It is my hope to invite people who hold the gap theory point of view to write on the blog, and let them give their insight to an inspiration for others.
¶ 1:17 PM
Comments:
The Gap 'Theory' : First up....it seems to me to be only a theory for those who have committed their opposition to the concept....and I don't count myself amongst this group.
J. Sidlow Baxter was the first theologian (little known) to introduce me to the gap between Gen.1 Verses 1-2. And it has made such incredibly sane sense ever since.
However.....so much energy has been poured into defending this gap in the Genesis record, and I for one don't wish to spend, (or waste) my time on this. Life is too short, and getting shorter when you're a young 55.
So my question is this: moving on from the apologetics side of things, I want to build on, and explore further.....or more to the point, build some kind of growing picture as to what the world may have been like.....before the ruin described in verse 2. And for this, I am wondering if someone with tons of insight and the skills of a criminal profiler ! can either comment on this, or point me to some innovative research or link,etc. which I can turn to.
1. The 'means' by which the ruin and utter devastation which Gen.1:2 was initiated and executed, which leads on to:
2. the question of, is there any solid support for the view that angels were granted the administration of worlds, in the timeless or undated past; which only gives rise in my mind to another question or thought:
3. If this be the case.....then for what purpose/s, and IF so, then:
4. Could these selfsame administrators have been largely, if not completely instrumental in perpetrating the chaotic devastation and ruinous conditions, briefly described in Verse 2 ? I.e could they have been partakers in the fall of Lucifer and his followers ?
These are just some of the questions that consistantly refuse to go away. And given that Moses....the writer of Genesis, penned these brief verses....then its probably safe to assume that his intimate knowledge (by which he made the statements which form verses 1 and 2) is much greater than he was able to commit to parchment.
For....you simply can't have or be privvy to a knowledge of such unique and traumatic events in the Earth's true history, and remain unmoved by the knowledge.....or the utter conviction that probably you alone have to set down what you know to be fact concerning the earths origins, changes, and reformations. Moses was clearly intimately familiar with what he wrote.
I often wonder how could the real origins of earth....its subsequent total chaotic ruin, and reformation, be contained in two, such brief and concise verses ??
Hello: I like your comments on the Gap Theory. Type in "Update on Recent Creation Science Discoveries" in Ebay.com's search tool to read my defense of the Gap Theory which is at the bottom of my listing. My variation of the Gap Theory seems to be very popular since my listing has been getting a lot if visits. Ebay has allowed me to sneak in a little sermonette type of discussion on this important topic. Sincerely, Charles Erickson
Few people seem to realize that if the angels were created only 5 days before Adam, as mainstream gap rejecting creationists teach, Satan had only several weeks to about a month, depending on when Eve was created, to convince and organize one third of at least 15 million other angels to rebel against the Lord. Satan's fall could not logically have occurred after the forbidden fruit incident with Eve because the formerly righteous Satan was ALREADY flagrantly evil as demonstrated by his lying to Eve about the fruit. The newly created angels didn't really have enough time to become familiar with their newly given glory and power, fellow angels, and their environment in such a short period of time if the gap idea is not valid. It seems Satan would have needed a much longer period of time, maybe many decades, or hundreds, or even thousands of years to convince so many of them to rebel. Charles Erickson
Why is it always us vs. them, when it comes to faith and science? During the last generation and earlier, there was a war between creationists and evolutionists that bordered on hysteria. One got the feeling that God needed some help defending His creation from attacks by science and evolutionists bent on destroying the whole faith community. I know that God is well-able to defend His creation from attack single-handedly, and the worst that pseudo-science throws at Him will not so much as raise a Divine eyebrow in response. Still, for the sake of argument, I suppose it doesn't hurt to postulate a scenario where God is a nail-biter who has now been backed into a corner, and is defending His territory like a wolverine-at-bay. Imagine, if you will, those