(Updated 04/28/08)
One of the leading proponents of Young Earth Creationism (YEC) is/was Kent Hovind (a.k.a. "Dr. Dino") who operated CREATION SCIENCE EVANGELISM, a very well known ministry within Fundamentalist Christian circles. His followers still operate the Internet website at http://www.drdino.com, although Kent Hovind himself is presently serving a 10 year prison sentence for tax evasion (failure to heed wisdom of Luke 20:25).
A few years ago (before Kent Hovind evolved from Dr. Dino to Dr. Jail Bird), I visited his website and noticed a link to an article entitled "The Gap Theory" prominently featured on the front page. That page has long since disappeared from that website, however I preserved the entire content here because this particular article raised almost EVERY Young Earth objection I know of against the Ruin-reconstruction (Gap Theory) interpretation of Genesis.
The article on Dr. Dino's website was written by an individual named Stephen Lawwell and contained a brief Preface by Kent Hovind. Since this article was published on Hovind's website, and obviously represents the official doctrinal position of the CREATION SCIENCE EVANGELISM ministry and, by extension, the doctrinal positions of Kent Hovind himself, it occurred to me, at that time, that this presented an excellent opportunity to offer written and public rebuttal in a side-by-side, point-by-point VIRTUAL DEBATE with Dr. Dino.
Following Kent Hovind's conviction and jailing I evaluated the wisdom and value of keeping this page active. I decided that, since the virtual debate is actually against the YEC theory and not just against one of its fallen proponents or the author of the pamphlet, the page is still relevant and should remain available to the public.
Below, on the left side of your screen, I have reproduced the website's original article without content alterations in either the text or the graphics, only it has been reformatted to fit on this page as a side-by-side and point-by-point exchange of views. On the right side of your screen are the Gap Theory counter arguments and remarks. Here is the transcript of a debate that never happened.
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Preface For 2,000 years, nearly all Christians believed and taught that the earth was approximately 6,000 years old as revealed by God's Word. In the early 1800s, some unbelievers began to teach that the earth was "millions of years old." This old earth teaching laid the groundwork for the evolution theory, which became popular a few years later. In an effort to blend both beliefs, some theologians invented the "gap theory" which allowed "millions of years" to be placed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. As this new gap theory began to be accepted by the church in the early 1800s, the majority of Christians offered little resistance. This effectively "neutralized" them in the war between the Bible and the rapidly spreading worldview of evolutionism. This godless theory resulted in the rise of such philosophies as communism, humanism, and Nazism. The acceptance of the gap theory opened the floodgates for these ideologies, which have caused untold suffering as well as hundreds of millions of deaths in the last two centuries. We hope this booklet will help the reader see that the gap theory, which many well meaning people have promoted, is unscriptural, unscientific, unnecessary and is a dangerous compromise of God's Word. - Dr. Kent Hovind
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Kent Hovind's hyperbole laced preface is
revealing. He considers anyone who does not subscribe to the Young Earth
Creationism position as an unbeliever. He claims the gap theory is the invention of unfaithful theologians, put forth solely to accommodate Darwin's theories. An interesting claim in light of the fact that the work of Thomas Chalmers (in 1814) preceded Darwin's publication (in 1859). Clearly Chalmers had no motivation to promote "Evolution" because Darwin's theory had yet to be published for another 45 years. In truth, Thomas Chalmers merely brought forth what had already be codified in the Holy Scriptures since the day Moses penned the book of Genesis. To state that "For 2,000 years, nearly all Christians..." believed that the earth was approximately 6,000 years old is, of course, a true statement (although somewhat grammatically inaccurate). The fact that, until just a few hundred years ago most Christians in Europe also believed that the world was flat, is also a true statement. With enlightenment, viewpoints change. Hovind claims the Gap Theory is "unscriptural"...but it comes from the Bible. He claims it is "unscientific"...but it logically deals with the realities of the geologic record, unlike Young Earth Creationism. He claims it is "unnecessary"...but it opens a way for understanding the origins of Satan and the Angels, the "devils" in the Gospel narrations, and many other Bible mysteries. Hovind claims the gap theory is a "compromise" of God's Word. In fact, Young Earth Creationism is gross negligence in rightly-dividing God's Word and the Earth's geological evidence. - Gaines Johnson |
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Dedication by Stephen Lawwell
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I recently had a very cordial and informative
exchange of viewpoints with Brother Stephen Lawwel who wrote the original
pamphlet about "The Gap Theory" which Kent Hovind used on his website. I
understand from Stephen that he will be updating this pamphlet in the near
future and I have offered to update this page in response. Stephen Lawwel has a website called the Echoes of Eden Ministry.
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The Gap Theory "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. 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." Genesis 1:1-2 When an author decides to write a book, it is of utmost importance for him to begin with a powerful and thought-provoking beginning. The author must do this in a clear and concise manner so that there is no confusion. God was no different in His approach to place His Word in written form. Within the first two verses of the Bible, He reveals to us with power and clarity the perfect triune creation, brought into existence by the perfect triune God. The simple fact, quite evident to all, is that something drastic and devastating happened to change God's perfect creation, as described in Genesis 1:1, into the sin-stricken world that exists today. What exactly happened to bring this about, and more importantly, when did it happen? The answer to that question takes us to the very center of a controversy that has existed in theological circles for nearly 200 years. The controversy surrounds the first two verses of the Bible and a theory known simply as the "gap theory."
