Why So Much Confusion About -- "In the Beginning ..."?

The Plain Truth
April, 1964


Why So Much Confusion About -- "In the Beginning ..."?

Read here why some have never understood what Genesis 1:1 really
means!

by Robert E. Gentet


SOME believe the Bible says the heavens and the earth were
created only about 6000 years ago. Even many scientists assume
this is what the Bible teaches. And they scoff.
But is this really what Genesis 1:1 teaches?
The truth is plain. Without realizing it, some have been
believing a FABLE that sprang from the dark ages -- when people
knew little about the Bible except what was taught to them by
churchmen, who themselves were ignorant of what the Bible really
taught!
Will you notice what the Bible DOES say? You will be
surprised.

What Genesis 1:1 Says

Genesis 1:1, in the King James translation, says: "In the
beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
First, notice what it does NOT say. It does not say "About
6000 years ago ..." -- or "in 4004 B.C., God created the heaven
and the earth." It says: "In the BEGINNlNG God created the heaven
and the earth."
WHEN was "the beginning"? GENESIS 1:1 JUST DOESN'T TELL US!
And there is a reason.
What Genesis 1:1 does reveal is that the heaven and the
earth had a beginning. This scripture makes it plain that the
universe was created. Genesis 1:1 emphasizes WHO (in the
beginning) created the heaven and the earth! It points us to GOD,
as Creator of the universe.
Genesis 1:1 has been universally misinterpreted. Here is how
it happened.
"... Archbishop Ussher ... in the years 1650 to 1654,
published a chronology {supposedly} based upon the biblical
record. His dates were accepted for nearly two centuries, though
geologists reading the record of the rocks were early convinced
that he had seriously erred when he stated that the earth had
been created in the year 4004 B.C., on the 26th of October, at 9
o'clock in the morning!" (H. E. Vokes, "How Old is the Earth?"
from "The Illustrated Library of the Natural Sciences", Vol. II,
p. 1155.)
Notice how Ussher tried to establish not only the date, but
the time of day of creation -- WHICH HE DID NOT GET FROM THE
BIBLE.
The same author further states: "The date 4004 B.C. was
inserted in the margin of the reference editions of the King
James version of the Bible by some unknown, and rapidly gained
acceptance, particularly among those people who believed that
every word in their Bible was the result of divine inspiration,
no matter how that word came to be there" (Ibid.).
Notice! People read MARGINAL REFERENCES that first appeared
in Bibles about 300 years ago, and henceforth ASSUMED these
man-made references were a part of inspired Scripture.
Genesis 1:1 just does NOT tell us the specific date of the
earth's creation. Instead, this verse points us to God as being
there "in the beginning" -- even BEFORE the earth was (see John
17:24). That is the vital significance of Genesis 1:1.
Men have set an iron-clad date on Genesis 1:1 that God never
intended. God nowhere tells us exactly when -- at what time -- He
created THE EARTH, or the heavens.

What Ussher Didn't See

Ussher, and many others, ASSUMED that Genesis 1:1 and 1:2
are speaking of the same time. Ussher ASSUMED that the world was
created just before man was created. Ussher, like many others,
thought God said: "In the beginning God created Adam." But this
is not what the Bible says! Genesis 1:1 doesn't tell us how long
God waited before He created Adam. Biblical chronology DOES,
however, reveal there have been about 6000 years since the
creation of ADAM. Not understanding this vital key, men have
confused the creation date of Adam with the unknown time element
of Genesis 1:1 and thought Genesis 1:1 was also speaking about
the time shortly before Adam's creation.
But it is not!
The Bible clearly reveals a TIME LAPSE between the first two
verses of Genesis. Genesis 1:1 could not possibly have occurred 6
days before the creation of man!
This fact is clearly shown when we compare Genesis 1:2 with
Isaiah 45:18.
Genesis 1:2 tells us: "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."
Isaiah 45:18 records: "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 shock comes when we study the Hebrew texts of the Bible
which the King James translators were using as they translated
these verses into the language of their day. The HEBREW texts
reveal an amazing truth. The King James translators rendered the
same Hebrew word "tohu" as "without form" in Genesis 1:2, yet in
Isaiah 45:18 the same word was rendered as "in vain." Think what
this means!
Isaiah 45:18 says God did NOT create the earth in "tohu".
Yet Genesis 1:2 clearly tells us the earth was in tohu. Is this a
discrepancy?
Most assuredly not!
A great event occurred between the first and second verses
of Genesis -- which caused great destruction, or tohu, on the
earth! Genesis 1:2 is not continuing the description of the act
of creating the heaven and the earth. It is describing what the
earth BECAME after a great battle for control of the universe.
To understand WHY the earth became "tohu" (chaotic and
void), write for an eye-opening article entitled "Did God Create
a Devil?" Thousands have read this article and have had their
eyes opened to an astounding revelation from the pages of God's
Word!
But why has this truth been so long hidden?

The Great Conspiracy

Let us draw back the curtain of time and understand the
beginning of a dark-age superstition which is still haunting the
present century! When we do, we will understand WHY so many have
TAKEN FOR GRANTED a medieval superstition which the Bible does
not teach at all. Notice what was happening in the world about
450 years ago.
The astronomer Copernicus had just advanced the astounding
idea -- with abundant proof -- that the sun and other heavenly
bodies do not revolve around the earth. This teaching was so
opposite from the dogma of the Catholic Church which had a great
influence on the world's scientific teachings at that time that
Copernicus' theory was allowed to be taught only as a
"mathematical guess." It would have been heresy to have taught it
as fact! To do so would constitute sin, and such an act would
bring the wrath of the church fathers.
So, as long as Copernicus did not press the issue, the
church was contented. Galileo, as we shall see later, was not so
fortunate in his dealings with the church.
The newly emerged Protestant movement was not silent about
Copernicus' thesis. Martin Luther himself said: "This fool
[Copernicus] wants to change the whole science of astronomy."
But Copernicus' gem of truth attracted now-famous followers
who began to liberate the world from still more errors of the
dark ages. Galileo was one of them.

True Science Not Wrong

Galileo made an amazing discovery about 75 years after
Copernicus' famous announcement that the universe did not revolve
around the earth. Turning his newly found discovery -- the
telescope -- to the sky, he proved beyond a doubt that Copernicus
was right. The church's teachings about astronomy were now proven
absolutely wrong!
And no wonder. For the Bible doesn't say anywhere that the
heavenly bodies revolve around the earth. God wanted man to use
his mind and discover the mechanics of the universe.
God inspired wise King Solomon to write: "It is the glory of
God to conceal a thing: but the HONOUR of kings is TO SEARCH OUT
A MATTER. The heaven for height, and the earth for depth, and the
heart of kings is unsearchable" (Prov. 25:2-3).
Notice that God said He purposely conceals such matters so
we will search them out! In the process, we will come to see the
glory of God, if we believe that: "In the beginning God created
the heaven and the earth."
But God has already told us we would be unable to COMPLETELY
search out what He has created. The astronomer has been unable to
find the bounds of the universe. The geologist has been unable to
explore first-hand the interior of the earth. The psychiatrist
has been unable to understand how the human mind functions in all
its many ways.
Scientific research bears out the fact that only the
existence of an Almighty God could account for all the wonder,
beauty and clockwork precision of the universe around us.
In having us search out His creation, God places a challenge
before us and makes us use our minds. God's way is the way of
thinking, planning, and building. It is CONstructive rather than
DEstructive. Why do men seem so bent on using their minds to
build devices which destroy? God's way would lead man to
everything good for him, if he would only heed!
The Biblical teaching about the universe was suppressed and
withheld from those men -- such as Galileo. It was considered
heresy to even consider that the universe did not revolve about
the earth.
For this reason, Galileo's triumph with his telescope was
soon to meet the challenge of the Catholic Church.