pagan scientists gleefully bludgeoning our Creator with "scientific" questions and paraphernalia designed to bring Him to His philosophic knees and cause Him to recant His entire legacy. What, after all, are we left with then, after the Creator has been put-to- the-sword and His death knell has been delivered? Will scientists proudly deliberate the death of yet another theory? What then is there left for them to make sense of and legitimize, when the only response they receive from the Creator of the universe is a most-profound and Divine silence? The answer will come slowly and by degrees--that God's existence is verified by His perfection. Only the Divine Mind could ever envision and carry out creation. As I travel, I take notice of my surroundings, and here is what I have discovered, quite independently from all those theories and theologies that I grew up listening to and attempting to assimilate: This planet we know as earth is extremely old—scientists tell us around 3 1/2 billion years or more. The last generation told us that the earth was no more than 6000 years old. They based this theory (oh yes, Christians also have theories) on the basis of biblically-recorded history. There is no doubt that the Bible is 100% true and verifiable as a historic and scientific document. Archeology is one of the Bible's most ardent supporters--one might say it is scientists' blueprint of the historical timeline. What scientists and theologians agree-on however, becomes a point of departure, when it comes to extra- Biblical theorizing. Christians admit that God has not told us everything about our history on the planet, and perhaps has no intention of clarifying the finer points of creation for us. That intriguing comment at the beginning of scripture is a puzzler for thoughtful theorists--that part that says "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Gap-theorists will ask this question: When is the beginning?-- 6000 years ago?--only to be answered with another question-- how old is God?--to be further answered: that God has no ending and no beginning! So then, how old is the world, if it was created "In the beginning?" My answer harmonizes Christians, scientists and thoughtful people of many persuasions: The world is extremely old, and so is the universe. Just as God has no beginning and will have no ending, God's creation is as timeless as God Himself. Creation is as old as the moment when God spoke it into existence, and creation will last until God says so! How long of a time-period is that? How long is eternity? Why do science and small-minded Christians insist that "god" is finite, predictable, definable, inept, error-prone and incapable of carrying out His plans? I have a message for you: Your "god" is too small! The God Whose I AM is too large for the universe to contain Him. He is timeless and fulfills all His purposes! After all the banter of what, where, why and when, God is still on His throne, high and lifted up. Theories abound, but God's reality never changes. Soli Deo Gloria!
I agree with the people commenting that we should move ahead and build on the Gap foundation a deeper insight into the nature and character of God. Obviously He is a God of free will and free thought. A young earth would mitigate against that. He's also a God of sovereign will and he killed the dinosaurs with it. Did that unimaginable and mystifying act of sovereignty contribute to the rebellion of the angels? How very human, if it did.
Yes, we serve a God of free-will! Does this mean that He will allow us to see His blueprint or that He has already told us everything that He will be doing in our future? That would limit His freedom. I am happy for everything we have been told in the Bible and by the Holy Spirit, and I trust that the One Who made us will continue to do everything perfectly, with or without our help. I am not comfortable with God-in-a-book types of theology, that seem to presume that we have been privy to all that God has been about and everything that HE WILL BE about. That sort of God-on-a-leash or God-in-a-box thinking relegates Him to a very man-centered and small-time-god status that only a humanist could appreciate. Just as only God could make order out of chaos, He will graciously lead us out of our chaotic ways of thinking when we humbly ask for His help. "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you." Creation is not just in the past, but is also in the present and in the future! What we are observing is the "eternal fingerprints of God" as we follow in His wake, as we walk in His presence and as we look forward to living with Him in future glory! May God help us to be the kind of companions that God desires us to be and that He truly deserves us to be--creatures AFTER HIS OWN HEART! Soli Deo Gloria!
