How Old Is The Earth According To The Bible?

[Guest shiloh357]

 

You seem to be working from the assumption that God created a world completely covered with water prior to verse 2.   Am I reading that correctly?

 

 

Yes, its what the bible is saying in verse 1 and in verse 2. The land only appears in day 3, so right up to day 3 the entire surface is an ocean.

 

Before day 1: "the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

 

Also before Day 1: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 

 

Day 1:   God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

 

Am I missing something?  Maybe I am.  A Jewish day starts from the evening, so there's a dark earth, and waters, then there's light, and only then does the first day start as evening falls. 

Edited January 9, 2014 by shiloh357

[Guest shiloh357]

 

 

You seem to be working from the assumption that God created a world completely covered with water prior to verse 2.   Am I reading that correctly?

 

 

Yes, its what the bible is saying in verse 1 and in verse 2. The land only appears in day 3, so right up to day 3 the entire surface is an ocean.

 

Before day 1: "the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

 

Also before Day 1: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 

 

Day 1:   God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

 

Am I missing something?  Maybe I am.  A Jewish day starts from the evening, so there's a dark earth, and waters, then there's light, and only then does the first day start as evening falls. 

 

That is not before day 1.   Those things are ON day one.    The creation and separation light from darkness all occur and complete the first day.  Day one starts in verse 2 with nothing but emptiness and chaos.

 

As for "evening," I need to clarify something.  The Jewish day starts at sundown.   "Evening" from an ancient Jewish reckoning, began at noon.  They didn't differentiate the way we do between afternoon and evening.   So the evening began at high noon and the morning starts at midnight and goes through until noon. Evening to morning isn't "sundown to morning."

[ARGOSY]

 

 

 

You seem to be working from the assumption that God created a world completely covered with water prior to verse 2.   Am I reading that correctly?

 

 

Yes, its what the bible is saying in verse 1 and in verse 2. The land only appears in day 3, so right up to day 3 the entire surface is an ocean.

 

Before day 1: "the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

 

Also before Day 1: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 

 

Day 1:   God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

 

Am I missing something?  Maybe I am.  A Jewish day starts from the evening, so there's a dark earth, and waters, then there's light, and only then does the first day start as evening falls. 

 

That is not before day 1.   Those things are ON day one.    The creation and separation light from darkness all occur and complete the first day.  Day one starts in verse 2 with nothing but emptiness and chaos.

 

As for "evening," I need to clarify something.  The Jewish day starts at sundown.   "Evening" from an ancient Jewish reckoning, began at noon.  They didn't differentiate the way we do between afternoon and evening.   So the evening began at high noon and the morning starts at midnight and goes through until noon. Evening to morning isn't "sundown to morning."

 

 Even as you describe it, it changes nothing.  The earth, the waters , the darkness all existed.  THEN the light exists, its only when the light appears that a day can start (at noon as you say).  Its impossible for the dark earth to be created during day one, when day one only starts when the light appears. Its an absolute contradiction. The text, whether analysed in depth, or whether we read it quickly to get an impression, is clearly stating the the formless dark watery earth existed before the first day and night. You can try and squirm out of it, but every one who is honest with the text can see as clear as daylight (excuse the pun) that the bible does not hold a YEC position. Planet earth existed for an unknown period before creation week began, it was dark and so there were no days to count then. We only start counting days when the light appears.

[Guest shiloh357]

 

 

 

 

You seem to be working from the assumption that God created a world completely covered with water prior to verse 2.   Am I reading that correctly?

 

 

Yes, its what the bible is saying in verse 1 and in verse 2. The land only appears in day 3, so right up to day 3 the entire surface is an ocean.

 

Before day 1: "the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

 

Also before Day 1: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 

 

Day 1:   God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

 

Am I missing something?  Maybe I am.  A Jewish day starts from the evening, so there's a dark earth, and waters, then there's light, and only then does the first day start as evening falls. 

 

That is not before day 1.   Those things are ON day one.    The creation and separation light from darkness all occur and complete the first day.  Day one starts in verse 2 with nothing but emptiness and chaos.