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I have no argument with what the man says in this first
paragraph. His statement is quite correct in the abstract. I also have no argument with the fact that, "quite evident to all...something drastic and devastating happened to change God's perfect creation..." of Genesis 1:1 into what exists today. Where the author and I do differ is on the details of exactly WHEN it happened, WHY it happened, and WHAT happened afterwards that finds us in the "...sin-stricken world that exists today". You will note in reading Genesis 1:1-2 that, according to the literal wording of the Holy Bible, the Earth is already here. It is found in a devastated and darkness shrouded condition before the start of God's work of the first day and BEFORE He says "..Let there be light" in verse Genesis 1:3. This is the root theological departure point between Young Earth and Old Earth Creationists. Young Earthers believe that God first created the Earth as a flooded mud ball in the dark, and then proceeded to decorate it. Gap Theorists ask the question: Why did God's perfect creation, as described in Genesis 1:1, become a flooded, desolate mud ball in the dark in the first place? Since God saw fit to elaborate on the specifics of the planet Earth's condition at this point in time (the planet is already there, covered in water, and shrouded in darkness), we must assume that there is important information there to be prayerfully considered. This is not a throw away line. Not a single word or phrase is in the Bible without a specific reason. |
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What is the Gap Theory? The gap theory comes wrapped in many different shapes and forms. There are as many variations of this theory as there are theologians to support it. Simply stated, the gap theory is the idea that a long period of time existed between God's initial creation in Genesis 1:1 when "God created the heaven and the earth" and Genesis 1:2 when the earth was "without form and void." Most gap theorists believe that prior to Genesis 1:2 the "first" earth was inhabited by angelic creatures, such as Lucifer, as well as the mysterious dinosaurs. A pre-Adamite race of men is also thought to have populated the earth as this time. Many gap theorists teach that the world existed in this manner for millions of years, if not billions. The gap's end is believed to have occurred when God, finding iniquity in Satan's heart, was compelled to destroy the earth with a flood and make it "without form, and void" (Genesis 1:2). God then proceeded to "re-create" the earth in six literal days as described in Genesis 1:3-31. The gap theory, also known as the "ruin-restoration" theory, is displayed for illustrative purposes in the time line below.
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A note of clarification. We do not advocate that a
pre-Adamite race of men populated the old Earth at the same time as the
dinosaurs. We advocate that a pre-Adamite race of hominids (man-like
beings) populated the
latter times of the old world, long after the dinosaurs had come and gone.
The only people who have men and dinosaurs living at the same time are
Young Earth Creationists and the Hollywood movie directors who made films
like "One Million Years BC" (1966) starring Raquel Welch. In
both cases we are dealing with creative Science Fiction.
Concerning God destroying the old Earth to make it 'without form and void' that destruction was not just limited to the Earth and it was not sudden, by any means. It was the inevitable result of the long term cumulative effects of Satan's initial rebellion in the Earth's ancient past. The remainder of the author's points are essentially accurate.
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| (Top Chart Below is authors' Original) | (Bottom Chart Below is CGM Modification) |
 This is the original graphic from Dr. Dino's web article showing fall of
Satan late in geologic history, as he and Young Earth Creationists understand
the Ruin-Reconstruction theory.
This is modified graphic showing the correct time for the fall of Satan in Ruin-Reconstruction theory. Notice that the fall of Satan was millions of years before the dinosaurs at a time even before the Cambrian period of geologic history when first life (actually the first evidence of death) appears on Earth in fossil record.
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| To resolve this controversy, an attempt must be made to understand the reasoning behind the gap theory. One must understand the history of the gap theory and the Scripture references used by the theory's proponents. After grasping what the gap theory entails, one must then use the light of Scripture to attempt to validate or invalidate the theory (Acts 17:11). At the conclusion of this validation process, two questions will then be left to answer: Does the Bible teach the gap theory, and does it really matter whether the gap theory is taught or not? | I have no argument with the author on the truth of this statement. We will follow the author's reasoning throughout this "validation process" and show that, unless you have all your geologic and Biblical facts correct, one ends up with a badly flawed thesis. |
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History of the Gap Theory
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To say that Thomas Chalmers was the first theologian to
put forth the idea of a gap before 1814 is misleading. He was the first
after the publication of the AV1611 King James Bible. But there is
documented evidence available that other theologians between the time of Christ and
Chalmers (and even before) also noted the "gap" in the Genesis narrative.
Here is an off-site link to a website with copious reference information about the Gap Theory. |
In 1795, James Hutton (1726-1797) introduced the scientific doctrine of
uniformitarianism in his book Theory of the Earth. Hutton
believed that the processes of the past (e.g. climate, sedimentation,
decay, etc.) occurred at the same rate as those of the present - a way of
thinking that was prophesied in II Peter 3:4 as a sign of the last days.
Uniformitarianism is now summarized in the phrase, "the present is the key
to the past." His questionable logic became the foundation for many of the
"scientific" discoveries in the early 19th century. Hutton's teachings
most affected the field of geology, then in its infant stages. |
Not all geologists accept the doctrine of Uniformitarianism. The doctrine of Catastrophism and Mass Extinctions shows that, although Hutton's basic premise is logical, and a good rule of thumb on basic geologic principles, there are historical geological observations that clearly show that Uniformitarianism does NOT always apply. This fact is becoming more widely accepted in the secular scientific community. |
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Shortly after the publication of Hutton's and Lyell's books, Christians began to feel that they were under a scientific attack for their belief that the earth was only a few thousand years old. One has only to read the writings of Thomas Chalmers to understand how sharply he felt the attacks of science upon the Scriptures. Some geologists and theologians, knowing that the uniformitarian deposit of sediment layers would require millions of years, quickly rejected the Biblical age of the earth and moved to adjust the Bible's time frame to coincide with their new theory. Chalmers, like many other Christians at this time, began to seek a way to harmonize the Genesis account of creation with the newly accepted teachings of geology. He attempted to do this with the gap theory.