Yes, we serve a God of free-will! Does this mean that He will allow us to see His blueprint or that He has already told us everything that He will be doing in our future? That would limit His freedom. I am happy for everything we have been told in the Bible and by the Holy Spirit, and I trust that the One Who made us will continue to do everything perfectly, with or without our help. I am not comfortable with God-in-a-book types of theology, that seem to presume that we have been privy to all that God has been about and everything that HE WILL BE about. That sort of God-on-a-leash or God-in-a-box thinking relegates Him to a very man-centered and small-time-god status that only a humanist could appreciate. Just as only God could make order out of chaos, He will graciously lead us out of our chaotic ways of thinking when we humbly ask for His help. "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you." Creation is not just in the past, but is also in the present and in the future! What we are observing is the "eternal fingerprints of God" as we follow in His wake, as we walk in His presence and as we look forward to living with Him in future glory! May God help us to be the kind of companions that God desires us to be and that He truly deserves us to be--creatures AFTER HIS OWN HEART! Soli Deo Gloria!
Yes, we serve a God of free-will! Does this mean that He will allow us to see His blueprint or that He has already told us everything that He will be doing in our future? That would limit His freedom. I am happy for everything we have been told in the Bible and by the Holy Spirit, and I trust that the One Who made us will continue to do everything perfectly, with or without our help. I am not comfortable with God-in-a-book types of theology, that seem to presume that we have been privy to all that God has been about and everything that HE WILL BE about. That sort of God-on-a-leash or God-in-a-box thinking relegates Him to a very man-centered and small-time-god status that only a humanist could appreciate. Just as only God could make order out of chaos, He will graciously lead us out of our chaotic ways of thinking when we humbly ask for His help. "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you." Creation is not just in the past, but is also in the present and in the future! What we are observing is the "eternal fingerprints of God" as we follow in His wake, as we walk in His presence and as we look forward to living with Him in future glory! May God help us to be the kind of companions that God desires us to be and that He truly deserves us to be--creatures AFTER HIS OWN HEART! Soli Deo Gloria!
Science and Theology share a common task--how to seek, defend and preserve truth in the midst of a storm of theories that often conflict and agree in part or in full. The degree of discomfort created by this tension frequently causes confrontations between antagonists who are easily diverted from the pursuit of truth. Both sides are equally guilty of participation in these diversions, so there is no need to prolong this discussion with finger- pointing. However, there is a better, more expedient, and much- less-costly method that can be used to resolve these conflicts. Jesus said that we should "turn the other cheek." As a parent, we learn to overlook immaturity in our children, choosing rather to shape our progeny with a less- confrontational method. God has taught us this method with the patience he has shown towards us. He knows that "we are but dust" created in His image, that needs patient and diligent effort before the Good Potter finally molds us into His heavenly creations. By following God's patient example, and overlooking those more obvious points of contention in whichever camp you happen to identify with, you stay focused on your primary objective of pursuing the truth. Let's not get weighed-down with unnecessary battles that concentrate on our perceived differences, and instead devote our energies to discovering the truths that lie within ourselves and in the world and universe around us. Our combined efforts will be rewarded with harmonious relations between Science and Theology that will point other children in the right direction, instead of discouraging further discovery. The good examples we set for others advance the Kingdom of God AND the pursuit of science. Soli Deo Gloria!
After all, does truth "need to be defended?" Isn't truth its own defense? The same can be said of God. Isn't God His OWN defender? He is, after all, an unstoppable force, that is VERY convincing! I choose to ally myself with God. God IS the truth that wise men seek! May we all seek Him diligently! Soli Deo Gloria!
As we are all of one mind on the Gap, I'll forge ahead and provide my thoughts on whitestone's 4 issues. 1. The means of the devastation of Gen. 1:2. Science says and asteroid and I have no disagreement with that. Even the Bible Code seems to be in accord although the word asteroids is in the matrix of the verse relating to the fifth day of creation when the sea monsters were created. 2. Angels granted administration over prehistoric worlds? I don't know of any evidence for that except that fallen angels do seem to appear often as phantoms of extinct creatures. Giant birds, dinosaurs, sea monsters, bipedal apes and assorted cryptids. Perhaps they had some fondness for these animals because they oversaw them until the Lord destroyed them.