-------------------
PHOTO CAPTION: Galileo Galilei, who searched the sky with his
newly found telescope. He correctly said: "... I do not feel
obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with
senses, reason, and intellect has intended to forgo their use and
by some other means to give us knowledge which we can attain by
them."
-------------------

Churchmen Refuse to Learn

Notice how Galileo's threat to the church's hold on the
minds of men is graphically described by one authority: "The
nearly 100 years of Protestantism had been marred with cruel wars
between the two religions, and the leaders of the Roman Church
were resolved to stamp out any new innovations that would have a
tendency to undermine the faith that had been taught for {almost}
1600 years. Their undeviating belief was that Holy Scripture
taught a stationary Earth and a moving Sun... . And for Galileo
to teach the reverse was rank heresy, of which the Holy See must
take notice ....
"Late in 1615 Galileo again returned to Rome in a supreme
endeavor to convince the Church authorities of the truth of the
Heliocentric system, as proved by his telescope. But all the
arguments and facts he could advance fell upon deaf ears, for
Cardinal Bellarmine and Pope Paul V had decided that the doctrine
of a stationary Sun and a moving Earth was not only unscriptural,
but constituted one of the gravest perils to the Catholic
religion" (Norton Wagner, "Unveiling the Universe", p. 33)
Instead of following scripture, professing Christianity
continued to follow past error in order to retain their influence
on men. "Truly, they [the Catholic Church fathers] failed to take
unto themselves the spirit of the specific injunction of the
great Apostle to the Gentiles, which they themselves taught, to
'PROVE ALL THINGS AND HOLD FAST TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD.'
"And thus Christian Opinion, founded upon what they
mistakenly believed to be true interpretations of the Scriptures,
controlled and disquieted the thoughts of men throughout the long
silent centuries of the sword-swept dark ages of Europe" (Ibid.,
p. 21).
BECAUSE OF GROSS MISREPRESENTATION OF SCRIPTURE AND THE
VIOLENT SUPPRESSION OF THE TRUTH -- EVEN BY THE SWORD -- A
GROWING MOVEMENT AGAINST RELIGION BEGAN IN ALL FIELDS OF SCIENCE.
"The idea that present conditions {in contrast to the clear
Biblical statement that God, created the heavens and the earth}
furnish the safest basis for thinking about the past emerged as a
REACTION against the time-honored and almost UNIVERSAL belief
that the earth and its physical features are products of
mysterious supernatural events.
"A great deal of weight was placed on a strict
interpretation {actually a strict MISrepresentation} of
Scripture, which limited the existence of the physical world to a
relatively short time and required the compression of universal
creation and other tremendous events into a few thousand years"
(Stokes, "Essentials of Earth History", p. 31 -- Emphasis ours
throughout the article).

Scientists Ignorantly Reject God

Notice! The movement which began against religious teachings
about 400 years ago was NOT actually against the teachings of the
Bible. The real teachings of the Bible were not even known! It
was the MISINTERPRETATION of Scripture that scientists were
fighting. They were fighting a medieval superstition that had its
origin in pagan wretchedness, not in the Bible.

-------------------
PHOTO CAPTION: This is how the universe was envisioned during the
Middle Ages. It pictured a SOLID sky with the sun, moon, and
stars rotating around a FLAT earth! Behind the "sky" was
supposedly a complicated mechanism which moved the heavenly
objects! This and other fables from the Dark Ages still affect
certain beliefs about the Bible. The belief that God created the
heavens and the earth about 6000 years ago is one of these
fables.
-------------------

Realizing the error in Catholic and Protestant teachings,
scientists organized to thrust out of men's minds the knowledge
they assumed to be the Bible's teachings. Since these churchmen
all said they got their scientific beliefs from the Bible, the
scientists ASSUMED THEY were fighting the Bible.
And, getting God out of the picture also meant men could now
rationalize they did not need to obey their Creator. Evolution
and spontaneous generation were taught as truth in place of God's
Word.
Let's understand. Both the professing Christian churches and
the scientists were in error.
Churchmen said they had the Bible's teaching about the
earth's history and place in the universe. Yet they REJECTED the
Bible's teaching and the knowledge God wants us to discover for
ourselves! They called the truth HERESY! Some today reject clear
knowledge -- still preferring to live in the dark ages and to
call truth heresy.
Scientists had the facts God wants us to learn by exercising
our five senses, but they interpreted all the facts through the
eyeglass of evolution and uniformity, fulfilling the prophecy
that ungodly men in the end times would teach that "... all
things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation"
(II Peter 3:3-7). They were unwilling to retain God in their
knowledge (Rom. 1:18-23).
Neither the professing Christian church nor the scientists
checked to see what the Bible actually says! Churchmen ASSUMED
the Bible agreed with their superstitions and scientists who
heard these teachings ASSUMED the Bible taught silly, childish
fables they knew to be untrue.
It's time to stop assuming and check up! Why follow
medieval, dark-ages superstitions? Why not be willing to "prove
all things"?
Scientists, instead of turning to God "FELT IN THEIR BONES
that there must be a natural explanation for organic as well as
geological change, but the method was not easily to be had"
("Scientific American", Aug. 1959, p. 102).
Is it truly scientific to reject the proof of God's
existence on the basis of a "feeling in one's bones"? Admittedly,
it was a difficult task!

Why Such Utter Confusion?

What a ridiculous spectacle! Men -- both in religion and
society -- each going his own way. One claiming to teach the
Bible, and in reality teaching traditions of men. The other,
openly rejecting the Bible and, "feeling in his bones" that a
natural explanation could -- and must -- be found.
When geologists say "Early geologists fought to free people
from the myths of Biblical creation" ("Geotimes", August 1957, p.
12), they are only saying that men fought to replace one ERROR
with another.
Now, the Catholic Church has accepted the evolutionary
concept of the earth's origin and life upon it. Numerous
Protestant churches have also taken the evolutionary concept into
their teachings, justifying their actions by saying the Bible was
never meant to be a book on science.
This line of reasoning denies II Timothy 3:16 which says
that ALL -- not just a part -- of Scripture is given by
inspiration of God. This modern approach makes God's Word a mere
book of traditions of men.
The Bible plainly tells us that either ALL of the Bible is
given by inspiration of God or NONE of it is. It is not part
tradition -- or "stories" -- of men and part inspiration of God.
It stands as ONE UNITY. When the Bible does speak about history,
geology, astronomy, etc., it agrees with scientific facts.
Of course, in some few cases one needs to understand that
the Bible records conversations of men. In so doing it accurately
records what THEY said. But that does NOT automatically mean that
what the men said was of God.
For a simple example, Job 1:16 accurately records a message
given to Job by one who said a fire from "God" destroyed Job's
servants and sheep. But earlier in the chapter the Bible makes it
clear that it was Satan -- not God -- who sent this destruction!
Read it in Job 1:12. We should read the scripture as it is, and
NOT read our meaning into it.
The Bible tells us: "THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING
OF WISDOM: A GOOD UNDERSTANDING HAVE ALL THEY THAT DO {KEEP} HIS
COMMANDMENTS ..." (Ps. 111:10).
And, "THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE:
BUT FOOLS DESPISE WISDOM AND INSTRUCTION" (Prov. 1:7).
It's time to quit assuming, and to start obeying and fearing
God!
Because the truth about the earth's history has been buried
under a trash heap of medieval pagan superstition and ignorance,
men have assumed all of chapter one of Genesis is speaking of the
same time. Some have been unwilling to admit that "in the
beginning," in Genesis 1:1, is not speaking of Adam's creation,
but of a time long before Adam.
Man's 6000 years of reasoning himself astray, of being led
into deception by Satan the Devil, are rapidly nearing a climax.
You need to write for our free, highly illustrated booklet
entitled "1975 in Prophecy" to understand the prophesied events
which are to literally SHAKE this earth in the next few years.
Events which will bring to completion man's tragic 6000-year
history of wars and suffering and usher in the WONDERFUL WORLD
TOMORROW!

gap theory notes

Earth's Age: Does the Bible Indicate a Time Interval Between the First and Second Verses of Genesis?

We are introduced to the account of the creation of the earth in Genesis 1:1-2:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep."

The original Hebrew wording, combined with a comparison to other passages of Scripture, has led some to conclude that a considerable time interval is indicated between these two verses. If such an interval is indeed intended, there is no discrepancy between the Bible record and scientific determinations that the earth is up to several billion years old. If, on the other hand, there is no such gap, then the earth itself must be only around 6,000 years old—which most scientists consider an impossibility.

