Why Six Days? (Six Days of Creation, Literal Days or Era's.

The Book of Genesis presents a disturbing problem for many Bible-believing Christians. Did God really create the heaven and the earth in just six 24-hour days? How does a serious student of the Torah - the five books of Moses - reconcile the Genesis account with the "billions of years" encountered in the dictums of astronomy, geology, et al?

Many continue to attempt to circumvent the problem by assuming that the six days represent "geological eras," or that the traditional text is simply a rhetorical "framework" for a literary summary of the creative process. Various forms of "theistic evolution" have been contrived in attempts to reconcile the Biblical text with the various theories and conjectures which dominate our evolution-based society.

However, the sincere student cannot escape the confrontations which result from the straightforward reading of the text with the ostensible declarations of "science." How can we deal with these fundamental issues?

There are four basic questions that confront all of us: Who am I? Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going when I die?

And your eternal destiny will be determined by your "world view" in addressing these issues. And there are really only two world-views: either everything - including you - is the result of some kind of cosmic accident, or this is all the result of a deliberate design by a Designer.

This issue could not be more fundamental to everything. It comes as a shock to many to discover that every major theme and doctrine in the Bible has its roots in this "Book of Beginnings": sovereign election; salvation, justification by faith, believer's security, separation, disciplinary chastisement, the Divine Incarnation, the "rapture" of the church, death and resurrection, the priesthoods (both Aaronic and Melchizedekian), the Antichrist, and even the Palestinian Covenant that is being challenged by the continuing tensions throughout the world today all have their roots in this critical foundational book of the Bible. And each of these issues also has its consummation in the Book of (the) Revelation. (Like every good textbook, the answers are always in the back!)

There are those who have suggested the books of Moses were actually compilations by a number of redactors over the years - the common "Documentary Hypothesis" being one of the most prevalent theories. Fortunately, these previously popular notions have been thoroughly shredded by competent scholarship. But allow me to save you many hours of boring library research. I know who wrote the Books of Moses: Moses did. How do I know? Jesus Christ Himself said so! Many times.¹

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? - John 5:45-47

Jesus quotes from each of the books of the Torah and attributes them each to Moses. The New Testament includes 165 direct quotes (and over 200 allusions) to the Book of Genesis, and over 100 of these are from the first 11 chapters. These include the Creator and the creation, ² (and allusions³), creation of man and woman,⁴ the fall of man,⁵ the Flood of Noah,⁶ etc. So if you believe in Jesus Christ, you have no problem as to who wrote the Book of Genesis. (And if you don't believe in Jesus Christ, you have much bigger problems than the authorship of Genesis!)

The account of the creation of the universe in six days still is a "bone in the throat" to many Christians. Many point out that the word for "day" is yom

, and is translated to 54 other words; however, 1181 of 1480 occurrences it is "day," and when used with a number it is always a literal day. But the real problem isn't the account in Genesis. It is in Exodus. In the middle of the Ten Commandments, the Creator Himself wrote it with His own finger in stone!

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. - Exodus 20:11

It is undeniable that God intended us to understand that it was, indeed, six literal days. So how do we deal with the common understanding that "billions of years" was involved? How do we deal with the astronomical distances of millions of "light years" between the galaxies of the universe? Can anyone familiar with the discoveries of modern science take the Genesis account seriously?

It may come as a pleasant surprise to discover that the more you know about modern science - the real physics, not the mythology and conjectures that masquerade as "science" - the more you can take the Biblical text seriously. The Lord always rewards the diligent. (A recent book includes articles by fifty top scientists - from many different fields of specialization - who declare why they believe in a literal six-day creation. ⁷)

One of the many advantages that 20th century science has given us is that, thanks to Dr. Albert Einstein's brilliant discoveries, we now know that time is a physical property and is subject to mass, acceleration, and gravity. We have come to realize that we live in a four-dimensional continuum properly known as "space-time." (This is what Paul seems to imply in his letter to the Ephesians!⁸) It is interesting that when one takes the apparent 10¹² expansion factor involved in the theories of the "expanding universe," that an assumed 16 billion years reduce to six days!

