genetic deformities due to both parents having the same latent genes. Adam and Eve were prefection, having been created by the hand of God. There was no risk of genetic deformity because their genes were perfect. Look at their ages at death. If you plot the ages of each person in the OT, you'll find that their ages at death decrease along a typical decay curve. Each generation becomes a little less perfect. In nature, order always devolves to chaos.

I agree with you that there is more to creation than is spelled out in Gen 1 and 2. I do not rule out either theory.

 

[standingtall]

Look at their ages at death. If you plot the ages of each person in the OT, you'll find that their ages at death decrease along a typical decay curve. Each generation becomes a little less perfect. In nature, order always devolves to chaos.

After the flood, yes....not before the flood.

 

[ozarkview]

Ok Adam was the first man. Eve the first woman.
The earth can still be old.

Here is v1 of Genesis:

Genesis 1:1-10
New Living Translation (NLT)
The Account of Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[a] 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

What exactly are the "waters" that verse references?
Was the earth there or not? (I believe it was) What does formless and empty mean? A physical object can be formless and then be made into something beautiful. Ever make a vase?
How can something be formless AND empty w/ waters. God hovered over said waters. I know I know people will say I am not "getting it." Whatever.
Adam was the first man. He and Eve populated the earth correct? Lot's of incest going on if you do the math. Was there really all that incest? No of course not!!!

I believe it's all figurative language for the purpose of teaching a greater meaning.

*opens up a can of worms and runs for the hills*

Right off the bat you say here is the first verse and post two verses. this is the first verse:
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
notice the period at the end? there is no date, it is simply a statement.

But, if you read verse two:
2 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.

Notice I highlighted the word was... Now look it up in Strong's concordance you will see the word actually should be becomes or had become...

H1961 הָיָה hayah (haw-yaw) v.
1. to exist
2. to be or become
3. to come into being, i.e. to happen, to occur (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
[a primitive root]
KJV: beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.
Compare: H1933
[?]

So perhaps verse two has a better description,

2 And the earth had become without form, and void; and darkness had become upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

So perhaps there was a previous earth age? lets see, maybe Isiah can help.

18 For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.

19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

Isaiah 45:18-19 (KJV)

And let us not forget Peter who tells us just that,

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: All things did not perish in Noah's flood.

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

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.

2 Peter 3:3-8 (KJV

So it seems clear something happened between verse 1 and verse 2.
That is where I would search, many speculate that is when the Kata bole took place, satan and his followers were cast out of Heaven.

Since we know satan was already in the Garden, then when he got there is a good question.

God bless..

 

[pescador]

For those who speak and read present-day English (as opposed to early 17th Century English) 2 Peter 3:5-7 says "For they deliberately suppress this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water. Through these things the world existing at that time was destroyed when it was deluged with water. But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, by being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. " (NET)

 

[miamited]

Hi jgiddings,

Certainly one could hold to that teaching. However, I have been convicted that this realm was created by God for man. The natural question that your theory would beg is: Why?

We live in a 'realm' of God's creating. All of the stars and heavenly bodies in the universe make up a 'realm'. A place, if you will, where flesh can exist. God also created the realm of the angels. They live outside of our realm in a totally different realm, but also of God's creating for them. When God set out to make a creature of flesh and blood, such as we are, He knew that such a creature would also need a physical place to live, and for the needs of flesh and blood, that there would need to be food and water to sustain that physical body of flesh and blood. His answer for that need was a 'planet'. A body made of soil, with light and heat available that 'food' for that body could be produced. It also needed water so that the flesh and the food could be refreshed and grow. So, God created the earth for man. This is why the creation account seems to pretty clearly explain that God made the earth first.

But, He also, in His great wisdom knew that the earth couldn't just stand alone in the black empty inkiness of nothingness, but that there needed to be a star, which we call the sun, to provide the heat and energy for the water and the nutrients to grow the food for man. So, God made the sun. He also filled all of the black empty inkiness with millions and millions of other stars, but all for man. Not a single star of the universe exists except for the purpose of man's home.