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Here is a link to an on-line version of Charles Lyell's
Principles of Geology. There is no denying that the advent of the geological sciences did, indeed, pose a challenge to traditional Creation beliefs. What must be kept in mind is the fact that men searching for the truth through observations of processes found in the Earth (That God Created) were revealing truths about the Earth through utilizing observations of principles of physics and chemistry (Which God also ordained) to arrive at conclusions that logically contradicted the traditional creationist views about the age of the Earth (i.e. those nearly all Christians for 2,000 years, mentioned earlier). Since it was God himself who created all things, including the physical things that were contradicting the traditional church beliefs, should we blame men for attacking the things of God? Hardly! In essence, what we have here is a case of God's Word (through the things within in stone) revealing things to mankind that they were overlooking in the Bible. Keep firmly in mind the fact that leading thinkers in earlier times thought the world was flat, even though the Scriptures they had access to already clearly contradicted that traditional belief: Isaiah 40:22 "It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:" |
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You will note an underlying theme in
the author's thesis that anything that contradicts the Young Earth
doctrine is a "Dangerous Theory" and a general vilification of all
"Science" (except their own). In evoking Darwin and evolutionary theory, the YEC author always equates an old age for the earth with Darwinism. This is guilt by association. The truth is, the gap theory does not depend on Evolutionary Theory. In fact, when you examine the Ruin-Reconstruction doctrine as a whole, you will find that it invalidates the Theory of Evolution, as well. |
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It should be noted, for purposes
of fairness and balance, that Dr. Scofield did make one error in his
exegesis. Specifically, Scofield advocated that
Jeremiah 4:23-26 was a
cross-reference to Genesis 1:2 (comparing the words "without form and void").
But, in rightly-divided reality, Jeremiah 4:23-26 describes the state of
the Earth immediately following the Great Tribulation and the Lord's
return, and just before the Lord God regenerates the heavens and Earth for
the 1,000 Kingdom on the earth (See
Isaiah 65:17-25) Matthew 19:28 "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." |
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Regardless of the reason, the gap theory has gained considerable support from several modern theologians. These theologians, such as Arthur C. Custance, author of Without Form and Void (1970), and well known preachers Billy Graham and John Hagee, have adopted the gap theory in one form or another. For some, the gap theory is the only explanation they have to make the Bible fit their preconceived idea for the age of the earth. For others, it is the only way they can explain certain passages in Scripture.
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A counter point to be made here
is that there must be a very compelling reason why so many theologians
accepted the Gap Theory. Why should we not think that these men were
honestly seeking truth any less than other theologians who did not accept
it?
It should be pointed out that Clarence Larkin was a Fundamentalist and Dispensationalist and espoused many of the great doctrines of premillinnial eschatology that are still embraced by mainstream Fundamentalism today. What we have in today's brand of Young Earth Creationist Fundamentalism is a departure from one of those great doctrines (and faith in the infallibility of the King James Version of the Holy Bible). |
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What scriptures are used to support the Gap Theory? Four main passages - Genesis 1:28; Isaiah 45:18; Jeremiah 4:23-24; II Peter 3:5-6 - remain the battleground arguments for the gap theory. Using specific Scriptural references, modern theologians have endeavored to support it. Genesis 1:28 is undoubtedly the verse most quoted by gap theorists. Genesis 1:28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Much of the validity drawn from this verse centers on the usage of the word replenish. Gap theorists believe that this is God's command for Adam and Eve to refill, or repopulate, the earth, assuming the previous inhabitants of the earth were destroyed in the Genesis 1:2 catastrophe. The problem that gap theorists encounter stems from misunderstanding the word replenish. The Hebrew word used here is male, which means, "to fill." In 1611, the time of the King James translation, English dictionaries defined the word replenish as "to supply fully, to fill." Nearly a century later, a second definition arose, "to fill or build up again." Most dictionaries still list both meanings. If the author of Genesis 1 had been attempting to convey the idea that God wanted Adam and Eve to repopulate the earth, he would have used the Hebrew word Shana, which means "to fill again."
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As mentioned earlier, the
passage in Jeremiah 4:23 has been wrongly interpreted by many gap theory
supporters as a cross-reference to Genesis 1:2. Now, in respect to Genesis 1:28 and the word "Replenish" the author has conveniently neglected to tell you that the same Hebrew word is once again rendered as "replenish" in Genesis 9:1 in God's commission to Noah: Genesis 9:1 "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." Note that the term "replenish" used here is precisely in the context of Noah and his family repopulating an Earth which was destroyed by the flood. Noah's family REPLACED all previous families living on the Earth prior to the flood. Adam and Eve repopulated the Earth replacing the race of hominid beings that populated "the world that then was" (see 2 Pet 3:5-7 KJV and read Lifeforms before and After the Seven Days). What we have here is a not so subtle attack on the Authority of the King James Bible. In order to defend Young Earth doctrine one MUST get rid of the KJV Bible's authority and replace it with another. You will see this is a reoccurring syndrome in those who claim they believe the KJV, but really don't when pressed. |
| In recent years, Isaiah 45:18 has become the verse to which most gap theorists appeal in defense of their view. In fact, the New Scofield Reference Bible removed its gap theory footnote from its original place under Genesis 1:2 and placed it beneath Isaiah 45:18. Isaiah 45:18 "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." The debate concerning this verse surrounds Isaiah's use of the phrase, "he created it not in vain." The words "in vain," translated from the Hebrew word tohu, also occur in Genesis 1:2 where it is translated "without form." Gap theorists conclude that God did not create the earth without form (tohu), as described in Genesis 1:2, but that it became without form (tohu). Claiming that Genesis 1:2 was translated incorrectly, gap theorists believe that it should read, "And the earth became without form, and void." This attempt by gap theorists to question God's ability to preserve His Word (Psalms 12:6-7) in the English language is one of grievous error. Nowhere does Scripture use the word tohu to describe a result of God's judgment. In the Hebrew language, tohu means "not formed," not "formlessness resulting from a judgment." It must be noted that when the Old Testament was translated into the Greek language, the word chaos was available for them to convey this idea of judgment. To the detriment of the Gap Theory, the Greek translators chose not to use this word in either Genesis 1:2 or Isaiah 45:18. | And in this paragraph we have the Young Earth Creationists doing EXACTLY the same thing that they accuse others for: Specifically, claiming that gap theory advocates question "God's ability to preserve His Word" when they have just committed the very same atrocity in the previous segment by arguing that the Hebrew word 'male' at Genesis 1:28 should be rendered as "fill" instead of "replenish" in the KJV. |
