Creation

*In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (u.n.) (Genesis 1:1)

*[A] literal reading of the Genesis creation chapters integrates perfectly with the established scientific record. Dr. H. Ross (2737) (The Genesis Question, pg. 86)

THE GENESIS CREATION STORY

The Bible is the only Holy Book that states that the universe came into existence a finite time ago. There are some that have borrowed this concept from the Bible, such as Koran, or Book of Morman, but they didn’t originate this idea.

Christians today are divided into two camps – those who believe that the universe is about six thousand years old, and that the “days” of creation were 24-hour days; and those who believe that the universe is a few billion years old, and that the “days” of creation were from thousands to billions of years. In this tirade the former will be referred to as “Thousanders” and the latter will be referred to as “Billioners.”

When God spoke the universe into existence (The Big Speak) the Thousanders believe all stars and planets were created just as we see them today. The Billioners believe that all matter was allowed to coalesce into stars and planets and galaxies by following the Laws of Thermodynamics.

If the universe is 6,000 years old, and since light travels at the speed of light, then we should only be able to see 6,000 light-years in any direction. That means the visible universe would have to be crammed into an area 12,000 light-years wide. Either that, or God played fast and loose with His Laws of Thermodynamics.

Scientists say that the earth is fortunate to be at such a great distance from the center of our galaxy, otherwise radiation would make life impossible. Can you imagine the amount radiation if the whole universe was many times smaller than the 100,000 light-year width of our galaxy. So the universe has to be the actual size it appears to be.

Some Thousanders get around this by saying the reason we can actually see more than 6,000 light-years distance is because God might have created the light first and then the source of the light later. Other Thousanders believe that God created the universe as we see it, by creating distance galaxies and the universe-crossing light waves that are reaching us today, at the same time. These light-waves that are reaching our telescopes today only appear to have traveled billions of light-years. These light waves portray distant galaxies in different stages of the evolution of galaxies because God created these galaxies to appear to be at different stages of their evolution. There are even Thousanders who believe scientists can’t accurately measure great distances anyway, so the whole point is moot.

These seem to be pretty weak limbs to go out on. Are these appearances supposed to establish trust in God – or blind trust? Would God play such a cosmic practical joke on only those who believe in the Bible? I think not. Albert Einstein said, “God is subtle, but never mischievous.”

Other Thousanders say we can see billions of light-years distance because light used to travel much faster, but slowed down after the “Fall of Adam” (after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden).

Other Thousanders say that quantum algebra can prove why we can see distant galaxies. There’s only about “six people alive today” that can do this kind of math, but they can use it to prove something called “time-dilation.” I heard a Thousander describe this theory during a radio program, but it was way over my head. What it boils down to is: light was faster 6,000 years ago. Does this mean that 6,000 years from now we’ll be able to turn off the light and run and jump in bed before the light goes out?

Hebrew vs. English

Biblical Hebrew contains around 3,000 different words. Modern English contains around 1,000,000 different words. Hebrew words can have more than one meaning. English-speaking people should realize this and not be squeamish about it.

One problem that has arisen from translating Hebrew Scriptures into English scriptures is that only a single word-meaning has been chosen for us. The multiple meanings have been left out. We are to believe the single meaning that has been chosen for us - or else.

Day 1

First I have to start off with the Hebrew-English controversy. The King James Version (KJV) says the creation days were 24-hour days. The Hebrew word that is used is yom. It can mean a 24-hour day, the hours of daylight, or a long (but definite) period of time. No other word but yom is used in Biblical Hebrew to describe a long period of time. The Billioners believe yom represented thousands or millions or billions of years, depending on the particular “day.”

Back to Day 1. Genesis 1:2 says the planet was in darkness and that God hovered over the oceans. Think of a helicopter. The darkness part isn’t hard to imagine since forming planets are surrounded by a dust and debris-filled atmosphere. Since life started in the oceans, that’s probably what God was doing. Some ocean life-forms don’t need sunlight to live. Genesis doesn’t give a detailed account of all of creation, but hits on the highlights that deal with earth being readied for humans.

Then God said, “Let there be light.” Billioners believe light was finally able to reach the planet due to the clearing of the atmosphere. Gravity gradually and naturally cleansed the atmosphere, somewhat. God could have cleared away some of the debris by divine intervention. Some Thousanders believe this is when God created light. The Hebrew used here is haya which can mean: to exist, to be, to happen, or to come to pass. Bara, asa, and yasar are verbs that mean: create, make, or form. They are not used. Where was God when this was spoken? Hovering over the oceans - under a dirty atmosphere where no light could get through. Was there light in the universe yet? You bet! The Bible says that when God created the universe the angels gasped in astonishment. There had to have been some light on the subject for them to have seen it.