Do other passages, as well as history, shed any light on this question?

Some scholars propose that Genesis 1:2 can or should be translated "Now the earth became without form, and void . . ." as opposed to the common rendering "The earth was without form, and void . . ." Others dismiss this idea entirely. They assume the original Hebrew word hayah must be translated "was" and then assume the earth was originally created in this disorderly way.

However, as can be seen from many Bible helps, both translations of the term are possible.

Only the context of the chapter and book can determine which one is correct. Gleason Archer, professor of biblical languages, comments:

"It should be noted in this connection that the verb was in Genesis 1:2 may quite possibly be rendered 'became' and be construed to mean: 'And the earth became formless and void.' Only a cosmic catastrophe could account for the introduction of chaotic confusion into the original perfection of God's creation. This interpretation certainly seems to be exegetically tenable . . ." (A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 1974, p. 184).

In a footnote Archer adds, "Properly speaking, this verb hayah never has the meaning of static being like the copular verb 'to be.' Its basic notion is that of becoming or emerging as such and such, or of coming into being . . .

Sometimes a distinction is attempted along the following lines: hayah means 'become' only when it is followed by the preposition le; otherwise there is no explicit idea of becoming. But this distinction will not stand up under analysis. In Gen[esis] 3:20 the proper rendering is: 'And Adam called the name of his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all living.' No le follows the verb in this case.

So also in Gen[esis] 4:20: 'Jabal became the father of tent dwellers.' Therefore there can be no grammatical objection raised to translating Gen[esis] 1:2: 'And the earth became a wasteness and desolation'" (ibid.).

Some scholars also argue against translating hayah "became" instead of "was" in Genesis 1:2 because they assume this interpretation came about only recently, after scientists determined the earth to be very old. Thus they consider this explanation a desperate attempt to reconcile the Genesis account with modern geology. The explanation that there existed an indefinite period between the initial beautiful creation described in Genesis 1:1 and the earth becoming waste and void in verse 2 has been called, sometimes disparagingly, "the gap theory." The idea was attributed to Thomas Chalmers in the 19th century and to Cyrus Scofield in the 20th.

Yet this interpretation that the earth "became" waste and void has been discussed for close to 2,000 years, as pointed out by the late Arthur Custance in his book Without Form and Void: A Study of the Meaning of Genesis 1:2.

The earliest known recorded controversy on this point can be attributed to Jewish sages at the beginning of the second century.

The Hebrew scholars who wrote the Targum of Onkelos, the earliest of the Aramaic paraphrases of the Old Testament, rendered Genesis 1:2 with an Aramaic expression Dr. Custance translates as "and the earth was laid waste" (1988, p. 15). The original language evidently led them to understand that something had occurred which had "laid waste" the earth, and they interpreted this as a destruction.

The early Catholic theologian Origen (186-254), in his commentary De Principiis, explains regarding Genesis 1:2 that the original earth had been "cast downwards" (Ante-Nicene Fathers, 1917, p. 342).

In the Middle Ages the Flemish scholar Hugo St. Victor (1097-1141) wrote about Genesis 1:2, "Perhaps enough has already been debated about these matters thus far, if we add only this, 'how long did the world remain in this disorder before the regular re-ordering . . . of it was taken in hand?' (De Sacramentis Christianae Fidei, Book 1, part 1, chapter 6).

Other medieval scholars, such as Dionysius Peavius and Pererius, also considered that there was an interval of time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.

According to The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, the Dutch scholar Simon Episcopius (1583-1643) taught that the earth had originally been created before the six days of creation described in Genesis (1952, Vol. 3, p. 302). This was roughly 200 years before geology embraced an ancient origin for the earth.

These numerous examples show us that the idea of an interval between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 has a long history. Any claim that it is of only recent origin—that it was invented simply as a desperate attempt to reconcile the Genesis account with geology—is groundless.

Perhaps the best treatment on both sides of this question is given by Dr. Custance in his book. He states: "To me, this issue is important, and after studying the problem for some thirty years and after reading everything I could lay my hands on pro and con and after accumulating in my own library some 300 commentaries on Genesis, the earliest being dated 1670, I am persuaded that there is, on the basis of the evidence, far more reason to translate Gen. 1:2 as 'But the earth had become a ruin and a desolation, etc.' than there is for any of the conventional translations in our modern versions" (p. 7).

Was the Earth RECREATED after an initial creation?
Is there a GAP of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2?
(Part 4 of 4)

Print Page
Biblical Evidence for a Catastrophe between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2

There is much biblical evidence that reveals that a catastrophe has occurred between the first two verses of Genesis one. A proper understanding of what is written in the second verse will help us to see that there has been a previous catastrophe before the recreation account in Genesis.

" In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was (hayah-became) without form (tohuw-confusion), and void (bohuw-empty); and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. " Genesis 1:1-2
The two Hebrew words translated without form and void are the two Hebrew words tohuw and bohuw.

tohuw (#8414) – formless, confusion, vain, unreality, wasteland, wilderness, place of chaos.

bohuw (#922) – emptiness, void, waste.

As has been shown before the Hebrew word was-hayah in the second verse should be translated became. The last part of verse two indicated that the earth then became a confused empty formless wasteland (tohuw and bohuw), because of Satan's rebellion and sin.



An examination of a couple of verses where these two words tohuw and bohuw are used will be illustrative. The first is in Isaiah where God likens the original destruction of the earth to the chaotic state of the nation of Israel. Israel was in a state of confusion (tohuw). God is revealing two principles by this scripture. First the earth was not originally created in a state of confusion or vanity (tohuw) it therefore became that way. In the same sense the nation of Israel was not originally created in a state of confusion but it also had become that way (note all of Isaiah 45). Just as God had saved and recreated the earth from its original confused and chaotic state so God was going to save Israel from its confused and chaotic state.

" But Israel shall be saved by the LORD With an everlasting salvation; You shall not be ashamed or disgraced Forever and ever. For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain (tohuw), Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other." Isaiah 45:17-18
The second example is a parallel examination of Genesis 1:1-2 and Jeremiah 4:23-26. In both of these passages the words tohuw and bohuw are used. The context for the verses in Genesis is where it speaks about the condition of the earth before the creation of the first Adam. The context of the verses in Jeremiah reveals the condition of the earth immediately after the tribulation. Jesus Christ returns shortly after the tribulation. So in essence the earth's conditions before the arrival of Christ is described. Jesus Christ is often referred to as the last or second Adam. So in both of these verse the context is the arrival of Adam and a reconstituted and recreated earth. Both verses also describe a period of no light and the spirit or presence of God. The first earth was recreated physically. The second millennial earth will be recreated both physically and spiritually. The first Adam was earthy the second Adam was spiritual.

" In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form (tohuw), and void (bohuw); and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. " Genesis 1:1-2
" I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form (tohuw), and void (bohuw); And the heavens, they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth. I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger." Jeremiah 4:23-26

" And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. " 1 Corinthians15:45

Another clue that the earth was in a state of destruction is found in the second part of Genesis 1:2. This verse shows that the earth had been covered in a deep mantle of water. It was not until verse ten that dry land appeared. God used water as a judgment in the time of Noah when He sent a flood to destroy wicked men. This flood cleansed the earth as it destroyed the ancient world (Genesis 6:13). God sent a rainbow as a reminder to the flood survivors that He would never again destroy the world with water. Obviously God buried the pre-Adamic sinful world of Satan under vast sheets of water. This is the condition we find the earth in shortly before it is recreated. There is another flood coming that will bury or baptize the earth, but in keeping with God's promise it will not be a flood of water but of fire [42].

" …and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." Genesis 1:2
" For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men…But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up…looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?" 2 Peter 3:5-7, 10, 12

The context Genesis 1:3 "and God said."

The verse that begins the creative acts for each and every day (with one exception) begins with a statement made by God [43]. Each and every day begins with the words, "Then God said….". For example in verse 9, which is the beginning of the third day the verse, is as follows:

" Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so." Genesis 1:9
Also each and every day (also with one exception) ends with "so the evening and the morning were the (number) day." An example would be the quote for the ending of the third day.