| Gap theorists frequently quote Jeremiah 4:23-24 in their attempt to depict the desolate earth of Genesis 1:2. They believe that the prophet Jeremiah is describing in detail God's act of judgment upon the "first" earth. Jeremiah 4:23-24 "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly." The phrase "without form, and void" seems to imply an association with Genesis 1:2, but the word earth in this verse is not a reference to the planet earth. Earth in this verse refers to the land of Judah, as discussed in Jeremiah 4:7, 20 & 27, and not to the past at all. These two verses, when read in the context of the whole chapter, reveal the prophet Jeremiah's insight into the coming destruction of Judah by the Babylonian armies. | As we acknowledged previously the passage in Jeremiah 4:23-26 is not, in fact, a cross-reference to Genesis 1:2 as some gap theory proponents believe. Here the YEC author points that out, but also incorrectly interprets the passage. Unfortunately, they too have missed the yet to be fulfilled prophecy contained in the verse. Instead, they relegate it solely to the historical context, completely overlooking the prophetic. Why? Because if they did then they would be forced to admit that the 'term without form, and void' is, indeed, a reference to a restoration of a pre-existing planet with a devastated surface. In Jeremiah 4:23-6 it describes the surface conditions of the planet Earth before an act of Divine Regeneration (future and yet to come). |
| The belief of most gap theorists is that II Peter 3:5-6 is not referring to the flood of Noah, but "Lucifer's flood," that brought on the formless water-covered earth described in Genesis 1:2. II Peter 3:5-6 "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: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:" No Scripture exists to support the idea that Peter was referring to "Lucifer's flood." With no references in Scripture to such an event, teachers of this opinion are guilty of "adding to the word of God." | Actually, Genesis 1:2 is the correct Scriptural cross-reference to
the event. They just don't want to admit it.
They also neglected to finish the passage: 2 Peter 3:7 "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." The "heavens" were not destroyed in Noah's flood. We have the same heavens today as before Noah's flood. Only the surface of the Earth and the atmosphere were affected. Think and pray about that fact. |
| There are good reasons, however, to believe that Peter is referring to the flood of Noah in these verses. The only flood to which Peter had previously referred is the flood of Noah (I Peter 3:20; II Peter 2:5). If Peter were referring to a different flood, he most certainly would have done so with an explanation. The words, "willingly ignorant," suggests that it is a flood that is well-known, yet one that they have rejected. Possibly these scoffers could be willingly ignorant of Noah's flood even though there is a detailed description of it in the Old Testament and ample evidence for it all over the surface of the earth today. However, one could not be willingly ignorant of a flood that God had never revealed to them in His Word. | Oh, but God DID reveal another flood. There is one, and only one other Earth covering flood event mentioned in the Bible and that is at Genesis 1:2 where the Spirit is moving over the waters. And, indeed, the Young Earth advocates are certainly remaining "willingly ignorant" of this ESTABLISHED SCRIPTURAL FACT because it blows a gaping hole (a gap) in their doctrine. They ass-u-me that Peter is also referring to Noah's flood. |
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Gap theorists also attempt to draw from the phrase in II Peter 3:6, "the world that then was…perished." They interpret it to mean that at the time of Noah's flood the world did not perish because Noah and his family were spared. They feel this fact points to an earlier catastrophe in which every living organism was destroyed. Actually, the world did perish during the flood of Noah as described in Genesis 7:23. Genesis 7:23 says, "And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark." This verse does not include Noah and his family as part of "every living substance." God clearly had separated Noah and his family from the world by placing them in the ark. Gap theorists confuse the word world, referring to people, society, and their surroundings as a whole (Galatians 4:3), with the word earth, describing the physical place in which people dwell. Isaiah 18:3 and Isaiah 23:17 explains that the world is something that dwells upon the earth, not something that is the earth. God's judgment at the time of Noah brought the destruction of the world, not the destruction of the earth. |
This is nothing more than a smokescreen to confuse the
issue and avoid rightly-dividing the passage in 2 Peter 3:5-7 and the
concise parsing of the wording: "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the
heavens were of old [ As for allegations of confusing the words "Earth" and "World" you will find a complete discussion of that very subject on our website. |
| This lack of understanding has led many theologians to teach the "three-earth" theory, which is based upon the gap theory. The three-earth theory simply states that the earth prior to Genesis 1:2 was the first earth, the current earth is the second earth, and the earth God has yet to create, as described in Isaiah 65:17 and II Peter 3:13, is the third earth. Revelation 21:1 refutes this belief in stating that the current earth is the first earth, not the second. | The new heavens and Earth of Isaiah 65:17-25 and Revelation 21:1 are NOT the same reference. Isaiah 65:17 is a reference to the heavens and Earth during the 1,000 year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation 21:1 refers to the heaven and Earth that He creates after the great white throne final judgment. We know this because there is still DEATH around during the period of Isaiah 65:17-25 (read verse Isaiah 65:20) and death is not cast into the lake of fire until the end of the 1,000 years (see Revelation 20:14). |
| As previously explained, the Scriptural references used in defense of the gap theory have absolutely no merit. However, to be fair and complete, a detailed look must be taken, examining the two assumptions put forth by the gap theory: 1) that Satan was created prior to the six days of creation, and 2) that Satan fell before the six days of creation. | We will show you it is not an assumption, and show you where their assumptions contradict the Scriptures on this matter. This is the key doctrinal issue. |
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When was Satan created, and when did he fall from Heaven? The Bible, unlike some other religious documents, teaches that Satan was a created being - the anointed cherub of God (Ezekiel 28:14). Known as Lucifer, Satan is thought to have been the chief musician of heaven due to the fact that God had created pipes and tabrets inside of his body (Ezekiel 28:13). God had named Satan and the angels the "sons of God" (Genesis 6:2; Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Job 38:7), a title given only to those that were created directly by God and not born to parents. Even Adam, since he was created directly by God, is referred to in this manner (Luke 3:38). The Bible clearly teaches that Satan was created, and that he was not co-eternal with God.