God did all this creating for man. So, if that is the purpose of God's creating, then, what is the purpose for it to hang around for bazillions of years before God made the man for whom He made this realm to exist? You see, I believe the Scriptures are reasonably clear, and I firmly believe and am convicted that God spoke all of this entire realm, from the farthest star on one side of the universe to the other, all of it into existence in six days just like He says. He is that powerful! He is a God not to be trifled with.

We just don't want to agree with that because men have decided that it just can't be so. We have measured and weighed in the balance all that God has created and come up with the wrong answers and called it 'science'. Now, many will say to you, "Well, it doesn't matter what we believe about the creation event." I'm not so sure. Paul says that the very creation declares the glory of God and I'm troubled that God may really want us to believe Him. He may really want us to fully understand the scope of His power and wisdom by seeing all that He has created, and understand that He is a God who can create it in an instant and destroy it all in an instant. He may really want us to fully comprehend that a very large part of His representation of His love for us is also understood by us through the creation. If He hadn't spoken it all into existence, then we wouldn't exist! My spirit is troubled that God really does want us to understand all of this. After all, He did have it written down for us and I don't find that God is one to waste a lot of time and energy.

Of course, each one is free to choose whatever 'truth' seems right to them, but I'm going with the God who loves me and created me and all things in this realm that I might have life. And that same God has seen my sin and had even more mercy on me by providing a way that I might repent and return to Him, just as His Son explained to us in the parable of the prodigal son. God loves me. I know this and I trust that because He loves me, He has also opened my eyes to the truth of who He is and who I am.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[pescador]

Hi jgiddings,

Certainly one could hold to that teaching. However, I have been convicted that this realm was created by God for man. The natural question that your theory would beg is: Why?

We live in a 'realm' of God's creating. All of the stars and heavenly bodies in the universe make up a 'realm'. A place, if you will, where flesh can exist. God also created the realm of the angels. They live outside of our realm in a totally different realm, but also of God's creating for them. When God set out to make a creature of flesh and blood, such as we are, He knew that such a creature would also need a physical place to live, and for the needs of flesh and blood, that there would need to be food and water to sustain that physical body of flesh and blood. His answer for that need was a 'planet'. A body made of soil, with light and heat available that 'food' for that body could be produced. It also needed water so that the flesh and the food could be refreshed and grow. So, God created the earth for man. This is why the creation account seems to pretty clearly explain that God made the earth first.

But, He also, in His great wisdom knew that the earth couldn't just stand alone in the black empty inkiness of nothingness, but that there needed to be a star, which we call the sun, to provide the heat and energy for the water and the nutrients to grow the food for man. So, God made the sun. He also filled all of the black empty inkiness with millions and millions of other stars, but all for man. Not a single star of the universe exists except for the purpose of man's home.

God did all this creating for man. So, if that is the purpose of God's creating, then, what is the purpose for it to hang around for bazillions of years before God made the man for whom He made this realm to exist? You see, I believe the Scriptures are reasonably clear, and I firmly believe and am convicted that God spoke all of this entire realm, from the farthest star on one side of the universe to the other, all of it into existence in six days just like He says. He is that powerful! He is a God not to be trifled with.

We just don't want to agree with that because men have decided that it just can't be so. We have measured and weighed in the balance all that God has created and come up with the wrong answers and called it 'science'. Now, many will say to you, "Well, it doesn't matter what we believe about the creation event." I'm not so sure. Paul says that the very creation declares the glory of God and I'm troubled that God may really want us to believe Him. He may really want us to fully understand the scope of His power and wisdom by seeing all that He has created, and understand that He is a God who can create it in an instant and destroy it all in an instant. He may really want us to fully comprehend that a very large part of His representation of His love for us is also understood by us through the creation. If He hadn't spoken it all into existence, then we wouldn't exist! My spirit is troubled that God really does want us to understand all of this. After all, He did have it written down for us and I don't find that God is one to waste a lot of time and energy.

Of course, each one is free to choose whatever 'truth' seems right to them, but I'm going with the God who loves me and created me and all things in this realm that I might have life. And that same God has seen my sin and had even more mercy on me by providing a way that I might repent and return to Him, just as His Son explained to us in the parable of the prodigal son. God loves me. I know this and I trust that because He loves me, He has also opened my eyes to the truth of who He is and who I am.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

This is beautifully written. Clearly you have a strong faith and love for God; you are truly blessed!

