Did God literally create the Earth in six 24-hour days?
That is, was all the creation in Gen 1:3-31 all in 6 literal days? Was Gen 1:1-2 on day one, or beforehand?
Genesis 1:1 - 31
NKJV - 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
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Asked July 08 2013
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Ezra King
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For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Larry Truelove
The "seven day week" set up a pattern for the normal week. All through the Bible, the normal Jewish week was seven days long. If there were not literally six days of creation plus one resting day, what would be the point of making it the pattern?
Daniel Ewa
If the evening and morning refers to a literal twenty-four hours, then the first day (Gensis 1:5) could not be one of them since the sun was not there until the fourth day. A day was still at that point in God's perspective, not in man's. Whereas then, a day in the eyes of God is as a thousand days, the evening and morning as consistently used in Genesis 1, is not a man's literal twenty-four hours, but God's.
If a day can be a thousand in the eyes of God, and thousand can be as a day, it means that the God evening and morning as deduced above, could be any several factors of a man's twenty-four hours, or else even much shortened to a second. "'My ways are not your ways,' saith the Lord." (I saith 55:8). It doesn't matter therefore, whether it is literal or not. With God it can be anything. What is important is that with God all things are possible. Believe the scriptures!
larry guillard
The Bible clearly states that to God, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day.
Daniel Pearl
If you have a clear understanding of the bible then you would know that it was written in different languages, over a course of thousands of years. So, the word that we translate it to the word day, really was the word for a period of time.
Jennifer Rothnie
'Yom' can refer to day in a literal sense or figurative/poetic sense, much like the English word 'day' can be literal or figurative.
However, all 359 times the Hebrew 'yom' is coupled with a specific time modifier (ie 'first') outside Gen 1; it's always aday in the literal sense. (Num 19:12, II Sam 1:1-2, Ezek 1:1-2, Ex 27:21, Num 9:15, Num 9:21, Deut 28:67, Psalm 55:17, etc) [With the exception of 'prophetic days' in a few instances, which still refer to a specific literal time-span rather than a figurative period of time; while not 24 hour days, but are still distinct time periods based on the literal days. Even this cannot apply here though, as Gen 1-2 are histories, not prophecies].
For consistency then, the Gen 1 uses with modifiers must be literal. Without a modifier, yom can be specific or general depending on context.
As for "one day is like a thousand years' (II Pet 1:7-9), the context is about how man (inside of time) may see God as 'slow' - but God (not bound by time) is patiently fulfilling His plans. To God, time does not 'pass' as it does for us.
God creating time and performing actions that follow time, such as in Gen 1-2, are for man's benefit as time was made for man's benefit. He made the sun and moon as useful markers of time - they follow God's order. In the same way, time follows God's rules.
troy lee
That is your opinion, and I respect that, but seeing that you nor I are God, and His thoughts and His ways are higher than yours or mine, and unless you or I were with God in the beginning, all that can be given is an opinion.
troy lee
A day to God is as a thousand years, which could also be called an epoch, which could be 7 days to a thousand years.
Bev Rollins
I agree with Larry. We have no way of knowing exactly God's "DAY" length when our world began.
Larry Truelove
Bev, You must have misunderstood me. What I meant was that since "creation week" was the pattern for our normal seven day week, it is unlikely to have been anything other than a 24 hour literal day.
As far as "a day with the Lord is as a thousand years", the verse is merely telling us that God is in no more of a hurry to do something in a day or in a thousand years. He is as equally patient for one as for another. The previous verse tells us that He is not slack (tardy or late) concerning His promise.
It is not telling us anything about He perceives time. And it does not tell us that when He said 7 days, He might have meant 7,000; 7 million or 7 eons. I don't believe that.
Ron Ray
Mainline denominational thinking and opinion too often sacrifices the profound and provable truth of God's Word on the altar of ignorance. The Lord told us to set apart Christ in our hearts and too always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in us with an attitude of gentleness and respect (1peter 3:15). Jennifer is right, and moreover is demonstrating how you are to study the scripture. Look at the words in the original language (Hebrew) and determine what the words mean, what the syntax of the words means (their relationship when used with another), and then what the author was trying to convey. The Hebrew word "yom" is clearly interpreted as a literal 24 hour day anytime a modifier such as morning, evening or a number is used in conjunction. You can't get around the rules of the language and the reason for that is so that you will be able to understand what the author is saying.