" So the evening and the morning were the third day." Genesis 1:13
Using this formula the creative acts for the first day begin in verse three where it says:

" Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light." Genesis 1:3
This shows that the events of the first day of the recreation week began in verse three making the first two verses previous to the six-day recreation account. So the context of the day's beginning and ending reveal that the first two verses are not part of the original creation week and therefore further reinforces the concept of the gap and strengthens the Old Earth Creation scheme.

Interestingly the only exception to the above formula was the seventh day. On the seventh day God did not do any creating by "work." But he still created, established the seventh day Sabbath (Saturday) by resting on it. God created the Sabbath by resting, blessing it, and putting his presence in it. The Hebrew word for sanctified is qadash (#6942) , it means to consecrate, to set apart, to be honored and treated as sacred. Since the Sabbath was not created by "working" but by a blessing and by being set apart by God and by God resting, then the formula that began and ended each workday is not mentioned on the Sabbath.

" Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. " Genesis 2:1-3
Relation of the Fall of Satan to Creation

The Young Earth Creationists believe that Satan and all angels were created on the first day of the creation week. According to their scenario the angels were created and then a few hours later the earth was brought into existence. When the earth is created the angels of God shout for joy. God then creates water, which covers the earth, and he creates light. Then a short time later, sometime after the creation week, Satan is a fallen adversarial entity that lies and deceives mother Eve into eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. All of these chronological events would have transpired in days and maybe even hours [44]. Interestingly the description in Job reveals some otherwise overlooked details.

" Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?" Job 38:4-7
According to the Young Earth arrangement the sons of God, angels, would have to sing in the dark since light was not created until day four which is after the earth was created. Also the earth was "without form and void," it was empty and barren. Why would the angels sing at the creation of an empty, barren, formless, dark, and uninhabited earth? This could not be referring to the third day of the creation week when everything was pronounced good because no foundation is spoken about then.

Obviously Job 38 and the song of joy must be referring to a time period before the weeklong recreation account in Genesis one. If the Old Earth Creationist arrangement is considered then everything make perfect sense. Sometime in the past God created the heavens and the earth. Light would have existed at this time since the stars and sun would have been created first. Then the earth would have been created and it would have been complete with all the ecosystems in full operation and teeming with life [45]. It would not have been barren, formless, and dark world. This bringing into existence of a perfectly formed earth, which other sections of this paper have shown, was going to be the home of Satan and his angels overjoyed the angels and they sang for joy. Job 38 fits the Old Earth scenario, however it is forced when placed in a Young Earth context.

Also Satan is called the "that serpent of old", this statement is made after the war in heaven, when Satan had been cast out of heaven. According to the Young Earth scenario at the time that Satan is called the serpent of old he is only five days older than Adam because he was created on day one and humans were created on day six. It seems strange that he would be called "that serpent of old", if he were only slightly older than man. On the other hand this would make perfect sense if he had a long prehistory before the creation of man.

"And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 12:7-9
" He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; " Revelation 20:2

Creation of Light

There are several problems that concern the chronology of the appearance of light in the Young Earth Scenario. The earth was supposedly created on day one and the sun, moon, and stars were created on day four. Thus for four days the earth existed without the accompaniment of any type of celestial bodies. This creates several problems that may not be inherent in a cursory reading of Genesis one.

The Hebrew words for day, night, evening, and morning used in Genesis one are the exact same words used in the rest of the Old Testament to signify the same concepts. A day is defined as the rotation of the earth causing the apparent rising and setting of the sun—morning and evening, usually lasting twenty-four hours. See figure 9 [46]. Notice below in the listed translations that this rising and setting of the sun with its bringing of an evening and morning are normal days.

" God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." (Margin - and evening was, and morning was, a day one) (NKJV) Genesis 1:5

" God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day." (RSV) Genesis 1:5.




Figure 9: Sunset and Sunrise require a rotating earth and the sun. The sun was not created on day four but was actually created much earlier than the recreation account in Genesis one.
". . . and God calleth to the light 'Day,' and to the darkness He hath called 'Night;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day one." (Young's) Genesis 1:5

If, according to the Young Earth scenario God did not create the sun until the fourth day how does one explain the coming of sunset or the evening, and the coming of sunrise or the morning? There can only be a sunset and a sunrise if the sun exists and if the earth is revolving in its orbit around the sun every twenty-four hours. How can there be three days if the earth was sitting in dark space without a sun? How does one explain the existence of light before the creation of the sun moon and stars if the only light that exists in the present day heavens is the result of the radiance of the sun, stars, and the reflected light from the moon?

Once again these problems disappear under the Old Earth analysis of Genesis one. If the sun and all the celestial bodies were created in verse one than the problem with the days, and light existing before the creation of the sun disappears. What basically is happening in the description of light in the first chapter is easy to understand from an Old Earth perspective. When the re-creation scene begins in verse three the earth's surface is totally dark because of suspended particles of dust in the air. When God said, "Let there be light", enough of this suspended material was removed that the earth is now bathed in a subdued light. This would correspond to a particular cloudy day where the heavenly bodies would not be visible but yet the coming of day and night could be perceived. It would be analogous to someone coming into a darkened room and saying, "let there be light" as he drew back the curtains to allow outside light in. Later, on day four God totally cleans the atmosphere and the sun, moon, and stars become visible through the pristine atmosphere. All of these creative acts take place from the perspective of an observer on the surface of the earth.

Various Translations of Genesis 1:2

Different Bible translations of the second verse of Genesis two reveal an interesting perspective. The wording of many of the translations implies that the earth had become or was a waste or wasteland. This is what would be expected if the earth were in the process of being re-created and not in the process of being created. See figure 10 [47].

" . . . 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." (New King James Version)
" . . . the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness is on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters," (Young's Literal Translation)

"And the earth was waste and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. " (Darby Translation)




Figure 10: Various Bible translations indicate that the earth was created and then after an unspecified time period fell into a state described as: "without form, void, waste, empty, barren and a desolate waste."
" And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." (American Standard Version)
"And the earth was waste and without form; and it was dark on the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God was moving on the face of the waters." (Basic English Bible)

"Now, the earth, had become waste and wild, and, darkness, was on the face of the roaring deep,--but, the Spirit of God, was brooding on the face of the waters." (Rotherham Emphasized Bible)

"the earth was formless and desolate. The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the power of God was moving over the water." (Today's English Version)

"The earth was barren, with no form of life; it was under a roaring ocean covered with darkness. But the Spirit of God was moving over the water." (Contemporary English Version)

"When God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was a desolate waste with darkness covering the abyss and a tempestuous wind raging over the surface of the waters" (Smith-Goodspeed Bible)

He Made the Worlds

Another biblical theme that supports the Old Earth Creation concept is that the earth or world we are living in is just one in a series of worlds that have and will exist. God has brought into being one earth but it has sustained many worlds, time period, or ages. The word world or worlds is translated from two Greek words. The first is aion (#165) – which means ages or period of time. The second is kosmos (#2889) – which means the world, the universe, the earth, or the earth's inhabitants.

" (God the Father) has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds (aion); " Hebrews 1:2
" By faith we understand that the worlds (aion) were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." Hebrews 11:3

There was a pre-Adamic world. This world was the original earth created in the first verse of the Bible. This world was created perfect and was filled with various life forms (45). Satan was commissioned to be the ruler of this world. His throne was on the earth. Later through the sin of Satan and the rebellion of the angels "war in heaven" occurred. This led to the destruction of the earth and the extinction of all life. The life forms of this former world were fossilized and buried under a vast sheet of global water.

" In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was (hayah-became) without form (tohuw-confusion), and void (bohuw-empty); and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." Genesis 1:1-2

""Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? "Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth and issued from the womb; When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band; When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors; When I said, 'This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!' " Have you commanded the morning since your days began, And caused the dawn to know its place, That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?"" Job 38:4-13

There was a pre-flood world. This pre-flood world was the world that existed from the recreation of the earth in Genesis one to its destruction in the flood of Noah as documented in Genesis six. This world was the world of Adam and the long-live biblical patriarchs. This world was brought into judgment because it was corrupt and extremely wicked. Like the pre-Adamic world it also was destroyed and purified by water.

