questions for gap theorists

[christianmomof3]

I thought the gap theory was a good explanation for a long time. But, I was reading Genesis yesterday and I realized that while it makes sense in regards to the earth and life on it, it does not make sense when you get to day four of creation. Because that is when the sun and moon and stars are created -and that is after day one. I could accept the gap and that the things on earth were re-done after floods or glaciers or whatever it was that could have wiped out the first creation, but, I don't think the stars and the rest of the universe were wiped out and re-done.
So, what does the gap theory say about that?
I thought I understood things and now I am confused again.

 

[kenrapoza]

Though I don't really hold to the gap theory, I believe that it could be explained from that perspective by viewing this not as the absolute original creation of the sun and stars but a relative creation of them. In other words, it was the revealing of the sun and stars to the earth as man knows them. If the judgement that proceeded Gen 1:2 wiped out everything on the earth, could it not also have blotted out the effects, or appearance, of the sun and stars from the perspective of the surface of the earth?

I realize that there may be some problems of consistency in that view, but the moment you posit a "gap" between Gen. 1:1 and Gen. 1:2, everything from Gen. 1:2 on is a relative creation, not the original creation. So obviously the sun and stars had to already exist.

 

[pehkay]

"relative creation" .. hmmm interesting term..

Genesis is more of God's restoration and further creation. Maybe the stars?? already in v1. What helps me is this:

Whenever these two words "waste" and "empty" are used together in the Old Testament, they always denote a result of judgment. We see this in Jeremiah 4:23 ("without form, and void" should be "waste and empty," Heb.), in Isaiah 24:1, and in Isaiah 34:11 ("confusion" should be "a waste," Heb.). Whatever has been judged by God becomes waste and empty. The earth became waste and empty because it was judged by God.

The darkness which was upon the surface of the deep was also a sign declaring that the universe of that age was judged, because darkness comes from God's judgment (cf. Exo. 10:21-22; Rev. 16:10).

Darkness is a judgement. So sun is already there, but earth was in darkness due to God's judgement (don't ask me what happened)..

When God came in to restore, He just restore it to His original creation.

3 And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.
4 And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Though later God created/restored sun/moon for more light

14 And God said, Let there be light-bearers in the expanse of heaven to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;
15 And let them be light-bearers in the expanse of heaven to give light on the earth; and it was so.
16 And God made the two great light-bearers, the greater light-bearer to rule the day and the lesser light-bearer to rule the night, and the stars.
17 And God set them in the expanse of heaven to give light on the earth

 

[christianmomof3]

Darkness is a judgement. So sun is already there, but earth was in darkness due to God's judgement[/B] (don't ask me what happened)..

Though later God created/restored sun/moon for more light

Thank you - that helps me understand better.