Gap Theory?

[Gideon300]

Everything that currently exists was made during the 6 days:
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is ... Ex 20:11 (KJV).
So anything that was made prior to the 6 days, cannot be in existence today without violating this verse.

There can be no physical evidence, such as a fossil or even one molecule, in existence today that was made prior to the 6 days; without violating this verse. Therefore it's impossible for the "gap theory" to have any existing scientific evidence to support it.

So you believe that dinosaurs were included in the original creation? It's possible. However, I dispute your conclusion from Exodus 20:11. Yes, God created all that we see now. But if the gap theory is correct, the six day creation was to restore the earth to an inhabitable state so that man could live there. Your interpretation raises questions that are impossible to resolve. A pre-Adamic creation makes perfect sense, given that fossils really do exist. One of the greatest Christian scholars ever, Watchman Nee, taught the gap theory. I found him utterly convincing and I've found no plausible refutation either.

There are questions that I cannot answer, but that applies to many controversial doctrines. One day, we will know all things. I suspect we'll all be surprised by how little we know. "Puzzling reflections in a mirror" as one version puts it.

 

[JohnRH]

A pre-Adamic creation makes perfect sense, given that fossils really do exist.

The fossils that really do exist are part of the "all that in them is":
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is ... Ex 20:11 (KJV)

Your "pre-Adamic" fossils can 't exist today without violating this verse.

 

[Gideon300]

No, it was not created in vain and then formed to be inhabited. It was created and formed to be inhabited.

Same concept found here with the same words for created and formed:

Isa_43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

The creating and forming happens at the same time. The Earth was created and formed to be inhabited but in Gen 1:2 is becomes void and uninhabitable so God spends 6 days creating all that is needed for humans to inhabit it. No surprise that this happened some time after the world was hit by an asteroid about 13k years ago which destroyed most life on the planet.

It helps to define words here. "Created" means to start from scratch. Adam was created from the dust, but Eve was formed out of Adam. While each Christian is a new creation, the church is formed out of Christ. So no, creating and forming do not necessarily occur at the same time. Jacob was "created". He was formed into "Israel" as he came to know God.

 

[GaryA]

No, it was not created in vain and then formed to be inhabited. It was created and formed to be inhabited.

I did not say it was created in vain; rather, I believe it was created with purpose - it just had not been "formed" yet at that early point in time.

 

[Gideon300]

I tried to bring this to the attention of one who is promoting the Gap Theory, but it was simply dismissed, even though it was written on tablets of stone by the finger of God. Which tells us a great deal about the Great Apostasy we are in at present.

The gap theory is almost as old as Christendom and believed by some of God's elite. You need to revisit your definition of apostasy. Just because you don't agree does not make you right. Be real careful how you judge believers especially. God takes it seriously. The way we treat other Christians is the way we are treating Lord Jesus. Sure, if someone is obviously wrong, they need to be corrected. It's one of the functions of God's word. If a Christian can justify his belief from God's word (and I don't mean cherry picking scriptures out of context), then you have no right to judge them. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. Don't be like him.

 

[JohnRH]

That's addressing only the things he made in those 6 days. It doesn't apply to satan.

God made Satan. Satan currently exists. Everything that exists was made within those 6 days. Therefore God made Satan within those 6 days.
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is ... Ex 20:11 (KJV)

Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

God didn't create the earth in vain; He created it to be formed. He formed it to be inhabited.

God did not create the earth void and without form as Genesis is thought to state.

Yes He did: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; Gen 1:1-2 (KJV)

... scientific evidence that God left behind affirms that the earth is much older than 6000-7000 years.

All the scientific evidence that God left behind was made within those 6 days: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is ... Ex 20:11 (KJV)

 

[ewq1938]

I did not say it was created in vain; rather, I believe it was created with purpose - it just had not been "formed" yet at that early point in time.

The creating and forming happen at the same time. See my previous post where that is proven.

 

[ewq1938]

God made Satan. Satan currently exists.

Not true. God made Lucifer. He was a good angel until pride caused him to fall and become the one we call "Satan".

Everything that exists was made within those 6 days. Therefore God made Satan within those 6 days.
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is ... Ex 20:11 (KJV)

God didn't create the earth in vain; He created it to be formed. He formed it to be inhabited.