" The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth." Genesis 6:11-13
" . . . and did not spare the ancient world (kosmos), but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world (kosmos) of the ungodly; " 2 Peter 2:5

"For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world (kosmos) that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:5-7

There is this present world. This world began when Noah disembarked from the ark. It has and will exist until the return of Christ as Lord of Lords. This is the present world in which mankind lives. This is the world in which Jesus Christ was made flesh, was born to the virgin Mary, grew to manhood, established the church, and later died as the Passover sacrifice on the cross. During Jesus' earthly life he was tempted by Satan and overcame him. Jesus in reality dethroned Satan and qualified to replace him as God of the earth. He will ascend this throne during the millennial period.

" For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world (kosmos) that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:5-7
" And the world (kosmos) is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 2:17

" He was in the world (kosmos), and the world (kosmos) was made through Him, and the world (kosmos) did not know Him." John 1:10

There is the coming millennial world. The coming of this world has been prophesied by most of the prophets. It will begin with the literal return of Jesus Christ to rule the nations. This world will continue for a thousand year hence the name millennium. The kingdom of the present world will become the kingdoms of Christ. When Jesus Christ returns Satan's commission, as "god of the world" will come to an end. The resurrected saints will be given rulership status with Christ. The nature of the animals will be changed and the earth will become an Edenic paradise. This time period is sometime referred to as the Kingdom of God. At the close of this age there will be another resurrection as prophesied in the many places in the scriptures (Ezekiel 37, John 11:24, Revelation 20:1-6).

"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 11:6-9
"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." Revelation 20:4-6

There is the final new heavens and a new earth. At the end of the millennial world when the thousand year time period had ended God will cast the unrepentant into the lake of fire and the earth will be cleansed by fire. The earth will be remade for the last and final time. It will become the home of God the Father (Revelation 21:1-8) and only righteous resurrected humans will dwell in it. At this time the sons of God will inherit the final culmination of all the promises and the earth will become the restored home of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and their family.

" For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind." Isaiah 65:17
" For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me," says the LORD, "So shall your descendants and your name remain." Isaiah 66:22

" But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." 2 Peter 3:7, 10-13

" Now I saw a new heaven an d a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." " Revelation 21:1-4

Conclusion

There is much biblical evidence that indicates that the creation account in Genesis one is simply a recreation account. The Old Earth position has not been accepted because of the need for vast amounts of time in order to harmonize with man evolutionary timetable. It in fact preceded modern geology and has a long history. The gap is based on solid biblical evidence and also a proper understanding of the context of chronological events of biblical history involving Satan, angels, war in heaven, sin, judgment, and God's plan.

The proper understanding of the gap and the Old Earth position reveals several things that are not clearly understood when biblical and creation scholars claims that the universe, including the earth, is at most only a few thousand years old. First and foremost it reveals a proper understanding of the history of Satan and the angels he led into rebellion. Because of the gap, God is revealed as a God of justice and judgment and that all sin had consequences. It is also understood that God has a plan and that there is a new world coming. The sons of God will inhabit this future world. Another important point of understanding is that Satan and the fallen angels ultimate destiny has not yet been decided. These fallen beings that wrecked the first earth are yet to be judged. Their ultimate judgment is going to be the responsibility of transformed humans that have been saved—the sons of God!

Part 1: Introduction, Objections to Gap theory
Part 2: Do Hebrew Scholars Support a Gap?
Part 3: Was There Sin Before Adam?
Part 4: Biblical Evidence for a Catastrophe between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2


Works Cited and Research Notes

[42]. This fire is described in Matthew 25:41. The word for everlasting in this verse is the Greek word aionios (#166) aijwvnioß, which comes from the root word aion (#165) aijwvn, which mean age. This is an age lasting fire—know in scriptures as the "lake of fire." The lake of fire has been prepared for Satan and the fallen angels. This fire will cover the whole earth shortly before the creation of the new heavens and the new earth.

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

Revelation 20:14-15 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

[43] As has been shown Jesus Christ was the God who created all things. He is the logos, the spokesman. He created all things by speaking or commanding them into existence. Since He creates by speaking it is appropriate that the creative acts of each day begin with the statement "Then God said…".

[44]. Griggs R. 1997.

[45]. What type of life inhabited this world that Satan was commissioned to oversee? There are some interesting and speculative ideas and the Bible hints at some possibilities. They are presented here not as dogmatic proof but as interesting possibilities. Human have been created after the image and likeness of God, we are to be the sons of God and inheritors with Christ.

Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Animals are created after their kind. They reproduce after each other.

Genesis 1:24-25 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

The original pattern for humans came from God, where did the original pattern for animals come from? Some angelic beings that are in God's presence have animalistic forms. They resemble, eagles, and lions and oxen. They are representatives of the animals that inhabit the air (eagle), the ground (lion), and the domesticated animals (ox or bull). These beings which are spirit beings have been created before the creation of the earth. In other words there are angelic beings that have the basic body plan of animals that were created before animals came into existence (Ezekiel 1:10).

Revelation 4:6-7 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf (or ox), the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.

Obviously God used the angels as pattern for the form and shape of the animals that were created in Genesis chapter one. Animals are under the dominion of man in this present world, which corresponds to the angels being under the dominion of God. Later when humans are the "sons of God" they will be given dominion over all the angelic hosts. An intriguing question is, what type of animals were created in the pre-Adamic world?

In the Old and New Testaments Satan is picture as having a serpentine, reptilian form in the basic body plan of a dragon. He is also described as very wise and powerful. He would have been an awesome sight to behold. He is pictured as a great red dragon and a serpent in Revelation. He was reptilian in shape and was also wise and beautiful. Consider the following words used in the description of Satan

nachash (#5175) — serpent. This word is used in the Old Testament to refer to Satan. It is also used to denote everyday snakes.

drakon (#1404) — an alternate form of derkomai a fabulous (or fascinating) kind of serpent, a dragon.

ophis (#3789) — snake, serpent, a sly, cunning, artful, malicious person, sharpness of vision.

Revelation 20:2 He laid hold of the dragon (drakon), that serpent (ophis) of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years

Since God was going to put Satan over the newly created pre-Adamic earth it only make sense that the earth would be populated with created animals that had his basic body plan—dinosaurs. As a side note, many scientists have suggested that the world of the dinosaurs, the Mesozoic Era which included the Jurassic and Triassic time periods, was destroyed by a massive comet or planetoid striking the earth during the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. This astral event, which destroyed all life on the earth, is often called the K-T extinction event. This is very similar to the "war in heaven" paradigm! So in essence the properly correlated fossil record indicates that the earth had a prehistory before man and that this world was destroyed and covered with water. The events after Genesis 1:1-2 indicate that God recreated the earth as a habitation for man.

[46]. Photo courtesy of: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). photo #1911. John Bortnaik.

[47] Out of the Dust, a Planet is Born. Photo courtesy of: NASA-JPL-Caltech. photo #PIA05988.

Caption: In this artist's conception, a possible newfound planet spins through a clearing in a nearby star's dusty, planet-forming disc. This clearing was detected around the star CoKu Tau 4 by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope…If we were to visit a planet like this, we would have a very different view of the universe. The sky, instead of being the familiar dark expanse lit by distant stars, would be dominated by the thick disc of dust that fills this young planetary system.

Written by: Arnold Mendez
Visit Arnold's site dedicated to Creation and related topics.

Was the Earth RECREATED after an initial creation?
Is there a GAP of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2?
(Part 3 of 4)

Print Page
Biblical examples of where the word hayah is translated became/become

Proponents of the Young Earth viewpoint often claim that was is the only proper translation of the word hayah and that any other translation is simply not acceptable, and if hayah is ever translated into another word besides was it is done only on a very limited basis [24]. A paper by Jack Sofield, "The Gap Theory of Genesis Chapter One" is a good example of the Young Earth Creationists position: [25].

