Does CI Scofield's Gap Theory have any credibility?

I don't know how many dispensationalists are aware of the Gap Theory, popularized in the Scofield Study Bible.

This causes a problem because Jesus and the apostles, in the Gospels and the epistles, do not seem to be aware of a long gap between the last day and the eternal state, like dispensationalism claims.

I don't know how many dispensationalists are aware of the Gap Theory, popularized in the Scofield Study Bible.

This Gap theory proposes that God created the world for angels. This world was ruled by angels, and included dinosaur life. The angels rebelled, and a cosmic war against God ensued. The angels lost their dominion due to their rebellion.

This pre-Adamic creation lasted for millions of years.

This scenario makes it easier to defend the older earth dating that science claims. I believe it was some creative exegesis on the behalf of Scofield and others to accomodate science's claims with Christianity's claims.

I was amused this morning thinking about this. Dispensationalists are well-known for inserting gaps into Scripture. I had forgotten that Scofield promoted the Gap theory, too, in order to reconcile his ideas with Scripture.

For instance, they claim that the "prophetic clock" stopped ticking when Israel refused Jesus as Messiah, and as a result, Gentiles now have an opportunity for salvation during the "parenthesis period" between Jesus' resurrection and the alleged rapture of the Church seven years before Christ returns.

This causes a problem because Jesus and the apostles, in the Gospels and the epistles, do not seem to be aware of a long gap between the last day and the eternal state, like dispensationalism claims. Instead, when he returns, he ushers in the eternal state, and death is defeated (see 1 Cor 15).

The only basis for their claims is related to their reading of Revelation, and particularly Revelation 20.

However, I'd like to discuss this topic...does the Gap Theory have any validity? Was their a long, preAdamic gap between the creation of the earth and the heavens, and the creation of Adam? If so, do you think it is credible that the earth was built for angelic habitation, and that man was only plan B?

I don't think it is credible. The reason I don't think it is credible relates to God's foreknowledge. Surely God isn't a dolt that fails in his objectives, like open theists and process theology people teach.


Anyways, for some basic info on the Gap Theory, I will provide this:

https://www.gotquestions.org/gap-theory.html

I will also add that I don't think dispensationalism is credible due to their penchant for modifying Scripture by claiming gaps where they don't have a license to do so. While they accuse others of "spiritualizing" or "allegorizing" when they recognize typology within Scripture, they have a penchant for conjecturing about such things.

And, Scofield's promotion of the Gap Theory is only one example of this.

I don't know how many dispensationalists are aware of the Gap Theory, popularized in the Scofield Study Bible.

This Gap theory proposes that God created the world for angels. This world was ruled by angels, and included dinosaur life. The angels rebelled, and a cosmic war against God ensued. The angels lost their dominion due to their rebellion.

This pre-Adamic creation lasted for millions of years.

This scenario makes it easier to defend the older earth dating that science claims. I believe it was some creative exegesis on the behalf of Scofield and others to accomodate science's claims with Christianity's claims.

I was amused this morning thinking about this. Dispensationalists are well-known for inserting gaps into Scripture. I had forgotten that Scofield promoted the Gap theory, too, in order to reconcile his ideas with Scripture.

For instance, they claim that the "prophetic clock" stopped ticking when Israel refused Jesus as Messiah, and as a result, Gentiles now have an opportunity for salvation during the "parenthesis period" between Jesus' resurrection and the alleged rapture of the Church seven years before Christ returns.

This causes a problem because Jesus and the apostles, in the Gospels and the epistles, do not seem to be aware of a long gap between the last day and the eternal state, like dispensationalism claims. Instead, when he returns, he ushers in the eternal state, and death is defeated (see 1 Cor 15).

The only basis for their claims is related to their reading of Revelation, and particularly Revelation 20.

However, I'd like to discuss this topic...does the Gap Theory have any validity? Was their a long, preAdamic gap between the creation of the earth and the heavens, and the creation of Adam? If so, do you think it is credible that the earth was built for angelic habitation, and that man was only plan B?

I don't think it is credible. The reason I don't think it is credible relates to God's foreknowledge. Surely God isn't a dolt that fails in his objectives, like open theists and process theology people teach.


Anyways, for some basic info on the Gap Theory, I will provide this:

https://www.gotquestions.org/gap-theory.html

I will also add that I don't think dispensationalism is credible due to their penchant for modifying Scripture by claiming gaps where they don't have a license to do so. While they accuse others of "spiritualizing" or "allegorizing" when they recognize typology within Scripture, they have a penchant for conjecturing about such things.

And, Scofield's promotion of the Gap Theory is only one example of this.

I'm not a dispensatioanalist, nor am I a fan of C I Scofield. But yes I do believe in the gap theory but not in the set up ways u propose. But I like the thread!

I've been itching to get in a discussion here about whether YEC according to the Bible is literal or not .. I don't start out the 1rst chapter of the first book calling God a liar or mistaken.. God says jump and I don't say ''how high'' ? I say ''this is high as I can jump, hope it's enough''

Not enough evidence in my opinion. But I suppose that is a theory. A weak theory. And theory that will be stuck in limbo because it states things beyond our capacity to even know. It's like the multiverse theory. Or the matrix simulator theory. We could never know if these are true. So essentially they are a waste of thought.

What problems do you see with Young Earth Creation?

Some think along lines like this.

To be honest, I started the thread simply because I don't like dispensationalism.

I don't think they are a waste of thought. However, I will agree that there is room for difference of opinion.

Here's my minimal criteria for orthodoxy:

1. Adam and Eve were special creations...not evolved.
2. No macroevolution.
3. The Fall happened as recorded in Genesis 3.