I disagree with you about one small point: science. There is nothing about science per se that is wrong. The very fact that we have food, clothing, shelter, medicine, fuel, and a myriad of other things (including the computers that you and I use to create messages to post on an electronic forum) are almost completely because of science. Science is a tool to effectively use that which God has created. Jesus fed thousands using loaves and fish, just as science uses wheat and modern fishing techniques to feed billions. Don't throw out all of science just because a few people use it to try to disprove Genesis. God's wisdom is greater than man's foolishness.

 

[JGiddings]

Don't get me wrong, I surely believe that God created the universe.
I don't believe that the entire book of Genesis is figurative. The first part is a narrative, to me anyway.
It is a commonly held view. It doesn't make make less Christian. I actually take offense to people who put the word truth in quotes. I could make the same statment to others but I don't.
Paul said creation is very important. It is...he's right. He didn't mention the technical details of it.
Let's just be honest...a 'realm' as it is said is the universe. There are 3 heavens, the universe being on of them.
God definitely did not use natural process to create the earth. All I am stating is that it was already there when God formed it. It was formless but nevertheless physically there. That is what, imho Genesis 1 and 2 state directly.
I don't want to focus on the incest thing, but I'm talking about maybe 2nd but 3rd and 4th generations.
Also, I am not trying to disprove Genesis.

 

[JGiddings]

God's wisdom is greater than man's foolishness.

You are correct yet I don't believe I am (and many others) are being foolish.
I could say the same about YE creationist, but I do not and never will.

 

[standingtall]

Oh, you foolish, foolish man. I rebuke you.

Just figured I'd be the first to say that before anyone beat me to it. LOL.

 

[ozarkview]

This is beautifully written. Clearly you have a strong faith and love for God; you are truly blessed!

I disagree with you about one small point: science. There is nothing about science per se that is wrong. The very fact that we have food, clothing, shelter, medicine, fuel, and a myriad of other things (including the computers that you and I use to create messages to post on an electronic forum) are almost completely because of science. Science is a tool to effectively use that which God has created. Jesus fed thousands using loaves and fish, just as science uses wheat and modern fishing techniques to feed billions. Don't throw out all of science just because a few people use it to try to disprove Genesis. God's wisdom is greater than man's foolishness.

Well said and I also agree in Gods 6 day creation, not sure if its 6 actual days or each day a thousand years, I suspect the latter . But Still Not an evolution event... but a creation of mankind by God..

 

[miamited]

This is beautifully written. Clearly you have a strong faith and love for God; you are truly blessed!

I disagree with you about one small point: science. There is nothing about science per se that is wrong. The very fact that we have food, clothing, shelter, medicine, fuel, and a myriad of other things (including the computers that you and I use to create messages to post on an electronic forum) are almost completely because of science. Science is a tool to effectively use that which God has created. Jesus fed thousands using loaves and fish, just as science uses wheat and modern fishing techniques to feed billions. Don't throw out all of science just because a few people use it to try to disprove Genesis. God's wisdom is greater than man's foolishness.

Hi pescador,

I too, have nothing against science, but understand that it has limits. Yes, science can tell us how things work in the here and now. Science gives us the ability, through knowing how things work, to improve on many things, but...

Science can only explain that which it can observe. What science tries to do in things that it can't observe is take what we can observe and make the claim, "Well, this is how it works now and therefore, must be how these things have always worked."

Let's take the basic argument regarding the light of stars being used as a way to measure the age of the universe. We know today that light waves travel at a given speed and when we interpolate that speed into what we see with our eye today we make the claim that the universe must be 'x' number of years in age because of the fact that it would take that long for the light of star 'b' to reach us. Since we can now see star 'b', then there must have been this known passing of time for the light of star 'b' to be visible to our eyes.

Science would allow that this is a fact because it is what we know today as the natural and normal travel of light. However, the God that I believe in is a God who merely speaks and things happen that are outside of the realm of our understanding of things. For example, the Scriptures tell us that there was a day in which God caused a shadow to move backwards 10 steps. Now, by any scientific reasoning today, this is impossible. It just can't happen! The only way that a shadow, thrown by the sun, can move backwards is either the earth began to turn backwards (impossible) or the sun moved from its place in the universe (impossible). But the Scriptures tell us that God made that phenomenon occur.