" Passages such as Genesis 3:22; 19:26; 21:20 and Exodus 7:19; 8:17; 9:10 demonstrate "became" properly used in context…In each case a change of state is observed. Adam becomes as God; Lot’s wife becomes a pillar of salt; Ishmael becomes an archer; the water becomes blood; the dust of the earth becomes lice; the ashes become a boil. “Become” is obviously the correct choice in each of these passages since none of the subjects existed in the stated condition originally. Incidentally, these passages represent the entirety of the use of “became” as a translation of the word in question throughout the entire Pentateuch. "


While it is true that the majority of cases the word hayah is translated was this does not mean that it can never be translated became or become. In the Old Testament scriptures there are approximately 150 examples of where the word hayah has been translated became or become. Most authors of papers dealing with the subject of how often hayah is translated into the words became or become are grossly misinformed about how often this occurs. It occurs more often than believed. An examination of any concordance will reveal that just in the book of Genesis there are 16 instances where the word hayah has been translated into became or become. In Genesis 48:19 the word hayah is even translated into the word become twice in the same sentence. The sixteen occurrences of the word hayah being translated became or become in the book of Genesis are listed below:

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became (hayah) a living being." Genesis 2:7
" Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became (hayah) four riverheads." Genesis 2:10

" Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become (hayah) like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" Genesis 3:22

"and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become (hayah) a flood to destroy all flesh." Genesis 9:15

"since Abraham shall surely become (hayah) a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?" Genesis 18:18

" But his wife looked back behind him, and she became (hayah) a pillar of salt." Genesis 19:26

"But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became (hayah) my wife." Genesis 20:12

"So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became (hayah) an archer. " Genesis 21:20

"I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become (hayah) two companies." Genesis 32:10

" Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebekah and she became (hayah) his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." Genesis 24:67

"then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become (hayah) one people. Genesis 34:16

"Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, 'Some wild beast has devoured him.' We shall see what will become (hayah) of his dreams!" Genesis 37:20

" Then Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for every man of the Egyptians sold his field, because the famine was severe upon them. So the land became (hayah) Pharaoh's." Genesis 47:20

" And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have one-fifth, except for the land of the priests only, which did not become (hayah) Pharaoh's. " Genesis 47:26

" But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also shall become (hayah) a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become (hayah) a multitude of nations." Genesis 48:19

Time or space does not permit the inclusion of all of the other words that have been translated from hayah. In brief they include: will be, art become, let there be, it was so, accomplished, shall be, had, come to pass, as well as the more common—was.

Context and the Meaning of Genesis One

Many competent scholars on both sides of the Genesis 1 controversy admit that hayah can be exegetically translated was or became. The final choice of which is a better translation depends on the context of what was happening at that particular time. The irony is that the word hayah appears in the second verse of the Bible when the context has not yet been determined or is unclear. Notice that in the two quotes below, one from a Young Earth viewpoint and the other from an Old Earth viewpoint, that both admit that context is an important if not the deciding factor.

" However, recognized grammarians, lexicographers, and linguists have almost uniformly rejected the translations 'became' and 'had become'. It is a basic exegetical fallacy to claim that because Strong’s Concordance lists 'became' as one of the meanings of haya, it is legitimate to translate it this way in the particular context of Genesis 1:2. " [26]
" Some scholars propose that Genesis 1:2 can or should be translated "Now the earth became without form, and void . . ." as opposed to the common rendering "The earth was without form, and void . . ." Others dismiss this idea entirely. They assume the original Hebrew word hayah must be translated "was" and then assume the earth was originally created in this disorderly way…However, as can be seen from many Bible helps, both translations of the term are possible. Only the context of the chapter and book can determine which one is correct. Gleason Archer, professor of biblical languages, comments: "It should be noted in this connection that the verb was in Genesis 1:2 may quite possibly be rendered 'became' and be construed to mean: 'And the earth became formless and void.' Only a cosmic catastrophe could account for the introduction of chaotic confusion into the original perfection of God's creation. This interpretation certainly seems to be exegetically tenable . . ." (A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Moody Press, Chicago, 1974, p. 184). " [27]

Since there seems to be so much confusion regarding the context of this verse it is proper that an examination of the scriptures be made to determine the Biblical and historical context of what occurred in relation to these two verses.

Was There Sin Before Adam?

The Young Earth Creationists believe that there was no sin before Adam. Sin brought death and since Adam was created on the fifth day of the creation week (Genesis 1:26-27, 31) then death could not exist before Adam. If there was no death before Adam then fossils, buried dead animal that were laid down in beds of strata before Adam should not exist. Also if the pre-Adamic world was full of buried fossils then how could God pronounce the earth "good" during the end of each of the successive creation days? In essence God would be pronouncing death as "good."


These two concepts will be examined individually. First the concept of sin will be examined. The concept that there was no sin before Adam's sin is incorrect. There indeed was sin before the sin of our first human parents. See figure 5 [28].


Figure 5: Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden because of sin. Were they the first sinners—or did sin exist before humans?
Sin is the breaking of God's law; it is often termed lawlessness or iniquity. Sometimes sin is equated with breaking of the Ten Commandments. At other times it is the breaking of God's intent or will as defined by his writings or oral commands. Sin involves pride and disobedience.

" Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." John 3:4
"He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4

Sin leads to death. It may be delayed or it may be immediate but sin always leads to death. Without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we cannot be freed from the penalty of sin.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
Satan is a sinner. Satan was a sinner from the beginning. His was originally a created archangel and was originally named Lucifer, which means, "light bringer." Later pride and vanity caused him to sin and his name was changed to Satan which mean "adversary." He opposes truth and light and he is pictured as the adversary of God and his people. In the following verse he suffers from two hideous sins, lying and murder.

"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it." John 8:44
Satan sinned before Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of "Good and Evil" (later in this article it will be shown that Satan sinned before the seven day creation week). So therefore sin preceded Adam. Humanity although sinful did not originate sin, sin was alive and well before Adam. Although the following verse notes the first recorded lie, which would be a sin, undoubtedly Satan was an experienced sinner by this time. In verse one below, the word cunning (NKJV) or subtle (KJV) is the Hebrew word aruwm (#6175) – examining a lexicon it will be shown that the word denotes: crafty, shrewd, or sly in a bad sense. When Satan approached Eve he was in a competitive or adversarial (Satan = adversary) attitude toward God, he uttered lies and therefore it is obvious that sin did not originate with humans. He told Eve she would not die if she disobeyed God. Satan lied!

" Now the serpent was more cunning (crafty, shrewd, or sly in bad sense) than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." " Genesis 3:1-5
Another verse that shows that Satan sinned and brought death is found in Romans. This verse is often used by the Young Earth Creationist to show that death is a result of sin and death originated with Adam since they suppose that he was the first sinner.

" Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned . . ." Romans 5:12
The logic is correct, but what if Adam was not the first sinner? What if Satan was the first sinner, then sin and death would have originated with Satan. Adam simply followed in his spiritual father's footsteps. As an aside if Satan was the originator of sin and he sinned before Adam then we would expect the earth to be full of the fossil of dead animals that died as the result of Satan's sin. In other words the fossil evidence indicates that Satan had sinned long before man since the pre-Genesis 1:3 world is covered with much fossil filled stratum [29].

Humans have no monopoly on sin. Angels can sin and Satan can manipulate fallen angels.

" For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;" 2 Peter 2:4
" His tail drew a third of the stars (stars are angels, see Revelation 1:20) of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born… So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 12:4-9

The previous verses show that there was sin before Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Sin actually has a long prehistory. Most people do not realize that Satan is the originator of sin and humans are simply tuned into Satan's wavelength.

" And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others." Ephesians 2:1-3
Satan is an arch-deceiver and misleads and manipulates humanity to do his bidding. Satan is so powerful and humans are so tied into his mind set that the only way humans can be spared his influence is if Satan is removed.

" Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand .He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while…Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, " Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10
In the Old Testament is a ritual that indicates that sin is often the result of Satan's influence [30]. The 16th chapter of Leviticus involves a goat that is killed (Christ) and another goat (Satan) that has the sins of the people placed on it. After symbolically having the people's sins placed on the head of the living goat it is lead away into the wilderness. This prefigures what happens in Revelation 20 when the originator of mankind's sins is lead away by an angel with a great chain.

" Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness." Leviticus 16:21-22
…and it was very good.

According to the Young Earth Creationists God pronounced His creation "good." Everything He had created was termed "good." How could God have said everything was "good" if the world that existed before Genesis 1:2 was full of buried fossils and dead organisms?

Genesis 1:31 says, 'And God saw every thing that He had made, and behold it was very good.' [The Hebrew is meod tov, which indicates perfection, a complete absence of evil of any kind, as Calvin and many other commentators have pointed out] This is hardly an accurate description, if the being who became Satan had already rebelled! And if there were billions of 'Lucifer-flood' fossils with the marks of disease, violence, death, and decay, corresponding to the perishing of an entire pre-Adamic race and the extinction of a complete world of animals, with Adam and Eve walking around on top of buried fossils, how could God have called all this 'very good'? [31]
The Young Earth Creationists misunderstand what is meant by "good" and how God works and what is acceptable to Him. The original intent of God's statement of whether the earth was good or very good does not depend on whether it is free from dead fossils or the taint of death and sin. The earth in Genesis one is called good because the context is dealing with God's present creative acts. In other words, for something to be called good does not depend on it being free of any impurity or blemish. It would have been easy for God to pronounce the earth with all its fossil strata good since the statement good is in the context of what is being noted—his recreation is good. If the Young Earth Creationist position were correct then any piece of the earth after the sin of man could not ever be called good! In reality there are many example of impure physical objects, whether living or now dead, being called good. First of all consider the two Hebrew words translated good and earth in Genesis one and the first verse of Genesis two (this also applies to the rest of the Old Testament).

towb (#2896) — good, excellent pleasant.

'erets (#776) — earth, whole earth, land, ground.

In the totality of the first two chapters of Genesis the word translated earth is 'erets. Notice the earth ('erets) is called good (towb) in Genesis 1:31 and 2:1.

"Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good (towb). So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth ('erets), and all the host of them, were finished." Genesis 1:31; 2:1
In all of Genesis chapter one when the terms good and earth are translated they are translated from these two words, without exception!

After the original creation when the earth had been subjected to centuries of death, destruction, wars, and the killing of all kinds of animals, which would include their burial and possible fossilization, the earth (land) was called good. Included in this "good earth" would be the innumerable organisms and fossils buried by the flood of Noah. This is the same situation that would not allow the Young Earth Creationists to call the earth good in the first chapter of Genesis if their had been a previous world with death and destruction. The exact same Hebrew words are used to call the modern but defiled earth (land) good.

" and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good (towb) land ('erets). " Numbers 14:7
" 'I pray, let me cross over and see the good (towb) land ('erets) beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.'" Deuteronomy 3:25

The earth had preexisted in Genesis 1:1 and it was full of dead and buried fossils from a previous catastrophe that had turned it into a cosmic wasteland. In spite of this when God began to refashion the earth for human habitation it was called good just as the earth at a later time was called good. The fact that the earth is called good in these verses has nothing to do with its past state; it has to do with God's recreation in six literal twenty-four hour days being good.

All humans are sinners, and whether male or female are subject to death unless washed clean by the blood of Christ. Every human carries parasites, diseases, and all kinds of defilements. Humans are imperfect and yet the scripture say that these imperfect humans can have the same type of "goodness" that the earth had in Genesis. There are no perfect men and there are no perfect women, yet the Bible calls some men and women good (towb).

" A good (towb) man obtains favor from the LORD, But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn." Proverbs 12:2
" He who finds a wife finds a good (towb) thing, And obtains favor from the LORD." Proverbs 18:22

There are many other examples where something that is physically impure or not perfect is called good or in some instances even holy. These examples are used to show that God's context for calling something holy or good does not depend on it physical condition but on God's influence or presence. If the term goodness or holiness can only be applied to what is free from sin or death then in reality nothing can be truly termed good and holy, but God the Father, His Son Christ, and the holy angels. As a cursory reading of the scriptures will show many things defiled by death and sin are in certain contexts called good and holy.

Jesus Christ was a perfect sinless man. He was God in the flesh. He was holy and without spot and blemish He is called good. Yet consider that his mother was a sinner as are all humans [32]. In spite of Jesus being born from a sinful background that involved death, yet He is called holy and blameless. This is an example of how something that is presently spotless does not have to originate from a previous spotless condition. Jesus could not be called good if we used the Young Earth Creationist definition of what is good.

" . . . how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Hebrews 9:14
Jesus Christ also ate animal flesh. He partook of the Passover and this involved the eating of a roasted lamb. He also ate fish after his resurrection. The eating of these dead animals should have defiled his body according to the definition of the Young Earth proponents.

" "Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?" '" Luke 22:11
" When He (Jesus) had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?" So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence." Luke 24:42

The temple is holy and is described as such in various passages. Below is a sampling of two such passages:

" Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim." 1 Kings 8:6
" "This is the law of the temple: The whole area surrounding the mountaintop is most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple. " Ezekiel 43:12

Solomon's temple was built out of white limestone, see figure 6 [33]. King Solomon commissioned King Hiram of Tyre to quarry the stones. King Hiram had 80,000 stonemasons (1 Kings 5:15, 17-18) involved in quarrying the limestone used in the foundation and the walls of the temple. White limestone was used because it is easily worked and when it is finely polished it resembles marble. Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is fossil rich. This means that the temple foundations and walls are built out of rocks, which are mostly fossilized remains of dead carbonate animals [34]. It would be impossible for God to have called the temple holy using the Young Earth Creationist's standard for holiness.



Figure 6: A model of the second temple enlarged by Herod. Like the first temple built by King Solomon they were both built out of white limestone a fossil rich rock.
In order not to belabor the point there are many other examples that could be used to show that the Young Earth definition of goodness is flawed. The main point in this section is to illustrate that the Young Earth Creationist's contention that the earth had to be fossil and death free to be called "good" is incorrect. The earth could have, and it is the contention of this paper that it did have, buried under its surface many hundreds or thousands of feet of fossil rich strata from a previous cosmic catastrophe, and it could still be called good, because God was referring to His recent creative acts. The question now turns to what caused the earth to become a cosmic wasteland?

Angelic History Reveals the Context of Genesis 1:1-2

The history of Satan and his angels has much to do with the creation (in reality recreation) account found in the Bible. As mentioned in the previous sections of this article Satan is a very powerful entity. He does exist and he greatly influences the course of this world. He is called the god of this world and he controls the kingdoms of this earth (Daniel 10:12-13, 20). He was given control of the earth. God's coming Kingdom which will be an earth ruling kingdom is going to wrest control of the earth from Satan and will deliver it up to the saints (Daniel 7:27).

" . . . whose minds the god (Satan) of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them." 2 Corinthians 4:4
"Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out." John 12:31

"I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me." John 14:30

"of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. " John 16:11

" Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish." Luke 4:5-6

Satan is a created being, he was actually created by the personage that later became Jesus Christ. The book of Colossians reveals that Jesus is the creator of everything. Jesus created all spiritual life forms, all physical life forms, the vast universe, time, gravity, and all the various chemical and physical laws that govern how the universe operates. Before this time period only God the Father and God the Son existed.

" . . . in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. " Colossians 1:14-17
The first chapter of the book of John actually predates Genesis. It shows that in the past before the creation of Satan, the angelic host, and the physical universe only God existed: the Father and the Son. The Son is referred to as the "Word" the logos that spoke things into existence in Colossians and Genesis. As one Greek lexicon [35] defines the word logos: "the Minister of Creation"—the Spokesman. Jesus Christ as the creator of the Old Testament spoke or commanded Satan into existence!

" In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. " John 1:1-3
The 28th chapter of Ezekiel describes the spiritual career of Satan. It illustrates when he was originally created he was perfect in wisdom and beauty. He was one of the cherubs that covered the throne of God with his wings. This is typified by the lid, which covered the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:17-22). This lid often termed the mercy seat, where the High Priest went to obtain mercy in God's presence, had two angels [36] covering it with their outstretched wings. See figure 7 [37].
Originally Satan was one of the cherubs that covered God with his wings. Satan was an observer of the events that took place in the throne room of God. Satan had a top position in the most important place in the Universe the holy mountain that refers to God's headquarters.