3. Why were the angels given administration over the pre-Adamic creation? Good question? Probably for the same reason man was given stewardship of the earth. The purpose was to give them purpose. They once again have dominion in their fallen state so why not pre-fallen. 4. Were they the cause of the devastation? No I believe God had his own reasons for causing ruin to creation. The angels did not instigate but may have been asked to participate in carrying out His Will and/or to show unconditional faith in God without understanding His Will. Consider if some angelic beings resisted and the third entered their fallen state with Lucifer in the aftermath.
The gap theory cannot be a theory if it's true....it's a fact. this earth has had many civilizations on it,...the very fact that we are a civilization on "this" planet...proves that there are civilizations on "planets". A lot of Bible believers cannot see that this planet has been in existence for billions of years. Why do they believe that God has only created "once" here?. G.H. Pember had a marvelous insight in his book "Earth's Earliest Ages".....proof of this can also be found in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter.1 from verse 8 to verse 11....the Amplified Bible is really good
Dear brother. Please go to www.lsm.org I think you will find what you are looking fo. Go to genesis life study. http://www.ministrybooks.org/books.cfm?id=%23%23%21%5D%2C%0A See you in the kingdom.
Exodus 20:11 deals with the Sabbath in the Adamic time period. "God created the heavens and the earth in six days." Read God created or recreated heaven and earth (NOT ALL the heavens and ALL the earth) after it became without form and void which it wasn't when it was first created according to Isaiah. Pre-Adamic creation is left out and not essential to Biblical revelation.
Thanks ! I am a believer of this gap theory since I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior in 1981. Whe I saw the video posted U-tube by Bill Nye the Science Guy Re; Creationism - inappropriate to chilfren, I was so sad. I ask myself, why none of our present intelectuals ever raise this "long
This "long held view" is the answer to the never ending debates between creationism vs evolutionist. Evolutionists had used the scientifacts to refute the creationists (YEP) which has wrong interpretations about creation. I believe this was the reason why the government acted favorably for not allowing religion at the schools and let evolution be taught/included in science subjects/curricula. I could not imagine the outcome if this YEC and Evolution will continue. Just imagine the impact when the presidentiable Sen. Rubio was interviewed about the age of the earth of the earth- the honorable senator was bewildered! This 'long held view' is the answer. It does not contradict what ever science findings except evolution.
I believe in so called progressive revealation. The Bible teachers of the past could not explain or how a certain scripture would be realized. I believe Science is the fulfillment of Daniel 13:4 "Knowledge shall increase at the end time" God permits science to help us understand the remaining mystery in the bible and not to be a tool in refuting His very own WORD."When it says, "many
The YEC fail because of so many scientificd facts/findings that contradict it. Seemingly, with all the debates posted in u-tube the choice is whether to believe in YEC or Evolution, which are both wrong. Just watch the u-tube video "Bill Nye creation evolution" citing what will happen to the children when evolution is
I think there is no need to wonder about it. Science will. I believe science is the fulfillment of Daniel12:4" knowledge shall increase at the end time"God permits science to help us understand the remaining mystery of the Bible. Genesis1 verses 1 and 2 are supported by 2Peter3:5. It is just so amazing as Apostle Peter discussed the cleansing of the earth, he pointef out the scoffers that will come on the last days. And what is the reason for scoffing? It is about the age of earth!
The teaching of this "long held view" is necessary to refute the YEC and Evolution. Many young children of Christian parents tend to accept now the evolution and begin to question their faith because of the wrong science feeded to them.
Your speculations are closer to being true than you know. When the original theologian postulated his belief in the Gap Theory, that there was a huge amount of time missing between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, he was definitely thinking outside the box, so to speak. And today, scientific evidence proves he was right. The problem is, after he postulated this theory, he and every theologian since has allowed their beliefs to crawl back into that box and zip the lid shut. Actually, EXCEPT FOR THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION, all scientific evidence is in complete agreement with Genesis, but ONLY when the interpretation is correct.
I suggest you do a google search on the phrase - "Does scientific evidence support the existence of a Divine Creator?" Be sure to include the quotation marks. I think you will be amazed at what you find.