 

As for "evening," I need to clarify something.  The Jewish day starts at sundown.   "Evening" from an ancient Jewish reckoning, began at noon.  They didn't differentiate the way we do between afternoon and evening.   So the evening began at high noon and the morning starts at midnight and goes through until noon. Evening to morning isn't "sundown to morning."

 

 Even as you describe it, it changes nothing.  The earth, the waters , the darkness all existed.  THEN the light exists, its only when the light appears that a day can start (at noon as you say).  Its impossible for the dark earth to be created during day one, when day one only starts when the light appears. Its an absolute contradiction. The text, whether analysed in depth, or whether we read it quickly to get an impression, is clearly stating the the formless dark watery earth existed before the first day and night. You can try and squirm out of it, but every one who is honest with the text can see as clear as daylight (excuse the pun) that the bible does not hold a YEC position. Planet earth existed for an unknown period before creation week began, it was dark and so there were no days to count then. We only start counting days when the light appears.

 

First of all, you don't know when the water appeared, so you cannot argue against YEC position.   If you are working from the assumption that an water covered planet existed for millions of years, you are simply operating in the realm of assumption or speculation.  Your argument does not discount the YEC position, as you cannot prove that anything was around for millions of years, much less a solid created planet.

 

The first problem with your position  is that you are treating Genesis 1:1 as depicting a creative event somewhere in the indeterminate past. 

 

The next problem is how we handle verse 2.    The phrase "without form and void (Heb. tohu v'bohu) is a figure of speech known as hendiadys that emphaises a deep, empty chaotic waste.  It wasn't a planet covered in water.  Tohu v'bohu defies the notion of a created planet that is covered with a solid body of water.  The waters at the end of verse two do not refer to something akin to an ocean.   It isn't until the third day that the waters were gathered together to create oceans and seas and the dry land appeared.

[LookingForAnswers]

 

The next problem is how we handle verse 2.    The phrase "without form and void (Heb. tohu v'bohu) is a figure of speech known as hendiadys that emphaises a deep, empty chaotic waste.  It wasn't a planet covered in water.  Tohu v'bohu defies the notion of a created planet that is covered with a solid body of water.  The waters at the end of verse two do not refer to something akin to an ocean.   It isn't until the third day that the waters were gathered together to create oceans and seas and the dry land appeared.

 

 

wait, if dry land didn't appear till the 3rd day, then prior to that the earth was covered with a solid body of water, since there was no dry land to break up that body of water

Edited January 9, 2014 by LookingForAnswers

[ARGOSY]

 

 

 

 

 

You seem to be working from the assumption that God created a world completely covered with water prior to verse 2.   Am I reading that correctly?

 

 

Yes, its what the bible is saying in verse 1 and in verse 2. The land only appears in day 3, so right up to day 3 the entire surface is an ocean.

 

Before day 1: "the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters

 

Also before Day 1: And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 

 

Day 1:   God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

 

Am I missing something?  Maybe I am.  A Jewish day starts from the evening, so there's a dark earth, and waters, then there's light, and only then does the first day start as evening falls. 

 

That is not before day 1.   Those things are ON day one.    The creation and separation light from darkness all occur and complete the first day.  Day one starts in verse 2 with nothing but emptiness and chaos.

 

As for "evening," I need to clarify something.  The Jewish day starts at sundown.   "Evening" from an ancient Jewish reckoning, began at noon.  They didn't differentiate the way we do between afternoon and evening.   So the evening began at high noon and the morning starts at midnight and goes through until noon. Evening to morning isn't "sundown to morning."

 

 Even as you describe it, it changes nothing.  The earth, the waters , the darkness all existed.  THEN the light exists, its only when the light appears that a day can start (at noon as you say).  Its impossible for the dark earth to be created during day one, when day one only starts when the light appears. Its an absolute contradiction. The text, whether analysed in depth, or whether we read it quickly to get an impression, is clearly stating the the formless dark watery earth existed before the first day and night. You can try and squirm out of it, but every one who is honest with the text can see as clear as daylight (excuse the pun) that the bible does not hold a YEC position. Planet earth existed for an unknown period before creation week began, it was dark and so there were no days to count then. We only start counting days when the light appears.