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Absolutely TRUE! But the Bible
also says that "sons" of God were ALREADY CREATED AND PRESENT on the day
the Lord God created the heaven and earth (Read
Job 38:4-7). In that passage the
"sons of God" are singing when God lays the Earth's foundation. This means they (the "sons of God" and Satan) were already created before Genesis 1:1, if you take your Scripture as literal. This Scriptural fact is also overlooked by the YEC. |
Note: The above graphic is talking about Christians being titled as "sons of God" which is true, but the angels, including the fallen ones (See Genesis 6:1-2) are also called "sons of God" and they are not Christians (or true humans). This is a confusion of the issue.
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In Exodus 20:11 and Exodus 31:17, God says He created all things in six days. Exodus 20:11 "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 31:17 "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested."
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Notice that "the sea" is set apart from the
Earth in this verse as something separate. This is the contextual
qualifier of the verse because the "Sea" spoken of here is the waters (or
sea) above the firmament which was placed there at the time of Genesis
1:6-8 and which is no longer there after the final judgment:
Thus Exodus 20:11 is absolutely true - this present heaven and Earth, and that Sea above the firmament was, indeed, made in six days, just as the book of Genesis states. But Exodus 20:11 is not a reference to the first time creation of all things. Genesis 1:1 does NOT read:
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| The phrase "and all that in them is" included Satan, the angels, stars, space, earth, plants, animals, and man. Genesis 2:1 further supports this through its use of the phrase "and all the host of them." It is not possible to say it more plainly than the words used in Exodus 20:11! Since everything was made in the six days, then obviously Satan was also made then. | No, the creation of Satan and the angels during the six days is an inaccurate assumption, not a Scriptural fact. There is NO MENTION of God creating Satan or Angels anywhere in the Genesis narrative. Satan first shows up afterwards (Genesis 3) which shows that he was already around, and was already an enemy of both God and man when he tempted Eve. |
| Genesis 1:5 states, "And the evening and the morning were the first day," demonstrating there is no gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. The translators of the KJV wisely chose this word rather than the incorrect way many new translations say it was "a day" or "one day" to allow room for the gap theory. | Now an appeal to the Authority of the literal letter of the KJV Bible after previously challenging the literal letter (replenish) at Genesis 1:28. Typical and Hypocritical YEC tactic. |
| Satan was created during the six-day creation week. Scripture leaves no room for a period of time prior to "the first day." Is it possible to determine which day Satan was created? | The statement is a Young Earth Creationist belief, not a Scriptural fact. Now the author claims he can prove something that is not true in the first place. Watch the Scriptures rip this reasoning apart. |
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The first chapter of Genesis makes no mention of the timing for God's creation of Satan and the angels. However, the book of Job, thought to pre-date the compiled writings of Genesis, contains references of Satan as one of the sons of God. In Job 1:6 and Job 2:1, God allows Satan to plague His servant Job. Job 38:4-7 "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together; and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"
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Keep in mind what I mentioned earlier about the "sons of
God" being already present and singing when God "laid the foundations" of
the Earth. The foundation of the Earth (the planet) is already "laid" at
Genesis 1:2: "And the Earth WAS.." It was already there so these "sons of God" were already created and hanging around at this place in time. Of course this logic is lost on the author who will now go through considerable gyrations to place the creation of Satan and the "sons of God" somewhere in or after the seven day creation week. |
| Job 38:7 explains that "all the sons of God," celebrated a portion of God's creation. The "sons of God shouted for joy" because God had just "laid the foundations of the earth." This clearly shows that Satan was created prior to the earth's foundations being laid. The "foundations" probably refer to "land," appearing on the third day of Creation (Genesis 1:9). The creation of Satan most likely occurred on the first, second, or possibly third day of God's creation. The only other clue given by Scripture is a reference to Satan as the "son of the morning" (Isaiah 14:12), possibly placing Satan's creation in the morning on one of the first three days. | All wrong and all guesses. The "sons of God" (and Satan) had to be created BEFORE the Lord God "..laid the earth's foundations.." before He started the work (before Genesis 1:2). By the author's reasoning God made the earth, then created a cheering section, sometime after the work started and before it was finished. The word "laid" is PAST TENSE. Some people can't read 6th grade English. |
| Since everything was created in six days (Exodus 20:11) and Lucifer was created (Ezekiel 28:13,15), the gap theory's second assumption, the idea that Satan fell prior to the six days of creation, is already invalidated. | Only in the author's twisted circular reasoning. |
| The timing of Satan's fall is extremely important to the integrity of the gap theory, since its proponents use it to mark the end of the gap and the beginning of Genesis 1:2. An answer to the time of Satan's fall can be found with a careful look at the Scriptural accounts of this event. The first clue, found in Isaiah 14:14, records the words of Satan at the time of his fall - "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." Since the clouds could not have formed prior to God's creation of water on day one, Satan fell after day one. Referring back to Job 38:4-7 that Satan was "shouting for joy" as the foundations were being laid, his fall must have occurred after day two or day three. Isaiah 14:13 also reveals to us that Satan's fall must have occurred after the creation of the "stars," which occurred on day four. Certainly, these verses imply Satan could not have fallen before creation. | Ask yourself a question: If there was a world on the Earth in earlier times (and evidence of living plants and creatures in the deeply buried fossil record), would there not have been sunshine and clouds up in the sky. Would not the night sky have stars? The author is basing his reasoning on the pretext that the heavens and Earth were only first created 6,000 years ago. The geologic facts tell a different story and the record of an ancient Earth is written in stone (by the hand of God), revealing even that there were more days to a year in the ancient past then these present days. This record also includes a long history of death going way back in time. The only way to dispute this is to deny the entire body of all the radio dating methodology which is based, of course, on the laws of physics that God Himself ordained. The Young Earth Creationists do exactly that. They are in denial. |