Furthermore, the astronomical timetables now seem to be entirely overturned with the reluctant acknowledgments that the speed of light is not longer regarded as the constant that the high priests of physics had been previously convinced of.

Not only have recent scientific articles highlighted the discoveries that the speed of light has changed over the centuries (something that Barry Setterfield has been declaring for decades) the very nature of light has ripped open the entire world of quantum physics that has shattered our concepts of reality itself.

The changes in the velocity of light not only impacts our understanding of the astronomical distances and properties, it affects the atomic behavior involved in the red shift of spectra, the reliability of radiological dating, etc. It is the peculiar properties of photons themselves that continue to astonish the quantum physicists wrestling with the very nature of our physical existence. It is now recognized that subatomic particles lack a property known as "locality." All subatomic particles are now understood to be immediately connected. There is a simultaneity - a "non-locality" - among all photons that has been confirmed in the laboratory. It now appears that our entire universe may actually be a gigantic hologram of some kind. ⁹

Most of us assume that space is simply an empty vacuum with nothing "in it." However, it is increasingly evident that even empty space has astonishing properties that have yet to be fully understood. We now know that this "firmament,"(raqia) which the Scripture presents, possesses electromagnetic properties including dielectric permittivity, magnetic permeability, an intrinsic impedance,¹⁰ and has an astonishing "zero-point" energy sufficient to keep all the electrons in the entire universe in their orbits.¹¹ The term "stretching the heavens" appears at least 17 times in the Scriptures.¹²

According to the Scriptures, the heavens can be "torn,"¹³ "worn out" like a garment,¹⁴ "shaken,"¹⁵ "burnt up,"¹⁶ "split apart" like a scroll,¹⁷ rolled up" like a mantle ¹⁸ or a scroll.¹⁹

The concept of being "rolled up" carries some additional insights. There must be some dimension in which space is "thin." If space can be "bent," there must be a direction it can be bent toward. Thus, this tells us that there must be additional dimensions beyond those of space itself. It is now understood that we live in even more than four dimensions: ten dimensions is the current estimate (which is precisely what Nachmonides concluded in his commentary on Genesis back in the 13th century!) The more we understand from the current perspectives of modern physics, the more comfortable we are with the chronicle in Genesis One.

The more we study our solar system, the more questions get raised. Here, too, the prevailing assumptions that are broadly taught are totally specious. The "Nebular Hypothesis," that the planets were somehow thrown off by the sun, is mathematically untenable. There is no plausible explanation that would support a solar origin of the planets. The sun contains 99.86% of all the mass of the solar system, and yet contains only 1.9% of the angular momentum. The nine planets contain 98.1%. Furthermore, the outer planets are far larger than the inner ones. (Jupiter is 5,750 times as massive as mercury, 2,958 times as massive as Mars, etc.)

o There are three pairs of rapid-spin rates among our planets: Mars and Earth, Jupiter and Saturn, and Neptune and Uranus, are each within 3% of each other. Why?

o Earth and Mars have virtually identical spin axis tilts (about 23.5°). Why? (From angular momentum and orbital calculations, it would seem that the three pairs of these planets may have been brought here from elsewhere.)

o Why does Mars have 93% of its craters in one hemisphere and only 7% in the other? It would appear that over 80% occurred within a single half-hour!

The Hebrew terms, Erev,and Boker, now refer to "evening" and "morning" but their origins remain obscure. Erev

designates obscuration, mixture (increasing entropy). The time when encroaching darkness begins to deny the ability to discern forms, shapes, and identities; thus, it becomes a term for twilight or evening.²⁰ This also marks the duration of impurity, when a ceremonially unclean person became clean again,²¹ and thus, the beginning of the Hebrew day.

Boker is a designation for becoming discernible, distinguishable, visible; perception of order; relief of obscurity (decreasing entropy). It thus is associated with being able to begin to discern forms, shapes, and distinct identities; breaking forth of light; revealing; hence, denotatively, dawn, morning. (As traditional designations for the Hebrew day, technically it would seem to only designate the nighttime hours, but it is used connotatively for the entire calendar day.)