 

First of all, you don't know when the water appeared, so you cannot argue against YEC position.   If you are working from the assumption that an water covered planet existed for millions of years, you are simply operating in the realm of assumption or speculation.  Your argument does not discount the YEC position, as you cannot prove that anything was around for millions of years, much less a solid created planet.

 

The first problem with your position  is that you are treating Genesis 1:1 as depicting a creative event somewhere in the indeterminate past. 

 

The next problem is how we handle verse 2.    The phrase "without form and void (Heb. tohu v'bohu) is a figure of speech known as hendiadys that emphaises a deep, empty chaotic waste.  It wasn't a planet covered in water.  Tohu v'bohu defies the notion of a created planet that is covered with a solid body of water.  The waters at the end of verse two do not refer to something akin to an ocean.   It isn't until the third day that the waters were gathered together to create oceans and seas and the dry land appeared.

 

1)Im not working on assumptions here, the earth could be a lot older than 6000 years ago, the bible doesn't give any clues as to how long the earth was dark before the first light. I'm not claiming millions of years, but if you are claiming 6000 years it is you who would be making unbiblical assumptions.

 

2) It was a planet covered in waters:

Now the earth was formless and empty,darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

 

Read that? It says the earth. Obviously then the earth was without form and void, a deep empty chaotic waste. 

Edited January 9, 2014 by ARGOSY

[WillfromTexas]

We should all be scripturally honest enough to say that we don't know either way.  We should also recognise that thinking the Universe is old doesn't mean you have to believe in evolution or things like that.  That seems to be the Young Earth theorists biggest issue thinking old earth is pushing an evolutionary agenda.

 

Young earthers argue 'yom' ONLY means ONE day.  But it's been shown that all the rules and regulations put on the word were put there by young earth theorists.

 

We don't know much at all pre-Eden, or how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden.  We don't know if the Garden was a protected zone and outside the Garden may already be suffering the effects of Satan and the fallen angels sins.  It does seem Biblically accurate to say Satan had already been cast down prior to the Earth being formed into what Adam knew.

 

I will be honest enough to say I do not know.  The Bible does not say straight out and to put God in a box with man's knowledge is foolish either way.  What is a day to God?   What is 24 hours to an eternal being?  The Bible tells me a day is as a thousand years to God and time means nothing.  Time has always been for our benefit not God's.

 

In my younger life I was very interested in archeology, paleontology, history, geology, etc...  Let me tell you it is hard to say the Earth is 6,000 years old when you're standing in the shadow of a mountain cut in half.  When you can look up and count 10,000+ years of layers it makes you wonder.  But as a Christian it should NOT make us doubt God.  We also put words in God's mouth saying 'he says' the Earth is 6,000 years old.

 

Maybe God created Earth and the Universe with apparent age, maybe the speed of light was instant back then, maybe this or maybe that.  We won't know until we are in the arms of our loving savior.

 

The worst thing of all is people start to turn this into a salvational issue or condescend that you don't know your Bible.  You can believe in an old Earth and be saved and to say otherwise is absurd.

 

Like I said -I do not know- but I can also say -you do not know-.  None of us know and don't let it rip apart the unity of the Body of Christ.  We are all part of Christ's body and we should be doing 'His' work not laying division between ourselves.  We should be preaching to the lost but if that lost person can't believe in a young earth- they can still believe in Salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

One thing I can say for sure.  Being dogmatic on either side and it driving somebody away from the Lord it is to your shame.

 

Love you all!

[Guest shiloh357]

1)Im not working on assumptions here, the earth could be a lot older than 6000 years ago, the bible doesn't give any clues as to how long the earth was dark before the first light. I'm not claiming millions of years, but if you are claiming 6000 years it is you who would be making unbiblical assumptions.

 

Actually, if you followed my other posts in other threads, I have consistently argued that the earth is between 6,000 and 10,000 years old.  But my point is that your assertions are based on assumptions and so far, you really don't know anything.  You don't accept YEC, but you have provided NOTHING in this thread that actually refutes the YEC position.   

 

The OEC position essentially agrees with the assumption that the earth is 4.5 billion years old as scientists claim, yet have not proven.   Nothing you have presented up to this point proves that the YEC postion is wrong.