| The Bible gives one of the most influential clues about the timing of Satan's fall in Ezekiel 28:13-17, which presents a picture of what Satan was like prior to God's discovery of iniquity in his heart. God revealed that Lucifer, in an unfallen state, existed in the Garden of Eden, which was not created until day six. Many gap theorists have tried to explain this by saying tat the Garden of Eden in Ezekiel 28:13-17 could not have been the one described in the book of Genesis. To preserve their theory, they invented another garden just as they invented another flood. Neither is every mentioned in God's Word. The gap theorists' opinion comes from the fact that Ezekiel describes the Garden as having "every precious stone," which, they say, is different from the Genesis account. This difference is unsubstantiated Biblically since the Genesis Eden was described as having precious stones (Genesis 2:11-12). | First of all, the Bible says that Lucifer was in "Eden the
garden of God" not the "garden of Eden" which is not exactly the same. By
noting this difference you gain another valuable cross-reference to
Lucifer's fall. Here is a passage that, like Ezekiel 28:13-17, is
addressing Satan in the Spirit, but is also a historical reference to "The
Assyrian" (Ezekiel 31-3): Ezekiel 31:7-11 "Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches: for his root was by great waters. The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty. I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches: so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height; I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen; he shall surely deal with him: I have driven him out for his wickedness." Notice that here Satan is referred to as a great tree. Of course, this is metaphorical, but it shows that the Earth itself (Past and Present) is the "garden of God" and that is not the same as the "garden of Eden" |
| God said in Genesis 1:31 that He "saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." If Satan had already fallen, God could not have made this statement. The clues of Scripture confirm that Satan could not have possibly fallen until after day six. | The discerning reader will notice that the Lord God does
not say "it was good" following the work of the second day (see
Genesis
1:6-8). On that day the Lord God made a great division between the
"waters" and established the "firmament" and, effectively, placed a "Sea"
ABOVE the firmament. That sea, by the way, is the one we talked about
before. Study this page on the Firmament and
Structure of All Things for specifics. Collectively, everything was very good when God finished the work. But it was not perfect, because it was a living world made from the ruins of a previously corrupted one. If God did not say this division was good (and He did not) then it was not good, in that specific fact. |
| After determining the earliest
point at which Satan could have fallen, discovering the latest point that it
could have occurred proves to be very difficult. The next "date" given in
Genesis 5:3, records, "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and
begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and call his name Seth."
This clue, however, helps deduce the time of Satan's fall.
After determining the earliest point at which Satan could have fallen, discovering the latest point that it could have occurred proves to be very difficult. The next "date" given in Genesis 5:3, records, "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and call his name Seth." This clue, however, helps deduce the time of Satan's fall. From the sixth day of creation up until the time Seth was born to Adam and Eve, several events had transpired - Satan had fallen, Adam and Eve had fallen into sin, Adam and Eve had been expelled from the Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel had been born, and Abel had been murdered by Cain.
|
This entire discourse, including the "common sense"
assumptions that will follow, overlook some very important Scriptural
facts:
That verse is absolutely true, in its proper context. Death entered this new world (our world) when Adam sinned, about 6000 years ago, and Adam was the first man who sinned. But if you don't understand the BIBLICAL differences between the words "world" and "earth," you cannot grasp the truth of the following points of logic and common sense:
|
|
With this information, and the following "common sense" assumptions, one can now find out the latest at which Satan could have fallen: -
Adam and Eve had Cain and Abel shortly after their expulsion from the Garden
of Eden.
|
All of this is meaningless because the author is not
facing the full spiritual realty. If Satan fell (sinned) first, then why
wasn't he given credit for bringing sin upon the world of Adam and Eve?
Now think about that. Adam's fall is recorded in Genesis, but Satan's is
not! Did Satan get a free pass for rebelling, but God socked it to Adam
and his seed for just eating from a forbidden tree (Adam's sin was also
rebellion). You do not read about Satan's fall in the Genesis narrative because he did NOT fall during this present world, as the author is so pathetically trying to prove. Here are two real "common sense" assumptions:
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| Since Satan had already fallen at the time of Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden, we must conclude that this fall occurred within the first 105 years after day six. One unique fact from Scripture that may limit the 105 year time frame even further can be found in Genesis 4:9-17. In these verses, God is telling Cain of the punishment he is about to receive for murdering his brother Abel. Cain responds by saying, "every one that findeth me shall slay me." Who are these people that Cain is worried about? Were not Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel the only people in existence at the time of Abel's murder? Apparently, Adam and Even had had several other children by this time. After Cain fled, the Bible records he dwelt in the land of Nod where his wife conceived a son Enoch. The older Cain was when he slew Abel, the more other brothers and sisters could have been living, and the younger Adam would have been when he and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. There is no way of determining from Scripture the exact age of Cain when he slew Abel; therefore, our original estimation of a maximum 105-year time frame must be adhered to although it was probably shorter. | Essentially, everything written here is correct, except the underlying assumption that Satan was created (and fell) after the six days of Genesis. |
| During these 105 years, Adam and Eve were in close fellowship with God, giving Him their total worship and admiration. Satan, observing this relationship, became jealous and wanted man to worship him instead. This iniquity resulted in his fall. The Scripture-based time window for Satan's fall is illustrated on the time line below. | Satan was jealous alright because of the man and woman, but he was jealous and scheming because he had already fallen, lost the initial stewardship of the Earth, and was now being replaced in the newly regenerated world by creatures formed by God from the dust of the Earth, the dust of the very planet that he (Satan) used to have rule over. He wanted control back. |
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Through an exhaustive and thorough search of the Scripture, one can conclude that no gap exists between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" and "all that in them is," and He did it in six, literal, 24-hour days. With this in mind, there is only one question left to answer. Does it really matter if the gap theory is taught or not? After studying the subject exhaustively, one must determine if the theory conflicts with, or attempts to compromise, the common-sense teachings of the Scripture. There are four different ways in which the gap theory violates Scripture. |