It is noteworthy that neither of these are recorded on the seventh day, and thus their original significance may have been to designate the increments of creation.

There are other questions that arise from the Genesis narrative. When was the earth created? It seems to have preceded the rest of the universe. Surprisingly, there are some cosmologists that are (again) beginning to suspect that the universe may be geocentric after all! How did plants (3rd day) flourish without the sun's photosynthesis (4th day)? When were the angels created? (They apparently witnessed the events of Genesis 1.) ²² When did Satan fall? He had apparently already fallen by Chapter 3.

As we explore these, and other, enigmas that emerge from the Biblical text, let us not confuse the precision of the text with conjectures and mythology that pervades our pagan culture and uninformed classrooms. (It's tragic that we can't insist on evidence-based education for our children rather than the foolishness and dogma that continues to strip them of their God-fearing heritage.)

But the more acquainted you become with the amazing discoveries and insights from the frontiers of science - and are able to dismiss the nonsense that prevails among the uninformed - the more comfortable the Genesis text becomes! We plan to continue this series of articles in the unmitigated aspiration of stimulating you to dig ever deeper into God's inerrant Word!

Since it would be dishonest to make such an assertion without having done the math necessary to support such a conclusion, I invite you to show your calculations here. Be sure to clearly state the assumptions they're based on.

You are either playing coy or are a slow learner since the information has been given you before. Remember? It was a couple of your own mathematicians that abandoned evolutionism when they discovered the statistical impossibility of the superstition.

Evolution from Space, F. Hoyle & C. Wickramasinghe

You certainly have the right to disagree, as I have no doubt you will, but first state your credentials and tell us why you should be heard at all.

The "real" science Missler trumpets seems to be a blend of H. Russell Humprhries's "White Hole" theory, Barry Setterfield's CDK, and some sort of Zero-Point Energy Quackery. On the last of these, there is a demonstrable zero-point energy (try a web search on "Casimir Effect"), but it can't be huge or it would be collapsing the universe gravitationally. Neither of the first two has ever succeeded as science.

There's Hebrew literary devices called redundancy and parallel accounts that explain it quite well. Most people don't know anything about Hebrew literary devices so it's a common mistake to think there are two different, contradictory versions.

You are correct. Genesis is ancient literature and the first 11 chapters predate Moses. Never have I seen an evolutionist critic that treats it as anything but modern lit.

God spoke, and it was done, and it took six days...anything else, means you are NOT a Bible believer, but a believer in evolution of some sort.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your mouth that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved.

Tell me where that also says you have to believe in a literal 144-hour creation as well.

Why Six Days?

Because the creation myth that the ancient Hebrews were most familiar with (the Babylonian Enuma Elish) and patterned their own creation myth after takes place in seven parts. Also, because of a basic translation mistake. The number "seven" in Babylonian also had an idiomatic connotation of "many," so it could be used both as a number and as a general term (much as the ancient Hebrew "forty" was mistranslated by medieval scholars as a direct number where it could have equally meant many... think the Deluge).

Excellent point. "Satan", Lucifer, dragon, serpent, destroyer, "DEVIL", so many roles to play.

Yet the description of "him" tells the story, and what brought "him" down and WHEN he fell, sentence passed, all done prior to "man in the flesh" being created. The "DEVIL" and a few of those who followed him in that "FIRST" AGE are the only ones thus far given the "DEATH SENTENCE".

That first heaven and earth "AGE" prior to "man in the flesh" is the "foundation" for this "FLESH" AGE and because we are in "FLESH" that memory is removed.

(Luke 16:29 KJV) Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

(Luke 16:30 KJV) And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

(Luke 16:31 KJV) And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

(Exo 20:9 KJV) Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

(Exo 20:10 KJV) But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

(Exo 20:11 KJV) For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Creation is the basis for everything

It is why we wear clothes, why we have families, and most importantly, where Sin began, with Adam, not some mythical creature evolved from some ape like creature, but from a man created on Day 6

If you do not believe in Adam, then you do not believe what the Bible says on where sin came from

(Rom 5:12 KJV) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

If you dont believe where sin came from, then you have no logical reason to believe in the promise of a Redeemer sent to atone for sin.