He created the Earth to be inhabited. It became uninhabitable and then he fixed it. That was done in the famous 6 days of creation.

 

[GaryA]

The creating and forming happen at the same time. See my previous post where that is proven.

You have not 'proven' anything. (except to yourself?)

I am not going to argue with you.

You have the right to believe what you will.

We can disagree.

 

[JohnRH]

It became uninhabitable and then he fixed it.

You have no support for that from the Bible or science.

 

[CharishHaroon]

The gap theory is almost as old as Christendom and believed by some of God's elite. You need to revisit your definition of apostasy. Just because you don't agree does not make you right. Be real careful how you judge believers especially. God takes it seriously. The way we treat other Christians is the way we are treating Lord Jesus. Sure, if someone is obviously wrong, they need to be corrected. It's one of the functions of God's word. If a Christian can justify his belief from God's word (and I don't mean cherry picking scriptures out of context), then you have no right to judge them. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. Don't be like him.

The Gap Theory was propagated by some very respected men of God. Thomas Chalmers, GH Pember, and CI Scofield. Pember wrote a brilliant book, Earth's Earliest Ages, which must be read. Scofield's Reference Bible was very popular, and Scofield himself was a well-respected authority on the Bible.

It is a subject difficult to understand. I leave the issue to the Lord! It has no effect on my spiritual understanding or spiritual growth. But Chalmers, Pember and Scofield were men of God, no doubt about that!

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Of course I have proof. It's just being ignored:

Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

The original state of the Earth was formed to be inhabited.

Yeah, we already been through this

he formed it in 6 days to be inhabited, ie, he formed it aged, ie he formed it to appear to be millions or billions of years old

in it’s origional state before anything was done, like a ball of clay, god snapped it to be inhabited.

this is what I meant about my earlier comment.

you have not proven anything. And now our discussion is fruitless, and will go no where.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

You are not interpreting it properly.

It was not created to be inhabited - it was formed to be inhabited.

Understand the difference?

The original state was not the "after it was formed" state; rather, it was the "before it was formed" state.

Think of the 'creating' and the 'forming' as two different "steps" in the process of bringing it all about.

The 'creating' step caused space, time, and matter to come into existence. The 'clay' now exists for the potter to "form" into whatever He wishes.

The original state was one of "having no form" - it existed, but had no [particular] form.

The 'forming' step changed the "form" of the "base material" that already existed into the finished result. The 'clay' becomes pottery.

The finished state is one of "having being formed" into something that is inhabitable.

I was where @ewq1938 once, full into the gap theory, its hard to change what yu believed for years

 

[eternally-gratefull]

So you believe that dinosaurs were included in the original creation? It's possible. However, I dispute your conclusion from Exodus 20:11. Yes, God created all that we see now. But if the gap theory is correct, the six day creation was to restore the earth to an inhabitable state so that man could live there. Your interpretation raises questions that are impossible to resolve. A pre-Adamic creation makes perfect sense, given that fossils really do exist. One of the greatest Christian scholars ever, Watchman Nee, taught the gap theory. I found him utterly convincing and I've found no plausible refutation either.

There are questions that I cannot answer, but that applies to many controversial doctrines. One day, we will know all things. I suspect we'll all be surprised by how little we know. "Puzzling reflections in a mirror" as one version puts it.

1. Death came because of sin, since adam sinned after he was born and at that time creation was perfect as God had made it it makes no sense that there was any death before Adam was created
2. we have dinosours in scripture. The behemoth, according to God the greatest of all created animals. So tall, his tail was like a cedar tree. If you look at a Lebanon cedar. The type which would have been seen, these trees are so massive a human looks like an ant next to them
3. this proves dinos where on the ark, all they needed was baby’s of a kind, 2 of every kind... it was not a meteor that killed them off it was. Global flood. The dinos who made it could not survive the atmospheric changes
4. the fossil record proves a global flood not a billion year earth. It does not prove evolution or the gap theory.
5. science has made a huge case that the gap theory is false. You just have to get away from secular science,

 

[eternally-gratefull]

The creating and forming happen at the same time. See my previous post where that is proven.