As you have seen in these counterpoints, the author has
not really searched the Scriptures or rightly-divided the Word of Truth. The author now appeals to "common-sense teachings"? How about an appeal to the infallibility of God's Word? |
|
#1 The gap theory undermines the simplicity and authority of Scripture Psalm 119:169 teaches that man is to receive his understanding from the Scriptures. Although God made His Word plain and simple so that all could understand and believe (Psalm 119:130), many theologians interpret Scriptures with a mind clouded by opinions, preconceived ideas, and a bias having been "educated" in heathen schools of thought. Interpretation in this manner causes many theologians to twist the Scripture into agreeing with theory "theory." Feeling the attacks of "science," Christians began to interpret the Scripture with the preconceived idea that science had determined the age of the earth. God did not write His Word with tricky language. To compromise the simplicity or authority of the scripture is to accommodate the world's current philosophy. If the gap theory were true, the average person must not be capable of reading the Bible and understanding it without some guru or priest telling them what it really means. This is an earmark of nearly all cults. |
Proverbs 1:20-23 "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her
voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the
openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How
long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in
their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold,
I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." Every point the author makes can be turned around and said of the his belief system, as well. His statement is subjective. |
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#2 The gap theory violates the relationship between Christ and Adam I Corinthians 15:45 states, "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." Clearly the Scripture not only recognizes Adam as being the "first man," but more importantly links Adam to Christ. Adam brought sin and death into the world; Christ brought righteousness and eternal life. The gap theory teaches that a race of men had previously populated the earth but were destroyed in "Lucifer's Flood." This would mean that Adam was not the first man created, just the first man created after "Lucifer's Flood," and would clearly be a violation of Scripture.
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No, the Gap Theory teaches that a race of hominids
(man-like) creatures populated the old world. Adam was the first man, as
man defined of being made in the "image of God" (Genesis 1:27,
9:6) not the fallen Angels or
their biological issue. The gap theory does not violate the Scriptures by proposing this fact. |
|
#3 The gap theory attacks the credibility of Christ. On several occasions, Christ quoted from or referred to the book of Genesis in His teachings, obviously believing the Genesis account to be the Word of God, in considering the six days of creation to be the beginning. In Matthew 19:4 and Mark 10:5, Christ declares that the creation of Adam and Eve occurred at the beginning. Paul states in Hebrews 1:10, "in the beginning God hast laid the foundation of the earth," something that did not occur until day two or day three. Clearly, according to Scripture, the beginning was the creation week. Gap theorists, however, attack the credibility of Christ by claiming that the beginning is a reference to a point in time much earlier than the six-day creation. |
What is the problem? Gap theorists agree that Adam and Eve
were at the beginning of this present world. It is not the gap theorists that are doing the attacking; it is what "Thus saith the Lord God" through the rightly-divided Word and the physical evidence preserved in the Earth's geologic record. |
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#4 The gap theory denies the purpose of the cross Without a doubt, the foundation upon which our salvation and hope rests is the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross. God created a perfect, sinless earth and placed upon it a perfect, sinless man. This man, Adam, enjoyed close fellowship with his Creator until he sinned and broke the perfect relationship between God and man. Ever since that time, death and degradation have plagued God's once-perfect creation, and man has been separated from God. However, the shedding of Christ's innocent blood on the cross can restore man's fellowship with God and provide him eternal life. Through Adam's sin, death entered into the world; but through Christ's sacrifice, salvation is made possible (Romans 5:19). Therein lies the gap theory's greatest error, the placement of sin and death prior to the existence of Adam. If death existed prior to Adam's sin, then how could it be the result of sin? |
Christ died on the cross to pay the sin debt for mankind from
Adam up to all of us. He did NOT die for Pre-Adamite hominids because he
did not partake of their flesh and is not of their "seed" line. He partook of the flesh of true man, and
true man only. Christ also did not die to pay the sin debt for Satan and the fallen angels. They are already condemned and their place in eternity prepared: Matthew 25:41 "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"
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Thomas Chalmers did not develop the gap theory because he wished to compromise the Scripture. Chalmers, responding to the attacks of science upon his faith, created the gap theory as a means to join the teachings of Bible with supposed scientific findings and maintain scientific credibility in the light of the rapidly spreading idea that the earth was old. His mistake grew out of his own reasoning instead of Scripture. Unfortunately, many prominent Christian theologians, such as C.I. Scofield and Clarence Larkin, accepted the teachings of Chalmers as the attacks from science became more frequent upon their faith. These men, however, sincerely loved the Lord and spent their lives propagating the gospel. Even today, many godly men support the gap theory, having been misled by an innocent mistake. |
Here the author accuses Thomas Chalmers of making the mistake of using his own reasoning, and then does not give Scofield, Larkin and others credit for being able to reason on there own, so they are relegated to the mentality of blindly following Chalmers' 'mistake' ...and an 'innocent' one at that! What the author is saying is that anyone who does not accept Young Earth Creationism is nothing but a dumb sheep that does not have the brains and reasoning power to think on their own, because their acceptance of the gap theory proves they are not using their brains. Rubish! |
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Summary There are
many problems with the gap theory.
|
1. Not true. The "Gap" has always been in the Scriptures
and was observed by many long before 1814 (review
documented evidence). 2. Only violates YEC doctrine, not the Scriptures. 3. Context is this present world, not the one before Adam. It violates Nothing. 4. Has Satan fall in "World" before the one created in the seven days. Violates Nothing. |
|
Questions for gap theorists to answer: 1.