) It was a planet covered in waters:

No, tohu v'bohu defies the notion that verse two is talking about a solid planet covered in ocean-like water.   There is no form and the elements are in complete chaos. There is no order nothing uniform.  It is a chaotic and formless waste.     A planet covered with water indicates form and order and that simply doesn't jive with the Hebrew concepts of formless and empty.  The English is far less precise than Hebrew.

 

Read that? It says the earth. Obviously then the earth was without form and void, a deep empty chaotic waste. 

 

The condition of the defies the implication you seem to be making that the earth was simply land lurking beneath an ocean like body of water.  Water was present, but not in oceanic form in verse 2.

 

The Hebrew in verse two appears to present us with a chaotic orderless mass of elements and not a cohesive structure like a planet.

[LookingForAnswers]

To be accurate, we are all working from assumptions, be you a YEC or OEC or something else.  If there was proof one way or the other we would not be having this discussion.

[Enoch2021]

@WillfromTexas

 

"We should all be scripturally honest enough to say that we don't know either way."

 

I don't think anyone is trying to be dishonest..... and between what:  "Day-Age Theory"  or  "Gap Theory" ??

 

"Day-Age":  (Exodus 20:11) "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."

 

Pretty clear cut to me.

 

"Gap Theory": Found this interesting....A Graduate Student writing his Master's Thesis concerning 'Christianity and Evolution' decided to ask the 20 leading Hebrew Scholars in the USA if there were any exegetical evidence to allow a Gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2....they all unanimously replied--------NO!

Henkel, M. (1950), “Fundamental Christianity and Evolution,” Modern Science and the Christian Faith, ed. F. Alton Everest  Wheaton, IL: Van Kampen Press, p.49

 

 

"We should also recognise that thinking the Universe is old doesn't mean you have to believe in evolution or things like that."

 

Very True 

 

 

"That seems to be the Young Earth theorists biggest issue thinking old earth is pushing an evolutionary agenda."

 

Well evolutionists do push it because they must...but it's dead either way.

 

 

"Young earthers argue 'yom' ONLY means ONE day."

 

That's because when it is modified by a numeral or ordinal in a historical narrative (As In the Genesis Account) it always means a literal 24 hour day...... 359 times in the OT outside of Genesis 1.  When it's modified by "evening and/or morning" it also means a literal 24 hour day....38 times outside Genesis 1.  So the basis for our thinking is supported by comparing Scripture with Scripture.

 

 

"But it's been shown that all the rules and regulations put on the word were put there by young earth theorists."

 

Say again??

 

"We don't know much at all pre-Eden, or how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden"

 

Pre-Eden??....formless and void?  How long?..... Genesis 5:3 states that Adam lived for 130 years.

 

 

"Let me tell you it is hard to say the Earth is 6,000 years old when you're standing in the shadow of a mountain cut in half.  When you can look up and count 10,000+ years of layers it makes you wonder." 

 

That's Your FEELING.  And how about that feeling when your looking up through those "layers" @ Polystrate Fossils (Trees) penetrating each layer?

 

 

"We also put words in God's mouth saying 'he says' the Earth is 6,000 years old."

 

It's an inference made using simple math derived the  Genealogy Lists provided.

 

"Maybe God created Earth and the Universe with apparent age, maybe the speed of light was instant back then, maybe this or maybe that.  We won't know until we are in the arms of our loving savior."

 

That's when you have to rightly divide the WORD of GOD.  For some issues the Bible is not clear for others it's CRYSTAL... then treat each accordingly

 

"The worst thing of all is people start to turn this into a salvational issue or condescend that you don't know your Bible.  You can believe in an old Earth and be saved and to say otherwise is absurd".

 

I Concur

 

"Like I said -I do not know- but I can also say -you do not know-."

 

Are you saying because you don't know something then it's unknowable by someone else?

 

 

"None of us know and don't let it rip apart the unity of the Body of Christ." 

 

Well I surely won't attempt to do that.  However, it is as Plain as "Day" to me and.......(2 Timothy 3:16) "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"

 

I put my thoughts out there and support them.  Sometimes I get corrected (which I Love by the way ) because that helps me learn more about the LORD.