Those who have more faith in science than in God, just write it off as something that ignorant men in those days wrote, but didn't happen. Take the parting of the Reed Sea. The Scriptures describe that as the Israelites passed through the area that the sea had just vacated, that they walked on dry ground with a wall of water on both their left hand and right hand. Science tells us that that is impossible. Water will not stand on its own. The natural property of water is that it seeks level and without some force or structure pushing or holding it back water will not stand as a wall. But the Scriptures tell us that God did it.

So, when I consider that the earth is described to us by God as only being about 6,000 years old, but yet we can see stars that are millions of light years away, then my understanding is that when God created the stars in the heavens that simply by His power He made the light of the stars visible across the expanse of the universe at the moment they were created. But science won't allow for that possibility any more than it will allow for the possibility that God did whatever had to be done to make a shadow move back 10 steps or water to stand as a wall by itself.

So, there are limitations to what science can actually prove as true and I'm fully aware of those limitations. We can't honestly prove that carbon dating is giving a correct age, or any other dating method, unless we have a witness that can verify that yes, that rock came into existence 5 million years ago. I was there and I saw it. Because God works in the realm of the miraculous.

Consider that in a day when men didn't have any way of a woman becoming pregnant other than to have sexual relations with a man, Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary. Friend, science will tell you that that is impossible. Or else they will try to give some naturalistic explanation like, "Oh, she must have sat on a rock just after Joseph had spilled his seed upon it." So, I'm going with the simple, and I believe true, explanation that God has given me for the 'why' and the 'when' of this realm of His creation in which I live.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[miamited]

Well said and I also agree in Gods 6 day creation, not sure if its 6 actual days or each day a thousand years, I suspect the latter . But Still Not an evolution event... but a creation of mankind by God..

Hi ozarkview,

I'd just like you to consider the whole account. Yes, the Scriptures tell us that a day to us is as a 1,000 years to God. Meaning, I believe, that God is timeless. He doesn't live in the same concept of time that we do. I have no problem with that. But...

I believe that God wrote the Scriptures for man to understand. I believe that God had a purpose in having His Scriptures written to us and it was so that we would know Him and all that He has done, that we even exist. When I get to this issue of the creation and I consider that God wants me to understand what He is revealing to me, I look for clues. In the creation account we have a very powerful 'clue' that defines just exactly what God meant when He caused to be written the account of the days of creation.

He said that each one encompassed an evening and a morning. Now, a thousand years would not encompass an evening and a morning. It would encompass thousands of evenings and mornings. In fact, a thousand years would be 365,000 evenings and mornings. I believe that God caused the Holy Spirit to prompt the writer of the creation account to include 'evening and morning' for the very purpose of letting me know that they were 6 regular days just like we have today in the year 2014 AD. He wants me to know and understand the truth. He wants me to stand in awe of His great power in creating this home in which I live, and He desires that I know the truth concerning its creation. He made it!! He wants me to understand the kind of power that He has. That in practically a mere moment in time He can make an entire universe to become. That's the power and glory of the God I have found in the Scriptures. And, He did it all for me.

Yes, friend, I believe that God did put clues in the account of His creating this realm and I find those clues to be quite compelling that He created this realm in which we live in the mere span of six rotations of the planet earth. He created the earth first of all that He created in this realm and when He spoke the earth to be, it was spinning. By the time it had finished its very first virgin rotation, God had created light in this realm and separated it and called it day and night. By the time the earth completed its second full rotation God had separated the waters. Leaving some upon the earth and setting some in the immediate heaven around the earth to be sky. By the time the earth had completed its third rotation God has separated the water so that the dry ground beneath it appeared and then populated that dry ground with fully mature plants that were bearing seed for their next generations, etc.