(Luke 16:31 KJV) And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Those who claim to believe evoution, and in Jesus being the messiah are believing on two diametrically opposite beliefs, two total opposites.

Oh, but Moses did not write/recite "two different contradictory versions of the Creation".

He wrote of two different "DAYS" of Creation. The 6th day of CREATION and it was "GOOD". REST on the 7th day. Then there was NO MAN to till the ground, no farmer, thus "the Adam" was created and "animals" he was to name.

The Bible is about "the ADAM" his generations, check out who is listed in "Adam's" generations, somebody is not listed there. This "the ADAM" fell while in the "FLESH" and it says the GOD repented that he MADE "MAN IN THE FLESH".

MODERN MAN, not MOSES, recite two different contradictory versions of the Creation.

Those who claim to believe evoution, and in Jesus being the messiah are believing on two diametrically opposite beliefs, two total opposites.

First of all, you seem to believe there is only two possibilities: literal 144-hour creation and evolution. That simply is not the case: there is, for example, the "progressive creation" model. I find the progressive creation model of Hugh Ross, for example, quite compelling, and also quite consistent with a day/age reading of Genesis 1.

Secondly, even if God used macroevolution as His method of creation, I don't believe that excludes the intrusion of sin upon the world. Let's not forget that mankind is endowed with a unique gift that no other animal on the planet has: a spirit. It is this spirit that makes sin possible; it is this spirit that is ultimately redeemed by Christ. Thus, it is conceivable that God used evolution as part of His creation miracle, intervening additionally at the emergence of humankind in order to endow him with spirit, and thus make him accountable for sin.

So no, it is not necessarily contradictory to believe in the necessity of Jesus as redeemer and believe in evolution.

But let us suppose for the sake of argument that it is indeed contradictory. Haven't you ever held contradictory thoughts on other issues before? Of course you have. Have you always been 100% logical and consistent in your thinking? Of course you haven't. Thus, since it is possible to hold contradictory thoughts, it is still possible to believe in both the Bible and evolution. It would be incorrect, but possible.

And thankfully, such a person can still be saved, because God does not require us to be 100% correct on secondary issues of theology and doctrine. He only requires that we place our lives in the hands of His Son.

the tree where satan tempted and deceived our parents was placed there by the lord (by him all things were created) as a test of obedience....it was the "do it because i said so, because you love me, not because you understand it, or agree with it" moment for created humankind. they (& we) failed the test, so here we are, folks!

of all the ten commandments, the one most like the tree is the 4th. some say any day is ok to worship, or more specifically "rest in the lord", some say every day.

some say the law has changed from OT to NT.... since the ceremonial laws (curtain torn by an invisible hand from top to bottom) and civic laws (i confess there have been times a public stoning would have been emotionally satisfying) have changed.

the special object of satan's wrath, the focus of his greatest deceptive energies has been the keeping of.... the 4th commandment, the seventh day sabbath. why has it changed, (or doesnt really matter).....when all the other commandments are still regarded as being "in force"? (most christians & non-christians agree on all that not killing & stealing & lying & adultery stuff).

because "it is a sign....that you are my people, and i am your god"

Just what is a 'day' to all seeing and all powerful God, who can manipulate space/time to His needs and already knows a future that we cannot. We need to consider His point of reference as well as mans when we debate this issue.

Consider known concepts like relativity theory as applied to this argument and it starts to make a little more sense. Time is dependant on your point of reference and your speed...and I suspect that the Lord moves pretty fast.

Thank you so much for the heads up!

How does a serious student of the Torah - the five books of Moses - reconcile the Genesis account with the "billions of years" encountered in the dictums of astronomy, geology, et al?

Here is a response from serious students of the Torah, presented by a Jewish Physicist:

The Age of the Universe

I agree with Dr. Schroeder's analysis and expand on it with New Testament Scriptures here:

Origins

Sorry, you do not believe the Bible

(Exo 20:9 KJV) Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

(Exo 20:10 KJV) But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

(Exo 20:11 KJV) For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

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