Yep in 6 days as Moses recorded

 

[eternally-gratefull]

The Gap Theory was propagated by some very respected men of God. Thomas Chalmers, GH Pember, and CI Scofield. Pember wrote a brilliant book, Earth's Earliest Ages, which must be read. Scofield's Reference Bible was very popular, and Scofield himself was a well-respected authority on the Bible.

It is a subject difficult to understand. I leave the issue to the Lord! It has no effect on my spiritual understanding or spiritual growth. But Chalmers, Pember and Scofield were men of God, no doubt about that!

Yes, Scofield is where I got my view from, finally I had an answer for when dinos where born, why the earth was so old. And explained the fossil record. I finally had an answer for evolution and did not have to have so many unanswered questions.

then I went to the creation museum near Cincinnati Ohio, and purchased a few book, one being earths catastrophic past, then someone shared me dr walk browns hydroplate theory. And I read the genesis record and other books on the subject by good christian men and changed my view to what it is today.

i agree with you, we should not hate on each other. Sadly. Y church is still gap, I am one of the few who are YEC believers, it can be hard when the subject of creation and the flood comes up. I have al ost had to leave a few times. Because we are prety much mocked by a few of the elders for our belief.

 

[CharishHaroon]

Eternally Grateful
What we believe about Creation will not affect our future destiny.
But what we believe about Redemption will surely have a bearing as to whether we will end up in heaven or hell.

Since I am from the other side of the world, but have been to America three times (spending 18 months in that rather Godless country), I can say that this debate between Creation and Evolution has side-tracked many. I believe in my great Creator and Redeemer God. Kenneth Ham and others trying to counter Evolution are, imho, side-tracked.

The main issue is Salvation, which begins with Redemption and ends with Glorification.
A man may believe in six-day Creation and still end up on the wrong side of heaven.
The question is: Is he truly Saved? Is he truly born-again? Does he believe in the Gospel? Is he indwelt by the Holy Spirit?

There's quite a bit of the Bible that is beyond my limited human understanding.
But one thing I know: The Lord Jesus Christ is the great Creator and Redeemer. The most marvellous God! We know Him very little. (The reason being, we don't live by the Spirit or allow the Spirit to govern our lives).

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Eternally Grateful
What we believe about Creation will not affect our future destiny.
But what we believe about Redemption will surely have a bearing as to whether we will end up in heaven or hell.

Since I am from the other side of the world, but have been to America three times (spending 18 months in that rather Godless country), I can say that this debate between Creation and Evolution has side-tracked many. I believe in my great Creator and Redeemer God. Kenneth Ham and others trying to counter Evolution are, imho, side-tracked.

The main issue is Salvation, which begins with Redemption and ends with Glorification.
A man may believe in six-day Creation and still end up on the wrong side of heaven.
The question is: Is he truly Saved? Is he truly born-again? Does he believe in the Gospel? Is he indwelt by the Holy Spirit?

There's quite a bit of the Bible that is beyond my limited human understanding.
But one thing I know: The Lord Jesus Christ is the great Creator and Redeemer. The most marvellous God! We know Him very little. (The reason being, we don't live by the Spirit or allow the Spirit to govern our lives).

Amen I agree that’s why this is a non salvic issue,

it saddens me people get so hyped up over this, it’s like end times prophecy, it can bring out the worse in people

 

[ewq1938]

I was where @ewq1938 once, full into the gap theory, its hard to change what yu believed for years

I was where you were once, fully denying the gap in Genesis and that the Earth is billions of years old. It's hard to change what you believed for years.

 

[John146]

Yes, Scofield is where I got my view from, finally I had an answer for when dinos where born, why the earth was so old. And explained the fossil record. I finally had an answer for evolution and did not have to have so many unanswered questions.

then I went to the creation museum near Cincinnati Ohio, and purchased a few book, one being earths catastrophic past, then someone shared me dr walk browns hydroplate theory. And I read the genesis record and other books on the subject by good christian men and changed my view to what it is today.

i agree with you, we should not hate on each other. Sadly. Y church is still gap, I am one of the few who are YEC believers, it can be hard when the subject of creation and the flood comes up. I have al ost had to leave a few times. Because we are prety much mocked by a few of the elders for our belief.

I am gap and young earth...it’s possible to be both.