So, when I hear people say that a thousand years is like a day to God, I agree. But, I think that God gave ample clues to us that these days of creation were not to be understood as anything other than normal regular days just like we have today. That a day is like a thousand years merely describes to us God's timelessness, but He caused to be written the days of creation for us, not for Him. He wanted us to understand what He had done that we have life. I'm firmly convicted that when later in the Scriptures the comment was made that a day is like a thousand years and thousand years like a day, that it was not intended that we then take that explanation of God's timelessness and His being outside of our understanding of time and apply it so that we now would have no understanding of His account of how He made all things in this realm.

Just something to pray over and consider. You will have to decide for yourself what you believe is important to God that we believe and understand of all that He has written to us.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[Knockout]

There's not much point in trying to decipher scriptures on this unless you have seen the big picture already and are just trying to make sure it doesn't disagree with the bible. Then you have to do some torah word matchups.

9 out of 10 Christians are brainwashed in either the falsehoods being taught in church or the indoctrination of the school system.

The water refers to a crystalline canopy that once surrounded the earth. The ancient ancient people (Adam's descendants) were master builders who left us records of civilization in different parts of the solar system and used crystal to build cities on all of the planets and moons, particularly our own where many of those domes still stand today. (albeit on the far side since this side was pelted to complete destruction by meteorites)

The problem is most people and Christians are no exception, have not studied the legends and myths from around the world during that period of time talking about a solid transparent sky. But there is an abundance of evidence for it. Earth had to have had at least 2 of them, one before the so-called gap of Genesis 1, and another which is recorded when the holy spirit hovered above the waters. This was the final one that was constructed and during the flood it collapsed.

** the book of Jeremiah says that sometime after Jesus begins his millennial reign, yet another will be built having the same effect on biological life as the ones that were intended to be here.

 

[miamited]

There's not much point in trying to decipher scriptures on this unless you have seen the big picture already and are just trying to make sure it doesn't disagree with the bible. Then you have to do some torah word matchups.

9 out of 10 Christians are brainwashed in either the falsehoods being taught in church or the indoctrination of the school system.

The water refers to a crystalline canopy that once surrounded the earth. The ancient ancient people (Adam's descendants) were master builders who left us records of civilization in different parts of the solar system and used crystal to build cities on all of the planets and moons, particularly our own where many of those domes still stand today. (albeit on the far side since this side was pelted to complete destruction by meteorites)

The problem is most people and Christians are no exception, have not studied the legends and myths from around the world during that period of time talking about a solid transparent sky. But there is an abundance of evidence for it. Earth had to have had at least 2 of them, one before the so-called gap of Genesis 1, and another which is recorded when the holy spirit hovered above the waters. This was the final one that was constructed and during the flood it collapsed.

** the book of Jeremiah says that sometime after Jesus begins his millennial reign, yet another will be built having the same effect on biological life as the ones that were intended to be here.

Hi knockout,

Yes, and then there is that understanding. Truth can be just whatever one believes it to be.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted.

 

[pyramid33]

I believe that God wrote the Scriptures for man to understand. I believe that God had a purpose in having His Scriptures written to us and it was so that we would know Him and all that He has done, that we even exist.

Hi Ted. Yeah, I think that the scriptures are personal promises from God to us. We witness this in many forms. It requires faith to accept and understand. If it says 6 days, it is 6 days.

 

[miamited]

Hi Ted. Yeah, I think that the scriptures are personal promises from God to us. We witness this in many forms. It requires faith to accept and understand. If it says 6 days, it is 6 days.

Hi pyramid,

Thanks for encouraging God's truth.

The God that I know; the Father that I speak with everyday, He is a great and awesome God. He loves me so much and my heart's desire is to return to Him, in my limited humanness, that same measure of love to Him. It is, after all, because of Him that I even exist. Without Him there is no earth. There are no heavens. There is no food. There is no water. There is no air. There is nothing without Him. He has created it all. This entire realm in which we live, He created. For His good pleasure and for His purpose He created all that sustains me. Because one day, He will draw from those upon the earth, all that He created, a holy body of men and women and fulfill for them the promise He has made to us.