Was Satan already the "god of this world" (II Corinthians 4:5) when God gave
Adam dominion (Genesis 1:26-28) over the earth?
|
1. No, Satan did not gain control of this present world
until after Adam sinned. 2. This "Lucifer's Flood" business is a non-biblical construction. The world's fossil records were not created by any single event. 3. Two questions. Two answers: 1.) Yes, spirit of Satan was already evil. 2.) Adam and Eve were standing on a fossil record of stone, not "dead" animals and plants. They were standing on mineralized impressions. Those would be considered 'clean' under the Law. Not an issue. 4. No, floods only affect the surface of the land, not the geological structure of the Earth and the fossil record it contains. 5. Has already been explained. 6. No, they are better off letting the Holy Spirit guide them and keeping faith in God's Word. 7. This is a red herring (probably a gay one). 8. No, it is the Scripture's way of dealing with the time interval of the old world and events in time before this present world of man. 9. In the context of a planet, that is absolutely correct. But the surface of this present Earth has been regenerated several times before Revelation 21:1 (i.e. during 7 days, at end of Noah's flood, at end of Great Tribulation). 10. Yes, Adam was the first man "made in God's image" in this present world. No contradiction. 11. True, but there sure is a lot of sound and proven evidence that it is much, much older than 6,000 years. |
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There is ample scientific evidence that the earth is only 6000 years old (see The Age of the Earth, by Dr. Kent Hovind [www.drdino.com]), so why should we compromise a perfectly good Bible, which has never been proven wrong, with a teaching that has never been proven right? |
There is no scientific evidence that the Earth is only 6,000 years old, only unsupported suppositions and appeals to traditionalism. The gap theory does not compromise the Bible. And nobody has proved that the gap theory is wrong. In fact, the scientific evidence and the Bible BOTH show that Young Earth Creationism is a flawed doctrine. |
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Sources used in this study 1.
A.C. Custance, Without Form and Void (Brookville, Canada: published by the
author, 1970)
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Sources used in this study All rebuttal arguments to the author's thesis can be found throughout the materials published on the Bible, Genesis & Geology site at http://www.kjvbible.org which includes references to many of the same resources listed in the left-hand column, and quite a few additional ones. It has been our sole purpose in presenting this side-by-side "Virtual debate" to give you the facts as they stand, and to show you, point-by-point, where old Earth and Young Earth Creationists disagree. We sincerely hope that you will prayerfully consider both sides of this argument. God gave man brains to reason and a Bible to guide him unto Salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. All wisdom and knowledge, be it Biblical or Scientific, are to be found only in the Lord and His Word, including the things He created: Colossians 2:2-3 "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." The things found in the Earth can not possibly (and do not) contradict the things written in the Word. But only by Rightly-Dividing both the Word and Earth's geology will one arrive at the correct answers to these questions. |
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Before getting into the Scriptural aspect of this discussion, one needs to
first understand the background and history of the gap theory. Thomas
Chalmers (1780-1847), a notable Scottish theologian and first moderator of
the Free Church of Scotland, is credited with being the first proponent of
the gap theory. His proposal of the theory was first recorded in 1814 in one
of his lectures at Edinburgh University. Until 1814, no theologian had put
forth the idea of a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Chalmer's teaching to a
great extent reflected what was happening in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Following in the footsteps of Hutton, Charles Lyell (1797 - 1875) became
known as the "high priest of uniformitarianism" and "the father of modern
geology." Lyell's famous three-volume work, Principles of Geology,
quickly became the catalyst for the geologic movement's move to
uniformitarian principles. Many early geologists, after studying the
numerous layers of sediment existing in the earth's crust, assumed the
layers were a result of the flood of Noah, knowing that moving water causes
many layers to be deposited. Others claimed they had no idea as to how they
were deposited. A few thought they layers were deposited slowly over million
of years at the same rate layers are deposited today. This slow but steady
accumulation was thought to be an example of uniformitarianism. For hundreds
of years, scientists in all fields of study had worked within a 6,000-year
time frame for the age of the earth, primarily drawn from the chronology of
the Bible. With the introduction of uniformitarian principles into science,
geologists felt they finally had the answer to the mystery. 
Since 1814, many theologians have followed Chalmers' example and attempted
to accommodate both Scripture and the new supposed science. In 1859, Charles
Darwin's book The Origin of Species introduced scientists and
theologians to the possibility of an even longer time frame for the age of
the earth. For example, G.H. Pember stated in his book Earth's Earliest
Ages, "There is room for any length of time between the first and second
verse of the Bible." Statements such as these pressured many Christians to
accept other dangerous theories under the guise of "science." Theologians
struggled to remain current with popular scientific findings. 
The gap theory trend gained its greatest support in 1909 when C.I. Scofield
first published his Scofield Study Bible. Dr. Scofield supported the
gap theory in his explanation that "the first creative act refers to the
dateless past, and gives scope for all the geologic ages." He commented "no
conflict of science with the Genesis cosmogony remains." Dr. Scofield also
advocated the "Day-Age" theory - another "time-allowing" theory teaching
that the six days of creation were not literal 24-hour days but actually
long periods of time. The Scofield Study Bible, believed to be the most
widely used study Bible of its kind, resulted in a widespread acceptance of
the gap theory, which continues today. 
About the same time the Scofield Study Bible began its circulation,
another very popular theological work was published, Dispensational Truth
by Clarence Larkin. In his book, Dr. Larkin detailed the existence of a
"chaotic earth" between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. His willingness to "fall back
then upon Science" allowed science to greatly infiltrate his theology (Note
his capitalization of the word Science). This influence can be seen
in the way Dr. Larkin embraced the "Nebular Hypothesis," a predecessor of
the "Big Bang" theory. 
], and the earth standing
out [
] of the
water and in the water: Whereby the
world that then was, being overflowed [
] with
water,
perished [
]: 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."