Now look at Genesis 1 and when the word day "yom" is used we see not just one of the modifiers, but three. Morning, evening, number, day. Morning, evening, number, day. Morning, evening, number, day.....etc. The pattern is obvious to those who look past their own ignorance to find the deeper truths of God's Word.
In all of your study, you should be aware that God's Word is intended to make you more aware of the mind of Christ. A literal interpretation of God's Word is essential in Genesis as it sets the foundations for sin, death and suffering, morality, marriage, etc.
Ron Ray
Daniel, no one has a "clear understanding" of the Bible because Gods Word and infinite wisdom is far too great for us to comprehend. However, we do know that the Old Testament is written mainly in Hebrew and also parts in Aramaic. The New Testament is written in Greek. As far as it can be determined, the Bible was written over approximately 1600 years by approximately 40 different authors on 3 different continents and from several different walks of life (kings to fishermen to farmers to doctors to priests, etc).
The word yom only means a period of time such as the daylight portion of a day or a period of time such as " in my Father's Day" when the context of the surrounding scripture supports it. When morning, evening or a number is used, it means a 24 hour day.
For the folks who state that the sun did not exist on day 1, a sun is not required for a 24 hour day to pass. The sun divides the day from the night, but both work together in the passing of a 24 hour day.
Daniel Pearl
Ron, the bible was given to us so that we could have a better understanding of god and his love. It was meant for us to understand. There is not point of the the bible if it was not meant to be fully understood. I am not saying anything to be mean, but to do what god clearly states, " teach people and to correct misunderstanding".
Just so you don't think I am some one that does not know what I am talking about. I have a bachelor's degree from liberty university and the leader of my church is a doctor of the Bible theology.
Stanley C. Pickle
Ladies and Gentlemen, What we are failing to communicate here is that To GOD there really is no time line. We call it a day, or 24hr. in a day. I don't ever see where time was measured in a day as we know it. Until After Christ was born. Then the Calendar was BEFORE CHRIST to AFTER DEATH. We all learned as little ones that is the way it was. Sitting here discussing it and who is right or who is wrong does not make sense.
It is an answer only GOD can answer when we go to his throne and meet with him. For example: When Cain Killed Abel, He then fled to the Land of Nod and took a wife. Now where did she come from???? These are Things that only GOD, Jesus and the HOLY SPIRIT knows the answers. faith is what makes it right. Have faith in what you Read ie: THE BIBLE and Faith in what you here from GOD. Believe me when I say I know when GOD speaks to me. Thank you for my two-cents worth. Have a Blessed Day.
Danny Hickman
If we only consider a literal meaning of the scriptures, we will never have a deeper understanding of the Word of God. Genesis 1 has a more profound meaning than to be an attempt to convince us of how easily and instantly God created all of this.
Matt 25:34 says we will inherit a kingdom prepared for us before the world was founded. Ephesians 1:4 says he chose the redeemed before the foundation of the world.
God had plans for mankind before the beginning of Genesis 1 began. Ìn John 14 Jesus tells the disciples he's leaving and is going to prepare a place for them and us, that where he is we can be also. That was over 2,000 years ago.
There is ample evidence in the scriptures that God does nothing by what we would call 'quickly.' He said to John in his Revelation vision, "surely I am coming soon" (Rev 22:20). Again, that was over two thousand years ago. His "soon" isn't our soon. I don't think he owns a microwave or knows anything about a two minute offense.
Isaiah preached fervently about Jesus 700 years before Jesus was born into the world. David wrote songs about him a thousand years before he was born.
Israel moaned and groaned for 400 years in bondage in Egypt before God acted on their behalf. Then it took him 40 years to take them an 11 day trip to Caanan, the promised land.
And we're to believe he put the world here in less than 144 hours? It doesnt track with his M O.. You can tell that he's never pressed for time! For me, six days is a stretch...