A body of people who will have believed what He has told us about the how and why we exist and set in their heart that what they want is what only God can give. They will be a body of people with understanding. A body of people who, after finding out just how much God has really loved them, choose to return their love to Him in praise and worship and adoration for who He is. One day God will stand from His mighty throne and declare, "Enough! Son, go get your children. Bring in your harvest. Swing your sharp sickle and harvest the fruit of the earth. For the time has come for the final part of my plan. The day of fulfillment of my greatest promise has come. The day when you will see your offspring is here. Gather the harvest of the earth and bring them into my storehouse."

But, all of this began when God said, "Let there be..." He created this realm and His plan will come to fruition just as His word has promised us. However, God is wise and knows the beginning from the end. God knew when He caused to be written the words that we read of the account of His creating that man would always and forever, in these days, argue and deny the true measure of His power and glory and wisdom. He knew from the very beginning that man's knowledge would always rise up against His truth. I firmly and faithfully believe that because God knew; because He is wise beyond any measure that we understand, He had the account of the creation written to include these 'clues' about the 'evening and the morning'. He knew from the very beginning that the days were coming when men would not put up with sound doctrine, but rather set around them the wise men of this age to tell them what their itching ears want to hear. He knew that there would always be quibbling and debating over just what exactly He meant when He told us how He created this realm in just days. God knew!! And so he said to the Spirit of truth, "Do not just write 'days', but define the days for them. Tell them that the days I am speaking of are just like the days they are living in now. A day of an evening and a morning. For those with understanding, they will also understand my power and glory when they understand that all that they see; all that sustains them and gives them life and makes it possible for their life to continue; I made it all for them by just speaking it into existence from nothing. They will understand and know that I am the God who loves them and created them."

"For I know that the days are coming when men will teach themselves that they came from some previous life form. I know that the days will come when men will teach themselves that all that exists somehow naturally evolved over millions and billions of years. All denying the truth of my power and glory that is that I just said the words and it all became. That I am the designer of each and every planet and star and tree and animal just as it came to be. And I did it all in six days. Tell them that each one of those days consisted of an evening and a morning, just like the days in which they live."

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[miamited]

Watch this video. But, I'd like you to reset the scene just a little. Imagine the choir containing thousands upon thousands of voices. Imagine the ornate building and the audience are not there, but in that place sits a throne and seated on that throne is one looking like a God. The thousands upon thousands of voices are raised to Him. May you be blessed as you imagine this scene to understand just a glimpse of what those who receive the promise of God will look like on that day when God declares, "Now, the dwelling of God is with men and He will be their God and they will be His people."

Thou, Oh Lord - The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - YouTube

 

[miamited]

Yes, oh God, I exist and breath and live by your hand. Thank you. I love you Father.

Your servant, Ted.

 

[BryanW92]

Hi ozarkview,

I'd just like you to consider the whole account. Yes, the Scriptures tell us that a day to us is as a 1,000 years to God. Meaning, I believe, that God is timeless. He doesn't live in the same concept of time that we do. I have no problem with that. But...

I believe that God wrote the Scriptures for man to understand. I believe that God had a purpose in having His Scriptures written to us and it was so that we would know Him and all that He has done, that we even exist. When I get to this issue of the creation and I consider that God wants me to understand what He is revealing to me, I look for clues. In the creation account we have a very powerful 'clue' that defines just exactly what God meant when He caused to be written the account of the days of creation.

In Deuteronomy 23:12-14, we are told by God how to use the bathroom.

12 “You shall have a place outside the camp, and you shall go out to it. 13 And you shall have a trowel with your tools, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up your excrement. 14 Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.

Now why did he do that? It was to keep his people healthy. It is basic sanitation for us, but a new concept for Bronze Age humans. Note that he didn't go into a lengthy treatise on germs and disease and cleanliness. There wasn't much point explaining things they lacked the basic science to understand, so he explained it like you would to a child.

Same thing for Creation. He told them what they needed to understand. The important thing was to make it clear that God created everything. The world isn't riding on the back of giant turtle, or it didn't get burped out of the gut of some ancient pagan god.

He was saying, "I made all this, and I did it effortlessly. You can build a small wall in a day and I made the world." He's telling pagans who have a god for every little task that He is the God who does it all (and has always done it all since the Beginning--he isn't some new god joining the pantheon), and unlike those little gods who labor and toil and have petty little fights among themselves, God is above all that.