Figure 7: The Ark of the Covenant, showing the covering cherubs with their outstretched wings. This symbolized God's throne in heaven. Satan was once present at the throne room of God; he is called "the anointed cherub who covers…"
""Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. "You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. "By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground…" Ezekiel 28:12-17

Satan was created, he was perfect, he served at God's governmental seat, and then he sinned—iniquity was found in him. After he sinned he was cast out of the presence of God [38].

" " How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit." Isaiah 14:12-15
Jesus Christ states that Satan was assigned to the earth and that he had a throne. A throne signifies rulership or a commission and a kingdom to rule over. He then ascended—"above the heights of the clouds", which cover the earth—up to heaven in order to lead a rebellion to take over God's throne. Satan wanted to rule over the stars, which were angels that were loyal to God. As a result of this war in heaven Satan and his demons were cast out of heaven back to the earth from which they had "ascended".

" His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth…And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 12:4, 7-8
Jesus Christ was an eyewitness to Satan being cast out of heaven onto the earth. Notice that this is not a prophetic event; it is past tense, it has already occurred.

" And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." Luke 10:18
As the previous section of this paper shows Satan and his angels were given dominion over this present day world (aion-age), or earth for an age, or a specified time period. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them on the earth—Satan, the former Lucifer was masquerading as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-15) in rebellion to God, he had a long history as a liar and a murderer. The future world ruling Kingdom of God will not be presided or ruled over by fallen angels or demons. The time of the earth being ruled and controlled by Satan and his demons will be a thing of the past. Humans are going to be given Rulership in this coming world [39].

"For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels . . . " Hebrews 2:5
Because of this attempted rebellion by Satan and one third of the angels, which he controlled, the earth was wrecked. The war in heaven left telltale evidence scattered throughout the earth's surface and the solar system. There is ample evidence of ancient catastrophic events in the solar system. These include but are not limited to the following: the craters on the moon, the rings of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Jupiter, the asteroid belt which is the complete shattering of another planet, the erratic orbit of Pluto, and Uranus' smaller moon, Miranda, being shattered and then reformed.



Figure 8: Because of the sin and rebellion of Satan and the angels the Bible indicates there was war in heaven. This heavenly battle caused much astronomical and geological chaos to the earth.
The whole solar system has scars of past planetary catastrophes. On the earth large craters caused by comets and planetoids have pockmarked its surface. See figure 8 [40]. Also the earth has thousands of feet of strata rich in fossil deposits, which indicate that the earth has been through at least one other worldwide catastrophe prior the flood of Noah [41].

Part 1: Introduction, Objections to Gap theory
Part 2: Do Hebrew Scholars Support a Gap?
Part 3: Was There Sin Before Adam?
Part 4: Biblical Evidence for a Catastrophe between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2


Works Cited and Research Notes

[24]. Arthur Custance make a very good case for the idea that in reality the word hayah should be translated as became or become in the vast majority of cases. By examining how the word hayah is "paraphrased" in the Septuagint translation it is obvious that in the vast majority of cases the word hayah should be translated in the sense of something "coming to be" or becoming.

When we add 'those instances in which the Hebrew verb appears as an imperative, and those in which it has the meaning of "existing" (ie., living), we shall not be far wrong if we conclude that in the great majority of cases the Septuagint did not look upon the meaning of the Hebrew verb as mere "being" in the copulative sense but as "becoming" or "coming to be".

For more on the subject see: Custance, Arthur C. Without Form and Void a Study of the Meaning of Genesis 1:2. Chapter 4: the Witness of Other Versions. p. 4-5. Doorway Pub. 1989. or online at http://custance.org

[25]. Sofield JC. The gap theory of Genesis chapter one. The Biblical Studies Foundation. p. 7. http://www.bible.org/docs/ot/books/gen/gapthery.htm. 2004.

[26]. Grigg R. From the beginning of creation: does Genesis have a gap? Creation Magazine. 19:2:34-38. March-May 1997.

[27]. Seiglie M. Evolution or creation: does it really matter what you believe? -Earth's age: does Genesis 1 indicate a time Interval? United Church of God. Cincinnati, OH. P. 29. 2004. www.ucg.org.

[28]. The Fall. Gustave Dore (1832-1883).

[29]. It is understood that in this particular case the reasoning is somewhat circular. But it is no more circular than the Young Earth position that the early earth had no fossils and therefore no sin existed before Adam.

[30]. Sin is actually a two-part process. Sin can originate with man apart from any outside influence or it can originate with Satan and then Satan tempts humans to sin. For the purpose of this paper Satan's role in sin is being stressed.

Mark 7:21-23 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, "thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. "All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

[31] Grigg R. 1997.

[32]. The Catholic Church gets around this problem by appealing to an immaculate conception. Catholics believe that the sinless Christ could only originate from a sinless mother. Young Earth Creationists are using the same logic, when they state that a good earth could not come from a sin filled earth.

McBrien RP. (editor). The Harper Collins Encyclopedia of Catholicism. Harper Collins Publishers. New York, NY. p.655-56. 1999.

The Immaculate Conception is not found explicitly in Scriptures…Given this reasoning the Council of Trent (1545-63) deliberately excluded Mary from its decree on original sin and taught in its decrees on justification that she was free from all sins throughout her entire life…To the Catholic imagination it is fitting that grace be freely give to her from the first moment of her existence because of her role in being the faith filled mother of Jesus.

[33] Model design © TempleModels.com. 9 Tammy Rd, Spring Valley NY 10977. (845) 364-9225.

[34]. Thompson, Ida. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fossils. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. New York, NY. p. 95. 1997.

[35]. Thayer, Joseph H. Thayer Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Coded with Strong's Concordance Numbers. Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. Peabody, MA. 1996

[36]. Although it is highly speculative it is possible that Satan (Lucifer) is part of a trinitarian system. In a spirit of speculation consider the following. There is only one angel called an archangel in the scriptures, Michael. The possibility exists that Gabriel is also an archangel since he is in God's presence.

Luke 1:19 And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.

Indications are that Satan was also originally an archangel since he also was in God's throne room as a covering cherub. If this is true he was originally created a part of a triune group of archangels, Michael-Gabriel-Lucifer, he was one of three. Satan also lead a third of the angels, which he controlled, into rebellions. Satan being one of three would have control over a third of the angels. It is interesting to note that Satan loves to receive worship in systems that consider God a triune one-in-three being (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

[37]. Ark of the Covenant. Artwork by Chester Comstock. Used with permission. Comstock Sculpture Studio 1201 West Thornton Parkway #313 Thornton C0. 80260. http://artsales.com.

[38]. Although Satan was cast out of heaven—God's presence, there are times when he and other fallen angels are allowed back into heaven.

Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan (margin-Adversary) also came among them.

1 Kings 22:19-22 Then Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. "And the LORD said, 'Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?' So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. "Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will persuade him.' "The LORD said to him, 'In what way?' So he said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the LORD said, 'You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.'

[39] In the coming Kingdom of God resurrected human will be rulers. Part of their job will be to pass judgment on the fallen angels that Satan led into rebellion.

1 Corinthians 6:2-3 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

[40]. Firefall. Artwork by Joe Tucciarone. Used with permission. 2403 West Friday Circle Cocoa, Florida 32926. http://members.aol.com/INTERSTELL/joe.html

[41] The flood of Noah was an earth wrecking experience (Genesis 6:13) but it was not the only one. The earth was wrecked by Satan's rebellion and has physical and geologic evidence of past catastrophes and extinctions. The earth's stratum actually indicates that there was a pre-Adamic catastrophe that engulfed the earth prior to the Noachian cataclysm. This destruction built upon destruction has jumbled much of the geologic record. It also caused much confusion in properly interpreting what occurred in the past. The first catastrophe is what led to the seven-day recreation account in Genesis One.

Written by: Arnold Mendez
Visit Arnold's site dedicated to Creation and related topics.