Some Billioners say the forming of the moon helped cleanse the atmosphere. Check this out… A planet about the size of Mars slams into Earth. The impact blasts most of the atmosphere into space along with some of the rock from the planet. The rocks get together to form the moon and the atmosphere is a lot clearer. OK, but what about all the dust and debris from the impact?

Day 2

With a cleaner atmosphere, the Sun could get the water cycle started. This is the dividing of the waters in verses 6 & 7.

Day 3

Genesis 1:9 says the oceans (which had covered the planet) moved aside and the land appeared. The Billioners believe that with volcanism and plate tectonics it’s easy to see how this occurred. That is how land which was once on the sea-floor could now be on the top of Mt. Everest.

With a water cycle now in place, and dry land, and an atmosphere being scrubbed cleaner by rain, the earth is now ready for plants. Genesis 1:9 says God created vegetation. The Hebrew nouns used here can mean any plant forms that ever lived, from the smallest plankton to the biggest trees. The Billioners believe that since the planet was still evolving, God probably matched the plant life to the environment. The most primitive plant forms most likely came first. Then as the sky became cleaner, over millions of years, God introduced more complex plants that needed more sunlight. The text doesn’t say that God created all the plants at that time. I think God saved the best (oranges, blueberries, grapes, apples, cantaloupes, watermelons, pineapples, lemons, tomatoes, roses, gardenias, chrysanthemums, China silk trees, California poppies) for last. For us!

Day 4

The Billioners believe that after millions of years of the atmosphere being cleansed by rain and the winds slowing down because earth’s rotation slowed down, the atmosphere finally became transparent. Genesis 1:14 says that God wanted lights in the sky to separate day from night and to mark the seasons. With a transparent sky you could now see the sun, moon, and stars from the surface of the earth.

With a transparent sky and lots of oxygen (given off by plants) the ozone layers (There are three ozone layers. They’re in the troposphere, mesosphere, and stratosphere.) could be made. Ozone is made by a chemical reaction when the sun’s rays hit oxygen. The ozone layers are being rebuilt 24 hours a day.

Some scientists believe there was a canopy of water, or ice, above the planet that helped to protect us against harmful radiation. This theory gets some help from an astronomer from the University of Chicago, Priscilla Frisch. She says that when interstellar hydrogen clouds hit earth’s atmosphere, the collisions taking place in the mesosphere would make ice crystals.

Day 5

Now that the earth had an ozone layer, good air, and lots of plants, it was ready for advanced creatures. Genesis 1:20-21 says God made the waters teem with life and the sky with birds. The Hebrew nouns here are sheres, which are small swarming creatures such as fish, amphibians, and crustaceans, and nephesh, which are soulish creatures such as sea mammals. The Billioners believe dinosaurs were probably created at this time. It doesn’t say - but this would be the best time for them. The Bible doesn’t mention insects either, but they were definitely there.

Day 6

This time period is when God put animals on earth. Genesis 1:25 only mentions three kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals. They were all nephesh, which are soulish creatures, so the “creeping creatures” does not mean insects.

Now we get to the good part. Here’s where we make the scene. God is finally able to accomplish the main reason he created the universe in the first place. Adam and Eve were made in the image of God, which means they were spiritual creatures with an awareness of God. We are not only physically separate from ancient primates (Although a chronological link may exist with Neandertal, the physical differences inside our skulls are too complete.) but the archeological evidence shows items of religious beliefs appearing around the time humans were created. No large-brain, bipedal, tool-using primates had a need to worship an invisible entity. The Billioners say the items of religious worship appear between 8,000 to 24,000 years ago.

To find the date of human creation, the Thousanders count the genealogical record in Genesis and come up with 4004 B.C. But the Hebrew uses ‘ab which can mean father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc., instead of just father, and ‘ben which can mean son, grandson, great-grandson, etc., instead of just son. The genealogical record is not complete anyway. Luke 3 adds “Cainan” between “Arphaxad” and “Shelah.”

In Chapter 2 of Genesis, there is also a listing of the events of creation. They differ from Chapter 1. Some people say the differences between Genesis 1 and 2 are because God created new stuff in Genesis 2 to prove to Adam and Eve that He was the creator, and not Lucifer.

I believe the differences can be explained by knowing the different reasons for the 2 chapters. Chapter 1 focuses on the physical creation: the what, how and in what order. Chapter 2 focuses on “why.” It only gives passing reference to the physical creation, with no need for sequence or explaining. It deals with humanity’s major responsibilities.

Day 7

The Bible says God “rested” on the 7 th day. It doesn’t mean God was tired. It means he just stopped creating. What did God do on the 8 th day? Did he die? No. Did he take off for parts unknown? No. Did he start creating new things? There’s no indication of this. Did he throw a big party? Probably. My point is that God is still “resting!” God is still in the 7 th day. And that’s been many thousands of years. Not 24 hours.